Here's a rather un-Cliff Notes-like discourse of happenings in our household

Baby:

Well, my due date is fast approaching.  Monday to be exact.  Well, technically, I have two.  Today was the original.  My midwife and I decided at the last appointment that tomorrow around noon would be a good time for this baby to show up.:)  She said she didn't have anything going on and I think that having a baby at noon.  Getting some lunch and relaxing until evening at the birth center, then going home and "possibly" getting a night's rest would be just great.  Now, we'll see whether or not God concurs with this plan. ;p  Either way, if I haven't gone into labor by Monday, I'm just going to have a phone conference with my midwife.  Isn't that cool?  I don't even have to go in.  I love it.  If I were under the care of a doctor, by that time he/she would be discussing with me when we want to schedule the induction.  This is such a different experience.  Also, my midwife has not checked the south end to see if I'm dilated or effaced or any of that stuff.  She said unless I want her to, she doesn't do that until after the due date because she doesn't want to encourage any kind of infections.  The other good thing about her not checking, is I'm not expecting something specific sooner rather than later to happen.  With Braden, I was nearly 5 cm dilated 13 days before my due date and the doctor went ahead and stripped the membranes and that night my water broke and all the fun started.  With Ezekiel, I was dilated 3 cms for nearly a month and after I went past my due date by a week and he wasn't even dropped and engaged or anything, I was in enough joint pain and exhaustion to go ahead with an induction.  Now.... Now, I'm in some lovely pelvic pain.  It does feel like my pubis bone is trying to split apart, but that's normal for me and tells me I am indeed nearing the end.  The baby has dropped some which is why I'm having that pain in the first place, but I'm not really expecting this baby to come out today or tomorrow.  I'm actually just content.  In my head, I'm fully expectant that this baby could wait for another 2 1/2 weeks before coming out.  Its totally possible, though, I hope this pregnancy doesn't last that long. :)  I'm excited to meet our completely new, never before met, member of our family.  Plus, I'm very interested to see how God works out all the logistics.  Its such a pleasure to watch Him work and know that its totally because He cares for and loves me and my family so so much!

Diapers:  (Rachel, I know you've been waiting with bated breath for an update!;)

I've gotten a few more sewn.  I've got six total completely done and 12 more in various stages of completion.  I've got an assembly line sort of thing going and I hope I get them done before the onset of labor because it would be awhile before I could sit at a sewing machine for any length of time afterward.  It'll work out whichever way it happens, but I do put time in every day on them.  Just keep sewing, just keep sewing....

Homeschool:

I've switched gears a bit on this.  Apparently, Braden learned the alphabet without me and has gotten very bored with the curriculum that I put together for him.  He has gotten on the www.starfall.com website and has already mastered using the mouse on the computer to navigate the website and start learning how to spell some words.  Yeah.  Way to go with all of my good intentions!  Anyway, since he has been really wanting to know what words in his books say and he tries to just randomly spell stuff, I'm going to purchase the Hooked on Phonics Pre-K or K, whichever one is the level we need.  It was recommended to me by several people and I think it will do just what I'm wanting it to do.  Plus, the starfall people have a few things for free download on their site that go along with all the little lessons and I'm going to print that stuff out.  Braden seems to like that better anyway.  They also have some other things they are coming out with in the summer that looks like fun.  That's where we are with that.  The sad thing is, Sam and I purchased this whole type of reading, science, history, writing curriculum package years ago with all the old style stories for reading, an encyclopedia library, a science book set and some other neat things, but we can't use it at this time because it is in storage...who knows where exactly and its extensive.  We'd need a designated area in a house to have it all available for ready use.  We are hoping that will be soon, then we can just add and combine and do really fun stuff with the homeschool thing.  We'll see.

Motor home:  

Still getting fixed as far as we know.  We'll probably get an update soon.

Sam:

Still working 6 days of 10 hours each, though on occasion on Saturday they drop it back to 8 and that's always a treat.  He's not as tired as he was working the 7/12's, but we're hoping for a 40 hour work week for a period of time so that he can "rest" as it were. :)  There also seems to be something in the works for the June time frame, but I'm not ready to disclose that yet.  I can say that if it does pan out, that we are very excited about it and it would mean big changes for us and a huge leap of faith.  I will post about it when we know something definite.

The boys:

Yep, they are indeed boys!  Braden and Zekey have been playing outside a LOT these days.  Oh, the joys of cleaning up the ring around the bathtub!  Braden is a lover of playing outside and since Zekey wants to do whatever Braden does, well....there you go.  They have dissension with each other, but on the flip side, just as often, they are helping each other out, making each other laugh and getting along beautifully.  True brothers!  I just love watching them learn and grow and Sam and I get such a kick out of the things they say and do.  For instance, lately when Zekey bumps his head or gets an owie, he comes up to me and is kind of fake crying and wants me to rub it to make it feel better.  Then he'll say, "All gone!" and then turn his head or give me his other hand or foot to rub and make it feel better, too.  All the while making this fake kind of slight crying sound.  He even makes the faces to go with it.  Such a turkey!  Braden on the other hand will scream and whine about his owie and if you try to touch it, the noise level goes up another decibel.  He says, "I need some neosporin and a bandaid!"  Voila!  All better.  He's also become very bossy in his young years.  He tells us things we tell him, "Like you need to be patient and then when I'm done, I'll do (whatever it is we told him to do...yeah)".  I'll also hear him instructing Zekey on how to correctly pronounce words.  When he's trying to say a new word and he's not quite getting it, I always tell him to look at my mouth and I say it a couple of times with him repeating it.  Anyway, apparently it is now Zekey's turn to learn from his wisdom in this.  It really just cracks me up, but I'm telling you Zekey is gonna be a little chatter box, too.  Its already started!  Whenever Braden comes up to me to tell me about something, Zekey comes right up beside him and starts jabbering away telling me about it too.  So funny.

The Flies:

I do believe their numbers are dwindling, but they sure are hard to get with the fly swatter!  I'm still being diligent, though. ;p

That is all for now....Have a wonderfully blessed day!!!