*Rachel Zipporah White*

We are at a point in this pregnancy I didn't think we would ever come to! The 23rd. week. Most people probably think everyone gets to have a 23rd. week...what's the big deal?? But to me it's A BIG deal. I've lost two babies at the 6-7 week range and we were certain we were going to lose our little Zipporah so it's really cool that she has survived and is thriving! I've even found myself preparing for labor within the last week. We have started the birth passage memory... Romans 5-10. And I have started gathering important verses dealing with childbirth. I have begun my research on kangaroo care and all of the awesome advantages for the newborn. My something new I want to try this time is I am going to do the breast crawl. Basically I will pull her out myself and place her on my chest and she will crawl to my breast to nurse on her own...that will be followed by constant kangaroo care as much as possible in the first 24-48 hours and continued threw out the first 8-12 weeks. Very exciting. I have found some awesome carrier shirts. Researched the newborn diapers I want. Prefolds again.. haha( but this time xs in bamboo) with newborn covers from nicki's diapers in emerald green and raspberry pink. I wish we could get some fitted prefold for newborns...but joey is not on board so getting the newborn covers is going to be a LONG stretch for me. It's all very exciting tho. I have been talking with joey about my desire not to bathe the baby. I will give her a bath with me when we get home in the tub...after a week or so... there's so many good things in the amniotic fluid  to protect from germs so there really is no need. He is on board with that. And we've been talking about my desire to have the baby skin to skin 24/7 for the first couple days... which will mean while I nap in the hospital he will be holding her. We never have lots of visitors so it's not like it's a big deal. Honestly, I don't want to pass my baby around anyway. This time I'm not going to. The best place for her is on me and that's where she's going to be. I'm very excited though. All the way around. Another new thing for this birth... Joey is always 100% against having anyone in the birth room except for him. He let me with Rebekah and hated it... so with Moses and Rahab we did it alone. It was wonderful... BUT this time he is going to let me have a doula. I needed a woman that knew a lot about birth and and breastfeeding, that I loved and felt comfortable with who would be willing to be there and help me calm down. My sister couldn't this time because she will be very pregnant herself. A lady from my church who is also a lactation consultant said she would be there. Isn't it awesome how God blesses us with what we need??!! It is going to be awesome no matter how she arrives or how things are done. I'm just so excited!!! We literally only have one detail to resolve before she's born... besides the very few items I want and the basic necessities in clothes she will need.... That is... I have NO CLUE what we are going to do with our sweet babies while I'm in the hospital. I'm pretty sure they will go stay with my Aunt Benda. They can't go to my sisters... she will be to pregnant. Can't go to my mom and dads... my brother lives there and my nannie is a lot on them. So that leaves no one. Because Mrs. Rosa moved to Oklahoma. Have been thinking about this for 8 weeks without one viable option. I know it will all fall together but still. Stressful to think about. I have got everything else planned out...but that one thing is a stumper. I wish joey would just stay with them... but he loves to get to spend those first hours with me and the baby. It's very sweet. I am thinking of looking into a babysitter that can come stay at the house with them when I'm in labor and the day I'm in the hospital. I also am still debating whether Rebekah should be at the hospital. I think she would enjoy it. She will be nearly 5 when Rachel is born. So I am in favor of having her there with me. But whether or not she would get bored is the real sticker. I'm thinking if I do most of my labor at home... then she will be fine to come with us. But it's up to joey.  We will see I suppose. : )Either way it will just be Me, Joey, Mrs. Kym and Rebekah. Plans plans plans. I love to write about birth plans. I love to joke about having my sister-in-law Catie catch the baby. I always wanted someone I loved who would love the baby a whole lot to catch the baby. I just think the baby and that person would share a special relationship/ But it just seems weird letting Catie catch a baby before bri bri. As Bri is the closest to my babies in the whole family. But Bri will be soo pregnant that she can't be there. So all in all I have given up on that idea this time around. I still want to have atleast another 4 kids so as Joey always says...there's plenty of time for all your crazy plans. You don't have to do them all at the same time. You have your whole life!