Tying Up Loose Ends

Mary loves "to do" lists. She loves them because she always manages to get everything done that is on her list. If she takes the time to write out a list, you know that it will soon have everything crossed off. She made a list of things to do before baby Rebecca was born. We had to set up the crib, get clothes out, clean the house, etc. While the children and I did some jobs, the last thing for her to do was to finish Joshua's baby quilt.

Guess what? She did it. On the afternoon of May 19th, Mary finished hand quilting the binding on Joshua's baby quilt and Rebecca was born later that evening. It took Mary a while to figure out what would be the right pattern for Joshua's blanket. When she thought of things Joshua loves, she knew the quilt needed a panda or polar bear print. She created a quilt that brought both of the animals together.

She is going to name the quilt "Sausage and Eggs" because that is what Joshua calls his favorite stuffed panda and polar bear. (Joshua loves cooking, he especially loves to cook breakfast, he loves to make and eat sausage and eggs, and he loves panda bears and polar bears. So he decided to call his stuffed panda bear "Eggs" and his stuffed polar bear "Sausage.") Here is the panda bear (Eggs) front: Here is the polar bear (Sausage) back: Joshua loves it! He asks to be covered up in with it every night.

Picture Update

There are a number of pictures to post since we always take more pictures when a newborn is around. Here is a sampling: Rebecca before she came home from the hospital. Rebecca in her car seat before her first ride in the car. Mary was crazy enough to walk to school with Joshua and Rebecca the day after coming home from the hospital. This is their first ride in the double stroller together. They both took a snooze in honor of the occasion. Rebecca in her bed. Some nights she sleeps longer stretches and others she screams for a couple of hours. Sounds about right for a newborn. I pulled Joshua and Caleb to a nearby park last weekend while Grace rode her bike. I love how toddlers run. Can't you see the toddler run in this picture? This wild turkey was wandering our neighborhood this weekend and we later caught up with it at the park. If you thought the only wild turkeys on our street live in our home, this is photographic proof that you are wrong.

Blinded By Overexposure to Pure Awesomeness*

I took Joshua downstairs for breakfast recently. On the way down the stairs, he noticed Caleb's goggles and asked if he could wear them. Though he did not want me to take this picture, it was one I did not want to miss.* A quote from Po in the movie Kung Fu Panda and Joshua is wearing his Kung Fu Panda pjs in this picture.

A New Trick

Mary and I figured that Rebecca would be fairly similar to our other children. We were surprised when Rebecca had a new trick for us right out of the gate. Rebecca does not have jaundice.

Grace, Caleb, and Joshua spent time "under the lights" to bring down their bilirubin counts. Because Rebecca does not have jaundice, Mary could come home from the hospital today with Rebecca after two nights in the hospital. We are all happy to be under the same roof.

Let's see if we feel that way in the morning…

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Update: We are still happy to be under the same roof, though Mary and I did not sleep as well as we had hoped. (But I think you could copy that sentence and use it to describe the next few days or weeks or months or…)

Meet the Siblings

Grace and Caleb missed the start of school yesterday, so we could travel to the hospital and meet Rebecca. We had a great visit and the children held her and started to get to know the newest family member. Each child brought a gift for Rebecca (pacifier, blanket, or stuffed animal). Joshua brought the pacifier and is trying to give it to her here. Grace is elated that there is another girl in the family. All she wanted to do was hold Rebecca. (Rebecca's stuffed animal, Barkers, is above.) Joshua was excited to hold Rebecca and did not want to miss his turn, though I bet he won't feel the same way in another week or two. Caleb is still a little nervous holding his sister by himself. You have to wrestle Grace if you want to hold Rebecca. This is my favorite picture from yesterday.

A New Arrival

We met the newest member of our family last night. The baby we had been calling Herbert Nenninger was born. The baby ended up being a little girl! Rebecca Helen was born at 8:05 pm after a labor that was short and incredibly intense. She weighed in at 8 pounds 0 ounces and is 21 inches long.

We can post the story of how fast Rebecca came at another time. Here are some pictures that tell the story after the labor and birth: A happy poppa holding Rebecca. A picture of Rebecca. A tired Rebecca yawning after a crazy labor. Rebecca decided to test out her lungs during her first bath. The happy Mom and her new little one. The three of us a couple hours after the birth.

Mary and Rebecca are trying to get a little rest at the hospital and are doing well. We are all excited for the newest addition to our family.