Panda and Eucalyptus

My Mom came up to visit the other day, with my good friend/teacher from high school, Stefanie.
It was great to see them. So, my thoughts on Halloween this year are these: if Baby E comes before Halloween, Amy will go in this Panda outfit that my parents got her from China, and Baby E we'll wrap in a green blanket and call a Eucalyptus leaf. Pretty good ay?

We've had a real time with names this time around -- we'll have to wait till we see her, but I'm back again to Elaine or Esther. Mainly because of how adorable it is when Amy says them: Elaine=Enaine and Esther (this one's the best) = Etters. :) We still tell her every day that there's a baby in Mommy's tummy that will be her sister, but I don't know what she thinks about it really. Sometimes I think it's just going to be a major shock for her... other times, I think she'll love Baby E like a moving toy.

Our bags for the hospital are packed... I still have very intense contractions when they do come, but thankfully they haven't been regular since that one night a week ago (which that did cause some dialation and effacing, but I'm not as concerned the closer we get to 37 weeks). Next wednesday we'll be 37 weeks and then I can resume walking again. Though they wouldn't stop labor if I showed up today, I'd really rather she stay in a wee bit longer. I'm okay if she decides to stay till her due date. I need to talk to a few more friends first who didn't tear and learn their wisdom. :)

Ryan will start his next term at WGU tomorrow. We are so proud of how hard he works at his job, how dedicated he is to us and how he plays with Amy, and how hard he works at school. He passed his first term in flying colors and was even able to take one more class and get it finished during the break time. We hope this semester goes well for him too.

A sideways pic, an update, and some thoughts

So, I wish I could figure out how to rotate this picture... oh well. This is us at 33 weeks. Baby E is measuring slightly big, but not quite as big as Amy was. Apparently most women get up to a 36 cm measurement and stay there till their baby comes -- I was 39 several weeks before Amy was born. (That's not the girth measurement... I'm 40" at least, if not more... it's been a while since I checked).

An update on the Weight homestead: Amy is now sick with whatever I had, which is sad to see because she hates not being able to breathe through her nose. I hope she gets to feeling better soon. I seem to be on the tail end of whatever this sickness was -- my head is still a bit congested, but not nearly as bad as it was. I'm just grateful now, and ever, that God gives you the strength to do the things you need to when you need to. I've been amazed at how much He has helped me as a mother.

Before I was pregnant with Amy, I helped my sister when she had her second and had such a strong gag reflex while changing my nephew's diapers that I almost upchucked on him every time I changed it. Well, Saturday morning, we awoke to find Amy had figured out how to take off her sleeper, AND had had a poopy diaper, and had fallen back asleep in it after having taken it off, and poop was EVERYWHERE. Three years ago, I would've either barfed right there on the spot, or just told Ryan to do everything. But, now... who could've imagined I would be strong enough to strip the sheets, clean the blankets, and crib mattress, and crib sides, and binki, and teddy bears? I was very glad that if it had to happen, that Ryan was home. He took the poop covered munchkin directly to the shower and cleaned her off so I could do the rest without "assistance" from little hands. God has also helped me adjust to the fact that sleep is not a huge factor in a mother's life -- there are times when I'm so tired in the morning that I honestly don't think I can get up... but He helps me not only get up, but get Amy up, run around with her, cook, and clean and make it through the day. I am SO glad He cares about us enough to help us in these things.

I've been reading the Old Testament again, and have been really struck by two things about the Mosaic law. First, while reading in Leviticus, I kept on thinking how strange it was -- I get the concept that a lot of blood was spilt in observing the Mosaic law, and that Christ's sacrifice and His blood was worth more than ALL that blood combined. But another aspect that struck me this time is how many things made one 'unclean' or 'sinful'. I think one reason for all that was to show them, and us, how fallen we are and how much we need a Savior. Even sins of omission required an animal sacrifice to be cleared from, and how often do we forget to do something good? We all need Christ -- there's not one of us who's doing fine on his/her own without Him.

And though it would probably overwhelm me to know all of my faults at once, or every sin of omission I've been committing, I am very glad to know that I can't do it on my own -- because when I recognize that and turn to God for help, He strengthens me and makes me so much happier than I could be on my own. I'm not always good at this, but when I do, it makes a big difference in my life.

The "Little King" and the Earplug

So, you all know the Princess and the Pea story --

Well, some of you may not know that Ryan means "little King" (it's an Irish name). Apparently, Ryan is a lot more regal and refined than I am. He slept, until recently when I stole them, on two pillows stuffed in the same pillow-case. Ideal, I thought, for stashing extra earplugs for me when I'd inevitably lose one at night.

He was sensitive to them, and finally we figured out another place to stash them, because he could feel the lumps of the earplugs... even just one or two.

This week, I traded him pillows, and this week I've been sick, so I had all sorts of extras in there: a small mentholedum container, earplugs, chapstick, and a roll of toilet paper. I slept fine. I guess it just goes to show what I catch I made -- though I am apparently a bit of a peasant, I married a "little King."

Labor Day Fun

We visited my folks for Labor Day weekend. It was quite fun -- Ryan showed me the Weight Family Ranch and this is what Amy was doing as we drove back from it. She can actually cover her eyes with her feet. Crazy, huh?