Just tired...

Well, I've been tired. The big dilemma is usually should I take a shower or take a nap. Needless to say, I usually choose the nap. The baby is nursing so frequently that it's hard to do anything else. It's a good thing I really can't do anything else, ha ha! Please pray that Eden would nurse efficiently and I would have an abundant milk supply. I'm having problems in the early morning hours. She wants to nurse all night and I get worn out and can't do it. I'm so tired by 5 Am with no sleep. The past two mornings Stu has given her a bottle so I can sleep. I hope this isn't train wrecking the breast feeding thing. Other than that, I can't lay down to sleep in our bed and I'm not a back sleeper, so I'm even more tired b/c my rest is not adequate. Please pray for that. I'm pretty much home alone with the kids. Stu is back to work on a 2/3 day schedule. The kids are stir crazy, too. That's us right now! Reality is so, well, REAL.

More cute pictures!

Dan and Max is holding Eden
The biggest brother of all
Me and my car seat
Cute, Cute, Cute!

Newborn Nights

I'm enjoying my time with our new baby. She is very sweet even though we were cluster feeding from 2-5 AM. The itty bitty stage doesn't last long and I'm determined to enjoy it. I am feeling a bit better every day. Praise God for that! We have such lovely friends from church who are taking wonderful care of us. Thank you!

Here's here little web page with a few pics they took at the hospital. They're kind of funny! To leave a comment our password is Palmer.
http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage_view.asp?URLID=6V0U5T9Z0V

Enjoy!

Here's a couple more pics. We came home today. C sections are horrible! I've been really struggling with recovery. I appreciate your prayers!

New Baby girl!

Here is Eden Joy!
She is so beautiful!
At 8 lbs 4 oz she is the smallest baby of us all!
All of us are anxiously waiting Mom, Dad and Eden's return to home tomorrow afternoon!
Thank you for all the prayers!

-Celeste

Eden Joy!

After hours of labor my mom had to have an emergency c section. My mommy is in the hospitable and is still recovering. As of last night the nurse was saying she might have to stay till Sunday. Please pray for her that she would have a easy recovery! I know right now she is very uncomfortable.

Mom, Dad and the whole gang are so happy that we have a beautiful little baby girl! I don't have a picture yet but will try and get one! At 8 lbs 4 oz and 20 in long she is my mommies smallest baby! We think her eyes will stay blue and she has a little head of brown fuzzy hair (way more than the boys had!). I think she looks like my mom and me more than the boys do! I will get a picture up asap! Thank you for all the prayers!

P.S. If you are reading this, I love you mom!!

-Celeste

I changed my ticker box since baby will be coming tomorrow...God willing! I really will be 38 weeks, 2 days when she arrives. I'm thinking of going out by myself today for a little while. I still need to take a shower and get motivated. My hubby says he's coming home from work early, too. He's very busy, so I don't know if that will really happen. Okay, talk to everyone after the baby comes! Celeste will post her stats on Thursday night, probably.

I trust in the Lord of my salvation!

Baby Update

God does answer prayer! Not to be gross, but I lost my mucus plug on Saturday night. Yea! Also, I went to see Jane on Monday and I'm 2-3 cm dilated, WOOT! No problem for induction. I am scheduled for Thursday. We are to call to make sure there's room. Please pray that there's room for me. We have everything arranged with friends and family to care for our other children. This is no simple task. Thank you for all your prayers! You may not hear from me until after the baby comes. I've been a pro at just laying around. Energy is low and things don't feel good most of the time. Blessings!

This silly couple is about to have their 6th baby! Please pray for them to have abundant grace over the coming couple of months as many adjustments will be made to their family. They praise God for his blessings! (Okay, I found this pic on Stu's computer and had never seen it before....I love it of us together. I love my husband dearly!!!)

Win a FREE blog design!

Would you like to win a free customized blog design?? I know I would! New baby, new blog design! Go to www.bluebirdblogs.blogspot.com to get info on entering. What a great treat that would be!

God's Favor

I will open this up by saying that I know that God is in control of my life and that His timing is perfect. He knows what I need even before I go to Him in prayer for it. At this time, I am experiencing some worry about being induced next week. When I saw one of the midwives on Wednesday I wasn't very "ready" to have this baby. So I called back and spoke with another one of the midwives--both of these are not JANE (who knows me very well). I will be going in earlier than planned next week to determine if things are favorable for my induction on Thursday. If they are not, then we'll have to wait. I am very concerned about having another huge baby and a bad tear (sorry if that's TMI!). I am praying for God's favor for next week and I'm praying for a smaller baby this time. I DO just want her to be healthy, of course. I'm just feeling a bit anxious right now. So please pray for God's favor for me at the end of this pregnancy. Pray that things would go well and I could have the baby next week. It's hard to arrange care for 5 kids at the spur of the moment. I'll be spending a bunch of extra time praying and reading my bible. I KNOW God is sovereign in my life. I'm probably borrowing tomorrow's trouble for nothing, but your prayers are coveted and will be a blessing to me! Thanks!

Inside Job--One last look!

Eden Joy at 37wks, 1 day--estimated weight 8 lbs., 11 oz.

Here is the most recent u/s picture of baby Eden. She was looking quite chunky on the screen today. She sure has a cute nose and some plump looking lips. Her head was something like 35 cm...I just don't even want to think about that. The estimated weight for today was 8 pounds, 11 ounces. The midwife felt around and felt she was closer to 8 pounds, so I'm hoping for a baby that's under 9 pounds this time. We'll see! The u/s tech showed me where she had some cute hair fuzz on her head, so she has some, but it didn't look like much. I was only dilated 1 cm today :(. Baby is high. BUT a lot can happen in the next 8 days before I get induced! We are very excited!!

The ladies from church threw me a baby shower last night. It was lovely. The cake had a cute little baby in the center of it. There was yummy fruit salad, little quiches, dip, cheese, roll-ups, and delicious punch. I feel very loved! Thank you ladies! Eden got LOTS of clothes. So much pink. She better be a girl!!

I am Strawberry Ice Cream!

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavoricecreamareyouquiz/

12 Days!

...until my induction. I'm starting to feel nervous about how it will go. I think this one will be faster than Tommy's labor. I believe she's smaller than he was. We have an ultrasound this Wednesday to check her size, so we'll have more info then. But hey, the good news is that I STILL have a little bellly button left! Never had one this late in the game...except for maybe during my first pregnancy. I have only gained 15 pounds so far and am hoping not to gain any more. The ladies at church are throwing me a shower in a few days and I'm excited to get to fellowship with them. It's always fun when we get together!

Home school is going very well this year so far. We've had some curriculum changes with 2 of the kids. Also, the jury is still out on FLVS Spanish I for Celeste. We have to decide by Sunday b/c that's the last day to drop. I'm thinking I should do some lesson planning this coming week so that after the baby comes things will run smoothly. I am awaiting some new books for Max. He may end up being my biggest challenge yet in the reading department, but I'm plugging away at it.

Please pray for my husband's business. We really need to have a closing before the end of November. We have a house (Misty Oaks) that REALLY needs to sell. I am praying for God's favor...although, I think we have it with the beautiful family he has given us. I think I should rather say I am praying for financial blessing during this time. He is Sovereign. I will leave you with a verse from my son, Jamie: "Do everything without grumbling or complaining..." Phil. 2:14.

Tommy Bahama

Yesterday was little Tommy's 2nd birthday!!! I guess he's no longer a baby anymore. He's been a toddler for some time now, but he still looks like a baby. I can't believe it's been two years already. AND this week Celeste got her learner's permit!!! Anyway, Happy Birthday to Tommy who was born on:

August 24th, 2004
9 pounds, 6 ounces
9:06 PM!

I LOVE YOU!!

28 Days

Actually, my ticker in the sidelines is off. Why? Because I am scheduled to be induced 4 weeks from today! That's September 21st. A Thursday. I have 28 days left until I meet my precious baby. I'm excited and trying to get ready mentally. I still need to get ready around the house, but figure I still have time. I don't have one diaper for her! I went to the midwife yesterday and had gained 1 1/2 pounds, but total weight gain this pregnancy is only 13 pounds so far. I was measuring 35 weeks. I'm usually way far ahead at this point (I'm 34 weeks), so I'm hoping for a smaller baby this time! I just have to watch what I eat for the next four weeks! Please pray for peace for me. I've been worried about the future and how things are going. Thanks!

Announcing...

Samantha Lindsay Vellekamp
August 18th, 2006
5:10 PM
6 pounds, 11 ounces

My best friend, Valerie, had her baby last night! She had a c-section due to a burst ectopic a couple years ago. The docs said when they got in there it looked like a war zone and that's she's lucky to be alive (from the ectopic and this higher risk pregnancy). Glad they had the foresight NOT to let her go through regular labor. Baby and Mommy are doing fine! I will post pics when I get some! I hear she had some dark hair on that little perfectly round head, unusual for a newborn Vellekamp. Her Daddy, Heath, is very proud. Samantha joins her siblings Ciera 9, Zachary 8, Joshua 8, and Rebeka 5. Yea!

Sorry about my complaining earlier. I could excuse it as pregnancy grumpiness, but it truly is a sin issue. I saw this today and thought it applied...

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

One day runs into the next...

Tommy gives momma some baby love!

Do you ever get the feeling that one day runs into another? I have nothing major to look forward to until this baby comes...that's a long wait, in my book. Right now I have a 5 and a 7 year old fighting over a pop-tart. They don't want to split it, so no one is getting it. The 5 year old is screaming in his room. I will be honest. I HATE this! When does life get fun again? My 12 year old is going out to have fun at a friends with a bunch of other 12 year olds. My 15 year old is going to the mall with her friends and then back here to hang out tonight. At least when the baby comes I'll have something to do that's constructive. I love my little Tommy. Did you see his cute pic as he's laying over that BIG belly? I've got a little under 5 weeks to go and I feel HUGE. My best friend, Val, is having a c-section as we speak. Wish I could be there! Among other things....

They're Back!

The gang's all here!
Nancy & Valerie, very pregnant!

Yes, my older children, Celeste and Jamie, are back from summer! Their plane was about a half hour early, so by the time we got to the airport to pick them up, they were already on the ground with their luggage. No parking, just got them at the curb and drove off!! I kind of missed the grand welcoming we usually have. That's why there's a picture in the truck! Also, I visited Valerie, my best friend. She was 37 weeks pregnant and I was 32. She is having her baby next Friday on the 18th. No more amnios, the baby's lungs should be okay! We're very busy here getting ready to start school next week and enjoying the return of the kids! Thank the Lord for a new year!