Growing by 2 Feet

And the news is out! Come September, our family will add a new little bundle of joy.

I don't have an official due date just yet-- my first doctor's appointment is Feb. 20th. But we are thinking around Sept. 20th or so. Even though it's the 4th time around, there are already noticeable differences. I noticed a little baby bump practically from the day I took the pregnancy test and already my pants are a little snug! I have felt what seems like much more sick this time-- all day long, but worse at night. Maybe it was this bad before, but I don't remember it. Many foods do not appeal to me, and yet if I don't eat constantly, I just feel nauseous. I don't really have cravings, but fruit is consistently good to me, and chocolate seems to make me feel better.

The kids are so excited and asking lots of questions. Leah, especially, understands the concept of "being pregnant" and is more excited than I am about telling everyone! We told the kids the Thursday before we had decided to announce it at church (at our annual business meeting-- not during a worship service!). We told them they had to keep it a secret until after the meeting. They did a great job, but I did find out later that Leah told a few people she "had a secret," but she couldn't tell them what it was. She really wants to be involved and loves rubbing my tummy. She's already picked out names she likes and asks about how the baby will be involved in certain areas of our life once he/she gets here. 

Abigail, of course, really doesn't have a clue, but still has an obsession with babies, so I think she'll just end up smothering the baby. Of course, she's been the baby for a long time and is still very much a momma's girl, so she may end up with a lot of jealousy. My hope is that she will be out of diapers and out of her crib by the time the baby comes-- a real big girl! She is showing definite interest in the potty, so that may be fairly easy.

They are all hoping for a boy-- mostly because Andrew wants someone to share a room with (and Leah probably doesn't want to share her room with someone else!). But of course, we'll just be happy with whatever God blesses us with.

Ice Skating

Tuesday Leah and Andrew got to go ice skating for the first time. I have been wanting to take them for awhile and finally had a friend from church tell me she was planning to take her kids, so I would have company and someone to help with Abigail while we were there. We went early in the morning, so even though it was an open skate time for the community, there were very few people there-- mostly younger kids who also didn't know how to skate well.

They were so excited to get to try it! Thankfully the rink offered milk crates for the kids to hold on to to give them a little help. They were definitely necessary!

While Abigail sat on the sidelines with our friend's little girl and her mother (I asked her if she wanted to wear skates and she wanted nothing to do with them!), I alternated between Leah and Andrew, holding their hand while they pushed along.

Neither of them whined or complained at all. Andrew did get a little tired and said he didn't really want to do it anymore, but he ended up coming back out again anyway. He had a hard time catching on to what he was supposed to do and really looked pretty clumsy. But he kept trying. He rarely fell. He never let go of that milk crate.

And Leah was so determined to figure it out that even if she fell, she got right back up and kept trying. I think she must have felt like an ice princess! By the end she really had the hang of it and was getting ahead of me.

I think everyone but Abigail had fun. She got pretty cold and didn't like that I couldn't hold her, even though I did push her around the ice on a milk crate once. Leah and Andrew are still talking about it.

Winter Fun in Vermont

We've had a WHOLE LOT of snow this winter-- much more than we're used to, and, according to native Vermonters, a whole lot more than even Vermont is used to! While it's been a lot of snow, it's been the kind that doesn't really shut anything down, so we're still for the most part able to get out and drive on the roads and even go outside and enjoy it some. There have been very few days when the snow kept us in, although there have been quite a few where the below zero temperatures made it really hard to want to go anywhere!

The kids are still really enjoying the snow and ask to go outside all the time. Unfortunately it hasn't been good for snowmen, and our sledding hill hasn't even really been the best, either. But they find things to do. Like climb on the hill made by the plow in the driveway. Or follow rabbit tracks through the field. Or dig in what used to be the sandbox.