Grandma Photos

Shiphrah & the Potty

The potty has been stowed in the basement for some time and last night, while digging out the remaining baby things, I saw it and took it out.  I knew that we would be using it sometime in the next couple of months as Shiphrah approaches her 2nd birthday.  

This morning after breakfast I changed her diaper.  Maybe 2 hours or more later, after lunch I went to change her again before laying her down for her nap and she was still clean and dry.  So, I sat her on the potty, "Maybe she'll go," I thought.  

Moriah, Lily and I were in the bathroom with her.  After the older girls showed her what to do by using the toilet themselves, we sat and sang to her while we waited to see if she would perform.  I had to leave the bathroom to take some muffins out of the oven when Moriah came to tell me that Shiphrah had pee peed.  And when I got back to the bathroom, she did indeed pee!  This is the first time she has sat on the potty at home and the first time with success!  Yay Shiphrah! 

A Song for Sunday: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

The prophet Jeremiah wrote this when he was sitting in the bottom of a pit.  It probably smelly like a septic tank with very little light and no idea when he might be lifted out of such a place.  But he knew that although his momentary circumstance was very bad, he still trusted in the Sovereign Lord of all creation and was thankful that he wasn't in a worse place: Hell, a fully conscious suffering for all eternity with no hope of escape, ease or even annihilation.  

This hymn was of particular encouragement this morning as the saints sang together in worship.  As physically I've been increasingly more restricted in my activities, I've also realized that I'm going to have to discipline my other children just as much if not more than I am now, but with a nursing newborn too.  Feelings of failure, thoughts of bitterness, anxiety and fatigue have overwhelmed and distracted me from remembering the faithfulness of Christ.  Even in the midst of all my domestic troubles God, who keeps his children by His grace, still provides for all my needs.  Even when I think I've let go of hope, there is nothing and no one that can separate me from the love (eternal commitment) of Christ.  No one can pluck me out of His hand, myself included.

Baby #4 @ 37 Weeks

Changes (Excuses, Really)

I have to apologize for my lack of activity on this blog.  Several factors have played into it and will probably change when the new baby comes, Lord willing.

Blogger has changed it's interface and it's much less user friendly.  I cannot write many posts at once and schedule them to appear every day, like I could before.

I have reached my limit on pictures and I must go back through and delete some if I'm to post any new ones.  Or I could pay to upgrade my subscription on Picasa web albums to include more storage.  I'm disinclined to pay for anything that I once had for free.  So I will have to be more selective about the pictures I post.

Coming to the end of this pregnancy, being so large and desiring more and more to lay down has made climbing stairs rather unappealing.  I've had plenty to say, but at the end of the day, I try to avoid climbing the stairs or staying awake another 20 minutes.  

Today, I'm 37 weeks exactly.  Only 3 more weeks to go until the due date, 19 June.  The girls all arrived on time: Moriah was 4 days early, Lily was one day early and Shiphrah was 15 minutes early.  My prayers concerning this baby are typical: a smooth labor and delivery, a baby that will nurse easily and sleep soundly.  The baby is moving all the time and I have Braxton-Hicks contractions very frequently too. 

Now that I don't have anything major between now and the delivery, I've begun to prepare for this next little person to enter our family.  I've started packing bags, organizing and washing things and I'll start baking additional bread loaves to store in the freezer as well as a few casserole meals.  I eagerly anticipate not walking around like a rhinoceros and meeting our new little baby.  Let the real countdown begin.