July By the Numbers

12 weeks: That's the size of this precious little one. I had another ultrasound three weeks ago and I still smile really big each time I look at this darling profile. Fearfully and wonderfully made. Precious in God's sight. Loved in my heart. And already treasured in our family!

15 weeks: That's how far along I am in this very amazing, but very unpleasant, thing called pregnancy. With a big 10 pounds gained, I'm already weighing in and measuring larger than I have for any other pregnancy. I'm blaming it on my stomach muscles being totally shot this time around. But, really, it's probably due to the fact I can't get enough ice cream and that my days are spent sitting by the pool. No, not swimming in the pool and actually moving, just sitting and relaxing.

11 nights at home: That's how many nights our family will actually be home during the month of July. We're excited for the places we're going, the people we're seeing, and the things we're doing, but oh-my-goodness, that's a whole lot of adventure in one month. 

10 nights in hotels: Between Ohio, Asheville, and the beach we're going to have our routine of making a sterile hotel room feel like home. 

9 nights in other homes: Between Ohio and Michigan, we've got friends to see and family to visit. I hope they're ready for our invasion. I mean, they say they are and they even go as far a to say they are excited about our family coming, but hopefully our loud crew doesn't overstay our welcome anywhere.

5 overnight guests: That's how many people we have dropping in for a short stay this month. Well, three for sure and two are a maybe. The Peeler Mantra: Our Door Is Always Open!

4 appointments: Doctor, dentist, car, and home-related appointments. Hey, the hum-drum of real life still has to happen. But making it happen in between guests and in an 11-day span may take some creativity.

1 excited little man: My Micah Man, that is. He announced a few days ago that he had a loose tooth and on Saturday it popped out while at the pool. We were lounging on chairs during an adult swim and he casually says, "Hey Mom. Here's my tooth. It just fell out and I don't know what to do with it so that I don't lose it for the Tooth Fairy." He was so matter-of-fact and I was so "oh-my-goodness-I'm-so-excited-and-can-I-see-it-and-come-here-Grady Lee-and-Annalyse-to-see-Micah's-tooth!" (All while squealing, of course.) He's since discovered another loose tooth... maybe we'll have two little holes in his smile before the month is through.

Every summer I intentionally take a break from blogging, with just a post or two a week. Because summer started, for us, in early May I feel like my blogging hiatus has been exceptionally long. And now, with a very full July, I'm pretty sure posts will remain few and far between. And you know what else? Some blogging and writing ventures are on the horizon, which may deter from regular family-related posting too. (Sigh.)

But, journaling milestones with my kids, family lessons learned along the way, and the simple events of everyday life are important to me. I only get to live each day with my family once and since I can't make time stand still, I may as well take the time to remember some specifics. Thanks for sharing your encouragement and insights with me as I do this thing called parenting. What a joyride. And what a whirlwind.