Week 37...

It's now week 37, and as of my appointment last week, I'm 2 cm., and 50% effaced. Young Sohl is happily squirming about as I type, seeming none too concerned with the idea of making an early appearance. I can go in this week to get the membranes stripped, and hopefully that will make things move along a bit more rapidly. In case you can't tell, I'm finished with the pregnancy thing. Not that I'm not appreciative of the baby, the blessing, or the fact that I can conceive and carry the baby. I'm so thankful for all those things. I'm just ready to meet this young man and to begin our lives as a family of five, instead of as just us four with a super tired, crabby, pained mom who requires more personal space than a Mack truck.

Little Sohl Gal is all about babies right now, and loves to see other babies, talk to them, and really, really wants to touch one. I've held her off, because all the babies she sees right now are teeny, tiny babies, or are inside a classroom she peeks in on. I'm not sure she really gets that one will be living in her house, though she loves to "kiss da baby" when she thinks of it (which is fairly often). I'm torn as to how she'll accept the baby. On some level, she'll be upset that the attention she used to command will be shared; mostly, though I expect that she'll be the mothering type, and that I'll find her inches from the baby more often than not.

Sohl son's taken on the big brother role of Young Sohl already. We were shopping the other day, and Young Sohl moved in such a way that I gasped. Sohl son frowned at my stomach, and said, "STOP it, Young Sohl! You're hurting, Mommy." To which Little Sohl Gal added, "TOP IT SOHL SON!!" At least they look out of me and for each other, right?!?

He says he remembers what happened when Little Sohl Gal was born, and we took him to the labor and delivery unit at the hospital to see where Young Sohl would be born. He liked the rocking chairs, the TV/DvD sets, and was highly concerned about the presence of shots. He remembers that I fed Little Sohl Gal, "tummy milk," and wanted to know if I'd feed the new baby the same way. :) Tummy milk. He also has asked if I can open my mouth so he can talk to Young Sohl and hear Young Sohl's voice. I'm always intrigued by what decisions they've made as to how the whole thing works.

My sister is also pregnant, and is 38 weeks, PRAISE GOD! She's also 2 cm., and is "softening nicely," according to her doctor. My mom asked her if we were racing to see who could have the baby first. I'll tell you what - I'm older, so I should get to go first. :)

I'm asking for prayer for my parents. They've been without power since the remnants of Hurricane Ike rolled through the Louisville area, and are possibly to be restored today. A friend has lent them a generator so that they can keep the food cold, and occasionally make contact with the outside world. Mom's been working, still, and says that while she enjoys camping, she likes it better when she's camping because she wants to, not because she has to.

I still don't have official details of what will happen in C's case, but we're prayerful that we'll know by the end of the week.

PRAISE!

God has provided a response and a result for our yuckiness, and has answered so clearly the prayers we've had. Can't go into too much detail, but the case has been substantiated, and then some.

More when I have it!

Let's see...

I'm sure I should have things to blog about by this point... but most of what's going with my Sohlmate and I is stuff I'm not willing to share in the blogosphere. I'll leave it that God's in control and that we're believing hard after that fact.

So I'll share stuff about the little Sohls.

Sohl son has started Spanish Immersion. He goes daily for a few hours, and has about fifteen kids in his class. His teachers, Maria Jose and Rocio, are Spanish nationals who are definitely gifted with children. He's learning a Spanish counting song, and various words. He knows the word for spoon (la cuchara), class (la clase), closet (el cuarto), and several numbers. This is interesting because they prepared us at the start that the children may act as if they know no Spanish at all. Thankfully, with his vocal nature, he shares new words often.

He's also busy playing with Tell-man, and a new friend, I-sen. There are four other four-year-old boys right around our house, and our Sohl son is in his own personal heaven. Trains and bikes are his favorite activities right now, and these other four boys love the same things. Sohl son is into reading books, and insists on reading books to himself before his nap and bedtime. Current favorite titles include, "No, David", "Rack, Shack, and Benny", "Joseph Had An Overcoat", and "Duck on a Bike."

What's great is that little Sohl gal has three little girls to play with as well! One is almost 3, one is 2 1/2, and one's birthday is the day before her's. She's into the girly-girl stuff. Shoes, clothes, hair brushing, lotion, stuffed animals, bling, and anything pink. Her current favorite animal is a horse, though she still likes dogs and Cookie Bird. Her Spanish vocabulary includes see you later (hasta luego), bye (adios), thank you (gracias), hello (hola), and then repeating any other phrases she hears. She's quite the little chatter, and will talk to just about anyone. Her favorite pastimes are to, "reek a book," and she always wants to join dad and brother when they, "rike a bike." She likes to color, cuddle stuffed animals, and be held by anyone willing.

In Young Sohl news, he's 35 weeks, and is already a pain in the... literally. His movements are very strong, and since he's so low already some of his movements make me stop in my tracks. My doctor said that the cervix is still far back, but things have started changing already to prepare. She said I should take it easy, but didn't put me on bed rest. My Sohlmate, knowing my heriditary trait of busy-body-ness, placed me on a week's worth of rest, clearing me of all housework, Little Sohl Gal carrying, shopping, curtain making, etc. The reason behind the enforced rest period? In order to deliver at the hospital of choice, I have to be at least 36 weeks. While we know that God's in firm control of Young Sohl's eventual arrival date, we're trying to do everything we can to aid his delivery at the hospital of choice.

I've not been told his approximate size; but given Little Sohl Gal's weight of 7lbs 12oz at 38 weeks, and Sohl son's weight of 8lbs 13oz at 41 1/2 weeks, I'd say he'll be at least 6 1/2 lbs if he's born at 36-37 weeks. I go back to the doctor Monday, so we'll have more news then.

Funny story - so at about 36 weeks, the ob/gyns like to do the group B strep culture. It's a swab of the... ahem... 2 delicate regions... to find out if a natually occuring strain has made it outside the body. While it's not harmful inside, it can cause problems at birth. The way to avoid this is to test early, and then administer IV antibiotics at the time of delivery if the test shows the presence of the strain. With the first two, the doctors just told me, and took care of it. This time, the doctor said I could do it at home, or they could. What?? I don't know about you, but I'm not interested in performing an at-home swab. I polietly turned that responsibility back over to her. She kind of laughed at my response. I'd imagine there aren't too many who'd take on that job.

Your time...

I have felt God's presence strongly, especially in those times I really, really needed it. I'd hoped to have more progress and good news to share in reponse to your prayers. Unfortuntately, God is apparently also teaching us patience in this breaking, and so I'm prayerful that like the song says, "strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord."

I am thankful that God placed us in CC, so we have so many loyal, faithful friends surrounding us. I'm thankful that so many know who my Sohl son is and can reinforce to me that my anger is just, and not unbelief, and that my trust in what Sohl son says happened isn't unfounded. I'm trusting that by crying out to Him with my frustrations and fears and anger, that He'll continue to give me the strength to make it through each day with the right attitude and responses.

Your vote, please...

So we've pretty much decided on Grant as a first name. Now I need to know what you think his middle name could be. Check out the poll to the right, and click the option you like. Have a better option? Email it to me, or leave a comment with your idea. For reference, the other two are Carter David and Elaina Madison.

Thanks for the input, friends!

Looking for some art?

(Sohl son dictated these descriptions for you. He was very excited to blog again.)

These are my pictures I made at school.

This one is about the butterfly train. I worked at school.

This is my name. I don't know how to write names. It's so hard. I wrote my name in orange. And Miss Becky colored it blue. It looks like red because it's outside.

This is the TV for the boat battery. And sail away the TV. We're going to watch something like Kai.

I wrote Sadie's s's. I got my own O's.

Elaina made this picture of a butterfly.



That one's mine about the people. It says, "I walk to the bus. I ride to school on the bus, all the way to the air, where Mickey Mouse school has an ear."

This one is about I love my Grandma Molly. It's full of hair on the top and on the bottom and straight. And you know what this is called? It's a snail. It's Grandpa Jim. He's a snail. Just kidding. I'm just kidding. He's not a snail.

This one is the same one. This is Grandpa Jim and Grandma Molly and Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Eileen. And someone is on the monkey bars upside down, holding with his feet.

That is the shooting parachute. And somebody lost his... and someone is all lonely. And he is hiding behind the parachute.

That one is all glued up. You didn't know this one. It was all covered up. It's butterflies. See those feathers? They're the picture of the butterfly. But the butterfly is inside the cage. It's trapped in there because her music power can do it by it's own self. But the butterfly can do it by itself. It's a boy.

This one is about nothing. It's only about running mad hair. See the blue? It means that he's running down the street, and he running, and he's gonna get hit by a car! That's what I did with him.

That one is another person. It's called, "Rock, Rock, Rock the Guitar!" See the mad teeth? It's a pirate, and he sings, "RRRR... Come on let's rock! Rock, rock, Rock!"

That is about flying when it's bedtime in the blue.

Those are pictures of the sad face. They are sad because when we were in the dream, they were sad. The boy had to say goodbye to these two grandmas, and nobody was with the grandmas.

That is about making a puppet. And I like to play, so we did the people one.


Please contact us should you be interested in aquiring a one-of-one piece, created and designed by Sohl son here in Spain. Serious inquiries only, please. ;)

Picture our Sohl life...

Hola!

My Sohl son's newest puzzle. He loves puzzles right now.

His completed work.

Sliding.

Climbing.

She takes after her brother.

But still poses like a princess.

One of my attempts at a "cute" picture. My Sohlmate said the video of me trying to get them to both look at the camera and stay on their bottoms would be funny... I wasn't as amused.

More sliding.

Lunch at BK.

Complete with cerveza - beer!

I think this says, "Who is truer than Winnie the Pooh?"

One of our resident geckos.




Our roses are blooming just fine, inspite of their owner.

Recently picked these up. I plan to seal them and see how they fair against my kids.

Another recent pick up. It needs some work, but I think I can salvage it. Just need to pick a color to paint it to put it in Young Sohl's room. I'm thinking red.

Read this carefully. Initally, I was shocked. Had to read it three times before I saw what it said.