Eliza at 1 Month

I really wanted to get pictures of Eliza at one month- but she really wasn't cooperating.  I kept getting the camera out, and trying to catch her in some cute pose, but she was making the weirdest faces- I mean really weird, like when I posted them on facebook people would be saying, "Oh..... what a cute baby.... (awkward silence)."  I gave up for awhile, until Price and Josh came home.  She did a little better when they were holding her, and we discovered the reason for her faces earlier.  (Price thought the noises coming from her were hilarious.)

I'm so thankful for all these big kids who absolutely adore their baby sister- I love watching these big boys hold her, change her diaper (okay, that's just Josh), and push her around in the stroller!

And here she is with Emma, who is amazing with her.  It doesn't even matter if Eliza is screaming, Emma will just hold her and talk to her and laugh at her, and never lose patience.  I told Emma that I am so glad we had Eliza, because I never would have known how good she is with babies!

Annie's Birthday Party

For the last few years, we have given the kids a choice on their birthdays:  they can either have a friend party, or go out to dinner with Mom and Dad.  Mostly, dinner has won out (which I haven't minded at all!).  Last year, I almost had Annie talked into JCW's, but at the last minute she chose Chuck E. Cheese's.  Oh, the agony.... This time she decided she really wanted a friend party.  Keep in mind that her birthday was 8 days after Eliza was born.  She agreed to wait a few days, though, and we had the party when the baby was almost 2 weeks old.  Still a little crazy, maybe, but I couldn't put her off forever!

 

I did keep it very simple- we just had 5 kids besides our family.  Annie wanted a panda party (not sure why...), so we played games with black and white balloons, made panda puppets, and ate panda cupcakes with cookies and cream ice cream (it's black and white).

Nothing fancy.  That's how I roll! :)

  

Here are Annie's cute friends:

We were glad they could come and celebrate with us, and I was really happy to have the birthday party done!

Annie is 7!

A toy horse and dog from Josh.

So first off, can I just say how much I wished I had prepared for Annie's birthday BEFORE I had a new baby?  8 days after giving birth, planning a birthday for a 7 year old (who is feeling slightly displaced by her new sister)  is not the best idea.

We still managed to have fun- we have a tradition of taking everyone to the store to buy presents for the birthday child.  I was nervous about taking the baby and all the kids out by myself, so we waited until Tim was home.  We had to take two cars (recurring theme- yes, our car seats 8), which I wasn't happy about, but it all worked for the best, since Eliza started crying after 15 minutes or so in the store.  I decided to just go out to the car, ended up eventually with Annie and Ethan, too, and called Tim to tell him we were just going to go home.

Tim was left to make sure all the kids picked out a present (appropriate and within budget), find an FHE treat (this was Monday night), and figure out what to get for Annie for her big present from us.  He is amazing- he didn't forget anything, and Annie LOVES her new bike!

There was a little scare after I was home with 3 kids, when Tim called and said he couldn't fit the bike in his car.  I was ready to drive back to the store again, but they managed to fit the bike in far enough to rig the back of the car closed... and they made it home.

So this was not the most organized birthday ever... but we managed it!

Barbie and a baby from Price and Emma

A whole box of cool stuff from Grandma and Grandpa, who took their dinner out of the oven to come RIGHT NOW so we could open presents before Annie spontaneously combusted.

The traditional pop tarts from Rebekah

Crystal growing kit from Ethan (I noticed later that it says "ages 10 and up".  Oops.

And the bike!  We wrapped a helmet, and she opened it with no clue that there was anything else.  We had to make her go look in the garage.  A few seconds later, she came flying up the stairs, tripped and landed at the top and yelled, "YOU GOT ME A BIKE?"  It was a gratifying response.

Yet another example of my superb preparedness- we didn't have any regular birthday candles.  That's a "3" and a "4", because 3+4=7, right?  Lame!  Also, do you like the chocolate face?  She hadn't even started on the cake yet!

 

We're still not completely done with Annie's birthday- she wants a friend party this year, but I told her she had to wait a week or two.  I think we'll just do it the end of this week and get it over with, though- then maybe she can power down from her super-excited-all-the-time mode!

A few things about Annie at age 7!

1- Annie is super helpful- she is better at most of the cleaning/straightening jobs at our house than her older brothers and sisters are!

2- She is awesome at making friends.  Anytime we are out in public she finds someone to play with- she never has to play alone!

3- She is a great reader!

4- Annie's hair is gorgeous- blonde, thick, and shiny- as long as she hasn't been chewing on it!

5- It hasn't been easy giving up her long-time position as youngest of the family, but Annie is handling Eliza with great grace- and she really loves her.

Happy birthday, Annie!  We're so glad you're in our family!

More Eliza

I somehow managed to not take pictures when Grandma and Grandpa Steele came to visit at the hospital, but they came the day after we got home and brought Grandma Shipley to meet Eliza, so those pictures will have to do!

 With Grandma Shipley.  2 days old, and 91 years old.  Awesome!

Grandma Steele doing what she does best: taking pictures!

 First bath!  She was NOT happy about this.

This is a cake that our cute neighbor girl made for us- she brought it over, and I didn't answer the door.  The kids took the cake and said thanks!  I felt bad that she didn't even get to see the baby!

It is amazing to me that I went so long not knowing that we were missing Eliza in our family!  I am so grateful for her, and for her persistence. :)

She is a sweet, happy baby, and she is already very comfortable with all of these big, loud kids.  She's going to fit in just fine.

We love Eliza!

Eliza Jolayne!

Eliza Jolayne

September 26, 2011

8 lb. 3 oz., 19 1/2 inches

Here's the condensed version of Eliza's birth (not that there's much to condense- it was fast and easy!):

My due date was Friday, but nothing happened.  Also Saturday and Sunday.  When we got home from church on Sunday, I had a message on my phone to call the hospital.  I did, and they told me to be there at

7 a.m. to be induced.  I went to bed around 9:30, thoroughly exhausted.  Around 10, I started having hard contractions- but they were kind of weird.  They started out 5 minutes apart and sometimes less, but they weren't consistent- they didn't get closer together gradually, just 5 minutes, then 2, then 4....  I figured we'd probably end up going to the hospital a little early.  About midnight, I got tired of not being able to sleep, so I got up and went into the family room to wait it out.  The trend continued- strong contractions, but no measurable progress.  About 3 a.m., I finally lay down on the couch, trying to find a more comfortable position.  I apparently fell asleep, because I woke up at 5:30, with no contractions.  They had stopped completely.  Oh well.  I think if I hadn't known that I was going to the hospital at 7, I probably would have cried.

We got ready and left for the hospital- my Dad came to help kids get to school on time.  When we got to the hospital, I was dilated to a 4.  The nurse started the pitocin, and said the doctor would be in soon to break my water.  I told her that if I was going to have an epidural, I needed it before they broke my water, rather than after- historically, my body doesn't wait to get the baby out after the amniotic fluid is gone! :)  She called the anesthesiologist, and he gave me an extremely effective epidural.  It was hours before I could move my left leg again!

Eventually, the doctor got there and tried to break my water, but it was too late- my water had broken by itself!  We didn't know it until he checked, because the baby' head was plugging my cervix.  I was dilated to an 8 at this point, and was glad for the epidural.  About half an hour later, the nurse came back in, said I was complete, and called the doctor.  I pushed 3 times- once to get her head from station 2 to station 6, again and her head was out, and again for her shoulders and body.  So easy!  Eliza Jolayne was born at 12:29 p.m.

She was gorgeous and perfect- but not very happy to be out!  They left her with us in the delivery room for several hours, and I was getting a little worried about the crying by the time they came to bathe her!  Apparently, though, she had a reason- Tim said when they took her to the nursery and put her under the warmers, she just totally relaxed and basked in the warmth.  I guess I wasn't warm enough for her!

The nurses wanted me to stay in the delivery room until I could lift my legs by myself, but after several hours it was obvious it wasn't happening, so they finally took me to my room in a wheelchair.  It was late that night before I could move my left leg by myself!

The kids came to visit soon after I got to my room.  They are all so excited and so cute with her.  And it is so nice to have all these big kids around to hold her and help me!

 Grandma and Grandpa Walker got there just after Tim and the kids did, and admired Eliza for a few minutes, until Grandma and Grandpa Steele came, when they decided that 12 people was too much for my hospital room!  Eliza is partially named after Grandma Walker (Jolayne).  Eliza is for Grandma Walker's grandmother- Eliza Buckwalter. 

I was tempted to stay the full 48 hours this time- I was so tired that first night, having not slept the night before, and the food was SO good.  Major improvement from the last time I had a baby!  But after spending the night, and being woken up every few hours, and sitting in bed with nothing to do...  I caved and came home after one day.  I know, I know, but I just can't stand to stay there when I could be at home!

Here is Eliza, ready to come home.  The check out process took a while, like it always does, but finally we were ready.  Tim had brought Price and Josh with him to carry bags (they had an early out day), and we stopped by the elementary school on our way home to get the younger kids, so we were only missing Rebekah!  Good thing, actually, since we don't all fit in our car anymore.

She is sweet- and we are so glad she's here!