a prediction from an unlikely source

tim took sam and i out to dinner tonight - a pho restaurant not too far from our house and not too far from Western Washington University. the place was super casual to say the least and full of college students. sam could make as much noise as she wanted and no one cared.

our lovely vietnamese waitress took one look at me and told me without hesitation, "you will have your baby in two days."

"perfect," i said.

two days. she said it first. we will see...

due date day

today is baby girl's due date day.  oct 27.  i remember june 21, 2009 (sam's due date day) and feeling pretty desolated when the day came and went and still being pregnant at the end of it.  thankfully today has been different.

if i am being honest - today was difficult but mainly because samantha jean had a particularly rough day.  i am feeling some extra pressure to make every day great - with the knowledge that it could be the last day sam and i spend just the two of us.  this pressure seems silly when i give voice to it, and i realize it is affecting my expectations.  tomorrow i hope to begin with a different set of hopes.

tim was my hero today.  he prayed for me in the morning.  came home when i was at my wits end with sam.  helped clean the house so i could take a walk.  brought me flowers.  got take and bake pizza for us to enjoy with Jacob.  and ultimately remained calm, loving and consistent when the ladies in his life were in less excellent form.

i do end today wondering when the baby will come.  i do hope it is soon.  my body and the medical experts are telling me it could/should be any day.  the great benefit of the baby not coming today and maybe waiting until after saturday is Danielle will be back from her fun times in Florida.  i would love to have her with us when the baby is born.

ultimately i do know the deep peace i am experiencing as we wait is an answer to prayer.  i feel covered, surrounded by prayer and for this i am inexpressibly thankful.  thank you for praying and for waiting with us.
when baby girl arrives we will try to be prompt in sharing the news!!

a "maybe" day

with the due date for baby girl less than one week away (oct 27) - we are finding ourselves in a weird/waiting/wondering space.  today was a perfect example.  we had a relaxing morning (love friday mornings, as they are the beginning of tim's weekend).  tim made french toast - very impressive.  he left to play soccer.  i put sam down for a nap.  i promptly got sick and emptied my tummy.  gross.  and it left me wondering, "what the heck?"  i am not sick.  am i getting ready to have a baby?...  since then my appetite has been minimal and contractions have come and gone throughout the day.

is tonight the night?...  i kind of doubt it.  today has felt like one of those trick days.  the kind of trick day that showed up all too often when i was overdue with sam.

i am thankful because throughout the day the Lord and i have had good conversations.  baby girl and i have had good "conversations."  peace and nesting has marked the day.  our garage is looking way better!!  (bless tim!)  samantha sung her way through the day, as she does often.  and i continue to surrender to the reality that the Lord is the one in control.

surrendering is hard when i would prefer to plan the details of the baby's arrival, but at the same time it brings me great comfort that the God of the universe is in charge.  He is good.  He is faithful.  He is holding us close.  and He will be present whenever sweet baby girl is born.

time on the farm

While my parents were away and Tim was teaching - Danielle, Jacob, Sam and I spent a Saturday morning on a farm.  We had a great time!!  It was a beautiful day and Sam loved everything - from the animals to exploring the pumpkin patch to riding the train.  Enjoy these pictures Danielle took!

loving the animals - she is getting so big!!

sweet hat that Marilyn made her for her one year birthday - still fits!! i love it!

 getting ready for the ride.  i was a little nervous about how she would do - this was her first ride by herself.  but she loved it and wasn't scared for a moment. 

 enjoying the wheel -

 apples! 
and more train pictures.

thanks auntie dee dee and uncle jacob for a great morning!  we had a blast!

proud mama, proud sam

A few lessons I have learned in the last week:

1. potty training is hard - don't enter in lightly

2. potty training takes sacrifice - sticking with it often requires staying home when i don't want to and spending much more time in the bathroom than i wish to spend

3. when a little girl finally understands when/how to pee in the potty - a dance is necessary because everyone involved is so happy and proud.  

4. pooping in the potty is a lot harder than it looks and is a learned skill

i am so proud of sam and her progress with potty training.  it is really hard work, but it is beginning to pay off.  she is wearing underwear all day and during her naps and for the most part staying dry.  we are still putting her in a pull-up at night because i am not ready to change her sheets on a daily basis.  (even though many mornings she has been dry).  

she gets the best look on her face after having a successful potty experience - pride and joy.  we celebrate with dancing and high fives and knuckles.  moments i treasure.  

a special thanks to bekah because i was ready to give up after day 1 and 2 - feeling discouraged and exhausted.  bek - thanks for the advice and encouragement - just what i needed!!  

in other news - baby and i passed the 37 week mark yesterday!!  she is getting nice and low in my body and i feel like i could go into labor at any moment.  i would prefer to wait a few more weeks, but we are getting very ready to meet baby girl knipp!  however, i am also mentally preparing for her to be born in november just in case she is like her sister and prefers to be fashionably late.  :)