The Mother of all Blogs!

I'm Baaack! That's right, I'm rarin' to go. I've got so much to write, it's scary. Bear with me as I attempt to catch you all up on the last month or so of our life. Of course, by now, most of you know that Rowan Suzanne has joined our family, and I'll give a full account of all the details. But first, let's revisit Isaac's birthday! It was really great...although I had a minor meltdown when we got to the lake and I realized that it was PACKED and there was no way we were getting a table close to the beach. We settled for near the playground instead, and it turned out to be a good thing. The kids were able to play there while we cooked, then we all went down to the beach together. Isaac really had a great time with his friends. To top it all off, my dear friend Julie Bell made the most amazing turtle-licious cake imaginable. Check this puppy out:

I told you...it rocks. The woman is a genius. Not only was it the coolest cake I have ever seen, but it tasted amazing, too. I should know, because I managed to eat the entire East block by myself one lonely afternoon. I really can't believe Isaac is already 3 years old. Wow, it's hard to watch your kids grow up before your eyes. Nobody told me I'd be a little sad each year on their birthdays! Here's my handsome boy:

About a week after Isaac's birthday party, I had to say goodbye to one of the best friends I have ever had. Marie and Adam and their kids packed up and headed to Amarillo. I miss them so much, saying goodbye was so much worse than I thought it would be. In fact, some days it seems surreal that Marie isn't just a few blocks away anymore. Kalena cried her little eyes out the day we said goodbye. She lost a best friend, too. Uggh..I can't start crying now...I still have blog to write!!!

Well, after WEEKS of waiting in misery, complete with non-stop nausea, contractions, serious back pain and general angst, Rowan Suzanne FINALLY made her appearance on August 15. David picked the date. Damn him. I think he cursed me. I asked him when he thought we'd have the baby sometime in the first week of August, and when he said the 15, I thought he was crazy. I thought there was no way I'd make it that long. So what do I know, anyway? The little stinker wasn't going to make things easy on me, that's for sure! But on David's selected day, which happens to be my niece's birthday also, sure enough the "real" contractions started. It just so happened that my husband was over at my friend Julie Brewer's house fixing her toilet. And of course when I told her that I thought this might be the real deal, she went into a total panic...that's why I love Julie. Thank God Ashley was able to come and time contractions for me and distract my kids while I folded and put away a zillion loads of laundry. Somehow, the busy work kept me distracted from the fact that my contractions were getting pretty intense. By the time David got home, it was time to GO. Ashley took the kids to McDonald's to meet up with David's parents, and we were off.

On the way, I told David to hurry up. And then I told him again. And then I was adamant that he get a move on and quit stopping at red lights. I was in no mood to have the baby in the car...so he finally ran a red light and we got to the hospital. When the midwife checked me, I was already at 9cm. Great...another quick labor. Sure enough, 45 minutes after we arrived at the hospital, Rowan was born. My midwife was awesome. Why didn't I have her the first three times? I'm feeling great, just tired, and Rowan is amazing. She just fits right in with our not-so-little family. Isaac and Kalena both love her to death...so much so, they fight over who's going to hold her.
Geez, those kids will fight about anything! Even Adam likes to give her hugs, kisses and slaps on the head. I'm assuming those slaps are love-pats....he keeps telling her "hi." It's pretty much adorable. Here's our sweet girl:

She looks so much like Kalena when she was a baby. It's so hysterical to me that both my daughters look alike and both of my sons look alike. And yet the girls look nothing like the boys. Genetics are crazy, man. I also have to say, I have the MOST amazing friends. We've had people bringing us food left and right. I don't think David will have to actually cook anything for weeks. We've got casseroles coming out our ears...and everything has been so delicious! Although I think Jonya takes the cake with her amazing asian food....mmmm, catering leftovers rock!!

Finally, in all the chaos, Kalena started Kindergarten this past Thursday. Talk about watching your kids grow up. She looked like such a big girl in her uniform on her first day. She's such a great kid. Her teacher has already sent praise home for her, saying that she is a good listener and sets a good example for the rest of her class. I am so proud of her. I know she is going to do awesome in school this year. I am excited to watch her learn! My smart girl! Here she is on her first day. So pretty!


And, just to finish up the novel that I've just written, I had to throw in this picture of Adam. Yes, the love affair with his toothbrush continues. The sheer joy on his face in this picture reflects the passion he has for cleaning his little snaggly teeth. Nothing makes that child happier than running water and a dab of toothpaste. If only life were that easy.....