Belly Central

Miriam came over today and wanted to take some belly shots. It really is amazing to see how big I've grown. I have nothing to compare this baby to, but it seems to me that the little Forlines is very active. Parts of my belly are constantly roaming around.


I am 38 weeks and 1 day today. So I'm expecting to feel some labor pains at any point in time even though it could still be 4 weeks away. (I hope it's sooner than that)


I'm seeing the Midwives every Monday now. The plan is to have Dane, Miriam, and the two midwives at the house for the birth.


If you ask us if we're ready, we'll say no. We have no idea what this parenting thing is going to be like, or what Baby Forlines will be like. So for now, we just pray for grace.

He who does not mind his belly, will hardly mind anything else. -Samuel Johnson

Merry Christmas to everyone! It has been a good Advent Season. We are awaiting many things...the celebration of Jesus' birth, the coming of our own little one, and ultimately the second coming of Jesus when all will be made right!

We enjoyed a last little road trip (before we are three) to Memphis last weekend and got to see some of our best friends. The Pates Family Singers, featuring Matthew Clark, put on their second annual Advent House Concert and we got to go again! How many years in a row do you have to do something before it becomes a tradition? This just may be a tradition for us. It's a perfect way to celebrate the season with others.

Abbye and Matthew on the guitars and Jeff on the drums

We were inspired once again by the Christ Community Church (or network of house churches) in the Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis. The church(es) is/are doing so much of what Jesus wants us to do. Loving our neighbor as ourselves, caring for the poor, being a witness to the nations, etc. We long to see that in our neighborhood in Nashville.

My body continues to grow with this baby inside. When I look at this picture Dane took, I don't feel that big, but I don't think the picture is lying! We're as prepared as we can be for labor to start any day now. The birthing kit is ready and I suppose my body and the midwives will know what do when the time comes. I think I've prepared as much as I possibly can for something I've never experienced.

37 weeks and 2 days

Have a wonderful Christmas!

I'm a week late on our Thanksgiving post. Has it really only been a week since Thanksgiving?

James, Stephanie, Tyler with Spark Plug, Ryan, Dylan, and Emmy Grace

We were in NC with Mom and Dad Haas and big brother James and his family. We also got to visit with Grandpa and Grandma Haas for a day. Unfortunately the rest of the siblings couldn't make it:( We arrived Wednesday and left Saturday, so it was short but sweet.

A bunch of monkeys!

Literally sweet...Dad taught us how to process the honey from his bees. We're hoping for bees and their honey in our future here in Nashville. When we arrived, Dad was working on mounting his 10-pointer deer head (European style), and mom and I worked on a quilt for the baby during our time there. After we left Dane said it felt like we had been at a folk festival. I classify that as a compliment!

See part of the process...

And it still needed strained and pasteurized and put in jars!

See, bees are harmless!

This week has been eventful with getting our first ever live (as in re-plantable) Christmas tree on a very dreary, rainy day, a Christmas concert (Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God"....celebrating the glorious story of Jesus...I highly recommend it), a neighborhood potluck, a "run-out-of-gas-on-the-side-of-the-road" experience, and it has all culminated in a stomach bug for Dane. He's been out of commission today. Dane being sick is so rare and seeing him like this makes me realize how much I love him.


We're seeing the midwives every two weeks for the next 2 visits and then we start our weekly visits until Baby Forlines shows up! The time is closing in very fast bringing with it excitement and more and more understanding that soon we're going to be Daddy and Mama to a little person outside of the womb. Does anyone else find that slightly unbelievable?

33 weeks on Thanksgiving Day