Everly Erin

January 14th, 2013....

I survived a sleepless night worrying that I would go into labor (for the sixth time) before my scheduled induction. I know there are those of you who do not approve of scheduling a birth. I've been told many many times that birth is a natural process and I should let it happen on the baby's schedule.....

To you I say, "Uh huh".

And then I say, "Have fun."

Because I did that. Twice.

And it hurts like crazy and I NEVER EVER wanted to go through it again.

Isn't it enough that I gained 35 pounds?

I'm smiling for 3 reasons.

1) I am meeting Everly today.

2) I am officially done with heartburn.

3) I know there is an anesthesiologist on the 3rd floor.

It's a great time to have a baby.

So...for the first time ever. I walked into the hospital NOT already in labor.

They took my blood and then the put in the IV...3 times. Ouch.

Seriously....OUCH!

Besides that moment of happiness when they first gave me the baby, it was the only time I cried.

But it was worth it because soon I had her:

I strategically cropped this photo for the good of mankind.

You are welcome.

I do believe that is a Hufford baby. No identification bracelets will be required.

Soon the nurses and doctors were gone and we had 48 hours to hang out in the hospital room.

The hair! 

 Hanging out with Dad.

Changing diapers of black poo.... and watching "Say Yes to the Dress."

I love that little poofy part on her upper lip.

After school Mark brought the big kids to meet their new sister. Anna was running a fever, so she stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa.

And now we are home. 

Anna has kicked her fever and she has met the baby. 

We are spending our time just existing in our house...keeping the flu epidemic from entering our Hufford world. Grandma Jean and Grandpa Joe are keeping us all alive and in clean clothes. While I fall asleep with the baby in my arms in a never-ending cycle of snoozing and nursing. 

Everly is our last baby and I feel myself enjoying every minute of babyness...something I have struggled to do in the past. I know all too well that she really will "grow out of it" and that will be it.

So now we just enjoy.

We hang our lips out and enjoy.

Waiting for Everly

In the weeks leading up to the birth of each of my children, I find myself itching to paint some part of my house. With Ethan I wasn't allowed due to our rental status...but with Mathew it was the nursery in the Lowell house, with Megan it was the great room in the Lowell house, with Laney it was the office in the Lowell house, with Anna it was the make-you-poke-your-eyes-out living room of the Olathe rental house.

Everly's pregnancy has been a little different. I am feeling my age and my hips don't appreciate it.

There have been weeks where I found it a challenge to walk from one room to the next.  It didn't look hopeful for my painting tradition.

But I rallied!

I woke up one morning and I could feel the paint coursing through my veins.

It was time to eliminate the nastiness in the pantry.

I went for something bright and happy because pinterest told me to.

True...I did go into false labor that night, due to my disobedience to my doctor's advice to "avoid chores". And just so we're clear, when you are the Mom...they are not called "chores". They are called...nothing...because there are so many you can't give them all names. You just do them and try to forget about it.

With the pantry taken care of, I moved on to the linen closet.

I even went so far as to print little labels for the towels, flat sheets, fitted sheets, etc.

And just so you know, I don't typically take pictures of my closets, but I had to this time because I found myself totally incapable of remembering what labels I needed in the time it took me to walk down the stairs to the computer...iphones are handy like that.

Good story. Mark was doing something else while I organized and labeled the linen closet, so he was unaware of my efforts. Later that night, he sent Mat to go get a fitted sheet and he returned with one, saying, "Is it the one that says "fitted"? And he said, "Well, it's not going to have a label on it or anything."

Oh contrare. 

After all this, we decided it was time to "avoid chores".

Mark and I went on what will most likely be our last date in a very long time. I made a final push to top off my already impressive weight gain.

Then I parked it.

Anna parked it.

And we waited for Monday morning...

Like something out of a story book...

Or an "I Spy" book.

Can you spy....

2 boxes of floss? 53 unused q-tips? 17 used q-tips? A toothbrush you couldn't pay me to put in my mouth? A tiny magnifying glass?  A pair of goggles? A pen we took from a hotel? 1/4 c of flour? 2 red beads? A nerf dart? An open, crusty tube of toothpaste? Neglected boy deodorant?

Oh, what do you do during Christmas Break?

Do you....

Get dressed to go outside in your first-ever snow, and then lay on your face

And refuse to go out in that freezing mess?

Do you do the puzzle that your kids got you for Christmas last year? Whoops.

Do you get an art lesson from your big brother?

Do you organize a "Goose Party" and make costumes for each attendee?

Do you quietly explore Mom's nightstand drawer and see what kind of goodies she is hoarding in there?

So do we.

Bedtime drama.

I'm a very proficient bedtime story reader.

I "kind of" do the voices. Especially if I'm not bone-tired.

But Mark. Mark does made-up imagination extravaganzas about bunnies and pterodactyls  that have wild adventures and have in-depth conversations with one another.

Which is wonderful.

Until they ask me to do the same thing the next night.

And I give them a blank look.

And I say, "How about Brown Bear, Brown Bear?".

Early morning sing along.

Mark and I have been getting up really early.

REALLY early.

We're talking like 4:30 am.

Mainly because it has turned into the only time we can have an uninterrupted conversation and time to read, discuss, plan or just listen to the silence.

Occasionally one of the kiddos will get up and hang out with us. Which is really okay, because the chaos only begins when you have two or more children fully lucid at a time (it really does take two to fight). Usually the early risers are Anna or Laney....you know how little babies fail to value the preciousness of sleep.

This particular morning Anna woke up while I was in the shower. She was spending a little one one one with her daddy-o.



I love.

Christmas Day 2012

The early-morning quietness. The tree lit and sparkling. The presents untouched and full of potential.

The stockings are stuffed and bumpy. You know there is chocolate in there.

The kids get the 'go ahead' to explore their stockings. It's 6 am.

There are a plethora of long-skinny items in there....pringles, Sunny D, tubes of M&Ms....

Each child gets their favorite fruit. You simply cannot have a respectable stocking experience without fruit in the bottom.

Zones are established.

Presents are passed out...streamlining the process is essential.

We "solemnly swear to be kind to each other, be happy for each other and save all our bows for Mom."

The "look".

That look that says that they got their heart's desire...

Even Mark seemed excessively pleased by the work clothes that he helped Santa pick out only 2 days earlier....

And then we were on to the best part of the day...

Breakfast.

Puzzles.

New toys.

Dinner still in our jammies.

Officially one of the best days ever.