Quick update...

Bryant did a great job of posting the pictures of little Eli on Friday night. So, now for the details and a quick update...

On Friday, May 28th at 3am my water broke. By 3pm we were ready to have a baby. Elijah Owen was born at 3:16pm weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces, and measuring 20.5 inches long. The delivery was absolutely wonderful. They began Pitocin that morning at around 7 or 8, and then I received an Epidural at 12 noon. When it was time to push, it only took 2 minutes and he was out. Such a familiar delivery experience, Gracie was also born 12 hours after my water broke and with her I was also induced with Pitocin and then given an Epidural at my request.

Today, we are hoping that Elijah will be discharged. We have a meeting with a cardiologist at noon today and then hopefully we'll be given the thumbs up. So far, still good. Bryant and I have been staying at the hospital in a room at the NICU where they allow parents to room in with the baby. We are still conveniently located for the nurses and staff to continue monitoring Eli. We can't wait to go home!

Pictures of Eli

Praisentation...

Tonight was Nathan's preschool graduation and boy do I have some videos and pictures to post from that.... but first, here's a video from last night. His children's choir class put on a Praisentation for the parents last night and here is one of the videos.

Squirmy Wormy...

37 weeks... a diffrent angle.

A Lazy Day...

Bryant headed out this morning for a guys weekend camping trip with some men from our Sunday School class. While I had every intention of going to the playground with the kids today... needless to say that didn't happen. Pretty much it was just a lazy day around here. Nathan became a professional TV watcher and Gracie got a nap in while I did a little work in Elijah's room. For a child that had absolutely no clothes at the beginning of this pregnancy, he sure does have a full dresser now. Thanks mostly to the clothing that was passed on to us from friends at church and a few things that we had either purchased or set aside because they were gender neutral from the other kids.

One thing that I promised the kids we would do today was make cookies. But, do you know how hard that is when you are out of brown sugar?! Literally all that leaves to be made is sugar cookies... and after dinner we tackled them. The kids did such a good job taking turns adding all the ingredients (luckily it was Nathan's turn when we had to add the egg... not sure what would have happened if Gracie had to crack it open). We used my mom's recipe, it's the only one we ever use.... typically we roll them, cut them and then frost them after they're cooked. But, tonight to save time we made them the way that grandma does... sprinkled with sugar and squashed with a cup. The perfect treat to end our lazy day.

Date Set....

We finally have an induction date! Unless baby Eli is impatient, he will arrive on June 7th. We call this D Day in our household, although the real D Day was the day before on June 6th in 1944. We are so excited to have a date. Finally, plans can be made for the kids and Bryant has scheduled his time off from work... now it is really starting to get real! Me, I'm excited a bit impatient and just ready to have this little man here.... Bryant, well he's just nervous but excited too, he says that now there's a date it's really starting to hit him. Me however, it has been hitting and kicking for the past several months!

Recalls...

We are on child #3, and well everything that this child has is either a hand-me-down from his brother and sister or it was purchased at a consignment sale. Knowing that this is our last little bambino in the Treacle Tribe, we're trying to be a little more $$ aware on our spending for him.

Last weekend I asked Bryant to set up the crib.... the same crib that the other two used. He came down from upstairs and said that it wasn't going to happen because of a lost part. OK, I said, I'll get on the phone in the morning and call Graco and get a replacement part sent out. Hence, the beginning of the realization. The next morning, we found out that not only was the part no longer available, but the company who made the crib for Graco was no longer in existence.... and to top it all off there wasn't one recall on this crib... but LOTS!!! In fact, the recalls said to stop using the crib immediately and return to the store of purchase for a refund..... slight problem there, we bought our crib 5 years ago, therefore... no receipt. So, we figured "shame on us", we should have paid more attention to recalls of our baby equipment... guess we'll just have to go buy a new crib. Then... yesterday Bryant was talking to his mom and she told him of a family friend who had a very similar crib, no receipt and Wal-Mart still accepted it and gave them a cash refund. So, Bryant broke down the crib, loaded it into the van and off to Wal-mart we ventured. Armed with a shopping cart filled with a crib and some printed off paperwork from the Consumer Safety Product Commission, in about 20 minutes and a store manager we were handed $125! Woo hoo! It worked! So, we grabbed a new crib and headed back home.... I have to say that we received the BEST service from Wal-mart ever yesterday. Usually the workers complain if you ask them for help, but yesterday Bryant asked if they had a certain crib in the back storage room, because there was one on display but not any out front, and they found it, delivered it to our van with a hop, skip and a smile.... much different then when we purchased our first crib 5 years ago in Indianapolis.

Long story short.... go onto the Consumer Product Safety Commission website...http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html and check out your baby equipment! If you're like us, you've been using the same stuff (or plan on it) for more than one child and have just not thought about your things being recalled. In fact, just today I was searching all of our baby stuff and found a recall on our Kolcroft Play Yard, thankfully this one is fixable... I just need to order the repair kit.

Better safe than sorry!

catch up...

The flower clippie...

Nathan Riding His Bike...

He can finally do it!

It's Been Awhile... I know.

Yes, it has been a week since my last post. And it's not that I have nothing to post about, I just haven't had the time. This week we are busy with Kindergarten stuff.... orientation and registration. Talk about anxiety! How is my little guy gonna survive in the largest elementary school in our county?! Well, sure he'll survive.... but, I'm so nervous that he'll get lost on his way to his classroom or in the lunch room.... oh goodness, don't make me think about the lunch room! Anyways, come September I know the only thing that is going to get me through it is lots and lots of prayer.... and then some more.

We've also been working on getting ready for this little man to arrive. Diaper bag packed... check.... car seat washed and ready.... check.... baby clothes washed and folded.... check.... baby clothes put away in dresser..... nope..... crib ready..... nope. That's right, we aren't 100% ready, but we're working on it. Once you get to that third child, you realize that he won't actually be sleeping in his crib for awhile (at least 3 months), so hey, we got some time still! Not to mention we need to buy a new crib and dresser... eventually Eli, your room will not be the all things baby storage room, and will look more like a little mans bedroom.... eventually.

And, Gracie.... well. I've been working on some new hair accessories. Big ol' honkin' flowers on the side of my sweet girls head. I don't know why I hadn't thought of this sooner. I actually saw a little baby girl in Ikea with a Gerber Daisy on a crocheted headband and it was adorable! So, today I swung by Michael's and after lunch Gracie had two new hair clippies with two lovely Gerber Daisies on them. Pictures soon.... promise.

For now though I am off to do some reading and then to bed.... early doctor appointments in the morning. Good night all!

Dress Up...

Gracie loves to play dress up. Usually it's in her princess clothes, but last night her brother introduced her to Daddy's dress up clothes...

And once again, a picture taken by Gracie when I was not in the room.... "Nathan we have a rule about standing on furniture and it applies even when we aren't looking.".

34 Weeks...

On Saturday this baby hit the 34 week mark. Today we went for a gestational growth ultrasound... they wanted to know how big Eli was. "Wow that's a big head...", was a common remark that we heard today. We were not surprised, after all both Nathan and Gracie weighted into this world at 8 pounds, 14 ounces. Today, Eli weighs 6 pounds, 5 ounces.... and he still has 6 more weeks to go! OK, actually only 5, they have agreed to induce me a week early... thank goodness! I know everyone cringes at the thought of Pitocin, but when an epidural is your best friend... Pitocin isn't quite so scary.... hence, awesome experience delivering Miss Gracie.

So, in 4 weeks we'll have a delivery date the first week of June and in 5 weeks, we'll have Mr. Elijah Owen.