Wordless Wednesday - Halfway!

7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 15

I've really missed blogging lately!  Can you believe this post took me almost 3 weeks to write?  True story!  That's just the way life has been lately! Here's a brief summary of what's new in our world...

At the end of January, Nathan turned 5!  He's already lost two teeth (our earliest tooth loser yet!).  He has started "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and is doing really well, so far.  He was already reading a few Bob Books before then, so I am hoping the momentum gathers and reading is something that comes easily for him.  I find Nathan rather fascinating, because, in our houseful of playmates and noise... he's the introvert.  He is perfectly content playing by himself somewhere quietly while the rest of the gang are doing something else!  I had always heard one of the "pitfalls" of big families was that the children don't learn how to enjoy quiet or entertain themselves due to the constant presence of others, but Nathan proves that idea wrong!  He definitely has a knack for building complex things with legos - sometimes more complex than his older counterparts build.  I love watching him grow and can't wait to see what God has in store for him!

The little girl had her FIRST birthday and I hadn't even blogged about it yet!  How does that even happen? (Um, I'll tell you how it happened - it's called having 6 kids and being pregnant with the 7th!)  We didn't do anything big - I'm a lazy mama and don't do birthday parties until the child is actually old enough to remember them!  But it was an absolutely beautiful day, so we did celebrate by spending some time enjoying the outdoors.  She's getting so big - she's got 6 teeth, loves to climb on anything and everything, and is definitely teaching us a bit about what people mean when they say "girls are different".  There's a little more drama in the house than there used to be!  But going along with that is a lot more sunshine and sweetness, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't marvel at the fact that we have a girl!  Yes, still!

On her first birthday!

I am now 16.5 weeks pregnant, and outgrowing regular clothes.  But, I'm also at the awkward inbetween stage where maternity clothes are sort of too big and look kind of frumpy!  So, please excuse my lack of fashion for the next few weeks, if you happen to know me.  Not that I'm the queen of fashion to begin with!  I can now feel the little one move for sure, which is such a nice blessing.  No matter how many times I've felt it, I'm always excited and thankful when it happens.  I haven't gained any weight yet, for which I am super thankful for, since I started this pregnancy out with an extra 15-20 pounds of weight still leftover from Rachel!  I don't tend to fret over my weight too much, but that small detail made me a little nervous.

We are planning another homebirth, for which I am super excited.  I was thrilled for the first one, because I had wanted to try it for so long and was finally able to, and I'm just as thrilled for this one, because now I know how wonderful of an experience it can be!

Our 20 week ultrasound is next month, and I am so looking forward to it.  We're not finding out the gender, of course, but we've decided to leave all the children with a friend and actually make it a "date night", of which we only do about 2-3 times a year!  Usually we bring the whole crew to the ultrasounds, but at this point we will no longer all fit into the ultrasound room!  And I think it will be fun not having to deal with squirmy toddlers and restless preschoolers.  And, of course, I am always excited to see the little one.  The miracle of pregnancy and growing a baby becomes more and more amazing to me with each pregnancy.

Here's my growing belly!

According to general statistics, I have approximately 23 weeks left of this pregnancy... and according to my schedule, I have approximately 21 weeks left of school.  Um, yikes!  Looks like after our maternity leave, we won't be starting out fresh with a new year as I had hoped... we'll be wrapping up the loose ends of this one!  Which is... OK... but the OCD organizer in me really, really wanted to get everything tied up in a nice neat complete package BEFORE baby came!  But there really is no way that I can see that happening.  So, we'll just keep plugging along and just see how things go.  That is so hard for me! I think it's good for me, too, though.

Last year, I am sad to admit, we did not manage our finances as well as we should have.  After spending many years with no debt at all, we got ourselves into a bit of debt.  This year, after watching our tax refund go to paying that debt (instead of more useful things, like savings, or home repair, or any number of other things money is good for), we agreed that things had to change.  So we've gone back to a "cash only" lifestyle.  And, WOW!  What a difference that has made in just the two months we've been doing it.  It has definitely taken some adjustment - mostly a mindset adjustment - remembering that just because we think we "need it now" doesn't actually mean that we "need it now" - things can actually... wait!  But the savings has been tremendous!!  Several hundred dollars a month!!!  That's a big deal.  So even though it's been a little difficult, we're sticking with it, because it WORKS!

 

I love this boy!  This was how I found him the other day, during his nap.  Needless to say, that was not how I had put him to bed!  He is always a source of laughter in the house!

And no, those aren't the ones he was actually wearing at the time!

I think this has been the best winter I can remember. I think we had, maybe 10 days or less, total, of temperatures that were cold enough to make me uncomfortable (below 45 degrees or so). It has been wonderfully mild.  We have taken full advantage of this, and spent as much time as possible OUTside!  Yesterday was our first official nature walk of the season - and it was a wonderful 73 degrees by the time we finished at noon.  I love this kind of weather, and I'm especially excited about Daylight Savings Time starting!  Sunlight and I are friends :)  Here's some pictures of our nature walk!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world!

Homeschooling with Morning Sickness

As you may have gathered from my last post... we're expecting baby #7!  Which is a convenient excuse for my lack of blogging. And cooking. And cleaning. And... basically anything that requires more than lying on the couch! 

I am a little over 10 weeks now, and morning sickness has definitely dominated my life for the past 6 of those.  However, as any mother knows, when there are other children in the house, it's not so easy for mama to be stuck on the couch.  Especially when several of those children are school-aged and mama is the teacher!  So I thought I'd share a little on how school goes when I'm sidelined.

Basically, we just simplify.  This is rough for me, as I am a checklist kind of girl, and get a sense of accomplishment when I can get to the end of the day and see that we've done everything.  But the Lord has taught me so much in this area, mostly through periods of morning sickness - that my value and my worth is not based on my accomplishments!  So it is OK to let things go in necessary seasons.

My method of homeschooling makes this really, really easy.  First, I eliminate the subjects that need my one-on-one focus (for us, this is Spelling and Writing).  Since they are "minor" topics anyway, I have no concerns about dropping them for a while.  Second, my independent work assignment sheets allow the big kids to continue moving ahead with their work - they're not waiting around for me to direct them, and filling them out requires very minimal effort on my part.  The one difficulty I have run into is checking and going over their work everyday.  Since Fridays are light days for us and the boys don't have any independent work then, I've been waiting until Friday to meet and go over the week's work.  It's not ideal (especially when there's several days of material they've made errors on and have to go back and fix!), but again, this is for a season, so it works for now.

Thirdly... Sonlight!  I can do Bible, History, Read-Alouds and Science (excluding experiments) all from the couch.  Not only that, but their awesome Instructor's Guides make it literally "open and go".  I do not have to plan, I do not have to stress about getting things together, I do not have to hunt around for extra materials.  I keep everything I need for 6 weeks in a basket next to the couch.  So. Easy.  I mean, unbelievably easy.  I honestly believe that with any other curriculum, I'd be totally out of the game and nothing would be getting accomplished.  But Sonlight has made it really, really easy to keep on trucking.  Have I mentioned that it's really easy?  Maybe Sonlight should steal Staples' logo.

I will say that there have been some weeks in which only independent work has gotten done, or only our Sonlight portions.  That's me letting go of perfection and surviving the day.  By now I've learned that this truly is just a season, and it will pass (no matter how dreadfully long it seems to last!) so I try not to let discouragement catch up with me.  I try to keep this mindset for all areas of living during this time.  Yes, we may be eating more processed meals, or simple things that children can fix.  The house looks like it has been cleaned by children, well, because it has.  But as long as we stay on top of dishes and laundry, things run pretty well.  And let me say, having older children is such a huge blessing!  It is incredible to see the fruit of the hard work of teaching chores and obedience when they were younger!

I am praying that in a few short weeks I will be back on my feet and running things at "top speed" again, but for now, I think we're all appreciating the simplicity!

Wordless Wednesday - Seven! (of a Different Sort)

Do you like my shirt?!

Joining our family in late August!

No News is... well, No News!

I am still here, and I am still pregnant :-) At only 4 days until my due date, this baby is one of my "latest". I know the due date is really just an estimate, but I think as any woman who has been pregnant knows, as that number on the calendar grows closer, so grows the anticipation!

I am really trying hard to keep decent perspective during these last few days. My parents are here and we've had a good time enjoying eachother's company. My mom and I had a mother-daughter spa day, and Michael and I were able to enjoy a last minute date night while the grandparents stayed with the little ones. We've stopped school for now, so I'm enjoying the free time with the kids as well as time to get lots of last-minute cleaning and organizing done. I am also taking advantage of more time to rest, as naps seem more necessary lately.

However, I have to confess, I am definitely struggling with mood swings! There are times when I feel great, excited, confident... and other times when I am frustrated, discouraged, and nervous! I told Michael its a little like seeing a really neat ride at an amusement park and deciding to get in line - but as the line moves ever so slowly, the more you think "Hmmm... what have I gotten myself into? Do I REALLY want to ride this ride?" ;-) Of course, in my case, there's only one way to get out of line! So, I am spending a lot of time really leaning on the Lord. Lots and lots of prayer! Reminding myself that His timing is perfect, that He is with me, He is my strength and my comforter, and that I can rest in His perfect plan.

This verse was on my calendar this morning: "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). Just the encouragement I need! I'm so thankful for His promises to lean on.

I know that for anyone who has actually gone overdue with a baby must think that I'm a little pathetic! ;-) It is a relief to know that sometime soon, eventually, this baby will come! Until then... I will just keep waiting and praying!

The Belly

I was finally able to get a somewhat decent shot of "the belly", so I thought I'd share! The skirt isn't the most flattering, but it fits, and that's what counts most right now! ;-)

Here I am, at exactly 38 weeks and 3 days:

Not too much longer until we meet who's in there! I can't wait!

Waiting...

I've got only 12 days until my due date. If this baby were Ezra, it would be here by now! Everything is ready. I've gotten all my supplies together, did a test run with the birth pool, the midwife has come by the house to make sure she knows where everything is... and now we just wait!

The odd thing about this pregnancy is that normally by now I'm on pins and needles, waiting, waiting, waiting, feeling like the next few weeks will be torture! But this time around, it feels differently. I don't feel this impending sense of anticipation - in some ways, I don't feel close to giving birth at all! Yes, I'm HUGE, and yes, I'm running to the bathroom all the time. Braxton-Hicks are my constant companion, while sleep is not... but I feel good, have energy, am not too sore, and my spirits are up. I haven't hit that "end of pregnancy" exhaustion wall (at least not yet, lol!). I'm at peace.

I find myself very contemplative - I look at my calendar and wonder "which day will it be?". I find it fascinating that one day I will wake up and that day will be the day a new life joins our family - and that, for now, I have no idea when that is! The more I think about the upcoming labor, the more I marvel at God's design and the beauty of new life. And I remember, too, that the birth isn't THE event. A new child is coming! A new baby to nurse, diaper, cuddle, soothe - a new person who will grow and soon be running around with the rest of us, chattering up a storm, introducing us to their own personality and quirks. I love getting to know my children!

What a blessing life is, from the giver of all good and perfect things, the Creator of life itself!! I am overjoyed and thankful, and relying on Him during this soon-to-be-over time of waiting. He is certainly my strength and my peace, for which I am ever thankful!

(Oh, and don't forget to enter a guess in our baby pool! Thank you to all who have voted so far, it is so fun to see what everyone thinks! Interestingly, there is one date that no one has picked at all yet... hmmmm...)

Want to Play?

I've started an online baby pool for friends, family, and blog readers to take a gander at when #6 will make his or her appearance! My official due date is January 29 - will this one come early, like all the rest? Or throw things off a little and take his or her sweet time? What about gender - are we in for boy #6, or will we need to do some shopping for pink things?

The pool also has a place to enter a guess at weight, length, and even time of birth! Please feel free to join in the fun... and I'll have a little gift for whoever gets the closest!

Just for some background, here are my babies' stats (although, I admit I don't remember anyone's length, sorry!)

• #1 - 8 days early, 7 pounds, 6 ounces, born at 5:56 pm,
• #2 - 12 days early, 6 pounds, 10 ounces, born at 10:48 am
• #3 - 3 or 4 days early, 8 pounds, 3 ounce, born at 5:50 pm
• #4 - also 3 or 4 days early, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, born at 9:56 am
• #5 - 10 days early, 7 pounds even, born at 9:55 pm

And, of course... they've all been BOYS! ;-)

So, what do you think? Click on the banner above or in my sidebar to place your vote, and feel free to leave a comment here, too!

Once baby comes, I'll enter in the information and the Baby Pool will automatically generate whose guess is the closest - I'll post the winner here after the birth announcement!

Thanks for playing!!

Why Homebirth?

When I tell others that we have decided to go ahead with a homebirth, I get many different reactions. I have friends and family who are extremely supportive (some who have had homebirths themselves, others who would want to, and then friends who are just supportive despite their own opinions), friends and family who don't really understand why I'd even want to try something like that, and others still who are completely against the idea. I can understand each position, especially the last two, as homebirth is something rather "against the grain" - considering less than 1% of women in America deliver their babies at home.

So, I wanted to go ahead and address some of the reasons I've desired a homebirth for so long, and am excited that we will be having one!

Unlike some who are pro-homebirth, I have, thankfully, never had what I would consider a bad birthing experience in the hospital (although Joel's birth was one that definitely changed my perspective on things in a lot of ways). I've always been able to deliver without medication, without excessive intervention, and the outcome has always been a healthy baby and mama, of which I am extremely thankful to the Lord for.

However, with each pregnancy and delivery, I've felt more and more as if things could actually be... different. Better, even. Natural, rather than medical. Peaceful rather than rushing to get to the hospital, being poked, prodded, questioned, monitored, told what I could and (mostly) could not do. With each child I've had, the hospital has felt more and more like a battlefield rather than a birthplace.

With this upcoming baby, Michael and I were going over our "list of things we don't want done" (this list has grown and been added to as we've continued to research the "standard procedures" of hospitals and their actual purpose and safety)... such as:

• mandatory IV or IV port
• limited laboring and pushing positions
• restricted eating and drinking during labor
  
• clamping the umbilical cord right away
• pitocin after birth to help expel placenta
• tugging at umbilical cord or pushing on uterus to help expel placenta
  
• newborn Hep B vaccination
• newborn eye ointment
• newborn Vitamin K shot
• any separation of mother and baby at all while in hospital
• constant (every 2 hour) wakings at night to check vitals and such

All of these things are considered part of the package deal when delivering at a hospital, yet all of them carry their own risks that patients are not even informed of! It was not until I started asking "why" to these things, and doing my own research, that I discovered the risks, as well as the more natural ways that God has put into place to accomplish what the hospital is trying to do artificially.

As you can see, there are alot of things we'd be "fighting the system" on - which gets exhausting and stressful, at times, and there are certain things hospitals and doctors just DO anyway, citing policy, regardless of the patient's desires about it.

That's when the casual mention of homebirth came up... and the rest is history!

I'd like to address the biggest concern I hear about homebirth - and that is the issue of safety. While there are many studies out there that are available proving that birth at home for women who are not considered "high-risk" is just as safe (if not safer) than birth in a hospital for the same group (if you are curious, just Google it!), I'd like to share my personal conviction about birth in general, and why I am comfortable pursuing a homebirth.

I have always, from the beginning of my first pregnancy, believed deeply that birth is natural. I believe that God designed and created the female body specifically with the ability to nurture, grow, and ultimately deliver babies. Just as digestion is a natural process that God gave the body the ability to do, so is birthing. Granted, since we are now in a fallen world, there are times that pregnancy and birth can have complications. There are times when our digestive systems can have complications. For both situations, it is a blessing to have good medical care available to help solve these problems. For that reason, I am not "anti-hospital".

However, with digestion, I do not make sure I am at the hospital every time I eat "just in case" something goes wrong. I trust my body to do what it needs to do. The same with birth - I do not feel the need to be in a hospital every time I have a baby "just in case" there are complications, which (praise God) I have yet to have. An experienced midwife has the knowledge and skill needed to assist birth without requiring all of the "routine" interventions that hospitals require "just in case". And, an experienced midwife will also have the knowledge and skill to recognize when a complication has arisen and a mother or baby *is* in need of a hospital's care, and will know when to make that call. Rarely (although popular media likes to portray it differently) is birth an "emergency" situation!

In fact, it can be argued that taking a low-risk woman to the hospital to give birth actually introduces more risks than if she were to stay home to deliver. Interestingly, although America's homebirth rate is very low compared to other developed countries, our maternal and fetal death rates are extremely high in comparison! That's an interesting statistic to really take a look at. The hospital has unfamiliar germs, and many of the interventions that are considered routine in the hospital setting (some of which I listed above) easily lead to more interventions, which can lead to a complete interruption of the natural labor cycle, leading to further interventions that can result in a longer, more difficult labor, fetal distress, or even Cesarean section. Although C-sections have become more "normal" in today's world, that doesn't negate the fact that a C-section is serious surgery, with its own risks and recovery issues.

For those who are personally concerned with my choice, the midwife we have chosen is well-experienced. She is certified nationally as a Certified Professional Midwife as well as through the state of Tennessee. She has delivered over 2000 babies in over 30 years. She is also very active in midwifery activism, which means she understands her reputation is valuable - she will not take unnecessary risks! I trust her abilities as well as her judgment. Also, in case a transfer to the hospital does become necessary, I am preregistered and my previous maternal care provider is aware of the situation. My bases are covered, so to speak.

A movie I highly recommend regarding the issue of maternity care in the United States and the safety of homebirth is The Business of Being Born. It is available through DVD or Watch Instantly on Netflix, as well as YouTube (broken into 10 segments). The documentary is very well done, although I must give the warning that there are graphic birth scenes (ie. nudity) so discretion must be taken when watching it with little ones around.

I also really enjoyed the book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"... some of the birth stories highlighted are a bit "hippy" for my taste, but as far as addressing natural birth, the safety of homebirth, and well as natural ways to deal with things that come up during labor and delivery - the book is a wealth of information. I recommend it as reading for all pregnant mamas, even if you're not interested in homebirth! Its that good.

Hopefully this clears up a few of the questions or concerns I've received about why I've longed for a homebirth. I'll be posting more as the time grows closer, about things I'm doing to prepare as well as more thoughts - I have lots of them! ;-)

7 Quick Takes Friday - Vol. 3

Over the past month, we celebrated two birthdays and have three more coming up in the next month! Mine was first :-) The day after Thanksgiving I celebrated my 31st birthday with Michael and the boys, and it was a wonderful, relaxing day. My big gift was a digital picture frame! I've always wanted one, but it was never one of those things I'd actually buy for myself, so it was the perfect gift. To be honest, though, I haven't even set it up yet - I have waaaaay too many pictures to go through and its really hard to narrow it down to my favorites! Speaking of pictures, here's one of me and the boys (goofy faces and all!) on my special day:

The next birthday in our house was another big one - Isaac turned 10!! It is so weird to think I have a child that is a decade old, into the double digits. He's growing soooooo fast! I think its going to be great, though - even though the challenges change as age increases, the blessings do, too. Isaac is such a helper, taking initiative to take care of things he sees needs to be done, and always eager to assist when asked. He's a voracious reader, and his appetite for books is hard to keep up with! While still young and carefree, his maturity is starting to peek out, and its such an awesome thing to think about what kind of young man he's quickly becoming. Here's his happy mug shot on the big day!

You know I've posted before about Motivated Moms and how much I love their inexpensive, easy-to-follow chore lists. Well... exciting news for those who are in the high-tech world, they've now come out with a Motivated Moms app for iPhone!! It looks so cool - the very features I wish I had on my paper list is available through the app - deleting tasks that don't apply, moving tasks to different days, that sort of thing. Here's a bit more info if you want specifics! The sad thing is, I don't own an iPhone. So for me, I'll be sticking to the regular pdf version for now, which is fine, since it has worked great for the past two years I've used it. But I can always dream of how fun it would be to have an iPhone and the new app!

School is going really well! I still love Sonlight, and we're finishing up our 16th week - already almost halfway done! My hope is to make it to 20 weeks before baby arrives, and then take a month or so off for some rest and recovery time. My biggest mistake is always trying to do too much too soon after a baby, which just ends up with me being exhausted, irritable, and burned out, so hopefully we can avoid that this time. Its been tricky trying to juggle our main curriculum choices with all of the neat things we've been able to review, but I'm practicing "going with the flow" and it seems to be working. All in all, this school year has been one of the easiest, most relaxed, but also productive, yet!

Speaking of homeschooling, I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but one of the reasons I love it so much is purely a selfish one - I *love* learning. And learning right along with my children is all the more awesome. I have discovered so much that I knew but had forgotten, or just never knew, by homeschooling. One thing that I've been loving is this year's science - Apologia's Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology. Wow! I am so enjoying learning more about the amazing human body that God has created and given us! This week we've started on the cardiovascular system, and here's a fun project we're making to help us understand the components on the heart a little more:

Ok, so it doesn't look exactly like a heart, but come on, how can colored frosting, graham crackers, and marshmellows NOT be fun? And everytime I walk past our creation, I find myself repeating what the different parts are - "atria, ventricles, pulmonary veins..." (Oh, and for those who have noticed, yes, there are important parts missing - we are finishing it up a little at a time!) It is just so exciting to me to be learning this stuff! I don't know where my brain was during high school anatomy, but I'm absorbing all this stuff like a sponge. I love it!

I love this!

(HT: Fish in My Hair)

I've saved the biggest and (for me!) most exciting news for last, as a reward for those who make it this far ;-) Over the past few weeks, after much prayer and discussion, Michael has agreed that this baby can be born in the comfort and intimacy of our home!!! I have desired a homebirth for at least the past 3 pregnancies, but he has always been reluctant. I resolved not to ever nag him or try to manipulate the situation and had pretty much given up on the idea (although the desire never died). Out of the blue, I mentioned it in a casual comment a few weeks ago, and that opened up the discussion. He agreed to meet with a Certified Professional Midwife that lives nearby, and after the meeting spent another two weeks in alot of thought and prayer... and finally told me YES! I was floored, to say the least. And I'm so happy that the decision came about on his own accord, not because of any nagging, manipulating, or driving him crazy that I did. The years of my patient silence actually paid off, and I can't wait! It is making the arrival of our newest little one all the more exciting, if that's even possible. You can be sure you'll be hearing (reading) more about this new development over the next few weeks!

That's about it at our house lately! Thanks for stopping by :-)

Too True!

This, I'm afraid, is totally me lately:


Thankfully, only a little over 7 weeks left! Of course, then there's the postpartum hormones to deal with... but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it! I must say, I am so thankful for my ever-patient and loving husband lately!

7 Quick Takes Friday - Vol. 2

Lately I've been able to dive into some really good books. I'm currently reading The Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney, Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, as well as The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. Oh, such wonderful wisdom I've been gleaning from these! They don't take the place of time in the Word, of course, but they are very encouraging as well as challenging, and I recommend all of them!

Unfortunately, I failed my 1 hour glucose screening. I've failed it during 2 other pregnancies, as well, but always passed the 3 hour. Its just a big inconvenience. And honestly, I think the test is administered unrealistically. When am I ever going to consume 50g of pure glucose? If I were doing that on a regular basis, there'd definitely be something to worry about, not just my blood sugar levels! But, I do know that gestational diabetes is something to take seriously, so I resign myself to the whole procedure. I try to look at it as a "mom's morning out", only with fasting and bloodletting as part of the deal (I don't think those are included in traditional mom's mornings out, and if so, then there's just another reason I've never done one!). I do enjoy the quiet time I can spend reading, thinking, or... just enjoying quietness.

Joel is "blooming" in leaps and bounds! Reading, math, chores around the house, his whole personality! This is one thing I love about the "Better Late than Early" philosophy - seeing them come into their own, instead of be forced into a mold that might not fit. I haven't done any formal math with Joel, but he is all the time telling me things like what 8+8 is, or what 9-5 is... things he has figured out on his own! Instead of rote memorization without understanding, he actually understands these things because he's been allowed to explore them on his own and in his timing. And, it has saved us the time, frustration, and relationship break-down of trying to teach him something when his mind just wasn't ready for it. Now... it is!

Speaking of memorization, however, he does have a great knack for it! For a few weeks the bigger boys were memorizing Psalm 8... and while they were at it, Joel surprised us by knowing it, too! Here's a video of it:

I've been nesting! Its a little early, but if I've got the urge to do it, I'm going to run with it. I've gotten bedrooms organized, the hall closet cleaned out, and am in full-time planning for the first few months of new-mommyhood. Preparation is half the battle, right? I am trying not to get overwhelmed at the idea of what having 6 will bring, but instead make life simpler even now, so that the transition can go smoothly. Surely I can hope?

Along with nesting and organizing, I've gotten back on track using my Motivated Moms planner. I had fallen off the organizational wagon over the summer. Why do I ever stop?! Its so nice to have sparkling clean bathrooms with minimal work, along with other things that can easily pile up when not attended to regularly. It feels good to be back into a routine!

By the way... if you haven't heard of Seeds Family Worship CDs, you are missing out! We got the entire set of 5 CDs and we looooovvvveee them! They're not just for kids - I listen to them even when the kids aren't around! Here's the best part - we're all getting God's Word saturated in our hearts. Earlier today one of the kids hummed "He alone is the rock of my salvation..." and 3 other kids chimed in nice and loud "He is my fortress, I will never be shaken!" I can't get over the way that they're absorbing scripture. Having God's word in their hearts like that will benefit them their whole lives, I truely believe it. When we're in times of trouble or confusion, the Holy Spirit brings to mind the verses that have been tucked away, and we are comforted by the very words of God. When others are seeking, hurting, or rejoicing, we can share with them the very words of God to meet them where they are. There is no lack of benefit to memorizing scripture, and Seeds Family Worship CDs make it so easy and enjoyable!

Although it is still early, I have already gotten out my little bitty cloth diapers to take inventory. Ahhhh... if there's nothing more adorable than teeny tiny fluffy diapers! They are irresistible! And... I've actually added a few a few pink ones to the mix... just in case of course! ;-)

7 Quick Takes Friday

I apologize that my blog has been so... neglected as of late. That little thing called "real life" has been flying by at the speed of, well... life! Which means that some less important things have fallen on the back burner, for example, blogging. I have had a few things I've wanted to blog about, none being especially post worthy on their own, so I'm joining in on Conversion Diary's "7 Quick Takes Friday" to do a little recap of life at our house lately!

Judah is now 19 months old!

He is as cute as ever! His vocabulary is increasing daily, and he now answers conversational questions, such as "How are you?" and "Did you sleep well?" I have no idea if he actually knows what he's saying, because his answers are always "good" and "yes", but its adorable none-the-less. When he has no words to say, he just makes a bunch of babbling noises with some "ummmmm..." pauses thrown in. (Also super cute, except during church.) He's growing up SO fast, and I know that I'm going to blink and he'll be speaking full sentences without his little squeaky voice soon. I'm going to miss these days!

(Bananas are his favorite snack!)

He ADORES babies. He will come running when he hears or sees a baby, just to look at it, hug it, rub its head, talk to it... this is all a very good thing, considering my next point...

I am now in my 3rd trimester! I haven't blogged about this pregnancy much at all, but all is going well. Uneventful is the way my pregnancies usually are, and this one is following suit. For which I am very thankful - I don't take it for granted! We don't know the gender of this baby and won't be finding out until arrival day, but I will admit that there are small, subtle differences about this pregnancy that make me wonder... (but I don't dare say it!). The anticipation is exciting! I would love to insert a cute belly picture here, but... I don't have any. None! :-( I'll have to take some before baby actually comes!

We are starting Week 12 of Sonlight's Core 3 next week, which means we'll be 1/3 of the way through our school year! I've been really trying to stay on track because I have no clue how much the arrival of #6 is going to have me sidelined, so I'm doing as much as possible now so that we'll be able to take as long of a break as we need. Its going great! Do I still love Sonlight? Absolutely. This is by far the easiest year of homeschooling I've had, and I'm "schooling" more kids than ever before (4th grade, 3rd grade, Kindergarten, and Preschool). I attribute alot of the "easiness" to the switch to Sonlight. Yay!

Just for an update on the shoe solution - it is working! Amazingly well!! There's been ONE case of misplaced shoes. Unfortunately, that did not happen on a day we had to run errands, but the culprit was required to wear the pink flip-flops for all outside play and chores that day. And that was torture enough for him, so the infraction has not happened again! My debt of gratitude again goes out to my dear friend and her husband who came up with the idea!

Want to see my new entryway organizer? It was hand built by my very own, sweet, hardworking hubby! He knew that I had been longing for some Ikea cubbies for a while, and took it upon himself to surprise me with these - which blow Ikea's out of the water!

I LOOOOVE it! Currently, the baskets are designated for: blocks, library books, co-op supplies, and shoes. There is one empty basket right now, but that will be put into use for hats, gloves, and scarves as the weather gets cooler. It is absolutely perfect!

I've discovered a small drawback to the "color-coding" system that many large families (such as ours) implement. All of my boys have specific color plates, cups, and bowls, which makes serving meals and clean-ups super, super easy. However, Judah has now developed color confusion! Everything that is red, he calls "Nay-nay" (his name for Nathan). Yellow is "Joel". You get the picture. So I've been taking the time to be super specific about colors - pointing out "red" things and emphasizing the word "red", etc. I don't think it will cause any lasting color identification disorder, but it is kind of cute. Which is pretty much like anything Judah does. Yes, I'm biased ;-)

Lest anyone think that I've forgotten that I have 4 other children besides Judah, here are some recent pictures from a disc golf outing (a very popular activity at our house). They're getting SO big! *sigh* I tell people that's why I keep having more! ;-)

Mr. Nate!

Joel in action (he's hardly ever NOT in action!)

Ezra lining up a shot

Isaac, just being Isaac :-)
(Can I add a note and say its unbelievable to me that my firstborn will soon be 10! Yikes!)

So that's about it in a nutshell. We're busy, busy, busy, enjoying God, living life, and loving one another. What more could I ask for? I am truly blessed!