Halloween doors await you

Cassidy and Braden like to make their own craft projects.  They have spent much of the past 2 weeks on an ongoing Door Improvement Project.  The fact that I let them even do this makes me feel like a nice mom, because when I was growing up my dad did not allow us to place Scotch tape on painted surfaces.  He said it would ruin the paint.  

Now, I don't know if the tape has changed, or the paint has changed, or if that was just my parents' excuse they used to keep us from putting junk all over the house -- but in my lameness I feel like I'm giving my children something I never had. (Seriously, it's not like I bought them a pony...)

My favorite part of Cassidy's door is the sign in the center that says, "Beware!  Candy awaits you." Cassie told me a few days ago, "Do you know why that is funny? It's because candy isn't scary. Get it??"  My eight year old has grasped irony.

First off, I'll have you know Braden colored the moon and sky in the ghost picture all by himself.  I highly doubt I ever had the patience to make a nice looking coloring page like that when I was his age. I'm not, and never have been, what you'd call an artist OR patient. 

I like Braden's door because so many things Await You.  Bats.  Mummies.  Gosts.  (Yes, gosts.)  And, in copycat-brother fashion, Candy too.

No Blues for Me

Last weekend we had a sighting of the Vomit Comet at the house.  Up at 4 a.m. Sunday morning to feed Rachel, used the bathroom, saw a deep dark shadow in the sink...when the lights were on, it turned out to be a gift from my son.  So I got to scoop it out into the toilet with a paper cup and then disinfect the bathroom in the middle of the night.  No sense waking Nathan.  (Bright side:  Braden made it to the sink, took care of his bid-nazz, and went back to bed with no carpet trail or coming into our room to wake us up.  He was repeatedly praised in the morning.)  At wake-up time Cassie went downstairs, got breakfast for Becca and herself, got all ready and dressed for church, then came to me and said her stomach hurt.  Take off your church clothes, get a bowl, and lay on the couch, I told her.  Of course by this time Nathan had left for his PEC meeting with the bishopric, so he missed her puking episode too.  I had cleaned it up by the time he got home.  The two of them recovered after a lazy couch and nap day, and went off to school on Monday.  All Monday morning Becca complained of a tummyache, and by 3:20 that afternoon she had thrown up in her bed during her nap, and I had to strip the bed, wash the sheets, bathe her, and change her clothes.  Of course, Nathan had just left to go pick up the afternoon carpool at the elementary school!  

It boggles my mind, that on a weekend+day off work, with three children throwing up in succession, he managed to miss every single time!!!  I was lucky I didn't experience the baby blues after this pregnancy.  What with the triple throw ups and the person from our neighborhood who was supposed to bring us dinner one night and forgot (the kids had sandwiches and we ended up with 9 p.m. takeout) I think I might have been one depressed lady.  I'm very grateful that the stomach bug passed over Nathan, Rachel, and me.  That would have been awful!  As it is, I was able to laugh at what a bummer of a first weekend home with a new baby it was.

I'm not as think as you Spoiled I am

The Best Baby Ever may have left many of you with a false impression.  Rachel did indeed sleep through the night on her fifth day of life, but she did not continue the practice.  After that she was still getting up once a night, so it did turn out to be a fluke.  However, last night she slept from 11:00 p.m. until 6:45 a.m.  So either I'm going to get a good night's rest every five days or so, or pretty soon she'll start getting consistent.  I vote for consistent, if I get to pick.

Other musings on having a newborn --

I feel like I smell weird.  All day, even not long after showering, I feel like I smell stale.  I think it's the breastfeeding that makes me feel like this.  Nathan insists I smell normal.

We had a family gathering last weekend, and we took a large family picture since everyone was there.  I saw the pictures, and I certainly do NOT want a copy this time.  I know I need to lose 20-25 pounds, and I know I am only 5 days postpartum in the picture.  But how is it that needing to lose 18% of your body weight makes me look fully twice as wide in a photograph?  Can someone explain to me the physics behind that?

The kids have the day off school today.  They're all in the backyard with neighbor friends, on Halloween, making a leaf pile to jump in, and it's 70 degrees out.  How perfect is that?

Rachel's Photo shoot

My SIL Kara is dabbling in photography, and she agreed to do a little photo shoot at the house. Didn't they turn out great?!?  FYI, she's thinking of getting into the biz on the side, so I'll refer you if you want a low-key, relaxed sitting for way less than studio prices!  

(Click on an individual photo to see a larger version.)

This 'baby nest' was made with a boppy pillow, all the decorative pillows and shams from my bed, and an afghan made by Nathan's mom.

Documenting the wonky toe for posterity...

(note the curve and miniscule nail on the second toe on the foot on the right) 

For as many sans-diaper shots as we had, I was surprised we didn't have any accidents!

Hiya!  Karate baby.

I'll take Look-alikes for $500, Alex

Another poll:  does the new baby look more like me or Becca?

Baby Brenda, age 2 weeks

Baby Rebecca, age 1 day

Baby Rachel, age 5 days

A Septuagenarian has her say

I'm just here to say that my Grandma Shirley (pictured in the green shirt) rocks.  I called her yesterday to thank her for the baby gift she sent.  We chatted for a few minutes, but then she told me she didn't have long on the phone because her ride was picking her up to go stand in the picket line in support of California's Proposition 8.  My grandma, the political activist.  She's awesome!!!!!

(Yes, this is Photoshopped...but she's still pretty cool, even if her photo didn't make the AP newswire.)

The Best Baby Ever

Rachel slept through the night last night.   Five days old, and she went from 11 PM until 6 AM.  It doesn't get much better than that.