Peter Francis

Todd here....All is well for baby Peter Francis and mom.  They had room for us this morning, so we showed up at around 7:30.  The nurse was the best one we've ever encountered (great job Kari!), along with our terrific doc.  The day progressed nicely with Peter showing up at 2:53pm.  He weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz and was 20.5 inches long.  Here are some pictures.  I brought the kids to meet Peter after dinner.

 Thank you to all for your prayers. Also a special thanks to neighbor Tammy who watched the kids so I could be with Heather.

Tomorrow....

We are still waiting for baby to make his grand arrival.  As of Thursday, I was dilated to 2 1/2 cm and very s...l...o...w...l...y... making progress on my own which makes me a good candidate for induction.  My doctor was out of town over the long Presidents' Day weekend, so I am thankful that baby Gyver decided to wait it out for our induction tomorrow morning.  There is still the chance that I could get bumped from the schedule, so we have to wait and see if there is room for me.  If Tuesday doesn't work out, then we'll try again on Thursday.

This weekend, we made a trip to Barnes and Noble and Michael's to use up the remainder of Christmas gift cards.  The children made some good choices and should have no trouble keeping busy for the next couple of weeks while we take our "baby break" from schooling.

A little something for everyone!

So, we're all waiting and praying that all goes well.  We have a lovely neighbor who has been on call the past week, just in case baby decided to come on his own. She has volunteered to spend the day with the children so that Todd can be at the hospital with me all day.  What a blessing to our family!

We're all anxious to add #7 to our next "Mom and Kids" photo!

I enter the end of this pregnancy with all the same mixed emotions that I have each time.  Being pregnant is such a blessing and I truly enjoy this special time.  I am nervous about the labor/delivery, but trying hard to trust that God will guide everything and take good care of us.  I know the children will be in good hands and that is a huge relief. 

Your continues prayers are immensely appreciated.  I can feel them and they are impacting me greatly.  I am much more at ease than I was a few weeks ago and I know it is due to all of the prayers that I am covered with.  Please continue them and we'll keep you posted....hopefully with some pictures of our baby boy tomorrow!

Now, I suppose I should go get a bag packed for the hospital....funny how preparations change from baby #1 to #7!

UPDATE:  (Tuesday early am) Todd is out snow blowing the driveway so that we can head to the hospital for our induction.  No snow all winter...of course it snows last night!  I've been awake since 3:00....anxious to meet our baby boy I guess.  As always, your prayers are greatly appreciated!

God Bless!

Heather :-)

St. Valentine's Day Recap

No...still haven't had the baby.  We've just been keeping busy with school and celebrating Valentine's Day.  I'm definitely running a little low in the energy and enthusiasm department.  But, not to worry.  The children more than make up for anything I lack!

I did make some festive heart shaped cinnamon rolls which were super easy...just my speed these days!

A little pink smoothie to add some nutritional value to breakfast!

A dear friend called to ask if they could stop by to drop off some Valentine's and treats for the children.  I'm glad she gave me a little heads up.  It gave us time to whip up this Valentine for their family that I found over at Catholic Icing.

It's hard to read in this picture, but John 3:16 is written through the word Valentine which is the true definition of love!

The children had scavenger hunts, played games, exchanged Valentines, and ate so much sugar I though that they might burst!

Madeline helped make these peanut butter blossom cookies which turned out amazing!  We typically make these at Christmas with Hershey's kisses in the middle, but in honor of St. Valentine, we used Dove chocolates instead.  The kids had a heck of a time keeping their hands off to let the chocolate firm up!

Grandma and Grandpa Kraft sent them cards with a some money to buy themselves a Valentine treat. They decided to pool their resources to purchase a Dairy Queen ice cream cake.  Have you priced those things out lately?  Man, are they pricey!

Thanks grandma and grandpa!  And there is still more for dessert tonight!

I have an appointment with my OB tomorrow afternoon.  The plan, for now, is that I will be induced on Tuesday morning.  Of course, that is all dependent upon there being room for me since it is a purely elective induction.  If Tuesday doesn't work out, then we'll shoot for Thursday.  Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated.  I'll keep you posted!

God Bless!

Heather :-)

Little Boy Blue - We're Ready for You!

I'm 37 weeks today and we're all anxiously awaiting Baby Gyver's birth.  I've never went earlier than a week and up to 10 days late, so I realize it could still be a while yet.  I had a check-up on Friday and am barely beginning to dilate.  I'm trying not to get too anxious or freaked-out about the impending labor/delivery.  Let's just say that I have my moments of calm mixed with those of fear and trepidation.  Any prayers you could throw my way would be immensely appreciated!

Here I am at 36 weeks. You can see, there isn't much room left.  He'll have to come out soon!

We've been trying to tie up any loose ends here at the house and get ready to bring baby home.  I realized yesterday that we don't even have any itty-bitty diapers, so we picked those up today.  While out and about, we stopped by Babies R Us to look at double strollers.  Our double stroller has been put through the wringer the past 10+ years and was in need of replacement.  Happily, we discovered that they are in the middle of their "Great Trade-In Event" which means you bring them your old baby gear and they give you a coupon for 25% off a new model.  This worked out fabulously for us as we were literally going to throw the old one in the trash and it ended up saving us almost $30!  Take a peek at their website for details. 

It looks so nice and clean.  I almost don't want to take it outside and get it dirty!

I feel that I have shown tremendous restraint in holding back on purchasing baby boy clothing. With five girls and one boy, our girl clothing arsenals are pretty well stocked.  I did pick up a few outfits for the new little guy!

The children had so much fun helping me pick these out.  I think the monkey outfit is our favorite!

Big sister Madeline has been busily crocheting for her baby brother.  Here are a few of the items that she is most proud of.

Newborn sized booties, hat for the hospital and larger booties...because she told me that he'll grow you know!

So now, we wait.  We try to get as much done as possible before baby comes.  We are all fully aware that life as we know it will be transformed  upon his arrival...and we can't wait!

God Bless!

Heather :-)

34 Weeks and Lovin' It!

I'm just beyond the 34 week mark of this pregnancy and am starting to feel huge.  I am swollen, full of protruding veins, hemorrhoids, heartburn, and overall discomfort.  I am slowing down, tired, and generally taking longer to accomplish simple household tasks that my non-pregnant body can easily knock out.  That being said, I am absolutely loving this!  I can't even tell you the amount of time we spend admiring my belly, talking to the baby, and watching him perform acrobatics which make my midsection do strange things.  I am more uncomfortable than I ever was with my previous 6 pregnancies, but am filled with joy, wonder, and awe at the miracle that is happening inside of me.  Perhaps our miscarriage this past year has something to do with this, I can't be sure.  But the entire family is giddy about this upcoming birth of this little boy and we can't wait to meet him!

I don't think Esther really "gets" this whole baby thing. She likes to talk about him and give my tummy kisses, but we'll see what happens when he's born and becomes more of a reality to her!

We take photos every 4 weeks and here is the 32 week shot.  It's hard to believe that's really me!

I'm anxiously following all the other pregnant blogging mamas out there.  It is fun to share in their experiences and know that we're all praying for each other.  I am so thankful for all of you who have e-mailed or left comments letting me know that you're praying for me.  Please continue to pray for a smooth labor and delivery of a healthy baby around the end of February.

God Bless!

Heather :-)

Ultrasound Photos

We had our 20 week ultrasound last week.  After careful consideration, Todd and I decided to bring the whole family along.  After all, if we're going to be pro-life, we need to show folks what it is like to have a large family.  We prepped the children and talked extensively about our expectations for their behavior.  They were all fabulously behaved.  Esther and Eleanor took a little bribing (Dum-dum suckers did the trick!) but were remarkably quiet and still.

We decided that we wanted to find out the gender of our baby. Joseph would need some time to adjust to the idea of yet another sister if that was the case.  We all patiently waited as the technician took all the necessary measurements.  After about 10 minutes, she asked if we were ready to know.  I replied, "Only if you're absolutely sure."  She smiled at me as the room became absolutely silent. "It's a boy!" she exclaimed and then proved it to me with the ultrasound image.  I don't think Joseph quit smiling that whole day!  He called each set of grandparents to share the news and has told even random strangers about his new baby brother.

I was thinking about this...I'm pregnant with a boy.  It's been a long time since I carried a boy.  Joseph will be 8 years old in just another week.  I've been much more tired and nauseous this time around, but that may just be because I'm older and busier with more children.  Who knows?

The house is buzzing with talk about the baby.  What shall we name him?  Who will he look like?  And most importantly in the minds of the children - Who gets to sit next to him in the van? We are all so anxious to meet him! 

I appreciate all of your prayers and well wishes.  Please continue to pray for the health of our baby Gyver and for a safe delivery this February/March.

God Bless!

Heather :-)