getting closer

with each day that passes...it's a day closer to meeting this little baby!! how can it be DECEMBER already!?! this pregnancy truly has flown on by. of course these last days probably won't. but either way...i can't believe it's almost time to meet our little guy!! he still doesn't have a name. but we have a few that we're tossing around. i have a "top" on my list. and so does shaun. but they aren't the same name. i'm thinking that the day we have him is the day we officially announce it. mainly because...i think it will take us that long to agree. while he doesn't have a name...i've been busy crocheting for him. 

one hat that i was excited to do was this one...

 but i think dustin was even more excited...because i made him a matching one. :) he can't wait to have his brother here to match.

another fun hat i did was this one...

it's mainly for taking pictures of him in. shaun and dustin think it's ridiculous. the girls and i think it's ridiculously cute! i canNOT wait to take his pictures in this hat.

or this outfit and hat...

i made the hat for a "Christmas-y" hat, and then the day after thanksgiving shopping found this outfit to match it. can we call say AHHH! so cute!! i seriously cannot wait to put him in this.

i had been waiting and waiting to buy our car seat for him. i finally broke down and bought it last week. and God totally provided us with 25% off of it!! pretty soon we'll be seeing him IN it, not BY it!

i'll be 38 weeks tomorrow. honestly, i've been feeling each one of these weeks. i don't remember feeling this tired at the end of the other kids' pregnancies. BUT i also think it's because we had so many pregnancies so close together that i was in a perpetual state of pregnancy for quite a few years. and now it's been almost 3 1/2 years since the end of my last pregnancy. i'm trying my best to take it easy. but it's not EASY to take it easy. laundry and cleaning and everything else still has to be done. i'm SO SO thankful for awesome kids and having the wisdom to train them. amelya is almost 99% of the time doing the dishes/dishwasher. last night i loaded it for the first time in i don't know how long. the other kids help out with the other things. i can't tell you the last time i swept the floors. and i have kids who love to dust. (woo hoo!) and i try to let them vacuum. i actually enjoy vacuuming, but have to let it go sometimes. lol. for a long time now i've had the kids put away their own laundry. so that's nice. the kids each help fold and put away their own clothes, and actually help me carry our stuff upstairs to our closet. i feel SO blessed to have these kids in my life. and i feel so blessed that God has given me the wisdom to train them in how to help and be a part of our household. i'm always thankful when we have tasks and work to do that they TRULY do it with happy hearts and we all work together. 

here's a fun flashback picture...

we celebrated 10 years of marriage the 22nd of november! it's amazing to me that we have already been married for 10 years. it's crazy. a very good crazy!! shaun's sister watched the kids for us so we could do dinner with each other, and totally blessed us by cleaning our house while we were gone!! we went to outback steak house for dinner and it was super yummy. they have one of the best spinach and artichoke dips. ((we base our dining out on the quality of the spinach and artichoke dip. lol)) this could very well be our last date "just the two of us" for awhile. so it was nice to enjoy an evening with him. and actually it was two weeks in a row that we got date nights. so that was really nice. my love language is quality time...so to have that "tank" refilled with my husband is something that really is good for my soul. i can tell when it's running on fumes or empty, and it feels so much better to have it filled.

the week before the kids had an overnight with shaun's sister. so the next morning shaun worked and i had the morning to myself. it was really nice to get that time to myself. i did really nothing. but sit on the couch. enjoy an old school movie and crochet.

adventures in babysitting was one of my favorite movies growing up. it actually isn't too bad now, either. no judging, now! ;) 

i did a craft faire at our church the weekend of our anniversary as well. it went pretty decent. i just wanted to at least get one order. and i got 4. so that's nice. i'm working on finishing those orders among other orders i already had...and Christmas gifts. so my hands have been busy during rest time and after the kids go to bed. one thing that the chiropractor said to me the other week was that he thinks the crocheting MAY be a reason i don't have the carpal tunnel with this pregnancy. because of all the movement it may help the fluid to not build up in my wrists/elbows like it did last time. i have some issues with my hands hurting/falling asleep while crocheting. but nothing major. for THAT i am SO thankful!! 

now...the swelling that hasn't gone to my wrists...has gone to my face and my ankles and feet. it's gotten worse in the last few weeks. and my doctor gave me permission to be "lazy". i've been trying. and thankfully i can put my feet up most afternoons during rest time. it doesn't help a HUGE amount. but it does feel good to put my feet up. and i find myself wishing i had time (and money) to get a pedicure before i have this little guy...a massage of my cankles would be relaxing. but it'd also mean i would have to nicely shave my legs. ;) i have a countdown on my phone until the day we have the baby and each night before bed i say only "this" many more nights of sleep. and pain. my pelvic pain has gotten a lot worse this past week and i do my best to roll over only once during the night. that way it's only one time of pain. of course, now that this baby is pressing on my bladder more...i'm getting up to pee. so sometimes that plan doesn't always work. BUT yet...i'm thankful. i'm thankful for this precious little one causing me this pain. some women would do anything to experience pregnancy...pains and all. so please don't take this as complaining, because that i am not. i am just letting you know the "real" stuff this pregnant girl is going through.

one thing i'm REALLY looking forward to is this thursday. i wanted to get together with some girls before having this baby...so we're all going to the melting pot for ladies night! i'm so excited to spend the evening  with dear friends that mean a lot to me and just hang out and have a fun night. ((again, quality time=love language)) :) there are like 10 of us going, so it will be a lot of fun. and shaun doesn't like or enjoy going to the melting pot...so it's fun to go with girls that WILL! i mean cheese and chocolate fondue...what is NOT to enjoy. :) 

this summer i had an experience with jury duty. next week...i get to be a witness at a court trial. this past summer a man was driving with a child on his lap and i called it in. he's fighting the ticket and i got a subpoena to be a witness at the trial. life is ALWAYS interesting.

and speaking of interesting...i'll leave you with this funny from yesterday...

our financial planner was here and we were talking about him stopping over to go over some stuff the week after we have the baby. evaleigh THEN says.

you'll go to the doctor.

i agreed and said yes.

and then she proudly proclaimed to him and me...

then you'll push the baby out of your butt!!

i can't make these things up!!