Life Update

The excitement of the Ross household...where to begin?? OK, not really. We're fairly dull when it comes to details lately.
Tim started a side job today, has one lined up for afterward, another for after that and then received a call from his very first boss that taught him how to paint 6 years ago who wants him for some upcoming work as well. Praise the Lord, He is providing! There is also a very large job on hold. His bid was accepted by an older couple that wanted him to start this month when they left for Floria and re-do (paint, etc.) their entire home but then the woman's two sisters (who are both fighting cancer) took a horrible turn for the worse and everything has been delayed. So we wait on that while remembering them in our prayers.
I have been labeled as "high risk for preterm labor" as of my last prenatal appointment, which was last Monday. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow and my cervical prolapse returned the week before Christmas. I am not officially on bed rest but have to get off my feet whenever possible. I also get to wear this super attractive (total sarcasm there) belly support band that feels like a brace and supposedly helps to hold my belly/baby up a bit to relieve some of the pressure. I'm not enjoying it and I honestly don't know if it's helping at all, but I'll do what I have to in order to keep this baby in for at least another 8 weeks. Aaaagh! 8 weeks until I'm technically full-term!! So much to do and so little time...
Noah is a blast. Challenging at times, as I think any mother of a 4-year old would say, but such a joy. I cannot believe how fast he is growing up. He is a huge help to me right now when Tim is gone. He wants to do whatever he can and loves to help set the table, clear the table, "help" clean (he takes a baby wipe and cleans walls, cupboard doors and whatever else is at his height) and "parent" Ellie ("No, Ellie. Don't do that. Get down from there. Don't touch that. Be careful next to Mama's belly, etc. etc. etc.") At the moment, Tim and I are going back and forth with whether to proceed in putting him in kindergarten next year or doing a Young-5s/Pre-K program instead. In my thoughts, it was always, "You turn 5, you go to kindergarten." In Tim's eyes (that repeated kindergarten because there was no pre-k program) it would be more beneficial to hold a boy off a year and have him go through kindergarten an entire year at age 6 than age 5. Noah turns 5 right before the school year starts and, although we know he is academically smart enough and ready for kindergarten, his size is small for his age and he is a sensitive kid. I think in this matter I need to listen to Tim's opinion seriously because he is a boy (obviously) and has been there and knows the working of a man's world whereas I never will. So if he thinks it would be better to hold Noah off a year and put him in Young-5 then I respect that. It also helps that I talked to two of my friends who are teachers and got their opinions on it and they both agreed with Tim, bringing up how boys don't mature socially and emotionally as quickly as girls do, so even if they seem smart enough for kindergarten, it doesn't necessarily mean they're ready.
Ah, the decisions of parenting...The boy loves maps, globes and things that look like the earth. I am learning a lot about geography from him actually...

He also loves sledding and all things outdoors-related. He is a mini-Tim in the making.

And Eleanor is...Eleanor. Actually, after a rough beginning and difficult time bonding with her (which is hard when you have mother/daughter bond expectations), I have lately found myself looking at her with the love-that-makes-you-want-to-burst. She is stubborn, strong-willed, temperamental, dramatic and wonderful. I have gone from wanting to give her away often to someone else to raise to now loving the moments I get to spend with her. Her favorite words are "cookie" and "hot cocoa" and I think she has a cookie-6th sense. Yesterday I broke a piece off a peanut butter cookie to nibble on it while I was in the kitchen and as I turned around to put it in my mouth, her little body popped up around the corner as I heard her voice saying "Cookie. Cookie." Now here is the thing: with Noah we have always been a bit stern when it comes to what kind of sweets, etc. to give him. We're loosening up a bit, but he still has never had pop or gum, his juice is on a limited intake and Halloween candy was limited to one piece a day. Like I said, we're starting to loosen up, so don't go policing me on being an unfair mom. I can at least say that he had a perfect dental appointment last week (besides the fact he'll need braces because he has no spaces between his baby teeth right now.) Anyways, now Ellie. All she has to do is look at me with her big blue eyes and sweetly say, "Cookie" and next thing I know I'm breaking off a piece of cookie to give to her. Which I then have to give Noah the other half or else I'm a bad, unfair mom. =) So my dear Eleanor Lee has finally become a joy and breath of laughter to my life. Actually, she probably always has been...it just took me a long time to realize it.

Mmmmm....Cookie....

Life isn't always perfect here, far from it in fact. Oftentimes I fall into bed at night feeling like I should kick myself for all the wrong things I did as a mother that day. Don't we all feel that way as parents at one time or another? There are times where the kids go to bed at night and I think the day has been a success if I made it through without giving any time-outs or spanking warnings or wanting to ship Ellie off to a boarding school for toddlers.
Tim and I haven't had any explosive fights in a long time, but it's not to say we don't have our disagreements, or that I don't envy him for the strong faith he holds when, as a woman, mine wants to falter when I think of finances. Thankfully, he pulls me back with Scripture and life reminders quickly so that I don't stay in that spot of weakness.
Life isn't perfect. We have walked through many valleys to be brought to the mountaintops we are experiencing in life. The view is good...