Mark 1 Month Old

Here is a picture of Mark frowning and wrinkling his eyebrows with Mike on his birthday - one month!


Here is a picture of Mark in his first pair of jeans! Don't you love Baby Gap?



I know - I know, I need to put him on skim breast milk.

I Have Been Tagged

The rules, as provided by Lindsey:

• Link the person who tagged you.
• Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
• Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
  
• Leave a comment to let them know.

1. I don't like to see people chewing gum. I know-I know everyone likes to do it (including me) but I hate to watch people chew.
2. I don't like people to wash their hands in my kitchen sink - I only like certain germs in my kitchen :)
3. I don't like to fill out "thank you" card envelopes addressed to myself at showers. If I can take the time to go and get a present and go to your shower you can take two minutes to fill out my thank you card.
4. I don't like to be behind slow drivers.
5. I don't like to be disorganized.
6. I have to eat breakfast or I am REALLY grumpy.

I tag Emily, Amy, Jenny, Liza, Lisa M., & Cindy
In your spare time!!!!

My Little Athletes & Abby is 11!!!!

Here is a picture of Abby and Ben after their first swim meet of the season. Abby won first place in backstroke out of 21 other girls. She also won 3rd place on freestyle against 23 other girls. Ben won 4th place in backstroke at his first meet - competing with boys who are 9-10 years old, because he is about to turn 9 next month. I am very proud of both of them.




Abby turned 11 and got big girls presents - clothes and books. Ben remarked after she opened all of her presents that she got boring presents this year. I told him that is what big girls like to get for presents. I can't believe she will be in Young Women next year.

I Had Forgotten.....

I had forgotten how time consuming a newborn can be. This blog has taken two weeks and 13 attempts to try to post. Every time I even tried to download my pictures to the computer he would start to fuss that he wanted to eat or be changed.

It has been a totally different experience this time - being older and having older children. I am enjoying the small things a lot more now.

Things I had forgotten:

1. Lack of sleep, but I love being able to go to sleep when the children get on the bus in the morning.
   
2. The joy of nursing - my favorite time is dawn
   
3. How fast they grow out of their newborn clothes
4. When they first smile at you - even though the experts say it is just reflexes - it is still a smile
   
5. Watching older siblings interact with the new baby
6. How many diapers they go through
7. How attached you become to them in such a short time
   

Mark 1 week old.



I LOVE little, baby feet!



The only time he cried in the first two weeks was during bath time. He hated baths. This is the frown he got from Mike. Sometimes when Mike is thinking he will wrinkle his eyebrows together like this.



This is Mark at 3 weeks.

Mark Is Here!!!!

Mark was born on September 25 at 4:47pm. I thought I was going to be able to have him like I had Emma, with no labor pains at all, but that was not going to be the case. I had an appointment on Wednesday and the doctor told me I was 4cm, that night I had a lot of non painful contractions and a lot that morning. I took matters into my own hands and decided I was going to go to the hospital to get checked instead of the doctor's office. I figured maybe they would break my water and I could go into labor. I was checked at the hospital and I was 5cm - still with out any pain so I was really hopeful I could have a painless labor again. They admitted me and broke my water and gave me an epidural at 1pm (note the first picture @ 5cm - smiling). By 4pm the epidural had worn off and I could feel contractions (note the second picture @ 8cm - not smiling). They said it was too late to get more medicine so I did not have a pleasant last 45 minutes. I know, I know I had it lucky but I still was hoping for an easier time.

Mike's first dirty diaper change in 7 years!

Still NO Baby!

Yes, our new addition to our family is refusing to come and join us. I have washed all of his clothes and bedding so he is more than welcome to come and be a part of our family. I started having regular contractions last Thursday but then they stop. I have little non painful ones for an hour or two and then nothing. I do have to admit I am glad he did not come during the concert last Saturday night. By the way, I LOVED the concert. It was so awesome to see and hear that in person. I was so excited. But he was more than welcome to come after the performance was over. Needless to say I have taken long walks every day to help move the process along but that does not seem to help. Maybe he is not coming yet because he knows he does not have a name. Maybe if Mike and I actually decide on a name he will decide to be born.

What do ya think?

Mark David Miller
or
Samuel David Miller

Some Pictures Of Summer 2008

Ben earning his Wolf Badge.

The children at Ocean Breeze Water Park.

Ben with fins at my parents' pool. I love the one where he is getting on the diving board.

Abby milking a goat for an Activity Day activity. I love the second one.



The children at the beach. I LOVE THE BEACH!!!!!