For the Love!: Journal #21

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Journal #21

Out My Window:

Cloudy and overcast with 50% chance of rain. Hopefully we actually get some moisture as we could sure use it!

Clothing Myself In:

Navy shorts, Camp Hansen T-shirt (magenta colored, with a raccoon on it - definitely got some "style" today), support hose, and tennis shoes.

Around the House:

Thank God for nesting. I am cleaning out closets, rearranging rooms, getting rid of JUNK. And it feels great. Unfortunately I probably need to be pregnant for about three years straight to finally get the whole house in order. Our house is not that large, but we sure do have a lot of places for stuff to just accumulate.

The Baby:

Miriam has taken to trying to dress herself in the morning with "the big kids" (which often happens before Mom gets up - pregnant Momma needs her rest). This morning I found her naked in the hallway, trying to figure out how to put on a skirt with attached shorts. She was having issues with both legs in one hole. Of all my children, so far only Miriam has been the most amicable when it comes to changing her diaper and putting on her clothes. It is almost as if she says, "please help me do this," with her actions. And while considering words, Miriam is getting more all the time and will repeat almost anything, as best she is able. Unfortunately her temper is growing as she gets frustrated not being able to do things as she wants, but once we figure out the problem she generally calms down pretty quickly.

The Big Kids

Samuel is definitely the "favored older brother" that EVERYONE wants to be exactly like. For example, at breakfast we usually have a choice of two cereals and milk or no milk. Both Paul and Jacob will ask for EXACTLY what Samuel picks - cereal and milk choice. And this is a recent thing, as up until a month or two ago, they would each make "their own choices" which rarely matched Samuel. Fortunately Samuel does not seem to mind being "so important" and he is not really "getting a big head" over it, either. The only problem really comes when Samuel wants to play with Jacob and they don't want to play with Paul. Poor Paul feels all left-out and alone. Now, Miriam LOVES Paul and will shadow him at almost anything. (Much to their mother's demise, as those two can cause A LOT of mischief!!) But this is often not good enough when Paul wants to play with "the big kids." Ahh, the drama of these kids. Generally, though, they play fairly well together and often are extra careful to include Miriam, too, so I have few complaints.

I must add that Paul's latest catch-all phrase is, "oh well, life is just not fair," which he says quite frequently. Now, if he only understood and actually believed it. . .

Crafting:

I'm about 3/4 done with my "baby sack" (my knitted bag-thing that will supposedly work as a swaddle for baby, assuming I made it the "right size" - of which I really have no idea and have no real way to judge until the baby comes out and I try to put her in it). I should easily be able to finish it and that makes me happy. It has been a joy to knit.

Reading:

I'm still working through Hypnobirthing and while I am finding it helpful and affirming, I do not have an delusions about labor and birth being any easier this time around. However, having survived it five times I imagine I can do it again.

I'm also thinking of picking up Father Elijah again because I need something that will hold my interest but "has a good ending" (especially for reading at night - my prego hormonal self just cannot handle the high-drama of the action-packed novels and such). I have read this before, but it has been a couple years so I have forgotten most of it and I do recall enjoying it immensely, so I am hopeful it is what I need right now.

Bringing Me Joy:

*Naps. . . am I allowed to say that? Well, they do bring me much joy!! And I am so thankful for children who understand that Mom will be much happier (and friendly) if they play quietly (and don't make huge messes) while Mom naps.

*Chocolate cake. . . seriously, I made my first chocolate cake from scratch the other day and it is VERY VERY good. (Of course, it was very very not-healthy and included lots of processed "junk" but I was going for yummy, not healthy :)

*Music. My mp3 player bit the dust. After about 8 years of service I'm not exactly crying in my soup over it. Fortunately I was able to pick up a used ipod quite cheaply and it has been treating me well (once I learned how to play nicely with itunes). Some of my favorite things to listen to lately are Overcomer by Mandisa because it is just so peppy - great for running or cleaning. Her song Joy Unspeakable is probably my favorite right now. I am also getting into having some classical music in the background and am enjoying The 99 Most Essential Haydn Masterpieces.

Bible Verse:

This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

Pictures to Share:

Here are "the best pictures" I could get of Rebekah in her "dance mode." I am a fairly pathetic photographer, but I still think she made a beautiful dancer.