Lately...

Just hit the 33-weeks mark. So thankful and starting to see the light at the end of the {bedrest} tunnel. One more week of critical resting to get to 34 weeks. Three more weeks (to get to 36 weeks) until the doctor wouldn't stop labor. And every week beyond that is bonus! WE CAN DO THIS. 

Taking time as I am able to have one on one time with each of my sweeties. 

2nd trip to L&D during week 32 to check on a truckload of contractions and pain. Sent home with the assurance that more measures are not needed to stop contractions because they're not progressing labor at this point! Thankfully escaped the dreaded one-two punch (iv and turbutaline shot). And got to know the sweetest nurse that morning, too. 

Nightly bubble baths are the envy of a certain 2 yr old. Most of the time I let her join me. How could I not?! I mean, that sweet face... Baby girl just wants to be with her mama and I love it. 

Cold viruses are making their way through each of us, making us even lazier than bedrest and the polar vortex were. Lots of naps and movies because why not. 

We have help for at least a chunk of each day right now, and the kids especially love when it's their beloved Mima. Nobody loves you quite like your Mima loves you. 

The girls are all about being little mommies. I think Ellie's ready for the Ergo... She's got the cutest little maternal streak and is very nurturing towards her dolls, maddie and my belly (as she talks about her new sister inside).

Growing independence... I relocated their kids' dishes to a low cabinet where they can access everything they need at mealtime. And lo and behold, Robbie has started to make their lunches on his own occasionally. I LOVE THIS. 

Snow in the bathtub. Open to any and all ideas for making frigid stuck-inside days pass by a little quicker! This was a good one. 

Digging up old toys from the basement to freshen up creativity. All 3 kids love the art easel and it's such a low-mess activity. Everybody wins!

(This is a picture Ellie drew of me, with a question mark on my belly "because we don't know what the baby is going to look like, mom!")

Lots of stuffing dolls under shirts around here. Big sister rite of passage, no?!

Well, I guess one day I let him play in the dry bath tub with toys in his pjs. I am winning at parenting. {this is pathetic to me for some reason... Like either let the kid actually take a normal bath or entertain him conventionally if he's fully clothed, I don't know...}

Back in the day (haha). 

Miss maddie is such a pottying champ. Literally taught herself. Asks to take off her diaper to go in the potty if we have her in one. Uses the perfect amount of TP. Is mortified by accidents. So dutiful, this one. Bless the third child. 

She would babysit him if we let her. Ellie's always had a soft spot for baby Jacob! It's the cutest. HE'S the cutest. I can't blame her. 

I have the best friends. For real. Sweet Liz sent this to me the day she took my kids and hers to Frozen (with her mom). SHE TOOK ALL THREE OF MY KIDS TO THE MOVIES. So I could rest. Who does that?! She does. SHE DOES. So many jewels on this ones crown in heaven, I'm telling you. 

In addition to precious friends, The Lord has totally provided me with fantastic babysitters for this time that I desperately need help. Today our sitter sent me this pic of the girls at ballet. Nothing makes a mama more grateful than to see her kids taken care of and well loved when she can't be the one to do it.

And new sweet friends who keep your 5 yr old boy entertained one afternoon with warm pretzels and rock climbing! 

Pre-bedrest, when I planned to aggressively walk each day. Ha. HAHAHA. That's seriously what I get for trying to exercise while pregnant. The next two days were the beginning of all these contractions and bedrest. But walking that day with friends sure was fun!