School Starts

In case this week wasn't exciting enough, the big kids started school on Wednesday!  Lydia is in Year 6, Isaac is in Year 3, and Evelyn is in Year 1.

Saying one last good bye to Alice before Daddy and Grandma take them to school!

Bridget has had a hard time adjusting.  I'm not sure if it's been hard to have a new baby around or just hard with everyone off to school.  It's probably a combination of the two.  Bridget has gotten much better and is great at running errands for the baby, getting diapers, finding a blanket, etc.  She loves to watch her.  

And she likes to hold Alice.  Until she fusses.  That's when Bridget says "heavy, heavy" meaning the baby is too heavy to hold anymore.  Cute.  By the way, Mike's arm is supporting Alice's head in this picture, it's just hard to see.

 Then the big kids get home from school and it's a mad dash to be the first to hold Alice.

No lack of attention in this house!

Alice Regina is here!

Alice Regina made her appearance on January 24th at 9:03 pm.  3 days after her due date.  A beautiful 8 lb 6 oz baby (our biggest yet)!  We are so happy she is here (as in, you have no idea how happy I am to not be pregnant anymore and to have labor behind me)!  We had a little scare with her heart rate at one point, but it all the ended well and she is healthy and perfect!  Well, almost perfect.  She was tongue tied, which is apparently a Johnson thing, but it was an easy fix.  Now she's perfect!  

Alice is the first of our children to have been born at night.  I started contractions in sacrament meeting that morning and I'm sure everyone was offering prayers of "Please let Elizabeth have that baby!  She looks awful!"

We went for a family walk that afternoon and my contractions picked up!  The kids were so excited to get me ready to leave for the hospital.  "Mom, I'll fill up your water bottle!"  "I'll carry your bag!"  It was very sweet!  It was such a blessing that Mike's mom had arrived just the day before.  We didn't have to worry about calling anyone and Mike was able to stay with me in the hospital long after Alice was born.  It was so nice to spend quiet time together, just the three of us.

The kids came to visit Monday morning.  Everyone was so excited to meet Alice!  

We hung out and instead of FHE we had FHM: Family Hospital Morning.  It was good fun!  Mike came back that evening and had a dinner date with me and Alice then went back to help get the kids to bed.

Tuesday was Australia Day!  Mike, mom, and the kids enjoyed a great branch activity at the beach!

While I was happy to have a few more hours of just Alice and I before heading home where I'd have to share her. 

We are so happy to have her join our family at last!  She is such a blessing!

38 weeks

Feeling rather large...

The Spoils of Christmas!

Isaac got a Star Wars B-Wing Lego set for Christmas and put it together all by himself the very next day!  Impressive, young padawan.  

Santa brought Mike the beloved Millenium Falcon.  Mike let everyone help.  It was quite the project!

Evelyn enjoyed playing with the characters while Lydia, Isaac, and Mike did most of the work.  

Bridget found her own way to enjoy the project.  She made a bed out of the box.

It's done!

It even opens up!  Pretty nifty!

Lydia and I enjoyed our Christmas present this afternoon as we went on a mommy daughter date to get our nails done!

Then we stopped at the mall for a snack and to do a little shopping!  Great fun!