To Camp or Not to Camp

This is the first time I've ever been at the end of my pregnancy and NOT wanted to go into labor.  We're hoping to go camping this weekend (Memorial Weekend) - well, the kids and I are.  David cooperates but camping is not his favorite thing to do.  I'm 36 weeks.  I'll be 37 on Thursday.  I know the chances of me going into labor before we go are about 50/50 and the chances of me going into labor when we're gone are probably more like 75/50 because Brandon and Xander were both born by 37 weeks.  Isabella hung in there for what seemed like forever and was born at 38 1/2 weeks even though I wanted so badly for her to come out!  What are the chances that the girls would be similar in that way?

If she's born then great! We stay home and have a baby but if she's not, why sit at home and do nothing when we could be out camping with friends?  I've been told by many people that I'm crazy for still wanting to go camping.  I blow them off of course, but a tiny part of me is screaming "They're right!  I'm going to go into labor and have this baby on the side of the road!"  That's probably extreme but I do have to admit it is a little scary to think of what COULD happen.  I did talk with my doctor though which gave me some confidence that everything will be fine.

So will we go camping or will we have a baby and stay home?  If we go camping, will we leave in a rush for the hospital?  Only God knows and only time will tell...

Isabella at 18 months

I wrote this more than six months ago but for some reason just never finished it...

My sweet girl recently turned 18 months old.  She is learning new things everyday.  Even though she is my third, I am still amazed at what she is cabable of doing at this age.  I love her big blue eyes and soft blonde curls.  Her stick straight bangs reach down to her lips now but I refuse to cut them.  Most of the time she wears her hair in a clip to the side.  Lately she's been pulling it out of her hair although I don't understand how she can tolerate her hair in front of her eyes! If I ask her about her hairbow she will say "hairbow" and run and get it.  She usually knows exactly where it is. 

She has become much more interested in watching t.v. lately.  She's been a Baby Einstein fan for awhile, but now she enjoys Blue's Clues, Dora, Diego or whatever her brothers are watching.  I've started putting on Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake for her because I liked them when I was little.  She'll watch them but the cartoons are usually too long for her attention span.

She is saying many new words and will try to repeat almost anything you ask her to say.  She's not shy in sharing her feelings.  If she wants something, she will let you know.  Usually either by smacking you or getting in your face.  She loves her baby dolls.  She will carry them around, sit with them or push them in the stroller.  She calls cats and other animals - dogs - similar to the boys at this age. 

She loves her big brothers and wants to do everything they are doing.  For the most part they are good with her.  They give her a kiss and hug each night as she goes to bed and usually each day as she goes for nap.  She surprised me the other day as I got ready to put her down for nap.  I had gotten her bottle of milk (yes, she still takes a bottle for nap and bedtime and I'm not worried about it) and showed it to her.  She immediately stopped what she was doing and got up to follow me as she always does but I said to her "Go tell Daddy 'Na-night' and you'll see him when you wake up."  She ran right over to David and puckered up her little lips to him!  It was so cute!!  He gave her a kiss and a little hug and she turned and ran right back to me.  I guess 18 months of carrying her around to kiss and hug everyone before bedtime paid off! 

The end is near...

So much for blogging a lot through this pregnancy!  Our baby girl, Rosalie Faith, is expected to be born within the next three to four weeks.  She is a big girl.  At 33 weeks, she weighed 4 lbs. 14 oz.  I think she just might be our biggest baby at birth.  Brandon was born at 37 weeks - the biggest at 6 lbs. 14 oz.  Xander was the smallest born at 36.5 weeks. weighing 6 lbs. 6.6 oz.  Isabella was right in the middle even though she wasn't born until 38.5 weeks weighing 6 lbs. 11 oz. 

Of course, I've gained way more weight than I had intended to. I look forward to losing it all and more after the baby is born.  It should be easy to lose the weight chasing after four kids all day every day, right?  I know I'll have to work at it but I'm determined that I'm going to do it this time.  My goal is to lose 65 lbs. by Christmas.

We are all excitedly awaiting Rosalie's birth.  I have so much to do though before she is born.  I have bags to pack, baby stuff to wash and lots of cleaning/yard work to do.  I keep thinking that I have plenty of time to get all these things done.  I had my 35 week apt yesterday though and the Dr. told me that I am 50% effaced and dilated to a 1.  Doesn't mean she is going to be here tomorrow but it does remind me that the clock is ticking!  

Rosalie is going to stay in mine and David's room until she is at least 4-6 months old and then she will share a room with Isabella.  Eventually the two of them will end up with bunk beds like the boys.  I think it is so wonderful that we have two boys close in age and now two girls close in age.  How wonderful God is.  Jeremiah 29:11 says "I have a plan for you..." He certainly does.  God has been great to us and we're so grateful for all the blessings that He has given us.  I look forward to seeing what else He has planned.