Oh Where, Oh Where, Can You Be?

And... this is what happens when you are on your third kid, haha! You have all intentions of doing the same things you did for the previous two, but life gets in the way! I've been meaning to post since January, but it's now almost the end of March!

January 15 - Baby was looking good. About 2 lb 9 oz by ultrasound, with a heart rate of 141.

In early March, we had a sweet little Mother's Blessing on Zoom where I got to catch up with some friends and family. Some of you sent very generous gifts, allowing us to get a couple of things we needed to update or replace for the new little one. We are very appreciative!

March 18 - Baby was estimated at 6 lb 6 oz by ultrasound, with a heart rate of 138.

Life is throwing us some lemons lately, but we are moving through it with an immense amount of trust in God. Our peaks lately have included some wonderful academic growth from Gabriel since we started homeschooling mid-January. He is reading short books on his own now and picking up all sorts of life skills like how to mud sheetrock, how to make a bed, and how to take things apart/put them back together. He also has an amazing interest in God and the life of Jesus. Grace, of course, is like a little sponge and learning some of the things we have been doing in homeschool. She chats up a storm now and knows the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers, some phonics, etc. I'd call her the demanding drama queen overall, but she is really sweet and affectionate (when she wants to be!). It's been beautiful watching their growth this last year while I've been working from home. The two of them go through this adorable love-annoyance relationship. I capture as many of the cute moments as I can.

The picture above also includes the crocheted blanket I made for the baby -- that accidentally came out bigger than the crib, haha!

Craig has been busy renovating half of our basement this winter and now prepping the pool area for a new liner and patio. I'm always amazed at the sheer number of things he knows how to do well! He's my Renaissance Man. 

I'm enjoying working from home -- aside from navigating the kids' schedules with mine -- and I'm also still working on my doctorate. Gabe and I talk often about how strongly he dislikes the pandemic (we don't use the word hate at home, but he thinks it applies to the virus); I told him the one bright spot I have found in this pandemic is the time we have been able to spend as a family together. Life outside of a pandemic is just so much busier.

I can't not talk briefly about the death of my Nonna, my paternal grandmother, who was two months shy of 103 years old. Nonna was an inspiration to me because of what she accomplished in her life. I'm proud to have her name, Vincenza, as my middle name. (I desperately wish I could have attended her funeral, but at 37 weeks pregnant, I couldn't risk a 6hr drive into a COVID-heavy area.)

Here are the recent bump pictures I've taken -- one of the few pregnancy efforts I've been consistent with!

As we approach the last two-ish weeks of waiting for baby, it's getting real. Most of the baby stuff is ready aside from a few last minute things we need to do this weekend. My 'nesting' has mostly consisted of making recipes I haven't made for a decade, haha, like rice balls and this week's endeavor of Babcia's pierogi.

If you made it this far, enter your hunches about the baby at https://www.babyhunch.com/pool/P1002L9HM0EN

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