bsmiles and sunny days

So here's how it went down.  Saturday night Dale's parents were here for dinner, and all through dinner I have having contractions.  They were only coming about every hour so I figured, just like the weeks before, this would be another night just like the rest. Around eleven o'clock, Dale and I were watching a movie and I had a couple of good, strong contractions about ten minutes apart.  I wasn't alarmed, but I was hopeful so I told Dale that we might need to start timing them.  With our history of labor Dale wasn't alarmed either, but went along with me thinking it was probably another false alarm just like every other night of that week when I mentioned that I had had a contraction.  I had been reading up on every possible method of self-induction so I did everything I had been doing everything I could to get labor started.  If this was it, I wanted to see to it that if this was it that it didn't stop.  I sat on the exercise ball, ran up and down th...

She must be one of mine.

We started with a tummy bug, then colds that were actually fever that actually was Influenza B.  And after seven people cycled through both of those- tummy bug eight- we started over with the stomach flu again!  WOOHOO!  This is the flu that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends... Somebody started getting it, not knowing who it's from, and then we kept on getting it forever just because this is the flu that never ends... I want to have the baby.  I mean, I go back and forth.  I want to wait until my family is not coughing or sniffling or vomitting or chilling or running to the toilet for other unmentionable reasons.  But part of me is sure that I'm ready now and that it could- it should- happen at any given second. I'm crabby.  I want to be done with all of this.  I want to have a normal day-to-day routine that works and sticks.  I've never had that, but I want it.  Even when we aren't sick I don't have that, really.  But I...

I'm making SUCH great progress on my list that I decided to stop and give you a little update.  Don't get excited, no  px yet.  My room is occupied by a very sick dude right now so I can't get to my camera at present.  Soon I will, soon! It's getting so close.  I'm having a baby soon.  A new life is coming into my world.  For so many of my pregnancies I have known what to expect.  I know that for a year, or so, I won't sleep more than a few hours at a time.  I will cry every day for most of that year; not sad tears, just random tears of varying emotions.  I will wear maternity clothes for part of it because I will not lose most of the baby weight until close to the end of that year.  In the meantime I will change hundreds and hundreds of diapers.  I will endure the all-encompassing chore of breastfeeding.  (Those first weeks are bad.... verrrrry bad for me.)  No one else will be able to comfort the baby like I wi...

Writing more talking less...?  Hardly. It's a lofty goal for month nine. There is so much I want to do, and there are a million distractions that keep me from being functional.  I have a houseful of sick kids today.  It's been a gradual progression of fallout.  One went down, then another, then two more... now all six feeling yucky, moaning, drinking Sprite, eating crackers.  The fevers are almost gone with the exception of the latecomers.  I'm ok, I don't mind taking a sick day from school in exchange for a marathon of movies.  The big kids are still considerate of overworking me and the little ones don't have the energy to ask for much.  It could be so much worse.  And I feel good- that helps.  Only, I'm a little concerned about being this close to my due date with so much infection floating around the house.  I may lock the kids in the basement for a few hours so I can air the house and disinfect everything.  As far as being...

I'm not sure what happened this year.  Last year we kicked off our celebrations as usual on the first of November and on December 26th when I took all the decorations down, I was ready.  This  year I am already sad that we're so close to the end.  BUT, rather than mourn the loss of something not yet lost, I am choosing to rejoice in each moment until the end comes. Merry Christmas Eve to one and all!  It's SNOWING!!!!!  We woke up to a beautiful blanket of white, which is yet another answer to some diligent and persistent prayers of the Sutton children. He loves us so beautifully.  I have a list of things I need to get done today, including fininshing three presents and making some stocking stuffers.  Also I'll be doing some more Christmas baking as well as making cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning brunch.  The big kids are sledding, the little ones are watching the Christmas movie marathon that is happening right now.  Life is go...

After a series of unfortunate events in my life, I find myself sort of clinging to what matters.  My sweet Gram passed most unexpectedly which sent me into alarm.  Painful as it was, the Lord has used this circumstance to corner me and my restless heart.  Most recently Dale and I became suddenly struck with the worst stomach flu of our existence to date.  I came very close to dehydration and nearly threw myself into pre-term labor for want of necessary instruction.  Thanks to a simple remedy, some tlc, and the blessing of a dear friend, we avoided a trip to the hospital.  After two days of complete bedrest and another day of bursts of energy followed by debilitating exhaustion, I think we're better.  Because of these trials my heart is atune to the goodness of God and His mercy toward me.  He has never failed me nor ceased to show me his loving kindness.  I miss writing.  I was going through the precious items I was p...