I have had several people ask me if they are still receiving my email updates because they haven’t seen any in awhile.  I have to admit it is because I have not updated the blog in a long while.  In fact when I logged on here today I was shocked to see how long ago it actually was that I had last written.  I’m sorry.  Here is an update for all those who are wondering how we are doing.

-The Baby Habit:  As most of you know, John and I have been busy running our business The Baby Habit.  This is the main reason I haven’t updated in awhile as it takes a lot of our time.  The business is growing slowly, but surely.  We now are open at our downtown store every afternoon and all day Saturdays.  We have two employees working the embroidery machine and watching the store, so they are the ones you will see if you happen to visit the store.  I plan on adding back in some store hours for myself in a few months when life adjusts after the new baby, as I do enjoy it a lot.  For now, John and I spend many hours a week packing and shipping boxes for our many online orders.  For now, that part of the business will still be done out of our house and mainly managed by John when I take time off for the baby.  John and I are still enjoying this business venture and have high hopes for the years ahead.  You can pray for this business mainly in that we will find the right balance of work and family.  There are many advantages to having our own business, but it also seems to be easier to put work before family since we are so invested in it.

– John:  Other than running The Baby Habit, John also works half time for another company, mainly doing web design.  This keeps him pretty busy, but we have enjoyed seeing more of him around the house as most of his work can be done from home or from his store office.  He has spent lots of time with the kids too since he is conveniently located in town and I can drop them off with him for a doctor’s appointment or for a morning at the store.  You can pray for him as he tries to balance two (and sometimes more) jobs at one time, and that God would bless his striving to get to a point of much more flexible family and artistic time.  Also, pray for all he has ahead of him as he helps me out through the adjustment of having a baby, all at the same time as losing a lot of my help in the business.
-Elise:  Elise is doing Kindergarten at home this year, and she and I are thoroughly enjoyed it.  We started a little earlier than some homeschooling families so that we could take a long Thanksgiving/Christmas break to adjust to having a new little one around the house.  She loves reading, which she is getting quite good at, and addition (right now she is practicing adding one to other numbers).  She also enjoys Bible time, in which we read a section of the Bible together.  She really seems to enjoy all her school and it is a good time for both of us to do something together.  When Will stops taking morning naps, that will get harder.  Elise spends some time helping John and I with sorting and packing.  She also can be a big help with cleaning and laundry when she feels like it.  She is almost always a help with entertaining Will though.  It is fun to watch them play together.  Sometimes Elise follows Will around copying him, and sometimes he is the one copying her.  They enjoy each other’s company despite the little “arguments” they do get into.  Please pray for her in her spiritual development, as she is learning all the time new things about God and her relationship with him.  She is also learning to adjust to having a sibling that doesn’t always agree with her or leave her alone when she wants him too.  She has a very willing and loving heart, but as you well know, being 5 can be quite a war between the desire to be good and the desire to have things your own way.  Pray also for her adjustment to another sibling.  Despite the fact that she really looks forward to it, I know that she is also aware of the time with me she will lose.  She is also aware enough now to be conscious of the fact that this won’t necessarily be an easy transition for any of us.
-Will: Hmmm, how to describe Will.  Will puts smiles into our day with his antics and his loving personality.  He has been sick a lot so far this fall, it is different having two children to pass things back and forth.  🙂  Most of the time he is a happy little one year old, running after Elise or playing quietly by himself.  He is quite adventurous though, and requires almost constant attention.  He often climbs on tables, eats markers, and produces large messes.  He does have the desire to be a helper though.  He will often carry little packages for me when he thinks we are ready to take them to the post office (sometimes we are, sometimes we are not), and will run to get his hands on any items that we are moving, trying his best to push or pull them to help us out.  He is actually quite strong for his size too, and often surprises me with the large things he can move.  He doesn’t talk much, but is starting to produce some clearer sounds.  His favorite words are “this” and “that,” which he uses for just about everything.  He makes it clear what he is talking about by also adding in a pointed finger aimed at the desired object.  In most instances he has decided that this method works quite well in getting his point across.  He can also say “do” for dog, and “da” for Dad.  He just recently decided that he would add “mama” into his vocabulary, which of course has me thrilled.  He tries some other words, but they usually have to involve pointing in order for us to understand.  🙂  Pray that God would keep more sicknesses away from him.  He just recently went through two rounds of antibiotics to get rid of step and I am not sure yet it is gone.  Also pray that he will transition easily into being big brother instead of just the little brother.
The “baby”:  Right now we are just waiting for the new baby to make his/her appearance.  My due date is in about 2 weeks (Nov 14).  I am having the normal end of the pregnancy contractions and discomfort, along with increased fatigue.  The baby seems to be doing well, and still finds the room to wiggle and squirm.  I am looking forward to meeting this little one that God has chosen to add to our family.  I know that each of our children was specially chosen by God, but there is an extra bit of surprise involved when you know that God chose it without letting you in on the secret.  Elise is looking forward to the baby as well, and seems to enjoy waiting for the surprise of boy or girl, although she has made it clear that her preference is a girl.  She says right now that I look like a chair because my stomach is so big.  Will on the other hand seems completely oblivious no matter how often I have him touch my belly and say “baby.”  Of course that is to be expected, but I hope the new addition doesn’t take him too much by surprise.  Pray for the baby’s health and development and for a good and easy delivery.
Miriam:  Well, I am doing well.  This has been a relatively easy pregnancy for me.  I have had very little hip issues (I did on all 3 other pregnancies), no carpal tunnel so far (another symptom I had on all 3 other pregnancies), and not even as much weight gain.  I am thinking that a lot of this has to do with the fact that I have stayed more active during this pregnancy just because we have had so much work to do with the new business.  Also, having a toddler adds another dimension into mom’s fitness routine.  I do much more getting up and down and lifting.  🙂  Also, I think that God just knew what we needed for this pregnancy and gave us special blessings.  You can pray with us that the baby will arrive in God’s perfect timing and that the labor and delivery would be much easier than my others have been.  I also anticipate going through postpartum depression again, as usual, and so I would appreciate prayers for us during that transition time as well.  I am actually feeling very positive about the whole thing right now, but I don’t want to underestimate the work I have ahead and would appreciate any prayers in these areas.

Other family news:  OK, not all of you know my sister Bekah and her husband Herbie and those that do probably already know this news, but I will share it here anyway.  Bekah and Herbie are expecting their first baby (supposedly a boy) in early March.  We are all excited for them and it is fun to see how excited they are as well.  I am enjoying being pregnant at the same time as my sister and adding this new dimension to our friendship.  Pray for them for a healthy pregnancy and baby, and also for an easy delivery.