Princess Beatrice has arrived!

The week before Miss Bea arrived was busy, mostly because I was going stir-crazy with anticipation. Our sweet friends Kailen and Jackson came to play. Everett and Jackson are exactly 2 days apart and love to play trains, cars, animals--you name it!

Here is our sweet, sweet Everett the night before his sister's arrival. My brother Kit and his girlfriend, Amy, came up from Texas, met my mom at the airport and drove to our house together. Everett loves his Uncle Kit and was spoiled to death by the two of them. They very lovingly cared for Everett while when we went to the hospital and the first bit of recovery.

Miss Beatrice annouced she was coming about midnight on Saturday the 15th or is it Sunday the 16th? I am not quite sure about those middle of the night/early, early morning times. I woke up feeling not quite right and decided to sleep on it to see if how serious it was. By 2:30, it was definitely labor so I woke Russ up to tell him we were going to go to the hospital, but to go back to sleep for the time being. About 3 I woke up my mom and she quickly determined (with over 30 years of nursing experience to back her up) that we should get going because we had about an hour drive to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital about 4 in the morning and our little princess was born at 10:54 in the morning on Sunday the 16th. She weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz and was 21 inches long. She also has a head of the darkest thickest hair ever!

All clean and bundled up. And a very tired mommy. They don't call it labor for nothing.

She is absolutely beautiful. Of course I am biased. But look at that face, such an angel.

Beatrice, wanting to make a good impression on her older brother, wisely arrived with gifts. She brought four new dinosaurs, which quickly became the most interesting thing in the hospital room.

Beatrice is in the picture, she is hiding under the quilt though. Russ keeps telling me to cool it with the "paparazzi" moments, but seriously I just want to document every minute with my sweethearts.

The very cool dinosaurs and my rosy-cheeked boy. He came from the playground and was all warm and little-boy sweaty! I love it.

Mister Everett has been blessed and spoiled. It has been like a birthday for him too! These cool building blocks were a present from my aunt, Tante Jon. Everett and his dad figured out how to make robots and have been playing ever since.

At home, cuddled up on the couch. My crazy pajamas were a gift from my mom when Everett was born. So soft and gentle on her new baby skin.

She is so much love, wrapped in such a tiny package.

And so alert. She has been holding her head up and looking around since she was born. She loves to listen to her daddy and turns her head to him whenever she hears his voice.

Look at how awake she is! Just watching us as we adore her.

Baby girl and her Nonni. And the quilt I made. See her pretty hair? I hope it stays. It would be so much fun to put little bows in it.

When she is awake, she is very awake. But she still has that God-given newborn ability to sleep contentedly through anything.

There is nothing like the smell of a new baby. I think if she does lose her hair it will be because we kissed it all off!

Week Ending, Week Beginning

This has been one of the nicest weekends. On Friday, I began a quilt for Bea, made a nectarine crisp (creative but not my best work), and watched Everett play in his new yellow pool in the ridiculous heat. Saturday, I requested a little "time-off" for myself. My adorable husband sweetly acquiesed, so I spent the morning thrifting and sewing--absolutely delightful. Today we tried a new church, went to the wonderful local pool (unfortunately it was their last day to be open for the summer--which makes NO SENSE, because it will be over 100 degrees indefinitely according to NOAA, went out to dinner with my grandparents and enjoyed a fantastic Kansas summer thunderstorm. Tomorrow I see the doctor, again. I am going to cancel my pencilled-in induction. After doing a little more research, praying, and talking with both my mom and grandmother, I feel that waiting for Beatrice is the best option. It may not be convenient or comfortable, but she should be allowed to come when she is ready and not because I am being impatient.I only wish I could have caught the raindrops on film. It was pouring and Evie and I stood on the porch and just watched it rain. So very lovely.

This is the quilt I am working on. The top was given to me, pre-pieced by my mother-in-law. She knows how much I love vintage fabrics and it is made entirely of flour-sacking and feed-sacking from the 30's and 40's. Somebody put a lot of love into making it and I am so glad I can finish it up and give it to my prairie princess. The batting and the backing are the remnants of a comforter my grandmother passed on to me. It was on her bed for years, and has been very, very loved. It is incredibly soft and actually matches most of the bedding I have chosen for Bea's eventual crib--she will start out in a cradle, which has different linens.

Sorry about the fuzziness, I snapped this in the peer-glass before running upstairs to quilt a little bit more.

Looking down our street at the rain.

The top of Bea's mommy-made quilt.

Pretty little sweet-peas in our "garden." Next summer, we will have a real garden. But this year it has been fun to see what blooms or grows as left-overs.

One of our neighbors has a real garden and he very generously shares his delicious fruits and vegetables. This melon came from Charles and is by far the best cantelope I have had all summer. I doubt it will last through the night!

Everett was quiet the floaty-pirate this afternoon at the pool. Whenever he could he would snag a new flotation device and twirl it around the baby pool. Notice his "Cars" life-jacket. When we told him we were going to the pool to swim, he immediately told us he needed his "Cars" and then when we didn't respond quickly enough, took his father down to the basement to get it and put it on. Water-safety is quite important to Mister E.

While I soaked up the sun and cooled off in the water, Everett and his dad played and splashed around. Notice Evie is in a different floaty this time.

After noticing all the lovely "naked-ladies" in our neighbors's yards we were pleased to see that we had a small patch near our garden too. I am going to research to see if they are easy to divide and transplant.

Have I mentioned recently how very in love I am with these two guys? They melt my heart.

My nectarine crisp. Sure it looks pretty, but it just isn't a peach/apple/or cherry crisp. And Russ bluntly said, "That nectarine thing--I don't really like it" However, I was trying to be responsible and not just throw out the nectarines which were quite mushy and over-ripe (even though I had just bought them).

Evie playing in the backyard on Friday. When it is over 100, the only ways to be outside comfortably involve water and lots of it!

Our funny little bird house. I haven't seen any inhabitants yet, but maybe they only take up residence in the spring.

They are called "naked-ladies" because they have no leaves on their stalks and are thus a bit nude. My great-grandmother had another name for them because she thought "naked-ladies" was impolite and vulgar, unfortunately I can't remember it. Mom, help me out!

Can you see the grin? Even from the back! He adores being wet and splashing and I love it when he is happy!

Almost 5 in the morning

Sleep is a rare commodity in my world. Between Bea's movements, which feel titanic at this stage, Braxton-Hicks, excess warmth, and a myriad of other late pregnancy symptoms, I find myself waking up at 3 am after falling asleep at 11 or 12. Sometimes I can re-adjust and go back to sleep, other nights--or in this case, morning, I am too awake, so I just read the NYtimes, check my email and wait for exhaustion or a headache to kick in. Then I can usually snag a few more hours before Evie wakes up.

My grandmother says the definition of eternity is the last month of pregnancy. My mom says it has to be this hard or women would never want to go through the pain and work of labor to get a baby out. I think they are both right. I feel emotionally and mentally stretched (not to mention physically) beyond what I think I can handle. I keep praying that I can give up the illusion of control that I am clinging to. Packing the hospital bag won't make anything happen. Changing all the linen on all the beds in the house won't make anything happen. Keeping everything clean, just in case we go into labor and have to leave quickly won't make anything happen. Walking in the hot Kansas August weather won't make anything happen (actually it will make me very uncomfortable, but hasn't brought on labor).

Of course, on top of all this are the regular stresses that come with trying to be a good mommy (when all I want to do is sleep, read, drink water, and sleep some more) a good wife (when all I want is a back-rub, a foot massage, and somebody to cook dinner for me) and a relatively sane woman (when what I really want is to start jumping off the bed or walking around stark naked--because nothing feels comfortable to wear!)

I have to remind myself--it isn't about me. It isn't about Russ or Everett. It isn't even about Beatrice. It a chance for me to let go and completely trust that God is in control and that he will give me the strength, patience, and endurance to complete this journey. To trust that His plan is so much better than mine. That this little life I am growing is a perfect example of how completely amazing He is. And, how He can use me--even when I complain, even when I doubt, and especially when I realize that I can't do it on my own.

Another Promise Kept, 39 weeks

Today was our penultimate scheduled appointment. I was desperately hoping to be in labor and not know it. Yes, I believe the heat and final days of this pregnancy are beginning to seriously effect my ability to discern reality. No big news, I am dilated 2-3 cm and having irregular contractions. My OB stripped my membranes, so if my body is ready, and Beatrice is ready, then maybe in the next 24-48 we may get the show on the road. These pictures would be so great if I could figure out how to edit the stroller out of the top left corner! Oh well, I figured it would be good to document the last weeks. And it has been a while since we had a belly post.

This has been one of my favorite dresses, I think it will even be fun to wear next summer when I don't have a giant baby belly stretching it out!

Russ really has been such a sport about being my pregnancy photographer--he was napping right before I left for the doctor's and woke up (with a smile) to snap these pictures.

After I got back, my delightful and wonderful husband had even fixed a scrumptious dinner! Steak fried-rice with lots of veggies. Mmmmm, it was great! I thought I wanted to rest so I laid down after eating, but wasn't very comfortable so I decided to do one last little project! I did three new dye lots (dark grey, dark brown and a single fuschia blouse). I think these colors will be more functional post-partum (especially for the bottoms).

The full on side view! Wow, she is just sticking out there! I can hardly wait to start running, this inability to even walk without triggering lots of unproductive contractions is annoying. Soon, oh so soon! And we get to meet this amazing little person.

Derby 2009

In the spirit of "something is better than nothing" I have decided to post only a few of the wonderful pictures from this year's demolition derby. Russ made it to the feature again, but his best heat was by far the consolation. Unfortunately, his awesome recovery was short-changed by a dead battery in the feature, so all I can say is--next year! Russ ran the same car again, a 1977 Lincoln. It has had some major and minor improvements made since last derby, and of course will have more done again by next year because hopefully it will compete three years in a row.

I am pretty sure this is a picture of Russ (in the cream car) hitting the orange car! But who knows.

It's like an impressionist painting of Russ's car. Big thank you's are owed to Anne who very sweetly took all the pictures. Everett attended for the second time (the first time he went insulated by my belly). He loved it but hated the loud crashes.

The Clay Center arena is smaller than some, but very muddy and the first couple of heats are slow because most cars can't get any traction.

A smashing good time was had by all. My sister Amanda came this year and I think she had a good time too. She is an enthusiastic supporter and really dotes on Russ.

Anne even got some good pictures after dark! Again, thank you, thank you!

Another watercolor derby portrait. One of the line-ups.