Happy Days!

We have some official baby news. I had my first appointment with the OB specialist this morning which included a non stress test and consultation for delivery and we got GREAT news. We scheduled our c-section for November 11th - that gives me ten days to go into labor on my own. If I do go into labor my OB's are so impressed with the baby's growth and my stable health that they are going to give me the opportunity to deliver the the old fashioned way. I will get an epidural in case of an emergency and at the first sign of trouble they will take the baby via c-section. If I don't go into labor than I am not elligible for an induction so I will have my date all set up for the 11th! The big difference for me between the c-section (which was incredibly stress free and handled SO well by my docs) and a regular delivery is the amount of time I spend in the hospital away from the other three kids. Don't get me wrong - Bob and I cherish the time we get with a baby in the hospital when it is just us but 4-5 days is a LONG time to be in a hospital and arranging babysitters and worrying about the big kids and how everyone is doing without us!

Our other bit of official news is that thanks to my Mom and Auntie Ann - Bob and I have officially changed our sweet baby girls name to Nola Beth Harding - Wheeler. It is very Irish and we love how Annie and Molly say it! Pete isn't sold on it still but he'll come around!

So check out the new counter for the updated birthdate - assuming that we go by the c-section date!

In other big news the pediatrician told us that we could switch Annie around to be forward facing in her car seat! I don't know why but she looks teeny tiny to me turned around. I do love looking in the rearview mirror and seeing her making faces at us! It will also make traveling to Washington next week much easier.
She was sound asleep on the way home from the beach the other night when we switched her but since then she has realized how much fun it is to throw things at us and try to get our attention.

Lisa handed down this cute little Dora chair to Annie and she loves to play with it - I even indulged her and put some batteries in it so she can turn on the light and play with all of the annoying music making things on it.
Hanging in her new chair - how cute is she?
And by this morning Annie had learned a new use for her chair - escape route!
She worked very hard to get out of the playpen using the chair but it was no use - we decided to take it out of the playpen when she is not surpervised by one of us - just in case!

I'm still trying to picture Annie as a big sister - she can't even walk yet! I'm sure she'll do great. Tomorrow we are going to meet the teachers at Noah Webster to get a head start on the year! The kids made cards and bought little gifts - a little bribe never hurt anyone!

Auntie Beth is back in LA and bloggin again - yeah! Molly asks for her everyday - if absence makes the heart grow fonder than Beth may want to make the time between visits less and less or she will be overwhelmed by Molly girl when she returns! I have a feeling her namesake will also be enamored with her!

GNM - ILY!

Relaxing weekend at home with ALL six of the kids!

Patrick took Karla away to NYC for her birthday on Saturday and we got the fun job of babysitting. We prepared to be home bound - even skipped church since anyplace we went would require two cars. The kids had a blast and we loved having everyone. Katie and Annie were on different napping schedules so we didn't even have too much competeition from the babies for attention. Annie did not love when Katie used her high chair but once we lowered the chair so they could play she got over it. Papa called today looking for some playmates and so the boys ended up going down to the beach in the afternoon and since Annie came along for the ride and made it known who she wanted to go with (it was most definitely NOT me) Papa took her to the beach with him to see Grammy. She was beaming and I was going over in my head all the ways that I am actually a really fun Mom - even I couldn't convince myself that I was more fun than Papa so I'm letting it go! Pat and Karla are coming home soon and than we are all going to head down to visit the folks for a while!

Katie loved Annie's highchair - not that you could tell from this picture!
Bob and the girls hanging out!
I love my camera because it takes pictures in such quick succession - this was just a cute interaction with Ann in her booster seat at the table eating raisins - I am completely enamored with this baby!

And then we moved onto dinner where after painstakingly taking all of the corn off the cob we realized that somehow Annie could manage to get the corn in her mouth better when it was on the cob so we tried it that way. She had a blast and corn never looked so good to me!

Annie figuring out her corn on the cob!
She was like a wild animal with the corn - she could not get it in fast enough!
"Look Mommy, I'm eating corn on the cob." She was so proud of herself.
Another way to eat corn on the cob - annie style!
A half hour later and going strong on another piece! We should see some interesting diapers from this venture!

Abby in her favorite outfit!
I wanted to get a picture of Annie and Katie but they were not cooperating. You can not believe how BIG Katie is - my girl may start to look petite next to her cousin soon! LUckily for Annie she got some of Bob's genes!
Our girls - so cute sitting together!
Katie hanging out in Auntie Mary's green chair - my favorite picture taking spot - in case you hadn't noticed!

Bob thought this was an obscene picture of his precious goddaughter but I thought it was cute. Needless to say that at some point her godfather thinks he may need to have a discussion with her about crossing her legs instead of......well, not crossing them!
Katie - a little out of focus sitting up because her brilliant aunt had to drop the cmaera to keep her from banging her head about 2 seconds later - she's getting there though!
Big kids ready for a movie - they were tired of the olympics but last night was too good for Bob and I to miss so we put them on our bed with snacks and a movie!
The big kids in order of size - that is the way Peter makes them all sit when they are together - he has alot of his grandfather in him!

Pat and Karla said to give Katie a bottle at 7 pm and let her sleep and then wake her at 11 for another bottle and then she would sleep till morning. This picture was taken at 1:15 a.m. as she snuggled, giggled, laughed and played with her godfather. Somehow we had managed to wake her up TOO much and she was not ready to go back to bed after her bottle. We were exhausted but decided to just enjoy it since it doesn't happen very often that we get just Katie all to ourselves. She was so sweet and suggly with us but hopefully she won't expect this when she gets home or we won't ever get her again!
Smooches from Uncle Bob!
Hanging with Uncle Bob and loving it - she was cooing and talking to us for an hour!
Molly could not get enough of Katie and I personally think they look a bit alike - Abby refused to get in these pictures!
More of Molly and Katie.

Karla and Pat are on their way home and next week is prep time for the house, school clothes etc - everything to get us organized for the start of school. We leave for Washington on Sunday and have 5-6 days there until we return home for the weekend so our kids are missing the 1st week of school - I know I'm a bad mother but Bob and I made an executive decision to pack the trip full of educational stuff and the teachers agreed that we were okay doing this (and I don't care if they were just pacifyinf us). Besides - I have to present three times and don't think that I could be away from everyone for a whole week - poor planning on the part of this conference as everyone is having school issues!

GNM - ILY!

Pictures of Annie!

After a long day at peter's birthday party last weekend Papa and Auntie LuAnn took Annie over to the beach for some attnetion - she looks like she is having fun - even though she seems less than well supervised!

Auntie LuAnn and Annie hanging on the beach.
MY girl found a shell - I love those little fingers.
Peter and Annie on the beach!
Tyler hanging in the kyak with Ann.
MY topless girl - on the beach!Sweet Annie smiles.
Ready to throw some sand.
Balancing on the log!
Annie and her Papa!

Annie will go anywhere, anytime with her Papa!

Pat and Karla are in NYC right now and all of the kids are here - we are having a blast but very busy so I'll post later - lots of pictures to share - I can't stop clicking with my new camera!

GNM - ILY!