Senior Year

 I am currently 25+ weeks long with my pregnancy, which puts me about 10 or so days away from starting my third trimester.  That is such a strange feeling for me.

I am starting to feel physically uncomfortable (which I know will get worse before it gets better), and I'm starting to wonder how I can get any bigger... and yet I know I will (Lord willing) before the baby comes... and I'm starting to feel like my due date is still a LONG ways away, but it really will be here very soon.

All that said, this pregnancy for me is the equivalent of Senior year.

Hubby and I are in full agreement that this will be our last child, number six, which will complete our family.  We are fully at peace with that (and very prayerful that my pregnancy will continue to go smoothly through to a healthy birth, healthy mama, and healthy baby).  I feel very grateful that I have the chance to experience a pregnancy with the awareness that it will be my last.

There is something about knowing you are experiencing something for the last time that makes it extra special and that prepares you for moving on -- like Senior year of college.

Everything that is unpleasant -- you grin and bear it because you know its your last time ever to have to experience it.  You get through it because you know you've done it before, and you know it is temporary.

Everything that is special is made all the more special because you treasure it with a sincere appreciation, knowing it will not return.

Just like a part of me will always feel nostalgic for my college years (and especially my Senior year of college), I know that my college years were a wonderful season of life, but they were just that -- a season of life.  They were not meant to last forever, and after Senior year, it was time to move on.  Even when I have missed my college years, I have never really wanted to go back -- after graduation, it is time to move on.

That is exactly how I feel about these wonderful, blessed, incredible past 8 years I have been pregnant (or postpartum, or nursing) as Hubby and I have been able to grow our family.  I am sure I will always be nostalgic for the years I was pregnant and nursing -- they were an incredibly beautiful season of life, and I will remember them with joy, love, and (I'm sure) a slight ache of missing them.  But really, this was meant to be a season, and Hubby and I are both ready for this to be our Senior year, and then it will be time to move on to other wonderful seasons of life.

And, just like Senior year -- I have made choices that I was perhaps too focused or responsible to make during my earlier college years (or earlier pregnancies) -- I have probably indulged more pregnancy cravings this time around, and I have allowed myself to put my feet up on the couch a few more times without any guilt knowing that this is my last chance to help my body grow a tiny human, and that deserves a little R&R, or an extra slice of pizza.

And for fun... here is a picture from my "Senior Year" pregnancy... and a few funny pictures from my actual senior year of college.

1000 Words

 1000 Words

Consistent Quality Time

My parents have been here since shortly after Thanksgiving -- initially helping with Tracey Ann and household chores through the end of my pregnancy, and, for nearly the past month, helping with children and household chores since Howard and Tracey Ann were born.

Although I know living with their daughter and son-in-law and caring for three children under two for three months have been an adjustment, to say the least, they have kept a wonderful perspective of what a precious gift this time with their grandchildren has been.  Tracey Ann only sees them a few times a year, but now has a stronger relationship with both of them every day.  While Howard and Caroline will not remember first-hand the love and care that their grandparents devoted to them in these early weeks, my parents are spending time holding them, cherishing them, and getting to know them each -- and they are two individuals to be sure.

All that to say, with the consistent quality time we are spending together, there have been some very precious moments that we've been able to share.

Last night for example, everyone except Hubby ended up in my parents room for about 30 minutes.  Papa was watching the news and I went in to ask him to hold Howard for a few minutes to tide him over while I nursed Caroline.  While he was getting situated, Tracey Ann wandered into their room... and it just happened that everyone hung out in Grammie and Papa's room.

For about twenty minutes, I was nursing either Howard or Caroline while either my mom or dad held the other twin, and Tracey Ann was playing on their bed.  She realized that she couldn't quite climb up on their bed by herself so she kept asking my dad to lift her on the bed... then she would climb down by herself and immediately ask to be lifted up again.  "Up Papa,"  "Thank you Papa,"  "More Papa," along with her giggles as Papa lifted her up and she climbed down were the sweetest sounds.

Within a few minutes, I was nursing Howard, Papa was holding Caroline and Grammie and Tracey Ann were reading a story together on the bed.

When my parents leave, I will definitely miss the help... but I will really miss the consistent quality time my children (and Hubby and I) are getting with my parents.

Another Day In Paradise

Here are a few funny moments I want to remember from this week:

1. Hubby was sitting on the coach and said to me, "Come over here, Dear."  He then made room for me on the coach.  Lloyd immediately jumped up and took the open seat on the coach.  I guess he thought Hubby was talking to him.

2.  Tracey Ann is beginning to spend nights in her own room for the first time in her life, and it has been harder on me than on Tracey Ann.  I LOVED having her in our room.  Our entire family safe and happy in the same room for all those months.  I am up several times a night even if Tracey Ann sleeps through things.  If she makes a sound, I'm up and waiting to see if its a real cry, or just in her sleep.  Monday morning (my first day back to work), my cell phone alarm went off, and I looked at the baby monitor.  Nothing was happening in the baby's room except this noise.  I kept staring at the baby monitor trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.  Finally I turned the volume on the monitor down as low as it would go.  It made no difference on the sound -- WHAT was going on in the baby's room that was making this noise, and yet Tracey Ann was still sound asleep.  Yes, it was my alarm clock -- no relation to the baby's room.

Just another day in Paradise.

Moments to Remember

Life is full of simple moments -- moments that make your heart smile, but if you don't take the time to recognize at that moment will simply melt into the memory-less every day.

Last night, Tracey Ann and Hubby and I sang and danced in our living room.  Hubby was playing a CD on his computer, and I gave him Tracey Ann to hold while I heated up some dinner.  Before I knew it, Hubby and Tracey Ann were dancing to Zach Brown Band, and Hubby and I were singing along with as many of the words we could remember.

After a few Zach Brown Band songs, we switched the music to our new favorite song, Let It Go, from Frozen.

Hopefully there will be many moments of singing and dancing ahead for our little family... and I want to keep realizing how special they are when they are happening.