7 weeks!

Today I am 33 weeks pregnant. It's not anything new to me, considering this is our 5th baby... in 6 years. :)
I'm not a total professional at pregnancy like the moms w 15+ kids on tv, but this certainly isn't my first rodeo!

Despite the potential for this whole baby deal to get tiresome, I think I'm more excited now than I was with our first! I have SEVEN weeks to my due date! Realistically, it could be as early as 5 or as late as 9. Either way, these are some of the most exciting 5-9 weeks of my life!!

7 weeks. Wow! You know, 7 is the number of perfection & that is exactly what I am envisioning for these last weeks: PERFECTION! In honor of my glee, I've put together a list of the 7 reasons I am so excited to have this little guy! :)

1. Final nesting!
The last few weeks of any pregnancy are the most productive for my husband & I. We clean, organize, rearrange & conquer the entire house. Well, mostly I do it & then there's a list of things I can't do without his assistance (moving heavy furniture, etc). I am never more organized than in my 3rd trimester!

2. The reward
Having a baby in general is like the prize at the bottom of your cereal box! You wait for 9 months, knowing it's gonna be worth it, & then it's like the playlist in your mind is on the Hallelujah chorus when that precious reward is finally here. I've been on this intense spiritual journey through these 9 months, learning to trust & give up my insignificant "plans" for God's best & now it's like I can see the finish line. I see the prize at the bottom & it's way better than a glow in the dark ring! :)

3. My other kids
They are more excited than I am! I love seeing the littlest ones learning to be gentle; or the older ones becoming more responsible. The other day, my 6 year old unloaded & loaded the dishwasher because he knew I was tired! It wasn't perfect, but he was right! I WAS tired & his initiative was such a blessing to me!

4. Baby smell
Oh, that sweet smell. It may involve a hint of poop & a small bit of spit up, but still... it sure is nice. It's the smell you sniff as you are laying next to them at night, or cuddling & snoozing on the couch. It's amazing!

5. Breastfeeding again
Nursing my babies is one of my greatest joys as a mother. It's the single most fulfilling job. Not to mention the ever-popular bonus of losing baby weight faster! :) Once you get past the first 6 weeks with your first baby, it's a breeze! Now, I will say it takes complete selfless-ness. You are sacrificing your schedule & lifestyle for your baby's best interest. Breastfed babies usually feed more often & are sometimes more difficult to wean, but the one on one moments spent nursing are just the best! It's a bonding experience you can't ever trade!

6. Our birth
When we found out I was pregnant, my husband asked me to consider having a home birth. I said "don't ever ask me that again". Haha! Even though we had our last baby totally naturally, I was stuck on this nightmare in my head. It's the one where I'm wearing a long denim skirt w hair past my waist, homeschooling a little tribe of children in matching polos with Biblical names. This dream was fast approaching if I considered a home birth. Well, let me tell you that my heart was changed. I researched it. I studied birthing. I watched what seems like a million home birth videos on YouTube (not all were pretty, I must say). I met with my friend, who had her last at home, heard her story & began to become interested. And then, it happened. I saw a video of the most beautiful birth I'd ever seen. The most perfect song I'd ever heard was playing in the back ground. I knew it was what I wanted! No more sterile hospital rooms with cords coming out every inch of me. No more nurses asking when I'd pooped or peed last. No more being away from my children as we enter a new season in all our lives. So, this beautiful, normal, family event will be held in the comfort of our own home- where we live together, where our kids will grow up & where we will grow old!

7. Paternity leave
Yes! Paternity leave!!! My hubby gets a week of paid leave from baby's birth. It's so great... all of us being together, working as a team, learning to adjust. However daddy's first day back to work is always completely terrifying. Haha!

So, the journey continues for the next 5-9 weeks...

Jan Fed The Hens

Jan fed the hens. JAN FED THE HENS!!! No matter how I read it, this sentence is basically meaningless... unless I am Jan & have some really hungry hens to feed (ironically, my children are begging for a snack right now-ha!).
BUT when my almost 5 year old read these words in her first sentence today, I wanted to scream it from the ROOFTOPS! YES! Jan fed those hens!!!! We did it! She is learning to read & by golly... I TAUGHT HER!!!!

We began our homeschooling adventure this year & I convinced myself that it was best for our kids, so I would learn to love it. Let me just tell you that most days that we get through a full day, I do feel great! However, believe it or not, there are usually about 3 days of the week that we DON'T get it all done & I feel like all I want to do is send my kids to "real school".

I live for the good days, though. I see my life as a homeschooling mom right now like "The Little Engine That Could". If I tell myself I can, it will turn out ok... probably. I think I can (teach her to read). I think I can (get through til naptime). I think I can (be patient). But the moment I say I can't do it anymore, the day falls apart. It's similar to the days that all I announce is "how overwhelmed" I am by our life. Well, tough cookies, momma! This is your life. I think I can... and I AM... learning to LOVE IT!

I just read an interview today where a mom of four said the most generalized idea about large families is that "we all homeschool". I think the most generalized idea about large, homeschooling families is that we all WANT to. I teach my children because I know it is what is best for our family right now. I teach our children because we cannot afford private school. I teach our children because we will not ever send them to public school. I teach our children because today... JAN FED THE HENS!