Spring has Sprung

We have been blessed with a beautiful couple of months here.  The sun is shining almost everyday and spring felt like it arrived awfully early.  Some of my favorite pics of the kids are just simple outdoor shots of them enjoying the sunshine. 

 Below are some pics of the kids dressed in their Sunday best, just before heading to church.  They were wearing the new clothes I had saved for Easter, but when it was beautiful and 70 degrees in February, I couldn't resist pulling them out!

 Reagan has become a champion on the monkey bars and has the callused, blistered palms to prove it.  This is all she wants to do for recess, yet complains about how much it hurts :)  She finally mastered riding her bike and loves to go ride around the sidewalks and down at the school.

 

 

 Nolan is obsessed with Spiderman and wore his new mask all day one day.  He does make a pretty good Spiderman impression.  One day, I found him sitting on the toilet doing his business, but his legs were pulled in and his feet were bottom-to-bottom.  He said to me, "mom, look I am just like Spiderman!"

 His first day of preschool was in February.  He had a hard time the first week, but now LOVES it!  His favorite thing to do when he gets home, is to surprise me with all his art from that day (and seriously some days, there are like 8 projects!)

I am going to leave this post with some pregnancy thoughts.  I hardly blogged or have taken any pictures about it, but my thoughts are on this baby all the time.  I don't take this for granted, despite how much I complain.  My face is chunky, my thighs rub together and I feel pretty dang ginormous.  But I remember what it felt like when I thought I would never experience this again and I know that it is all worth it.  Despite it being my 3rd and you would think that I would be oh so relaxed, it is the opposite.  I find myself so concerned all the time that all is well.  I have no shame in admitting that I have already checked myself TWICE into labor and delivery after not feeling baby movement for a while.  I think all the time about my family and friends who want a baby so bad, but it just isn't happening.   I know what it is like to have your own timetable and not have it coincide with the Lord's timetable.  It is very frustrating.  Not a day goes by that I don't think and pray for these loved ones.  Every kick to my bladder and sharp push to my ribs I answer with a smile because I know what a lovely blessing this is.  I think all the time about whether the baby is healthy or not.  So far, it all seems good, but sometimes you just don't know until that baby is here.  And then beyond, watching them grow and praying they reach each milestone.  I have been blessed with some good friends who are expecting babies around the same time as me.  I have watched 2 of them welcome babies to earth, only to have to say goodbye just as quickly.  One delivered her son at 20 weeks, just too early to be able to breathe on his own.  My heart ached for her and her family and also for the fact that this is her 4th baby--4th son--born just a bit too early.  Just last week our other friends welcomed their son and were able to spend almost 5 days with him, before he left his earthly life due to complications.  My heart is full.  I find it hard to believe that such good people have to face such difficult trials, but I know that we are never alone.  That knowledge is such a blessing, even though it leaves me feeling so vulnerable. 

And since you listened to my stories and sat through all the photos of my kids, here is your reward: a very rare picture of me pregnant.  This was taken this past week, at 30 weeks pregnant and I was also super sick with a cold/cough.  So basically I can't look much worse.  Love to you all!