Chrysalis

Ooooh. So those are what my feet look like. Huh. I had forgotten. This week I feel like I'm slowly emerging from my pregnant body to my "normal" one. Just like a caterpillar. Emerging from "fuzzy and cuteness" to what SHOULD be beautiful elegance. One can only hope. Once I can get over the awkward transition phase- you know, where nothing fits. And I feel like I could climb a mountain, until I stand up and discover that my legs are still wobbly. (Don't worry, I haven't fallen down yet.) Plus there's the whole breast feeding body transition. I keep looking down and experiencing SHOCK. What are these THINGS? I've never had those before. Where do I put them? How're you supposed to sleep with them in the way? Advice?

I'd like to write a witty little paragraph here on how I feel about being a mommy of 6. Well. I'm still in the chrysalis phase here as well. Good thing I've got my mom and husband so close or I think I might possibly be dead. The older kids are gems. They love having Eli around. They like to sit and look at him several times a day. (So do I, by the way.) Natalie NEEDS to hold him. She wants to pat his head and face. a lot. (So do I, but I do it gently.)

I'm grateful for everyone's support and offers of help. I've had lots of snuggle time with the baby and I think I might actually survive this new adventure with some enjoyment. There's nothing like kids to keep one humble, happy, and centered.

P.S. If this post was difficult to understand or is disjointed, I claim exhausted mommy rambling syndrome. As Lizzy says, "thas ol."

Elijah came home...

I think that I should take this opportunity to tell everyone that when we decided we liked the name Elijah, I wanted to name him "Elijah Rock." Anyone even remotely familiar with Spirituals knows how cool that song is, but I was overruled.

We got the whole family back together today, and everyone got their chance to hold their new baby brother. If only I record all the "ohs" and "ahs" that are sure to spontaneously proceed forth from the mouths of everyone looking at these pictures I could save them and play the recording for Eli's first date.

I hope you enjoy the photos. And as always, we LOVE to read COMMENTS!

Elijah David Findlay

Elijah was born at 11:13 AM on January 20, 2010. He weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. Both mother and baby are doing well.

My Response-Guilty Pleasures

My cousin Carly sent a challenge to share 10 of my addictions/guilty pleasures-other than my family. It was not hard to think of these, merely to reduce the number to 10. Here they are:

1. Sleeping in.
2. Cheap boxes of chocolate like the "All American" selection from Maxfields.
3. Puzzle Books
4. Romance Novels (gasp) and yes, I've read this one! Embarrassing, but true. We must all admit our strangeness and become one with ourselves. I do, of course, read "classic" books as well.
5. Snow and Christmas
6. Buying shoes
7. Eating "out"-if I don't have to think of what to make, or clean it up, I'm happy.
8. Old Movies. Jean Arthur is a particular favorite of mine. Everyone looks good in black and white. (Note: in this picture she is 43 years old!)
9. My nerd tendencies- Scrabble online and Stargate SG-1-yes that is Richard Dean Anderson.
10. Board Games

Famous Last WOrds 2

In primary Liam had to draw a picture of something he was thankful for. He brought home a paper with various circles and lines. I asked him if he was thankful for dogs because I thought that was what he had drawn. He said, "NO Mommy. I'm thankful for robot dogs."

The other night, Liam was coughing so Jason went in and put some Mentholatum on him. It must have brought immediate relief because he sighed and half asleep said "Your a good daddy."

Part of Jane's breakfast prayer:
Please bless us to stay alive until we die...."

Janeisms:
Huh. What are these bumps on my tongue for?
Hey Grandma. I played a trick on my friend at school. I told her my mom and dad DIED!

Lizzy:
"Dad, is college the last school you go to?"
"Yes. But you can go to college more than once or go to more than one college. What college do you want to go to?"
After thinking quietly for a few minutes:
"I want to go to college in California, so I can be by Disneyland."

Liam:
"Did you know, Little Einsteins don't have a mommy. But they have a daddy and his name is Rocket."

Liam: "Mom, I know why mommies are tired and sick all the day. Because they have too many babies."

Well spotted.

Liam: "I wish I could have a yo-yo for my birthday."

Jane: Did you know, you can ask Grandmas how to do things? Like, if you just barely beed a mommy, and you don't know how to be a mommy, you can ask the grandma for help.

Dear Papa Bruce

Dear Papa-
I love you. Thank you for taking me to the aquarium. My favorite part was seeing so many fish. I liked the snake the best. And octopuses. I also liked when I getted a gumball. I like to hug grampa. Thank you,
~Love Liam.

-
Dear Grandpa
I want to thank you for taking me to the aquarium. My favorite part was the big fish. I liked the big ones with the dots on them. I also liked listening to the different frog sounds.
~Love Jane

Dear Grandpa-
Thank you for spending money on me for us. I liked the aquarium. My favorite part was the gumballs at the end. My favorite fish was the eels at the beginning. I liked the french fries too. And the playground.
~Love Lizzy

Dear Grandpa-
Thank you for taking me to the aquarium. It was cool. I liked it. My favorite parts were the gumballs and the sharks close up. (In the secret room.) My favorite fish was the tiger shark. Someday can I go with you again? You should have seen that purple slide when we went to get lunch. It was the highest slide at the top of the playground.
~Love Ben