For Grandma and Grandpa: two weeks

We went for his two week check-up and he measured in at 8 lbs 13 oz and 20."

I let Aunt Lynn, Super Nurse, be the bad guy who held him down for shots and I did the cuddling afterwards. He had his first bath before we left and he and I slept a lot after we got home. Lynn is taking good care of us and we are all doing well.

One Week and Wide-Eyed

One week already. The days went by so fast and yet life before Gabe was here already seems far away. He has been all the joy we thought he would be, and then some. His sisters are completely smitten and never miss an opportunity to hold him, kiss him, or help care for him. It is delightful to watch them surround their brother with such enthusiastic love. Luke hasn't left my side all week. He has done EVERYTHING involving the girls and the house so that I didn't have to lift a finger and I am recovering well because of it, but just having him home has been a strength and a comfort in itself. I've been living in a bliss-filled bubble and though "real life" is bound to catch up with me soon, I expect to keep floating. There's not much that could bring me down with these eyes looking up at me!

Too Blessed For Words

All We Need Now...

Is the baby! The room is ready (aside from hanging a few pictures), the clothes are washed, and the bag is packed so now we wait. We're scheduled to be induced on October 9, which happens to be my birthday, and I can't decide if two weeks from tomorrow feels very soon or still so far away. In the meantime the girls are getting more and more excited.

When Beth walked in and saw what used to be her room all done up in blue and brown she gasped in delight and stared for a while. Later I heard high pitched squeals coming from in there when she opened the closet door and found all his tiny clothes. She visits the room almost daily to rock in the chair or lay on the bed. I'm not sure if she's wanting to be in her old room for awhile or if she does it to feel close to the baby, or both. She is convinced that when she talks to my tummy the baby hears her and does what she says. For example last night she said good night to him and told him not to kick so hard that I wouldn't sleep. This morning she asked how I slept and when I said I slept well she grinned, "See, I told him not to keep you up!"

Mary is planinng to feed him his bottle if he cries while I am making dinner and Beth said she would hold him and just practice her spelling words and math problems out loud if he wants to be held during homework time. Madeleine has become my right hand and a tremendous help already. Yes, these "little mothers" are ready to be involved, although I haven't heard much volunteering for diaper duty :) I'm ready for some quiet snuggle time and I think Dad is ready for a little sports buddy.

I hope this little boy is ready to be loved, doted on, and fought over, because we're ready for him!

Good Books For Girls?

Reading has always been a favorite past time of mine, and it's one of my favorite things to share with my children. I love to read to them and I love to see them love to read. Madeleine is an insatiable enthusiasts whereas for Beth it's currently more of a love/hate relationship (but it's coming around, slowly but surely!) and Mary is surprisingly willing to sit and listen when good stories, especially funny ones, are concerned.

This summer we developed a sophisticated, cutting edge family reading incentive program- a plastic jar and bowl of pom-poms. One pom-pom goes in the jar for every book someone in the family reads and when it is full...(drum roll please)... we go on a "family date" to the book store and each child is allowed to pick out a new book. Truth be told I neglected to determine an estimate of the number of pom-poms needed to fill that jar prior to launching the program. Had I employed such foresight, I can tell you I would've purchased larger pom-poms. It is likely that our summer reading program will extend far into the Fall before the jar is filled, but I am completely ok with that. It doesn't really matter when it gets filled, so long as it does.

In order to keep the fire burning until we achieve our lofty goal I am in need of LOTS of good reading material over the next few months and finding the right balance of interest and content is no easy feat for this crowd. Nothing too scary, too tense, or suspenseful, so mystery is out as well as science fiction and most fantasy (believe it or not, it's only the parents and not the children who have devoured Harry Potter in this household). Our avid readers are prone to vivid nightmares. Since many a night of sleep has been lost after one spooky story or dramatic movie scene, we tread carefully when making our media selections. Nothing too mean-spirited, bully-ish, or sarcastic. Our more sensitive and empathetic readers are easily disenchanted by such characters. The Diary of a Wimpy kid was closed before it was ever started around here. Nothing too boy-crazy, trendy, or faddish. Hannah Montana has her place, but it's not in my read-aloud bedtime books. It's all I can do to keep her TV show and her music from driving me bonkers.

Madeleine's been through Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, and the Louisa May Alcott collection. Magic Tree House, the Pet/Rainbow/Weather/Jewel Fairies series have all been done, and so have Amber Brown, Cam Jansen, and Animal Ark. We have refused to let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and heard the demands of typing cows and superior ducks multiple times, while somehow Piggie and Elephant never fail to get a laugh no matter how many times we read the same story. Even so, summer is half over and we've got about 467 pom-poms to go.

So ladies (and gentlemen if that shoe fits), what do you suggest? I'm interested in your input on everything from picture books to early readers to (5th grade appropriate) novels and great family read-alouds. Do you have favorite audio books for long car rides? We've got a five-hour journey coming up and we'd love the company of your good friends. Funny, sentimental, or classic; what's your favorite, both past and present? I'd be grateful for your suggestions. In fact, for every worthy recommendation, we'll name a pom-pom after you.

It's a Boy!!

Yes, it's true. We are having a boy. Every time I make that statement I have the feeling that our world is about to enter a new dimension altogether unlike anything we have previously experienced in our realm of parenting. It's like we're being inaugurated into a club that we didn't know existed.

As we anticipated finding out the gender of our baby I was honestly 50/50. At times I would envision Luke enjoying father/son outings and imagine a little buddy tagging along with me like my younger brothers used to do. My heart melted at the thought of a little guy coming to join us. Then I would remember tiny pink bows and dainty dresses and sweet little giggles and I would long to have a baby girl all over again. So despite having all girls already, I really didn't have a preference.

Even while we waited in the waiting room at the imaging center I tried to imagine them telling me one way and then the other, just to test how I would really feel when I heard the final word. Finally, logic prevailed and I decided, "It's a girl. It's always a girl. Every time we do this I get all antsy about finding out what it's going to be and every time they say it's a girl." A cloud of pink flooded my mind. I got giddy at the thought of embroidered flowers and was overcome by an urge to unpack all the little dresses I still have stashed away. Grinning widely as they called our names I practically skipped back to imaging room. We chatted with the technician for a minute and then black and white blotches filled the screen in front of us. One look and before the technician could say anything I blurted out, "It IS a boy!!!" I was genuinely surprised and somewhat bewildered. I remember looking at Luke with a feeling of something like, "Well...what do we do now?" On the drive home we talked about names, redecorating, scouting, and even preparing him to serve an LDS mission, trying to take in all the new concepts and responsibilities that will become a part of our family life.

A boy. Half the time I still can't believe I'm even pregnant. The fact that he's a boy seems something like the icing on the cake at this whole surprise party. So far I don't feel a strong inclination to start accumulating baby things. In fact I'm more inclined to avoid it. I haven't been motivated to shop and or felt really drawn to little boy clothes. It's not an unattractive idea for me because he's a boy. It's because he's not here. I don't want clothes and cribs and car seats. I want a BABY. I want that moment when I am holding him and his warm fuzzy head is against my cheek and I know that he is ok and so am I and nothing else matters except that he is here. A conglomeration of unused items sitting idly in an empty room seems more like a taunting reminder of how long this whole process really takes rather than a confirmation that it is really happening. Why do that to myself?

Well, because he's a BOY, and he is coming to a home that is inundated with ruffles, sparkles, and every shade of pink imaginable. Really, there is not a blue item or even a gender-neutral tone in this entire house. He's going to get here sometime and when he does we ought to have something for him to wear, and having a few diapers around would probably prove beneficial too. Therefore, let the nesting begin...

So little baby, I will try to be patient over the next 20 weeks while we wait for you to grow. I will not complain that you are taking too long. I will not worry that something will interfere between now and that moment when you are completely mine. I will not get teary looking at your empty bed wishing I could already lay you in it. Instead I will busily create a baby haven of blue and beige without a single lace ruffle or bow. And then finally, we will welcome you home, and you will always be our little boy.

Got Gas?

Three times yesterday I thought I should stop for gas and didn't do it. Then this morning my empty light went on while I was driving to a doctor's appointment. Seeing it reminded me that I left my purse at home so I ran home, grabbed the purse, and hurried to get gas. So hurried that when I heard the pump shut off I didn't realize it was the pump next to me and not mine until after I pulled the nozzle out and sprayed my new shirt and the only pants that currently fit with gasoline. I had to drive to the doctor's with all the windows down despite that it was snowing because the fumes made my morning sickness even sicker. At the doctor's I tried to wash up in the public restroom - never a satisfactory experience, and I sat through the appointment with my coat zipped up all the way and my stinky shirt rolled up in my purse. Thank goodness no one lit a cigarette within 10 feet of me before I could shower and change. If only I'd gotten gas yesterday...