33 Weeks

Week Thirty-Three Status:

Weight: 166.7 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Pineapple
est. 17+ inches & 4+lbs.

Hmmm....where to start? Is there really only a mere 7 weeks left before Leopold will join our household? It is hard to believe, then again, I hesitate to anticipate a set date since they are so unreliable. Since my last post there has been so much to report on that I'm not sure any recount on this blog will do justice to all the experiences I've had. One of the main events was our vacation to NC for a week. It was a fun-packed excursion for the kids with trips to a hands-on museum, the Cradle of Forestry complete with lots of train stuff for "train day" and of course the kiddie pool in the yard. It was nice to be around adults all day as well as the children, and have help taking care of them! My folks were happy to oblige, and the boys' older cousin Lunden spent a lot of time playing with them so we all had some breaks to just catch up...and watch the Olympics (anyone who knows me eventually discovers that I'm a gymnastics fanatic...same thing with figure skating during the winter games).

Also, just this past week, some of the ladies at our church organized a baby brunch to celebrate Leopold's impending arrival. It was so much more than I was expecting with a third baby, the food was delicious, the diapers and generous gifts and gift cards were amazing, and the prayers and fellowship mean so much to me as I anticipate the gift that will be Leopold. A couple of excerpts from the cards:

"Sailboats, trains, and baseball games; // Popsicle kisses and grass stains. // A baby boy is on the way // Can't wait to celebrate that day! // May the Lord continue to bless your growing family!"

"Dear Baby Schwartz, May you grow to know the love of Jesus always, and may all of your days be spent loving and serving our Savior and Redeemer. He is so Worthy!..."

"We rejoice with you at the gift of another child! 'Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.' (Ps. 127:3) Blessings to you & precious Leo..."

There were many others but I won't put them all here. It was such a special moment spent delighting in the joys of God's many blessings, I need to get to work on the thank you cards! Another girl from church is having her baby shower next weekend (her first baby!), so I am looking forward to experiencing more warm baby-focused fellowship shortly.

As far as pregnancy goes, I still feel like I am just being blessed with the easiest of pregnancies. Leopold continues to "perform" well at his appointments,and while my sleep suffers every once in a while (the Olympics did not help), overall I have very few discomforts other than the usual inability to breathe when I am brave enough to reach to the floor...which is a very common occurrence for mothers of two toddlers...  My new diet has just improved my overall mood and health incredibly over the past weeks as well, and exercising and stretching routinely has kept all aches and pains of pregnancy at bay. Here's to another 7 or so weeks of pregnancy bliss!

I ordered everything we still wanted/needed for Leopold, and so now the gradual nesting phase will begin! Perhaps next post I will post pictures of the preparations. For now, that's all folks! Good night, and God bless.