Averytards

Avery dances all the time.  Every day.  And usually in a leotard (unlike in the photo above).  

The funny thing is, when someone says "leotard", Avery thinks we're saying "LEAHtard."  And she always says, "I not wear a Leahtard, I wear an Averytard!"

Baby 5's Little Face

That's our girl!  Well, I guess it could be our boy, too, but I think we have another girl.

Did I startle you just now?  Take a deep breath… the gender is still a surprise!  

Sorry.

No, not really.  Here's to August 1st!  Or maybe July 30th.  The baby measured at 19 weeks 0 days, which would bump the due date up a bit.  Whether or not my OB decides to change it, he or she is measuring right on target and is estimated to be 10 oz.  The baby was flipping and twisting and kept putting hands and arms over the face, so it was hard to get a good profile shot.  I'm a little disappointed in the sonogram pictures we got, but the one I shared here is the best.  There will be plenty of pictures after the baby arrives to make up for it!  

Girl names?  Claire is in the top spot for now, although Avery told us this morning that the baby should be named Belle, like a Princess.  

Four Months

This little one is now 17 weeks + 5 days old, and I am feeling…. round.

Other 4-month old baby bellies here, here, here, and here.

Ready to Twirl!

Anyone who knows Avery knows that she's got a dance in her soul and it has to come out!

She is incredibly excited about her 3-4 yr old ballet class, which is held at our church with other MOPS families and her favorite cousin Kip.  Grace and Leah's former ballet teacher offered to do the class, and it's the highlight of Avery's week.  Maybe even the highlight of Avery's life.  

3 Months

Here we are at (give or take) 3 months pregnant.  I'm 15 weeks + 2 days.

Nausea and extreme fatigue have gone away, although Steve and I both find ourselves worn out by the children's bedtime of 8pm.  That would probably be the case whether I was pregnant or not!   I'm trying to stay really focused on keeping myself well-nourished and well-rested; five pregnancies in 7 years has  depleted me, I'm sure, and I felt like I wasn't fully recovered from carrying Jane when we found out baby 5 was on the way.  I had been researching a traditional diet (pastured animal products, fermented food to keep a healthy gut and support immunity, soaked or sprouted grains, not being afraid of healthy fats, etc) and am putting some of what I've learned into practice to be sure I'm giving myself and little baby plenty of the good stuff.  Without becoming a complete Traditional Foods Hippie/Nutcase, this is what I've been trying to fill us up with:

-- homemeade soaked whole wheat bread (easier to digest and more nutritious… but let's be real, I was on a roll before the first trimester knocked me off my feet and I've baked bread like 2 times in the last 3 months.)   Also soaked granola.

-- fermented cod liver oil.  Yes, yes we do.  Everyone but Steve who is a complete sissy.

-- kefir, aka fermented milk (yum!)  Are you all still with me here?  I haven't made these since baby made his/her presence known, but it's my second trimester goal to get back to it.

-- Grass-fed, organic beef and whole milk from my favorite dairy, Prigel Family Creamery!  Such a blessing!

-- homemade bone broth (chicken stock).  Grace loves to drink this hot from a mug.

-- Kerrygold butter from happy Irish grass-fed cows, which Traditional Foodies declare to be a "health food".  I choose to believe them with my whole heart.

-- 1 or 2 eggs every day for me.  Hopefully from Jimmy and Laura's chickens when they start to lay again!

-- Homemade pregnancy tea for me.  Red raspberry leaf, stinging nettle leaf, and rose hips.  1-2 cups a day for the second trimester and more during the third trimester.

-- lots of water, fruits, and veggies, and limited amounts of WaWa subs (had one at 9:30 last night, thanks hubby for running out to get me one!  True love!), Cafe Rio burritos, baked goods, and Dunkin Donuts munchkins which my parents bring every time they come to get the girls.


Also, I found some fabulous prenatal yoga videos on YouTube that I try to do for at least 10 minutes a day.  The bonus is that the instructor is British and some of my new favorite people are British :)

Compare 3-month baby bellies here, here, here, [missed that month for Jane!]

Project 365

I don't get around to posting on this blog as much as I'd like to, but I AM posting one photo every day for this entire year over on my special projects blog!  Most of the pictures feature our growing girls, so it's almost like a family update, right?  You can follow the project by clicking on the link below:

Heather Grace Photography Projects

My three-month baby belly will be here soon, but for now, I thought you might enjoy some pictures of Jane.

Sometimes, after saying goodbye to Grace and Leah on school mornings, she finds the little backpack and asks me (not using actual words yet, though) to put it on her so that she looks just like her big sisters.

And then there were SEVEN

There was a new stocking in the row on Christmas morning!  At first the girls thought it was for Dorothy the goldfish.  Nope!

Surprise!  Or maybe we shouldn't be so surprised at this point, haha.

Once again, God in His wisdom has overruled our own plans for our family and has blessed us with another growing baby… a little sooner than we might have expected.  He or she (let's be real here, it's gotta be a "she"!) is due to join us on August 1st, right before Leah's sixth birthday.

I will admit it.  The positive pregnancy test, at first, made us feel overwhelmed.  After all, what will everyday life look like when there are five children ages 7 and under to take care of?  Lots of families do it, but it seemed like a lot to put on my particular plate.  Will these little girlies ever know what it's like to have a mother that isn't tired and in need of naps because she's pregnant or taking care of a newborn?  Can I rework my grocery budget again?  Will private school remain in our future?  Can I manage to be more organized and intentional in the way that I keep my home and minister to so many individual needs and personalities?  But, thankfully, the surprise wears off and Truth seeps in to take the place of worry~

The great comfort is, in the midst of all my human "can'ts", there is unfailing and limitless grace and provision in Christ.  He's the author of this family and He's the sustainer of it, too.  We have SO MUCH to look forward to raising in our five children.  We have been blessed with another reason to trust and to rejoice.  We can laugh, with confidence, at the days to come (Proverbs 31:25).

We tucked the 8-week sonogram picture in the seventh stocking.

We will take hold of that which is truly life, being generous with what we've been given and living with a heavenly perspective (1 Timothy 6:19).

We will seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, not worrying about the future (Matthew 6:34).  His promises are as good as accomplished and He has already proven that He abundantly provides! Too many things to list here.

We have many arrows in our quiver, making us blessed with a wonderful heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5).  I supposed it's no coincidence that this passage was the basis of the charge at our wedding eight years ago.  Pastor Don had some kind of premonition, I'm thinking.

Leah trying to decipher the odd-looking sonogram picture.  Is it a baby?!

Today, at 10.5 weeks, I heard the heartbeat for the first time and laughed with the doctor and nurse about the impossibility of fitting three carseats and two booster seats in our still-awesome Odyssey mini van.  It was a great morning.  I even got dinner in the crockpot and put away breakfast dishes.  I'm on a roll!  

Here's to the Deterding family of seven, loved by God and secure in His hands.