some rest

 Our family has been battling a yucky chest cold these past 10 days.  I've taken the brunt of it and felt like I was on death's door last weekend - I've caught everything this pregnancy!  Annika has gotten it pretty bad as well.  Most days in the last week, I've found our "no longer takes naps" girl asleep.  This was today, and when I returned from a shopping trip by myself into town (my first big outing in 10 days), I realized after being home about 30 minutes, that I hadn't seen Annika yet!  Jeremy and the others had gone outside to work in the greenhouse, and I set out to find where she had fallen asleep today.

She was actually on her bed, all curled up with her beloved blanket.

I love spying on sleeping children.

One of my favorite things about Annika at this age, is seeing what she chooses to wear each day.  

The only day I "help" her choose an outfit is on Sunday.  We go anywhere and everywhere in the outfits she chooses each day.  "Cow jeans" and all, as she calls them.  Today, she was sporting Santa socks, her "cow jeans", a red and white striped shirt, and a pink sweater.  I love her.  All too soon she'll care about what she wears, I prefer to see what she comes up with herself instead of giving her ideas of what looks good together and possibly making her a clothes snob!

 This was her another day this week.  

She was watching Morgan play her computer time on the next couch, and I decided to lay down and rest a bit while the little ones were napping.  I woke up about 20 minutes later, and wondered where Annika had gone off to.  All of the sudden, I heard a cute little rhythmic snoring, and I looked above my head, and she had come to sit on the couch I was napping on and had fallen asleep too.  

The rest has been good for us, as has the staying home.  We're on the mend, and are so happy to be back in the land of the living!

 

 

32 weeks

I thought I'd better put some updated pregnant belly photos up before I turn 33 weeks!  At my latest baby appointment this week, we got to hear her galloping heart beat , which is in the 130's, and if I hadn't had three ultrasounds already, I'd assume I was having a boy!  My other girl's heart rates were in the 170 range, but this little sweetie has been in the 140's since the start, and just this week dropped to the 130's now that she's getting bigger and there's less room to wiggle.  My midwife estimated her weight to be around 4 lbs, and she is in a perfect head down position.  I'm so thankful for that, because in my last pregnancy, Annika had to be manually turned by my midwife before she got too big around this stage!

I'm feeling good, other than that awful feeling like my legs are about to snap off at any moment... that darn pubic bone is acting up worse this time around.  But this little one will be here before we know it!  

 We are so happy the snow is melted and have been spending loads of time outdoors each day.   It sure brightens everyone's moods, and makes the days that much sweeter.  Now the grass can feel free to get green!

 Jeremy snapped this picture of me this morning - it's not super clear, but I was laughing so hard at him because every time he gets the camera out to take a picture, he forgets to take the lens cap off until he wonders why the screen is black! 

32 weeks

 

 

Okay, okay I'll read it.

After years of loving the story of Pride and Prejudice, seeing both movie versions time and time again and loving them both, and enjoying the soundtrack as one of my all-time favorites - I'm finally doing it.


I'm actually reading it.  Please don't faint. 



Yes, the one written by Jane Austen.

The one I own two print copies and one e-book copy of, and have started reading more times than I can count.

I don't read novels.

I just don't.

I used to.

But at this stage in my life, if I take the time to read, it had better be useful to me.  That's the way I see it.  So other than the zillions of books I read to the kids,  I, myself read books that cover adoption, parenting, pregnancy/birth, mothering, marriage, and general Christian non-fiction. 

I re-started it the other night in bed.  I decided it was time to read it.  And I'm really enjoying it.  Probably because I know the story backward and forward and actually understand what in the world is going on.  Reading British literature cold-turkey without seeing the movie first has never been a strength of mine.  I just can't follow unless I know the background and where the story is supposed to be going.

Pathetic?  Maybe.  Uncultured?  Probably.  Fully me?  Definitely!

My name is Amanda, and I love movies based on classic literature more than actually reading the classic literature.  So sue me.