So, if you hadn't heard....

We're expecting a new addition to our family at the end of the summer! The due date should be around Sept. 7th, though if they follow in Joshua and Jonah's footsteps, they'll be born at least ten days early! Both Josh and Jonah were born on the exact days that I predicted, so for this baby my projected date is, um, August 28th!

I'm really hoping for a weekend here, as Joseph will be back to work and Elora will be starting kindergarten right around then...talk about a busy time of the year! I still haven't decided if I'm hoping we'll still be here, or that we will have moved by then.

If we move, that will mean me, 8 months pregnant, packing up our entire house, then unpacking our entire house, the hassle of changing insurance (because we would totally move to a different state) and all that stress.

Staying would be smarter financially, somewhat less stressful...and really, a place can't feel like home when you've lived there less than a year.

We've already encountered a few annoyances with having a baby in such a rural area. Like...the closest clinic is associated with a hospital 3 1/2 hours away. Doesn't work for me. Also, the OB who works there, only comes by every six weeks or so. That annoys me.

The second closest clinic is associated with a hospital 2 hours away, but I was told that hospital didn't have a good reputation. Well, according to the one lady I talked to.

I finally decided on a clinic in Spearfish, which is (wait for it) two hours away. I chose this place because A. all of the obgyns are women, which I prefer, and B. they have appointment times available on Fridays, so Joseph can drive me and watch my kids.

I may regret choosing a place so far away, but, what are you gonna do? Plus, the hospital is right next to the clinic so it's not too far for that final push (haha). Unless I have a labor faster than six hours, which is my usual time.

(Isn't this all so interesting? I knew it would be.)

Then there is my usual worry about what to do with the kids when its time. All our friends that live by us are school teachers, so they'll be at work, and the one lady at church who doesn't work full time lives an hour in the wrong direction. So yeah, that's why the weekend delivery would work great. Though I refuse to schedule an induction. Bad, bad, bad. I think babies should come when they're ready, even if it is terribly inconvenient.

Um, and...I had two boy names I really liked, and two friends on Facebook took them for their fourth babies just in the last few months. Which I guess proves that they're more popular than I realized, but I still like them. So for a boy, I'd have to come up with all new names (though we still kind of like Jude.) And for girls, I'm liking: Gracie, Bonnie, River, Rain, Ginny, and a handful of others.

So. Surprise!