Still Pregnant

So, sometimes it shocks me, but I'm still pregnant. With Baby # 4. And Dave and I still have no girl name chosen in case the Lord blesses us with another walking drama mama.

Last week- 28 weeks pregnant

I honestly hate sharing pics of myself, but I guess this blog is more about documenting a time in the life of my family than it is about hiding some vain insecurity issues I deal with. I can almost hear people thinking, "how does she still have 10-11 week left? She looks ready to pop." And I know that before long I won't have to know people are thinking it because they'll go right ahead and say it out loud. At least one person already has, and they did with my other three pregnancies. :/

People keep asking me if this pregnancy seems different than my last three. The answer is a resounding yes. But, then, Saige's pregnancy felt very very different than my first two pregnancies. We still have almost 3 months until this baby arrives and announces their gender, and I will be here....waiting very impatiently.

Since I haven't written in months, I'd like to catch you all up on what's going on with us. Life in the Bakkan has been so different than any life Dave and I ever could have imagined for ourselves. Jobs and real estate and the oil economy are more unpredictable than ever. We find ourselves helping friends move, mourning with friends who are laid-off, missing family, and enjoying close and quickly found relationships with friends who know exactly how we are feeling and what we are going through. It's an unstable time.

This winter has not been "bad" as North Dakota winters go, and we barely have any snow left on the ground. We expect highs in the 50's tomorrow, and our North Dakotan friends are excited and gearing up for an early Spring.

Our girls are still loving homeschool. It's been a little harder for me to be motivated to teach as my belly has grown and I've become increasingly tired, but I am so thankful for the joy the girls and I get out of it as we work through history, geography, language, reading, Spanish, handwriting and gym class together. 

Julia is having a hard time allowing us to convince her that she is NOT a third parent. She is very mature and sweet, and understands a lot for her age. Lydia is still super spunky, witty and interested in having a good time (all the time), and Saige is a sneaky, strong-willed little sweetie pie.  We tease her that she loves sugar because she was born in Sugar Land, TX. For a while there though, I think she tried to use this as an excuse for her lack of discipline when it came to sneaking in a corner and eating candy. What's a parent to do?

Making Valentine Cards

I have been working with some real estate clients lately, and am generally just trying to help people make the best of such a crazy Bakken situation. This market is night and day different than Houston's, and learning the ropes is tedious but rewarding.

We have no idea what God has in store for our Stewart family next. Dave and I often try to put in our two cents, but we mostly just know that nothing is up to us. We try and live by the verse found in Matthew 10:39. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

Hope to get back on here soon. Blessings! -Amber