A 6:30 a.m. knock on the door!

By 6:30 a.m. most mornings the three kids are dressed and ready for the day and we are sitting at the table eating breakfast together. Friday morning we got a slow start so Pete and Molly were dressed, Annie still in pajamas and Bob and I somewhere in between. Okay - truth be told, Bob was in his underwear! We were shocked to hear a knock on the door and as Bob scurried to our bedroom to get dressed Auntie Beth emerged through the front door with donuts! Yeah Auntie Beth! The kids were thrilled to see her especially since visitors before 7 a.m. are unheard of and the donuts were icing on the cake - literally!

Annie enjoying her chocolate covered donut!

Auntie Beth saying "Good Morning" to the school bound big kids!

Molly had her parent observation for Irish Step Dancing class on Friday night. We snuck in in time to see a little bit of Abby's class and then Grammy, Papa, Auntie Beth and the Harding - Wheeler family showed up in force to see what Molly's class has learned so far. Both Abby and Molly dance with huge smiles on their faces so they are clearly having some fun and both of them, if I do say so myself, are gifted at picking up the steps and staying on beat and on the correct foot! Molly even keeps her hands straight down, fingers in and back straight now - too cute!

I couldn't in to get good pictures of Abby but I did get to watch her a bit and she did great and looks adorable in her bright pink leotard! My goddaughter has a spirit that makes her stand out in a crowd - that's for sure!

Abby and Molly greeting each other after Abby's class - I hope they always are this excited to see each other - I love the screams from across the room when they see each other!

Our tiny dancers!

Stretches!

Molly girl dancing her little heart out - she kept looking over at us to make sure that everyone was paying attention!

Holding your skirt is NOT part fo the dance technique but a Molly girl thing!

Auntie Beth got to get up and dance with Molly!

Gallops!

I forget the name of this one but Molly does it wherever she is - hop, skip something - she does it at school, playing out in the yard - all the time!

Peter even gave it a try!

Molly with Molly Garrahey - turning to check and make sure that Auntie Beth is doing okay!

Saturday was a low key day - BOb took the kids to the grand opening of It's Only Natural in Middletown giving me sometime to fold tiny little baby clothes and pack our bags for the hospital. I also made the grocery list for next week and the list for Walmary essentials.

The next post will likely be announcing Lizzie's arrival so stay tuned!

GNM - ILY!

Just a few picturs that I couldn't resist!

Less than a week until Baby Elizabeth gets here and we can't wait. I'm doing my usual dance of waivering between extreme excitement and and extreme apprehension. Don't get me wrong a c-section is certainly not a bad surgery and my last experience was actually vcry positive but I think with any surgery a girl's entitled to some neurosis. (Just humor me!)Despite having a full time job I also don't spend long periods of time away from the kids - my job is flexible enough so that 4-6 hours is the maximum and I have admitted before that time away with Bob once in a while is wonderful but we didn't have 4 kids to not be with them most of the time. The best feeling for me is when we are all under one roof together! The four days in the hospital gives me heartburn just thinking about it (especially since Ann is so young and does not understand where I am going and what I am doing)- and then I get tears in my eyes thinking about holding our new daughter in my arms and having those long days and nights with just her and Bob and I - loving on her, hopefully learning to breastfeed her and bonding with her! Our big project for the weekend is big brother/sister t-shirts for the hospital - nothing like waiting for the last minute!

The girls in their matching dresses - too cute! Molly loves dressing like Annie - we even do their hair the same!
The rest of these are some random pictures of Annie goofing around the other day - she has such a great personality and LOVES the camera (and the camera loves her - if I do say so myself!)


Sweet Baby girl!


































Uncle B's favorite Annie face!






















Taking a page out of the Abby book!

Bob took the kids out for a walk tonight just as it started to rain - even Bob wore his hoody and they all looked so cute that I ran out there to grab a picture! Pretty soon the sweatshirts are going in the closet in favor of big fat winter jackets and hats and gloves but for now we are all enjoying the warm weather!

One of my friends from work just called to ask me if I had any baby boy clothes she could borrow - she and her husband of 4 years have no children but recently completed the DCF course for foster parents. She was liscenced yesterday and got the call tonight for a 3 day old baby boy - I have chills and I want to cry at the same time remembering back to where that phone call (on Karla's birthday 8 years ago!) brought me! I haven't yet gotten the diaper bags from my shower to DCF (that is on my list for tomorrow) so am hoping that no one minds that I am donating one to my friend - and it will be one with a blanket that my Mom made and a burp cloth that Auntie Ann made and all of the love that my family put into that wonderful shower for me!

I'm off to enjoy our Wednesday night bonding with KK !

GNM - ILY!

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

We love election day in our house. Bob and I promised the kids that we would wait for them to vote so that they could come with us - we have a mixed house (3 - 1 with Annie not weighing in yet) but my feeling is that no matter who you vote for being a part of something so patriotic is important for people of all ages!

After everyone votes I would really appreciate a few prayers for a good friend of mine and her daughter. I know lots of my family read the updates on Shannon Cody and she is really struggling this week. After losing a good friend to cancer last week Shannon has not been able to get her blood counts up high enough to be able to leave the hospital. She has been there for almost a week now and Cathy and her husband have to switch on and off to be with her so the other can work. I don't know how they are staying sane through all of this or maintaining a bit of stability for their other two girls but somehow they are doing it. I admire them so much!

I stole a picture of Shannon from Cathy's web site to give those family members who don't like to have to link to other sites a visual of her. Please send prayers and happy thoughts her way!

GNM - ILY!

I hope Karla doesn't mind but this picture was just too cute to pass up putting on the blog. Katie is so cute she could be sleeping and make me smile but this picture makes my heart beat faster. I love the Snickers bar in her hand - she takes after her auntie a bit, I think! Tyler commented to me on Halloween that Katie was a pumpkin for Halloween and I looked like I ate a pumpkin!

Katherine Shannon - the cutest little pumpkin!

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year - ELECTION DAY - everyone feel free to call and harrass Colin - he never registered to vote in the election! I'm embarrassed to be related to him today! Peter and Molly and I read Peter's new Barack Obama book before bed - Molly is a McCain girl but Peter loves Obama because he looks like him - when we were done he asked if I thought Martin Luther King would have been president if he didn't get killed - I thought his association was interesting - my smart little boy!

GNM - ILY!

Fall Fun!

Halloween was great but, boy, were we tired on Saturday. We ended up having a low key weekend - partly because I am supposed to be on bed rest and partly because we are due for some peace and quiet before chaos returns next week when the baby gets here! I am on bedrest due to my own health issues but, fortunatley, the baby is perfect and there are no worries for her. Mommy on the other hand is banned from driving and working and supposed to be keeping to bed as much as possible. You would think that after being pregnant for 9 months, raising three kids and working full time a nice nap would provide a reprieve for me but that would only work if I were the one controlling the situation - I don't like being told what to do and am therefore struggling with the whole thing - I know, it's 8 days - get a grip right? I am! Yesterday I sat in a chair while the kids had a blast out in the yard - it was beautiful warm weather and Annie's first real frollick in the leaves - too cute!

SAturday night Bob and I met our good friends, Randi and Chris out at the Olive Garden for dinner. We ate slowly, saving room for dessert and coffee and spent 3 hours catching up with each other - this was our first time going out as adults without any children (they have 2 beautiful boys - Nate and Tony - twins). Kk took excellent care of the kids while we were gone - she rocks for giving us a last chance to go out before Elizabeth gets here!

Today I went to mass for my grandparents - both sets of grandparents were married on the same day - November 1st - my parents were supposed to be married on that day as well but the legend goes that my Mom and Dad could not wait that long to be together so they moved their wedding date up to July 26th! We kind of hung out for the rest of the day and then went to visit Auntie Ann to show off our Halloween costumes since she missed it on friday night. The kids loved the donut holes and cider and, as usual, Auntie Ann spoiled them with books instead of candy! Molly came right home and read hers!

Annie wasn't quite sure what to do with the leaves initially.

My beautiful, gorgeous daugter having fun in the leaves. And so now my Mommy heart leaps when I look at this pictures because last year the second Molly got near the leaves she started wheezing and coughing. This year - thanks to some allergy treatments and dilligence on the part of the pediatrician she has been asthma treatment free for 8 months! We still have some rough winter months ahead but seeing her run around like a lunatic at soccer and jumping in leaves with Annie has brought tears to my eyes more than once. Nothing like a healthy baby!

Molly showing Annie the ropes!

Our girls playing in the leaves. My goddaughter, Julia is coming over on Tuesday and molly has promised her a leaf pile to jump in when she gets here!

Annie loved the leaves but kept looking ove at Molly to figure out what to do!

Always with the tongue out!

Molly is so good to her sister and she enjoys her so much. I love watching them together!

Daddy gets in on the fun!

Bob is convinced that Peter could be a GREAT football player - this Mom is a little nervous about signing him up for such a violent sport but he LOVES it!

Annie is showered with leaves from Daddy and Molly!

My beautiful girls!

This was Annie shrieking because she did not want to come inside!

Another action shot of Peter!

Peter gets in some fun in the leaves with the girls - he was the one that had to do all of the work making the pile big again after everyone jumped in !

The kids having a blast with each other in the leaves.

Trying to get a good picture of the three kids!

Annie was not cooperating!

Annie is finally ready to emerge from the leaves - she had so much fun!

I just happened to look over at Molly girl and she was looking particularly cute this morning so I couldn't resist a picture! Luckily, she usually humors me!

The big kids playing out in the yard - so cute!

Another one of Molly looking really cute!

Peter and Daddy wrestling in the yard!

So that was our weekend - Peter got to spend a few hours with Papa today and, as usual, came home happy, tired and with lots of stories about all of the powere tools he is allowed to use with papa. I believe today was the leaf blower - he also could not wait to tell me that he crossed the street by himself 10 times at papa's house - he was very excited! I'm off to snuggle by the fire with my husband and watch Tv - okay so I'm really headed over to the couch to snuggle with my husband for a moment in the hopes that he will find me so cute that he will rub my feet for about an hour! I have no shame!

GNM - ILY!