Waiting for Baby

Somehow it is August, and we’re at 37 weeks with baby number four and I suppose, despite the usual 42+ week gestations of Thomas baby’s, you can say we’re really in the waiting for that “any day now" arrival. Maybe this baby will be the one to show up much sooner than we anticipate, shocking us all with a blazing fast, possibly even a sneeze and they’re here sort of labor? Of course one can ask for these things in prayer, right? Alas, He can always say no ;).

- Juniper admiring the recently returned Moses basket. -

The things lent have been brought back home, the clothes sorted into a little dresser, the birth tub here and accounted for. Yes, I have waddled (Emphasis on this word!) all the birth/baby things to various spots in the new house where I think they will belong in preparation, along with some very willing little helpers. Perhaps my favorite part of all of this so far is the excitement and anticipation from the siblings! It is much more pronounced than ever before. All commenting how they cannot wait to meet baby and hold and rock and all of the things. They youngest has made some concerning comments about her plans with this baby, which I won’t include here, but they will keep me extra vigilant with eyes always on baby when she’s near. Long live three year olds and their innocent, but interesting ideas :)!

Harriet with her "Baby"

- Harriet with her “Baby” -

Perhaps the most interesting experience this time around, has been the fact that I have lived most of this pregnancy “offline”, so to speak. Whenever I mention pregnancy on a now rare post, I have at least a few distant friends/acquaintances who will mention they didn’t even know I was expecting again. I guess it is a stark contrast from my previous pregnancies, which were pretty well documented online with photos and updates. The price you have to pay nowadays to experience some freedom from the social media chains, I suppose, is some people feeling left in the dark. I promise I wasn’t hiding things from the public, nor could I if I even tried with my super-early-showing-fourth-pregnancy-belly. Ha! Pregnancy info was dished out to those who asked, when appropriate, of course :).

- “ Carrying You” An image taken about halfway on my film camera -

Well, I guess that brings us to this: how am I or how has it been going as most ask? Truthfully, this Summer heat has left me chugging electrolytes like my life depends on it, and my diastases is now the width of a whole hand… BUT, as I will say over and over again to any who ask, the Lord is the author and decider of life. May my body have the precious gift of stretching and aching and growing as many times as He calls it to. I am holding the tension between the reality of what more and more pregnancies does to a body and the absolute gift it is to be called to carry them. Perhaps it was that half a decade of infertility that allows that blessed view, or maybe just my view of the Lord’s sovereignty over life…regardless, I am thankful to both acknowledge the rough parts as well as rejoice in the truth.


Please pray for us, as we come to mind, during these last weeks and the season to come of bringing a new little person into our family.

I would love to end this post with these treasured photos my friend, Vanessa (all the way from Australia), took of me on a creative retreat back in May in the Alabama woods. I have never wanted maternity photos, but she offered to take some of me in “the pine trees I loved”. Oh, I didn’t think so, but I will cherish these and will look back at them so fondly when someday my years of growing babies are past me. Missing you from across the world friend! All of the photos to follow are by Vanessa. She is an incredible artist and beautiful person. I am so thankful to have met her and know her. You can find her here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinysparrowphotographypage

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessa_tinysparrowphotography/

 
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Turning Eight

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A Better Late than Never Birthday Sweater