Just a few pictures of Abby

Abby is doing so well. She is a very good-natured baby so far and basically eats and sleeps and is fun to hold. She's just like having a little doll around to play with. Maybe next week will be different when my mom leaves and I have to deal with real life again, but for now life is just about perfect.

Abby is here!

My sweet little baby girl Abby Marie is finally here! She was born Friday, September 28 at 9:14pm. She was 6 lbs. 14 oz. and 17 1/2 inches long. She is a tiny little girl! It is so much different than having a great big boy! My two boys were 8 lbs. 11 & 12 oz. and 21 inches long, so it has been fun to have a little little baby. She is so sweet and good-tempered and is quickly making up for being a little pill when she was born! She was breech but the doctor was able to turn her around, so they started the pitocin and 4 hours later I was ready to deliver. My water even broke on its own for the first time! The doctor came in to check me and he was like, "Wait a minute, I feel a hand. Actually, I feel two hands!" So he tried to move them for a minute but it didn't work, so he said, "Well, we can't deliver a baby like that! Everyone prep for a c-section!" I was like, are you kidding me? After all that I still have to have a c-section??? It was actually kind of funny. I had already prepared myself for the possibility, so I thought, good, I don't need to push! I'm a really bad pusher. My other kids took hours. So I didn't mind when they gave me a big dose of medicine in my epidural, put a little hat thing on my head, wheeled me in the operating room and 10 minutes later I had a baby girl! I was surprised that it wasn't scary at all and I didn't feel a thing. Both doctors said that this is the first time in their careers of 15 and 20 years that they have seen a baby with both arms above its head. They said once in a while they will have one with one arm up and if it won't move they still have to do a c-section, but with both up there is no question. I had my two favorite doctors, Dr. Lamoreaux and Dr. Melendez, and they were so nice to me. It was actually kind of fun. Until the epidural wore off anyway, but we won't go into that. Let's just say that next time I will make sure they are prepared with another painkiller to put into my IV after the delivery because I am allergic to morphine and it was like hours before I got any more meds. Those were bad hours. BUT, I didn't care because I had my little Abby safe and sound and perfect!!! She is really healthy and I think she's just beautiful. I just couldn't imagine myself with a girl before she was born, and now I can't imagine life without her. She is just precious. I'm so grateful to everyone who was there and who has been there for me during this whole process. I'm especially grateful that my sister Kristen was able to be here from Kansas and be with me through it all. She is the best and I miss her so much! My mom is staying with me this week and helping out with the kids and meals and everything and it is so fun to have her here. I should have babies more often!

Best Friends in the World/The Truth about the Turkey Trot

I feel so lucky to have such great friends. Last night several of my friends took me out to dinner and gave me a fun little baby shower. I am so extremely blessed to have such kind and caring people in my life. I love being able to share life events, large and small, with friends. And they gave me just the cutest little girl things that you can imagine. It's so fun because they are things that I just wouldn't buy for myself, but of course I want and love. Plus, I just love The Pizza Factory. They have the best bread twists and lemon-poppyseed salad dressing and I have been craving it forever, and now that I think about it, I can't believe I forgot to order a raspberry lemonade. Dang it! I never get to go there because Jason's work orders Pizza Factory every Tuesday and he is sick of it. I beg, but we never go. At least just bring me home your leftovers, I plea, but usually I just get a few crusts in a box at best. Anyway, it was a fun evening and I really needed to get out and spend some time with friends talking about all the fun childbirth stuff that usually makes my husband leave the room. How could anyone not be interested in these things? It's beyond me. I just love girl-talk, wherever it leads. It's always interesting.

One topic that came up last night was in regards to a little event that happened on Thanksgiving in The Year 2000. First, I would just like to say that I don't think anyone is really responsible for things that happened in The Year 2000. Were we not all under the impression that the world was going to end on New Year's Eve (1999), and then when it didn't, did we not feel obligated to live life to the fullest that year because the end would surely come on the last day of Y2K? It was with this in mind that some people I know, who might have included someone you know and two female relatives, but of course I won't reveal any identities, decided to run nude around the local high school track. A Turkey Trot, if you will. Exercise, freedom, and good company. What more could you ask for on what could possibly be your last Thanksgiving on this earth? Is there a better form of giving thanks? I'm sure you don't think so, and neither do I. So I would like to offer a few tips to those who are considering such an adventure.

First of all, and this comes from a reliable source, don't be too prepared. If you think you are being wise and wearing only the essential items to the field (read: no encumbering underclothing to remove, only the barest of essentials, like a jacket and sweats that are easily slipped off over shoes), you may find yourself alone and bare at the starting line, while your compadres are taking their time tying their shoes and "changing" their clothes. It milder climates, this might not be a problem, but come on people, it's November, let's get the show on the road.

Number two is, if you happen to find yourself on the inside lane of the track, pace yourself accordingly. Yes, it is exhilarating to run free, but slightly embarrassing if you turn to your neighbor only to realize that she is several feet behind you and probably having a hard time keeping the eyes-above-the-shoulder rule you all agreed to in the car on the way there. Make an effort to stay hip-to-hip with your partners. There will be a lot less laughing and goofing off that way, and it will be easier to focus on the task at hand.

The last tip I, I mean these people, have for you, is just to be free. Be yourself. Although only in shoes and a sombrero, cowboy hat, or long flowing black wig, you are still who you are and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

The Final Countdown!

I am 38 weeks pregnant now, and today was one of my last doctor's appointments before I go in to either be induced or c-sectioned next week. Yikes. This little girl has turned herself around and is now breech, so next Friday I will be admitted to the hospital and they will try to turn her. Depending on the outcome, they will either induce labor or do a c-section. One doctor told me there is about an 80% chance of turning her around, which is good, but it still doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me! I think I am going to declare next week a party week and not do any work or worrying!!! I've had enough of that.

To all the fictional characters I've loved before...

Well, with all this hype about Edward lately, I am feeling a little bad about neglecting my other fictional loves. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Edward. But there are many others who deserve a shout-out as well so I've compiled a short list of characters who have influenced my life/appeared in my dreams. Here are my top 3:

Number 1 would have to be Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. I first read this book in the 5th grade and have since read it probably 10 times or more and every time it just gets better, all 2 million pages of it. No, Clark Gable just doesn't do him justice in the movie and I always liked the book better anyway. Rhett, you will always have my heart. Scarlett, you are a moron. Why can't I be you and make the right decision!!! Heck, Belle Watling doesn't have much to complain about, either. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to read the book.

Another hottie that wow, is just hot, is Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, the book and the 5 hour movie. Don't waste your time on the shorter movies. It is well well well worth 5 hours of anyone's time to be in love with him. I have the DVDs if you need to borrow them. My favorite thing about Darcy is that at first I thought, oh, what's so special about him, but by the end, every little twitch of his eyebrow leaves me fanning myself and thinking, oh man, I need water. Colin Firth is a perfect Mr. Darcy. Trust me. This is one of the few movies that I really enjoy more than the book.

While we're on the subject of movies, Captin Von Trapp from The Sound of Music, while not entirely fictional, is also just well, hot, for lack of a better word. When I was young and we would watch the movie over and over I really never even noticed him. I was actually a little grossed out by the dancing-in-the-gazebo scene, and I thought Rolff was cute, which is just embarrassing. But a few years ago I watched the movie again and I was like, oh my good heavens, no wonder Maria is constantly making a fool of herself. He is like the hottest old guy ever. And Maria is such a nerd. He would totally be better off with me. Note to self, though: don't get too excited. I saw him on a talk show recently and he's about 100 years old and he looks horrible (the actor who plays him, I mean, and I'm not even going to tell you his name because then you'll look him up and be like, blah! sick!). I was way disappointed, but I can still watch the movie and pretend he looks like he did in the second World War. And I can pretend I'm Maria, minus the hideous hair-do. I mean really. Besides that, she's such a wuss. I totally would have sent those kids off to boarding school. Except maybe Frederick. He had potential. And sorry about the long white arm in the picture. Ever hear of self-tanner, Maria?

Well, the list could go on and on. I guess I should try to pick some more contemporary loves, but Edward about sums it up in that category. And yes, he is only 17, but really he's like 100. I'm sensing a pattern here, though... do I have a thing for old guys? Hmmm... who did I name my first son after? I guess maybe I do.

Twilight Series Update

Well, in case you are wondering, I am STILL in love with a vampire. Only, I am way more in love with him than before. My husband thinks I'm really weird. I've tried to point out to him all the things he has in common with Edward, like they are both hunters, and, well, I guess that's the only similarity. So I'm trying not to talk to him about the books, but it's really hard. Yes, I just finished book 3, Eclipse, and I'm so happy right now. But I have to admit, I was partially in love with a werewolf through some of the series, too. I guess I can't say any more, because it would be a *spoiler* for all of you out there still working on it, but oh man. I kind of don't want there to be a book 4. Right now it is all just so RIGHT. I want to take a quick poll, though. If you are reading or have read the books, you HAVE to answer:

Do you or don't you love Jacob? And why. I'm just curious because I have heard so many different view points lately!! I think it's so interesting!

Well, THAT was pretty freaking weird...

Don't you just hate it when you are so in the mood for lemon bars and you go to all the trouble to make them and when they are finally done you take them out of the oven and set them on the counter top, and the whole pan just explodes all over your kitchen? I hate that!!! That is exactly what happened to me last night and it scared the living crap out of me. Jason has been out of town for the last several days, so I was a little on edge anyway, but then to just be in my kitchen, minding my own business, and suddenly it sounds like a shotgun is going off 3 feet away and glass is flying everywhere... kind of freaked me out. I am just glad my back was turned and the kids weren't in there, because there were shards of glass all over the whole kitchen. It was a heavy-duty Pyrex pan, too, and the counter top wasn't even cold. It was 74 degrees in the house, so it is all too weird for me to figure out right now. I guess it just wasn't meant to be that I ate a whole pan of lemon bars by myself for our FHE treat. "Sorry kids, I know you hate these, I'll just eat yours too." Such a thoughtful mother.