"Celebrate good times, come on!"

I didn't just use the lyrics of that cheesy song because it's been stuck in my head ever since Julia received a musical birthday card and has been opening it non-stop, but also because it describes what we've been doing the past few months. Here are a few of the good times we've recently celebrated:

Gabe's 3rd Birthday

 

 He made sure Evelyn wasn't left out of the festivities.

 

We may need to work on Gabe's form.

 

Jonny, on the other hand, has that swing down.

 Julia's 5th Birthday
a Butterfly Party

 

 

Gabe told me he was "Mister Smee Butterfly Bad Guy." 

 I gave her my old, beloved Baby Feels So Real doll. 

She named her Evelyn. Original!

 Grandma Myra 
 came from Colorado to meet baby

and  

Aunt Mimi
visited from Maryland

Like I said, good times!
Thanks to all who made them possible.
 (Including Aunt Barb and Uncle Dan for the musical birthday card and post title inspiration.)

Daddy's Girl, Mama's Boy, and ???

This is our first family picture since Evelyn. Check it out: Julia looks (and is posing) just like Jonny. And Gabe, just like me. I am so curious as to what Evelyn will look like as she grows. Sometimes I see Baby Ju Ju in her, and other times I think I am looking at Baby Gabey again. Mostly she still just looks like a cute, chubby newborn. But she definitely already has a personality all her own. We are so glad to have her as our third little friend.

3 > 2

Evelyn's original due date was Wednesday. It's hard to imagine what life would have been like the past three weeks had she not come early. We adore her and all the snuggling that goes on these first few newborn months.

Even though Evelyn still sleeps much of the time, I am realizing how many more three is than two. Julia senses this in me sometimes and says something like, "It isn't easy, is it, Mom?" No, it isn't easy. But there is nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing with my life right now. Just remind me I wrote this as our little one grows and requires more than just nursing and cuddling...

A Fifth-Year Graduate!

Last week Julia graduated from preschool for her fifth and final time. Her teacher is so very proud :) But really, I have loved having my Ju Ju with me at preschool all these years. She has a serious excitement for learning and I am amazed at how well she retains her new knowledge. She is more than ready to head off to kindergarten in the fall. Am I ready to send her? I don't even want to talk about it. Luckily I have three summer months until I send my baby off into the world.

"Little Elephan"

Of course we are all in love with our new sweetheart. She was three weeks early and very welcome. Gabe calls her "Little Elephan." (It can get confusing. He was asking me where the "Elephan diapers" were. I thought he was asking for his elephant diapers. We eventually understood one another. Julia has her sister's name down, but when we were watching Planet Earth she couldn't get over how funny it was to see the swimming "Evelants!")

Things are going very well. She sleeps all day is up half of the night! (Oh, the joys of newborn night-times. At least we get a lot of snuggling done during the day. There are few things sweeter than holding a tiny sleeping baby.) But really, she is a darling and healthy and well. As am I. The recovery of this pregnancy seems to be progressing faster than my last two. (Not that they were bad, but I am loving feeling great already. Just tired, of course.) Julia and Gabe love to hold her but don't love to wait until she's done nursing to do so. There's a lot of patience that will have to be learned around here!

So here are some pictures of Evelyn Paige in her first few days of life. We were extra surprised to see so much hair on a baby of ours. I think Julia expected her to come out with long, blonde curls. There may have been a little disappointment there. But we are loving her soft, dark hair.

After the pictures I will give a summary of her birth story. It began exactly like the other two, with my water breaking early on a Friday morning...

Gabe was so happy to see my big tummy gone. He hopped right up on my lap.

Fun shirts from Aunt Sarah

 My sister Cami took some of these pictures. Thanks, Cam!

So, back to that Friday morning. I guess my babies like to come on weekends. And that really works out well! As for the water breaking, this time we didn't rush to the hospital as we did with the others. I know there is a slight risk of infection, but I wasn't worried and wanted to give my body at least 12 hours to go into labor on its own. What a boring, frustrating morning! When after walking, doing housework, helping Julia work on her no-training-wheels endeavor, and walking some more with no contractions, we decided it was time to check in to the hospital. There we gave it another hour or two before getting a small dose of Pitocin. Once that was in my system, it didn't take long before the labor contractions were in full force. This time around I decided to go without the epidural. So I felt real labor contractions for the first time! (I think I felt one with Julia before getting the shot.) Although I could have been better prepared for the experience, I felt like I had enough confidence in my mind and body and its ability to birth this baby without the drugs. (Although I decided early on in the pregnancy to go natural, I kind of put off any kind of prep until the last minute. A friend recently loaned me her Hypnobirthing book - which I finished only a few hours before my water broke! Needless to say, I didn't quite get enough time to practice any relaxation techniques. Ha.)

Quite lucky for me, the labor and delivery lasted only about an hour and 45 minutes. I was on my hands and knees for a while during the contractions, then preferred to sit an a ball. The nurse mentioned that we should check my progress soon. But I knew it was already time. They said they'd call the doctor and I told them this baby may get here before him and I was not going to wait! But the doctor did arrive and within 15 intense minutes of some of most serious "pressure" I have ever felt in my life, this baby girl was born. Jonny was wonderful and supportive and I was so grateful to have him to hold on to when at one point I really didn't think I could do it. And, yes, I may just have screamed through the last two pushes. Then my baby was immediately on my chest where I held and nursed and hugged and kissed her for quite a while. What a relief. And what an experience. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I really loved being so aware and involved. With Gabe's birth I felt like I was floating, and nearly asleep when they told me to push. And then there he was. It was almost like I was a bystander. I think that's when I decided I'd have my next baby without the epidural. And this time I really did feel more a part of things, more in control of things. It was incredible. Seriously tough - definitely the most challenging thing I've ever done - but incredible.

Welcome to our family, darling little Evelyn. We love you more than words can say.