Introducing...

Isaiah Lee Sheckler

May 24, 2010

2:14 p.m.

8 lbs 15 oz

21 1/2 inches

Family of four.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Our family of four.

Daddy

Mommy

Sofia

Selah

We thought before putting the girls to bed we would take one last picture of our family of four.  

Tomorrow morning daddy will take mommy to the hospital.

What is it?

A beach ball?

A basketball?

NO!!!! It's baby brother!

Waiting...but not for long.

Our son will most likely join us this coming Monday, May 24th.  Yeah, we talked to God and that's what He said. :)

Now, the truth:

After my appointment on the 7th, the doctor was pretty sure I would go into labour that weekend.  When I showed up for my appointment on the 14th she was very surprised to see me.  She told me she had sent my paperwork over to the hospital letting them know that I most likely would show up that weekend. 

Last Saturday night, I actually began to experience contractions.  They came about every hour from 7 p.m. on then around 4:30 a.m. began to come in intervals of 20 minutes.  At 6:30 a.m. they stopped cold.  Actually, I had a couple more Sunday a.m. (very far apart) but nothing.  This week was quiet.  False labour.

At today's appointment I had another ultrasound.   The results showed our son is healthy, good sized, moving, and breathing well.  His main problem might be the amniotic fluids protecting him.  The ultrasound showed that my amniotic fluids are high.  The density of the fluids may actually be keeping the baby from being able to drop.   

So, unless baby brother comes on his own this weekend, I have been scheduled for an induction Monday morning.  The doctor said she took into account the levels of fluid, the size of the baby, my age, the number of pregancies, and past health issues.  They hope they will also be able to keep me from having a c-section.

The wait for baby brother is almost over.   We've been waiting and waiting.  Some days more patiently than others.  It is exciting!!!!

School of Sisterhood

Whenever Sofia is asked how old she is and responds with being 5 yrs old the next question is usually about school.  Well, Sofia has only attended one school and that is the school of the Sheckler household.  Now mind you this is not Home Schooling.   Let me explain.

Sofia turned five in November.  If we were living in CA (which is where she was born), this past Fall she would have begun Kindergarten.  Here in IL the deadline is September 1 therefore she was not eligible  to attend. 

Honestly as a momma I wasn't too excited about this.  Sofia LOVES learning and I pridefully knew that she could handle the academics.  So I checked into Christian schools to see if they were lenient on the deadline (they're not) and even entertained the idea of home schooling so she could begin her formal education.  But needless to say, God got to me last summer.  

God revealed to me the beauty of Sofia and Selah's sisterhood.  He allowed me to see that this year was going to be a special year for them as sisters (little did I know that I would become pregnant in the Fall with their baby brother who is soon to arrive).  And I was reminded that their relationship as sisters will most likely be THE longest relationship they ever have.

This past "school" year has been one of lots of learning.  Selah turned two in September which brought more meaning to the way the girls play and live life together.   Here are some of the things they have/are learned/ing:

Love one another

Treat others as you would have them treat you

Share

Say you're sorry

Forgive

How to push each others buttons

How to make the other laugh

How to fight (not so sure they had to learn this)

How to compete fairly

Family matters

Christ-centered relationships matter

It's been an amazing, wonderful, exciting, precious, no-regrets year in the SCHOOL OF SISTERHOOD.

Lord, thank you for relationships.  Thank you for the relationship that Sofia and Selah have.  May they always treasure it.  

Late Night Family Night

Last  night we didn't get  home from church until almost 9 p.m.   Usually we get home and put the girls straight to bed.  Instead, we had a spur  of the moment late night family night.

I'm thinking it was the coolness of the day and the fact that the rain and thunderstorms had begun that put daddy in the mood for pancakes.  Because as soon as we got home he started making them.  So why not keep the girls up a little longer?  The pancakes were yummy and it was fun just hanging out.  

And you know what?  The girls slept in this morning.  Selah didn't wake up until 9:15 and Sofia didn't wake until 10:00 a..m.  A full belly of pancakes must have helped.

My ragamuffins.

Yes, these are my adorable ragamuffins. I let them dress themselves each morning. Some days they pick out some really cute outfits and other days....they look like this.

Sofia LOVES pink so this particular day she had pink in every article of clothing even down to her pink shoes.

Selah, well, as you can see the shirt was inside out and the pants didn't make it onto her body. The streak on her face was Nutella.

And needless to say, we need to work on their hairbrushing skills.

Week 36

Baby brother continues to grow, and grow, and grow.  We are so thankful for his health but momma can't lie, she is getting anxious about his size but at the same time is ready to hold and cuddle this handsome dude.

Check out his foot.  Isn't it adorable?

But check out his cheeks.  These are cheeks that just want to be squeezed!!!!

These pics are from this week's check-up.  Baby brother is now approximately weighing in at 7lbs 9oz and is in the 83%.  If he waits until his due date, he could be 10lbs.

Momma's doctor, however, isn't sure he will wait until May 30.  She thinks he even has a chance to come out by next weekend. He is in position, mommy began experiecing some contractions today, and dialation has begun. 

As you can see by the picture of momma, this wouldn't be so bad.:)

20/20

This past week Sofia had an eye exam.  We are preparing for Kindergarten.

Prior to going Sofia kept telling me that she didn't have good eye sight simply because she wants to wear glasses.  Of course, it didn't help that while waiting for the dr. she spotted these really cute pink glasses.  But she promised me she wouldn't lie to the dr. about what she could see.

The test results:  20/20.

It helped that this competitive 5 yr old got to show off all the letters and numbers she knows while answering the dr.'s questions.  She even surprised her momma with her knowledge of recognizing certain numbers...like 76, 49, 62.  Who taught her that sutff?

Friday Family Fun

We do appreciate so much our family time on Fridays. 

 They are great days  to do activities without the weekend crowds.  

Yesterday we headed into the city.  Thanks to a gift from some dear friends in California, we were able to take the girls to the Shedd Aquarium.
It was a wonderful time of viewing God's creation of water creatures.  Wow!!!!  God is so creative.
His creations are colourful, unique and amazing.
Have you ever thought about how many different types of rock fishes there are?
Did you know that dolphins sleep with only one eye closed so they only rest half their brain?

Check out these frogs found in the Amazon!

The girls enjoyed the hands on exhibits such as this one where they were able to touch a starfish.

This exhibit allowed for them to play and act like penguins.  Here they are collecting the eggs.  In the foreground you can see a penguin suit that Sofia wore for awhile. 

Come what MAY!!!!

Yesterday I overheard Sofia telling her Aunt Kelli on the phone that May has lots and lots of things happening.  And she is correct.

Let's see...

Daddy starts baseball (actually church softball)
She turns 5 1/2 on May 6 (those half years are very important at this age)
Daddy's birthday is May 27
She is going to be a flower girl in Miss Sarah's wedding
Gramma is coming to visit

AND BABY BROTHER IS GOING TO BE BORN!!!

Yes, we pray baby brother will be born in May.  His actual due date is May 30 sooooooo he could be born in June. 

But why wait?

His name...

We might just have one.

We've both actually liked the same name for over a week.

And guess what?  It does not start with an "S".

The Zoo

It's that time of year.  Zoo time!

We seem to head to the zoo every April and this year was no exception.  This past Tuesday was a sunny,   Spring day with the temperature around 55.  Just perfect for strolling around the zoo.  For mama the best part was that there was hardly anyone there.  For the girls the best part was the animals.

Here's our favourite lion.  He was just waking up from a nap and wouldn't show us his face.   The girls kept roaring at him but couldn't get him to respond.

The girls giving me a "Hey mom" picture pose.  Sofia had to include the wink.

Sofia made sure mama got her picture taken. By the way, I'm 34 weeks pregnant now.

Our annual picture with the gorillas.

Definitely not a sprinkle.

Last week these three lovely friends of mine hosted what I thought was going to be a Baby Sprinkle.

Carmen, Melanie, and Sheree

It was more like a Baby Downpour.  We had a great time of eating yummies, playing games, and sharing life with some amazing friends from church.

The downpour of gifts included baby necessities and many adorable BOY outfits.  Our son will not have to wear pink! 

Hangin' with her friend at the park.

It's finally that time of year when we can meet up with our friends at the park. 

This morning was a bit cool (50 degrees and windy) but the sun was shining!!!

Selah and her friend Aubry LOVE the swings.  Especially the one above because they can swing together.

boy. Oh Boy. OH BOY!!!

32 weeks!!!!

This past week I went in for my regular check-up  as well as an ultrasound.  We are thankful that our son continues to grow and seems to be healthy.   Actually, very healthy.

Here's the conversation my doc had with me following the ultrasound.

Doc:  "How big were your first two babies?"

Me:  "Sofia was 5lbs 3 oz.  but born at 35 weeks.  Selah was 7 lbs 2oz born at 38 weeks."

Doc:  "Well, your son's weight today we are estimating to be 5lbs 2 oz and with 8 more weeks to go could  be born between 9 and 10lbs.  He is in the 76% but the good  news is his head is only in the 53%."

Me: "Wow!"

Yes, the size of the baby makes me a little anxious about the birthing process but honestly, you should see how cute his cheeks already are....very chunky. I love chunky cheeks.   Unfortunately he continues to be a shy guy and just as the technician was about to take his pic he would put both hands in front of his face.

Thankfully my weight gain has been normal and my blood pressure has been WONDERFUL (I'm always aware of this because of having HELPP syndrome with Sofia).  I am going to have another ultrasound at 36 weeks to check on size and then begin my weekly non-stress tests.  If all is good they might consider inducing me early.  I'm not opposed to this at all.

Now, if only my son would stop kicking me with both his knees and his feet into the right side of my ribs!:)

It was a glorious Resurrection Sunday!

We loved waking up on Easter Sunday to a blue sky, sun shining, and buds on the trees. We sang and danced to Keith Green's "Easter Song" as we got ready then joined fellow believers in a great time of worship through song, prayer, and Scripture at our church.

There Were Three

They were all males

Enduring crucifixion travails

As they were suspended in the air on crosses with nails.

Are you not the Christ?! One assails,

Obviously rejecting Him who gloriously holds this detail.

Save yourself and us! Sounding like some twisted ending to a fairy tale,

Yet denying the One who is the narrow gate, yes, who is the narrow trail.

Don’t you fear God, you whom in comparison pale?

We deserve these nails! We merit these travails!

He whom you rail, He never fails!

Savior! King! Christ!

You who give such an extreme and gracious price

Remember me, one whose vice is not worthy of such a blood bought sacrifice.

Child, he says, today you’ll be with me in paradise.

How about you? In view of His wounded head, his blood loss,

Do you, too, feel worthless like dross?

Then no longer esteem or settle for the world’s gloss

For those who do, paradise is only a mirage, and at such a heavy cost

But it is found by those who embrace the Giver of Life on that cross!

They're watching.

Being that Selah is our alarm clock and is usually up a good hour before Sofia, Kevin and I take turns getting up with her.  Usually I get up with her about 3 mornings a week. (Thank you, babe!)  During our morning time, Selah and I eat breakfast together.  One thing I didn't realize is that she observes everything I do at the breakfast table.  Now I know she does.
You see, this past week I've been pretty sick.  So needless to say the other morning when I sat down to eat breakfast with Selah, I simply just sat and started eating.

Then these words came out of Selah's mouth, "Mommy, get your Bible."

She noticed.
She knows.
She sees.
She is learning.

Mommy's breakfast is more than cereal.  God's Word also feeds mommy each morning.

What's in a name?

Before I actually had children I would tell you that my criteria for choosing my child's name simply would come down to, I like it, or what name I didn't like because I knew someone with that name and I didn't care for that person so much. 

But after having been able to travel and experience various cultures (between Kevin and I we have been to 35 countries) one thing I observed is how important a name means.  So many times I have been asked, "What does your name mean?".    And then there is Scripture.  Throughout the Bible we are not only told a person's name, but what it means.

Because Sofia has become a popular name over the past couple of years I usually don't hesitate to share the meaning of her name, "wisdom of God", even if simply asked what her name is.  Older people usually think of Sophia Loren and younger people just think it is a pretty name.  But when presented with the meaning, it makes them stop and think.

As for Selah, well, we get questioned regarding her name all the time.  The first thing they ask us to do is spell it.  This offers us an open door to share that it is from the Old Testament and can be found over and over in the book of Psalms.  It means to "pause/meditate upon the Word of God during a musical interlude".

So what's in a name?  Quite a bit.  That is why we are still in prayer and thought regarding our son.   As of right now we don't have a name.   But we will let you know when we do.

This is definitely NOT a complaint.

A few weeks ago I blogged about Selah's internal alarm clock changing from 7:15 to 6:15 a.m.  We tried moving her bedtime from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. to see if that would help but it didn't.  So needless to say I was actually looking forward to Spring Daylight Savings Time and losing that hour sleep.

Due to an extra long nap on Saturday, we didn't put her down for bed until 8:30 p.m. along with Sofia.  Come Sunday morning I was waking both girls up at 8:10 a.m. in order for us to be at church  by 8:45 a.m.  We made it!

And today, Selah didn't wake until 8:00 a.m.!!! 

I can only hope this is the new waking hour.

Beautifully Eerie

It is currently 53 degrees!!!!  This is the first time since December 1 that our temperature high has been above 50 degrees.  Last week the temps began to reach the high 30s, then the low 40s and tada!  

The warm air and the frozen ground have created some foggy days.  Fog is so beautifully eerie.  I love it.

Here are a couple of pics of the lake that we live next to.  Just yesterday some ice fishermen were out there so you know that the ground is pretty hard and frozen.  And yes,  those  are piles of snow in front of the gazebo.

Bellybutton mouths

Yeah.  Bullybuttons mouths.  You see, whenever Selah lifts up my shirt to talk with or sing to baby brother, she tells me that "his mouth" looks like this (see mouths in pic).  Why she thinks my bellybutton is his mouth amuses us.   I guess if I had a bellybutton that popped out she would be sticking her tongue out.  Ha!

Hair.

Sofia is  beginning to care more and more how her hair looks.  Today she wanted braids.   

So, of course, whatever big sister has, little sister has to have.  Selah's hair, however, isn't quite long enough so we opted for pig tails.

But again, as I've shared before...they were reminded that their hair does not make them beautiful.  It is their heart and their smile.

28 Weeks

Our son is making himself quite at home in momma's belly, or in mommy's "womb" as Sofia likes to say (a word she learned during one of our daily readings of Scripture).   He continues to be the mover and shaker doing somersaults each morning and evening and kicking and boxing away every time I lay down.  

Due to all of his movement I think he has shoved all of my innards up and to the right.  To be honest, it has made me very uncomfortable the past two weeks.  Unlike my other pregnancies, I've been experiencing pain on my right side both front and back almost everyday.   Of course it could simply be that my body is just exhausted at the end of the day due to taking care of two active girls and because of my wonderful age of 40.:)

Overall I've enjoyed this pregnancy.  I love when the girls lift up my shirt to they can sing to baby brother and give him kisses.  I love Kevin talking with his boy and calling him buddy.  And  I love the beauty of seeing God's handiwork in process as my belly grows.   

"Lord, we don't take for granted this gift of a child. We pray that he will continue to develop and  grow strong and healthy.  And we pray that you are being glorified."

They want to be truck drivers!!

This morning the girls and I had a late breakfast at the WI/IL border truck stop.  Woohoo!  you say.   Well,  woohoo it was because we were meeting my cousin, Steve.   Steve has been driving semi-trucks for about 8 years.   I love following his status' on facebook because one day he is in  Texas, the next day in Tennessee, and the next in Montana.  You never know where he is or what he may be hauling in his trailer.  He has encountered many interesting places and interesting people.

We really did have an  enjoyable time with him.  After breakfast we headed out to the truck parking lot.   Steve let the girls climb up in the cab and check things out.  Sofia was impressed by the bunkbed.  Selah liked playing with the remote for the xm radio.

And both girls LOVED when cousin Steve took us for a spin around the parking lot.  They probably thought they were on a ride at Disneyland or something.  And of course they both loved sitting in the driver's seat. 

We look forward to meeting up with you again somewhere, Steve.  Let's just hope it isn't another 9 years.

Miss Sarah

Miss Sarah is a special person in Sofia's life.  Miss Sarah was her 2 year old and 3 year old Sunday school teacher.  And for the past three years has been Sofia's choir teacher/director for Play & Praise.  From day one Sofia has been in love with Miss Sarah.

Miss Sarah has helped  celebrate birthdays and invited Sofia over for a tea party.   Very special things to a preschooler.

This past week Miss Sarah took some time to share with Sofia how special she was to her.  Then she asked Sofia to be her flower girl in her upcoming May wedding.  It was so sweet.  Sofia said "Yes" but when asked if she knew what a flower girl was she had no idea.  This gave us crying mommas something to laugh about.

I am so thankful for people such as Miss Sarah who invest in the lives of our children.  Miss Sarah is a beautiful, godly young woman.   We look forward to celebrating your marriage!!!