Valentine crafts

Ginger likes to read to her brother and sister. (gretchens hair is getting long enough to put in piggy tails! and I'm trying to be better at styling Jacks hair (like Kaela showed me when she was here some time ago --I finally ordered "Got 2 Be Glued"! I'm excited to try it out)

I've been in super cleaning/neting mode. Part of my "nesting mode" is doing some of these valentine crafts that I planned for the kids before baby comes. I'm afraid I won't feel up to it or get around to doing some of these messier crafts when baby is here. Our first craft was making Handprint Hearts. The kids tried it but then had more fun just stamping their little hands all over the paper. This was the first time I let Gretchen go "free" with the pant and have fun. I ended up giving her a bath afterwards and wiping down her chair and table but it was fun to watch her have so much fun with it.

Next we glued beans in a heart shape. It's fun to see the kids creative side start to shine. After glueing beans then we had snack time and made heart shapes out of marshmellows, choc. covered raisins and teddy grahams. Then it was time to watch Sesame street and I went on to Deep Clean the sink and oven etc. I think when I'm pregnant, I not only have a super sniffer (as Glen calls it) but also super sight. I'm noticing all the parts of my house that are dirty that I normally don't pay attention too or notice. I always thought I kept a tidy home but I'm noticing how just on the doors in the house are so dirty looking towards the bottom (where little hands can reach) and how many grease spots are splattered on the oven where the control knobs are. By the way, did you know you can just pull those knobs off? I did and it made it alot easier to clean the surface.

THis is me at two weeks left (this past sunday). My friend gave me her back brace. she told me to wear it backwards to hold up my belly. That's how she used it when she was pregnant. It works when I'm standing in the kitchen but I can't sit with it very well.
I've had some new experiences with this pregnancy.
Braxton Hicks! I've never had them before or at least, I've never noticed them before. I've had a couple days where I had them ALL day long and I went to the hospital thinking it was time but it was just false labor. I never understood how people went in for false labor until now. I also never understood how tiring Braxton Hicks can make you. My tummy felt so worn out and I felt tired of all the anticipation and then having it all amount to nothing...though, it did get me dialated to a 2.
I've also never had my leg pop out of its socket. That really hurts! No more sitting on the floor for me! Last time I did, I had to wait for Glen to come home to pick me up off the floor.

This pregnancy has made me think about Mary and Joseph. It's made me appreciate Mary so much more and what she went through. I never thought about her experience in detail before. I wish I could talk to her and ask her what it was like. I can't imagine having to ride a donkey just before giving birth. I also can't imagine walking very far and going camping and not having a toilet or not having the foods you tend to crave at this stage of pregnancy. And after staying in the manger the first night, were they able to then find a room at the inn the next night or did they have to stay in the manger several nights? how many nights was it before they decided to travel again? Was there anyone else around to help Joseph deliver the baby Jesus? Did Mary feel embarrassed to have to give birth where anyone could just walk by and see what's going on?

I've had lots of complaints about pain and discomfort these last few weeks and each week I wonder how I could make it yet another week. Then I think of Mary and feel so humbled and grateful that I live in this time where food, toilets, medications, doctors, comfy beds and vehicles etc, are within my reach to help make this an easier process.