Gwen and the gang

I just have to share a few pictures of our girl. We're sure enjoying her.


I didn't dare hope that the kids would react so well to a new baby, but they have been phenomenal. Even Nate, who has never liked his mommy holding another child, has been sweet and gentle with his sister. This is the first time he held Gwen when she was only a couple of days old. He was happy to snuggle her for about 5 minutes before he gave her up.

Brenna, clearly smitten:

And Ava, who is in love with Gwen.

I took these last two this morning. Gwen is beginning to wake up a little more and check things out.

Here she is!

Gwendolyn Grace

She was born Wednesday, January 21st at 5:22 p.m.

From the way she felt the last month or two of pregnancy I knew she was a bigger baby than I was used to carrying. Here's the proof: 7 lbs. 13 oz. (almost 2 lbs bigger than Brenna was!!!)

I love the quiet alert time a new baby has in the hour or so after birth. Here she is being held by Daddy.

I loved the hospital that we delivered at. Not only did they let me drink ice water and juice during labor, they didn't take the baby away for anything. She even had her first bath in the delivery room, about an hour or so after she was born. By this time the other kids had arrived to see their new sister. Here's Ava supervising what is being done to Gwen.

Nate was interested too. He checked out baby sister in between daredevil stunts. This stool was perfect for leaping off of.

A first shot of us all together. Did you know that Flavor Blasted Goldfish are so delicious there's no way you can put them down, not even for a momentous occasion such as this?

It was fun seeing all the kids react to their new baby sister. Ava was precious. She wanted to hold Gwen the entire time. She leaned in and whispered to her while she held her, then looked up at me every minute or two to tell me how much she loved her, and me, and Scott, and Brenna, and Nate. She has been such an angel big sister.

Brenna only needed to hold Gwendolyn once, but she spent the rest of the time writing poetry for her in a new notebook she had. My favorite said "I love the baby. The baby loves me. We are a happy family."

All the girls:

Later that night after everyone had gone home, Gwen and I got some quiet time together. This is about 4 in the morning...prime mommy and me time.

Thursday after Brenna got home from school, Scott brought all the kids back up to the hospital and we got to bring our sweet little monkey home. The girls are all ready to go.

It's different bringing our fourth home than it was bringing our first. It's noisier and busier and there are many more little hands to help, but it is no less special.

Welcome to our family, little Gwendolyn!

It's irrational...

but I can't seem to help it. I'm 4 days past my due date and going absolutely freaking crazy! I want to cry all the time, especially when I call Scott or my family and I know the ONLY reason they have answered the phone is because they think maybe I'm going into labor. And I'm not. I had that ONE night of contractions, and since then absolutely nothing. Only a woman who has been there, done that can understand fully how hard it is to wait and prepare for what feels like forever and to be sick and uncomfortable and anxious and just want to see and hold the sweet little reason you've gone through all this! I know she won't stay in there forever. I know she has to come out eventually. Like I said, it's irrational, but to quote my least favorite, overused, irritating saying from the last couple of years: "It is what it is" and I'm at my wit's end.

And they were fun while they lasted!

But they're pretty much gone this morning. Bummer.

Ladies and gentlement, we have contractions!

I'm not sure if it's going anywhere, but it's 11:00, I sent Scott to bed half an hour ago, and there's no one around to talk to. So I'll talk to the blog!

Maybe I should pack a hospital bag, just in case.....

Progress Report

I had a doctor's appointment today that was over and done with in world record time. I frequently wait as much as 2 hours to see my doc, but today (when I had dared to bring Ava and Nate along) I was called back within 3 minutes of arriving AND the doc came back to the exam room after only 5 minutes of waiting. I was in and out in 30 minutes!

So anyway, the news from the appointment is that in spite of no real contractions, I am dilating and effacing, so we're getting closer! I have an appointment for next week and if I haven't had the baby by that point we'll induce on the 26th, which would be 10 days past my due date. I realize that's pretty far away, but somehow it's still a big relief to have an end date in mind!

Scott's going to be out of town on my birthday!

AGAIN! He was gone that whole week last year and Frito-Lay is having the same stinking meeting during the same stinking week this year!

So I'm pouting. >:( It's 5 weeks away, so maybe I won't be so grouchy about it by then.

Just a couple of random moments...

1) Scott took down the Christmas lights yesterday. (No, we're not ghetto; it was rainy last Saturday so he couldn't do it then and I've kept him plenty busy with other household projects in any other spare time he might have had.) The kids were all outside playing while he did this and shortly into the project Nate looked up and started wailing. We're trying to figure out what has him so upset, when suddenly we understand..."Chrissums wights!" He is weeping for the Christmas lights being taken down. Bless his heart. He chilled when we told him we'd put them up for next Christmas. Please, nobody tell him how far away next Christmas is!

2) Saturday night we go to a going-away party for one of Scott's co-workers. I'm talking to a friend when a girl I don't know comes by and says "Hi!" and gives me this big friendly greeting like she knows me. So I play along, say hi back, and ask how she's doing. Then she looks down at my tummy and says in the most perky, upbeat voice (so that I'm expecting a maternity-related compliment) "Oh my gosh! Your belly is so......BIG!" And then she walks away with that same big old smile on her face, as I'm left muttering "oooookay.....". I think it's safe to say she's never been pregnant before!

No, I haven't had the baby!

I hate that at this point in pregnancy every time I call to chit chat with friends or family members their first question is, "where are you?" or, "have you had the baby?!" I feel bad for freaking them out or getting them needlessly excited, and frankly, I forget I'm 9 months pregnant and am always surprised when other people haven't. Although one would wonder how I forget when I'm carrying this load around all the time:

We are one week from my due date and there are no indications that anything is going to happen anytime soon. No contractions... in fact I feel great, all things considered. And I'm still teaching my spinning class, although I really hope that my Friday morning class is my last for a couple of months.

Now that the holidays are over I've been able to get things accomplished for the baby, which I'm so relieved about! Her clothes are washed and in her drawers, her cradle is ready to go, her new car seat (in pink, holy cute!) is here, and her bedroom is all set. Here is what it looks like.

Oh my gosh, I love this bedroom!!! I have had so much fun doing it. The crib sheet and curtains are toile, and if I wasn't married to a MAN I would have toile everywhere. Most of the decor is from Pottery Barn, but ordered off Ebay, so more affordable. What did people do before Ebay?!

On to another subject entirely, Nate and Ava love to help me cook. Here we are one Sunday evening, working on dinner. We all have our own little aprons that Gram makes for us and as you can see, more than adequate head protection is worn by all chefs under 3. What can I tell you? The boy loves to dress up.

2008 Highlights

It's good to take stock occasionally, so here are some things that happened in 2008.

1. I made peace with our move to California. We've been blessed in ways we never imagined since our move here and know this is where we are supposed to be at this time in our lives.

2. Scott, the kids, and I took our first trip to Disneyland. We had so much fun together.

3. I turned 30! (Okay, maybe a little older than that....) But this time my birthday didn't upset me.

4. Scott and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. They've been 10 fabulous years!

5. We both started teaching spinning again. It's something we both enjoy and had missed since we moved out here.

6. We found out that we are expecting baby #4. Hurray!

7. We took trips to Morro Bay, Utah, Texas, San Diego and Reno, Nevada. Party on....

8. Brenna started 1st grade, Ava started preschool and we all survived the adjustment.

9. Brenna and Ava started sharing a room and we survived that one too!

10. Texas Tech had its greatest football season ever. I got to go to 1 game (vs. Nevada in Reno, along with Scott and kiddos) and Scott makes it to 1 more on top of that (the homecoming win over Nebraska). We only shed a small number of tears over the fact that we're not in Lubbock with our old season tickets anymore.

11. I hosted my first-ever Thanksgiving with most of my family. Lots of fun, way too much food, and totally something I would be thrilled to do again.

12. We had our first quiet, just-us Christmas. It turned out nice, but to be honest we missed the big family holiday and will be heading home in 2009!

13. I realize what an awesome, giving group of friends I have, how incredible my parents and siblings are, what a sweet saint my husband is, and how blessed I am by my 3 healthy, precious children (and smooth, so far uneventful pregnancy).

So to sum up: 2008 was a pretty good year!