The arrival of a baby always comes faster than I think, even though the 38 week mark seems so far off. I've learned to use the 38-40 weeks God has given me to prepare myself, the house, and the children for a new sibling. A type of "spring cleaning" becomes a normal thing around here, though much more laid back. Like washing the futon covers and curtains or cleaning out clutter in the closets over the course of a few weeks.
At the moment I am working on preparing Madelynn for a new sibling. The first step was to arrange her new bed in a way that four children could sleep in a small sized bedroom. We have a set of bunk beds- Joshua is on top, Rachel is on the bottom. Now the two girls share the bottom bunk and Bean Sprout (when he's outgrown the bassinet) will sleep in the pack n play. Below are some photos of how we did the girls' bed. Rachel is sleeping normally with her head at the top (right side). Madelynn is perpendicular (on the left) with a blanket divider.
We've been doing this for a few weeks now and it's worked out really well. Of course the first night was rough, but that's to be expected. The second night the kids were so exhausted they fell asleep right away!
The second step to preparing Madelynn was to arrange her clothes in the closet so that she could reach them and also to make more space for one more person's clothes. We have one wardrobe and one narrow dresser for four children! God is so great in how he has helped us conserve space.
The third step, in which we are currently wrapping up (hurrah!) is to wean Madelynn off of the pacifier (Nuk, soother). It's been over a week now and I believe she does not remember it anymore. Two young boys in the church nursery had them and Madelynn didn't seem to clue in. She's stopped asking for her soother before her nap and bedtime too, so that is why I say we're "wrapping up" that step.
I (Renee) just finished reading the best marriage book I've ever read. It's entitled "Created to be his Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. I was a little wary of the book due to the extreme conservative beliefs the Pearls hold. But it came recommended so often and from trusted friends that I finally picked up a copy. Wow! Such a great book, it is so refreshing and so, so very biblical. I highly recommend this book for every Christian wife out there. Even if you have a great marriage, there are great nuggets of wisdom about the kind of man you have married (because you know not all men are the same!!) and how you can meet his needs with a joyful heart. 
