Hopeful Hero

 We have decided on her name for the blog. She is our Hopeful Hero. Her name comes from Grandpa C. We did not decide on her name right away when she was born, because we had two awesome names, and it was 12:31 am and I had been up since 5:31 am. When you are that tired, you just send out a text message to everyone letting them know she is here, and that a name will be decided later that day.

Grandpa C. got the message, as he was waiting in another hospital. Our extended family is having some trials  of health right now, and he heard she was born--and he started calling her Hope, and the Hope of the Family. When he told me that he was calling her Hope, I knew that it should be her name on the blog. She is our Hope from Heaven.

She sleeps really well, as long as she is swaddled in two layers. She is our coldest baby! I'm not that surprised, since I was freezing cold the whole pregnancy.

But she smiles a lot and is peaceful and calm as long as she is warm and snuggling with someone. We love her to pieces here! The boys love to give her kisses, hugs, and toys. Peaceful Hero keeps trying to give her trains, and hit her in the head with his toys. Which for a two-year old, is pretty accurate of his love.

Baby Girl!

Baby Sister came on Saturday Morning at 12:31am, after flipping into breech twice, and flipping out of it once in the past week. We had a version, which my doctor manually pushed her around and got her head down on Friday at 1. By 2 we started pitocen---we needed to get her out before she decided to flip again. (Right now I'm thinking Gymnast Hero for our blog....but we'll see) She came slowly, and we think she was determined to tell us that she was in charge and we didn't get to decide that her birthday was going to be 3/8/13, she wanted 3/9/13.

She came without much difficulty. She went slowly and we are so happy she is here! She is my best nurser so far---which is impressive because the boys were awesome nursers! We have loved having Aunt My-a (read MyDashA) here. She has been so good with the boys.

Friendly Hero loves holding his sister. He is very pleased that she came out looking like he said she would. He was right about her name!

Peaceful Hero has some really funny faces when asked to smile.

And when he's just holding her. He loves his sister. He loves her even more, because she brought him a basketball hoop, (bak-et-ball hoot) home from the hospital for him.

We came home on Sunday and I feel so good. I am slowly recovering, but it's a miracle how fast I seem to feel better.

Baby Sister

Hasn't arrived. Unfortunately. But I thought I would give a quick update. She can't drop any further without someone catching her. I like to think this is good--but it makes for really painful walking.....sitting.....standing.....lying down.....being alive. I'm not complaining really loudly. Yet. I'm 39 weeks tomorrow, and I've been ready to have her for a week now. I have constant heartburn or nausea. If she doesn't come out with hair, I am going to feel really jipped. But she will be cute when she gets here, because she'll be here!

Two days ago, The Friendly Hero started telling my belly, "Baby Sister! I want to hold you! It's time to come out!" Just about the sweetest thing you can hear. Sunday night, he lifted up my shirt, (to look at my secret fit belly skirt) and told me: "I can't see her eyes." I told him that she's looking at my back. He turned me around (not as easy as it sounds) "I still can't see them!" I told him she had to come out before he could see them. I asked him what color he thought they would be. "Brown, just like Daddy. And she'll look like a Gwendolyn. Not a Alice." These are our two names, that we can't decide between. Friendly Hero has decided. When someone tells him she might look like an Alice, he smiles and says, "But she won't. She's going to come out and look like a Gwendolyn. So I can call her Gwendolyn." P.S. His little voice saying that name--cutest thing next to the Peaceful Hero saying it.

Both boys love to come and give my belly a kiss and tell her she will be loved when she comes out. Peaceful Hero says, "Come out! Mom carry Patree, not you" (How he says his name.) Which could be the reason why she's staying in. They each love to sit on one of my legs and tell me that I'm holding all three kids.

I'm really excited to have her--not just so I'm in a lot more comfort. But to see these boys love their sister so much! Especially since they are finally excited to have a sister. Not another brother. They gave me nightmares that she comes out with a brother (surprise twins............nightmare) and that she's really a he....not so much a nightmare, because we have all the stuff, but we had no names and I would definitely grieve the loss of a daughter for a few days, before I fell totally in love with another son.

I see my doctor tomorrow and I'm really hoping and praying that he takes pity on me and I have a baby this week.

Big Beds

 We got some beds from a friend. The little Hero's LOVE being in big beds. I also love that we are finally using the quilts that I made a year ago. Peaceful Hero only needed a few days of training to stay in bed.

We also got this awesome wardrobe for our toy storage. I love being able to close the door on the stacks of toys.

Someone had a birthday

So, a couple of Sundays ago--nearly three weeks ago, we had a birthday. The Friendly Hero wanted a Woody Cake, and then changed his mind--he wanted a Thomas Cake, that was orange, and had a 4, because he's 4 now.

I did my best. I'm really proud of this cake.

He also loved going to church and telling EVERYONE that it was his Happy Birthday. When they wished him a happy birthday he smiled really big and said, "Thank You." He would then see another friend and race off to tell them that it was his happy birthday.

When you ask him about his birthday he tells me that he had a Thomas Cake and he says, "Well, I opened presents."

His favorite present: A Thomas movie. He loves that he got this movie and as I have gotten closer to March, he gets to watch it every day. Yesterday, he told me that I was a "really useful girl." I feel pretty special.

A Thought and some Stories

I have noticed something about myself: I do a lot of 'writing' in my head. I spend time thinking and coming up with things to say and then once I have thought through what I want to say, I never get it down. Which means that I think that I blog every few days, but then I'm always so surprised that it's been a few weeks. I first noticed that I did this with emails. I found out the other day that I can let an email sit in my inbox for a few weeks, even though I have "responded" two or three times. It is just getting worse the closer I get to having this little baby. My memory is getting worse, and I forget things that I write down, and if I don't write it down, then there is no hope at all. So sorry if it's sporadic  I promise, I have several posts "written down and posted" in my head.

A story about the Friendly Hero:
We were at our favorite Grocery store, where we are loved by nearly all the employees and have friends in every department. It's bad enough that if we don't know someone's name, Friendly Hero hollers out: "Hey! I don't know you! What's your name?" But this is a digression. To the story:
We were talking with our friends in the bank, when one of the Front End Managers, K, comes up and helps himself to some of the free coffee that the bank provides as a service.
FH: What is that?
K: It's coffee. Do you drink coffee?
FH: No.
K: Why not? Everyone likes coffee!
FH: (stumbles over because) Because, God asked us not to drink coffee.
K: (Laughs). God asks us not too. I can't argue with that! (He turns to me and says), Really? God asks you not to drink coffee?
MH: Yes. We believe it is a commandment from God to not drink coffee, tea or alcohol.
K: That is amazing. Is it to avoid caffeine?
MH: We think so, but it's to avoid harmful and addictive substances.
K: Soda pop okay?
MH: That is left to the discretion of the members of our church.
K: That's cool. Way to go FH! (With that he walks away--laughing.)
Our friends at the bank were so impressed with Friendly Hero. I have been so proud of him too! He is my little missionary!

Peaceful Hero has been having problems with potty training again. He has been purposefully pooping in his underwear. Every time that I am about to get really frustrated with him, he starts to sing his two favorite primary songs: "Nephi's Courage" and "Mommy, I love you." You can hear him singing loudly from the bathroom or wherever he is playing, "I will Go! I will Do!" or "Mommy, I love you, I DOO!" It melts my heart.

Family Pictures

We got Family Pictures taken back in November. They turned out really great, and now I've got the energy and desire to share them. Sometimes, being pregnant is hard. Wonderful, but hard. I add in a new full time job/joy, on top of everything else, and things fall to the wayside. But enjoy a few of our favorites of our family.

The Friendly Hero showcased his "smiles". These faces all appear with a request for a smile. The Peaceful Hero was solemn, through out the whole shoot. The only time we came close to a smile, when we were bribing them with fruit snacks. He gave one real smile when we let him run up and down a hill. I am at the awkward stage where my maternity shirts drown me, and the regular shirts don't button up--but I still look good. The Bug Hero is just good looking. We had fun, and we love our talented photographer: http://photobyheidi.blogspot.com/