Dis and Dat

Our open house was a smashing success!  The weather outside was miserable, but it made it that much more cozy inside.  There were 79 of us and we enjoyed hot apple cider, rich fellowship and a spread of food!  It was such a delight to be able to host such a fun gathering, and a wonderful initiation for FairOaks! 

Today is recovery day...we took it a bit slower this morning, then worked on some schoolwork and now are relaxing before Daddy gets home.  We had an interesting history class this morning.  Since we are now in the middle (dark) ages, we learned some more about the knights over in England, as well as the Samurai over in Japan.  Did you know that the Samurai were also big into Haiku poems?  So for their writing assignment today, each of them had to write their own Haiku.  Fun!

My brother and sister-in-law are here for awhile.  It was so great to see them yesterday, and tomorrow we are having a big family dinner here and spend the evening with them.  We are looking forward to it.

Then on Friday we leave for our big trip to Arkansas!  We are so excited and ready for the break! 

We have started a special, fun tradition.  We leave and drive halfway, get in plenty early to enjoy and evening of swimming and dinner at Red Lobster!  Then Saturday we will drive the rest of the way to our family.  We are looking forward to a whole week of rest, refreshment and time with S's family. 

As a special surprise, we told the two bigger girls last night that they are going to get to stay at Nona and Papa's for two weeks after we leave!  We will meet Nona and Papa to retrieve them mid January.  This will be a first for them...and they are so excited!  I have been printing out things for them to do light school while they are there.  It is going to be an adventure. We will miss them for sure!  But I know that they will have a great time.

I am doing well with the pregnancy.  Tomorrow I will be 24 weeks! Here is what Baby Gaga has to say about our little 24 week old...


Fetal development in pregnancy week 24:

" This is another big week for your magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”. What’s that? Well, surfactant is sort of what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist the your baby's little lungs during inflation (as in, filling with air, not getting more expensive). Just in case you’re curious, your submerged baby is still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing and rehearsing the lungs an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, your child will be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long. Your cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near their full baby-fatted cute-self. Most of the “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!"

It is so much fun to feel this little one inside so active.  This baby's "womb name" is Obie.  Little Obie is so busy in there, giving me kicks and punches all the time now.  I am learning how to treasure every little movement.  I don't know if it is just the fact that the older I get, I learn how to enjoy each moment more, or the fact that I am aware that my child bearing years are quickly coming to an end, but I truly am relishing these special feelings within.  I just love to feel this precious little one and realize it is a little blessed life inside.  I am really enjoying this stage of pregnancy again and am thankful to the Lord!


Now that we are getting settled with curtains hung, etc.  I hope to put up a tour of FairOaks soon.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!