To Our Aunts and Uncles....

For 5 VERY important (and often talked about) people in my house...

To the aunt who has the best snacks...who takes great pictures...who's super creative...and who provides the best play buddies, Be-ya (Bella) & Yah-ya (Layla)

Aunt Nitny  

To the uncle who's name Rue got first...who gives the best hugs...who will probably be the giver of the girls' Nikes!  :)

Uncle "D"  

To the aunt who's name comes out as a cuss word...who will give sour candies one after the other solely for the funny faces...who will burp the snot out of anyone...who is by far the most chattered about around our house...

Aunt Asses *supposed to be Ashes*

To the uncle we know and talk about, but just met...who came home for both births...who helps with anything he can...and serves his country and family proud.

To the uncle who left again today to head back to CA for his second deployment...Rue asked about him all day today...who plays with his drink coasters with his pictures in them...

Uncle Dake 

*gonna miss you...proud of you...be safe...come home soon*

To the uncle who teaches bad things...who cuddles hands down the best....who may be the hardest on them besides mom and dad, but would give them the world...

Uncle Bubba

Getting ready for the family picture...Ruthie looks exasperated.  

D-DAY... or is it T-DAY

The day is here...We wake up at 8a, leave at 9a, arrive at 10a and she arrives around noon.

Am I ready?  Well...yes.  Not for the needles and the pain and all that stuff, but for Tessa's arrival I was ready 9 months ago.  It's that whole forget the pain for the purpose.

This is soooo polar opposite from last time!  I was so NOT prepared, but this time, I have the bags packed, the house is clean...for the most part...Ruthie's partying with Gigi & Papa Mark, I'm going to wake up and take a nice shower and get ready...It's crazy.  I think I love it.  The only downside is that I have all of tonight to anticipate (aka not sleep well) the surgery.

So, say a little prayer for us if you would tomorrow.

To Tessa, I can't stinkin' wait to meet you.  God has created you to by our daughter and I am so ready to find out why.  If something happens to me tomorrow, all these people will raise you right and teach you about a Savior that loves you more than me, and that's ALOT!  But it won't.  I'm going to be there to hold you (not first...that will be your dad) and kiss you and love on you like CRAZY!

Stay posted...we'll have pictures up soon...

To everyone else... thanks for your prayers.  We feel them already. *hug*

It's Rue's Day

It's a good thing that my child can't talk more than she does, because today if she would have asked for ANYTHING, i would have given it to her.  Today is Ruthie's last full day home with me as an only child.  She leaves in the morning with her Nana and Gampa Wineinger for the Church family mission trip, comes home late Friday afternoon and then goes with Gigi and Papa Mark Saturday to spend the night before Tess's delivery on Sunday.

This week will be so valuable getting TONS of stuff done around here, but HOLY MOMMY am I gonna miss her!  You know those annoying baby talk telephone conversations parents have with their toddlers?  I'm gonna be all over those this week.  I'm gonna make her sing me the the ABCs, Jesus Loves Me, Bushel & Peck, all those!

I may have spoiled her a little today...I gave her a fruit by the foot after breakfast, we watch at least 10 episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, we met Daddy for lunch and ate pizza and I'm weird about her and ice, but i watched her like a hawk and we ate ice nuggets which was a HUGE treat that she LOVED.  Then, we came home and I gave her like 4 cookies, then we napped and went out to dinner with family.  We came home, watched Caillou and then I let her sing me all her songs as she stood in her crib procrastinating bedtime as I shed a few tears and gave her tons of kisses.

But she's going to have tons more blessings having a sister than being an only child...I just have to remember that.  No offense to the only children out there...


It's also mind blowing to think Tess will be here in 8 days...like single digits...What?  At the doc yesterday, she is about what they expect her to be size-wise and weighs 6 lbs 2 oz.  She's moving like a crazy amazon woman.  Oh, I experienced my first contraction ever yesterday morning!  Praise God I got to bypass those the first time.  Shoot! And to think they only get more painful.  I chuckle inside thinking about that big sis picture where Tess will be laying on Rue's lap with one of us helping her, and Tess is going to be HUGE, like 1/2 her size.

They'll be in the same size clothes in a a year...I'm calling it!
Ok, off to go wallow in my "did we have enough fun today?" pool of pity.

over-emotional, very pregger, heartburn central, & VERY
winey wife