37-38 weeks!

Well, this MAY be the last time I'm able to post for a while so I thought I would put a few more pictures up and give an update on Jakub and Sofia.  Firstly, thanks for your thoughts and prayers after my last post when I mentioned that I was not feeling well.  Little did I know it was going to get a lot worse for both me and Josh.  We both caught a terrible chest cold with all the things that go with that.  It was hard on both of us to keep going with all of the work that needs to be done right now- inside and outside the home!  I've never been that type of sick with a pregnancy before and boy did it make me exhausted beyond belief and feeling like I couldn't get a single thing done.  Thankfully, we're both almost back to completely great health and I am thankful to God that it's passed and that Jakub never caught it other than a slightly runny nose. 

Here's a picture of my boys from this week.

You have to love that awkward-smiling phase kids go through. :)  Jakub's started noticing the recent, baby-related, changes going on around the house and has been having a hard time with listening, discipline and other things lately.  He never seems bothered by anything related to Sofia, or her coming soon, but in other areas of life is showing that he's sensitive to the changes around us.  I'm sure it's normal, but it's hard sometimes for Josh and I to know how to best handle it all and help him, while also disciplining appropriately and being consistent with him.  He's begun wetting the bed a little this week, started talking back to me if he's embarrassed by my getting on to him, and not listening at times and repeating bad behavior that's not usual for him.  I'm sure it will all ease in time so we're just being as patient as we can be and trying to give all of the attention and discipline he needs as best we can.

It's definitely not all bad, though, not even close.  He's a lot of the time really a great kid and very loving as well.  He's constantly been kissing on my belly and talking to Sofia.  He's told her he's ready for her to come out so they can play and so he can show her all of the toys we have at home.  He likes to look in her new bed and to see all of the little clothes and blankets we've been given.  If I make a move or grimace that he interprets as painful or anything he asks if she's kicked me and if she and I are ok. :)  I hope his eagerness to see her and his desire to tell her he loves her and wants to talk to her will continue once she's here! :)

** Warning**  Too much personal/pregnancy information coming up soon.  Feel free to skip ahead. :)
Last Monday, at 37 weeks I went to the doctor for a normal check-up and found out that Sofia is getting ready to come "soon."  I was already thinned out a lot, though by their measurements here it's unclear how much that actually is, and 2 cm dilated.  The doctor said he believed I would begin labor or my water would break within 1 to 7 days.  Yikes!  I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed and a little flushed with the sudden realization that she could come very, very soon and even earlier than I ever thought she might.  Of course we talked with our Moms to let them know and let them make their own decisions about whether to come sooner or not.  They were supposed to come Feb. 8th for a Feb 16th due date.  Well, I guess Sofia might have other things in mind.  And our Moms changed their tickets and they will be here Tuesday afternoon.  Yeah!!! :)  So, I'm doing my best now to keep Sofia calm and not wanting to make her debut until after Tuesday.    Every day I notice more minor changes that seem to indicate she's barely holding on  We'll see what the doctors say tomorrow as I have my first hospital check-up and monitoring in the morning.  This week I'll be 38 weeks, which is when my water broke with Jakub.  Hopefully our Moms make it in time! :) 

Oh, and the beautiful cake above is one that my friend made for a small baby shower they wanted to give me at our weekly Bible study. 

 

We also received a very beautiful and generous gift-package this week from Scott and Denise Karnes- dear friends of ours who live and work as missionaries in Ireland. Denise made all of these things for Sofia and they are gorgeous!  I love all of the different colors and patterns.  It's just the look that I love for little girls.  The quilt is now waiting for Sofia in her baby bed.  Thank you, Denise!!!

 And this might be the last picture I take pregnant, except for hospital photos.  We'll just have to wait and see what the doctors have to say tomorrow.  If I have time to update again I will.  Thanks for all of your prayers and please keep them coming.  I pray Sofia will be healthy, that Josh and I will do well through delivery, that God will give us peace and comfort while I deliver and then we welcome her into the world and her family, that our Moms will get here safely and in time for the delivery, and that Jakub will love his baby sister.  I'm excited about and thankful for our growing family.  I don't take it for granted and even with the minor bumps and illnesses I know I have truly had a blessed and healthy pregnancy.  I hope recovery will be the same!  Sofia Lane is almost here!

Ježíšek and Winter Snow...

Well I'm laying around on the couch today with a bad cold and some chills, so I thought I would add a couple of videos from our holiday time.  Hopefully baby Sofia will not want to come any time soon because I imagine giving birth feeling like this would be pretty miserable... not that it's going to be a walk in the park anyway. :)  However, I would like to be able to breathe through my nose and not have a sore throat when that time comes.

It's an interesting day outside as it's really cold and going back and forth between beautiful sunshine and downpours of heavy snow.  It isn't snowing for long enough at one time to really accumulate, but it's beautiful all the same.  It's snowed a little bit every day this week and it's been nice.  I enjoy snowy winters here very much.  In fact, on the heavest snow day this week, when we ended up getting about 3 inches, I sent Josh to pick Jakub up from school with the snow sled so Jake could have a ride home in it. :)  Here's a video of the fun they had.  I wish I could have pulled him home- I miss doing these things with him right now!

They ended up staying outside for one hour playing in the snow and sledding down a nearby hill that's perfect for children.  One of Jakub's good friends, another Kuba. was outside so they were able to sled together!



I also have a Christmas video to share from Christmas Eve.  We took a ton of videos over the two days, but I still need to sort through most of them.  Grandparents, this one's for you.  It's a little long, but we thought you would enjoy seeing his excitement.  We started our family Christmas celebrations this year in the traditional Czech style since this is where we live and it's truly Jakub's home for now.  Most all Czechs celebrate Christmas on the evening of the 24th.  They have a long-standing custom of Ježíšek (baby Jesus) bringing the gifts on Christmas Eve when no one is looking, and then you hear a bell ring to signify he's visited.  You can read a little more about it if you want here:  Ježíšek

We decided this year, since Jakub actually understands what is happening now, that we would like to incorporate some of this tradition into our family since this place has become and will always be a huge part of our lives, and the place where Jakub was born.  So, we celebrated Ježíšek on the 24th and also a traditional American Christmas on the morning of the 25th.  Throughout it all, and all of the holiday season, we tried to keep an important focus on the meaning of the season and giving thanks to God for all of our gifts in life, because they come from Him.  The greatest gift is of course Jesus and celebrating baby Jesus bringing some gifts on the 24th seemed to fit in perfectly with our family focus.   Here's a video of him just after bath time and when he hears the bells ring.  It was a very sweet and peaceful time for our family. :)

More to come later from Christmas morning.  We hope you all had a happy and blessed holiday season and are having a nice start to the new year.  Thanks for all of your prayers for baby Sofia and please keep them coming.  Hopefully she'll hold out until our Moms arrive on Feb. 8th.  I have another doctor's appointment on Monday and then will hopefully update the blog and add some more pictures then.