Steam punk Symposium on the Queen Mary.

None of us are super into Steam punk besides just enjoying it a lot for the sake of dress up and the occasional well-written story to read. But all you really need is an excuse to dress up, right? And the food on the ship was fantastic; it was super-fun to explore the place; and there was much shopping to be had.  Next year? For sure!

Life with four children is so busy. I never expected to skip out on my blog for 6 months; never expected to spend so much time getting ready to go to the next thing, the next activity, school... It takes so long just to get ready.

This picture of my bay-bah was taken months ago. I haven't downloaded any images from my phone for months, because my computer died (read: I spilled cereal all over the keyboard) and I haven't bothered trying to figure out my husband's computer as far as images etc. 

But I emailed a couple to myself and so I can add them to this post, irrelevant as they may be.

Hey, us. We look happy. Hooray!

So, like I do at the end of every year (I love myself some resolutions), I have been thinking of what things I can improve on. And, the list is looking pretty much the same as it does every year. With a heavy *ha, you'll see why that's funny in a second* emphasis on losing the baby weight. (see? funny.)

Today I found myself walking through Target, tossing candy into my cart, thinking,  "man, I gotta work out more, and eat really well. Starting like, NOW". And then I looked in my cart. Oy - what is WRONG with me??

Any resolutions out there? Whatcha gonna get better at this year? Being in the Young Women's program at church (clarification, I am an ADVISOR, not actually a young woman..y'all knew that, right?)  :) I have noticed that the "Personal Progress" program really emphasises constant improvement and constant working toward goals. I have been dismayed to conclude that I'm pretty sure my personal growth, especially spiritual, has been stagnant for some years.

Gettin' on that!

One of the pictures Julie took during our baby photo shoot. Love it!

day one

somewhere in the middle

4 weeks

we love her

I love her

Oh Yeah....

babies all smell the same. Perfect. I wonder if that's what heaven smells like?

at the end of the day I also smell - like sour milk.

baby girls can have a blowout out the back AND the front of the diaper.

at the same time.

having a newborn snuggle up to your shoulder and konk out is pretty much the best. thing. ever.

it's incredibly hard to put one down when they are sleeping. so much more fun to sit and stare at them than to accomplish anything around the house.

losing a pound a day is fun - even if you know it will stop long before you'd like it to.

and then there's that extra skin that you just cross your fingers will stick back to your muscle wall....whenever you manage to retrieve that muscle wall from wherever it is it went.

they DO smile. to heck with anything the professionals say.

Those 9 months, and those hours of labor?

Yeah. Worth it.

Our Little River Jane

She was born on Monday, at 11:17.

8 lbs. 3 0z.

20 1/4 inches long

About 6 hours of labor, my first epidural (oh HEAVEN that was AMAZING!).

Every time I see my doctor, I like him more and more. He was fantastic, the nurses were great, the anesthesiologist was a superstar.

No complications, unless you count the umbilical cord snapping so the doc had to deliver my placenta by reaching in and digging it out... (again, good thing I had that epidural, oh my goodness)

After a couple of nights with no sleep, she is sleeping great, eating great, and we are all adjusting pretty well.

Happy, happy.

Baby Shower!

My baby shower was on Saturday - and this is the invitation that was sent out to everyone. The invitation, I must add, that I did not see.

So when I showed up,

and my hostess slash dear friend Hannah was dressed like this,

I was a little shocked! She immediately presented me with a bonnet and gloves to wear (thank HEAVEN I was wearing a cute long skirt!) and led me to the back yard where there were tables set up with tea sets and small sandwiches and all good things.

Everyone came in some state of dressed up - shawls and gloves and dresses; it was so great!

And, everyone who came had a fantastic time. There was much talk about making Jane Austen Tea Parties a permanent fixture in our lives.

Hannah had several plain onesies available, and lots of pretty fabric, and everyone cut out a pattern and used fabric glue to make baby River a lovely onesie!

She also had this one: with Mr. Darcy's proposal on it!!

I was also presented with a new copy of Pride and Prejudice, which everyone had written a note in for the baby. Her first copy!

I will be reading this to her in the hospital, oh yes.

I told my mom all about it and she summed up the day perfectly, "Aww. You have the best friends." I do. I really, really do.