Birth Week.

Good morning friends!

Monday is the beginning of quite a week for us. Watertown's weather is cloudy, rainy and windy this morning so I grabbed a cup of apple cider and decided to spend a few moments thinking about what's to come in the next 7 days.

First of all, I want to update you on our friends Greg & Natalie. Their baby girl Cailey Anna passed away this morning after 14 days of life. Her brain damage was too severe to sustain life, but as Andy told them this morning, our prayer is that the Ultimate Comforter would be very near to them right now.

Mom flies in tomorrow night. I've missed her. We talk almost daily, at least in small little snip-its, but to have her here with us as we welcome our 3rd little baby home is very special. There were days we didn't think this little man was going to be patient long enough, now he seems to have decided it may be warmer to winter over and appear in Spring. ;) Sorry little dude, momma is done.

Here's Andy's week! Not only his regular class and work load, but he has 4 tests before Thursday morning AND a large pediatric video project due tomorrow. The benefit is he WILL feel accomplished by Thursday, but he may just be dead to the world when we get home on Saturday.

I'd planned to do more cleaning today, but I think I may have changed my mind. Maybe instead the girls and I will just have a play day. Who knows when we'll be able to do that again.

Due date: Wednesday.

As of right now, if baby _______ doesn't appear first, we're heading into the hospital Thurs morning at 7:30am to have my waters ruptured. If nothing happens by noon, we'll try Cytotec and as a last resort, Pitocin.

I've been hoping that I have the strength to face another labor, and now that we're this close, I know that I just need to continue relying on the Lord to give me the strength I need, and remember all the glorious things to come after and because of!

About 2 wks ago, the girls and I made a ring chain to keep track of baby brother's upcoming arrival. They take a ring off every day. Now as I look up at the wall and see only 3 more rings on that chain, I'm realizing that we made it! Only 3 more days of 'norm' till our lives are changed again forever. Only 3 more days till I can sit on the couch and not worry about how I'll get off. ;)

Only 3 more days till Livy (I will just BET you) will say "Mom, what's that?" at diaper changing time. Oh yes, life will change. :)