A Little Advertising

I wanted to let everyone know that I will soon be able to make personalized monogram cards and gifts. So, be thinking about yourself as well as giving gifts this holiday season. A set of monogrammed cards would be a great teacher gift or for anyone who may be hard to buy for. Got a wedding coming up? Give the new couple a beautiful set of monogrammed cards that match their wedding colors. Remember, my prices have changed, a set of any type of card is $20 for the first 10 cards and $1 each for each additional card. And, Christmas is right around the corner, if I get your Christmas Card order before October, you will get a free bonus.

Baby when I see you smile at me...

Is it gas? Is he filling his diaper? I don't know but when he looks up at me in a little half asleep stupor of his belly being full and gives me a big toothless grin, it is the sweetest thing you can imagine. I guess that is what it is all about. You can be ready to go nuts one minute because they won't stop crying but then they give you a little smile and it makes it all worth while. That's my insight for the day...


On to other things, Rick has the deck and screen porch about 99.9% done and I love it. We got furniture last weekend and Millie helped put it together with her tools. Rick, Reed and I enjoyed sitting out there last night while a thunderstorm went through, it was great. Millie is enjoying the week in Indiana with her grandparents so it has been pretty calm around here for a few days. Reed is starting to be awake more during the day but that 8pm-10pm time frame is a killer. He just cries and nothing but the pacifier seems to work. I am anti-pacifier so it is only used in extreme emergencies but that is the only thing that will calm him down. I don't want to put him to sleep with it so I rock, and rock, and rock some more until I think he is relaxed or asleep enough to take it out. If he isn't, he starts screaming and we do it all again. Oh well, at least it isn't all day long.

Too Cute...

Reed just sleeps his life away, he has been awake for about 4 hours of his first week of life, boy how time flies. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining but I just never knew it could be like this. Millie has been quite content with my mom here to play trains all day with her. Unfortunately, mom is covered in poison ivy. She always seems to do that, she will visit me (no matter where I live) pulls some weeds and then get poison ivy. I guess that also shows I have a green thumb for growing poison ivy no matter where I live. If anyone wants to get more pics of the kids, e-mail me and I will add you to my list on kodak.com.

A few more pictures

We are all home and adjusting well. Here are a few pictures before we left the hospital today.

We have a little boy!

Sorry I am a little late on this post, I have been a little busy. Reed was born yesterday, July 10th at 2:47 pm and weighed 7lb 8oz and was 20 inches long. He has a head full of hair and sleeps all the time, no joke. We are all doing well and Millie thinks he is pretty cool. She gave him a bottle today and likes to hold him. However, when someone is feeding him, she has to be held, given a 'bottle' and burped and she even fake cries. I really hope this passes soon but I guess if this is the worst it gets, I can deal with that.

1 day to go...

To those faithful readers out there (I know who you are) we have one day to go. If you are like me with some of my friends, you have been checking this blog about every hour to see if I have any news to share. Well, I don't, other than I am still set for tomorrow. Rick took Millie to the zoo today to spend a little special time together and so I can get things packed and ready to go, do laundry, clean...Nothing like waiting until the last day to do these things. And, if my sister-in-law does not have her baby today, she and I are being induced at the exact same moment in time tomorrow, crazy huh. She is half a world away but we will be going through it together. That is all I can report now, I will post as soon as I can. Keep us in your prayers and a huge thanks to those of you who have helped watch Millie during doctor appointments and tomorrow. I could not have done it without you.

One Week...

If you notice my little swimming baby over there on the left, you will see that the counter just moved up a week. The Doctor wants to induce me on the 10th, yes, one week from today. So, please pray that everything goes well, Reed is healthy and I have no pain and a quick recovery (we can hope, right?).

Fidelity Fiduciary Bank

If you invest your tuppence
Wisely in the bank
Safe and sound
Soon that tuppence,
Safely invested in the bank,
Will compound

And you'll achieve that sense of conquest
As your affluence expands
In the hands of the directors
Who invest as propriety demands

You see, Millie, you'll be part of
Railways through Africa
Dams across the Nile
Fleets of ocean greyhounds
Majestic, self-amortizing canals
Plantations of ripening tea

All from tuppence, prudently
Fruitfully, frugally invested
In the, to be specific,
In the Dawes, Tomes
Mousely, Grubbs
Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!

Now, Millie,
When you deposit tuppence in a bank account
Soon you'll see
That it blooms into credit of a generous amount
Semiannually
And you'll achieve that sense of stature
As your influence expands
To the high financial strata
That established credit now commands

You can purchase first and second trust deeds
Think of the foreclosures!
Bonds! Chattels! Dividends! Shares!
Bankruptcies! Debtor sales!

Opportunities!
All manner of private enterprise!
Shipyards! The mercantile!
Collieries! Tanneries!
Incorporations! Amalgamations! Banks!

You see, Millie
Tuppence, patiently, cautiously trustingly invested
In the, to be specific,
In the Dawes, Tomes
Mousely, Grubbs
Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!
(Lyrics from Millie's favorite movie right now, Mary Poppins)

First, she sorted the coins and called them by name, Quarter, Penny, Dime and Nickel. Then, she helped put them in stacks to count and finally helped put them in rolls. She walked into the bank and up to the counter where she handed them her 'tuppence'. What can I say, she is my daughter, this may be my proudest day ever!

Still Building...Still Waiting

Rick is still working on the deck addition. It is in it's final stages. Just a little electrical and the screen and we will be ready for furniture. Millie was a big help when Rick and I were staining the posts last weekend. She was in charge of the tape and took her job very seriously. When she was finished taping, the thought she needed to do some cutting and drilling with her tools. So, don't let Rick claim he did it all himself, he had a good little helper.

And, Reed is still hanging in there. I will find out this Thursday if they are going to induce me on the 10th so keep your fingers crossed. Here is a picture of me for those of you who have been asking. I don't normally do pictures so consider this a rare occasion.

Big Day

We had a 2 major events today. First, when Millie and I showed up at play group this morning, they had a surprise shower for me and Millie. It was so nice of them all, I really do have a great group of friends down here, we are very lucky. In addition to getting Reed some very cute things, Millie was not forgotten. She got a great shirt that says "Big Sister's Rock" which she ran around telling her dad it says "Millie M. Rocks". She also got a baby doll which she named Buzz and she is totally in love with it. She has fed it about 10 times today and changed it's diaper and even took a nap with him, very cute. I hope she likes Reed as much. Also, some great coloring books to play with at the hospital when she visits Reed. Thanks so much all of you, you are great!

Second, it rained! That was very exciting because we have not had rain at our house since Memorial Day Weekend. It only rained for about an hour, but I won't complain. Millie had fun jumping in the puddles when Rick got home and the best thing about the rain is that I let Millie watch Mary Poppins when it rains so she got to watch that after her nap which made her day!

And, this is from yesterday but I am a little behind. Millie started asking me if I had a guitar, not sure where that came from but I do so we got it out. She loved it and played for about 1/2 hour. She is quite a musician. I tried to play some, but my tuner ran out of batteries on the 2nd to last sting and I can not do it without one so Stairway To Heaven and Brown Eyed Girl sounded a little funny. She did not seem to mind, although she would have been more impressed with Twinkle Twinkle Star which is what she kept requesting.