has it been this long????

I can't believe it has taken me this long to post... life has been a bit crazy this past month!

After Florida we put an offer in on a house and we had to close by Oct. 1 to get the financing we were hoping for. It was a race to say the least!! We did get the house and are slowly putting the finishing touches on it. It is open and spacious, and there are 11 kids on the block, with on;y half of the houses built!!! And we have lovely friendly neighbors!

Sept. 23 Emma had surgery to correct her submucous cleft palate - she came through with flying colors, up running around with her IV cart the following morning. We did not have the relaxing snuggly weekend we were looking forward to:)

A week later with much thanks to my mom and dad for packing help, we moved in to our new house!

Sweet Olive Grace arrived 13 days later... the story below.... And then we spent the weekend in childrens hospital with her, 9 days following that. SO, life has been good, but certainly crazy and stressful.

Forgive me, the pictures below are in no order what so ever!!!

The back of Emma's costume - Bolt, the dog from the Disney ,movie. Much thanks to my mom for helping sew it!!!!

How dang cute is she??? She informed that that she would have to wear pants, not a skirt, because she would be crawling around like a dog. She told me last week, that I would need to be a Kangaroo, because they have pouches where they carry their babies!!! I tried, but she was not impressed with me costume:) We all went out last night, and had such a blast, but Emma ran the WHOLE time, and wore herself out! Besides, her bag was about 10 lbs!!! She is a riot, had to ask about every one's pet, if she could hold or pet it, where was the dad at, how did their gate work, on and on...

Carving pumpkins Sunday evening when Grandma Patterson got here... This is never as much fun as we imagine, and Emma literally GAGGED when trying to take the guts out!!!!!! So, that was the end of her involvement:)

Grandma Patterson and Olive - 2 1/2 weeks old

Papa Denny and Olive, 2 weeks

Olive, Emma, and Mommy - 1 day old (tired mommy!!!)

Emma, Olive and Grandma Loerch - Olive 1 week old

Olive and Mommy - a few minutes old..... And the story goes...

I woke up Thursday morning, Oct. 13, with a few contractions, a good 45 minutes apart. I had a feeling that might be it, so I took my time getting Emma to Carol's because I thought it might be her last morning as an only child:( We took a bath and played with big foam letters, and it was almost and hour later than usual when I dropped her off. Then I headed to Target to get Elliott an anniversary card (our 11 year anniversary was on the 14ht), and while there the contractions got a bit more intense, a good 15 minutes apart, but I thought, "I better go home"! When I got home about 11am I told Elliott I thought he better get up and get any thing packed that he might want to take to the hospital! I don't think he believed me because he slept for another 45 minutes:) I called my midwife to describe what was happening, and at that time I could still talk through the contractions and they were about 10 minutes apart. That was about 11:30. She suggested we might wait until they were about 5 minutes apart, however we could come in whenever we wanted to and she would check me. Mind you, with Emma, my water broke, so I went through ALL of labor in the hospital, I knew what was going on. Basically, I am an idiot:) By 12 I called my mom to ask if she could go pick up Emma from Carol's, and bring her here, and then we would decided if I needed to go in and if it was indeed labor (again, DENIAL!). By the time she got to our house about 1pm, the contractions were about 7-10 minutes apart, but I had to breath through them and could not talk. Finally, at 2:15 pm I said, "Let's go", like I just knew it was time when I was starting to feel quite a bit of pressure! We packed Emma up and took her to my mom's, and I told Elliott he better drive fast. Once we got on the freeway they started coming fast and it was not fun:) We decided on a girls name on the way to the hospital (I was CERTAIN it was going to be a boy!!!) just in case. By the time we got downtown the contractions were coming every few minutes. we got in the parking ramp (after driving around three times because we couldn't find the entrance!!!) and I called Megan, my midwife and dancer friend, saying "the baby is coming I cannot walk I am going to need a wheel chair..." I got out of the truck and had another contraction, and I desperately wanted to lay down on the cement!!!! I honestly thought I was going to have the baby in the parking garage. We got in to the sky way, and I DID sit on the floor!!! Eyes closed, Elliott found some lady who got me a wheel chair - it was like a movie - I heard he walking fast fast saying "coming through we have a lady in labor here", she had a special key for a special elevator that got me to the midwife unit faster (my eyes were closed the whole time!). We got to the room at 3:15, I stood up, stripped, got on the bed, Megan said you are at a 9 1/2!!! I had the urge to push and Olive was born 20 minutes later!!!!! Elliott was so supportive the whole time and literally pulled Olive out!!! I asked What is it! He and Megan told me to look... Elliott said the look on my face was priceless - I was shocked as could be that it was a girl!!!!

Least to say, labor was fast and I was not prepared and it was not fun:) I have two beautiful healthy girls and an amazing husband - and I don't ever want to have a baby again:)

Emma meeting her little sister Olive for the first time. I cannot tell you how amazing Emma has been! She loves her little sister SO much (thank God it was a girl, for her sake!). I really thought we were going to have a tough transition but she has been a real trooper, and an amazing help. It is sweet to watch. She did ask me this morning if I would always make her breakfast first:)

Olive Grace, couple of days old

Big Sister and little sister (Emma has taken to calling Olive "sister", so we pretty much all call her that!)

Emma's boots for Halloween...

On her way to Carol's to celebrate Halloween... goodness I love her so!

I guess that is it for now. I am sure there are a million other things I could write, but there are a million things I should get done now!! I will work hard to post more regularly... Love to all...

First Timers!

Emma has been such a joy lately - watching her grow and learn and think and respond is such a treat. It all reminds me of how fortunate we are to have Emma in our lives! Below is her "first day of school" picture. Actually, her first day back at Carol's for the fall. She goes for about three hours in the morning, gets the pre-K curriculum that Carol does with the kids, and play time and social interaction with the kids as well. She has really formed a sweet relationship with two of the younger girls, both three, who come running to her every time we step in the door. It is very endearing and also reminds me of how lucky we are to have Carol and Tuffy in our lives and as a part of Emma's life.

Emma had her first ballet class of the season last week, and I could not have been prouder!!! Ballet was quite a struggle last year - all she wanted to do was run around, boss the other kids around, do her own thing, and basically be silly the whole class. What a difference a year makes!!!! After class I told her how proud I was of her (over and over again to be honest!), and she said, "I know, did you see how the other kids weren't listening, and how they were running all around? I only looked over once to make sure you were there." Oh, my heart melts!

AND Emma has started soccer at the Y this fall. It is only about 7 games, but again, what a difference a year makes!!!! Elliott and couple other dads are "coaching" and there is such a great group of 4/5 year olds on her team. We also decided to do Saturday mornings, so Elliott wouldn't miss any. I think that was a wise choice for Emma, as by 6pm she is pretty wiped out from her day! Here she is in goalie, however most of her time in goalie was spent playing in the net, getting her hair caught. One time the other team scored a goal because she had gotten her shoe caught in the net and couldn't move:)

Emma is also progressing her in "reading" skills. The other day we were driving in the car and she said, "Look mom, this guys name is Tim!" She was looking at the cover of TIME magazine and had sounded out "Tim".... Bursting buttons of course:)

What else? Well, this morning she had her first cavity filled (hopefully the next will be many moons away!), Friday morning she has surgery on her cleft palate and will spend the night in the hospital for recovery, and then next Friday the 30th we MOVE into our new home!!!!

We are very thankful for all of the wonderful fruits of life headed our way lately. I am especially thankful Elliott is willing to work so hard at his new job, to provide for us as a family in so many ways!!! Thanks honey....

Love to all....

Sarasota, Fl - Day I and 2

Here we are! We arrived in Orlando about 1pm on Thursday after an amazingly easy flight with Ms. Emma. She slept for about an hour and a half of our two hour drive to Sarasota. We headed straight for the beach when we got here and ate dinner about 8pm in our hotel that night! Our hotel is an older Holiday Inn, not that great, however we have a beach view, and just walk across the little path to the beach. AND the hotel food is AMAZING!!!! We were very surprised.... Emma and I have enjoyed room service for breakfast each morning so far, and lunch out yesterday. We plan on at least one really nice fish dinner while we are here, probably on St. Armands circle, or we may drive down to Siesta Key or Santa Maria Island. Emma has loved every moment in the water, and we have seen huge pelicans diving for fish, a coule of dolphins have a us a great show jumping high in the air just a few yards off shore yesterday morning, funny little hermit crabs, and a type of mollusk and tiny clams.... It has been fantastic so far, even with a little bit of rain! Today we will be off to the beach after breakfast, to fly the kite El and Em got, and just to play in the water and search for even MORE shells!!! This afternoon we will drive down to Siesta Key, or maybe to the Aquarium or Jungle Gardens...

Proof that I was indeed on the trip, because it may be the only picture I get in!

Emma searching the millions of little shells all over the beach - just as I remember it!

First step into the water Thursday evening - so warm!

For Father's Day Emma and I got Elliott a fishing trip for the first morning we were here (that was Friday morning). He was at the boat ramp by 7am and was back home, exhausted from the sun by 11:45. I guess the fishing wasn't so great, and he'd like to come back in May for Tarpon fishing. He did however catch a puffer fish, an endangered catfish, have his biggest fish taken by a shark, see dolphins and a manatee... So, not too bad!

There is a beautiful historic shopping circle, called St. Armands Circle about two blocks from our hotel (I remember it well from when I was a child!). Emma thought she saw a toy store so we had planned to head out there yesterday afternoon. Well, we couldn't find one, but the Starbucks girl suggested a great one "downtown" Sarasota. Elliott told Emma she could pick something out..... Can you imagine she chose the most expensive baby in the store??? I told them however,t hat she was going to have to give away most of the other babies she has at home!! She asid OK! We'll see how that goes, but her baby obsession has to stop somewhere:) Least to say it snuggled up next to her in bed right now.

Our goofy girl!!!

Emma's late night Sandcastle

Flying a new kite on the beach - not so much wind so we will try again this morning!

Elliott wouldn't pose in a picture for me, so Emma kindly volunteered:) Our sleep schedules have been WAY off, a nap from 3:30-5:30, to bed at 10:30, yet still awake at 7am!!!!! Oh well.... we have a much happier Emma AND Daddy when they get sleep:)

On a side note many thanks to my mom, Denny, and Carol and Tuffy (Em's daycare and out realtor).... We have been house hunting (yippie!!!) and there has been a change in the rules for FHA loans in the past week - we have to be almost closed by Oct. 1st or the amount we qualify for goes way down!!!! So my Mom, Denny, Carol and Tuffy have been scouting houses for us for hours!!!! The hope is that we get back Thursday, and will put an offer on something Thursday evening... Who would have thought our first vacation in 11 years, without any other family, would coincide with the housing decision???? Oh well... Thanks to them is the least we can say!!!

Goldie - A Zoo - County Fair

Last weekend Elliott took Emma to get some new goldfish (her Dorothy dies MANY months ago and we just never replaced her). Emma new she wanted to go to Walmart, because that was where she and Grandma Loerch had seen them! So off we went... A 10 gallon tank, three small gold-fish, and one giant $20 gold-fish later.... we have one giant gold fish:) So Goldie has survived, and Emma was not sad at all to get the net out, fish out the dead gold fish day by day, hold them, and then flush them down the toilet (after tyring to feed them to Cooper!). Tomorrow apparently we are off to replenish the small variety.

My Dad came in to town for a dance concert I have had the past two weeks, and we took Emma to the zoo one morning... here she is posing for the camera. I have had two people in two days ask me if she was six!!!! On a side note.... We had decided on the name Lily, if we are to have a girl... suddenly I hear the name everywhere!!! When did it become so popular? So, we think we are back to the drawing board on that one:(

Tommy - checking his Facebook!

My mom and I took Emma to the Dakota County Fair on Wednesday - it sure does get expensive once kids learn about rides!!! But we had a great time, and Emma loved just about every minute, even when we let Grandma go do some things she wanted to do! Here she is on the pony rise (poor buddies!). We are looking into maybe getting Emma in to some riding lessons...

This one started gnawing on her forehead just after I took the picture!!!

Did you know that cows and goats do not have upper teeth? We learned that at the Fair... Here is a baby calf suckling on my mom's finger! Emma was very interested - as ever always!

This was her treat at the end of our day... the GIANT water slide! I cannot believe the little kids climb up those steps - I was working so hard to keep my fear inside!

A very happy, soaking wet girl!

Love to all...

Lumberjack Days

We went to Lumberjack Days in Stillwater a few weeks ago - we had such a blast last year we knew we wanted to take Emma again. Basically, it is a little carnival/festival on the St. Croix river. Above, Emma and her best buddy Daddy walking to the festival.

We knew to bring extra money for this trampoline ride/experience - Emma went (we allowed her!) on it 4 times maybe? She just loves it, but was not ready to try a flip just yet.

Here she is trying to know some kid over - she kept saying, I can;t hold it up! - the "knocker" was too heavy for her! This was after the little boy told us he was NOT going to take it easy on her...

This is how high she went on her last go around. The same handler had her each time, and he was actually the same guy who had been working it last year. Looks rough, but was just so sweet and great with her! And not in a spooky way!

Here she is almost attempting a flip - and at the last he twirled the elastics so she would flip around!!!! She loved it, but still was unsure about trying it on her own.

Not a whole lot else to share I guess, just life as "normal"... I had been teaching in Red Wind the last tow weeks, all day, and that was a blast. In addition I am performing in the Fringe Festival and it has felt SOO good to be dancing full and passionately, and I feel empowered to say I am doing it w/ 10 weeks left in the pregnancy! Check out Christopher Watson Dance Company on the Fringe Site if you get a chance....

My dad came out to see the show this past weekend, so we have enjoyed some time visiting with him and of course Emma was super excited to see him. My mom watched Emma the two weeks I was teaching, and I certainly could not have done that without her! Emma is looking forward to going back to Carol's a bit, and is super excited about our trip to FL in Sept, especially because she knows she gets to have breakfast with the princesses! And then after that we will count down the days to her surgery - Sept. 23, then the days to baby number two!!!

A cute side story:

I was upstairs getting ready for something or other, the other morning, and Emma was downstairs watching cartoons. Cartoons are quite interactive these days, and many of them ask the watcher questions; this particular cartoon was "Super Why?" on public TV. I heard the character ask "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Then I heard Emma respond, " A big sister...." HOW SWEET IS THAT? And thank God she is so excited, because her world is going to be tilted on its side in about 10 weeks:)

Love to all...

Washington II - and out and about

I had a performance in Duluth last weekend, and my Mom came up with me and Emma. The men were going to join us Saturday, but it was pouring rain and cold, so we thought the performance would be rained out, and told them they could bail if they wanted:) Alas we did get to have the show (it was outside overlooking Lake Superior), and we got to have a girls weekend! Below you can see our lovely room overlooking the lake (really right on the back side of the boardwalk along the lake!), the Jacuzzi that Emma and I took full advantage of, and finally, Grandma and Emma enjoying our late night popcorn and soda snack! As I said, it was pouring rain on Saturday, but we certainly didn't drive three hours to stay in our hotel room all day!

Below - sweet Emma helping me stretch - what can't see is that my 6 month belly is fully touching the ground:)

This past Friday we had dark rain and storms ALL day. Emma thought it would be a perfect opportunity to go out on the deck in our rain boots and full gear!

Washington!!!!

Elliott, Emma and I flew out to Washington EARLY Wednesday morning, and we'll be here until the 5th. We have not all been back since we moved three years ago - but coming back to Holly and Jason's (Elliott's brother's) always feels cozy and like coming back home! Emma has enjoyed every moment with her newest cousin Skylar and her two year old cousin Brooke. Below you see her adoring 3 month old Skylar.

Emma and Brooke the first night we were here, snuggling watching Beauty and the Beast on the couch! I joke that poor Brooke is soon going to be asking her mom when Emma was going to go home (because Emma is in such adoration with her that she won't let her go and literally would love to pick her up EVERY moment!)

Above: Skylar, Emma, Great Grams and Skylar

Emma and Kolby on the couch... Emma cried when we took Cooper to the kennel, and then later that evening she burst out crying again in the store because she missed him!!! She may have been a little bit tired too:)

Yesterday we took a Duck Boat tour of Seattle. You can see we were all bundled up! I forget how gray and cool it can be here - sweatshirts and long pants for all. As a matter of fact Holly had a skirt made for Emma that matches skirts that Brooke and Skylar have as well! So the girls all wore adorable matching skirts yesterday! Anyway, the Duck Boat drives like a big open air truck all around Seattle, telling us the history, etc. And then it also goes in to the water. We had a great time, totally worth it!

Emma, Ella and Aliyah - the little girl furthest on the right, Emma spent her first year with! These are the girls of Jessica, the amazingly wonderful woman who watched Emma while I worked, the first year Emma was born. Aliyah is 2 1/2 months older than Emma. It was so wonderful to see the girls and Jessica, as we haven't seen them since we moved. It is also amazing to see how kids/people are SO much who they are from the time they are born!!!!!

Emma and Uncle Jason out on the back patio shootin' the breeze while Emma plays with Kolby. He is wonderful and will let Emma do just about anything with him! Just like Cooper:)

We have had a lovely time so far and are so glad we were able to come out. Today we are heading to Great Wolf Lodge, a water park hotel about two hours from here, and well stay for the night.

Happy 4th Weekend and Love to all!