this.is.thursday.

My Dr's appointment went well yesterday. Mabel is weighing 5 1/2 pounds and the Dr. commented once again on how much hair she has. He talked like he would induce me 3 weeks from now so I'm thinking between July 14-16th sometime.

This is my friend, Becky. Her and I are both having our 3rd babies and are due 5 days apart. She is having a boy. His name will be Liam. She already has two boys at home who are incredibly handsome and good! It has been a blessing to share this journey so closely with her. What is so awesome about all of it is that it doesn't end when we give birth. We will be able to give each other support from here on out because we will literally be going through the same things at the same time. I'm so thankful that God has a plan in ordaining everything down to our friendships and their perfect timing! Speaking of God ordaining our lives...

is Nora not a precious gift?

She just blesses me every day. She no longer takes a nap so we are spending the entire day together. I have to admit that she talks all the time and I find myself getting irritable at the constant sound of it. But then, at the end of the day, I feel so guilty about thinking that way. She is learning quickly, changing quickly and growing quickly. I desperately want to cherish these moments between her and I.

*She learned to write her name this week. When did she get so big?
*She also thinks that everyone, including Mabel, needs a haircut since she got one.
*We took her outside before the storm rolled in last night. When she got a little nervous, she looked at Braden and said, "hold my hand bubby and don't worry...Jesus will always protect us." It's just like her to encourage someone else in the midst of her own anxiety. That is such a gift!
*We took the kids to see Toy Story 3 in the theatre 2 days ago. She sat the entire time without moving and without having to go potty. She looked so big.
*She will be the BEST big sister to Mabel and I know they are going to be best friends.

I'm trying so hard to enjoy these final days of being pregnant. Feeling this lady move inside of me and making sure that daddy is watching when my tummy flips and flops is vital right now because soon she will be here and we will quickly forget how precious this time is. I so enjoy being pregnant, but I am pretty miserable. It's not that I don't feel good because I really don't feel so bad. I'm just exhausted, and tired of having my belly be in the way of doing things that I want to be doing. I am growing more emotional every day and I am anxious to get back to things that are 'normal.' I feel like I haven't fed my family a healthy meal for 9 months (even though I have but they have been few and far between) and they are craving nourishment. And not just physical nourishment. I need to be able to lay on the toy room floor with my redheads and do a puzzle or play. And I can't. It's all becoming very overwhelming and quite honestly--sad. But I'm hanging in there. Praising God for the opportunity to mother a new child once again and hoping for things to come.
The Lord is so gentle in His ways of comfort; I am learning to accept the nourishment that I so desperately need from Him right now...

Tomorrow is the day I'll be answering your questions!

Thanks for leaving comments and emailing me so that I can satisfy your curiosity once and for all...this should be fun!