Okay, so I do all my posts on Sunday and publish them through the week, which means that it totally doesn't seem like I had a baby today...

... but I did.

Two weeks early, and nameless, but since there is no family nearby we promised pictures today.

He is 6 lbs 15.5 oz, I don't know how long, and very healthy.  He was born at 12:03... he's the only child I haven't labored in the night with and it feels entirely different having a whole night of sleep in front of me.  (Plus 3 days of napping because I had a massive migraine).  He hasn't had a bath yet, so his hair is dirty, but the longest of all my kids so far.  We are all doing well, and will see more of you all later!

And, yes, the random posts will probably keep updating :)

We got a new camera...

We got a new camera recently.  Because it is January and it is boorrriiinnnggg, nothing has happened to take a picture of recently.  (Justin's nephew was born... and that was interesting, but since we live in Iowa and he does not, we didn't get to take a picture of him.)  So, this is the most exciting picture we have taken with our camera:

It is supposed to be fuzzy and grainy, though I am not particularly sure why.  Still, that look on M's face is pretty classic.  Besides, this photo was way better than the other kids eating their cereal the morning after we got the camera.

This is me being pregnant, after I cut my bangs.... which means last weekend.  So, I am a week beyond that now.  But, this is also a picture without my bangs... a great accomplishment.  That's in case the baby is born before my mother arrives, which means she would forever have to wonder how fat I actually got.  My mirror was dirty when I took that picture.  Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Homesick Nostalgia

At our house we use unfragranced sensitive skin detergent and dryer sheets because Justin's skin can get extra itchy with smells and such. On Monday my girls received a clothes shipment from my sister. They love moments like this. Today they were both dressed in "Annie outfits." At different points in the day they both remarked that they smelled like Annie's house. I noticed too, and it made me miss home. Funny how strong smells are in memory.

*****

I was going to take a picture of my current belly and post it. Then, this weekend, I decided to cut my bangs. Definitely one of my least stellar jobs. So, no pictures because I look a little more than slightly freaky. I would totally fit into the 50's though - with their ultrashort bangs.

*****

Someday I will actually be able to go to the bathroom again. At least this is what I tell myself.

A Program!

For Christmas E received a new CD player - complete with microphone.  Can you even imagine how much she loves this!!!  We have a hard time convincing her that it does not need to be at full-blast-out volume for us to be able to hear her.  Recently, she decided she wanted to do a show.  Justin and I were fairly busy, so it took us awhile to get downstairs.  Imagine our surprise when the program consisted of her making a very short announcement and M dancing for almost 15 minutes.  As long as she is in charge, our E is happy.

And M loved dancing around the room!!!!

Movie Night

Last semester when Justin was often gone late into the night Tuesday through Thursday, I would be pretty much done by Friday.  So, we started Friday night, movie night.  The kids have not forgotten and still bring it up, even though Dad has not disappeared yet this semester.

This is the kids with their beds... all set up for "Winnie the Pooh."  We have been reading "Winnie the Pooh" at night with E.  I love those books.  They have short and sweet chapters that make very little sense at all - while being extremely insightful.  What would it be like to write something like that?????

Sunday Night Funnies:

Tonight M wanted to sleep with the little rope that goes around the robe she got for Christmas.  I informed her the cord was not safe for bedtime and that it could choke her.  Then, I took it away.

She screamed for 15 minutes.

Justin went upstairs and gave her a hug. She stopped crying for 5 minutes.

She screamed again, and then said in really loud and clear words: 

"IF YOU DO NOT BRING ME MY ROBE STRING RIGHT NOW I WILL SCREAM REALLY LOUD AAAAAALLLLLLLL NIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTT LLLLLLOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!"

She is now giggling with GQ.

(During her 15 minute cryfest, GQ - like a good brother - yelled through the door that we should bring M her robe string because she wanted it!!!!  He loves her so much.)

*****

As we do each night, we went downstairs and got E settled for bed.  We set up her blankets, gave her hugs, turned on her monitor, and said goodnight.  At the time, she was reading "The Secret Garden."  She is allowed to stay up reading until 8:00.

Around 8:11, E came upstairs:

"Mom, Dad... you never came to give me a hug tonight."

This is definitely my daughter.  So engrossed in her books that she was completely unaware that we were in her room saying goodnight for about 15 minutes :)

This winter...

... we are growing flowers.

It is fun to see how much they change overnight.  Now, if only I can keep M from squeezing the tips together whenever she gets the chance.

Winter?

We finally got some snow!  I am a little bit of a whiner about Iowa snow.  First of all, it is never fluffy.  It is just round pellets of ice that hit you in the face at high speeds in the wind.  Second of all, you can't even tell if it is "still snowing" or if the wind is just flinging about snow that already fell.  And third of all, it immediately turns to ice that I HATE driving on... and I have driven on snow my whole life. 

With that said, the kids were ecstatic.

So, I diligently geared them up to head outside.  Last year I was lucky and GQ started sobbing within 5 minutes and we "had" to come inside (since we don't have a fenced yard and the girls don't play outside without me).  This year, GQ loved it as much as them, and I eventually had to brave a mutiny by calling them inside because my own fingers were falling off after I took my gloves off to take pictures.

They didn't seem to mind the wind or plummeting temperatures.  I am just a wimp, I guess.