24 weeks

No baby news this week, really. But he's made it to 24 weeks! According to the ol' Wikipedia, 50 to 70 percent of babies born at 24 or 25 weeks live. And the chances just get better from here on out. 

Kisses from big brother.

We've been in California for exactly a week. Setting up went very smoothly, probably because we were just here on home service less than a year ago. Thanks to that, the prices don't seem shocking and the town hasn't changed much. I even remember (though not with perfect precision) little details like when the library has story hour.

I've been really tired since we arrived. Surprisingly so. I think it took a lot of adrenaline to get through those last couple of weeks in Kyiv, and now that it's draining out of my system, it's leaving me exhausted. The boys adjusted to the time change with no problems at all, plus Eric and Dietrich are still in SoCal (and, by all accounts, having a great time), so I have been able to rest more than usual. 

Though I very much did not want to leave Kyiv at this point in our lives, I do appreciate the opportunity my kids have here to experience farm life. Lev's had a tractor ride and done some weeding; we collect the eggs and feed our produce scraps to the goats.

My dad's new tractor. The old one is rusting out in a field, and Lev claims that he will fix it for Papa.

Yesterday, we awoke to find quail in the garden, and when I went to chase them out, I noticed a deer strolling through the empty property next door, so we snuck over for a closer look. Later, Lev told Eric that we saw a moose next door. Seems our city kid NEEDS some farm time.

Farm life is exhausting!

Best of all, three days ago, my dad knocked on the door of our trailer a bit past bedtime with a newborn lamb in his arms. No ultrasounds, genetic tests or doctors for our wooly sheep mama. We didn't even know about the lamb until my dad went out to feed the animals in the evening, and found the wee little thing in the barn. It's darling and clumsy and waggles its long tail wildly while it drinks its mama's milk.

Here's hoping our baby boy develops and arrives with equal ease.