39+5

A run of contractions has awoken me again this morning, we'll see if anything becomes of them.  At some point it has too because it's never been recorded that any woman was ever pregnant forever.  These contractions are definitely doing something though because at my appointment Friday I was close to 4cm dilated, 50% effaced, and the baby was at a zero station......all very good news that something is going on.

Since I was induced with Elyse there is this underlying doubt that my body will know how to "switch over" from these little runs of contractions to the real thing.  I realize how silly that sounds and I know that doubt is sent to distract my thoughts and steal my confidence, both of which I cannot allow and both which need to be focused on He who is in me. 

I went to bed at 9pm last night.  We spent the morning and the beach (probably our last trip for awhile) and I did chores and went grocery shopping in the afternoon so I was pretty tired by evening.  I also think it was my body's way of telling me to rest up because it would be waking me again before the sun. 

Elyse's first day of preschool went very well, although I must say, that was the fastest 3 hours of my entire life.  I had just enough time to make the lengthy drive to my midwife appointment and back but I did manage to squeeze in a pedicure for myself as well.  It was nice.  All of it.  Especially driving alone in the car, I truly appreciate that simple time when I get it. 

I paused in my couponing to post an update on here but I have a little more of that I need to do so I'll be going now.  Happy Sunday!

39+3

That's how far along I am today! I went to 40+6 with Elyse and was induced at that, so we shall see what this little girl wants to do as far as making an appearance.

I've been awoken the last 3 nights (hence why I am even up right now while the rest of the house still slumbers) with contractions, but despite up to several hours of having them, thus far, they have always puttered to a halt just in time to leave me rather tired to start the day. I'm well aware of the exhaustion and sleep deprivation a newborn causes but this seemingly lengthy early/false labor leaving me fatigued for days has caught me by surprise. I do, however, trust that despite what it may seem like to me, preparation is being accomplished within my body according to it's design and purpose in the process.

It's a big day in the Borrack house. Elyse starts her first day of "preschool" today. It's more of a "mom's morning out program" 2 mornings a week for just a couple of hours but we are all very excited about it. She didn't want to leave when we met her teachers on Monday and has her backpack hanging on her closet handle ready to go. I think she and I will both benefit greatly from this time. Elyse truly loves being around other kids and I feel it will be a beneficial time for me in adjusting to having a new baby in the house. I'm hoping to get errands or appointments done with just one child during those hours or perhaps even a nap for the first couple of months.

My mind is a little too foggy to think of much more than this but hopefully I will be able to post before too long about our birth story for this little one.

My childhood pet with my child

This is Elyse with my cat Mandy who is approximately over 24 years old.  When Mandy became a member of our family when I was 7 years old, I never imagined that I would have moved with her so many times and had her as my furry confidant throughout so many things in my life.  I certainly never thought I would have a photograph of my child holding my childhood pet.  Taking this picture caused me to pause in appreciation of that moment.  I love this cat.  I scarcely remember not having her to love.

As my own little family grows and changes, Mandy has certainly fallen into the shadows a bit as pets often do when kids come around.  This coincided with her aging so it has worked out much better than had she been a needy puppy.

I just wanted to share my moment.    

Elyse climbed into bed with us yesterday morning and asked us to close our eyes and pray that God would tell baby sister to come out now.

This told me a couple of big things. One, she knows to talk to God and make her requests known through prayer. Two, she understands that it is in His timing that we will all meet this perfect addition to the Borrack's.

The moment made me smile and per Elyse's request Matt and I each prayed aloud separately for God's hand in the timing of her request. Maybe she thinks she had better odds of a yes by doing it separately.

This age has brought it's challenges for sure, but she continually amazes me and I feel honored to be chosen for such a role as this in her life, in their lives.

Getting settled

We've been in the house almost exactly 3 weeks and in many ways I can hardly believe it's been that long and in other ways it's been a VERY long 3 weeks. The workers (painters/drywallers)are all finally finished. What was planned to take 3 days took weeks but we are finally able to unpack and decorate at will.

My mom came this week for a few days so she could help and occupy Elyse while I got things done around the house. Monday night we made the officially for Elyse from the crib in the baby's room to her new room into a twin trundle bed. We're on night 3 tonight but so far it's been a smooth, seamless transition and I'm very thankful for that.

This house has made me fall in love with gadgets I previously had never experienced. There is no carpet in the house so a new $30 stick vacuum and my moms steam mop have been my new best friends. They make keeping all these hard floors clean much easier. I also really like our front load washer and dryer, quiet dishwasher, larger refrigerator/freezer that the door ice maker actually works, our high pressure shower heads, and deep soaker garden tub. It's been the small things I've really come to appreciate more than I expected. I do definitely still greatly appreciate the bigger, more obvious things like having a pool with a nice little view, the additional space, and a 3 car garage. It's finally feeling like home and I know we are truly blessed to be here. The neighbors and neighborhood are exactly the feel we were hoping for and we are making fast friends.

I will post pictures as soon as things settle a little more, likely when I'm forced to sit after childbirth. I've been hanging, lifting, and moving things at 9 months pregnant that would probably make most people cringe at the sight. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do though and I honestly feel great.

Without much detail, that catches us up for now :).

She isn't mine....

but is still just about the sweetest thing ever.  Little Lily was outside of the age range for optimal newborn pictures so we didn't get many but we managed to get a few.  Her mom and I were due 3 weeks apart this time and our older girls are 4 months apart so we will both have 4 girls close in age and they live about 2 miles away which is even better!

I'm approaching 38 weeks myself so I imagine ours will be here shortly and I can have my photo fun with her then!

On a house front update, we've had a few minor set backs that have delayed completely being able to unpack a few rooms but should hopefully be able to do that soon.  For the record, I despise wallpaper and how difficult and costly it has been to remove, so much so that in hindsight as a contingency in the contract I would have asked the owner to remove it before we moved in.  We're getting there though.  As of last Friday, 8 nights into our move, we finally had a couch to sit on and we were able to put food in our pantry.  It's starting to get to the fun stuff like putting old decor in new places, I like that sort of thing and it makes the dirty work finally seem worthwhile.

Almost time to take Elyse to the "jump jumps" with our playgroup so I better attempt to make myself presentable and find something that fits ;). 

Progress.....

Or more like lack there of. It's Thursday afternoon and almost nothing more has been unpacked. We have encountered set backs and complications at each turn. The painters are days behind without a single room finished because wallpaper removal did not go as planned. The previous owner had some sort of border or wallpaper in 7 different areas of the house and the removal was so bad it damaged drywall. We have a different drywall company here now to repair it and if it goes as planned everything will be completed by the end of the day tomorrow.

Then the cleanup from all of this begins hopefully followed by unpacking and settling. This is definitely a lesson in patience because I have such a difficult time sitting idle in this mess. I don't do well feeling unsettled and unorganized as it is, but wanting to be ready for the baby adds to it even more.

Elyse has impressed me in all of this. Workers coming and going, loud noises, odd smells, and scarcely any toys to play with and nowhere to play with them at. There are child hazards everywhere and she is constantly being ushered out of the way. It has to feel overwhelming for her and I hope to give her a safe play space first and foremost.

We'll get there eventually and the end result will be worth it. Patience. Patience.