Life's Looking Good!

So this week was crazy busy! We were traveling all over the state and finally things are starting to settle back into place again. Monday was my regular doctor appointment & things looked great (yay!) & Thursday was my kidney/hypertension doctor appointment. He said my protein actually decreased from my test in December and that as long as I continue the bi-weekly urinalysis and my regular visits with Maternal Fetal Medicine, that he doesn't want to see me for another 6 months--in other words, until after Newbie is born! He was very pleased with my blood pressures & I've been monitoring them at home as well with good numbers too. I'm not "counting my chickens before they hatch" because of how quickly things can change, but I'm grateful how good things appear right now. Please keep praying for a long, healthy pregnancy because I feel those prayers are working!!!

We've been spending at lot of time at my dad & Judy's house (thanks again to them for letting us crash there so much!) since it's so much closer to where my doctors are and where my friends and family are. I'm constantly reminded of how much better I feel in that area compared to being here on top of the mountain & feel confident that we're supposed to move back into the York/Lancaster area somewhere. All on God's timing though...hopefully his timing means soon! hehe.

The girls have been great. Sophie's really been a great big sister to Maddy a lot lately; playing nicely with her, holding her hand and really being a great help to me. Yeah, her 3.5 year old attitude comes through with her defiance, but it's been getting a lot more bearable lately as well. She's super interested in letters lately & how to spell things. She knows all of the letters in her name, but doesn't always put them in the right spot. She is aching for knowledge & I wish I had a better idea of how to teach her. She gets bored with coloring, and that's all I seem to do when I try to sit down and help her learn something. I would love any ideas of how to engage her tiny brain aside from on a computer (she rocks at using that btw...scary thought!).

Maddy's cutting 3 more teeth (she currently has 9 and is working on 2 molars and a bottom tooth), but *knock on wood* is doing good with her sleep schedule so far. She walks all over the place & is trying to say a lot of words. Ma is still her major syllable, but she tries to copy how things sound all of the time. For example, tonight she was putting on sunglasses and making a goofy face so I had the camera & said "say cheeeese" and she said "EEEeeeee" while smiling. She uses her hands to express what she wants too (signs milk but I don't know any others aside from swear words or animals. whoops!), so she makes up her own gestures that she repeats as if she created her own sign language. I get so proud of how far she's come from those scary preemie days last year!!

We were at our storage shed and were able to go through some bags of gender neutral stuff I used with the girls as well as find the bags of baby boy clothes I have been freecycled and I must say that I'm pretty well set with baby boy clothes for Newbie in both nb and 0-3 month sizes. I may need 2 or 3 pieces to feel completely prepared, but everything is washed, in plastic storage tubs, waiting for baby boy to use it. All of my nb cloth diapers have been fully prepped, nursing supplies ready to go, my hot mama gown is washed & folded and I have a list of what I want in my hospital bag. I plan on taking pictures of things I need just in case dh has to suddenly put together a bag for me again, but I feel very prepared with 15 weeks until my due date! wow, I'm really on it this time! I would like to clean our pack 'n play w/bassinet and changing table (if I can find all of the pieces that is--or else I'll be scouring yard sales/craigslist/consignment sales/etc) and prepare a few other odds & ends, but I feel REALLY good that we've got the necessities down. Ever since we were surprised w/Maddy, I have this sense of urgency to get things prepared so we're in control of our situation this time. Hopefully baby boy will want to cook in there for a very long time and I'll have all of this stuff prepared way too early for nothing. That'd be a best case scenario! :o)

I think we have a name mostly picked out too & hopefully it will suit him just right. I still cannot fathom that I am going to have a baby boy of my own. It seems so surreal that I am blessed with a dream come true (literally!). I always had 2 girls and a boy when I played dolls, even when I was a tiny tot. God must have been preparing me at an early age! lol! I dreamed of getting a wavy hair daughter of my own to love (and He blessed me not once, but TWICE with that desired daughter) and just when I didn't think my heart could grow more with love, He blesses me with that boy I've ached for. I was jealous of other moms with baby boys, but prayed for God to take that desire for a son away if it was not meant to be. Well, it was. Thank you Jesus for an amazing surprise!!

I really am glad for all of the good happening in our lives in spite of the negative things. God really helped plan a balance that is greatly appreciated & welcomed. :o)