John 1:16

Yesterday morning as I was going through my normal doctor morning routine, I read my daily Bible verse.

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one BLESSING after another."

Wow. How fitting is that for the Greer family? A family that started out struggling and wondering if we could ever have kids. Then we were blessed with 2 wonderful children 2 years ago. Out of the blue this year, we found that God was going to bless us once again with another child. Sure we had A LOT of struggles and trials during that time, but I have found that they too have been blessings to us. I decided then that there wasn't a more fitting verse for us to put on Peanut's Birth Announcement.

I decided to be safe and once again pack a bag for the hospital. Eric likes to make fun of me and says I mentally put myself in the hospital before each doctor's appointment. I am not a negative person, I just appreciate that there is always the chance so better for me to be prepared! I have to make sure for my peace of mind that I have arrangements for Ethan and Ella mapped out. And for my comfort, I make sure I have my pillow and toothbrush!

Well blessing number 595 for the Greer family came at my ultrasound. My cervix was actually in better shape than it was a month ago! I was shocked. I mean I am further along, I have been a little more active, I have started to feel some contractions, so I was completely compared for the worst. So I am now 10 days away from being NORMAL! At 34 weeks, I am off all restrictions. No more modified bed rest. I go back to the doctor on Sept 8th. By then I will be 34 weeks and they will check me for dialation. If I am, then they will do the C Section immediately. So I guess I will continue to pack my bags before my visits, but I will get to pack one for Peanut too!

As I write about our many blessings, 2 very dear people are heavy on my heart. They are going through great struggles now too and may be having a hard time seeing blessings now. My Uncle Lynn is in the ICU in Amarillo, Texas fighting to get his diabetes and liver disease under control. My best friend, Jodi, suffered from a devestating miscarriage yesterday morning and is trying to deal with her grief. I ask that you please keep them both and all of their families in your prayers. I pray that God helps us all perservere through our trials so we can see all our blessings He has given us.

Best Buddies

It is almost as if Ethan and Ella know there is about to be an invasion of the Greer household. Over the last couple of weeks, they have started to stick together more and more. Before that they used to play mostly side by side and not playing as much together.

Now they are thick as theives. If Ella is reading a book, Ethan wants to read the book. Ethan is building a barn, Ella wants to go check it out. When Ella is sitting in her "big girl" chair, then Ethan has to go sit right on her lap. If Ella is on my lap, then Ethan will try to chimmy his way on there too. It is getting pretty crowded nowadays! And the chasing.....oh they can run circles around the kitchen forever! It really is quite cute. There are only some times where it gives me cause for concern. #1 - I have had to break up more fights. #2 - They out number me together. #3 - How are they going to turn on me when the baby comes home? : )

My only saving grace is that they are not the slickest of kids when they are naughty. In fact, they are not slick at all. They are really good at telling on themselves. As they are doing something wrong, they shakes tjheir head and say "No! No! No!" until I come and do the same. Ethan always has a huge smile with that adorable dimple on his face as he does it! Sometimes Ethan will just be really quite. Then I know that he is into something he isn't supposed to be. That generally means he has found a phone or remote and is off in a corner playing with it. When I come up behind him I can usually hear him whispering "No No No."

Eric, Peanut and I are doing really well. Last weekend Nana and Papa took the kids for the weekend. It was a special treat for them to be spoiled by grandparents all weekend. It was a special treat for Eric and I to have a weekend to ourselves too! We did a lot of relaxing and Eric put a heck of a dent in his "Honey Do List." Peanut's room is finished. We did the rest of the shopping for him so we are set. That was a real treat for me. Since I was hospitalized so early with Ethan and Ella, I didn't get the opportunity to be a part of a lot of the preparation. I thoroughly enjoyed it this time!

I have my next doctor appointment and ultrasound tomorrow. I will be 32 weeks and 3 days. I am not entirely sure what to expect. I haven't had an ultrasound in 4 weeks which is some sort of a record for me. This is the first time I have no clue what the old cervix is up to - or down to for that matter! I am further along so I don't pretend to think that it is not low. So I guess the question will be how low will be too low for the doctors. Worst case scenario would be that they throw me in the hospital. But my doc has already told me she wouldn't keep me past 34 weeks, so I can handle that. Heck - I can stand on my head for 10 days after what we have been through! Best case scenario would be that all is the same and we carry on as normal. Hopefully if we are anywhere in between there, they will let me make some more changes at home (is - complete bedrest here until 34 weeks) At any rate, here is my weekly request for prayers please : ) We are so thankful that God has blessed us so greatly so far.

A House Full of Crazies

As you can guess since I am posting this now, I am still chugging along at home.....albeit at a snails pace! We had a good report this week. I took the fFE test for the last time (the one that tests for Pre Term Labor). After an agonizing 24 hour wait, we found out I passed. Hooray! That was the last big obstacle for us to overcome to keep me out of the hospital and off complete bed rest for an extended period. My doctor told me that after I hit 34 weeks, they will not hospitalize me, drug me or put me on complete bed rest (only 2 weeks and 6 days to go). I still have an appointment next Monday so there is the possibility they decide to put me in then. That would only be for about a week and a half. I can stand on my head for a week and half if it means keeping Peanut healthy and in my belly a little while longer. We are just so so so so grateful that I haven't had to be separated from Ethan and Ella.

Speaking of them. They provide me with constant entertainment. I hardly realize that I rarely get to leave the house. They are absolutely CRAZY and I love it! Ella is an absolute chatterbox. I like to call her my little cheerleader. She is very upbeat and always is cheering everyone on. Yea Buddy. Yea Mommy. Yea Daddy. Yea Majors. All followed by thunderous applause. She also has endless energy. She can run and run in circles for hours. I think I may just follow her around after I have Peanut to help me loose the baby weight! She loves to be chased. Ethan is finally catching on to what he is supposed to do when she starts running, giggling, and looking back at him.

Ethan is on cloud 9 here lately. We got him some new tennis shoes that have lights on them. He thinks he is one cool dude. He loves to just stamp his feet all over the house and watch the lights. The kids is OBSESSED with lights. He looks for them and points them out in every room he goes into. He has a number of little obsessions......candles, the sun, the moon, the mailman, the garbage truck, the color yellow, Elmo, and of course glasses. He talks almost as much as Ella. 95% of his conversations revolve around those little obsessions. Much to Daddy's chagrin, the kids have decided to trade sunglasses.

Counting our blessings and weeks

If you had told me 6 weeks ago that I would be nearly 30 weeks pregnant and still be at home I would have been shocked. But here we are! I will be 30 weeks on Friday and am only on modified bed rest at home. YIPPEE!!!

Yesterday I went through my normal Tuesday morning routine before my doctor's appointment. I spent a little extra time getting ready just in case. I put on waterproof mascara just in case. I packed my overnight bag for the hospital just in case. Apparently my preparedness is a good omen for me because I was sent home again!

God has blessed us so greatly over the last few weeks. We went from concerns over me having an extended hospital stay and being away from the kids and of having another Preemie to wondering how close we may make it to full term! I am convinced it is due to the enormous amounts of prayers we have had. The changes that we made at home have definitely helped us too. We are eternally grateful to Mimi and Nana for the days they have come over to help so I can lay down and rest. Boy are the kids going to be disappointed when it is just boring old Mama here. Maybe the addition of a new baby brother will help soften the blow : )

Edited to Add: Sorry about the lack of pictures this post. We have been rather snotty this week, so we didn't take any pictures. Enjoy the new slideshow below though! I will update it each month with all my favorites from the previous month.