It's a...

GIRL!!! We are so excited! I was hoping for a girl, and now after so many boys in the family we finally can all think pink!

The ultrasound today went well overall...It was amazing to see our little girl moving around. She even yawned at one point! It was amazing. And James did as well as to be expected, he was antsy but interested in the screen. At the end the doctor came in and told me that there was a slight thickening to a muscle in the heart and that is one of the more minor signs of down syndrome. He said she didn't have any of the other 30 markers and this is a fairly common thing for babies to have who don't have downs, but still it freaked me out and put a damper on the day. He said he chance of having downs syndrome is 2 out of 10.  I'm trying hard to breathe and tell myself everything is ok, but I am a bit scared. THIS is exactly why I don't get any of the blood testing done... there is NOTHING I can do about it and I will love this baby the same no matter what. Oh, and the guy kept telling me I should have no problem delivering in the birth center as if I had asked his permission. That including the extra hour and 30 minutes wait time (seriously) with a squirmy toddler in tow reminded me of why I went with a midwife this time instead of an OB!
But anyway, despite that one piece of news, we are very happy to be having a girl! Ultrasound pic to come, I promise!

March of Dimes

Today we did the March of Babies walk for March of Dimes. Our family team was joined by three of our friends, and we had a lot of fun! There was face painting, dancers, food, jugglers, and free stuff at the check points. James loved sitting in his stroller and enjoying the view while we all appreciated the beautiful weather! It was a great walk for a great cause and we hope to do it again next year. Till then, enjoy the pics!

18 weeks and counting!

I had my 18 week appt with my midwife today, and everything was great! The baby's heart rate was 140 BPM and I'm gaining weight right on schedule (less than before so far since I am so active! Yay!).

Next Monday is our gender ultrasound and I can't wait to see what this little one will be. Everything is on hold planning-wise for the nursery till we know one way or the other.

James is doing very well, he is 22 months as of the 19th, and though he doesnt say a ton of words he babbles almost constantly and says the words he does know a lot (go, caw caw for bird, and most recently mama but not really in reference to me, go figure).

James and I went to the park this morning and then for a walk by the river. We saw some geese and some native bleeding hearts. All in all, a pretty good day!

Outdoor fun!

James and I had a fun time this afternoon in the yard so I thought I'd share some pics!

Naknuwisha

Naknuwisha (Sahaptin): No direct English translation, but meaning "Caring for something so precious it swallows you".

I've been reflecting on this word that I found in the book I am currently reading (A Gathering of Finches by Jane Kirkpatrick). Over the past week or so I've recognized a peace about my life, that my mission is to be exactly what I am doing now, and that God has called me to this purpose in life. It's not just being a mother, or a wife, or a homemaker, or any of that. It's everything, all put together, like I have found my perfect niche in life.

While I was raking the garden beds preparing to plant this year's garden, I paused to watch my son pick up leaves from an area where I was trying to remove them and then throw them in the pile I was creating for them. He did this over and over again, partially because he thought it was a game and also because he always wants to help. I just smiled at the joy of watching my son discover the world, discover the joy of serving others, and seeing his little face light up when he looked at me for approval and noticed I was watching him.

My days aren't always easy. James, while sweet playing "hide-and-seek", "peek-a-boo", and a number of other games just as often plays "grab the remote and run" and "throw a tantrum when I'm tired." But being here, present, with my family day after day while tending to my home has a joy and fulfillment I never would have imagined while planning for a career in college. It's as though my life is complete. I feel blessed beyond imagination. And, with this new one coming and getting to stay in a place I love for another year, my cup surely overflows.

My life is not my kids, but what I'm learning is my kids bring so much LIFE into my life.

Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
Psalm 127:3-5

Work hard, play hard!

Now that James is older, he's "helping" around the house a bit more and doing some tasks on his own that we used to do for him (well, we still help...). Of course, all this work requires some serious playtime! Here are some pics from the last week or two showing James working and playing around the house.







 












 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! He is RISEN!

We celebrated Easter today by exploring what the Easter bunny left for us, then going to church. After that, James went down for a nap and Eliot and I made some crepes (both savory and sweet) for lunch. Then once James woke up, we had an Easter egg hunt in our back yard, followed by dinner (pot roast with potatoes and parsnips) and some dying of Easter eggs using some old ties.

James seemed really happy this Easter... he loved the music at church, he was clapping and dancing along. They had a full orchestra and choir, plus the drumline from UO, so it was quite a production! I had to keep James in the ergo the whole time (on my hip) so he wouldn't squirm away... he did pretty well and even entertained our neighbors a bit with his cuteness. He did, however, need a binky most of the time to make sure he stayed quiet. We'll have to work on that.

He loved the Easter egg hunt. Putting the eggs in the basket was lots of fun for him. James also liked eating his chocolate (marshmallow-filled) Easter bunny, and he kept asking for it all day. I tried to have him watch a Veggie tales show about Easter, but it was a bit old for him I think. Instead he just kept squeaking and signing "mouse" because he wanted to watch Ratatouille, his new favorite movie. So we did (at least part of it).

Here are a few pics to highlight today... many more are available in the 22nd month album. :-)
















My new herb garden!

Tie-dyed eggs


Here is a video of James hunting eggs in the backyard


And one of James saying "GO!"


Also, James has added a bunch of new words to his sign language. The ones I can remember off the top of my head are fox, snail, caterpillar, butterfly, dirty, water, owl, and mouse.