a settled place

Our family vacation was spent in Frisco, North Carolina this summer and it was amazing. We spent a lot of days digging in the sand, riding the waves, visiting lighthouses, remembering the Wright Brothers, celebrating birthdays, playing mini golf, eating ice cream, riding the Ocracoke Island ferry, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, playing pool, watching fireworks over the ocean, cooking and eating, and just being. It was so nice to be within two blocks of both the sound and the ocean - so many more possibilities of things to do and so many more beautiful views. It was a long road trip to and from... definitely over 16 hours with stops, even driving through the night. But it was do-able with lots of drivers in the family, plenty of help with the kids (I still feel like I owe my family something big), and plenty of great things to listen to. :) (Of course, if you consider Wee Sing, Thomas the Train, and "Any Dream Will Do" to be "great things to listen to... there we

The past week has been a startling lesson, actually, in how quickly you can go from normal life... ... to a dead halt, and more than two weeks of nothing but waiting.  I was in Peoria last Thursday evening,  August 10, when  my water broke and I was admitted to OSF - it's kind of hard to believe that will be a week tomorrow! The little guy's heartbeat is staying steady, and my contractions and fluid leakage are not super concerning, and the doctors say he does not seem to be under stress - we're thankful for that. There is risk of infection, but that's why I'm here until he reaches 34 weeks. Hopefully, on August 26th, he'll be about 5 pounds and ready to join us! :) I can choose to sit here and feel guilty (which I do sometimes) or I can choose to sit here and be thankful (which I do sometimes)... I feel the weight of not being able to fulfill my responsibilities at home, of relying extensively on Grant, on our parents, and on the many people who are fee