Our growing family.......

It's been a while since my last post......I have some pics I want to share from our Thanksgiving and a few from our holiday preparations as well......I'll get to those when I get my laptop back. For now, it's just a post about preparing for our growing family.....

This pregnancy has definitely been different than the first two......I just don't feel as well. In fact, I feel like I should be having them any day when the reality is I have 8 or 9 more weeks. I'm as big as I was with Gage and Gracie when I delivered and more uncomfortable. Matt has been helping as much as he can and I'm grateful-but it's hard for me to accept the help. I have a friend that loves to have other people do things for her.......I hate it. It's just not in my nature to sit or lay down on a couch while life goes on around me. BUT-when I get contractions in the evenings I know it's best to sit down and let him take on the evening routine.

Sometimes I still marvel at the fact that there are TWO babies in there.......I imagine seeing one of them for the first time......then the realization that there is still another one coming that has yet to be seen. It's just not something I ever imagined happening in our life.

Gage is obviously very aware of all that is going on....he's aware that there are two babies coming....that they'll be coming a while after Christmas....that I haven't been feeling as well because of the pregnancy. He's sympathetic and already loves his brother and sister to be. Gracie obviously has no idea what's going on. In Dr. Swanson's office I was reading a little article in Parenting Magazine on preparing your children for the arrival of a new baby. I don't subscribe to the magazine because from my experience it doesn't line up with my parenting style. This article was a perfect example.

The article suggested having a gift for your older children to give them upon/after the birth "from the baby". I know people who have done this but our family doesn't subscribe to that kind of parenting. The idea is that it makes your children feel special......it's so they don't feel left out with all of the attention being given to the new baby. For one, the materialism bothers me.......I don't like the idea that a physical or material gift is necessary to make my children feel special. Second, life doesn't always leave you feeling special and loved. For children at a certain age I'm sure a new baby brings jealousy and feeling "left out" from the attention given to a new baby. Such is life sometimes and even children need to experience hurt feelings as a part of growing up. More importantly, for our family, a new baby wouldn't bring a gift because the new baby IS the gift..........

On that note.....we are anxiously awaiting our gifts. We can't wait for the arrival of this baby boy and girl and look forward to the joy and love they will add to our family. As we celebrate this most wonderful time of the year we are so grateful for the two gifts that are to follow......and we pray daily that they don't make an early escape!

Love