It's taken through our bedroom screen window....but you can see that the kiddos are getting ready for the flood. :)

 

In other news.... life changes have been happening around these parts.  Which is good.  Because if life didn't change, it would not be life.  I've pretty much been down for a good month and have just recently- in the past week- resurfaced to face the world of people once again.  Sunday I even went to church and taught a lesson.  I wasn't totally there and active, but I was physically present and only snuck off twice to laydown in a dark classroom and once to eat my ham and cheese quesadilla that I had Jason go home and make me during Sunday School.  I'd call that GREAT improvement from my inability to keep anything down and then feeling lightheaded because I had no nutrients....

 

So, we've been greatly blessed by family family family and great friends.  Like super helpful.  Like if we didn't, I would still be on the couch probably surrounded by an unfunctioning kitchen (no cabinets, sink, counter, food,etc...), unhappy children, and major filth.  Luckily, that is not the case.

 

This summer we took an amazingly fun road trip to Colorado.  Then we came back and had Scout Camp, Girls Camp, Family Reunion and Back to School Festivities.  Around the back to school festivities I was feeling worn down, sick, and near death.  So, it was either a positive pregnancy, or a positive need of a trip to the ER to find out what was going on.  Jason checked the stick and after consulting the directions multiple times....confirmed, yes.  There was a wee one growing and causing my much discomfort.

 

Then, it was the online due date calculator...and sure enough, we were 7 weeks along.  The exact time that I got sick with Kaylena and Joseph.  Exciting?  yes.  Nauseating? even more.  It pretty much just went downhill from there.  We were exactly in the middle of gutting out and putting in a new kitchen because well, babies weren't exactly on our itinerary at this moment, cabinets, counters and a working sink were.  And thus, started the "I can smell everything in this house and it smells (like old, like it's rotting, like it's unsanitary, like it's mildew-y, like it's growing something, like sour milk....)like any number of things that at any moment of time would make me hug the toilet 10x more than hug Jason for the next month.

 

And thus, the word came out to my two counselors in YW after missing 2 activities and a Sunday that Yes, we were pregnant; and No, I don't know how long this sickness will last.  Pretty much it lasted a month.  It was bad, but I think I'm on the way out of it.  The energy level and ability is still blah, but blah is better than on the couch.  Jason took like 5 billion pictures because I obviously couldn't smile without looking annoyed, sick, or faking.  I'd say this one isn't toooo bad.  It's me this afternoon at almost 13 weeks. :)  Happy first baby picture, new baby. 

 

And thus how life happens.  Kaylena came 2 weeks earlier than her due date.  My last day of work was a Wednesday, I got my hair done on Thursday, and late that night we went to the hospital.  It was kind of a huge shock because I thought for sure I had another good 2 weeks!  I mean really, who has their baby on Halloween! (well, the cool people do, obviously.)  And so my transition from working full time to mommy-ing wasn't as smooth as I had "planned" and was a bit rough.

 

Joseph's birth seemed a lot less surprising.  I had taken work off a month before his due date because after a check up with the nurse practitioner that left us with, "he'll be here any day" I decided that I wanted to have a bit more preparation than with Kaylena.  Well, it turns out we had a LOT more because not only did I have that month before his due date off work, he also chilled out in my belly for another week after that.  Making his grand entrance into this world 1child to 2chilren in 55minutes (counting from I woke up from back discomfort), or 15mintues (counting from our arrival at the birthing center).  So that was a bit "unplanned" but exciting nontheless.

 

I'm not sure how this birth will happen, but I know that what I had "planned" for this next year was not initally this.  Jason and I were talking this evening and we decided that we'd just have to change from plan A to plan B.  Do we have any idea what plan B is?  nope.  But it involves a baby that for whatever reason needs to come into our family now, and we are super super excited about it and have just the clue that the Lord knows exactly what He's doing and we don't. 

 

And so, it's today at 13 weeks that I've FULLY accepted that YES! WE'RE PREGNANT! and it's okay that I had to quit work this afternoon at OU for the year and the student is super bummed.  and it's okay that although I had plans to finish up my national certification in the spring, it can wait and my fellow interpreter that we've been studying together is bummed.  and it's okay that at the beginning of the summer I finally just finished putting away all the maternity clothes and was welcoming and embracing the new me that would never be in those size 8's again and was gonna have to work it to keep in those size 10s.  and it's okay that I may and should occationally freak out because we don't have a car that fits 3 carseats, or maternity coverage because we were trying to save money.  And why is all of this okay?? Because our little family is what's MOST important; and Jason and I have been blessed with the opportunity to bring another spirit to this earth to raise in our home; and Kaylena and Joseph have been blessed with another sibling to play with and love for!  What great blessings we have!!!

 

So...on with plan B.  Plan Baby. :)