Getting so excited!!!

I keep have these surges of immense excitement when I think about this new baby being born within the next three weeks! I am trying to patiently wait to find out if this is a boy or a girl, I can imagine both, but I think it is most likely a boy. I will be so happy with either, just more surprised if it is a girl.

I was going through newborn stuff today... I can't believe how small it all is. It doesn't seem possible that Hannah and Isaac were ever that small. I can't wait to put those tiny clothes on the new little one!

Most of the stuff is out of mini storage now and getting washed up and ready for the new arrival. This is a very good thing. I now know what I need to purchase before the big day. I'll be shopping on Tuesday, I think.

Hannah and Isaac are really excited to meet the baby. As they see all the Christmas stuff going on around them, they know that the time is close. I am super excited to get our first picture as a family of 5! I also can't wait to get a picture of my three children together. Life is good.

Contractions are happening often everyday. I've even timed some of them. They were fairly regular there for awhile, but then stopped. I am quite uncomfortable all of the time, but this will be over soon and the goal is now in sight. I can see the finish line, and that gets me excited.

While I got a tour of the brand new birth suites, I visited with the Labor and Delivery nurse that helped with Hannah's delivery. It was fun to talk with her about the upcoming event and see what new options I have during this delivery. The room is amazing! It will be a very comfortable stay, even for Aaron!

So, these are my thoughts as of late. I'm almost done with my maternity leave prep for preschool. I'm feeling really good about handing over the reigns to Harmony. I know she will do a fabulous job while I am loving on my kids at home! It will be hard to go back I'm sure. But I'm not going to think about that right now.

Are You Ready?

People ask, "Are you ready?' My answer varies depending on what I've been contemplating...

Is the house ready? A BIG FAT NO. I don't even have a place for the baby to sleep yet and the baby clothes are still in the back corner of mini storage. Am I worried? Not really. We are putting the house back on the market next week, so at least the house will get a major deep cleaning and then I'll feel better. Next week we should be able to get a lot accomplished with having Thanksgiving Break.

Am I ready to be done with pregnancy? YES, YES, and YES. I am ready to want to eat again, to be able to bend down to pick something up, to breath freely. On so many levels, this answer is a resounding yes.

Am I ready to mother 3 children at once? I think I can, I think I can... Enough said.

Am I ready to hold this baby... ABSOLUTELY!

Am I ready for labor and delivery again? You bet, if it means I won't be pregnant anymore! I've done it twice, what's a third time?

Just a few more weeks to go, and then I have no choice but to be ready!

Moving Right Along

I had a check up yesterday and got to see the baby via ultrasound. All looks good. I am 34 weeks tomorrow... baby measures 36 weeks. The head was SO low that the Dr. couldn't get a measurement. Yes... this is terribly uncomfortable. Dr. thinks I could go early, but I really wish he hadn't said that. It only gets my hopes up, so I will choose to ignore it. We set a date for induction on the evening of December 18. It's good to have an ending date set! The baby has really chubby cheeks on ultrasound!

As time moves along at it's quick pace, I am finding myself a bit frantic. Today I got almost all of my Christmas shopping done. I only have a few items left on the list and I think I can get it done online. Nice! This weekend I am hoping we can get to mini-storage and dig out the baby stuff that is in the very back corner... although it is suppose to snow. But I am really feeling like I NEED to get stuff together. I'm not even sure what I still have and what I don't. I know I have the bare essentials, but nesting is really kicking in. I have the co-sleeper on the way. Charissa is giving us the one they don't need anymore. I can't wait for such a handy baby bed. They baby is right by me, but in his/her own bed that essentially becomes part of our bed. Night nursing will be so easy! This means more sleep that is greatly needed since I have a very active 3 year old Isaac and soon to be 6 year old Hannah. It is amazing how much life revolves around sleep with young children.

That being said, I am so looking forward to having a newborn at home. I LOVE the newborn stage. Maybe I like it so much because I am not pregnant. But I also love the miracle of every minute of new life. I love how quickly my babies calm down when they put their head to my chest a hear my heart. There is nothing like the feeling of my brand new baby curling up against me and falling asleep knowing that is exactly where he/she wants to be. I love the quiet cries of a newborn... they get so much louder later! I can't wait for Isaac and Hannah to meet their new sibling and fall in love with the newest member of our family. I LOVE seeing Aaron become a whole different person as he holds his brand new baby! I have never seen such adoration on his face as when he held Hannah and Isaac for the very first time. I know the moments of having my last newborn will pass all too quickly, so I will savor every moment I can and share as many miraculous moments with Hannah and Isaac as possible. But, I will keep some to myself too. I will keep some moments stored away in my heart... moments that are only for this Mommy...

So, time is moving right along and I have many things to look forward to. I will not get stressed out over all the things I think I need to get done. I will do what I can and that will be enough and I will look ahead, keeping my eyes on the beautiful moments that are only a few short weeks away. God had blessed us with one more little one, and I can't wait to see what is in store!

Nesting...

Well, it seems as though I was blessed with nesting energy and motivation today. I can't believe how much I got done considering... Here is my list of things done:

• cleaned the kitchen
• cleaned our bedroom
• 3 packages ready for the mail that include Christmas gifts for nieces and nephews
• lesson planned for the week and part of the following week
• Veteran's day cards ready for the mail
• pictures of Hannah and Isaac ready for the mail
• 2 loads of laundry (one still needs to be folded and Aaron folded the first load)
• thank yous for the baby shower gifts written and ready to go

Really not too bad for me lately! I think now I will take a bubble bath and attempt to shave my legs!

No, I can't see my feet...

32 weeks pregnant

October Pictures

At the Pumpkin Patch

Halloween night with our Jack-o-laterns.

Ready to Trick-or-Treat!

Just silly!

November Already?

Time has flown! October is usually a slow month for me, but it zoomed by. I'm not complaining. This was a good year to have it move on quickly. Here are some highlights for October...

• We enjoyed going to the farm between Endicott and St. John to pick out pumpkins.
• We carved the pumpkins with Mimi Karen and Papa Ken
• Aaron roasted the seeds and made them extra salty... he and I love them!
• Hannah scored in the 99% for math and reading on the MAPS test ( smart girl!)
• We welcomed cousin Violet Esme Kent into the world (Rachel and Christopher's daughter)
• We fought several colds and icky sicknesses
• Our camera died
• We got a new one
• We went trick-or-treating and the kids got a huge load of candy

I'm sure there are more, but that's what I can think of at the moment. Not bad for a spacey pregnant girl.

Isaac, Hannah and I got our H1N1 flu shots yesterday. Hannah was very brave. Isaac cried bloody murder during the whole thing. Then he was fine when it was done. We went to the grocery store so they could pick out a cookie and ran into an old friend. Isaac promptly dropped his pants to show her is shots (he got the seasonal flu shot too). Thank goodness his underwear stayed up. Such a funny kid!

Hannah has had no school for the past two days, so Amanda, our babysitter, watched her in the mornings. Isaac wanted to spend time with Hannah, so he stayed with them too. They were so happy playing with each other yesterday... today, not as much. Last night they even had a sleep over in Isaac's room because they wanted to be with each other! I love the days when they love each other that much! It has been an adjustment for both of them being away form each other during the school day.

We have less than 50 days until Baby Krantz #3 is born! I am getting quite excited for the new arrival, although I haven't done a single thing to get ready for the blessed event. So different from preparing for Hannah and Isaac. This time around I think all I really need is diapers, clothing, a place for the baby to sleep and to be lactating. Then I'm good. I'll have more than that together I'm sure... hopefully a clean house.