Bed Rest Week 3

All this bed rest is really paying off! The baby's amniotic fluid levels are staying up and he is growing beautifully.   Now they're talking about possibly inducing me next week.  I am really getting anxious to meet this baby and hold him in my arms.  While looking at him in the ultrasound screen yesterday I caught a glimpse of his beautiful face and had an overwhelming longing to see him for real.  It's hard to believe it's been nine months already!

I sent my sister off this morning to Minnesota.  It was so nice to have her here. It's funny how much more you learn about someone when you actually live with them for a week.  I've learned so much about her that I had never known.  Sure, we're sisters, but we've led very different lives when we graduated from high school.  She stayed close to home, got her associates degree and married a dairy farmer.  I moved far away from home to go to college, and have never had a desire to live in Minnesota's farm country again.   I love living in or near the city where something is always happening.  Julie loves living in the country where the pace is slower and everyone knows you.   I have a culture shock when I go to visit her family on the farm and see them run barefoot through the barn. My kids go crazy for the farm, but there I am, running around after them with hand sanitizer, and making sure they don't step in a pile of manure!  Julie had culture shock here when she went to the grocery store and when she saw all the people that drive past my house everyday. She said where do all these people come from??  And she did not believe me when I said my floor was dirty!

She fit right in as a "second mother".  She had pillow fights with Liam, played all his silly games and came up with many of her own.  She played dress up and tea with Analee and made her giggle every time she changed her diaper.  She also wasn't afraid to lay down the law, which is something I really appreciated from my sister's visit.  She was so good about it, that now Liam is drinking white milk instead of always having to have chocolate milk--and he is drinking it at every meal!  It might seem silly, but it's a big milestone for him.

One thing I've always known about my sister is that her heart is so big.  I am so thankful for the sacrifices she made to come out and thankful for the love she showed my family.  Thank God for sisters!