Hmmm.  Don’t really know what to write about…it’s just a good time to blog, so here I am, blogging.

How ’bout a few fun quotes and moments from the kids.  We’ll start with that.

Reese (4) and I were having a discussion about what it will be like for him to be a big brother to a little brother.  His eyes lit up and he said,”  I’ll have to teach him how not to miss when he goes pee!”  Funny, I thought.  Reese doesn’t have that down yet.

Audrey( not quite 2) is sleeping in a big girl bed now, and we are still adjusting to it’s newly-found freedoms.  Last night, I put her to bed around 8:30, and went to my usual spot down the hall in the living room…the computer.  At 9:14, I heard footsteps and some banging.  So I peeked around the corner, only to see that she had retrieved the bench from the bathroom, brought it over to the light switch in the hall, got up and turned off the hall light, got down, returned the bench and got back in bed.  Apparently, that hall light was not to her liking.

Reese and Audrey are obsessed with catching moths right now.  Many get in the house due to our A/C units, and they wouldn’t want it any other way.  All too often, though, I hear squeals of delight, followed by Reese crying.  Interpretation:  They found one, Audrey “caught” it, and proceeded to mash it between her fingers, and Reese mourns.

Cool testimony:  I recently had a discussion with our family doctor about Esther’s struggles with some elements of speech.  She is 7 now, and was still unable to say the ” r ” sound.  He told me that I really needed to contact my school district and look into some kind of speech therapy for her.  I had gotten as far as getting the info packet from them last year, but never followed through, hoping that it would work itself out.  Anyway, after this conversation with Dr. Picca, I prayed and asked the Lord to do a quick miracle for my Esther, so she wouldn’t have to go to therapy and risk getting labeled this or that.  Just days later, Esther was telling me all about a cartoon she had watched in which there was a boy named Thor.  She kept talking, but my ears stopped hearing what she was saying because I realized she had just said Thor…properly!  I stopped her mid-story and exclaimed, ” You just said the ” r ” sound right!  You said Thor!  That is the sound that you haven’t been able to figure out.  Now just move it into all the other ” r ” spots in words and you’ve got it!”  And that’s exactly what she has done.  She almost looks for words to say with r’s in them, just to hear herself say it right.  Thank You Lord.  That is just plain an answer to my prayer.  Now we have to work on Reeth.

It’s been fun as a Mom lately, with my older two girls, Grace ( 12 ) and Joye (10).  We have an understanding, that whenever they think a guy is cute, they have to tell me.  It is my way of staying intimately involved in the workings of their hearts, and therefore helping them maneuver through these crushes that will come and go.  Far too many young teens and preteens find themselves worshiping romance and boys in our culture, and I’m not gonna stand around and let it happen under my nose.  Anyway, I always know what’s coming when they come giggling up the stairs, often one prodding the other to spill it.  I won’t embarrass them and tell you all who the recent flames are, but I am always encouraged when they come to me.  I will be the watchman on my wall.

Audrey is convinced that my pregnancy-produced outy belly button, is indeed, part of the baby.

A few nights ago,  Esther, who sleeps on the top bunk above Audrey, told me that her little sister scared the daylights out of her.  Esther was just falling asleep when Audrey scaled the end of the bunk, and popped her head directly over Esther’s face and said, ” You seepin?”  Esther had to help the mischief  queen down and put her back into bed.

During this past winter, we had a bird seed bell hanging just outside our kitchen window, so we could all enjoy seeing birds of many kinds.  One day, Esther said, ” Look Mamma, it’s a trashy!”  She meant a junco.

Kids are the best entertainment this world has to offer.   I really am grateful that I am able to stay at home with my children and be a first-hand witness to their development.  Yes, some days it’s hard.  Like tonight for example…I made blueberry muffins with some of our freshly picked blueberries, and while I was on the phone, Audrey grabbed the Ziplock bagful, and put it on the kitchen floor.  Then proceeded to mash some of them with her toes.  Esther and Reese just watched the show.  *Sigh*  But is it all worth it?  Have I ever regretted having my 5 kids?  No.  Never.   Each one is a unique blessing.  It’s hard work, growing kids, just like my vegetable garden is out in my yard.  But the fruit of my labors is matchless.  It was just today that Audrey said, ” I wuv you, Mamma,” unprovoked, for the first time, randomly, as she was walking down the stairs.  And that, my friends, goes a long ways.

I hope these stories make someone chuckle. But most of all, I hope they inspire you all, that children truly are a gift from the Father.

So, you see, I’m 7 1/2 months pregnant with my sixth child.  The baby is a boy, and we can’t wait to meet him.  I’m pushing hard on 38 ( we could share a birthday!) and I’m feeling 83.  Kidding, but this growing babies business sure takes a lot out of a woman.  I have been very busy for the past few months, and I believe I have hit a wall of sorts.  A wall that says in big, bold Times Roman letters, ” Slow down and act pregnant.”

I have officially stopped jogging…did my last mile last Saturday and my last 5k the Saturday before that.   That is a sad thing for me.  Running has been great physical exercise, but even more than that, it has been my “me time”.  Just me and my Ipod.  Frankly, I’ve had more intimate times with God wearing spandex than wearing church clothes at times.  Quiet times are practically impossible to come by in my present season.  Wow…just as I was about to type the words…my life is one of constant interruptions, my almost 2 year old comes strolling out of her room saying, ” Mamma, my go potty.”  It’s 9:49 pm.  I put her to bed 45 minutes ago.  Well, there you have it.  Exhibit A.  A mother’s life is not her own.  And frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I love my children so much, and I know that some day the silence will make me cry.

I’ve gained more weight this round so far than any other pregnancy…go figure.  This is the only time I have  jogged through it.  Makes total sense to me.  I know what some of you are thinking.  “Does she weigh more than Derek, you think?”  Honey, that ship has sailed.  I passed him months ago.  I’m only 6 lbs from my record baby weight (with Grace) and I have almost two months to go.  Wow.  This could be one large number.  Honestly though, I’m not too worried about losing it after he’s born, and I can thank my beloved running for that peace of mind.  I will enjoy running it off.  But looking at numbers that large can, at times, mess with your mind.  Especially when hormones can bring those days of smallness…that’s what I call it.  When self confidence is running low, and all the blemishes look big.  Come on ladies, you’ve been small before, right?  ( What a paradox…me feeling small!) Anyway, it’s days like this that make me so thankful that I have a God that understands.  He made me this way.  He created the hormones ( question # 2 on my ‘What to ask God when I get to Heaven’ list…Why were hormones a good idea?!?) , He knew my belly button would never recover after baby number two, He planned for women to gain weight while carrying babies to sustain both of us, and created us to nurse our babies and therefore knew our breasts would no longer look like magazine covers…He designed this whole ride, so I believe it is good.  He created mankind and said, “It is good.”    This is what my spirit knows, and this is why I am bruised but not crushed.  I have down (small) days, but I ultimately trust that it is good.   Not to put Derek down in any way, but I know that men can never really understand this process…sometimes I wish they could.  But God understands.  And I can lean on His embrace and His love, and know that He is proud of me as I lumber around, housing His choice servant for a while.

One other element I’ve had to battle this round is the fact that people have issues with large families.  I noticed it a lot  while on vacation…being in hotels and restaurants with our five kids and a protruding midsection…dude, we were a freak show!  Comment after comment, stare after stare.  I swear, if I hear ” You got your hands full!” one more time…It saddens me that our culture has such little value of children.  I think there are many reasons for this switch.  Accepting abortion in one’s mind can’t deepen one’s value of a child…all the “don’t spank or even correct your kids or you’ll crush who they are!” teaching has caused many a poor child to be what one would call…um… brats.  And why would anyone want too many of those?  They drive us crazy!  And gosh, how can women have successful careers if they have more than one or two kids?  That brief hiatus alone might cause her to miss a rung or two on the corporate ladder.  Oops, wait a minute.  I’m losing my balance trying to step down off my soap box.  All this to say, I have needed to burrow into the chest of my Heavenly Father a lot this round, due to all the negative stuff that has been flung at me.  Once again, children were His idea.  The fruit of the womb is a reward.  That’s what He says.  So that’s what I believe.  And frankly, I have 5 amazing children that are no less than rewards, running around my house.  The proof is in the pudding. (Oooo, pudding sounds good right now.)

So, I suppose I’ll leave it at that.  When I’m this big, I get small.  And then I remember that He is big, and to Him, all of this is small.  So as I grow this small man, whom He has big plans for, I can rest in His big arms, and know that it’s all not that big of a deal.  I will keep praying that the pain will be small, the hours of labor will be small, my endurance will be big, and that he is not so big.