Birthday Party Set for Thursday!

Latest Breaking News from the Caldwell Household....!!!

Today's amnio results revealed that Baby's lungs are almost ready... not ready enough for her to join us today; however, by Thursday - she should be "good to go"... so unless she (or the Lord) has other plans, she is scheduled to arrive by "special delivery" (C-section) on Thursday morning, May 17th!

Stay tuned to this channel for all the latest breaking news and photos...

No Baby Yet...

For those of you "checking in", there's no baby here just yet. The amniocentesis last Friday went well with no complications; though it hurt like crazy and induced heavy contractions. Cervix is dilating but I'm not in active labor... yet. The amnio results basically said that there was still a 20% chance that she could have some respiratory distress if she was delivered then. So though I feel "done", she must not be quite ready and still needs a little more time in the oven. So we wait... and try to keep from going into labor just yet.

My Dr. is out of town at a conference and holidays this week. He says he'll be surprised if I don't deliver while he's gone. (I already had a scare Monday and thought she was on the way - contractions 2 & 3 minutes apart for a couple of hours... but no...) The hospital staff helped me get the labor stopped so we can keep "cooking" her lungs a little longer.

So we get to do like most everybody else... wait 'til she's really ready and go into labor naturally. Then we'll go into hospital and deliver by C-section. Good news is that we really are in the safe zone now. I've carried her full-term - longer than ever before! Yay!!! Every day she stays in, she's that much more ready for a healthy delivery with no complications.

So I here I still sit at home, "Lady in Waiting"... on bed rest now, taking medications to keep her in there for a few days longer, hoping to at least wait until Monday the 14th when Dr. Logen gets back- since he's "the best"! Thanks to all who call, write and visit... the walls are closing in and feeling a bit claustrophobic as I watch the clock and count contractions :) The company and distractions are most welcome!

Thank you all for praying - we'll keep you posted here when the Big day arrives...

Lady in Waiting

Baby Shower - Saturday, April 21st. We were showered with blessings for our new little girl... arriving very soon... Of course, if "she" turns out to be a "he", we'll be totally thrilled, exchanging some outfits and re-decorating the nursery in a hurry!

Yes, this is really "Us"... Baby and I waiting patiently for her arrival! I’ll be 36 weeks tomorrow. I’ve already carried this baby longer than any others, which is HUGE to me. Speaking of huge, I feel huge as I’m already measuring full-term and baby is already estimated at weighing over 8 lbs… we’ll see. I am scheduled to go into the hospital on Friday for an amniocentesis to check on Baby’s lungs for maturity. If her lungs are mature (surfactant is present in the fluid) then we will promptly go into the OR for a repeat C-section. If her lungs are not mature then we’ll still be waiting: a) to go into labor on my own – in which case a C-section will still happen upon arrival at the hospital or b) for Dr. Logen to return from his week off (May 14th) in order to repeat Friday’s process…

My prayer requests are for:

1. Peace and safety through all procedures. (I’m very nervous about the amnio – big long needle – and all that the C-section involves too.)
2. Lung maturity, feeding/swallowing maturity, and temperature control for Baby.
3. Obviously - safe and healthy delivery for Baby and me, with no complications for either.
4. His perfect timing in all!

Thank you all so much for your prayers on our behalf! We’ll keep you updated as to her safe arrival and the answers to your prayers!

Stay tuned for all the details coming soon to this "blog-channel" right here, just for you!

Settling In

Here they are - our 4 drama queens in their matching Easter blouses. They're quite the beauties aren't they?! Way too much fun!

Speaking of drama, there's never a lack of it around here. A couple weeks ago, our little dog Sandy (maltese/pom) and the neighbors boxer (BIG dog!) decided to "go a round". Needless to say, Sandy lost - ending up with 7 stitches in his neck from a puncture wound. Lots of tears that day from all of us girls!!! Thankfully Paul was here and assisted with separating the dogs, the vet run, etc. It was very traumatic for the girls but after lots of cuddles and prayer, the girls and Sandy are all better now and none the worse for wear. I dare say he's got it in for big dogs for sure now - barking vigorously at any he catches sight of!!

Then there's Jessica - brave, no fear, confident, and bold!! We were at the playground a week ago, me sitting, the girls exploring the ladders, slides, swings, etc., when Jessica decided maybe she could try the monkey bars ALONE! NOT!! Before I knew it she was on the ground crying, with her face bleeding. She had landed head/face first in the bark. I think she was more upset that there was bark all over her clothing than the fact her face was hurt. She cried for a couple minutes then wanted back on the playground - "All better. No Dr." Long and short of it - I took her to the Dr. anyway just to be on the safe side. (I'm pretty sure an angel or two helped cushion her fall as it should've been much worse!) No concussion or serious injury - just a badly bruised and scratched face, with a bit of a black eye the next morning. The Lord was watching over her!! She only had one dose of tylenol the first night at bedtime. A week later you can hardly see a scratch left. She's such a trooper! (This picture was taken on Easter Sunday just a couple of days after the accident.)

We're feeling more settled in all the time in our new home and loving it. Right now we're counting down 'til Baby arrives. Looks like she'll be here within the next month at least. I've had a couple "false alarms" and visits to the Hospital already. Thankfully, we're still holding on, though, we can hardly wait for the right time to be here... especially me... I'm feeling a bit anxious to have my body back. All you moms out there know what I mean!

In the middle of all this, Paul's store in Burlington was closed for good a couple weeks ago - very sad; however, the good news is that he was transferred to Sedro Wooley (only a few more miles away) to the busiest store in the chain. He is the Perishables Manager there and enjoying the busy-ness of the larger store.

Meantime, my Mom & Dad (affectionately known as Mimi & Papa to our girls) arrive here on Monday as they are moving here permanently from Swan Hills, AB, Canada. We are very anxious to have them here. My awkward body needs the help :) They will be ministering on staff at our church, Christ the King, and reaching out to our community and county here in Mount Vernon, WA. The biggest blessing will be to our immediate family as we are all anxious to have more family close by.

So there you have the latest news from the Caldwell Clan... busy and growing, never a dull moment... too much fun! We'll keep you posted when Baby arrives... Drop us a line when you have a moment. We would love to hear from you, too.

Expanding Family

Our first visit with Molly as a family - Christmas 2006: Jessica, Paul, Molly, JG, Haley, Jeanna. Molly is Paul’s daughter from a prior relationship. To make a long story short, there was unforgiveness towards her mother and so Paul had a hard time wanting a relationship with Molly. The Lord answered many prayers and softened Paul’s heart towards her. Molly is a precious little 3 year old, full of energy and life - only too pleased to be united with Daddy, her sisters, and "Mama" Joy, too.

This is a photo of our new home as of next week. (Our house finally sold.) Now we're making room for girl #5, due in May. The house has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a 2 car garage, huge yard in a quiet neighborhood at the end of a cul-de-sac. We are so blessed by His answers to all of our prayers!

The pregnancy is going well, with some pretty "normal complaints". I am on limited activity and trying not to overdo myself while packing and moving. I have gestational diabetes, keeping me from having too much fun with pregnancy cravings... no pickles and only small servings of ice-cream. Good news is that it's gone just as soon as baby is born. :) The contractions come quite regularly these days, keeping me sitting most of the time, but Paul and the girls are taking good care of me and working hard to compensate for my lack of mobility. We have good friends and family who are being helpful, too. My doctor is very pleased with how well baby is doing and we are very hopeful and confident that she will be born full-term and healthy. Thanks for all your prayers.

Paul and the girls are all doing well - keeping as busy and active as ever! Way too much fun!! We'll write and post more later.

Merry Christmas & New Year Blessings!

Merry Christmas from the Caldwell Family to all of you. Most of our shopping and baking are done. With 3 days left of school, my biggest stress is wondering how to keep these pretty girls busy during the upcoming Christmas Break... looks like more baking, crafts, games, and giggly sleepovers...

2006 has been a blessed year for all of us. Paul finally got his long awaited promotion. He is now the Store Manager for Burlington Thrifty Foods and is really enjoying the challenges and opportunities that it presents. We are headed over there in a little while so the girls can visit "Santa". Jessica can hardly wait! Jeanna could care less and Haley says, "I know who Santa REALLY is!" (ha!) Paul is such a hard worker! He works 10 to 11 hour days at the store but is never too tired to do his fatherly routine when he gets home, playing hide and seek, guesssing games, listening to the girls read, brushing their teeth, tucking them in, and keeping them all in line - something much easier to do with him around, than me alone! (Something about Dad that means "Yes, sir!")

We are very proud of our 10 year old, Jeanna, as she continues to excel in 5th Grade and all of her extracurricular activities. Busy as ever, she is playing the violin in the MVSD 2nd year Orchestra and enjoying it immensely. She was also playing the flute in band but has just decided that it is too much and needs to focus on one instrument at a time for now - good choice! She was elected as Secretary for her second year on the Madison Student Council, learning leadership and organizational skills there. She is continuing to do well on the SVY Chinooks swim team, working very hard to qualify for Regionals, though she's not quite there yet. As if that's not enough, she is also part of Mad Muse, a weekly after school club that works on journaling their "Madison School News" - in print and video medias. Jeanna is learning "domestic skills" at home; she's a tremendous help around the house with her sisters, learning to cook, clean, and shop for bargains on a budget! She can't wait to babysit and earn more money... am I ever glad for that... looks like she'll get lots of practice soon enough! Her favorite early Christmas present this year was getting to go to her very first "LIVE Concert" in Seattle with her best friend, where she saw "High School Musical". 10 years old, going on 15 already :)

Jessica, 7 years old, continues to make wonderful and amazing progress in all areas. She is in a regular 1st grade class, reading on grade level and learning very basic addition and telling time. She is dearly loved by her classmates and teachers, who continue to be amazed by what she is able to do and learning to do! She has the biggest smile and best laugh ever! She is practically running everywhere these days, keeping me very busy trying to keep up with her. (She's actually been lost for a few minutes a couple of times this fall, giving me big scares. Of course, she doesn't even realize what she's done, which is the most frightening part of all.) This is Jessica's favorite time of the year as she lives for Christmas & Santa. We have also been teaching her about this being Jesus' birthday but at this point, much to our chagrin, Santa is much more exciting to her - with presents, the North Pole, red suits, Rudolph and Barney..., yes, Barney... go figure!

And then there's our 6 year old, "Princess Haley". We couldn't be more proud of her. She is an excellent 1st grader, reading at a 2nd grade level already. We can't spell any words or secrets around here anymore at all without these "smart cookies" sounding it out and saying the words before we do! Haley is very conscientious with her school work and loves the feeling of getting all her lists done right away. We have a school day morning checklist for the girls that helps them stay on task as they get ready for school... (the typical... make bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, make lunch, wash face & hands, brush teeth, pack backpack, etc...). The other day Haley asked me how long she was going to have to do this list. I told her that in reality she would always have a list... as these were things that all of us did every morning before we went to school, work, etc... the only difference was that as we get older we add more things to the list. She wasn't so sure about that. Haley is a delight and full of energy. I do believe her favorite subject is math... as she doesn't miss a beat with what's going on in a day, what's coming up, how many days 'til Christmas, how many more days 'til Mimi & Papa come from Canada..., how many more months 'til everyone's birthdays, the baby's arrival, etc.

Then there's Mama and Baby. We are doing well. I am in my 17th week of pregnancy now, officially due May 30th. The whole family (good friends: Patty & Jason, too!) came to my last Doctor's appointment this past week and got to see Baby on the ultrasound. It was very exciting as Baby had both hands up at his/her face waving at us. Jessica says that Baby waved "Hi & Bye". (very cute!) All preliminary blood tests and ultrasounds are very positive and reassuring that everything is normal with Baby thus far. According to my latest bloodwork, my chances of having a baby with Down syndrome again have gone from 1 in 90 to 1 in 650 - pretty good odds! Honestly, I have tremendous peace and positive feelings about Baby and have not worried at all but it's reassuring nonetheless when the medical professionals confirm it. Since entering the "magical" 2nd trimester, I have been feeling much better - less green and more energy.

I am still in shock some days, that we are doing the "baby thing" again, having to shop for baby furniture, strollers, car seats, layettes, etc. and knowing that life is going to change for all of us yet some more. We'll have less sleep, more mouths to feed, more laundry, more tears and more laughter. I know that in some ways I'll have more help with all these "big" girls around here but then again we thought mornings and bedtimes were already busy!!! :)

As far as general things on the "home front", we pulled our house off the market for Dec & Jan so we can relax a bit more and then we'll try to sell again come February. With Baby's arrival we still need that 4th bedroom - sooner than later. I have been blessed with another part-time contract, working from my home office, for a wonderful local organization that provides educational, therapeutic and behavioral programs for children with special needs. What a Sovereign blessing and provision for us for the next few months!


We had the privilege of celebrating Thanksgiving twice this year. We had "Grandma Dot" & Aunt Joyce from Texas here along with my folks from Alberta during Canadian Thanksgiving and had a most wonderful time. It had been over 2 years since I had seen Grandma & Aunt Joyce and the first time Paul & Haley had met them. We had a precious few days together, never long enough! It's hard to be so far away from family so when we're all together we treasure every moment - counting down the days 'til we can see each other again. Then for US Thanksgiving, we had a quieter celebration just the 5 of us. In the evening we had our dear friends and adopted family, Steve, Patty & Jason over for pie and coffee.

Meantime, we continue to enjoy our church family and the activities that we're involved in. I am blessed to be part of a great team of ladies who leads Women's Ministries. Last week I "MC'd" our first annual holiday brunch and fashion show which was a beautiful success, with over 80 women in attendance. The best investment of time & money that Paul & I have made thus far was taking a weekly class at the church this fall, Financial Peace University, taught by Dave Ramsey. It has completely changed the way we spend our money and how we think about our finances from practical and Biblical perspectives. The best part about it is that the principles are working!! (It should be mandatory for every high school graduate and newly wed couple!)

So there you have it, a few highlights of our family life and how we're doing. Here is our Christmas Card from all of us to you. This picture was taken just after Thanksgiving during our "once a year snow storm". You all are always welcome in our home! Come and see us anytime! We pray you have a wonderful Merry Christmas and that all the Blessings of our Lord Jesus will be yours in 2007!

Life is Full of Surprises!

What a month or two we've had! At the end of August, it looked like Paul might be transferred with his work out to Eastern Washington, putting us into a wierd phase of living in "limbo land", waiting for all the "what if's" to work themselves out. We had been discussing selling our house for months and this was the motivation to get it going... so we put our house up for sale. (For more info on our house, you can check out http://www.2915timothypl.com.) After a few weeks of our faith and trust being tested in "limbo land" Paul decided to take one "if" off the table and we chose not to move out of Mount Vernon, even once our house is sold. YAY! We love living here so that part was easy and a huge relief! We want to build a new home once this one is sold...

Meantime, I was hired at the end of September to work as a one-on-one assistant to a wonderful boy with disabilities at the girls' school. I have always appreciated the staff at Madison School and here in the Mount Vernon School District, so it was a real pleasure to be there on a daily basis. My student is an amazing boy and a real delight to work with. It was a real privilige to work with him. It also felt very good to be there at the school, available to our 3 girls but not right in their faces. (They seemed to like it too.)

I was just starting to settle into my new position there at the school, when I started feeling like maybe I was catching Paul's flu... but oddly enough I felt better in the afternoon. Other signs and symptoms appeared making me question "my flu". I thought maybe a little test at home was in order... SURPRISE!!! Yep - it confirmed my suspicions, I officially have the "Egyptian Flu"... I'm going to be a "Mummy" again! It's an extra surprise, especially since I had been told by my healthcare professional back in April that I was in premature menopause, confirmed by ultrasound and bloodwork. The Lord must have some pretty neat plans in mind for this miracle baby! After my first u/s, the "Dr" thought maybe she saw 2 babies... but after my first visit with the OB today, he confirmed only ONE baby - doing very well thus far. ;) Baby is due in May.

Once I knew that I was "with child", my ability to perform my duties with my student changed immediately. Because of my previous pregnancy histories, I am considered "high risk" so I am no longer able to lift him as required and must be extremely careful. I am not on bed rest but after the middle of December (16 weeks) will be limited even more physically. The school staff was very understanding and accommodating, but after weighing all my options and considering the possibilities, I decided to relinquish my contract and just go on the substitute list, relieving myself of the pressure of reporting daily but at the same time, I can work as I'm feeling up to it and available. I am sorry for the sake of my student but I'm confident that all will work out as it is supposed to, since Baby Surprise wasn't part of my plans but the Lord's :)

We are all very excited about Baby. It's pretty cool to be able to see such a strong heartbeat already so early. The girls are busy making plans of their own for Baby and are very sweet with the way they "take care" of me. Of course Paul is as amazing as ever, making sure I'm getting enough rest, bringing me crackers, fluffing my pillows, etc., so comforting, strong, and nurturing! Now thinking about making plans for a new home, the requirements just went from a 3 bedroom to at least a 4...

Stay tuned for more updates, coming your way via this channel soon....