a portrait by mara

Mommy with Evie

Mara drew this picture from a memory of me during my pregnancy with Evelyn.  It is a sweet thing to be able to share the mysterious wonders of pregnancy with older daughters and sweeter still when you realize that all the disruption and change pregnancy and new babies bring has not blinded her eyes to the beauty of it all.

Having no drawing ability, I am amazed at the ability of artists, 

Mara included, to capture so much with so little.

That's MY girl!

I found this fabulous frame 50% off at Michael's and ordered a custom matte (the drawing is not a standard size).  The matte won't be ready for another couple of weeks but I couldn't wait that long to see it framed. Acid free photo corners will do the trick until I have the chance to pick up the matte, hinge tape and foam core backing. With this much talent in the family, I might to learn how to cut my own mattes!

Pink or Blue?

Has everyone heard about the "Chinese conception chart" for gender prediction? I have no idea what it is based on but, for our family at least, it has been fairly accurate in predicting gender for our babies.

Here the score thus far:

Mara- I was too young at the time of conception to compare with the chart which is for ages 18 - 45.

Gavin- correct

Sirena- correct

Madelyn- correct

Sarah- correct

Mason- correct

Nolan- INcorrect

That leaves us with an 83% accuracy rate, if I exclude Mara. Before I reveal the charts predictions for this baby, we are taking guesses. I think I will turn it into a preschool craft project and make a paper chain of pink and blue links for each guess.

Leave your guess in the comments. And don't expect me to share my guess. You wouldn't want to side with me anyway; I am wrong almost as often as the chart is right.

Update: 36+1 weeks

Well, we have crossed many items off "The List" and added others. Truthfully, the house is still gearing up for this baby and birth. I expect that within a week or two, the house will be immaculate all the time because I will be unable to focus on anything but the coming baby. At this point, it still makes me too tired to contemplate pouring that much energy into the preparations. Hopefully, the first semester will be finished by then so I can bring the kids into my madness. (This is not their favorite stage of pregnancy.)

In the meantime, baby is growing well and I am moving more slowly. According to one friend, I "have a nice bump" and "should wear it with pride". Guess I'll keep working on that nice bump.

The Nesting List

We keep mislaying the Nesting List. I would like to think it is accidental, but the smirks upon my children's faces as I wander about searching for it lead me to believe that it is a well-orchestrated assault on both my plans and my sanity. But, having lived longer, I am much more wily than they and to prove it, I am posting the list here, where it cannot be hidden by malingerers.

* denotes that the budget will dictate whether this item is completed

Living Room, Entry & Hall

• Paint trim
• Clean cold air returns
• Paint gray cold air return white
  
• Vacuum ceiling
• Detail dust shelves & display items
• Buy heater grates*
• Install ceiling light*
• Paint light fixtures*
• Clean light fixture glass
• Purge entry closet, set up with pantry shelving
• Vacuum lampshades
• "Dust" curtains using fluff cycle in dryer
• Clean window tracks
• Purge entertainment center, organize
  

Kitchen & Dining Room

• Clean garden window
• Clean behind frig and in cubby
• Wipe ceiling
  
• Vacuum frig coils
  
• Clean under stove plus stove drawer
• Clean out silverware drawer
• Purge knife drawer, get knife block or mag strip*
• Clean apron and legs of dining table
• Clean stickers off dining chairs
• Build drawers for window seat*
• Wash curtains
• Trim garden window and paint new trim
• Install new valance or blind at garden window*
• Wipe down insides of cupboards
• Wipe down display shelves
  
• Clean out frig and freezers
• Defrost outside freezer
• Fix exterior window trim so that window closes correctly
• Paint lower cabinets?
  

Homeschool Room

• Vacuum computer fan cabinet
• Purge sewing cabinet by completing projects (this may deserve as list of its own)
• Decide which clothing boxes go back in storage and which go to charity
• Hand-mop under cabinets
• 
  

Front Bathroom

• Wash curtain (delicate cycle, hang dry) and liner (with towels
• Purge drawers
• Purge cabinets
• Paint trim
• Clean light fixture glass
• Install new fan*
• 
  

Master Suite

• Vacuum mattress and flip/rotate
• Clean carpet
• Paint trim
• Caulk crown
• Vacuum lampshades
• Declutter top of armoire
• Purge pregnancy related books
• Wax /polish armoire
• Touch up spice-colored paint
• Move Nolan's clothes to Boy room
• Move changing table to our room
• Paint changing table and tighten screws
• Buy new changing table pad and covers*
  

a special photo

A brand new birthday buddy for Madelyn, cousin Liza, cousin Ashton and Uncle Torgan!

Due 1/31/2010

little boy blue

It didn't go exactly as I planned, but the baby is finally here!

Nolan Louis Vowell

May 9th 2:44 p.m.

9 lb 10 oz, 22 in

I have been too tired (and busy) to take many pics,
so Mara took a few. Here is my favorite so far!

He is a sweet little guy with big, manly hands and feet. I have to fight to get a chance to hold him. It's a good thing he is a nursing baby, that assures me a snuggle every couple of hours anyway.

The short story is that after laboring all night Thursday to Friday, my labor was essentially stopping, the baby was in a bad position and his heart rate indicated that he was getting tired. We transported to a local hospital for some intervention. The staff was lovely and it was a positive experience overall, although it wasn't the plan. We checked out a little less than 6 hours after he was born and made it home around 9 p.m. Friday. Sleep was the ONLY item on my mind, after sharing him with his sibs.

Sleep is STILL just about the only thing on my mind, so I will sign off now and go take another nap.

Thank you all for your prayers! They were felt and much appreciated.

Update 41+1; 7 p.m.

My midwife graciously came by my house today to torture me help me along in the labor process. The good news is that I am now 4 1/2 cm!

I have had breaks from contractions off and on throughout the day and used those breaks to get some sleep. Now that it is evening, things are picking up again and the contractions are much sharper than they were earlier. This might be my last pregnancy update, but then again, I might just repeat last night and "see" you all in the morning, still pregnant.

Update: 41+1; 8:30 am

After contracting all night, I am tired but happy to be in the early stages of labor. The contractions are anywhere from 8 to 30 minutes apart, strong enough to wake me out of sleep but tolerable. More tolerable if I am standing, but who can sleep standing?

If my past 2 labors are any indication, this could still take a couple of days...

Keep me in your prayers, please. There was a sudden change of plans concerning my birth team yesterday afternoon. I don't like change, let alone sudden change- even though I am happy with the team now on call for me. I just need peace to settle into the rhythm of labor, trusting the Lord that I will have the stamina to get the job done.

Stay tuned!

Update: 41+0

It's is official. This is the longest I have ever been pregnant. Maybe I need this experience, as a midwife, in order to empathize with future clients. Great Check. Got it. Can we move on now?

On a positive note, I have been having a few contractions this morning that feel more like "it" than anything else I have felt yet these past few weeks. They are few and far between but a hopeful sign nonetheless.

Here's hoping that I am writhing and moaning in pain soon so that I can meet this stubborn little baby sometime before I go stark, raving mad.

Update 40+4

Still pregnant.







The end.

Nesting update: 40+1 weeks

As expected, my due date came and went with no sign of baby. Big surprise? No. Not exactly.

Here's my due date history, by category:

Induced labors:

Mara, 1st
due 4/21, began induction the eve of my EDD for doctor's convenience. She was born 4/23.

Sirena, 3rd
due 10/9, health issues prompted induction 10/7; she was born 10/7.

Madelyn, 4th
due 2/26, doctor convinced me that I should be induced a week early, began induction 2/18. She was born early on 2/19.


Spontaneous labors:

Gavin, 2nd
due 10/28, began labor the evening of 10/31; he was born 11/1.

Sarah, 5th
due 9/25, water broke 9/28, labored inconsistently until evening of 10/1, when labor shifted gears. She was [finally] born in the early hours of 10/2. (A malpresentation was probably to blame for the long delay.)

Mason, 6th
due 4/21, signs of labor and regular contractions began on my due date, prodromal labor all day 4/21 through 4/24 with bouts of more intense labor in the evenings. Labor kicked into high gear around 10 pm 4/24, he was born 12:20 an on 4/25.

As you can see, I am not usually "on time". Three to four days after my due date seems to be a reasonable estimate of when labor might begin, but -clearly- there are no guarantees. Sigh. I'll try to keep everyone posted, but you'll get no promises from this cranky, pregnant lady.

I will confess that the universe centers on my belly right now. The birth tub and kit are ready. The layette and cradle are standing by. The freezer is stocked. The bills are paid. The house is clean, although I still manage to find little extra chores for the kids to do each day...today they get to vacuum the popcorn ceiling near the ceiling fan. There are gross cob webs hanging all around. I ask the kids to clean the house - again- and they ask me to go into labor -again.

So we all sit around, staring at my belly, just waiting, waiting for labor.

Anyone wanna place a bet on the delivery date? or the gender? Leave your best guess in the comments. The winner gets...uhm...acknowledged as the winner. Woo hoo! Great prize, huh?

Sewing on a deadline

Roberta asked about my sewing projects. I wish I could delegate some of these to my very-efficient mother-in-love!

Here is my sewing list:

1. Finish Maddy's quilt (pin and baste the top to the back, with the batting between and then "quilt" it by stitching in the ditch.) Sirena's matching quilt has been finished for at least 6 months.

2. Stay on top of our quilt class homework. We have 16 log cabin squares (each) this month. My April assignment is done, but I need to supervise/assist the Mara and Sirena. Here is the quilt we are working on. The next assignment will be given out at the April 19th class, 11 days before I am due. So we will need to get that done ASAP as well.

3. Sew 2 simple dresses for Maddy and Nina to wear to Kam's wedding, which is 2.5 weeks after baby is due. The dresses will be sewn from white on white muslin with crimson sashes. (In the pattern photo, it is the white dress in the upper right hand corner.) I am sure my girls will look lovely. I figure each dress will take 2.5 to 3 hours total- including cutting out and hemming. Zippers aren't my favorite, but I prefer them to buttons. I think I will delegate the cutting out of the pattern and fabric to my daughters and/or mother-in-love. I can't really see myself crawling about on the floor with 5 yards of fabric right now.

4. Help my mom finish recovering the family bassinet so that baby Elizabeth has a chance to at least have a photo in it before she outgrows it. My mom can sew the pieces together, but since there is no pattern, I am helping to cut the pieces out and come up with instructions. All the babies for 4 generations have used this bassinet. I will try to post before and after photos.

5. I would LIKE to sew some bedding for the cradle we are using at our house. I keep envisioning something that will match our bedroom...but this in an optional item. I may have to settle for purchasing a pair of king size pillowcases that match my room. Those would cover the cradle mattress and the changing table pad.

It's official

I am nesting.

With 5 weeks until I am due, the hormones have kicked things up to the next notch. My family thinks I am going for "suicide by housework."

"Not so," I insist, looking up from the floor while scrubbing the kitchen cabinets.

"Absolutely not," spoken emphatically while I wrestle the refrigerator into the center of the room, or paint the bedroom, or clean the ceiling fan, or rearrange the cupboards.

Of course, the reality of it all sets in after dinner each night. I am extraordinarily sore, more than a little grumpy and exhausted. This is not as easy at 30+ with baby #7 as it was at 18 with #1.

The house is looking good. That list is getting shorter, but the "sewing to be accomplished before the baby arrives" list is still quite long. Can someone tell me how to funnel these blasted hormones towards material productivity?