Welcome Gabriel!

Does it get any better? I absolutely love the miracle I got to see today. Melody rocked it and little Gabriel Jonathan is a healthy boy.

We were planning on inducing today and were expecting a call between 6 and 9 this morning. Needless to say, we were waking up often in the night in anticipation. Right around 3am Melody jumped out of bed and said, "Jonny, my water broke." This was great news as we were hoping he'd want to come on his own.

I called our next-door neighbor, Shane, and he came over until Amber could come get Julia. Thanks, dude! Melody wasn't contracting yet, but I loved the excuse to speed anyway and got to the hospital in no time.

Melody was in labor until about 7:30 when it was time to push. Gabe was posterior which extended the pushing time a bit, but the Dr. was great and with some convincing Gabe was delivered. Melody was absolutely great.

Julia played a little with Gabe, and we're excited to see how they interact when we get him home.

Melody and Gabe will likely be in the hospital until tomorrow afternoon/evening and would LOVE to have any visitors. Just be sure to call her or me to get the room # and code.

And now, finally, some pictures...
Oh yeah... stats: 8lbs 12oz & 19.5in

"Needles, Pins, TRIPLETS, Twins..."

"...What goes up the chimney? Smoke! Now our wish will never be broke." So goes the little superstitious rhyme my Mom taught me, to be chanted while holding pinkies after you and another have been walking together and had to separate for whatever reason. (And yes, we all know it should be "broken," but we can't say "smokin'" now can we!) Well, this silly poem is taking on a new meaning for this post. And because it's silly, it really doesn't do the amazing news justice. (But I thought Em would like the title - and I had to give a background.) Now, to the point:

Most of you who read my blog also read my twin sister Emily's and have been following her infertility/adoption search story. Well, just in case you didn't get the miraculous news straight from her blog, I'll share it here as well. After years of infertility treatments, heartache, and uncertainty, Emily and KC have found success with their 4th IVF procedure. I won't possibly be able to express my joy upon receiving this news from my darling twin sister - suffice it to say I can't help but smile every time I think about her pregnancy. (Okay, for the first few weeks I cried whenever I thought about it.) And what's more, a lot more, Emily and KC are expecting triplets. Three of their own "little friends!" It's hard to believe petite Emily has three babies growing inside of her, but I know she anc KC are more than capable for this blessing in triplicate.

We are all thrilled about the miracle Em, KC, and all who love them are experiencing. And on a more selfish note, this has made the last few months of my own pregnancy more joyful than I could've imagined. With every kick from my little boy, I am reminded of how Em will feel the same incredible thing - something I thought we'd never share. We love you, Emily and KC. We three, almost four, couldn't be happier for you and your little ones on the way.

May Fooling

I wrote earlier about how April Fools' Day around here was a bust. Well, maybe Jonny and Julia were just saving up their tricks for the first weekend in May. (Or maybe they're trying to induce my labor by making me laugh so hard. If that is the case, keep trying, you two!) I will document three events:

1. After being on my feet most of Saturday, I was aching for a foot massage. Jonny was happy to oblige. He retrieved the lotion and told me to close my eyes, then rambled on with some silly imagery thing. I opened my eyes after a few seconds to find he was rubbing peanut butter on my foot! It was already in between my toes and everything. Cleanup was quite the process (I was not going to move from my comfortable position on the couch) but I think it was worth it to Jonny. Ha.

2. This morning I was leisurely taking my Sunday shower. I noticed two shadows through the shower curtain and figured Jonny and Julia were just coming to poke the curtian and say hi. The next thing I knew, 50 colorful plastic balls from Julia's mini ball pit came pouring down on me. It did make for kind of a fun shower. A few minutes later, the other 50 balls joined me. Jonny figured we might as well clean them all!

3. This one is not as calculated as the other two, but tricky nonetheless. With my makeup applied and hair dry, I came in to visit Julia as she bathed. To my surprise, she and Jonny squirted me with a bath toy, getting me right in my freshly-applied-mascara eye. "Isn't it waterproof!?" Jonny asked innocently. Nice try.

Here are the culprits. Wish I could think of some way to get them back...

He's almost here

So little Gabe dude is almost here.  Melody says it could be any day and I think the sooner the better.  The pregnancy with #2 has been quite different than it was with #1.  When I really think about it I get the same excitement and nervousness as before, but it doesn’t monopolize my thoughts as it did with Julia.  This has everything to do with Julia being the center of everything right now and the fact that we have done this before.

 So I’m a little interested in what to expect.  For you parents of 2+, how did your life change?  Try to think back to when #2 was born and your life with #1.  What advice do you have?  What would you have done differently?

I’m not so much nervous as I am excited, but I figure this is a good way to get some advice—so bring it on, and thank you!

Hope the next post contains pics of the little guy.

"Means" and more toddler fun

I knew we'd be a little bored this week with no preschool to break things up and winter weather pending. Reading books and playing with the same old toys just wasn't going to cut it. After racking my brain and searching online, I had some promising toddler activities for us to try out. I know some of you have restless toddlers as well, so here are a few of the favorites:

Shadow Puppets/Flashlight Show (from babycenter.com)
-Julia loved being in the dark bathroom with flashlights. The shadow puppets were fascinating to her, and wearing a headlamp flashlight was a bit hit.

Hide the Teddy (also from babycenter.com)
-Simply hiding the teddy bear in funny places around the house kept us busy for a little while. Her favorite spot to find him was her high chair. Now she's been wanting to feed him at every meal!

Playdough
-An obvious one for most, I am sure! But before this week I had never even thought to introduce the stuff to Julia. Today she played with it for an entire hour. Now I need to get some plastic cookie cutters and other tools to make it even more fun.

Finger Paint
-The Easter Bunny left finger paint in Julia's basket this year. Thanks to him, she had a blast getting messy and making masterpieces.

Pretend Paint
-My sister Cami told me about this favorite activity for her kids. You just get some paintbrushes, fill a bucket with water, and let the kids "paint" the sidewalk, house, deck, whatever! We didn't actually try this one outside yet, but Julia loved "painting" the table and walls with simply the cheap brushes I picked up at the store.

Beans
-I thought to buy a rubbermaid, a bag of beans, and some jungle animals after I remembered playing with such a thing the summers I spent with the Mitton triplets. Julia can't get enough of her beans. Today she found a straggler on the carpet and was begging for "Means! Means!" I finally saw the bean in her hand and figured out what she wanted. This week the beans have been Julia's favorite activity by far. She buries the animals, shovels the beans, and today she realized she can even sit inside the container. (Maybe I'll get a larger container and store it some place where I don't have to lift it. That would be more like sandbox, I guess. Fun!) Personally, I love the beans because I don't have to constantly supervise or participate. She knows the beans are not for eating, and she's content playing by herself for quite a while. Lovely.


These simple activities were lifesavers this week. I'd love to know any of your ideas so we can keep the fun happening around here, especially when the new baby comes and we'll have a lot of time at home. And although Julia wouldn't mind watching WonderPets, The Backyardigans, Blue's Clues, or nearly any cartoon for hours on end, I think we can do better than that. (Don't get me wrong, though. I am by no means anti-TV. Julia typically enjoys a few daily shows. And I enjoy resting on the couch, showering, reading, or actually getting some cleaning done while she is totally captivated. If it weren't for Curious George at 5:00, I might never get dinner on the table!)

Easter Sunday

The only big excitement for Julia last Easter was the fake grass in her basket. But this year she was thrilled with the Easter festivities. It was so fun to see her get into the egg dying and hunting. She even enjoyed a deviled egg at dinner.

I have always loved this Spring holiday. We really want to start some Christ-centered traditions to go along with all the egg and basket fun. Anyone have any good ones? We were going to watch The Testaments but were in the middle of the classic Ten Commandments. (It was my first time watching it in full. Quite a masterpiece for its time. Had to laugh a little at the "special effects" though!)

By the way, I hesitated but then decided to include a few pictures of my pregnant self. (Jill, are you happy now?) Yes, my Easter egg of a tummy is quite large. Never mind I still have a month to go! Yikes.

ready to run

These past few weeks I have had the strongest desire to get outside and run. I have loved running since junior high. (Yes, I actually enjoyed and looked forward to the one-mile "Fun Run" we did every Wednesday in P.E.) I don't know - maybe it's the sunshine, the recent buzz about spring and summer races, or the fact that my 35-week-pregnant body just won't go for it - but I just have the unquenchable urge to put on my dusty shoes and take off. Julia and I go out walking on nice mornings, which is refreshing. But what is walking when you want to run? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to sit tight for another few months.

P.S. This is what my fortune cookie read Tuesday night:

"Big things coming in future. Only matter of time."

Interpret it as you will, I'm just hoping we're not talking about a ten pound baby next month.