~Just letting you know what is happening...~

Yesterday baby had his non-stress test and ultrasound and he got a 10 out of 10...in other words he passed the test with flying colors and got a 100%!! Praise the Lord! We got some adorable ultrasound pics (which I wish I had a scanner to show them to you) and our baby already has the cutest chubbiest cheeks!!! Today I went to see my midwife Stacy and I talked to her about being induced at 39 weeks...(only because one of my midwives had mentioned that to me earlier)...and Stacy said that she's not sure what to do. She said that all the midwives and their back up doctors will discuss my baby and I and our situation and decide what is best and try to tell me next week their plans. She said that they for sure don't plan on letting me go over 40 weeks. (Since I had the extra fluid and 4 weeks ago thought that baby could come any time...these last few weeks ahead of me look like MONTHS!!) My blood sugar is looking good (God is helping me to control it with diet and checking my blood 4 times a day) and it looks like the extra fluid surrounding baby has gone down some, which is encouraging. I was sad about possibly not being induced at 39 weeks because I am MISERABLE and because I have no small amount of pressure on me since my in-laws have their tickets to fly in from AZ on my very due date (May 24th)...and I was hoping to have had our baby before they arrived. Also, with them coming in on that date...we have already scheduled our baby's dedication for the last Sunday that they will be here. My midwife said that if baby decides to come early on his own, that they won't do anything to stop him. So, please just help me pray that God will help baby to come when he is supposed to come (I want what's best for baby)...and that I'll have an easy delivery so I can be at his dedication planned for June 1st...one week after my due date! (And please don't leave any discouraging comments...for as Anne of Green Gables would say..."I'm in the depths of dispair!" =) Thanks for your prayers...I need them right now!

~The JC Pennies pics of our children and I~

Like I said our JC Pennies pics turned out really nice...and guess what Jesus did? He answered my prayer and they came in on Monday BEFORE IHC! YEA! Here's some of my favorites!
~Mommy reading the Bible to our precious children!~
~All 4 of our children...only one is still hiding! =)~
~Our girls, my baby bump and I~
~I love this pic of Noah with his arms back over my baby bump!~

~Our Sunday and some of this week too~

The Lord helped me and I was able to go to our 2 deputation services this past Sunday. On Sunday morning we were at Daniel and Angie Edwards' church. After church, Noah was on cloud 9 seeing all of the neat farming equipment that the Edwards have on their farm. Here's Sarah and Noah and 2 of the Edwards' kids.~~Angie and I went to GBS together, so it was fun visiting with a good friend. She made a WONDERFULLY YUMMY Sunday dinner that we all enjoyed!~
~Our and their kids had a fun time playing together. Here's Kimberly, Sarah, and Noah and 3 of the Edward's children (Their Timothy was taking a nap, and "our youngest" hasn't showed his face yet. =D) The Edwards' oldest and our oldest were born just days apart. (He looks so much taller than Kimberly because he had skates on!)~
~Noah learning to ride a fun tractor!~
~Our Sunday night service was at the Greenfield, IN church and the dear ladies of that church gave baby and I a nice baby shower!~
~Me opening some fun and nice baby shower gifts!~
~Years ago before we went to the mission field I had to sell all of my baby clothes (for no one had room to store them for us) and I told the Lord back then that if he gave us the desires of our hearts and gave us another baby some years from then...that He would just have to provide more clothes for him/her! =) God has been answering that prayer through dear people just like the Greenfield friends! A lady from the Franklin, IN church (whom I have never even met) made our baby a cute baby blanket and sent a baby gift home with Phillip, and at IHC Sarah Cook gave me a gift too! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE BEEN SO KIND AND HAVE GIVEN GIFTS TO OUR BABY! We are sooo BLESSED!~
~Me opening yet more precious baby gifts from the dear Greenfield folk!~
~Baby and I and Dear Sis. Kennedy (who is a close friend of my Moma's) and who I think was the brain behind her church giving baby and I that SWEET baby shower! THANK YOU LADIES FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID FOR BABY AND I!!~

~On Tuesday of this week...It was a beautiful day, so we bought our lunch at Arby's and went to River Front by the Ohio river to have a picnic lunch. (We did this in between my ultrasound and non-stress test for baby at one medical building in the morning, and my midwife appointment at another building that afternoon.) We had a lot of fun being together and enjoying that beautiful sun. Since Phillip and I both attended GBS, met, started dating, got married, and had our first baby all in Cincinnati, we have TONS of wonderful memories here! We are enjoying being back here again.~~ We were glad that Daryl was working close by and was able to join us for a few minutes of his lunch break.~
~A cute picture of Sarah and Darla...best cousins!~
~Then we let the younger kids play at the playground, while the 2 older girls had their piano lessons.~
~On our way home we saw this hot air balloon going up in the air...it was a pretty sight!~
~I went to the non-stress test and ultrasound yesterday and our baby looks good. They measured him as weighing 6 lbs and 7 oz. and being 19" long. I'm 35 weeks along now, and my midwife said that she wouldn't be worried if baby comes now and that I can walk and don't have to be on bedrest. 2 Weeks ago my baby bump measured 42" around, and now I'm measuring 46" around. HELP! My baby bump and my SWOLLEN ankles are so big they are hard for me to deal with, but the end should be in sight now. At the most I would have 4 weeks left until baby comes, if not less. YEA!~

My Dad's last sibling, Aunt Virginia just passed away Sunday evening, so we are going to the grave side service tomorrow and plan to help with the music. Please pray for her boys and their families, for my Daddy as he speaks and for us and the Hausmans as we try to minister to them through music. Thanks!

~Bed rest...AT IHC! =)~

I went last Monday for training on how to check my blood sugar 4 times a day, and what and how much to eat to help with my gestational diabetes, and I'm being careful. This will probably help reduce the fluid over time and could help baby not to get too big. I just went today (Friday) for an ultrasound and non-stress test on baby and he looks great, PRAISE THE LORD.
For those of you who didn't get to attend the Inter-Church Holiness Convention (IHC) and are curious, baby and I did get to go to IHC. =D We tried to use a wheel chair as often as possible, and shared a room with our family in the Crowne Plaza hotel right across from the convention center, which helped baby and I out a lot. It was WONDERFUL getting to be there at IHC and feel GOD'S WONDERFUL PRESENCE, hear great preaching and singing, and see family, friends and fellow bloggers. =) Here are some pics from IHC for you to enjoy.
~Nicole Cassady and I finally got to meet each other...after emailing and checking out each other's blog for MONTHS. Just like I thought before I met her...She's a dear. She gave baby a nice gift of 2 adorable outfits. Thanks, Nicole.
~Noah and Bryan trying out my wheelchair. NOTE THE "IT'S A BOY" BALLOON that I had Phillip buy and we taped to my wheelchair . =D~
~My Daddy just published his 3rd book and this picture is of him showing his book to us. (The book is dedicated to we 4 children, our mates, and our Moma! =)~
~Enjoying a snack in the room!~
~Our kids all ready for Wednesday of IHC...and the younger ones were EXCITED to be heading to children's church!~
~From L to R: Moma, Heather, Natasha and Laura enjoying Women of Worth. We ladies had a very good time laughing, sharing, crying, etc.~
~My sweetheart pushing me in my wheelchair. =)~
~Fellow blogger, Leanna and I. She is due one month AFTER me...look at how HUGE I am compared to her. The difference is that this is my 4th baby and I have the extra fluid which is making me look like I'm carrying an elephant. =)~

~Noah and Bryan eating green frosted donuts in their jammies.~
~Our happy family on Thursday of IHC!~
~Noah and Bryan in line to go up on the platform and sing with the Chapel of the children.~
~Sarah and Darla in their matching dresses getting ready to sing with the children.~
~Kimberly and Brittany ready to sing.~
~The Chapel of the Children... where at least 300 children (including ours) were singing for Jesus up on the platform.~
~All of us eating at the Spaghetti Warehouse. My sister and family, my parents, the Kemps, Sis. Sproles and us.~
~Our kids in the last IHC service.~
~~The Mass choir; which is all of the Bible college choirs singing together.~
~My dear Sister Laura and I...tired after 3 long days of IHC...but VERY HAPPY that we got to attend!~

~It's Me again...with an update!~

~Sarah and Darla watching Darla's schooling video.~
~Some of my dear friends dropped by and gave baby some gifts, in case he decides to come early.~
~More wonderful gifts for baby!~
~Noah and Bryan...close cousins...acting like they are puppy dogs eating oyster crackers out of their bowls.~
~Kimberly with some of her friends/cousins.~
~Our kids, their younger cousins and Anna Pilmore.~
~We adults eating at Subway. After this, Laura pushed me through Wal-mart in a wheelchair, and we kept running into wonderful clearance items, that I kept piling on my huge baby bump. Laura and I were laughing so hard we were nearly crying.~
~Kimberly, Brittany, and Natasha playing a piano trio. Our family is LOVING being with our family, the Hausmans. We are having a blast being together. I wish I could help Laura more, but my "JOB" right now is to sit and lay down for baby. (My wonderful man and kids try to help when they can.)~
~Getting all ready for our baby...we are EXCITED!!~
~Some of our dear friends have loaned me their baby things to use while I'm here, and then when I get back to Colombia, I'll have to buy a baby bed there. I cannot wait to hold our precious little one!~
The Hausmans (and other of our Dear Friends) all worked together to provide us this wonderful room to stay in in the Hausman's home. We feel very blessed and loved! A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all who have helped us during this time!!!~
~Me and My baby bump...HUGE...and still growing bigger. =D~
~Phillip, Kimberly, Sarah and Noah are doing deputation services without Mommy. =( I recorded a CD with me playing the songs on the piano that we sing during our services so that they can still sing and the girls play their violins in the services. Please pray for their
services and for traveling mercies for them too. Thanks!~

~More news on baby and I~

My nurse called me today with the results from that 3 hour sugar test that I took yesterday, and I have gestational diabetes. (Which means I have sugar problems only while I'm pregnant.) So, I go to a 2 hour consultation on Monday and they will tell me how to eat to control my sugar...which probably won't eliminate the extra fluid that I'm carrying, but may help it not to increase...and probably will help baby not to be too big. (Since his big brother Noah weighed 10 lbs. 6.7 oz.) My midwife thinks that I could have developed gestational diabetes at the end of my pregnancy with Noah, which helped him to be so big. Although both of my parents weighed 10 lbs. and both Phillip and I weighed 9 lbs. so my big babies could just run in the family. =D
God provided us an infant car seat for FREE! YEA!
Now...after this morning...I can relax and be on complete bed rest. Since I was gone over the weekend, and have had doctor's appointments every day, I was DYING to get the crib set up and ready, the baby clothes washed, my suitcase packed to take to the hospital, the infant car seat all ready, etc. So, this morning Phillip set up the crib and I got all the above mentioned things done that I needed to get done in order for baby to come...and now I'm able to relax and be on bed rest. =D My sister Laura was planning on helping me but her kids had the C.A.T. testing this week so she has had to be gone every day this week, so hasn't had the time yet. She about shot me when she found out all I had done today, but it's done now, and I feel TONS BETTER knowing it's all ready, and now I'm content to sit in my easy chair and watch the world go by...and help baby stay inside until he's ready for us to meet him. =)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE...
When I was expecting all of my babies (except my first one, for I didn't think about it) I have gone and gotten professional pictures taken. So last week I decided that I had better go ahead and get my maternity picture taken at J C Pennies in case I would go into labor early. So I called and made an appointment for last Friday morning for me to get my maternity picture taken with my baby bump and our other 3 children. When I called to make the appointment the lady asked me what I was going to wear and when I told her a stripped blouse...she informed me that it would be better if I wore a solid color blouse because she was afraid that the stripes would HIDE the fact that I was pregnant. I told her that I didn't think that there was ANYTHING that could hide my big tummy. The pictures turned out ADORABLE and should be ready for me to pick up NEXT WEEK...on WEDNESDAY OF IHC. GRRR! I wanted to be able to bring them to IHC with me to have to show to y'all, but that doesn't look possible. =( (I hope to figure out how to put some of those pics on my blog as soon as I can.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When I asked our Noah what he wants to name our baby boy he informed me that he wanted to call him "John Deer lunch box Dickinson!" =D
Thanks for your prayers for baby and I...we're trying to behave.

~One never knows what one day will hold~

Well...yesterday...we went to my weekly non-stress test and ultrasound for baby and when I sat down for the non-stress test, I started having MAJOR contractions...which the moniter was recording. Then they did the ultrasound and baby looked fine, but I was still having the contractions. So, that office called my midwife who asked me to come in to the hospital for observation. Long story short, we dropped off our kids to my sister, and then ran to the hospital and spent 5 hours in the hospital with me having contractions nearly the whole time. Then they gave me some medicine to try to slow down the contractions and that helped. My midwives were relieved to see that the contractions...though intense...weren't bringing on real labor. They sent me home on strict bed rest...(and I'm obeying) and said that I'll probably have to put up with these contractions due to the extra fluid, but just to watch that they don't become too intense and STAY intense. Today I took that YUCKY 3 hour blood sugar test to see if I have gestational diabetes which could have caused the extra fluid. (Since I had to go to my midwife app. on Monday, my non-stress test and ultrasound for baby on Tuesday and my 3 hour blood sugar test on Wednesday...Phillip teasingly told me to ask my midwives HOW I'm supposed to be on strict bed rest and still go to all of my doctor's appointments. =D) Thanks for your prayers...I'm trying to be careful to keep baby inside as long as we can.

~Our week in pictures~

Thanks for all the nice comments. I'm 33 weeks along now and I went to my midwife today and she has basically put me on bed rest. (Do you have ANY CLUE how HARD that is for me? That is NOT my personality to just lay around. =) She wants me to be VERY CAREFUL the next 2-3 weeks so we can at least keep baby inside until he's 36 weeks...and then after that it should be fine for him to come when he's good and ready. I've had some HEAVY DUTY contractions, so I'm trying to obey her orders and take it easy! I still have plans to go to IHC...in the wheelchair...and the balloons and streamers sound like a fun idea. =) Thanks for your prayers and Please continue to pray for baby and I.
~Our kids during our deputation service at my parents' church, Westfield, IN, Sunday, March 30th.
~My dear girlhood friend Laura Quackenbush. It was so fun seeing her at the Union Friends Church.~
~Dear Amber Cassady bought us this basket full of baby gifts for our baby boy. THANK YOU, AMBER!~
~Us and our display~
~Our kids and us provided music for the nursing home service that my Daddy preached at on Sunday afternoon...Westfield, IN.
~Our Sunday night service was at the Joseph Smith's church, Shelbyville, IN. We had a yummy snack and a lot of fun visiting after church at the Smith's house!~
~We got to stay the night with our dear friends Trint and Janette Castle. Here's a picture of Janette and I (and my baby bump!)~
~Trint and Phillip got to play some basketball together. It was nice for Phillip to relax and unwind.~

~Some of the Smith children and Phillip visiting about their Spanish work there in Shelbyville, IN and our work in Colombia.~
~My sister took me to Target and since I'm not supposed to be walking much she pushed me around in a wheel chair. By the end of our time in that store my belly was covered up with things that I was going to buy, and so no one could tell what was even wrong with me. With Laura and I laughing and my belly covered...The people that saw me probably thought that I was the happiest "handicapped" person that they had ever seen.~ =)
~My niece Natasha had her 15th birthday, and so we had a nice celebration at Skyline!~
~We were to hold a revival at the Kemp's church with Phillip preaching and our family singing. However, The kids and I couldn't go the first 2 nights due to my condition, but Thank the Lord we got to go for the weekend. Here is Kimberly and Noah riding the 4 wheeler at the Roops house.~
~Sarah and Cherish Roop riding the 4 wheeler.~
~Weston and Noah on the go-cart.~
~We had such a nice time with the Kemps and the Roops. The Roops provided us with 2 nice apartments for our family to stay in. Sis. Kemp stocked our apartments with yummy treats and made us wonderful meals too. Here we are enjoying a meal out with the Kemps and the Roops!~
~It was so nice to be with the Kemps at their church. God is helping them and their people.~
~Our dear friends the Kemps and our family.~

Thanks for "tuning in"...that's all folks!~