Nothin' much to report

How is it possible that life can be boring and busy at the same time? I just don't quite understand it, but somehow it is. I guess it's just all those mundane things that we need to get done everyday seem to take up the whole day.

Life is just going along as usual. Julie is such a good baby, she eats (well, I might add), stares at the ceiling or wall for a while, takes a little snooze, and then the cycle starts over. But it's just how it should be. She even lets me get sleep in 4 hour stretches at night and goes right back to sleep after eating. Really, we couldn't be more blessed than we are. She's a joy to have around already and we haven't even seen her cute smile yet.

Poor Cameron has been feeling under the weather today. Being sick is no fun, especially since he's been coughing up a storm and I'm sure his chest is sore from it. But at least it gave him a good reason to stay home and catch up on some sleep. I almost feel like I haven't seen him all day since I've been trying real hard to not get myself or Julie near his germs. Danielle keeps reminding us that we can't touch daddy or we'll get sick. Honestly we'll probably all get sick anyway, but here's too hoping that we don't.

Well, I should be off to bed. My mom and I walked to the school to pick up Danielle today - it's not far, less than a 10 min walk, but I can feel my still recovering back muscles protesting it already, so it will feel good to lay down.... just as soon as I feed, bathe, and tuck my little babe into bed. Then we will both get a good night's sleep.

Just a heads up...

I posted a new recipe on my recipe blog. The link is on the side - Yummies in my Tummy.

Enjoy.

A few more pics as promised

So I'm sitting here with nothing to do for a few minutes, so I thought I would treat you all to a few more pics:

The proud Biggest Sister - and first to hold Juliana at the hospital.

The Big Brother - he was crushed that he wasn't getting a little brother, but I think he's OK with it now. Just check out the grin.

The newest Big Sister in the house and she loves Juliana - most of the time. It's sort of a love/hate relationship at this point, but she's slowly showing more love than hate as time goes by. Unfortunately the love is a little much for the little one to handle on her own, so we have to keep a close eye on her for now. Really she's doing pretty well for being so abruptly ejected from the "baby" throne. Abby and Isaac don't even remember what life was like without siblings, so the transition for them wasn't such a big deal.

Oh, and here are some pics from Sunday in her cute little dress:

Isn't she just adorable? I could just eat her up!

OK, dinner's on the table, so I should eat.

Love to you all.

Drumroll please.....

We have a name folks! Some of you may not realize just how excited we are to have picked out a name this early in our child's life. Saying that we have a hard time naming our children is the understatement of the century. Poor Isaac had so many different names that friends and family would call us to find out the "name of the day" and whether yesterdays had finally stuck. We've had to legally change all of our children's names once we settled on the right one.

So now your all just dying to know her name - if you didn't just skip over the boring babbling and jump right to this paragraph. OK, I'll stop babbling now.

Her name is Juliana AnuenueLani Peterson - pronounced Julie-on-ah (see previous post for middle name pronounciation - you know that you love my pronounciation guides) And yes, it's an enormous mouthful, but it fits and it works. But do keep in mind that no official paperwork has been handed in to the great state of Hawaii's Department of Health Services just yet. I think the hospital tried to call me yesterday to bully me into telling them a name, but I missed the call - oops!

We did take some more cute pics this weekend and I will try to get them posted soon, but the camera's all the way in the kitchen (all of 10 feet away, if that) and I don't want to get up off my sore rearend to get it just now, so you'll have to wait.

Well, I have homeowork to finish and baby to wake, feed, change, and put back to sleep before I can sleep myself, so I'd better hop to it.

'Night!

She's finally here!

Laptops are really a wonderful thing - a computer that you take with you almost anywhere. However, they are not nearly so effective when the place you go doesn't have any internet connections! Seriously - in this day and age, you would think that a hospital would have wireless available - at least in the cafeteria or something. But no. So I couldn't update the blog, I couldn't read my email, I couldn't read other's blogs, and couldn't turn in my homework that was due - It's truely sad how dependent we have all become on the internet. Or is it just me?


OK, so enough of that!

I went in Tuesday morning, as planned, to get induced. They hooked me up and fast forward a few hours (and a lot of pain) later and out pops a baby! I'll save all the juicy details for later, but for now here she is:





She was born on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 2:54pm.
She weighed in at 7 lbs 4.9oz and was 20 inches long.


We haven't totally decided on a name yet, but we are seriously considering Julie, or Julia. Her middle name will be AnuenueLani, which is Hawaiian for heavenly rainbow - a story that I will also share another day. Oh, and it's pronounced ah-new-A-new-A-lan-E. Hope that makes sense.

Now I'm going to take a shower so I can feel somewhat like myself in the morning and head off to sleep and hope that our new little peanut will be inclined to sleep as well.

Tomorrow's the big day!

So I'm still planning on going in tomorrow to be induced. I think Cameron has come to peace with it, except he's holding out a little hope that they will be too busy and we'll get one more day out of it. Who knows at this point. I have to call in at 6am and see if they have beds available - if they do, I have to get the kids up, dressed and to the neighbors house and high-tail it to the hosptial before some woman in natural labor takes my spot. Not so easy when there's an hour drive involved!

If I could have my ideal way, I would call and they would say, if you get here about 9am that would be perfect - then I can sleep a little more, get the kids off the school like normal and then leisurely drive into town. But somehow I don't see that happening.

Oh well. I will keep you all posted and let you know when our little bundle arrives!

A relaxing Sabbath day

With no news to share, yet. We only had 8 kids in nursery today and they were actually pretty well behaved. So that certainly didn't put me in labor. Then we got home from church and the hospital calls and asks if I would rather be induced on Monday - they expect Tuesday to be very busy (I'm not really sure how or why the know this....). Of course I want to go in Monday instead! But Cameron would kill me! He's counting on having the office to himself tomorrow afternoon, since its a holiday, to get some work done. He's already freaking out about it being Tuesday. But I can't take it any more. And even though my last 2 babies were tiny (both under 6 pounds), they were also 2 and 3 weeks early. I have a feeling this one will be bigger than Abby at 7lb. 7 oz. and I don't really want her getting any bigger. And I would really like to sleep! Even if for short periods of time!

Let's just say it took a lot of will power to turn down the offer of getting induce a day earlier.

And now I'm really ready. My wonderful visiting teachers have vollunteered to feed my family dinner while I'm in the hospital, and then we will also get a few meals from the Relief Society when I get home. I feel so blessed to be in our ward here. I don't even feel like I know all that many people since I've been in nursery since July and we only moved here in April, but aparently a pregnant woman who is willing to deal with their screaming 18mo-3 yr olds is recognizable. Maybe I just feel like I don't know that many people because I only recognize them by sight, or sight of their little ones, and not necessarily by name. And honestly, some names I just plain can't remember, but I'm getting there.

Well, I'm just babbling on and on now. Maybe I'll go put some of those clothes away and be productive!

Only 1 more day!

PS - Auntie, if you had been born a day earlier you wouldn't have the joy of sharing your birthday with yours truely!

Still no baby....

I know it's late again - but I didn't go to the hospital. On the contrary, we made the trek to Sam's Club instead. That alone - with all 3 kids in tow - should have been enough to send me to hospital, but no such luck. I did a Sam's trip 2 weeks ago, thinking it would be my last for a while, but I just couldn't hold out any longer. We were out of all the stuff I refuse to pay regular price for - Sam's prices are bad enough here. So I filled the cart while trying to steer around all the sample stations, the kids want to try everything, but only end up liking about 10% of it and making a mess with the rest....
And I have laundry in the dryers as we speak (type/read, whatever), that won't get put away until who knows when, but at least it will all be clean. And even if I don't have baby until Tuesday I washed everything so there should be plenty of clean clothes to last at least until my Mom gets here.
And I invested in more paper plates, with plastic cups and silverware still left over from Cameron's 40th b-day bash, I shouldn't have to do many dishes for a while either. And I know that Cameron could help with all that - but I told you - he's SO busy and SO stressed with work, that I don't want to ask him, because I know he would help and that's just one more thing for him to deal with. Anyway - I got it all under control - FOR NOW.

OK, I must prepare my lesson for Nursery tomorrow - you would think that would put one in labor, too, but it hasn't yet. And I love the nursery, I'm just dead tired afterwards!

2 days and counting...

No- I'm not at the hospital, I just forgot to post!

Sorry, I totally forgot to post today - it's only 8:40pm here, but I usually try to post earlier for all you mainlanders reading this.

Obviously, I'm not giving birth today. Though I did have my last doctor's appointment this afternoon and we agreed that I would be induced on Tuesday (my actual due date) if I don't go into labor on my own by then. I can live with that, I guess, especially since I don't really have a choice

I did get all my test/homework done so I don't have anything due until Wednesday - and that's just reading, so at least I'm ahead on that front.

Well, I need to get the kiddos in bed - Friday is movie night, so they got to stay up a little later than usual. And then I need to get to bed - Cameron's been so stressed lately at work that he's not sleeping well and that means he's snoring. So if I want some decent sleep I have to fall asleep before he does and hope that I don't wake up too often to shift positions, or the snoring keeps me up. Poor guy - I know he's exhausted, but he's trying really hard to get a bunch of stuff done at work so that he can take some well deserved time off when the baby finally does come.

OK - off to bed.

4 days and counting...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Though I do want to wish you all a very happy day of love, I also just needed a break from homework. Nothing like blogging to stall once more on getting my work done. But in all fairness I have been working steadily on my science test most of the day - with a few necessary interruptions here and there: today I got to go to the school and eat lunch with the kiddos, and Cameron even managed to come for a while, too, then I needed a short nap while Danielle ate her fill of Valentine's sweets and watched Seasame Street (I LOVE that show - especially since it comes on right with Danielle gets home from school), and then we had to go pick up the big kids from school and do homework. Now I'm back to the test again - and I am half way through, so it's time for a little break.

Well, even though I'm sad I'm not at the hospital yet, I am a little relieved that I don't think I'm getting another holiday baby. Though as my friend Teri commented last time - it's not the worst holiday to have a birthday on. But tomorrow would be perfect - it was my great-grandmother's birthday and I can't think of anyone else I'd rather my baby share her bithday with. But I'm not going to get my hopes up. At least I know I'm getting to the end no matter what. And I have a visit from my mama to look forward to next week (and a few weeks after that).

OK, enough stalling - but I will leave you with an adorable picture of my babies in their new Valentine's Day shirts. I didn't want to go with all pink and red since poor Isaac really doesn't care for those colors (unless it involves a Superman or Spiderman costume), so this is what I got. And the new baby has a coordinating outfit, too, so they can all wear them when we bring her home! (Sorry, I didn't take a pic of the baby's outfit - you'll have to wait for the real deal.)

I told you they were adorable!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Someday my princess will come...

But it wasn't today. As much as I would prefer not to have another holiday baby (come on, a baby on Christmas Eve is enough), I really hope I go into labor tonight. I was up last night for about 2 hours with strong and painful contractions, but they were 20-25 minutes apart - and obviously, eventually subsided. Actually, thinking I was going to go to the hospital last night helped me get a few things done around the house today, just in case it happens tonight.

The kid's valentines are in their backpacks, their clothes are laid out, I was planning to do Abby's hair before she went to bed (in a non-sleep destructing way - it is possible) but the kids were too cranky (or was that me) and I sent them to bed early - again.

Well, my sweet hubby arranged for a massage for me ( and him) tonight and I need my beauty rest so I'm out of here - night!

Introducing....

I know you're all expecting a new addition to the family - but I don't think this is quite what you had in mind. I've added to my blog family. Out of boredom and stalling strategies I posted my first recipe on my recipe blog. You can check it out here - or over on the sidebar for future reference. I hope to add one or two recipes a month - something that we've actually tried, so I can give you a little feedback on how it tastes.

Bon Appetit! (Totally don't speak French, so I don't know if I spelled that right.)

Nope, still not yet.

I know, I've become a boring blogger. But I don't have the energy for much else today. I was up for 4 hours last night (and unfortunately not because of contractions) and even though I did take a couple hour nap this morning, I'm still not doing much.

Oh, and my eyes decided to reject my contacts this morning, so I'm blind besides. I am wearing my glasses, but that prescription is probably at least 7 years old, so...

I managed to get the kids down early tonight - and they needed it - so I'm going to go to bed, too.

8 days and counting...

No Baby yet....

Just wanted to let you all know!

Nope - Not Yet!

I know some of you will be checking in daily to see if I've popped yet, so even though I don't have anything to say (other than I did all my laundry today, and why does it rain, even on a beautiful sunny day, as soon as I hang my towels out to dry?) I wanted to check in and let you know that I am not at the hospital.

I had another contraction filled day, but they are not regular - and really not terribly painful, just strong. But if tonight is anything like last night, as soon as I go to sleep they will stop and I'll be fine until about 11am or so tomorrow morning, when the process seems to start over again.

Anyhoo - I am planning on taking the laptop to the hospital with me, because I will have homework due at some point during my hospital stay, no matter what day I go in, and I can do it online, so I might as well. Plus I have a test due next week - but again online, so I'm good as long as I have a computer. So I will keep you all updated and let you know when baby girl has arrived.

Now if Cameron and I could only agree on a name.... Well, any of you who know us, know that naming children is NOT an easy process in our family. (Isn't that the understatement of the century!)

10 days and counting!

Maybe I am nesting & the power of Jello

The day before yesterday was spent cleaning - not the scrubbing kind, the organizing and making space kind. I actually tackled our bedroom - it's just a disaster area usually, since that's where anything that doesn't have a "home" gets stashed away. But I actually cleaned out enough of it that I can fit the baby's bassinet next to my side of the bed! Believe me - this is quite an accomplishment.

Not only that, but I finished packing my Hospital "go" bag, vacuumed all the floors, and today I did all the dishes - all of them, the pans, too.

Now you may be wondering about the Jello - well, we are having hot dogs for dinner, and for some reason Danielle will NOT eat hers. This is something she just started about a month ago - she used to devour hot dogs. She's always been my non-picky eater. Oh well, that's a 3 yr old for you. But tonight we're having Jello for dessert and she picked out the flavor. So every once in while I just have to turn around and say "Danielle, do you want to eat your Jello tonight? You have to eat your hot dog." And this brings on the response of "Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok...." So you think this would mean that she gets it, but in a minute I'll have to turn around again and the process will start over for the 15th time. But the hot dog is almost gone and I'm about ready to break out the Jello!

Well, that's about it for now. I've been thinking that I may be taking a trip to the hospital this evening - I've had strong contractions all day, but really irregular. But now they seem to be subsiding. Good news for Cameron, who is determined to keep that child in my tummy as long as he can, but I was really looking forward to sleeping, at least comfortably, if not for long periods of time, in the very near future.
Maybe I'll still go in tonight - its only 7:30pm here.

Until further notice - 11 days and counting!

Some may call it nesting

So I finally got around to taking some pictures - I'm the picture taker around here, so this was no easy feat. Abby actually took them for me and they turned out great for a 6 year old being behind the camera. I don't really care for my facial expressions in the last one, but on well. Enjoy the big belly!

Now I'm not really one for nesting. I don't really get urges to clean or sort often, pregnant or not. And since I enjoy crafty things all the time....

Well anyway - somehow I stumbled onto the cutest blog calles A Feathered Nest - I absolutely love it. And the day that I found it she had posted directions for a cute, easy baby blanket. So I was making my last Walmart trip - to get, hopefully, the last few things I will need for this baby and I saw this adorable, soft, fluffy fabric (with a ridiculous price tag, mind you) that I just had to have. So I got some and this is what I came up with:

I love the way it turned out and I can't wait to wrap our new little on in it. I want one big enough for me - but that would be way to pricey!

Well, I'm off to pick up the pizzas for dinner - yay! no cooking or clean up for me tonight.

T-minus 14 days and counting!

PS: Dearest Auntie - I think I'm ready for that wooden leg story now.