Been feeling strange

all day today. Maybe it's the cicadas or the weather or our late night/early morning today. I don't know, but I think I'll go to bed now and leave Kevin up as our official tornado watcher.

28 weeks

And I have my glucose test this Friday morning; I always feel like I've passed the final hurdle in pregnancy when my glucose test is over: I have a fear of needles and getting blood drawn is 100 times worse than birthing a child for me. This will only be my second glucose test, since I opted out due to low risk with Kyle. It still seems like a big deal.

The baby is growing, as am I, and he is much more active. Everyone in the family has felt him kick/move. Kyle likes to feel the little punches and rolls if I tell him when the baby is awake, Micah has no idea he's felt his baby brother in my tummy, but the baby often kicks at him while he lays on or beside me and nurses. Lately, Micah loves to drape himself over my bulging belly and relax, using it as a pillow. Having the boys sit on my lap is becoming more and more uncomfortable; I have taken to reading books teacher/librarian style, by holding it up by my face and reading to them while they sit in front of me if at all possible. Kyle finds a reason to pop in to my bedroom every morning and snuggle before Micah wakes up (I do my best to be cheerful when woken up, but sometimes it's a stretch when I haven't slept much the night before). Micah is often crying out in the night lately and Kevin wakes up using two alarms very early every morning to catch his carpool. I've never had such an active pregnancy, or so desired to sleep in and take naps, LOL.

Thankfully, our summer has started and the regular weekly schedule is pretty much gone. We have gymnastics once a week, but that is it! I'm wondering if I might actually get some of this house cleared out and some nesting/organizing/getting ready for baby stuff done!

Other things on my mind lately include purchasing a second vehicle and new car seats. It is not only physically exhausting being pregnant, but also emotionally and psychologically exhausting! I am also jealous of all the mama's I know having their babies in the next couple months; you lucky women! Although, I must say, the third time around goes even faster than the first two. Off to bed, hopefully to sleep.

VBS Junkie

That's right, here in middle TN, you can go to VBS every single week of the summer if you want. Alas, you do need to register, online, and early! So Kyle is signed up for 5 weeks of VBS this summer, the whole month of June, and one week in July. All different themes, and different churches. I guess this is what happens when your mama is in her third trimester all summer long. He's thrilled by the way; ecstatic even for games, music, and general fun while learning about God. In the rest of the summer hours I plan to be at the YMCA, feeling weightless in the pool.

And, you'll never guess, but my phone pictures are on this computer right now, so how about some pics, hopefully not ones I have posted on Facebook yet:

Field Day

Blowing bubbles

Playing sticks in the backyard

Micah sitting on Kyle's lap while Kyle sits on Kevin's lap for storytime

Making cookies on Mother's Day

Back to the daily grind

Kind of. This is Kyle's last week of preschool before summer vacation; he "graduates" on Friday afternoon. Also, I have my last day of work before Bible studies take a vacation break. Then it's a summer of VBS, swimming, and the library reading program! Oh yea, and mommy's third trimester. That's right, come Tuesday we are officially in the third trimester and I am trying to remember where the time has gone from finding out we were pregnant in early December to now! This pregnancy is flying by!

Kevin returned home from his big yearly conference on Friday night and we are all oh so happy to have him back. This morning I had the privilege of teaching in Kyle's Sunday school class, all 24 of them with one assistant; it was crazy, but in a good way! I really love our new church.

The boys just amaze me at how wonderful and precious they are each and everyday. I love our little family and am blessed to be able to have children.

So many thoughts running through my head that I can't seem to organize them or get them down here, so maybe tomorrow night.

Whew

What a week it's been! Micah ended up at the doctor's office with the beginnings of infection, due to allergies of all things, NOT ASTHMA. Guess we didn't need all those breathing treatments last week, his lungs were supposedly completely clear. My pediatrician rocks and gave me antibiotics from the sample closet because our insurance just changed and I don't have a prescription card yet. Also, he is now on Claritin, just like his older brother. If I remember correctly, Kyle developed allergies around the age of two also. Ah well, it will be over soon because boy is it getting hot and humid around here.

Speaking of two, how is our Micah turning two in a month? Has it really been two years already? He is so verbal, it makes him seem older than he is. I'm not sure how we will celebrate this year. He is still my baby, even though we've got another on the way. Speaking of, less than 100 days of pregnancy left (God willing he comes on or around his due date)!

I lost it this morning, my sanity I mean, but the day did move along smoother and we ended with AWANA awards (Kyle's voice was carrying quite well during the songs) and a late night trip to McDonalds, courtesy of grammy. Micah kept telling me how he saw daddy on the movie (video chat this morning) and kept asking if it was pizza and movie night on our ride home from work. Kyle got to spend the morning with grammy instead of at work with mommy, which he loved.

The cicadas are coming, I saw carcasses today and heard their whine in the trees. Not cool TN. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow (by that I mean we have absolutely nowhere we need to be and nothing we need to do).

Another year, another Mother's Day

I was blessed with a very awake snuggle bug at 5 am this morning; a little nursing, a little tossing and turning, a little talking "Mama, you asleep?" from my Mikey. He graciously laid in bed with me until Kyle joined us at 6:45. Then a few more cuddles and I shooed them off to their room to play while I showered and got ready for church.

I opened Kyle's Mother's Day present that he had made in preschool: a canning jar filled with all the dry ingredients for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I had been teasing him all weekend guessing that it was a jar of dirt and worms! There was of course the cute little question and answer paper/card stapled to the bag and thankfully, Kyle did not answer any of the questions in a way that would make me cringe *whew*.

We ate breakfast and had a surprise video chat with Daddy before needing to leave for church. That's right, a video chat. For some reason, those conference planners for biomedical engineers who specialize in imaging like to schedule over Mother's Day EVERY SINGLE YEAR. And EVERY SINGLE YEAR something crazy has happened from sick children to a sick mommy to a miscarriage to natural disasters. This year I am expecting the hatch of the cicadas from the Tennessee soil. I'm sure it will be awesome.

Thankfully, I often have reinforcements in the form of grandparents. It was a lot easier to access these grandparents when we lived in AZ, but Grammy has made it out to be my support every year here in TN while Kevin is away. Today we headed out for lunch and ice cream after church, then spent a leisurely afternoon of naps and quiet time, after which the boys played with friends and we had a low key dinner. Just about a perfect Mother's Day, definitely one of my best so far. It's overly emotional to be pregnant on Mother's Day, and with every pregnancy I have spent a Mother's Day pregnant because we seem to be *ahem* most fertile over the holidays which results in summer babies.

Happy Mother's Day, to all of you who are moms, who are going to be moms, who are battling to be moms, who visited your children's graves today, and who mourned the loss of your own mom today. All my hopes, love, and prayers for you.

I am thankful

*For another year of funding for Kevin which equals another year of job security and better benefits!

*For my very own house, on a cul de sac, with a fenced in backyard, big mature shade trees, and neighbors with children the same age as mine

*For a reliable, fuel efficient, sub compact car to tote my family around town in

*For a church where we finally feel at home and look forward to going every week

*For our new baby boy, and our easiest pregnancy yet

There are a lot of things that go with all of those blessings that I like to complain about, but in the end, God just keeps on taking care of all my complaints. So even though I may not like where we are right now, or feel like I'm being dragged through an emotional/spiritual desert most days, I know I'm not alone. For all of you who continue to read and pray for us, thank you.