Wednesday, we had our 38 week ultrasound with Tanner. They wanted to see how big this boy was as I am measuring kind of big. It was amazing seeing him! The ultrasound tech explained what we were looking at and we were in awe. We saw his heart beating, his kidneys, his spine, his little feet and hands moving around…wow.

We had a late ultrasound with Evan as well but it was in the hospital right before delivery. The tech wasn’t too interested in giving us “the tour” of what we were seeing. They needed it for medical purposes and that was it. So it was really cool to be in a clinical setting for Tanner’s ultrasound and have everything explained to us as we went.

They are saying Tanner is weighing in at 8 lbs., 6 oz., so far. I know they can be a little off so it’ll be interesting to see just how big this boy is. I still have two weeks technically until my due date. If the tech is accurate, we could have a little butterball on our hands! =)

At this stage in the game, we are more than ready to have this baby. I am uncomfortable with hip and joint pain and sleeping is not fun. But looking back over the past 9 months…what a ride! It’s so amazing what forms after 9 long months…a beautiful baby created in God’s image! Or Dan’s or mine depending on who he looks like! On a side note…I did have a dream the other night that Tanner was born with brown, CURLY hair. That would be a surprise seeing as nobody in my family has curly hair. Those crazy preggie dreams…

In closing, (the boy is awake) I cannot say enough how blessed Dan and I feel to be having another baby. We’re excited that it’s another boy too. I’ve had the “don’t you wish it was a girl?” comments. Can you believe it?! The honest truth is, no!! We are given what the good Lord wants to give us and another boy is just fine with us. For Evan to have a brother is going to be very special. I’ve honestly always dreamed of us having two boys so it must be “destiny.”

See you soon, Tanner!! We’re waiting with open arms to welcome you into our family and this great big world!

The house is quiet. It’s just me up and about. It feels nice. As I sip my tea and nibble on my bagel I am pondering…

I recently read a friend’s blog and she was talking about a major struggle she had just gone through. You know, the kind where you feel distanced from God. Like He is purging your life of things. The kind of struggle that hurts as you’re going through it but then…at the end…you feel renewed. Like you’ve been tried in the fire and have come out feeling like gold; smoother, more refined.

Admittenly, when I first read her blog I was sad for her and also thought to myself, “Wow, I’m glad I didn’t have to go through that.” But immediately my thoughts changed. Do I allow myself to be molded and tried by God so much so that I do come out a new creature? Am I stuck in the “abundant life” net where I see the abundant life that I do have and think I don’t need anymore abundance? Hmmm…pondering.

I’ve always loved the scripture that talks about there being seasons on our life. To everything there is a season. I want whatever season the Lord sees fit to bring into my life. He is my source and I know that with His hand in mine I can make it through anything. He knows what we can bear. I want my life to be an “open book” to Him where he can erase and correct things that would make my “story” all the more of an example of His love and goodness shining in my life.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me and allowing me to hear your ever present voice. Take me, make me, mold me, use me…for your glory. Amen!

My exciting news is that I FINALLY found a “boxed” curriculum based on the Charlotte Mason method of teaching. I have been reading about her method for months now and Dan and I both are very excited about it. It’s a literature based curriculum that uses “living books” to inspire your child’s thinking and imagination. Obviously there’s the basic courses as well (math, reading, science, etc.). The core of the program however is reading lots of great books and performing oral narrations regarding those books.

So after many, many hours spent hunting for this type of curriculum already made up I found one. A very professional couple has taken the time to put all of Charlotte Mason’s methods into a “pre made” curriculum for Mom’s just like me. Mom’s who want to teach using the CM method but might have limited time doing all of the research this type of homeschooling requires. So I am just thrilled that this is available for us to use for Evan and Tanner in the future. I feel a real “calling” so to speak to homeschool our children. It’s overwhelming at times to think about what that all entails but with the Lord’s help and the support of those around me I know I can do this.

Well, I’m 9 months pregnant…and counting. I hear it everywhere I go now; “Whoa! When are you due?” “Wow!” “Oh, my gosh!” (along with a buddha belly rub for good luck), “That looks like it hurts!” “Are you sure you’re not carrying a watermelon?” “Can I touch it?” I think I’ve officially heard all of the possible comments a pregnant woman can receive in regards to the belly. Most times it’s amusing, other times…not so much. Especially after you’ve been hearing this for the past 2+ months. =) But Dan and I did get a good laugh today. I can now agree with the “watermelon folks.” Yes, I will admit that it really does look like I’m carrying a watermelon under my shirt! From the back you can’t even tell I’m pregnant, but let me give you a profile view and watch out! Tanner is “hiney up” as I like to call it, which makes my stomach look angled outward. a.k.a. – A watermelon!

On another note, we’ll be seeing our lil’ watermelon boy on Wednesday for our last ultrasound. We can’t wait! The docs want to see how big he is and maybe they’ll say I could go early. Who knows? But in the meantime, we’ll keep enjoying our watermelon belly and getting laughs (as many as we can) out of all of the comments…

The last few days here have been HOT! The a/c is in the window (Thank God!) and it’s time to hit the beach! We’ve taken Evan to the local beach two evenings in a row and we went this morning. This ‘hot mama’ was ready for some cool water! As I was sitting watching Evan play in the sand and water I couldn’t help but remember the exact same scene last year. We wanted a baby. Talking to a close friend who was very pregnant at the time, I got the encouragement I need to hear. “It’ll happen for you just wait and see.” Well, it’s been a year and guess who’s the “very pregnant” one now? ME! =) It was one of those “full circle” moments as Oprah calls them. We’ll be welcoming Tanner into our family in no time at all. We’re down to 4 weeks and counting!

So bring on the sunshine, heat, sand beach all over the car and lots of good memories…summer is here!!!

This morning Dan, me and Evan went and visited a Christian preschool where we thought we’d possibly enroll Evan for the fall session. We arrived to meet the teacher and was immediately put at ease with how kind and gentle she was. You could tell she had a real passion for teaching 3-year-old children and it shined through in her speech and actions with them. We stayed and observed the class from 9:00-11:15. During that time, we watched Evan get in line with the other children, sit during story time, sing, march and play his instrument, color, and enjoy snack with his new friends. Dan and I both couldn’t help but get a little emotional seeing him look like such a big boy and being so independent. He acted as though he’d been in “school” forever.

We felt such a peace about our decision to enroll him that we went ahead and did just that. Our “baby” will be an official preschooler starting in September! It’s so amazing to think that we are at this stage with Evan. I had to withhold tears several times this morning seeing him enteract with the other children and the teacher. He was really enjoying himself and seemed to fit right in with the class structure.

The preschool program at this Christian school is so god-oriented and enriching. It’s a positive environment where the teacher lets the love of God shine through her while she teaches. I don’t think we could have asked for a nicer and more experienced teacher. She has been teaching preschool for 20 years! Now, that takes dedication.

I am confident that this decision to enroll Evan for preschool is a good one. Tanner will make his grand debut within the next month or so. Having Evan start preschool in September will be nice not only for him but for me as well. It’ll give me alone time with Tanner all while I am happy to know that Evan is at such a wonderful preschool.

My plan to homeschool is still that, my plan. We hope to send Evan to this same preschool next year in the 4-year-old program. At that point, Tanner will be about 14 months. When Evan is done with preschool we’ll have one year of him at home starting Kindergarten while Tanner is a little over two years old. When Tanner turns 3 we hope to send him to the preschool and that will enable me to get all of Evan’s schooling done at home while Tanner is enjoying his time at preschool. It feels like a good future plan so we’ll see how it all works out…

It’ll take some getting used to knowing that Evan, our “baby” is in school. The first day will be much harder for me than it will be for him. He’ll be eager and ready to go and I’ll be the teary-eyed Mommy sending him off for a morning of learning and fun. But we would never do it if we didn’t feel like Evan was ready and that the environment he will be in wasn’t so enriching.

So there you have it..our “baby” is no longer a baby…it’s official.