Life with the Grimme's: January 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

4 Days and counting...

Just 4 more days until we meet our sweet Everett! I wish I knew his full name but a few weeks ago Billy decided he didn't like William anymore so we are tossing around a few other ideas. As you may recall with Luke it took Billy FOREVER to find a name that I suggested and he loved. Finally a couple days before Luke was born I called him at work and this was our conversation:

Lily - "I'm at the craft store and need to buy letters for his room. Pick a first name."

Billy -"Lucas"

Lily - "Ok, middle name options are Manning or Michael. Go."

Billy - "Michael."

Lily - "Awesome, see you tonight!"

So...who knows, maybe we'll decide when we see him :)

Ok, back to 4 more days!! This week every day has been our "last day" before we are a family of 4. Today is our last Thursday which means the last time I clean house and do laundry for only 3 of us. Tomorrow is our last play date with friends before I try and get out of the house with 2 kiddos. Last night Billy and I went out to dinner and it was our last date leaving just 1 kid behind! So crazy to think about but as Billy and I often chat before falling asleep we are just so excited to see the joy this baby brings to our family!! Luke is a delight. He is exhausting and full of energy, and lately full of naughty. But oh my gracious we love it. We are constantly laughing together and seeing life through the eyes of our precious almost-two-year-old. Don't get me wrong. It is straight up crazy-town most days when you walk through our front door. And some nights I am in tears confessing to my husband how I totally bombed the day... But it's a good crazy. A learning crazy...a growing crazy... And in 4 days we will be adding another kind of crazy to the mix :)

A quick update from the Dr - I'm making some progress surprisingly, but this baby is still holding onto my tonsils. In fact, yesterday at my appointment my precious Dr. looked at me while feeling my belly and said, "He's so high that I am holding his head in one hand and his bottom in the other." It's true. She was. But she said from holding him like that he's definitely not as big as Luke. So we are winning there. I go back again tomorrow to see if there's any more progress before we decide about going in on Sunday night versus Monday morning. Personally I just want to get this show on the road and go ahead in on Sunday night but who knows, maybe I will go into labor! But probably not.

This week I've been anxious, wondering through all the "what-if's." I have lost a lot of sleep thinking about the terrible, unable to focus on the promises of God. On Tuesday night out of desperation for sleep I asked Billy to pray over me before we turned the lights out. One thing he prayed for specifically was for the Lord to give me dreams of our little baby boy, that I would find comfort knowing that He has already gone before us and knows the special day and time for this baby. I woke up so refreshed after a full night's sleep AND a sweet sweet dream of our big, but to us seeming so tiny, baby that in my dream had already been born. Thank you, Lord!! What a gift!

God has given me many promises through his Word. While we do not know what will happen, He does. And he will carry us through whatever happens, just like He always has. I invite you to pray with us over the coming days. For my anxiety, for a healthy and uneventful delivery for Everett and I, and for a sweet transition into our new life of 4.

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:13

"It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Pros of Having [another] Big Baby

1. More to squish and cuddle.

2. Big babies are generally less lazy eaters.

3. Big babies (from my limited experience) love their nighttime sleep.

4. He will be able to fit into all of Luke's baby clothes, and might actually be able to wear newborn size for longer than 1 week.

5. By the time he is born his total weight alone will be 1/3 of my total weight gained. Yay for fitting into my clothes a little more quickly.

6. He will be able to wear cloth diapers pretty quickly.

7. He will not feel out of place among his big brother, big dog, and big father.

8. Did I mention more to squish and cuddle? :D

What can I say. We make big babies.

I'm not sure what I was expecting this time. Actually, I do. I was expecting many things. That by counting my calories, watching the scale, staying active (as if there's an option when raising a two year old) and walking two miles on a regular basis I would have a smaller baby. Not only would I have a smaller baby, that I would actually go into labor with my smaller baby. And early, of course. This time around I consumed less - and healthier - calories (With the exception of a few pepperidge farm 3 layer chocolate cakes ...). I watched the scale very carefully each week. I was and am extremely active with my sweet boys. And I am still at 37.5 weeks pregnant vigorously walking a solid 2+ miles multiple times a week. And let me tell you folks - our baby is not smaller; It is very unlikely that I will go into labor; and early is laughable.

At 28 weeks we knew he was in the 66 percentile, which on a bell curve really isn't that bad or big. My belly has measured appropriately and my weight has been glamorous considered to the gluttony with Luke. At this past appointment I was hoping for huge things - a shrimp on the ultrasound screen, more dilation, that he dropped - I was trying to convince myself that surely she would do an exam and send us on over to the hospital. But let's be honest, deep down I knew this wouldn't be the case. I was so hoping for different results but really in my heart I was prepared for what she would say. At 37 weeks our sweet one is measuring at 39 weeks. I'm chuckling as I write this. On the ultrasound screen he measures at 7 lbs 9 oz but both the ultrasound tech and the dr. are giving us a more realistic estimate of 7 lbs 14 oz. Sweet of them :) My cervix - is that weird to talk about? - is still far back and hasn't shown any signs of being ready give up Everett. Everett is still high, minus 2 station. And Lord have mercy, this little boy's cheeks are CHUBBY! I'm so ready to snuggle on him!

I was frustrated and annoyed. Very disappointed, but unsure of why exactly. We have been praying for a healthy baby boy, right? He is indeed very very healthy. After taking some time to process what this means for delivery I finally figured out what has and is frustrating me the most. We have to decide his birthday. January 30 being an induction or February 1 being a c-section. I don't want to decide. I want to surrender this and say, Lord bring him into this world when you want! But at the end of the day, we still have to decide between these two dates. We have to look at all the options, all the risks associated with the two, all the risks that can be eliminated with the two, the recovery options, and then choose his birthday. And. I. Hate. It. My mind reels with the "what if's" not because I think of what could happen, but because I think of what did happen. And with every "what if" there is an explanation of how this could and more than likely will go differently. So then I'm just back to having to choose between the two. After processing all of the above and praying fervently for clarity we've decided on inducing at 39 weeks, which is January 30. We feel very confident in our Dr's recommendation and we are excited to meet him so soon. Luke has big plans for baby Everett. So far they include giving him his lovey, showing him his Curious Buddies DVD, helping rock his car seat if he is crying and showing him library time with Miss Martha. He also talks about playing rough with Everett and giving him bubble bellies.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Choosing love.

So this post was going to start out drastically different. "Getting ready for baby." Which may or may not have included a passive aggressive form of venting; Built up frustration over the little things in life, words that hurt, things that have pushed me a little over the edge while big, hormonal and pregnant and getting things ready for our sweet new baby. And while getting my uglies out to my husband the other night and letting him know just how mad I was (not at him) and how I genuinely didn't know how to handle the things and people I was hurt by, I was quite perturbed by his oh-so-holy answer. So much so I think I rolled over, closed my eyes and went to sleep while he was telling me the appropriate response. I wish I was kidding. Insert shout out to awesome-patient-forgiving-husband here.

And as He usually does, God spoke to my heart this afternoon and it's just too good not to share. I could go on and on about our baby boy Everett and how we're ready for him to come. But this, this treasure from the Word, is far more satisfying to our hungry souls than ooh's and ahh's over some free fabric I turned into a bassinet skirt and the reasons why we named our baby Everett.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:12-17

So. My response has to be love, right? I choose compassion. I choose kindness and pray humility over my proud and ugly heart. And I pray that the Lord would help me to put on and clothe myself in love. I am bearing the name of Jesus so whatever I do, despite what has been said or so minimally done to me, I must. choose. love.

25 Days of Christmas

This season has truly been a blessed one. Tiring at times, and very different trying to "get it all done" with an almost 2 year old at my feet, but so so sweet. Billy and I wanted to be very strategic and intentional with Christmas in our home. Starting new traditions, continuing old ones, but most of all making much of Jesus - it is, after all, his birthday. After browsing multiple blogs and attempting to browse pinterest I decided I wanted to make an advent calendar that served many purposes. The first purpose was to share the nativity story and make it a part of each day in December. I also wanted to make one that had a little something "special" for the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Not a gift, necessarily, but a family or "mommy & me" activity. And the third purpose was to just create a new tradition to be brought out each December 1 we have together in years to come. Luke absolutely loved it; He learned the story of Jesus' birth and memorized Luke 2:10-11 and soaked up all the newness surrounding Christmas. He loved getting to pick a card each day and hang an ornament on the little tree. In fact, he now picks up any and all receipts/pieces of paper/business cards and proudly "reads" a fun activity to us...ie: "ooooh...says, make rudolph cookies!!!"

**Disclaimer: while each pocket had a fun activity our days often changed (along with my energy/patience) so sometimes our activity got switched around or just plain looked over.** Also, the activities for each day were sometimes very simple (such as decorate the Christmas tree, put Christmas stickers on windows, help wrap Christmas presents, eat popcorn & watch a Christmas movie...) while others were more complex on days that I knew we'd have more time (make cinnamon ornaments, make Christmas cookies, paint a handprint Christmas tree, etc). So, here are a few pictures of my hand-made felt Advent Calendar and a few snapshots of our fun days leading up to Christmas. Had I decided to start this before November 27 it probably would have turned out a little differently. But hey, I seem to be a bit in love with change so maybe I'll make a new one in the year(s) to come ;)