Kendell's Announcement

If you didn't get your announcement yesterday at church they are done and in the mail! Here is a preview!

I am off!

As you can tell it is very early! It is now 4:50am and I can't sleep. I was able to get about 3 hours and I know that's not going to be enough but I just can't do it. I didn't really think I was going to be nervous about labor and delivery until right now! The best thing is that I know what to expect. I have been induced 3 other times and the worst thing is that I know what to expect. And the sheer pain of what I am about to go through is well...unpleasant would be a good word.

Sean, my mom, and my grandma are going to come and support me so that will be good. I think I was able to get everything done that I wanted to get done. There are no dishes in the sink(but then again...in a few hours there will be!), the house is clean, the pack n play is up and made, the "labor" cd's are burned, and Sean created a photo collage for me to hang in my room of pictures of the girls. They love seeing that I have brought a piece of them to the hospital and the nurses love looking at the pictures. I think I had the most compliments over the pictures of the girls when I had Kierstin.

I should be home on Friday afternoon around 2pm.

So please pray. Our family has really appreciated everyones support during this journey.

TTYL

Erin(holy smokes almost the mother of 5 girls!)

Ummm... MOO!!!!

I figured that I would say what everyone(at least my dh) is thinking! MOO! IT IS TIME!!!!! GET OUT KENDELL!!!

So Are We Ready?

I have been mulling over this question ever since my doctor was surprised that I was already dilating and told me that the baby could come sooner than later and that I should be ready. READY??? YIKES! At 36 weeks it seemed like more of a dream than a reality to be READY! So...what has changed since then? Well physically I am getting more and more tired during the day. I am still not able to take a nap or really fall asleep too early at night, but I can tell that I am more fatigued. I am now able to eat more! AND...get this...I am still losing weight! AMAZING! I guess that happens at the end. The baby moves down off the stomach so you can eat more, but you still lose weight. AWESOME SIDE EFFECT!

So...am I ready? I have a huge to do list still. Hopefully I will get things done in these few days! Like I said...hopefully!

I always love visits at the hospital. Especially because you are basically stuck going stir crazy in a 12 x 15 room. So...if you want to come call the hospital and get my room #. I am delivering at the same hospital that I delivered my others at. I will more than likely be going home on Friday afternoon or Friday night depending on how I am getting home. I am not going to my moms this time. We have decided to try to resume a certain degree of normalicy for Kierstin.

So...what can you do? I would love for you to pray! Pray for me physically as I embark on another physical challenge! Pray for Kendell's health during delivery and throughout. Pray for the girls as they adjust to another member of the family. Especially pray for Kierstin who will probably have no clue what is going with mommy. Pray for Sean, that he will not be drained too badly by the change of pace.

And above all...know that we value your prayers.

Here's our BIG SISTER shirts!

So what do you think? I think they turned out pretty good! We even made a green one for Kendell! We will put her hand or foot print on it when she comes home! The kids get so excited about doing projects like this and who would blame them! I love doing it too. So I think we are getting closer to ready. We are going to belly cast but I don't think we are going to do that until the 24th. Or...if I go into labor or think I am going to go into labor soon...I might "make" Sean cast me real quick! I have to get it done!

At my appointment yesterday I was 2cm. Who knows what that really means. Dr.Yao said "you are very favorable for induction, but I don't know if you will make it that far" and I thought. "UM I BETTER!" Beth just sent me an email telling me that she will be available for a sleepover on the Thursday after Kendell's birth so that will be nice! Sean will be able to go home and I will still be content knowing that someone will be there in case I "need" something. And I have promised her that she can be my "go get that" girl. I am sure she is up for the challenge!

Thank you all for your prayers. I seem to be getting a bit happier about life in general. I praise God for what I have!

TTYL

E

Ok...here's the secret.

For the last week I have known when Kendell was coming.

Sean and I chose to avoid the possibility of delivering with no insurance in May, and have decided to induce. It's a 20K decision that I would just rather not worry about. It is not exactly what I wanted but I am content with knowing that we are making the decision for our family.

So...in a few weeks I will have Kendell. I am scared. I will need people.

This has been such a high stress pregnancy, I just want the stress to end!

She is coming on 4/25

Do you really trust that God is in control?

Lately it seems like this has been a challenge for me. And I am standing up telling you that I actually need people to remind me that "God is in control". It is kinda funny because I am usually the one who tells others that there is a reason for everything and that God is in control. But do I know that. Do I trust that when it is crunch time? I know that in God's word it says it over and over, but I need these words to resonate and become more real than they are. And then I think...It's not about what I need. Its all about him. Not me.

So I have obsessive thinking about two things during the day. 1. Be anxious about nothing, God is in control. 2. If i'm not going to worry about the situation how will anything get "fixed".

See the problem...The first phrase or way of thinking is calming and the second makes me worry and anxious. So I cycle during the day. And the really stupid thing is that I know the 2nd phrase is a false belief, but I can't seem to shake it.

So what does this mean for anyone who reads this who matters...please pray. I am not wandering around without a purpose, but I definatly am nervous about all that is going to change in our lives soon and Sean's health. I do worry that I might be the only person on this planet in which God doesn't have a plan for. But I also know that I have felt this way many times and it isn't true.

So where is it harder to live...in God's grace and control or in under my own control? Honestly...I don't have an answer. It is a hard shift.

HE HAS ARRIVED!!!!

According to the new Auntie Katelyn...

Carter has arrived and is doing well. He was born today at 2:22pm and weighes 6lbs. 1oz. He is 20 inches long.

She told me that Kara was induced last night at 10pm and had been in labor since.

Both Kara and Carter are doing well, but are understandably exhausted! Please continue to pray for them!

And now the wait begins!

Well...we have all been waiting for over 5 years but NOW the real wait begins. Right about now Kara is at her doctors office getting her last exam performed before being sent over to the hospital to begin her induction. Please remember to pray for her, Derric and Carter over these next few days. I spoke with her today and she sounded really excited and really happy! I think I can speak for all of when we say..."A prince is on the way!".

I can't wait to meet him! But really I can't wait to hear that he is healthy and safe in his parents arms.