one week

I can't believe she's a week old already. She is absolutely perfect. The kids have been great; shockingly getting along with each other and of course, still can't get enough of the baby! Mike has done a wonderful job taking care of us. His hugs at the end of the day make me feel better. Not that I've been upset, just drained, and becoming inpatient while waiting to feel 100%, while right now I am probably about 75%. And while he is very understanding, I'm thankful when we were discharged from the hospital the nurse told him to expect me to be even crankier and more irritable because on top of having a baby and the pain factor from the c-section, my iron was pretty low. Not that I've been cranky, but I think someone telling him that is good; just a reminder my hormones are still freaking out and who knows when and if I will lash out for no reason. Emotions are up and down for no reason at all, so it's good to have someone around who is okay with that. : )

Today is our first day at home without Mike. He made a great stay at home mom. He took care of making the kids' lunches, kept up on laundry (with some help from my Grandma), I hear the kids' rooms are clean (though I can't do stairs yet, so haven't been up there to see), and has in general kept up with the kids' school stuff. The girls and I don't have to leave the house and can't anyways as long as I am on painkillers, so Maddie, Sadie, and I are just hanging out. Lots of games of Princess Memory to be played. And lots of "ooo-ing" and "ahh-ing" at the baby of course : )

she's here : )

Sadie Katherine, born 11-9-09 at 12:15pm. 7lbs, 6oz, 21 inches long.

First photos:

Today I took some beautiful pictures, since they already got me out of bed and had me up and moving. Haven't uploaded them quite yet, but I'm really excited to share those. She is absolutely perfect, and we are so so happy.

I'm not feeling exceptionally great, so I will post details and more fun photos later tonight or tomorrow: )

feelin' crafty : )

So I made my thank you's & delivered them--and so proud of myself because I used only my paper scraps! I worked a teeny bit on my maya road mini baby book using this ADORABLE collection of goodies:

I also made this banner (a kit I purchased from Hannah's...I had a coupon!) The photos don't really do it justice. It's made using Basic Grey's Nook and Pantry line...I have to say, I love the colors in this line!! I'm excited to use the scraps to make a mini thankful/grateful book.

Started my baby announcements...planned on having them done other than adding the photo and the details. Figured I'd bring them to the hospital and fill in the blanks. Now I'm thinking I like how it looks all typed up, which means I'd have to finish them once I came home (not sure I'll feel like doing that!!) Hmmm...anyways, I'm using this paper from Cosmo Cricket's Nutmeg collection. Was looking for something girly and fallish. May have to get more. Trying hard to keep them simple and inexpensive, but we all know how that ends up : )

Wow, 6 1/2 days or LESS to go!!! Yikes!!!! Guess I should pack my bags...

it's the final countdown

For real this time. Less than two weeks. Maybe even less than the ten days I currently have written on the calendar... Mildly freaking out. Not about having a fourth child so much, but about having the house clean (which I've been cleaning like crazy constantly, just seems like it's never clean though!) About having the baby (totally freaking out about having a c-section. Or anything to do with the hospital "stuff".) Wondering if I'm forgetting anything. Hoping to finish so many projects I've started (the bathroom frames hung up, make the thankful banner I bought from Hannah's last week, finish the baby mini book I started making, the 8x8 calendar I barely started for the baby, working on finishing my December Daily book I made for last year but never finished (which I am totally okay with. It'll be a fun year to do a book like that with a new baby : ) working on thank you cards--which I'm in the process of making, baby announcements--which I wanted to have made when I go to the hospital so all I have to do is literally print the photo and fill in the blanks, and send (and I am desperately trying to find a good fallish/girly double sided paper for this, and I may have to drive back down to Archiver's or Hannah's to get some! I know what I want to make, it's just getting the paper to do it. I was thinking one from the Bo Bunny Delilah line??

Oh, I'm taking suggestions by the way.) I know that's an awful lot of creative stuff to have on my plate right now. But, oh well. Trying to take advantage of the free time now. So I can sleep when the baby sleeps : )

Trick or treat!!

Today the kids went trick or treating in our town...they made it 10 houses. You see, most people in our area hook up a trailer to the riding lawnmower and go house to house (some even ride up the long driveways). Not us. The kids and Mike walked (I passed out candy), and so did not make it very far on this cold, blustery Halloween Day. They still got their share of candy, and then it was on to Milwaukee. Traditionally, we stop at my Grandma's and Dad's (they live about a mile apart). This year we stopped by my Mom's and StepGrandma's. The kids went to a handful of houses there, too. Then after dinner we went to the village where our school is located (2 miles away). They have trick or treating at night. It is SO much fun. Not to sound like a big party pooper, but I've never really been into Halloween. But I also never got to trick or treat at night growing up, ours was always during the day. It is great out here. Everyone gets into it; adults are dressed up, ALL the kids are dressed up (even the older kids...unlike the teensomethings who come costumeless to the door and expect candy anyhow). Many people go all out decorating their yards. There are tons of people everywhere, and being a small village, we ran into so many people we knew from church and school, which I think is so neat. So small-town like. We now have candy covering our entire kitchen table, mostly chocolate. I wish it were sour patch kids...

Very much looking forward to the "extra" hour of sleep tonight!!