33 weeks down...5 more to go

The days are ticking by quickly for the arrival of baby girl#6 Ditto to enter the house of noise and love. I told the kids on Saturday that we only had six more Sundays to go until their new sister will be born. Their enthusiasm is SO fun to watch! Alysee quickly went and made a chart to record each Sunday until the new baby's arrival.

Last Saturday I was having a little too much uterine action so on Monday's appointment my midwife "checked" me out. I was dilated to a one but after doing a quick ultrasound we were relieved to see that my cervix is still in a normal range. This is the usual time for me to have pre-term labor action so I wasn't surprised.

This past week has been fairly calm (contraction wise). At my appointment yesterday my midwife did another ultrasound to check out our baby's growth. Like Alysee, she seems to be on the small side but she sure is one wiggly girl. She currently weighs about 3 pounds, ten ounces. I always love getting to "see" her with the 3D ultrasound.

Profile shot of faceMy midwife assured me that she doesn't really have a double chin. How could she at 3lb 10oz? She does have a Ditto nose and my big lips, though.I was hard up for a picture of myself to post today. Nate was the photographer for the above picture. It was his first time being allowed to use the camera and he couldn't quite figure out how to get my head AND feet in the same picture. While the quality is not great, neither is my posture so it is a good match.

We came up with a new name idea this past week. I'm not sure if we will finalize on naming her prior to her birth or wait to see her in person. The car search continues. We are thinking that we might go with the same guy that bought our current van through a car auction. Hopefully this week we can sell our current van for near our asking price and then finalize on a new car that will fit us all.

Lastly, I wanted to share a quote that Birch and I have posted on our mirror right now. It is a great motivation for me to try hard to be a better person.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."
-Author Unknown