Kelly's Belly 36 Weeks and 3 days!

Reflections on this point:
*I am ready to have this baby. I am so glad that he didn't come a week and a half ago, and he needs 1/2 a week to be considered full term. That said I ready for this pregnancy to be a thing of the past!
*I got a haircut... so glad that I did. I had my haircut in January and was never happy with it. I let it grow out for several months, and now I was able to get it recut into a better style.
*I washed up Luke's coming home outfit. I need to pack the rest of our stuff. Chances are that if he was born now, he could come home with us.
*Jon's mom is here for about a week and a half. We are really hoping that Luke makes his appearance during this time.
*Being swollen stinks. I was super super swollen when I came home form the hospital- like my legs were three times their normal size. It must have been all of the IV fluids that caused the swelling because it has gone away, and I feel so so much better!
*Three may be the magic number for us!

Family Bluebonnet Picture

My friend Jennifer Taylor took this family picture of us in the bluebonnets. Check out her photography business... It has been so fun to document our growing family each year in the Texas bluebonnets.

Happy Easter

from our little bunnies to yours!

Kennedy

This is my niece Kennedy. She is always happy and content and sweet. She is a little thing- nearly 10 months old and just over 15 pounds. She is constantly smiling and cooing every time I am around her. She is a sweetie pie!

Cubbies Graduation

For the last school year, Caleb has participated in Cubbies, an Awana program for preschoolers at our church. He really enjoyed the structure and activities in Cubbies and looked forward to going each week. I must be super pregnant because I got emotional watching him "graduate". I typical would not be this way. You can see from the pictures that the kids were all quite silly during the whole thing.

Caleb following his class into their spot in the sanctuary- Jon and I cracked up at the face he is making. It is very Caleb.

The kids receiving their awards

One of the boys accidentally fell down, and then about half of the rest of the kids threw themselves on the ground too.

Caleb jumping off of the stage at the end.

Caleb and his certificate

Ha! That is what I get for the post below!

Well on Sunday night, I woke up around 2:30 and was feeling some distinct contractions- not painful but significant in that they were come every 3-5 minutes for about 3 hours. So after tracking them for awhile, I was thinking that delivering a 34 weeker at home sounded like a very scary/bad idea. We decided that we should head to the hospital in hopes of them being able to stop the labor. My body is strange. I just don't feel much pain from contractions until the very very end- like right when the baby is ready to be born. Also with Abby, the contractions were barely showing up on the monitors, and I just continued to progress and dilate mostly painfree. So those circumstances make it hard to know what to take seriously contraction wise. Yesterday the nurse asked me if I was having a contraction, and I asked her if she thought I was! They were probably laughing at me at the nurses's station. But, that said I did make some progress throughout the day, and my doctor said he thought that Luke was probably going to be born soon. I received two steroid shots to help Luke's lungs to be more developed and to perhaps make a NICU stay less painful. Then sometime in the afternoon, my body just calmed down, and I stopped progressing. I had kind of stalled out at 4 centimeters. We spent the night, and things were the same this morning... still contracting a bit, but not make any changes in dilation. (sorry if this is more info than you would ever want to know- I kind of want it documented!) So the doctor has sent me home and told me to take it easy. I am praying for 2 more weeks. My dad and Katie and baby Kennedy are headed this way to help out. Also I have to recognize our friends the Ecklunds who watched our kids all of yesterday and then let them stay over for a sleepover last night. The kids swam, colored, rode bikes, watched some of their favorite shows, and had pizza for dinner. I didn't have to worry about them for one moment. Ya'll rock! Thank you so much!

I don't have any pictures to post, but I thought it would be noteworthy to say that Luke has surpassed his brother in gestational time. Caleb was born on this exact day of my pregnancy at 34 weeks and 4 days. So Luke's little lungs have had about 8 more hours to mature than Caleb's did! Based on my last doctor's appointment and how I have been feeling, I think that he will be staying put and behaving himself. Abby was born at exactly 37 weeks, which was the very day that she was considered full term. So if Luke could do the same, that would be great. That would be 17 days from now. Can you tell I have been laying in bed at night going through the countdown in my head? I am trying to prepare myself that he may come even later though. Either way I figure I have less than a month to go (I hope!). I am definitely ready for this baby to be in my arms rather than in my body!

Sweet Friends Celebrating Baby Luke

My friends threw a combo baby shower for Emily and me last night. It was a dessert shower- yummy! I feel so blessed with all of the fun gifts for baby Luke and most of all blessed with such a special group of friends here in Waco. Even though Luke is baby number 3, he is being well celebrated! Thanks, friends!

Bluebonnets Round 1

Friends

Aren't friends such a blessing and gift from God? I so cherish all of my friends- especially my mommy friends who I see multiple times throughout the week. They certainly help keep me sane in this phase of my life! Abby and Selah were born just days apart from each other, and they are starting to really have a fun friendship. Every time I pick Abby up from the church nursery, I ask her what she did and she tells me that she "played with Selah". Selah tells her mom the same thing. The nursery workers often comment on how these two just love each other. Yesterday Selah and Abby were having a ball in our rocking chair, and I had to get a picture. Then I remembered this picture of their older brother and sister in that same rocking chair. Emily, Selah and Gianna's mom, is also expecting. She is having another girl! Our due dates are less than a week apart. I can't wait for our third children to become friends too! What fun we have had making memories with the Ecklund girls!

Pony Tail Girl

Okay- enough with the picture of my big belly at the top of the blog. These pictures aren't great, but they do show proof that Abby's hair is long enough for a ponytail. This ponytail didn't stay in longer than the car ride to our friend's house that day, so I guess that we need the pictures as proof! Abby's little baby look is fading more and more each day. What a cute little girl she is!