This is the last family picture we'll have with six faces in the frame. Tim really dislikes whenever someone takes a picture and cuts off the bottom of our legs. He did ask our friend to rotate the phone and he got a couple more shots, but this one is still my favorite, the one I chose to share on social media. And not just because my "fankles" aren't showing, haha. I think everyone's smiles are the best.

Here we are, shoes and all. The kids were especially cooperative, which made me very happy. 

We had another nice, quiet Easter at home, and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful spring day.

I am very pleased with our little corner of the world. After weeks of scrutinizing different plants and fretting about whether they made it through the winter, I see most of them flourishing and there's so much color everywhere.

As much as I'm looking forward to getting to meet our newest little man, I am really enjoying these days too. I've been getting a lot done, or else getting Tim to get a lot done.😂 The thing I couldn't wait for us to do, which was to power wash the porches and everything on them, is now checked off the list. That was mostly Tim who did that. I brought the smaller things into the house and washed them, and I cleaned off every bulb of our string lights. After asking me a couple times, "Are you sure you want me to do this?" he power-washed the outdoor rug. It didn't take all that long to dry, and it looks brand new.

The last few weeks of pregnancy have been pretty good to me. I do wear out quickly, and I'm feeling the strain of carrying around almost 40 extra pounds, but I take every opportunity to rest. There's not a whole lot I HAVE to do besides shuttle children to and from school and various activities, and for that I'm grateful. Driving I can do. At Tim's insistence toward the beginning of this pregnancy, I hired a cleaner who comes every other week. A godsend. I just do light maintenance cleaning between her visits.

I'm still doing my workouts on the Daily Burn app, and just modifying or substituting exercises as needed. I've been getting regular chiropractic care. I've got just about everything I need for a baby, with the exception of a couple odds and ends. I even have the laborade popsicles ready to go in the freezer, the same ones I made and had while in labor with the other boys. At almost 38 weeks, I'm getting a little nervous about labor, but getting the news and pictures of my sister Grace's peaceful and joyful home waterbirth a few days ago has given me a fresh dose of encouragement -- like yes, I can do this again. See, she just did! Baby Israel has the best cheeks and chin, and looks perfectly squishable.

It still amazes me that eight months ago, I was so shocked by this pregnancy -- and not in a good way. It was like I cracked open a door, and then a giant gust of wind blew it off the hinges. It seemed so utterly unlikely as to be ridiculous. Now I am so grateful for this child I didn't know I wanted, maybe even needed; I feel like he's already changed me for the better.