there's another bouncing babe on his/her way!
due March 28, 2012
"If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle." -Vincent van Gogh
A little more than 7 years ago, we were [sometimes impatiently!] waiting for Bronwyn's arrival. No two babies are alike, and Bronwyn wanted to prove that by coming 17 days after her due date. Aside from the usual aches and pains, I was happy overall to let her bide her time, and we had some special last outings-- just the 3 of us-- as we waited for her to come.
Then she came, at last, on a cooler August day, born into a peaceful room at The Midwife Center, right in the heart of Pittsburgh. She had dark hair, red skin, and a loud cry.
It never fails to amaze me how the minute I meet one of my children face to face, I wonder how I ever lived without knowing them before.
My recovery with Bronwyn was rather quick, despite my [customary] dangerously-low iron levels post-birth, probably thanks to a very "textbook" labor and delivery (12 hours start to finish and 15 minutes of pushing). She made her first public debut at church 10 days following her birth.
We were now four.
It's hard to believe it's been 7 years now since Bronwyn became such an indispensable part of our lives. She was an easy, easy, easy baby and is now a delightful and enjoyable girl, helpful and eager and content and pleasant and silly and chatty and sincere.
We love her so!
If you're friends with me on facebook, you know that this weekend we finally-- 5 weeks later!-- returned the kids' to their bedrooms (they'd been "camping out" in the sitting room all that time). The upstairs expansion necessitated them staying away from the second floor of our home altogether and then even once the new space was all closed up and safe again about 2-1/2 weeks ago, we decided that instead of just deep cleaning the kids' bedrooms (that were by then quite dusty from all the work), we would take advantage of the opportunity to rip up carpets, patch sheetrock, paint ceilings and walls and trim-- and even floors, in some instances!-- and reorganize/rearrange the rooms.
The boys' room:
The girls' room:
It feels good to have the work in those two rooms done and know that we are, indeed, making progress (albeit slow at times). For a few days there I had the brief fear that we were making matters much, much worse.
In the meantime, despite some days of sore neglect thanks to my serious preoccupation with painting the bedrooms, the vegetable garden continues to amaze me. My menu planning of late simply consists of figuring out which vegetables & herbs really need be consumed and going from there. These are the days that are a trial for my meat & poultry loving oldest son, but the days of real satisfaction for this girl who could practically live on veggies and rice/pasta because I love it so much.
And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, can I just say it again? It's amazing what can grow from a small seed!
Even during the house chaos upstairs, I did my best to continue taking ground downstairs. I reorganized bookshelves and cabinets and did some rearranging of some large pieces of furniture (that job required Daniel's help, although I put forth a valiant effort before finally determining that even if I could move the huge wardrobe by myself, I probably shouldn't since I would most likely scratch the floor in the process). I cleared out space for new school materials that were ordered and then subsequently arrived.
I am now officially amped for the start of a new school year.
Before we can start school, though, we are headed out of town for a youth conference that Daniel is leading worship and speaking at. I'm excited, if momentarily distraught about leaving 4 of my children behind for 6 days. I don't think I've ever left any of them for that long and it's a strange sensation to be giving them instructions on where all their belongings are located in their suitcases so they can fend for themselves.
(I write, "fend for the themselves," but the truth is that they'll all be well taken care of. Two are going to my parents' and two are going to a very good friend's. I really am not a smidgen worried about them. Let's be honest: it's me I worry about!)
On a final note, lest you think it's all upward and onward progress around the little yellow house and no reality, I leave you with these photos that I took the other day for fun:
Sometimes (a lot of times, actually), I leave the non-perishable groceries on the counter for hours or, yup, even overnight.
Some habits die hard.
This pile had a home on our dining room table (with occasional and temporary relocations to my bed) for WEEKS.
(Have I ever mentioned how much I hate putting laundry away?)
I like to blame Daniel for leaving clothes lying around, but these are ALL mine.
(Again... some habits die hard.)
This picture doesn't actually show how disgusting my refrigerator is right now so you'll just have to take my word for it: the shelves are icky.
(If I were to pay anyone to do any job for me, it might just be cleaning my refrigerator. Blech.)
The end.
