Making the Cake

This was the first time I had used a Wilton cake pan. I have to say I quite enjoyed it! I had always seen them, seen cakes done using them and so decided this year I'd give it a go! :) The pan I used is discontinued, so I had to buy it off ebay, but no worries, it came all nice and with the instructions. The Wilton cake pans come with instructions and different variations that can be done with the pan, so essentially you can create more then one cake with the pan. I think really your imagination is the only hinderance! :)

I baked the cake the day before I was going to decorate it, and kept it in the refrigerator once it was cool until I was ready to decorate. It's much easier to frost a cake that is cold. Some put their cakes in the freezer, but I find the fridge does a fine job. BE SURE to grease AND flour your cake pan!!!! You want to be sure you get to see all the nooks and crannies that you need to decorate and you want the cake to come OUT! :) I also made all my frosting the day before. The pan directions will tell you how much frosting you need an what colors to make for your design. Obviously, you can change as you wish. With it all done the day before it didn't take nearly as long to decorate! It did take me about 2 hours to get the cake decorated. With that said, here's what it looked like as I went along:

Cake freshly out of the pan, no icing, nothing. See all the great design??

First steps were to frost the sides and then pipe in the detail.

Then I used a star tip for the "fur" and the jowls (not done in this photo) and a large star tip for the tail, ears and eyebrows.

Here it is finished. It's not as hard as it looks, trust me! You can do it!!!

Party Weekend Part 2: Dog Party

On Sunday we celebrated Cora's birthday--which was, incidentally, on Sunday! We had a dog party because Cora LOVES dogs and so we felt it was the only way to go! :) I bought cheap dog bowls at Odd Lots and put each child's name on the bowl for them to eat their cake and ice cream in. These also served as the party favor and I guess have been a huge hit in each of the homes! :) We decorated with all things dogs, had a dog cake, "buns" cut into dog bone shapes for the kids hamburgers (we attempted to make their hamburgers bone shaped as well, but that didn't work), played pin the bone to the bowl and opened gifts. It was mostly family celebrating with us and we had a good time! :) I asked Cora at the end of the evening if she'd had a good birthday and she said, "Momma, happy!" :) That just melted my heart!!!!! She is also very cute when she tells us now that she's "teeewoooo." A good day was had by all. Tomorrow I'll show you how I made the cake.

Party Weekend Part 1: The Circus

We had quite the weekend this past weekend! Cora's 2nd birthday was Sunday and my niece, Hadassah's 1st birthday was Monday. So, that meant a weekend of parties! :) We celebrated Haddie's b-day on Saturday and Cora's on Sunday. Haddie had a circus theme because her mom and dad are always calling her their "little peanut" so it just seemed to be the right theme! We had popcorn, pizza, peanut-shaped cookies, cupcakes and even some circus tricks performed by my dad and Haddie's sister, Sophia! :) It was a great time had by all and we were so glad to be a part of it! Below are some photos!!! Happy Birthday Haddie! OH, and my sister and I will be combining efforts for later birthdays... :)

Isn't she so adorable?????

Look Who's TWO!!!!

Dear Cora Ann,

How is it possible you are two years old????? I get teary-eyed just writing that little sentence. Wasn't it just today that you were born?  Your entrance into this world was not easy, and there was a lot of uncertainty to it, but man the relief when you WERE here and now, it's just a memory. You have had quite the year this year. It's been a busy year with lots of change. You gained a new grandpa--on your 1st birthday no less--and a new cousin the day after your 1st birthday. You moved to a new town to live with your Grandma and Pops for a few months, making some new friends in this new town. You learned to like grass, enjoy splashing in your pool, became an expert walker and runner, got your first injuries, and really started learning where your boundaries were. You moved to another new town in that year (where we live now), and you got to explore even more of your world and make even more friends! You experienced another winter, only this time you realized you don't like snow (maybe next year we'll be out in it more...), you have cut all but one of your teeth, your vocabulary grows daily (I don't even know if I can list/remember all of the words you say!), you can count to two--and do so very enthusiastically--you have learned the "joys" of television and videos, with "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," "Kipper," and "Curious George" being your favorites. We are on the brink of potty training and you LOVE to be outside! I can't wait for the weather to be consistently warm enough so we can just go play outside! Perhaps the biggest change to come for you is the arrival of your new baby brother, who will join us late June/early July! I can't wait to see you two interact and to see what a great big sister you will be. You already love to play and take care of your "babies," and I know you'll do a great job taking care of your brother.

My dear daughter, my first born, I love you so much. I look at you in wonderment on a daily basis and marvel at your beauty. You are gorgeous, and I just know this will give your Daddy fits as the years go on! Our prayer for you is that you will grow to not only be beautiful on the outside but be even more beautiful on the inside. Your Daddy and I pray you will learn to love the Lord at an early age and desire nothing more than to live for him. We already see a tender heart in you and hope this cultivates into a yearning to follow Christ.

I'm so excited to see what this next year holds for you! I'm sure it'll be full of adventure! Below is a look of your 2nd year. You definitely moved from a baby to a little girl this year! I love you Cora! Happy Birthday my dearest little girl!!

I don't think you like swings even now...something to work on THIS summer! :) 

Your first chocolate chip cookie...I'd say you enjoyed it!

Loving Grandma's Tupperware cupboard

The long, slow process for you to love the grass...

Running with your cousins one summer day

Loving your pool!

Fun with new friends at COSI

Having fun in a fountain

Fun at Pop's and Grandma's

Your first broken bone. :(

Mustering a smile while all bundled up

No longer a baby...you are most definitely a little girl!

Happy 2nd Birthday Cora!

Just Breathe

I have been struggling with a lot of dizziness in this pregnancy. It has been concluded that it's my sinuses and thankfully NOT my blood pressure, as I have been very worried it was. Sunday was the worse day I've had so far. I was so upset because all of my friends were here, I just wanted to make them some cinnamon rolls and give them a tour of the church. I wanted to be the proud pastor's wife sitting the pew supporting her husband and all I could do was walk from A to B without falling over--literally. I was literally holding on to walls to walk. I should not have gone to church, but I forced myself. I mean, I had already missed last week with Cora and I being sick, and I didn't feel I could miss again. I started crying before service even started, Sherry and I went to David's office where I sat on the couch. We talked a bit I started to calm down and figured if was sitting on a couch I could sit in a pew. I made it through the service (which was really good!) and then it was time to be sociable. People could tell I was not doing well and all I wanted to do was leave. Not because I was upset, but simply because I didn't want to pass out right there at the church. David saw things were not good, my friends had already planned to leave right after church and we left shortly after. I'm so thankful David didn't have meeting that day!!!

Why do I tell you all of this? Because of what didn't happen. Well, I didn't pass out, but that's just the side issue. What didn't happen was this: no on got mad/upset/offended that David chose to be a husband that day, his busiest day of the week. I was free to be sick, my husband was free to be a husband and it was OK for us to leave right away. It was OK for us to be a family unit. We had not experienced that in our previous church. We never felt the freedom to be a family first and that is sad. However, God is redeeming that and as different things happen in our family (good and hard) we see more and more this place God has brought us is a place of health and healing and we just need to breathe.

A Weekend of Girls

As I mentioned in a post last week, this past weekend I had a wonderful time visiting and reconnecting with some wonderful friends--Heather, Sherry and Amy are all sisters and my sister, Ruthie. Ruthie had meant to come be with us on Friday evening for the "sleepover" we were to be having, but due to being sick was not able to do so. :( However, she did make it Saturday morning and stayed all day, leaving all too soon after supper.

I tire easily so I had been mentally preparing for a weekend of being tired and busy. But, I don't know why I was worried. I should've known I would not be left to do it all on my own and these dear women all helped with everything, including helping me sift through all of my baby clothes to find anything that could be worn by a boy! What a blessing!!!

We spent our time talking, talking and talking some more. It had been years, as I mentioned in my previous post, and all we wanted to do, I believe, was talk. We laughed a ton too! :) We laughed and laughed and laughed. :) It was so refreshing, encouraging, uplifting. I think we all needed it and we were not happy to part ways, though I know they all missed their kiddos and hubbies! :)

We parted with promises of doing this at least once a year, and I hope we can see each other more often than that! :) We shall see, life happens and marches on, but I do believe we will make great efforts to not let more than a year go between visits.

The photo above is 1 of 5 I got. I mean, honestly, we were "just" talking and that's not interesting to anyone else! :) But, that's OK. We have scads of ridiculous and silly photos in our archives, so it was A-OK to not add to those. :)

I love these women. They have each had a part in shaping me and making me into who I am today. I hope you, too, are blessed to have friends like these. If you do, treasure them for they are treasures!

A Photo

I'm 26 weeks and counting! Here's a photo David took of me yesterday. I'd say we're coming right along! Oh, and I have less then 100 days now!!!!!! AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Large and in Charge???

I don't think I'm in charge, but I am feeling large! On Tuesday I was getting some housework done, doing laundry, sorting some baby stuff and suddenly felt very larrrrrrrrge. It just seemed to hit me all of a sudden, and I was suddenly very tired and realized that I'm not even DONE being pregnant and will just be getting larger! Oi vey!

I'm 25 weeks pregnant now. The baby, I'm told, is about 13 1/2 inches long and about 1 1/2 lbs. At this point the baby will start packing on the weight as most of the major development is done. The last things to develop are the lungs and those are developing right up to the end. The baby is developing his sense of touch right now and what I'm told is when I rub my belly he can feel it! :) How fun!!!!

Health-wise I think I'm doing OK. I have my next midwife appointment in a couple weeks. I'll be getting my glucose tolerance test done at that point--YUCK! But, it's necessary to make sure I'm not suffering from gestational diabetes. No worries--all pregnant women have to have this done! :) My dizziness has subsided somewhat. I'm hoping that by the time I'm done taking antibiotics it'll be totally gone. I was telling my husband just the other day that now that this 2nd trimester is almost over maybe I'll start feeling good??? No? You don't think? Sigh, me either. I have resolved myself to realizing I'm probably just not going to feel good during this pregnancy. My mom let me know she was the same way when pregnant with my sister, and I have heard that often the 2nd pregnancy can be harder. So, I just do my best to get through the day without a meltdown. I still find it horribly overwhelming to just get the simplest tasks done at home. But, that's the way it is and the Lord is my strength and is getting us through each day!

Nesting has definitely set in. I have been sorting through boxes trying to find any and all of the unisex newborn and infant clothes we have--we do have some. As I'm doing all of that I'm also sorting through Cora's winter stuff because I'm hoping we're almost done with winter and she is pretty much outgrowing all of her clothes at the same time. I'm trying to make room for new spring/summer clothes for her! :) I am SO EXCITED this time around that I actually GET to nest! It wasn't until Cora was 18 months old that I got to do any nesting for her! This has been great fun for me and I'm really enjoying it.

Oh, and my baby counter says we have 102 days left...AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

A Shout Out!

I just wanted to say a big "thank you" to my mom and my mom-in-law! They are two wonderful women who have been such a huge help and support to me especially during this pregnancy. I have had many helpers, but these two have come at a moment's notice on several occasions to help with whatever needed done--cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, playing with Cora. I am so thankful for both of them and love them very much! I don't know if we'd be able to survive this pregnancy as well as we have were it not for them and their help!

Thanks Mom and Mom! :)

A Week of Preparation

I am so excited for this week!!!! I have a lot to get done, and I'm so excited to get to it! You see, I have 3 of my longest and dearest friends coming to visit me! Actually, four, because my sister will be here too. When we lived in Africa there was a family there with 4 kids, 3 of whom were girls. The oldest daughter--Heather--is about 3 years older than me, the next--Sherry--is my age and bestest friend and their "little" sister--Amy--is a year older than my sister and one of Ruthie's best friends! We did a lot of hanging out, playing, swimming, sleeping over at each other's houses when we were but mere kids! When we all returned to the USA (them to PA and us to OH) we stayed in touch with many letters (this was before the age of email), phone calls and visits. Our parents burned a lot of rubber on the turnpike! We have been in each other's weddings, have rejoiced at the birth of each child (there are 18 kids btwn all of us--when our wee babe is born, that is!) and cried at the loss of children and other family members. We have always been there for each other and God has blessed these friendships. It's amazing that we have stayed so close. Heather moved to CA shortly after she got married and so visits to her took us out to sunny CA--which wasn't much of a sacrifice for us if we decided to go during the winter. :) Her sister, Sherry moved to NY after getting married, and Amy has stayed in PA.

As though these reasons aren't enough to be excited to see each other, why am I so excited??? Well, because, sadly, it's been a long time since I've seen them all since adulthood. I haven't seen Heather in 10 years! I haven't seen Amy since my sister's wedding (almost 7 years ago!) and Sherry since my own wedding (5 years). I can not wait to see all of them! They'll all be coming without kids, except Amy, who just had baby #5 and she needs to be with mommy still! My sister will be joining us for the giant sleep over on Friday, and I'm sure we'll stay up way too late, laugh until we cry and just have so much to say we won't have any idea what exactly we're all saying! David will be gone at a conference Fri and Sat, but he's not too sad to be missing the extreme influx of estrogen that will descend on his home! :) He will, however, have to endure a little bit Sat night and Sunday. :)

I'll be sure to post photos after our visit. I'm just so excited!!!!!!

A better week?

Boy do I hope this week is better!!!! Last week I had several things planned to do, like do some cleaning that has been pushed to the side, grocery shopping, some baking, etc. But, that's not what was on the itinerary. Cora started running a fever on Tues. last week. It was low and then within an hours' time shot up from 100 to 104. She has not had such a high fever ever in her almost 2 years of life so I wasn't sure what to do. We stuck her in the tub, she started shivering, gave her Tylenol and called the doctor. We were told to give her Tylenol and Motrin alternately and if it kept spiking, or got worse, to bring her in. Her fever never went below 102 in 3 days so Thursday I, along with the help of my mom, took her to the doctor. The doctor felt she had the flu. Her fever finally broke at some point on Friday, though Saturday morning she woke up very distraught and coughing. I took her back to the doctor, with the help of my MIL this time, and the doctor said it was just residual from the flu. Her lungs, ears, throat, etc were all clear.

While this was all going on I was experiencing a lot of dizziness, as I've mentioned in earlier posts. I had blood taken at the hospital for my thyroid and iron and made an appt to see my own doctor to have my sinuses checked. Went to the doctor on TH (before Cora's appt) and low and behold I had a sinus infection and double ear infection. Sigh...sick baby and sick momma do not make for good times in the household. I was put on antibiotics and told to take 1/2 the children's dose of Claritin (I react very strongly to all cold/sinus/allergy meds) to try to help dry me up. I did. TH was fine but Friday I got horribly dizzy, my sense of touch and sight got VERY heightened, and I knew all was not well. I also knew it had to be the Claritin as this is what always happens. David called my mom to come help because Cora wouldn't let him near her, and I really needed to not have her climbing on me. Mom came, Dad came, I went up to sleep (around 5:30 p.m.) and tried to calm down so I could function. I got up long enough to put Cora to bed and went back to bed.

During all of this, it was just as hard a week for David. We had 3 church members die last week and David did 2 funerals. So, that meant extra preparation beyond his sermon and usual duties plus taking care of his wife and daughter. He braved the 1/2 foot of snow with more coming down on Friday to go grocery shopping so we could have food to eat. He worked tirelessly and without complaining and just did what needed to be done. All the while his wife kept promising a peach cobbler to grace the table.

To Follow Up

So, my post yesterday was about pastors and how they don't work just one day a week. They can often work 7 days a week for weeks at a time. It can put a strain on the pastor's family, but these weeks don't happen all the time (at least not for us, because my husband makes it a point to be sure it doesn't). How appropriate that I would write that blog yesterday. You see, yesterday, upon my husband getting to work (the church) he gets 2 phone calls within 5 minutes of each other telling him of 2 church members who passed away during the night. This means, he will more than likely be working 7 days this week, long days, days filled with sorrow, extra planning and trying to be a comfort to those families. Can my husband do it? Of course he can!!!!! I know he's able, this is part of the ministry God has called him to. Will he be tired when all is said and done? YES! Of course he will! Will he complain at all about it? Absolutely NOT!

Only One Day a Week

When we lived in MI I was at a store shopping for some clothes, and a lady from the church saw me and asked me how things were going--I think at the time I was trying to find a better job to help meet our financial needs, though I can't remember. In any case, she told me about subbing in the school system and if I was interested to let her know because it was her job to call subs. I was appreciative and said I would keep it in mind. Before I could walk away she asked if David would like to do subbing too? I said, no he was pretty busy during the week. The lady's response was "interesting," befuddling, and I guess sad. She said, "What can he be busy with? He only works on Sunday!" Wow. I had always heard the jokes about a pastor only working one day a week but had not encountered anyone who actually believed it! I started to laugh, thinking she was joking, and when I realized she was not joking I proceeded to run down a list of things that David did during the week to keep busy--prepare for Sunday morning and evening worship, mid-week worship, hospital visitation, home visits, continuing education, etc. Her eyes kinda glazed over, and I kinda wondered if she thought I was making it up. I went home scratching my head, and I suppose she probably did too.

So, what does a pastor do during the week? The list is endless, really. And, Sunday isn't always the busiest day of the week, interestingly enough! I can't speak for all pastors, though I figure it's pretty much the same across the board. And, the size of the church and amount of staff members a church has also determines just how much needs to be done, but I assure you the pastor is busy! The interesting thing about a pastor is he/she may have a weekly agenda for the same things that need to get done each week, but a funeral or wedding, or other crisis in the church can really make the week take a totally different direction. My husband takes Friday and Saturday off so we have 2 days in a row to be a family and get stuff done around the house. This means he gets his sermon done before Friday and gets all other pastoral duties done before then too. However, there are the times when a member of the church dies and he has to take a different direction to his week.

Sermons don't write themselves, a master's or doctorate doesn't happen overnight, decisions aren't made on a whim. These things take time and these things are all part of your pastor's job and calling. Your pastor is a man/woman who works very hard, and carries the weight of at least the congregation on their shoulders. If your pastor jokes about how he/she "only works one day a week" it's OK to laugh because you know better than that!

On a Tilt-a-Whirl

That's how I've been feeling the past few days--like I've just stepped off a whirly kind of ride and my head won't stop spinning. Dizziness is a terrible feeling, especially if you HAVEN'T just gotten off a spinning ride! So, I called my midwife's office today to see what they suggested. I'm not bleeding, the baby is moving fine, I'm not cramping and I'm drinking lots of water, oh and eating. The conclusion was (after the nurse conferred with 2 of the midwives) that I needed to get my thyroid and iron levels checked now rather then when I go for my next OB appt at the end of the month. David, Cora and I loaded up in the van and went to the hospital to have the blood work done. They'll be doing an extensive look at both the thyroid and iron levels, not just a basic test. I'm so thankful for Cleveland Clinic and all of it's capable nursing and doctor staff! I go in Friday to get the results and see what all is going on. In the meantime, my midwife wants me to get into my regular doctor to make sure I'm not getting an ear or sinus infection because it could "just" be my sinuses.

I'm trying really hard not to be discouraged. I am feeling very low about all this. I know right now there's nothing to be afraid of and that everything being done is simply precautionary, but nonetheless, I just want to have a normal pregnancy--whatever that is! :) If you think about it I'd appreciate your prayers. Mainly, that the baby is fine and that whatever is going on will be seen and is easily treated. While waiting on getting into the lab David and Cora were at this fountain in the middle of the hospital. They met a little boy (2 days younger then Cora) and his Grandma. They were there to visit his mom, who is due early April and has been in the hospital for the past 10 days to keep her labor at bay. They have allowed her 30 minutes a day so she can see her little boy. I'm so thankful I'm not at that point. Say a prayer for this lady, too, if you think about it!

A Meal Fit for...

...Halloween? So, I have a bad habit of putting together a really yummy, healthy meal that is monochromatic. I have no idea how/why I do this, it just happens, about once a week. I don't even realize I've done it until we're sitting down to eat. Wednesday night I went to all new levels of same-color-ness! :) I made a yummy cream of potato soup, biscuits, cantaloup and cheese. When we sat down I looked at our yummy meal only to discover that EVERYTHING on the table was ORANGE!!!! I guess you could say the biscuits weren't orange exactly, but the brown color of them were close enough! The soup was orange because I had added carrots with it and the recipe said to save out part of the cooked veggies and blend the rest together to make the soup creamier. Well, you can just guess what the carrots did to the color! :) Sigh... I don't do it on purpose! Really, I don't!

How Nice

Over the weekend I thought I would host a Tupperware party. I had attended one back in January and thought it would be a good way for me to get to know some of the ladies at church better, get some free product and also break up the winter a bit. I had 10 ladies come (my mom, MIL, aunt and sister were in the crowd too!) and we had such a nice time. Now, I suppose some would say it was a risky move not inviting every single woman from church, but I say, at this church I don't think it was a big deal. I invited the women I have gotten to know a little, who have been working with Cora in the nursery, etc and figured it was OK. You know what? I really do believe it was! We had so much fun. I felt a part of them and not just the pastor's wife. It was nice to be a part of the group and not feel set apart because my husband is the pastor. We had a great time laughing and joking and just being women ooing and ahhing over Tupperware. What a nice change.

At our previous church I would have felt obligated (force, even) to make sure to have every single woman invited because if I didn't it would have most certainly come back to get me or David. It would've been just another "thing" for the trouble-makers to use against us and so I just didn't do things like this at our other church. The closest I came (and caught much flack for it!) was I led a woman's Bible study every Wednesday night. And, no matter how many times it was announced from the pulpit that any and all women were welcome I was told it wasn't nice to have a study just for a select group of my favorites. Really? I tell you this not to dwell on the past, but to show you just how nice it was to have something and not worry about how this will come back to bite us in the butt later on.

I continue to praise the Lord for his bringing us here and continue to marvel at this RICH blessings.

Reverse Racism?

Ok, so I am not one of those people to think that every single little thing has to do with race, nor am I racist, etc. However, David and I have been wondering if we're not experiencing some reverse racism. The town in which we live is about 50/50 white/African American. I could care less. I mean, I grew up in Africa and after living 4 years in a town that was pastey white it's nice to be back in an area that has some color to it! We are fairly new customers at our bank. We had to move all of our money elsewhere when we moved from MI because the bank we had used there was only a county bank. We chose a national bank and from the start have loved it! That is, until we moved here. We found the closest branch to us and every single time we go in there we feel we are being prejudiced against. It's a strange feeling, to be sure. We are wondering how to handle the situation. Do we ignore it? Call and talk to the branch manager?  But, we do know it's quite obvious the color of our skin is affecting the service we are given.

Here's a perfect example: The other day I had to deposit some checks and used the drive thru (I had Cora and didn't want to get her in/out of the car seat). I saw NO ONE in the bank, customer or employee, when I pulled up and was beginning to wonder if it was a holiday or something when a girl finally came to the window to help me. She took forever, told me I had filled out my deposit slip wrong (which I hadn't) and went about doing I'm not sure what. I look up to see a few people were coming into the bank and she stops helping me and proceeds to help the other customers (never mind I had literally been there close to 10 minutes already just to have a deposit made!). I was so angry!!!! I couldn't believe it!!! I felt it was very blatant. I have never in my life been dropped mid-transaction. I guess you could say, to be fair to her, it's branch policy to help those inside first. AFTER she had helped all the other customers she finally sent the tube back to me with my receipt. Why didn't she just do that to begin with?

Was I being discriminated against? I have no idea, but I didn't like the way I was treated and because this happens all the time at the bank we're beginning to think it's not so coincidental. Any thoughts/ideas?

23 Weeks--118 Days to go!

But, who's counting, right? :) I AM!!!!!! I can't believe I'm 23 weeks today, and I have 118 days to go--'course, could be less, I suppose! David and I have commented MANY times how this pregnancy has gone much faster then when I was pregnant with Cora. Could be life is just better right now and we're not wasting energy on the dysfunction of other people and are just able to enjoy this time. I have to say, however, that I do not enjoy pregnancy. I felt guilty thinking that with Cora because it had taken us a couple years to conceive her and so I thought I ought to just be thankful. And now, it was apparently easy enough for us to conceive this little guy, and again I feel guilty for not loving, not even liking, being pregnant. David assures me it's OK. I mean, I'm growing a human (which, let's face it, is really, really cool!), my body is doing weird things, I don't feel good, my emotions are totally whack, I hurt, I ache, I... I'm such a complainer! But, I have discovered that me and pregnancy just don't get along. I will NEVER understand the woman who just loves to be pregnant. I do not. I do NOT feel at the peak of health during pregnancy (quite the opposite), and I do not feel all glow-y and radiant. Oh well! The end result IS worth it, and I do love this little guy so much already, and I suppose that's what's important.

Baby Sprout is 23 weeks today! I had my midwife appointment today and she mentioned how amazing it is that babies born at this stage (God forbid!!!!) can survive outside the womb. It's crazy to imagine how far technology has come to think if he were born at any point now he would have an excellent chance for survival. (And, lest you wonder, no matter how much I hate being pregnant I would NOT want my child born before full term) This little guy should be just over a pound now, and about 11 inches long. He can hear noises outside the womb at this point, and I'm told should not be startled by the barking of the dog or the noise of the vacuum when born! :) It's amazing to think just how much development goes into these wee things.

How am I? Well, my sciatica is not nearly as bad as it was with Cora, for this I am PRAISING THE LORD!!!!! I have been super conscious to make sure I don't just sit around and get stiff, and I have my pillows all around me at night to make sure I don't roll onto my right side. There are days when my hip is more tender than not, but it's usually due to having done too much or not enough activity. I continue to pray it stays this way and doesn't get any worse. I'm also gaining weight, which is a good thing. :) Though, so far I've only gained 5 pounds thanks to the horrid 1st trimester. I've been dealing with a lot more dizziness this time around, but my BP is perfect, etc so I guess it's just pregnancy stuff.

Interestingly enough, you'll remember with Cora I had to have iron infusions for a month at the end of her pregnancy. It was not a fun time, mostly because before they put the iron in me I was injected with large doses of steroids to, as I was told, make sure I didn't have a deadly reaction to the iron... lovely. Well, I was discussing all this with my midwife today (at my next appointment they'll be doing full panel blood work on my iron and thyroid) she mentioned she had heard iron infusions weren't any fun. I said the worse part was the steroids I had to have beforehand and the after affects of that (not only was I a jittery mess, so was Cora until they got out of my/our systems). She gave me the strangest look and said, "Oh, we don't do steroids anymore. They're not necessary." Hmmm... and yet another thing we learn about my care in Hillsdale and how backwards it was. We left, again, praising the Lord for his preservation over myself and Cora during those 4 weeks of iron infusions. Have I mentioned that EVERY SINGLE midwife visit has revealed more and more of this stuff to us? And, it's not like Cora is 15 so you can understand that a decade has passed. No, it was TWO years ago!!!!!!

Anyway, things are fine with the baby and I'm taking one day at a time and hoping for the best! :) Below is a photo from when I was 21 weeks, but it's the most recent one I have! :) Just imagine me slightly bigger. :)