36 Weeks Complete

Things are getting interesting in the Slawson home.  My doctor has basically told me that I should be on bedrest, and my amazing husband has really stepped up to the plate and taken care of everything at home.  Thankfully he had planned on having a clear schedule from this time until Nadia's birth, and it's working!

As the time draws near, we're trying to make sure our bases are covered, so here's some things we've done this week and my random thoughts as well.

~Contingency plans are in place for an unexpected daytime or nighttime arrival of beautiful Nadia.

And yes, we posted them so that we wouldn't have to think about what to do in case of an emergency.

~I feel much less anxious having these plans clearly laid out.

~The bag is packed!  Thanks to my friend, E, for the thorough list of suggestions for the hospital bag.

~I find it amusing that my doctor "invited" me to the hospital when she suggested bed rest.  Yes, that's the literal translation of the verb that she used.

~I miss regularly picking up Little Man.

~Very thankful to have our friend Vanessa here!  She has such a servant's heart (but don't worry, we won't start making her stack chairs).

~There are advantages to not being able to sleep and waking up really early.  The apartment is much cooler at 6 am and therefore has better conditions for keeping a quilt on your lap while finishing the binding.

~Having fun reading everyone's guesses on the baby pool.  I decided that we should have a prize for each category to spread out the fun, so make sure you go make a guess!

Any Guesses?

Well, Nadia and I have almost made it to 36 weeks, so I think it's about time we have a baby poll.  Leave a comment with your guess of date, time, weight and length.

I'll see what I can do to come up with some creative prizes to send home with my mama so that you can actually receive them!

Here are some interesting facts to either totally mess up your guess or help you along the way:

~Isaiah was born at 34 weeks, 2/6/06 at 6:37pm weighing 4 lbs 12 oz and measuring 17 3/4".

~Isaiah dropped on a Wednesday and was born on the following Monday.

~The tentative date for our scheduled c-section is June 9, when we'll be 38 1/2 weeks.

~I'm sleeping worse and worse, getting bigger and bigger.

~Monday (5/17) when I saw the doctor, she said that Nadia is not in the birth canal yet, but that she is close.  I'm not sure exactly what that means, but she feels like she's getting lower.

So what do you think?  I'll leave a link on the sidebar to come back to this post to play in case I write some more posts above it.  Have fun!

Oh, and here's the latest picture I have of us, taken at 35 weeks.

Praying for God's Glory

Technology is an amazing thing, isn't it?  For example, I can listen to sermons from any number of churches and countries all from the comfort of my kitchen or living room or really anywhere thanks to the iPod and podcasts.

Since moving to Russia I've listened to sermon podcasts more and more.  Not being able to understand the sermons at church for almost 2 years really drove me to seek for teaching in other ways.  Often during lunch Isaiah and I will listen to a sermon together.  In fact suhmun recently entered Isaiah's vocabulary.

We were listening to a sermon of John Piper's recently that was reposted on iTunes from the end of 2008 entitled, Put in the Fire for the Sake of Prayer.  We haven't finished it yet, but already I am challenged about my prayer life.

Piper expounds passages from the gospel of John in which the apostle writes about prayer and Jesus' teaching on prayer.  The challenge?  Whatever you pray, pray for the purpose of the glory of God.

Well, duh, you might say.  But really, do we do this?  Piper was talking specifically about what we ask of God and said (rough quote), You can pray for a parking space, that's fine, but is your goal for the glory of God?  Hmmm.....I must confess that while I do believe that my life's goal is for the glory of God, and I try to live that way day by day, I don't think that I've thought about the requests that I make in prayer as specifically for the glory of God.

My most current personal requests have been about Nadia's birth.  For example, Lord, please keep Nadia in the womb until it's such and such a time.  But I think that my request, if I am honest, is motivated by fear and not for the glory of God.
I fear that...
she will be born too early
she will have physical difficulties from prematurity
I will have to have an emergency c-section again and not get to see her right away
her suck won't be developed and she won't nurse well
and the list goes on and on.

Sometimes I find it easier to pray for the glory of God when praying for other people, I think.  But now I want to pray more biblically for myself.  I don't know exactly what this will sound like right now.  Going back to the example of Nadia's birth, I don't think it is sinful to pray for her to be born later rather than earlier, but how do I envelop that desire in the foundation of God's glory?  Just by saying, Please bring glory to yourself through Nadia's birth, Lord; and here are my thoughts and desires on the matter...?

What are your thoughts?

35 Weeks!

Woohoo!  A whole week further along than I was with Isaiah!  I must confess that every morning and several times during the day, I due a mental check of how my body is feeling in order to have a jump start should I go into labor; so far so good.  But here are some random thoughts from the week...

~My newest exercise program:  Changing the sheets on our beds.  It gives me quite a workout these days.

~Every night at midnight sharp, Nadia decides to disco.  I'm not exaggerating.

~I'm so thrilled to have her bed ready, well almost ready; it's ready enough for her to sleep in.  We still have to figure out the best way to hang the netting up from a concrete ceiling.  But that's Thomas' job.

~I actually have a bag partially packed to take with me to the hospital.  Lord willing, I won't be calling Thomas from the doctor's office this time telling him I'm on my way to the hospital and asking him to find my toothbrush.  I feel somewhat prepared already.  I even have a couple outfits picked out for her "coming home" outfit.

~Thomas asks me several times a day if I'm in labor.

~We have 2 sets of sheets for our bed.  One set is dark blue and huge.  The flat sheet hangs way over the edges of the bed.  The other set is white, and the flat sheet just fits; well, it did until my belly got big enough to prevent the sheet covering me all the way unless I sleep in the middle of the bed, which of course doesn't work too well for Thomas.

~And in case you missed this little collage from our other blog, I just had to post it here, too:

So now we wait for what God has in store for our 36th week!

Quite the Appropriate Gift

Mother's Day always sneaks up on us over here, since it's not celebrated in Russia.  But my sweet husband was well-prepared this year!

Not only did he get a few special little things that I had been wanting, like a salad spinner and nylon whisk (more exciting to me than it sounds, I know), but he did something as a sweet surprise that was quite appropriate for Mother's Day...

That's "Nadia's Nook" as I have dubbed our daughter's corner in our bedroom.  Thomas put together her dresser and bed for me this weekend!

Now I can get her clothes that friends have sent us out of the suitcases and plastic bags where I've been storing them!  We're thinking about getting a cute little canopy that will also serve as mosquito netting to put over her bed.  Peter the Great did build this city on a swamp, and every summer we are well reminded of that fact!

Thank you, Thomas for making the weekend very special!

Uncharted Territory

So, Nadia and I have reached the 34 week mark.  I have never been more than 34 weeks pregnant.  Isaiah made his grand entrance at 34 weeks, and we're praying that Nadia doesn't have a competitive spirit and doesn't want to outdo her brother when it comes to excitement at time of birth!

What has week 34 held?

~My body isn't what it was when I was pregnant with Isaiah.  Aches and pains are more frequent and sleep is less frequent.  But she's worth it!

~I am increasingly forgetful.  Didn't know that was possible.

~I'm still not gaining a bunch of weight, but it's coming.  Maybe this will make the recovery after birth easier?

~My doctor finally seems more satisfied that I'm taking care of myself and isn't demanding seemingly strange things of me, well not as much anyway.  (Russian doctors tend to be way overprotective, in my humble opinion.)

~After reading this post by a blogging friend and her thoughts about enjoying "now", I realized that I will never have just Isaiah again, and it made me want to enjoy every possible moment with him to the fullest.  I'm planning some special (light) activities for us; I'm sure that ice cream will be involved somehow.  I know he'll be a wonderful big brother, but it feels very strange to think about sharing him and sharing myself with another child.  It's wonderful, but strange.

Thoughts from Weeks 32 and 33

We've just been having too much fun enjoying life (and then recuperating) in order to take the time to blog about it.  I have a Tot School post from last week to put up on Learning Together, and it will get done eventually, but for now, I just wanted to jot down some of my random thoughts before I forget them.  And I do it here because typing is still easier on the wrist than writing it seems.  Weird.

~It really is getting to be spring here because we now have only one set of doors to get into the metro stations!  Hooray!  Pushing the wheelchair or stroller is never fun with 2 sets of doors, but with 2 sets and an expanding belly, it was getting even more annoying.  And this might not sound like a big deal to those of you who have not regularly taken public transportation, but believe me, it's worth going out and getting ice cream or something!

So we did...

~Single parenting is tough!  While Thomas was gone I tried to keep us busy and have extra fun things, and I was exhausted!  My prayers will be more frequent for my friends who are on that journey--May God grant you abundant grace and strength!

~I love having guests (more on that later, I'm sure).

~I got to make a new dish for Thomas' birthday this week--Хачапури (I think I spelled that right).  It's basically the worst thing that you could possibly eat in that it will clog your arteries when you look at it--nothing but bread and oil and cheese, but ooooooohhhhhh so good!

~I hate it when Isaiah is sick, but I love the extra snuggle time!

~I finished Nadia's quilt!  My first pieced quilt, well first quilt of any kind, actually; and I'm quite pleased with it, so I'll show it off later all on its own.

~Nadia has turned out of the breach position.  I actually know the moment she did it, too!  And boy, was she excited about it!  She kept me awake for about 2 hours in the middle of the night after her big move.

~5 1/2 weeks to go!  Stay put until then, Little Lady!

One Week Closer

So, I'm 31 weeks pregnant.  Wow!  This has gone by very quickly.  And here are some random thoughts from the 30th week:

~Heartburn stinks.  And burns.

~I can't seem to remember what day of the week it is on any given day.  Maybe from the baby, maybe not.

~I have been forced to specifically ask for help, and it's hard, but has had some amazing rewards as well.

~Isaiah has started rubbing my belly more and saying "Adia", when he remembers.

~I'm trying not to worry about Nadia coming early like her brother did, but every once in a while I feel a twinge of panic.

~Nadia likes Black Cows, not the mooing kind, the cold, fizzy kind.

~I'll be really glad when my husband comes home, but I'm very proud of the work that he is doing and thankful that I am well enough to keep things going on the homefront to enable him to travel for the kingdom.

~Isaiah is really into play doh as of late, but not to make anything with it.  No, the real purpose of play doh is to make as many tiny little pieces as possible to move from one container to another, of course leaving some for mom to find later.

~Having my cast off is GREAT!  But I'm learning that recovering from a broken arm as a pregnant 32 year old is not the same as recovering from a broken arm as a 9 year old.  Hmmm.....

~Isaiah doesn't only call me "mama" anymore, which doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

~And the big news:  We met the doctor who will deliver our daughter!  She is very kind and patient and said that Nadia will probably be with us June 8 or 9!  I'm hoping for the 9th because that's my parents' anniversary, which I think would be a fun gift, and one more day for her lungs to develop.  We see the delivery doctor again the end of May, which is when we'll finalize the date.  So, Nadia, stay put!

And here I am at 31 weeks, though I don't think this picture does us justice!

Random Observations From Week 29

These observations may or may not have to do with pregnancy, but I think that fact will be fairly obvious.

~I have come to realize that if I can't "interact" with a book that requires me to think, beyond remembering which character is which, by writing or underlining, I am much less likely to read said book.  This is not good when you have incredibly limited space for a library and need to read ebooks.  (I'm still looking for suggestions of good books, by the way!)

~If a task requires me to bend at the waist, the likelihood of it being accomplished greatly decreases.

~I have outgrown 2 pairs of maternity pants and have happily passed them on to a friend several weeks behind me in the process.

~I like taming the dragon lady.

~Being able to dress my son and take him outside is good for my morale, and my son really appreciates it, too.

~Almost having 2 hands is not the same thing as having 2 hands, but it's a lot better than having 1 hand with the 2nd hand in a sling.

~I actually don't mind when Nadia wakes me up in the night because she's moving so much.  I am thankful for the reminder that everything is ok with her spine, and I thank God for my future gymnast (or whatever He has called her to be). :)

~I love that Isaiah says, "I love you, Honey."  He's also started saying, "I want to see it, please", which is his longest sentence yet!  And starting this week he has tried to sing with me sometimes by repeating words from songs that I'm singing to him.

~I am proud of my husband's language skills.  God has enabled him to reach quite an amazing level of fluency!

~I enjoy having more energy in the mornings, but I'm completely crashing in the afternoons!  Wish it would spread out a little bit better.

~It's fun being pregnant with a friend.

with Julia, both about 30 weeks

Baby Love

Last night during family time Thomas prayed just as he always does, and he included each member of our growing family.  As he prayed for Nadia, Isaiah, who was sitting close beside me, reached over and rubbed my belly and said, "Nadia" as only his sweet voice can pronounce his little sister's name.

I love my family.

Mama's New Look

Ever wonder what a pregnant lady with a broken arm looks like?  Well, now you know.

25 weeks

Lord willing, I'll be getting my permanent cast on Tuesday.  Life in Russia, always an adventure!

Hmmm....

So, this is me and Nadia at 23 weeks. I went to the doctor earlier on this day, and the doctor said that I needed to gain more weight. I bought myself some ice cream. (Don't worry, I know she meant "healthy" weight.) I haven't really been eating sweets during this pregnancy, so I thought I could splurge a little bit.

And for those of you who have been asking, Where's your belly?, I really don't think that these pictures do me justice. I think I'm bigger than this, really. I'm starting to have trouble bending at the waste and everything.

But last night, I really enjoyed watching my stomach change shapes as Nadia did some gymnastics before bedtime. Such an amazing feeling!

Twenty Weeks

Tuesday I got to see our little girl again. And she was just as cute, from head to toes...

She even seemed to smile at me!

Can't wait to play with these cute little feet!

And if you're wondering how mama's growing, you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the blog, where I've been posting almost weekly pictures of my growing belly. It's not too big yet, but I think there's soon going to be some big changes--my stomach is itching like crazy!

Not a Trap

Last night I said something like, Because of how I feel inside, I think my stomach should be much bigger than it is.

Thomas and I were getting ready for bed at the time, and Thomas very sweetly said, I'm not touching that one. I'm not saying a thing.

What a wise and kind husband I have.

Introducing...

Nadezhda (Nadia) Grace Slawson

Even in 4D!

I think I'm still getting over the surprise of the fact that we have a daughter (that still sounds amazing to me!), but I'm likin' it!

And we praise God that her spine is perfect. Thank you, Father!

Since our daughter will be born in Russia this summer, we thought it only fitting that she have a Russian and American name.

Nadezhda (pronounce the "zh" like the "s" in pleasure and put the emphasis on the 2nd syllable na-DEZH-da) means "hope". As Christians we have a hope that no one else can comprehend, and that hope has become more dear to Thomas and me over the past year as we have seen God's faithful care for us. In Russia children are named, and then they are often called during their childhood by an informal version of that name. The informal version of Nadezhda is Nadia. We realize that our American family and friends might have a hard time pronouncing Nadezhda, so feel free to call her Nadia. Why didn't we just name her Nadia? We really like the name Nadezhda, call us crazy. And this way she has options when she gets older.

As long as I can remember thinking about baby names, I've wanted to name a girl Grace. My best friend growing up is named Grace, and this is how I first thought of the name. Then as I grew older and grew in Christ, God's grace became ever more precious to me.

And so we have Nadezhda "Nadia" Grace Slawson. Isn't she beautiful? I don't even mind being wrong.

What's Inside?

There's a chance that we could find out tomorrow!

15 weeks and a little Vavoo Bump

I personally love how Isaiah is hamming for the camera in the background. :)

Happy Surprise

So I went to see my doctor today for the monthly check-up. I felt torn between wanting to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler and hoping that she couldn't find it with the Doppler so that I could see the baby by ultrasound. I mean, a good strong heartbeat on Doppler is a good thing, but seeing your baby and having that extra assurance that everything is all right is better!

And wouldn't you know it, the nurse could only find a faint heartbeat for the baby, so she decided to go ahead and take me to the ultrasound room where I saw Vavoo moving around just fine with a nice strong heartbeat, not super fast, which continues to make me believe we'll be having a boy.

It was a good day.

50-50 Chance

Just for fun I put a poll over on the right sidebar for those of you who like to guess the gender or unborn babies. Some of my friends have done this, and it's fun to read the reasons that people give for their guesses, so be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Here are some clues for the answer that I don't have:

~Morning sickness--yes! I was also really sick with Isaiah for almost 6 months.

~Cravings--not really, but I have wanted pickles and haven't wanted sweets.

~My gut feeling? I think I'm having a boy, but that's probably because I already have a boy, and he's so much fun!

Have any other questions that could help you make a better guess? I think that we'll know for sure about mid-January, and we will be telling! Happy guessing!

With a Touch of Lime

So twelve weeks. Vavoo and I have made it to twelve weeks together. And I threw up this morning, which is actually a good thing and brought congratulations from my patient husband. Every time I get sick I remember that means that Vavoo is still growing and that I can thank God for another day of life for our baby. Maybe that sounds fairly dramatic, but that's what I do. Vavoo is two weeks older than our second child, and we are thanking God.

Thank you for praying for us, all of us.

Oh, and according to certain sources, Vavoo is about the size of a lime today. Just a fun little fact to throw out there.

A Nickname is Born

You might have noticed a great slacking on my part when it comes to posting. I have several reasons for this that I won't bore you with at this time, but let's just say that life in Russia is much slower than life in America, and I somehow have more time for writing there than I do here.

But I wanted to tell you a funny story, so I'm breaking the silence, for at least a little while, and we'll see what happens.

Lots of you are praying for our newest baby, currently 11 weeks old, and I want to tell you about our baby's nickname, because I think it's cute.

I found out I was pregnant while we were in California in October. Yes, we kept it a secret for a while, being a little skittish after our last 2 babies left us. But I was with my college friends in one part of CA, waiting to meet Thomas in another part of CA, and feeling quite suspicious that something was growing. I mentioned my thoughts to my friend, who just happened to have a pregnancy test. How could I resist such an opportunity? And there it was, a faint but confirmed line. I was speechless, and probably cried, but I don't remember perfectly.

At last I could surprise Thomas with the good news, something I had fantasized about before, being someone who loves surprises.

My friend and I brainstormed a bit and finally came up with an idea. I already had a surprise for Thomas, so I decided to include a special card with the surprise that he was already expecting.

Now I have to tell you a little bit about Russian. In Russian the polite way to tell people you are pregnant is not to say "Oh, by the way, I'm pregnant." Russians say what would literally be translated, "I am waiting on a baby." So on the outside of the card I wrote the word for " we are waiting" and on the inside I used these cute puffy stickers my friend had to spell the word baby. Now baby was in English, so we've got Russian written on the outside and English on the inside. You should also know that baby in English could be read in Russian, but as a different word with different sounds.

So, Thomas finds the card and opens it up, naturally having read we are waiting as the Russian in which it was written and continuing to read the inside in Russian as vavoo, the way the letters would be pronounced in Russian. He looked at me with the most confused look on his face. I told him to read that word in English, and realization began to set in. You probably had to be there to really appreciate the humor of the situation, but now you'll know why you might hear us refer to our baby as Vavoo.

And that's my story.