My Week as a Mama

So since Sunday morning, I've been watching Ari & Ivy while my dear brother and sister-in-law are reunited after 8 months of Air-Force induced separation. That's right, completely on my own. I watched them both for a week in January (at the very beginning of this journey - how fitting that I'm here at the end) but I had Andy there to help me last time, so it's been quite a different experience. I still have a couple days left, but we're picking up Nana and Papa from the Airport today (after their week-long missions trip to France), so at least I have some very jet-lagged reinforcements coming! :)

It's been interesting to see how different both of them are, in a relatively short time... they really do grow up SOOO fast and now I'm already thinking about what my own son is going to be like in 2-4 years (because I know it will go by so fast). It's also neat to see how they've grown through this whole thing - even though I know it's been trying for Emily and the kids to be separated from Nathanael, and even though I know it's been hard not to have a real home... I can see how God has been so gracious and loving, providing for their emotional and spiritual needs and how He has brought Emily and her kids closer in so many ways. He has taken care of all of them (including my dear brother) and I know that it has taught at least me a lot about His measure of provision and grace for us through ALL circumstances.

It's been an exhausting week (but what isn't exhausting these very-pregnant days?) - but a good one. I'm looking forward to going home to my own dear husband (sigh), sleeping in my own comfy comfy bed and not having my "dear" dog bark at nothing 10 times a night (she's been MAJORLY on edge since we got here - my pregnancy is really tipping her over the emotional and mental edge)... It's been good for me to be here, learning what it REALLY feels like to be a stay at home mom, and learning how to balance taking care of children with having some personal time and space to get some work done... I have to admit that I'm pretty nervous about keeping up with the business after Baby gets here - I know that God will help me and of course my husband will be there to stand in the gap (although he'll probably be just as tired as I am) - but it's still scary. Ahh the modern world, in which women are expected to be mothers, housekeepers and businessmen all at once... well, I guess our modern world doesn't place much emphasis on the mother part, but I certainly do. Just give me a business call while Baby is crying and see where my true priorities are... mhmm.

I did start a new project this week. Andy and I have picked out Baby's bed-set and room "theme"... I know, I know... I wasn't planning on going all out and registering for a full bedset and all the extras... but then we went to the Baby store and saw the most ADORABLE set ever, and we just couldn't help ourselves. *sigh* What do you think....?
Yeah, exactly... foxes, bears, turtles frogs, BIRDS, there's an owl you can't see in this pictures... SOOO cute! Anyway, Andy used some of the animals from the wall decals:
as well as the tree from our wedding invitations to make me a piece of artwork that I turned into a cross-stitch pattern! I just started it yesterday and I'm so excited! I think it's going to be really cute, and I really enjoy cross-stitching, so it's all quite wonderful! I can't WAIT to get home, finish unpacking all the last annoying bits of our move, and then start nesting!! Boy am I ready!

Sigh. I'll be 22 weeks tomorrow... 5 1/2 months... that means I only have 4 more to go! Ahhh! It's equally exciting and terrifying!

Alright, time to get the troops into the bath - oh how domestic I feel!