Sweet tooth

My evening routine the last few nights has been a hot cup of hot chocolate stirred with a candy cane. I am not a chocolate fan. In fact, I am not a sweet fan in the least, but this pregnancy has brought out a sweet tooth I didn't know I had. Normally I can make many kinds of Christmas cookies and MAYBE try one of each and then be done but this year it has been different. I have diligently kept myself from eating all the sweets we have in the house but at night I cannot resist a hot cup of hot chocolate. It for sure has to have the mint aspect and it really hits the spot.

Home Stretch

Well, we have entered into the home stretch of the pregnancy. At least that is what I am calling it!

 
We officially have less than one month and even less than 4 weeks left before the delivery on January 26.

On the 1st I will start taking a different blood thinner in order to be able to be conscious during the C-section. There was some concern with the insurance that it would not be covered (which was VERY disconcerting since what I currently take is $1500/month if the insurance wouldn't pay their share) but the pharmacist just called and said that he was able to get authorization for 50 doses (which is what I will need) and he can provide me the Heprin and it will be less than $15 for all of it! Praise the Lord!

I have been feeling the need to nest quite a bit. A few nights ago I sat down and typed up a typical day routine for Katrina and other special activities that she enjoys for my parents when they are here with her. We bought the first pack of Pampers Swaddlers and a few other necessities last weekend. A dear friend came over yesterday with four tubs of baby clothes she is going to lend us (thank you, Kari!) and so I still have to sort through those but . . .

I must admit that as things draw closer and closer I am more uptight as well. It has been a long journey, this one of a second live birth, and although there is no apparent reason to be concerned, I am. I try to purpose in my heart each moment to trust the Lord with this baby's life and arrival into the outside world and yet sometimes a fear that is hard to explain grips me and I panic. We appreciate your prayers for us during this time.

I am seeing the OB once/week now and they are routinely running non-stress tests, which are coming back just fine. It is just unnerving to be going in to check if the baby is responding well to the blood supply, etc. I am grateful they are checking this possible complication, but the simple fact that I have a potential complication is hard to swallow, you know?

So, I will continue to post throughout this last month and of course after the baby arrives, but I wanted to let you know where we are at.

December has been a full month...

Take a look at what we have done. These posts work backwards from today. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Jesus

We have made it a tradition (this is the second year) of making a birthday cake for Jesus.

 

Katrina picked the color of cake this year.

 

She also picked the color of frosting. (Any guesses as to her favorite color these days?)

 

Remember when I said that while decorating the cut-outs she waited to eat the frosting and the cookies? Not this time! Thankfully we were almost done. I finished the rest, in case you stop by and we offer you a piece of Jesus' cake!
 

 

 

Here is a short video of Katrina singing to Jesus. This is one of the reasons we think it is so important to keep Jesus at the center of Christmas (in our family we have chosen to do it in this way). Our priority in raising her is sharing Jesus with her. This is one way we are doing it. What are you doing to share Jesus with your family?

Opening gifts

We have decided to open gifts in our family on Christmas Eve in order to preserve Christmas day for Jesus and the celebration of His birth. Last night we went to the Christmas Eve service at our church, Jesus' birthday party, according to Katrina, and then came home and had some presents to open. Panchito put the gifts under the tree while I distracted Katrina and then we brought her upstairs.

 

 

She was quite surprised at all the presents from Papa and Mama.

 

Then she became VERY cuddly! Surprise, surprise!

 

Finally the opening time came...

A Hello Kitty t-shirt. This has apparently been a favorite and she has only taken it off when she spilled her cereal on it and I had to wash it quickly and dry it even more quickly.

Among other things she received a Lucky Ducks game which has been a fun game to play last night and today as well.

Cut-out Decorating

Tuesday evening we decorated cut-outs. Katrina used pink frosting on all of her cookies. That should not surprise you since pink is her ABSOLUTE favorite color lately. (see Happy Birthday Jesus)

 

 

Panchito joined us and we had a really nice family time.

 

 

Katrina is so concentrated. She did a great job waiting until we were done to eat the frosting and to eat a cookie!

Cookie Exchange

Cookie exchanges are SUPER fun. Thanks to a dear friend we participated in one during December.

Take a look at all the scrumptious cookies we shared.

 

Here are some the kids enjoying the time as well.

 

 

Take a look at the spread of brunch foods she had for us... sticky buns, Christmas tree sandwiches, quiche, fresh fruit, cheese tray, finger jell-o (red and green) and Christmas punch. Needless to say, we were full!

 

Then, she had an activity prepared for the children...

 

Cut-out decorating.

 

Katrina went a bit overboard on the sprinkles, but then again, what 2 1/2 year old doesn't go overboard on the sprinkles?

 

Thank you, dear friend, for such a fun, memorable event.

 

 

Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons are a highlight of our week. We just finished another session and will not be in swimming for a bit as we prepare for the baby's birth (my suit is a bit too tight!) and our adjustment period. Here are some pictures from our last lesson.

  

 

 

 

 

Do you have a name picked out yet?

No.

Here are Katrina's most recent suggestions:

• Sparkle Pony
• Pink Unicorn

Although they are nice names (for stuffed animals) we have officially decided to not go with those names.

All Aboard!

Katrina and I are involved in a baby buddies group through church and today the baby buddies hosted a "sprinkle" for us. A "sprinkle" is a baby shower for a second child (or third...)

The theme was trains and the girls who put it together (Jenny and Christina and Kristy) went ALL out, as you can see! Take a look at what they put together for us.

This is a train assembled with fruit (so creative).

Katrina LOVED the blue frosted train cookies. She is asking for another one as I post!

We are all so overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and blessing our friends and family have given us anticipating the arrival of our baby boy in a bit less than seven weeks. It has been a long haul that I was thinking about just yesterday. It is quite incredible how painful things can be in the moment and then how the Lord can ask us to wait on Him and then later the pain of those days is still present in our memories but it is not as hard to consider and remember. Losing the three babies after Katrina was probably the hardest thing we have experienced in our marriage and I cried more during those months than I have ever and yet now He has turned our sorry into joy as He has blessed us with another pregnancy and a baby that appears healthy.

We do ask for your prayers as we enter the last leg of the pregnancy journey and as we prepare for his birth. The C-section is scheduled for Monday, January 26th at 7:30 AM. We will keep you posted with any changes in those plans if and as they occur. Thanks for coming along with us on this adventure. Although it has been very difficult at times, we have learned so much and have been drawn further into God's gracious arms and for that we would not exchange these experiences for anything.

Another Venezuelan Christmas Tradition

Well, we went on another Venezuelan Christmas tradition adventure today...

Today we made hallacas. Actually it started yesterday. All afternoon yesterday I prepared the ingredients and Katrina and some friends helped me wash the plantain leaves (the wrapping for the hallacas).

Here is a step-by-step of the hallaca-making process.

 

Katrina helping wash the plantain/banana leaves.

Making the dough balls (from corn flour).

Flattening the dough to begin adding all the fillings.

All the fillings: potatoes, garbanzo beans, raisins, beef, red pepper, green olives, hard-boiled eggs, capers, bacon, onion, chicken.

A bit of each ingredient in the center of the flattened dough.

 

Fold over the flattened dough to make a nice pocket.

 

Wrap the pocket in the plantain/banana leaf.

Tie the plantain/banana leaf with the traditional Venezuelan hallaca tie.

47 hallacas all together, tied and ready for cooking.

Boil each hallaca for 60 minutes.

Open and ...

enjoy!

* You do NOT eat the banana/plantain leaf. It is just the wrapping!

Give me a call if you want one. We have plenty! A special thank-you to the Sterken family for coming the third year in a row to help us make these. Soon I hope to post about the progression from year to year. Stay tuned.  

Crepes Anyone?

Last night the men in the family attended a fund raiser for Hope Pregnancy Resource Center where Al Lindner was the guest speaker, a famous fishing guide. Because the men were out for a night on the town, the girls decided we should stay in for a night. We made crepes. Savory and sweet. It was a SUPER fun night. Take a look!  

Here are the finished crepes ready to be filled.

 

Here is the gang, minus me! (From left to right) Leanne, my brother Shawn's wife, my mom, Dawn, a GREAT family friend, Amber, my brother Nick's girlfriend and Dawn's daughter, Katrina.

 

Katrina chose not to fill her crepes (which she called pancakes) but rather to eat them with the fillings on the side.