"are you sure this is a girl?"

Kevin asked me this minutes ago while sitting on the couch holding his dear Daisy as she was making a poopy diaper...it was so funny... Daisy burps way better and louder than Carter ever has... and she pees when you change her diaper all the time (despite what they say about little boys Carter has only done this 2-3 times his whole life)... this picture is from Daisy's one week photo shot... I like the focus of this one not on her but the daisy... so fun playing with our new camera... so we went to visiting hours for a woman at our church who passed away suddenly this past Saturday... there were so many people there...Char and her husband have helped many youth through young life and different church ministries... it was neat seeing people we didn't even know catching up and talking about experiences they had had with Char... it really made me think about living a legacy... not just for my family or friends but to serve my Lord... it was just really amazing... and we got a tour of daisies since nearly every arrangement had some sort of daisy in it... I really was touched by going and really need to process how I am living my life not just for myself.,,

pink and green...

honestly I am not much of a pink girl but my little Daisy is... green is much more my color but i am loving the combinations of pink and green popping up all over the house... here are some pictures to show... today was day number three home alone with both kiddos... no one was out of their pjs till 1030 and it felt so good... after church yesterday and visitors (which we do love) it was nice to catch up and play with the kids and just do some light house cleaning... organizing baby stuff from the hospital, clipping coupons... Carter was so cute today... I found the Elmo puppet he got for Christmas and was singing Elmo's world to him with it... then I past it over to him and he did the little show for Daisy... minus the signing... he had the dancing down but he doesn't really sing yet... I can't wait till he does!... also he must have grown because when i went to get him dressed today one of his shirts wouldn't button and his pants were too small... he came to me fussing and pulling on his pant's waist band... I just don't believe he has grown... Kevin measured him standing up and he was 33 1/2 inches... that two inches since Christmas!... amazing!...Daisy also is looking and acting so much bigger today... she just looks around the nursery while Carter and I play... I am having a lot of fun!... but I must confess i am really tired this evening...I scrapped a page about my nieces 2nd birthday tonight which is the first creative thing I have done since Daisy was born...can't wait to do a Daisy page... maybe tomorrow...nah-nights

bath time

so both babies had baths tonight...Daisy's first sponge bath...she smells so good now and Carter took a dunk in the tub with dad helping scrub him down (I think it had been like three or four days since the last bath...yuck!)...so today Kev worked and I had the kiddos...juggling Carter's need for undivided attention and nursing Daisy as much as possible since my milk is in and that is painful...Carter got a tour of the basement as I did a load of laundry and put away some newborn baby boy clothes I don't need (right now at least)...He had never been down there so it was an adventure...after naps Grammy and Grampy came over and played with Daisy and Carter...the home visiting nurse came and said both the baby and I look great and we chatted about the crazy nursing profession we work in...it is really nice having a mental break from all of that (sorry 7ICU girls)...

so here is the best picture I think I have ever taken...Daisy really lifts her head completely up when she is on her belly and that is the monkey Carter gave her in the hospital...our lives are so beautiful right now!

Daisy Elizabeth Caroline....

Daisy arrived February 21st 2007! Finally, at least in my world it seemed to take forever but I know the time was right because we were all healthy, Dave and Jayme were able to come, Carter was well taken care of by Grammy and Grampy and we were ready. She was born at 1054 after being in labor at home most of the night and going to the hospital around 0700. Labor went really well minus the back pain before they broke my water and show was finally on the road. I was completely relaxed in between contractions, like flacid. I never am that calm! the stats: 9lbs 4oz, 21 1/2 inches, chubby cheeks, dirty blonde hair, long fingers, and kankles already. She is a big girl and is now starting to look like me when I was born and her brother. Sorry Kevin she doesn't look much like yet. She so far enjoys life other thanher bassinet at night but we will see how she does tonight. Carter is saying her name and wanted to hold her this evening. He gets this adorable face when he looks at her like she is a precious treasure or something. He has had a few attention seeking moments but he seems to be adjusting well. Dad is working through the tax season and trying to get as much sleep as he can. I feel great! Recovery is much better the second time around. I even got a two hour nap this after noon thanks to Daisy and Carter also sleeping well! Off for a Friday night movie and a sundae with Kevin (at home of course!) and with a two day old in our arms!

officially late...

it is finally official... this baby is late!...it is 0300 on Monday and the baby is not here yet!...I think this is some kind of sick joke since I swore this baby would be here the first week of February or something...no, I am really fine with it, honestly I think by body is doing the exact same thing in the same amount of time as Carter, it just started two weeks later...I still have a little bit of a cold and larengitis and I am not too excited about not being 100% before having this baby...I am working tonight which means I am saving my sick time and will be out of work into May which will mean nicer weather hopefully!...looking on the bright side!

l&d and back home...

we had a false alarm last night...while playing Settlers of Catan with my Mom and Auntie B, I was laughing and had a gush of what I thought was my water breaking (or peeing my pants)...hope not to gross you out but here goes the story...so I waited for about an hour and it kept happening...it was weird and I really couldn't control it but it happened mostly when coughing or laughing...so after awhile Mom thought I should really call the doctor and see what she thought...I was only having a couple of contractions nothing bad but called and they said to come in...so we packed up, leaving Carter who was already tucked into bed asleep with Auntie B...to make a long story short...I was sent home after being checked and the assumption was my water had not broken but things are moving along and maybe I was in early labor...and peeing my pants! or losing my mucous plug (I know gross)...the funny thing was the nurse couldn't get a continuous tracing of the baby's heart rate because it kept kicking the monitor off...they kept asking if all this movement was normal and I was like "Yes! This baby has been killing me for months now!"...I think it is just really strong since I first felt it move a 14.5 weeks!...amazing...so anyways we got home around 2 am and went to bed...today Mom, Auntie B, Carter and I went to Trader Joes and Panera for lunch while Kevin worked...then went to Steve and Che's for Chinese, Dominoes and visiting with Keith and Alyson... all in all a good day but no baby...I am due to have this baby in 3.5 hrs...we will see...time for bed!

the great snow adventure...

so here is the story...Wednesday (valentines day) was looking like snow for the most part of the day...one more day stuck in the house...i was really not to excited about this but since I was starting to get the awful cold that Carter and Kevin had, I was okay with resting for the most of the day...well Kevin shoveled and headed to work...only to be sent home by 10:30 cause no one there wanted his germy cold and he looked awful...so we had family day at home, complete with all of us taking a nap... it was nice but I continued to get more congested...after naps Kevin went out and snow blowed the driveway...









then Carter and I went and joined him for some exploration of the snow and an adventure out get breakfast for dinner at the 5 & Diner...it was lovely to finally get out of the house and see some other people...


I just love all of these yummy pictures!...my new camera is so fun!...I don't really know what I am doing with it but it works...I plan on taking a photography 101 class at some point this year...we'll see...

for my Valentines...

so today was another "stay at home all day" kind of day due to the snow storm...but it was also Valentine's Day...not much love here since we are all coughing and blowing noses every 10 minutes due to a cold...but anyways I wanted to spread so love but not knowing where or when this baby would come I had not prepared anything really for my two Valentines so last night I made chocolate chip cookies for them...not just any chocolate chip cookies but Heidi Swapp's (a scrapbook celeb whose blog I have been reading and amused by since Carter was born) recipe...however in the middle of making these I realized they were the same as the Toll House recipe other than minus 1/4 cup flour and use 1 whole cup of brown sugar and only 1/2 cup of white...the Toll House recipe calls for 3/4 cup of each...I am not sure why I have this recipe memorized except I used to always make cookies as a teen girl when I was bored and couldn't get out of the house like today!...just realized that...I was however entertained by Heidi's explicit directions on how she makes the cookies exactly...Kevin was psyched and Carter munched on his half a cookie at lunch time and the other half for an afternoon snack...they really do make a mess when the chocolate chips start to melt in your hands...he had so much fun though...on the baby end of things nothing fits me anymore so I turned to Kevin's sweatshirts and stuff when I go out...around the house the belly hangs out...I can't help it and I am not shopping for bigger clothes at this point...here is a picture from today...not much going on othere than a few nights of little sleep and increased uncomfortableness (I am sure this is not a word)...I am seeing the doctor tomorrow so we will see if there is any progress made...I need a good night sleep and to heal from this cold before we welcome a new born to the world...God's timing of perfect..."He makes all things beautiful in His time..."...I will tell of our snow adventure tomorrow...

from zooMass...

I am at work and bored...hopefully I won't be back here before my 12 weeks of maternity leave...I am felling good but tired and ready to crawl into bed...things on the home front are going well...Carter hasa very congested cough and a runny nose so it looks like we will all miss church in the am...family night tomorrow after I wake up...not sure what plans we have but something that includes food, walking around and helping Carter find a present for the baby that he can bring to the hospital...so maybe this baby could be born on Valentine's Day (or David G's b-day the 12th)...kinda cool...but I really want it to come when it's ready...patience is a virtue!

thank God for body butter!

with this artic chill (it's been about 20 every day with a strong wind, today 24 wo-hoo) I was in so uncomfortable with dry skin...like I have never been before...it was disgusting... but my girlfriend Marissa hooked me up with some body shop coconut body butter and with in 24 hrs I am as smooth as a baby bum!...thanks Marissa!...so much more comfortable other than the fact this baby is running out of room...seems my belly has taking on an even weirder shape...Kevin noticed it last night...it's even lower and wider than it had been...the other night when I rolled over I felt a crunch (literally) of a little foot sticking out of my side or something...the oddest sensation I have felt yet...I felt bad for the baby but figured maybe that was a nudge to the baby to get out...this home can only get so much bigger...Kev, Carter and I really want to meet this kid and see what it looks like...I think that is so hard to try to imagine what this baby will look like...I remember thinking this with Carter but now I wonder if the baby will look like Carter or not...and that little personality can't wait for it to bloom and grow before our eyes!...have been day dreaming about all of this!...off to bed for my daily nap and then I have to make dinner and go to work the next couple nights!...scary I know!

1 full cm...

the exciting news for the day is that I am a full cm dilated and the baby's head is further down...my doctor seemed to think she would see me next week in the office but said I made good progress in the past week...I will maybe try the cream cheese again early next week after I work the weekend...argh!...but I did work last night and felt good..if nothing else will put me into labor maybe work will!...so here are some cute pics from Superbowl...here are the boys carter 19 months, Dryden 13 months and Isaiah 7 months...they are like little steps of each other...

here is Carter enthralled by the Corso's twin girls...Ava and Natalie...they were so sweet and Carter didn't know what to think of them I imagine...he just kept point back and forth between them and saying "baby, baby"...so tomorrow is another stay at home and clean, do laundry kind of day since things have accumulated since last week...with every load of laundry I do I think "Will this one be the last before this baby comes?"...probably not but right now I am okay with that...I am not sure what changed my mind but I am okay with it

Cream cheese day come and gone...

Superbowl come and gone and no baby#2....it is kinda depressing but funny too that this little one is taking it's sweet time making it's appearance into the world!...this makes me suspect more than ever that it is a girl...needs a grand debut!...so I feel like I am making little bits of progress but nothing significant...pressure here, one strong contraction here, a run to the bathroom there...but really nothing yet...we will continue to keep you posted and rest up for another night at work on Tuesday (arrhhhg!)