Reina's advancing condition, the many little ones under their care, and the rigors of farm life all conspired to keep her as well as Gabriel in what seemed a state of perpetual exhaustion. When they could, they folded themselves into a corner of the house's main room and napped while the Baxters, senior, attempted to ease their burden.

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Soon enough, Reina was sure she was pregnant. She had suspected it for months, but finally the evidence was undeniable. As the caretaker of four children under the age of six, she couldn't pretend that the possibility of a new addition wasn't a daunting one--but nevertheless she found herself growing excited at the thought of another baby in the home. Perhaps a son, like the one she and Gabriel had lost only a few years ago?

Gabriel's grief notwithstanding, Reina was still able to persuade him into having a little fun one sunny afternoon.

With a little help from his father, his wife, and his young nephew, he managed to collect all the year's crops. It was a bountiful harvest. At least he had that for which he could be thankful.

In the last of the 1349 birthdays, young Gisela Baxter turned 3. She had been calm as an infant, but as she grew, she became increasingly clingy, following her father into the fields and her mother around the house. Despite this increased intrusion upon their time and space, her parents continued to adore her and provide her with the loving guidance she needed.

For her part, Catherina took the work in stride. From the neighbors she bought goat's milk to feed her siblings. Each morning after waking, she would rush to where they slept, beaming with pride as they became heavier and heavier each day. She loved them, though sometimes it frightened her the way they'd squall and squall if anyone else touched them. She was only their sister.