I can’t believe it!  I actually have some time and energy to write again!  I have spent most of my days these past weeks caring for a very sick family, all the while being sick myself.  It seems, though, that we are well on the mend!  We had been quite spoiled, as it had been a VERY long time since any of us had been sick.  This time we ended up with the bad respiratory stuff, Fifth’s disease and THEN the stomach flu!  I had the stomach flu last and am trying to get some of my energy back from that.  I have a list of things that I would like to get done before this baby arrives and I am running out of time!  I am now 5~12 days away from when my other babies were born, so I am really praying for some spurts of energy before that big day.

Tomorrow we celebrate the first birthday of the year in our family.  My middle daughter is SO excited to be joining me on a trip to town for her birthday.  I have a midwife appointment, so she is thrilled and anxiously awaiting hearing the heartbeat on her special day!  We will run a few errands, get a special cup of coffee, then come home for her party.  I made her a denim apron and embroidered her name on the front pocket.  I also bought a sweet little baking set from Marmee Dear to go with the apron.  It has a mini baking sheet, rolling pin, rubber spatula, spatula, several stainless steel cookie cutters and little heart baking pan.  I bought her some pretty little cards to write recipes on for her very own recipe box.  She will LOVE all of this.  I had asked her a few weeks ago what her birthday wish was and she told me she wanted a changing pad to change her baby dolls on. J  SO, I made her an adorable little changing pad, a hand bag to carry it in that has a pocket on the front.  I stuck two newborn diapers in the pocket too.  OH the fun of birthdays! 

I spent some of my time while being sick revamping my homekeeping binder.  We now have a doable routine and chore chart that will work with life having a new baby.  

My pregnancy continues to go very well, for which I am so thankful!  I can tell I am near the end, though.  I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable and tired.  The baby has dropped considerably and makes walking a whole different story.  I have started my classic prelaboring and am up nights with intense contractions that eventually taper off.  I am so very excited to think of holding and nursing another little one in a matter of days or weeks!

Well, speaking of sleepless nights….I really should begin to settle in for the night.  I need to look over tomorrow’s school plans, spend some time with my hubby and call it a night.

Many blessings!