The Baby Lover

This picture is already 4 months old, but I came across it again today.  Emma has loved babies since she was a baby, it seems.  She has the most gentle spirit in our family and we often find her quietly hugging the baby, laying down next to him, covering him with a blanket, or showing him the pages of her book.  She is so sweet!

Wherever her baby is, there she is, too!

Girls Like Sending Notes

Our girls love to communicate – with each other, with their toys, and especially with B-House and me.  The day is full of words.  When they are not talking, they are often sending notes – to each other, to their friends and grandparents, and to B-House and me.  I found Eleanor busy in the kitchen one morning “writing” and leaving me some pretty notes.Some of the funniest we have seen came from Taylor, left on the floor at the edge of our bed in the morning.  She knows she is supposed to wait in her bed for Mommy and Daddy to get her up, but sometimes those words can’t wait!  One note read something like this:

“Dear Mommy and Daddy,

Please pray for me.  I bumped my hed on my bed.  It hurts.

love, Taylor”

Emma’s little notes most often have drawings of people on them – people with large heads, one or two big eyes, and arms and legs protruding from the head.  I love those!

And the girls LOVE receiving notes, too.  The most thrilling ones come in the mail, but they like getting Mommy’s notes when I remember to write them and leave them by their bed.  And Taylor still reminisces about the notes that Eleanor “wrote” and gave to her and Emma when they visited her in the hospital just after she was born (how did she do that?).  :)

Story Time with Mommy!

I absolutely love story time!  I like to pick the stories out each time, though I always let the girls bring books, too.  I especially enjoy reading new books from the library.

I have loved story time ever since Taylor was a baby.  First book was “Goodnight, Moon” as a newborn.  Now she can read all by herself.  (sniff)

I try to get a story time in every morning, coaxing the girls to snuggle with me and stay quiet by giving them a little snack.  Sometimes I have enough time to read Eleanor a few stories before naptime.

We always have a story time before bed.  Lately, I nurse Luke at the same time and then he gets propped up on my knees to hear the rest of the stories.  Since he is looking right at me, he thinks I am talking to him and he coos, gurgles, and smiles right back at me.  I love it!

The girls make story time complete with water cups and blankets all around.  They actually bring each other their cups without being asked and then say thank you ever so politely to each other!

Story time….one of the highlights of my day.  It’s a good day when I have been able to read at least 3 children’s books.  It is a great day when I have had enough time to read even more!

Watching for the Trashman

Eleanor loves watching the trashman go by!  She has 3 chances every Thursday morning to see a trash truck, since we have 3 different cans.  If she hears the truck, then she runs to the window with her stepstool, yelling, “Trashman!  Trashman!”

Sweet Times

This doesn’t happen very often (that all three girls get along and play together sweetly), so when it does happen…I take a picture!

I Do Schoolwork, Too!

I found Eleanor keeping Taylor company one morning while Taylor was working on some first grade worksheets.  She cracks us up.  I am sure she thinks she is older than two.

The Boy Has Come

On Thursday, July 7th, my doctor told me to go straight to the hospital for testing, telling me that my lab results had shown that toxin levels were too high in my body.  At the hospital I was told that I was developing a pregnancy condition that kept my liver from getting rid of toxins; therefore, the toxins were staying in my body and could cause a stillbirth.  I was told to come back for the same tests the next morning.  On Friday, my doctor made an appointment to induce labor on Monday, since the toxin levels were rising rapidly.  The baby was in excellent health, but I was told to come immediately back to the hospital, should I feel his movements begin to slow down – or worse, quit entirely.

Worried, of course, we started praying that our baby would come early.  Well….that very night, he did!  I had contractions off and on throughout the day, but they became more regular around 8:00 p.m.  We went to the hospital around 9:00 and he was born at 11:10 p.m. on Friday, July 8th.  He weighed in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and measured 20 inches.  He was in perfect health!  Praise God!

Here he is with his daddy…

Here we are on our way to the maternity ward…

and here he is in his hospital bassinet…

so cute!!!

Here we are the next day, introducing him to the family…

“Children are a blessing from the Lord.”

Still My “Baby”…

…at least for 10 more weeks.

I remember when Eleanor was born, all of  a sudden my “baby” Emma looked so big!  I’m guessing it will be the same when baby boy is born.

Grandpa Time

I like this picture because, even though my dad didn’t say it, I think he really enjoyed Eleanor’s hugs.  She had a cold and was very, very sleepy by the end of lunchtime.  Of course, she wanted Grandpa to hold her and, after a while, she was almost asleep on his shoulder.  She even turned down ice-cream in order to keep her head on his shoulder.

These girls adore their grandpa!

Getting Familiar With the Potty Chair

I am hoping to potty-train Eleanor soon, so we have pulled out the little plastic chair.  She loves it and drags it around the house with her!  Her very own chair!  We have had success only once, so I need to set aside a week or so to really focus on potty-training her.  Taylor has agreed to be her “coach.”