Baby Charlie is....

a GIRL!!!! Lydia Grace was born at 12:53 or so they think. Katie and baby are doing well. Katie will post more when she can, but I (Sarah) got Josiah's permission to announce the birth and couldn't wait.

A Bonfire in the Stix

I am still struggling to get videos to upload to this blog since our internet seems to be a little on the slower side. We still can't get Verizon to run Fios down our road. Here is a link for it on youtube that our friends sent Josiah. It is awesome and totally worth your time! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlqUD_51FM

A good report...still patiently waiting

I went to visit my midwife yesterday and both Charlie and I have a clean Bill of Health. He/she is VERY low my midwife seems pretty convinced that we shouldn't still be pregnant by my next appointment on Tuesday. However, if I am, I have to start going to an OB every three days for non-stress tests. These are just to make sure that the baby and placenta are still in good health. I am definitely praying that I don't have to start these, as our insurance doesn't cover any of this and it's all coming out of our pocket.

Thanks for all your prayers!

A positive outlook!

I don't usually get on this blog and simply write my thoughts...which I guess that is the definition of a blog, but yesterday the Lord really spoke to me and I thought I would share.

As most of you know, I am on day four of being past my due date to have Baby Charlie. The last few weeks have been a roller-coaster ride of emotions ranging from being patient and wanting God's timing, to begging God to let me deliver, to tears of frustration from the pain and discomfort I am temporarily experiencing. If you have ever had the pleasure of waiting and waiting for a baby to decide it's time to be born, you know exactly where I am coming from.

I have had good days and bad days, but it always seems that my good days are brought down by other people's negative comments to me. At first I didn't realize how much all of the "Oh, you look miserable", or "When is that baby going to come...you're huge", or "You poor thing" comments were affecting my mood towards the entire situation. I know there are so many people that are really excited to hear the good news that the baby is born, so I know all of the comments are not meant to bring me down. However, I have really allowed them to cloud my mind and believe everything that the people are saying, rather than continue being content in state of waiting.

The Lord brought this verse to me in a devotional yesterday and it really changed my attitude. I have found that every time I started feeling sorry for myself, I would read it and instantly my spirits were lifted and I felt renewed.

The passage is found in Phil. 4:6-7... "Be anxious for nothing (stop worrying Katie and wait patiently), but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving (continue praying and thanking God for all your millions of blessings), let your requests be made known to God (yes Lord, I REALLY would like to deliver this baby); and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (His plan really is better than mine, we both know it), will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (So sit back and enjoy the ride!)

Anyways, I hope you all are having as blessed of a day as I am. I have an appointment today with my midwife so hopefully all will continue to be good news!

Prayer Update

I first want to thank you for your prayers. It is so nice to have others praying for you when, at times, you feel you have prayed yourself out and don't even know what else to pray for. I "hit the wall" several times this week in my prayer life when it came to praying for myself, so I turned my focus to praying for many of you and your needs. It's amazing how many needs there are out there without even focusing on myself and my own situation. It really does lift your spirits when you can pray for some else and forget about yourself for a little while.

Anyway, we had our 4th ultrasound of this pregnancy yesterday and our prayers have been answered. No baby yet...(that is still a huge prayer), but everything is looking great. The placenta has a little breakdown, but nothing that isn't typical for it's gestational age. There is plenty of amniotic fluid and the baby's heartrate is back into the 140's where it had been running the entire pregnancy. They are guessing that it weighs about 8-1/2 lbs at this point, has long legs, and chubby cheeks. Hopefully it will come in the next few days as not to gain too much more weight!!!

I am having stronger contractions, but still no pain or consistency with them. Believe it or not, my new mantra is "bring on the pain!" I have another appointment on Tuesday (should the baby continue in hiding until then), so I will post another update on our family blog with the results.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers...they are still needed!

Follow the Light!

Well, still no Baby Charlie after two days of aggressive walking and every other means that the midwives have to offer at this point. I keep telling the baby to "follow the light!"

My friend, Sarah, and I even walked the entire morning at Busch Gardens to try to get the contractions more frequent and strong. All I think we accomplished was a little education on just about every animal that's there. But hey, on the bright side, we did get to see a lioness up pretty close :)

Our ultrasound is tomorrow at 11am to check the amount of amniotic fluid and see how well the placenta is functioning. The midwives say there are still a few more aggressive actions that they can take if the baby needs to be delivered soon, before we have to go to the hospital. That makes me feel much better! Thanks for all your prayers guys!

Please pray for Baby Charlie!

I would like to ask you all to please be praying for Baby Charlie. I know there is a lot of "medical jargon" in here or TMI for some of you guys, but some of you like to know what's happening so I included it all...

At my appointment today, the baby's heart rate is considerably lower than what it has been running and is low enough that the midwife thinks I need to be delivered in the next few days. She isn't able to confirm it but believes that the placenta is getting too old to be supporting the baby for an extended period of time.

If I don't go into labor on my own with the few things she did today, then I will have to have another ultrasound on Friday to check the placenta and amniotic fluid. I will be evaluated further after getting those results.

I am just praying that I will go into labor on my own in the next day or two, in hopes to avoid having to go the hospital.

No baby yet, but we do have a name!

Just thought I'd sit and plead with you all to pray that I will go into labor soon, or that God will give me patience. I am walking, eating spicy food, and even doing that other thing that everyone says your supposed to be doing and NOTHING! :)

Josiah and I did finally decide on a girl name, though. If it's a boy, it will be our third shot at Elijah James. If it's a girl, it will be Lydia Grace. It wasn't my first choice, but Josiah thinks that Bridgett sounds like an exotic dancer's name. (Sorry if there are any Bridgett's out there reading this). I have a peace about the name Lydia anyway, however hopefully we won't get to use it!

Baby Charlie Update

We are now officially 38-1/2 weeks along and we are really ready to have a baby. By "we", I mean Josiah and I both...He says he wants his nice, sweet wife back. I'm not sure what he means by that, but I did see the episode of Friends when Rachel was ready to deliver and she was unbearable grouchy and irritable. I guess maybe that's me at times. :)

I had an appointment today with a new midwife that has joined our group and I am much more at peace with her than the other one whom she replaced. Charlie is doing awesome and measuring 3 weeks post-term! Yes, I realize that is crazy! The head is really low in my pelvis and I am 1 cm dialated and 60% effaced. She thinks the baby is about 8 lbs now, but is not worried since I've already delivered an 8 pounder.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we are in the home stretch....any day now!!!

All of Dover Ablaze!

Our 4th Annual Christmas tree fire took place last night and with over 100 tress, it was quite a success. We had a great turnout of well over 50 people here to watch either the coolest fire yet, or watch us burn our house down. Praise the Lord nothing burnt that wasn't supposed to!

It all started with a small tree, which was hooked to a "zip-line" from our rooftop, which was lit by a Roman candle (see pic #1). It slid down the line into a line of trees that was supposed to have a domino effect of lighting (see pic#2). It all ended with about 60 trees stacked inside, around, and on top of one of our dead orange trees. It was awesome. I am going to try to get the video on here for you.

If you weren't here, you definitely missed out!

Contractions!

Yes, last night I was having some discomfort with some contractions. They were about 8 minutes apart. Unfortunately, I fell asleep while all this was happening and have no baby this morning, so I guess it was just more Braxton-Hicks. Mom and I have been walking in the evenings trying to get the baby moving. Hopefully it will start to pay off here soon!

In the mean time, I have my "home visit" with my mid-wife tomorrow and am frantically trying to get the house in order so she doesn't think we're slobbish people. Any other mom's feel like you perpetually tidy-up, only to find that everything is back on the floor five minutes later? :) I know I'm not the only one out there!

Christmas Vacation Boredom

My girls have apparently been very bored over the Christmas break. They got into their swim drawer and put about everything on...except for the bottoms to their suits that they said they couldn't find. I guess panties work just the same. They have been asking to go swimming; they don't care that it's only 50 degress outside.

Bulging Bellies

This is a picture of my friend, Diane, and I on New Year's Eve. We are due only three weeks apart. It has been such a blessing to have a friend pregnant at the same time to share my complaints with. I know she understands just how I'm feeling! At the time of this picture, Diane has only 6 days til her due date and I have only three and a half weeks! Who looks bigger?