Bright Eyes

My Fashion Bug

I can't stop giggling about these photos long enough to think of anything to say about them. Perhaps they speak for themselves. hehehehehehe...

Rebekah is 2 Weeks Old

Sorry, this photo is still from Sunday. Today was so busy I didn't get any new photos of Rebekah taken today. (Come back tomorrow morning for priceless photos of Elizabeth, though!!!)

Today was Rebekah's 2-week check-up. We saw the PA in the pediatrician's office. She said they like to see babies re-gain up to their birth weight in the first 2 weeks. Rebekah was 8 pounds, so she's surpassed her birth weight. She's also grown an inch longer.

She had to have the 2nd state required PKU heel stick done. And the PA said her eye gumpies are because one of her tear ducts is not fully opened yet. It should clear up on it's own. Her next check-up will be in June, at 2-months.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Elizabeth has been playing with David's snake magnifying glass the last few days. She'll look through it & say, "I see you!" Here she's saying, "I see Baby Beka!"

We have a small collection of Bear in the Big Blue House videos that I got at a garage sale when David was Elizabeth's age. They both enjoy the shows & I marvel at the Muppetry skills involved to pull off Bear. One of the episodes is about dancing & Bear sings a song with the phrase "dance fever" in it. David was walking around the house the other day singing, "Dance Beaver!"

Looks like I need to clean the glass! Not Before 7 is not hosting Tiny Talk Tuesday this week.

My View of Baby Wearing

Rebekah was fussy today. Once I figured out how to do the tummy-to-tummy position in the pouch sling, she was content. Two hours she stayed like that, but then was awakened by hunger.

She's still so small!
And still very loved!!!

Assorted Stuff & Random Photos

Just the other day, I lamented to Dad that I hadn't been able to get out & take pictures of bluebonnets this year. I just didn't feel comfortable photographing the ditch while pregnant & now just don't feel like venturing out there. So while Dad was out the other day, he took some pictures for me. What a great guy! : ) You can see his photos and some I have gotten from our back yard in my new flickr set, Bluebonnets.

The other night after supper, we took a little walk around the perimeter of the back yard. Elizabeth was fascinated by the foxglove flower & was so cute saying "foxglove" over & over.

I let her pick one of the little crocus-like flowers. She wanted everyone to smell it, even though it didn't smell.

Then the 3 adventurers headed toward the pond while I went back to the house.

I was afraid there might be jealousy from Elizabeth toward the new baby. But so far, that hasn't really been the case. Elizabeth just loves Rebekah. The ultimate sign of her affection? Elizabeth shared her lamb and blanket with Baby Beka!

Wednesday evening we ventured out to fulfill Dad's Whataburger craving. This was the first time we went anywhere as a family of 5! It took some pushing & pulling, but we finally got 3 car seats in the back and were able to get the doors to close, too! The front seat never felt so roomy! I had no idea that having Rebekah back there with them would be so exciting, but you never heard such giggling & excitement from the back seat.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

The "big kids" are doing great with their new baby sister! David loves to hold her and is always a big help bringing me things and doing what he can on his own. It's amazing how much they grow up when another baby comes into the family. Elizabeth is suddenly huge and she adores her new baby sister.

David: Baby Rebekah is soooo cute!

Elizabeth: Baby Beka! Baby Beka!! Baby Beka!!!

David will not tolerate anyone calling her Beka except Elizabeth. If anyone else calls her "Baby Beka" David immediately corrects them with "Baby RE-bekah! Her name is RE-bekah!"

Elizabeth is also fascinated with Rebekah's wardrobe, always pointing out what she's wearing or what's on her clothes, like, "Baby Beka have flowers. Pink flowers!" or "Baby Beka have blanket, hat, warm!"

We finally caught one of the culprits who has been digging in my seedling pots at night:

Mom: Elizabeth, go look on the back porch...
Elizabeth: A cat, a cat!!!
Dad: It's not a cat.
Mom: It's a raccoon.
Elizabeth: Raccoon! Raccoon!

a little bit later
Mom: David, go look on the back porch...
David: We got a new cat!
Dad: It's not a cat
Elizabeth: Raccoon! Raccoon!
Dad: Elizabeth's right, it's a raccoon.
David: A raccoon?
Maybe we'll get a book about raccoons next time we're at the library...

later still, after Dad removed the cage from the porch
David: Where's the raccoon?
Mom: Dad's taking care of it. See the box where all our plants were? That raccoon got into them last night.
David, gasping when he saw where our plants had been: That was a baaaad raccoon.

Yes, it was. I have one asparagus left from that box. Unfortunately, there must be another varmint, because 3 more lettuce pots and another pepper pot were revenged last night. It must be a family of baaaad raccoons. And they're gonna have to go or we won't have any garden left to plant! And I'm mad about it. I don't care if they are cute.

OK, gotta get raccoons off my mind, so here's another adorable picture. I love that you can see Elizabeth playing in the background.

Read more Tiny Talk at Mary's.

The First Together Shots with ALL THREE!

I can't believe I got a "together" photo with all three kids in it! Yes, Rebekah is inside the pink blanket with a hat on.

Another together with all three!!!

Rebekah's First Coffee

Good morning, Girls! I'd like to introduce you to the newest Company Girl...

Rebekah Leigh
Born Tuesday, April 7, 2009
1:03 p.m.
Weighing 7 lbs, 13.6 oz
Measuring 20.5" long

Garden Log

While I was in the hospital for 2 days, a few things happened. Dutch iris started to bloom! They're beautiful. I'll try to get photos soon. Swiss Chard had another growth spurt. Yellow pear tomato that got frost damage is putting out new growth! Still waiting to see if the Mortgage Lifter comes back. The rest still look gone. The varmint that's been getting into my pots struck again, digging into the pots and into a bag of potting soil. We borrowed Grana's live trap & set it out tonight. Keeping fingers crossed that we don't catch a skunk on our porch...

Welcome Rebekah!

Born April 7th, 1:03pm, 7lbs 13oz, 20.5in

Tiny Talk Tuesday: Baby Day Edition

This post was written in advance and scheduled for this morning...

Well, today is "Baby Day!" We are scheduled to be at the hospital at 5am to get this show on the road. That makes this my last Tiny Talk Tuesday as a mother of just two adorable children.

We'll start off with one of David's new things - joke telling.

Thursday I stood up and exclaimed about my sudden need to visit the bathroom. I was rubbing my tummy as I tried to walk across the room without having an accident...
Elizabeth: Have baby inside tummy?
Mom: Yes, I do have a baby in there.
Elizabeth: Why?
Mom, giggling, then wondering what to say: Um... because that's where she needs to be to grow.

Later in the day I saw Elizabeth rubbing her full tummy after eating & she said: Have baby inside tummy.
I wonder if she thinks I ate a baby?!?

Later still...
David: How are you feeling, Mom?
Mom: Tired.
David: Is our new baby ready to come out now?
Mom: She will be soon, dear.

Saturday, I was wearing a tight fitting tank top with a sweater over it. I was sitting in a chair when Elizabeth came up & pulled back the sweater, exposing my big, round tummy.
Elizabeth, patting my tummy: Like the moon! Like the moon!

Monday night, David was so full of excitement about the upcoming days! MawMaw came over to spend the night since we're leaving so early. About 10pm, I thought of one more thing I wanted to tell her for while we're gone. After I left her room, David met me at the hall.
David: What's going on???
Mom: I just had to tell MawMaw something. Now we're all going to bed, so you can go to sleep.
He gets back in bed. I start walking off.
David, whisper-calling out: Mom! Mom!
Mom: What, babe?
David: Tomorrow is Baby Day!

So keep us in your prayers today! My precious tiny talkers also. And I'll try to note some of the tiny talk when they see the new baby to add next week!

See more Tiny Talk Tuesday over at Not Before 7!

What's in your Easter basket?

This post was inspired by the Heavenly Homemaker's recent post on Easter baskets. She's provided some great suggestions for homemade treats for your baskets, however....

I don't fill Easter baskets. Each of my kids have a nice plush Easter basket. David has a fire truck basket that he's used for 4 years. I put it up each year after Easter so it doesn't get torn up.

2006

2007

2008

I think it's way cuter than those plastic buckets the other kids use, too! And I guess we'll continue to use it until it falls apart or until he decides he's too big for it.

Last year was Elizabeth's first Easter. She just played with some eggs at the egg hunts we went to. Then after Easter, I found an adorable, plush ladybug Easter basket on clearance at Target! Now she's set for the next few years, too!

The week before Easter, I get their baskets out & let them play with them. David hasn't really been that interested in his basket this year, as he's got bigger & better things to build out of Legos now-a-days. Elizabeth, however, has been carrying toys, balls, and just about anything else she can fit in her basket this week.

We usually have a family egg hunt on Saturday, Sunday, or both with both sides of the family. Last year, I think it was Saturday at Grana & Papa's house, Sunday at Grandma & Grandpa's house. This year, since I will have just had a baby, I've decided to have an egg hunt at my house and invite them all to come here if they want.

I've put about 3 M&M's into each egg. I also save the plastic eggs from one year to the next, so I don't have to buy them each year. I do admit that I did give in to the pressure of a brightly colored pack of plastic eggs this year. So, this year for Easter I have spent 97c on a package of eggs, 99c on a package of dye for our real eggs, and $2.97 on a package of Whopper Robbin Eggs for Dad. Grandma had just given David a large package of M&M's and it took less than half the package to do the plastic eggs. Everything else we use from year to year, or I had purchased it on clearance after last Easter. And we still have quite a stash waiting for the hunt:

Also shown are 2 oranges and a bunny teether that someone gave us for Rebekah. I think my kids will enjoy hunting these eggs with their "same ole" Easter baskets more than a $50 Easter basket each year.

The Easter basket pictured at the top of this post is available for purchase from GourmetGiftBaskets.com.

My Prayers for You, Week 5 & 6

Playing catch up again on the My Prayers for You Challenge from Faith Sisters.

Celebrating Dad's Birthday

We celebrated Dad's 32nd birthday by returning some overdue library books, eating Mexican food, driving around, and looking for a spark plug for the lawn mower. Pretty exciting, huh? Here we are aging...

We also looked at a wheat field and talked about making bread

while we waited for the train to make it through town.

Grana made "Aunt Rhoda's Cake" for Dad and we brought it back to the house. Elizabeth excitedly waited for Dad to come inside.

And David helped blow out the candle.

Dad dug in with full gusto and the rest of us had pieces from the middle, leaving the edges with all their icing for Dad.

Little girl with cake face.

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Early Easter Eggs

I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to get Easter Eggs dyed next week, so we went ahead & did it today. I also got some plastic eggs loaded with M&M's because even after having a baby, I thought I'd still want to see David & Elizabeth hunt eggs in the yard next weekend. Now I don't have to worry about that next week.

I took the easy way out... David & I dyed eggs while Elizabeth was napping. We dyed all the raw eggs I had in the fridge - about a dozen & a half. They'd be wasted if I boiled them, so we'll just have pretty eggs for breakfast for the next 2 weeks. David waited patiently to see the results.

For some reason, eggs in the blue and purple cups floated. Who knows the scientific reason for this? David said the lighter part left sticking out looked like a galaxy.

There was great excitement as each color was revealed.


Well, we were using raw eggs... but we only had 2 break!

Ready to go back in the fridge for colorful breakfasts!