the family jewels

not only do we now have a newborn baby, but we also suddenly got a toddler. blondie is turning into a kid more and more every day. i first noticed it upon changing her diaper after i changed mae's. i guess that you can understand if you have 2 kids and know what it's like to change a little red bottom then a huge white one.

on sunday she came home from a walk with the man crying. she was digging in the dirt and had tiny cactus needles all over her fingers, which we had to find and pull out with tweezers.

on monday we had our first outing as a family of four. mae needed to see the pediatrician and we had a few errands to run. blondie and i went into target. she wouldn't hold my hand and decided to pull every bra at her level off the racks. i can't lift her and she fights me the whole way out to the car skinning her knees on the cement. the man took her into the grocery store next, where she dropped a jar of pickles, shattering it on the floor. he notices that she is bleeding when he feels blood trickle on his foot. he looks down and sees a shard of glass protruding from her ankle and blood all over the floor. he goes to customer service and asks for a first aid kit. the lady responds that they have one, but doesn't go to get it. imagine the man's tone as he says "excuse me, but my daughter is bleeding all over your store. can i get some help." of course, then about 4 people respond.

toddlers and newborns. there you have it.

On Our Own

Today we had to say farewell to Grandma Roxy. It has been such a blessing to have her here with us. She came and cared for, entertained, spoiled, and sweat out the heat with us as we awaited Mae's arrival. Now we have a freezer stocked full of pre-made meals and fun memories to look back on. Thanks Mom!

My Little Mae

this morning as the sun crept through our bedroom window we decided to give mae her first sunbath, mostly to ward off any jaundice, but also because a naked baby basking in the sunlight can be so adorable.

Sisters

A little "Mae" in July

The new Miss Gardiner decided to come to us early Thursday morning. My labor started about 6:30 Wednesday evening (the day after my due date). We arrived at the hospital at 1:30am. I was dilated to 6cm and shortly afterward my water burst (literally "burst") and she came racing out at 2:44am. As you can tell it all happened incredibly fast, but it was perfect. I was able to have my natural birth with my mom and The Man by my side pushing for 1 minute and 30 seconds. I feel so blessed. Mae is beautiful, she has light brown hair with natural blonde highlights around her hairline. She latched on immediately and didn't look back. We are trying to get rest, but it is hard for me since I love hanging out with my family so much. E and my mom are making me rest now, so more photos and news will come.

7lbs 15oz
21.25" long

come on baby!

hopefully this will be my last post as a pregnant woman. i am just a week from my due date and so ready to have this baby! i went in for an ob appointment today and kindly let my doc know that i didn't want to see him again unless it was in the delivery room. he laughed, but i was/am serious. he said that i probably won't make it another week. yes!

i have been trying to busy myself with projects and such, but am running out of ideas and arizona summers limit outdoor activities. as of this week i have been walking in the mall and on the treadmill. maybe tomorrow i will hit up ikea. don't worry - i'm not to the point of drinking castor oil or anything else that is too crazy.

a shadow

it's true that once you have a moblie child you are never alone. i don't mind it though, it's flattering that she thinks i'm cool and always wants to be near me. when i'm cooking she is cooking, when i'm at the computer or sewing she is on my lap, and when i'm doing the dishes she is eager to help. i know that it won't last forever, so i relish in it.

Happy 4th

Not being home in Fallon for the 4th and camping at the lake with my family has taken some getting used to. Yesterday, I was wishing that we had a boat, a camper, and all of our family around to wakeboard, ski, fix the boat (it's tradition for the Lewis' to break down), play horseshoes, swim, and cook with. I always miss my mom's dutch oven cooking.

This year swimming and a BBQ by the pool (yeah in 115 degree weather), had to suffice. The Man had the day off so he took Blondie to her swimming lesson. It's not so much a swimming lesson as trying to get her to peel her arms off from around you neck for 30 minutes.

no shirt - new shoes

risky business

being only 2.5 weeks from my due date we went to l.a. to be with family for grandpa gardiner's funeral. knowing that the baby could come we packed the infant carseat, hospital bag, and made the trip. the man joked about printing instructions off the internet on how to deliver a baby in the car. to our relief the baby was still in my belly by the time we arrived home.

friday we enjoyed a day at the beach in malibu and to my surprise, blondie insisted on covering herself and the family in sand (she typically hates being dirty). at first, she wanted nothing to do with the water, but grew to love it. i felt terrible because she got a little sunburned, although it didn't seem to affect her.

her favorite things to do at grandpa's are: find the kitties, pick green tomatoes and feed them to grandma, assist in ping-pong matches, play with aunt rachel's hair (knot it), take pictures, and explore