A few quick updates :)

Today is the day! This afternoon, we get the joy of taking the Christmas shoeboxes that you all sent and putting them into the hands of a little boy or girl! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!!

Everyone was up early with excitement for the day ahead! I will try to post about it tonight before bed, and then again Sunday evening as we will be handing out a box to each child in our Children's Class at church that morning too.

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As Daniel has been praying about my care for the pregnancy, he asked me to contact a sweet friend of mine who was my OB doctor for my 2nd and 3rd babies when we lived in the states. She was so kind to email me several times and give her advice. Right now, Daniel is leaning towards taking steps towards having me deliver in the states. We are asking the Lord to make our paths straight and clear if that be His will; and if not, that He would lead us otherwise.

One thing my OB friend mentioned is the importance of me establishing care and getting a plan for my care/delivery there in my hometown as soon as possible.

As I am considered high risk, this will be important in finding a good doctor who will care for me. I told my friend that I'm not high risk; I've had lots of practice having babies, therefore, it should be easy :)

So the plan is for us to leave next week to head north. We will spend Christmas with our families and then Lord willing, find a doctor there to see me at that time. If we do have the baby up north, I know I will eventually (probably by 28-30 weeks at the latest) need to be up there, so hopefully, I can get seen, and then talk with the doctor about what he feels I should do (plan for my care, when we need to be north ect..). We will come back home here, Lord willing, the beginning of January.

Please pray that if the Lord wills, we can find a good doctor who will take me and that the Lord's leading would be clear as we have so many decisions to make.

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To answer a couple questions from some commenters in the last post: The girls night caps are just so sweet! They just love them! The one Nehemiah is wearing in the picture was actually a cap to a dress I had when I was little (my mommee made it :) ). One of the caps was given to us (I don't remember when) and the 2 others I bought for Beka and Abi for Christmas last year.

I found them on ebay and I think the proper term for them, if you want to find some, is "mob cap".

They are not too hot and I don't know all the history behind them...whether the sole purpose was for keeping ones head warm or for other things as well. But they are not too hot (according to my girls), and they like them not only because they are so cute, but because they say it helps their hair to not get too tangly at night.

The girls pajamas are homemade, but I did not make them. But I do now have the pattern to make them!! Each year, if we are able, we love getting each child a brand new pair of pajamas. We give them to them on Christmas Eve night. Those were the ones I ordered for the girls last year.

Also, we have had several people asking about the weather here especially during this time of year. Basically, from May through October, it is hot. Hot during the day and very warm at night. July through September are VERY hot! March and April and November are more mild...warm in the day and then cool at night. December through February is the best :) The weather actually does get pretty chilly....we will even get down to freezing a few times and normally, in the evenings, it will be in the 40's, especially by January (this morning it was 50 outside when I got up). In the daytime, it will warm up to the 70's and sometimes 80.

The difference here is, there is no heat source in the house. So when it is cold outside, it is cold in the house. And because our house is cement, it tends to keep cool inside all day even after it warms up outside. So you might see the children wearing coats/sweaters and then a t-shirt all in the same day depending on the time of day and if they are inside or outside :)

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Finally, a couple things from the past couple days. Daddy and his carpenter friend here finished what they have been planning and working on for months. Book shelves/cabinets and desks for our home schooling!! We home school in the dining room and Daniel designed desks for 9 children and I to wrap around that wall with books stored in cabinets above. Everyone (Timothy down to Susannah) has their own desk (mommee too :) ), with their own drawer and door down below with a shelf.

While our children don't mind sharing anything and everything, they love having a little spot of their own. They are just so happy and they spent all morning Wednesday organizing their desk. I thought it was funny how even when school was over for the day, they asked me for some more :) I'm not sure how long that will last, but it was cute.

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And finally, Nehemiah who we lovingly call our bullfrog as he LOVES froggies, turns 2 next week. Since we will be needing to travel north at that time, we had a party for him last night. The boys helped me make him omlets in the morning (he loves eggs!) and then we made him nachos for supper (one of his favorite meals).

The girls helped me decorate 2 froggie cakes too :)

When we went around the table to bless Nehemiah and tell him how much we loved him, several of the children mentioned how sweet he is and how he just loves to play with them.

Daniel and I just praise the Lord for this little guy whom we were not sure would even live his first year of life. But this year, he's growing so big and strong and has been so healthy! Thank you Lord for our little Nehemiah!