Baby Feet

Our 12th Versary

On Tuesday, Brian and I celebrated our 12th year anniversary. These last 12 years have been the most wonderful and I am so grateful....so incredibly grateful....for this life I have been gifted. Since life is just a tad busy right now with the birth of our Reesie, we stayed in and watched a movie. We didn't even have to make dinner, thanks to our friends Jon and Caycee and their family, who brought some over! :o) Brian and Liv made donuts just for me.

Here is Brian's donut "game-face":






It was actually a recipe involving refrigerator biscuits and a circle cookie cutter. SO scrumptious.

We told the girls that it was our special day. To help them understand, I explained to them that we were celebrating the day mom and dad got all dressed up in a tux and wedding dress and promised, in front of God and our loved ones, to love each other forever. Then, we had a party.

"We are celebrating that day."

The girls thought that was great.

We had a fun night with the girls, and when it was time to tuck the girls in to bed, Liv was distraught. "But, I don't want to miss your versary!" I explained that it was time for mom and dad to watch their movie and spend time alone. "But I want to see you in your wedding dress! I want to go to the party!"

It was so funny and so cute. Apparently, she thought we were going to re-enact our wedding vows.

Sisters

Having a Baby

We're home from the hospital and it feels so good! It's amazing how much life can change in just an instant. As I look upon the pictures of the last 2-1/2 days, I fight to remind myself that it's only been that-----two and a half days! This picture of me getting ready to walk into the hospital Tuesday morning at 10:30am, seems like a year ago. But boy...does my belly look ready to have a baby, doesn't it?



After arriving at the hospital, it wasn't until 12'oclock noon that things actually got started. And it did start...with pitocin. After a few hard contractions, they broke my water, a few more hard contractions and I was able to get an epidural. At 1 pm, the said I would be meeting my baby within the hour! So here we are pictured below....pain-free and relaxed, being goofy for the camera before we get to meet our little girl!



The girls were very obedient and sweet, so we allowed them to stay for the birth at the last minute! Here they are, in a chair behind the delivery bed. They were so happy to be there and quietly sat until they were told they could get a closer look at our new baby!



At 2:07pm, our lives changed forever with the birth of our sweet Reese! I think child birth becomes even more amazing with each child. Precious baby...nothing short of a real live miracle!



This sign was placed inside Reese's basinette. The poor little thing came through the birth canal so fast that her head was all one big, bruise. They didn't want other nurses to see her face and think she needed extra care.



Here Reese is getting weighed. You can see the stark contrast of her black and blue face with her pink little body. I felt so bad for her. You could tell her face was tender and the doc said she probably had facial pain and a headache. Her eyes were also bloodshot and we need to take her to her pediatrician tomorrow for some hemorraging in one of her eyes. All because of fast labor! You would think it would be the opposite....that longer labor would cause the most damage, but apparently that's not the case!



Reese is our chunkiest girl so far. She weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and is the shortest at 19" long. But I love her chunkiness and we tell her that all the time. :o)

I can't get this picture to rotate but you can really see her blue face here!


Brian brings Reese to the girls so they can inspect her. They approve! Holland said, "Ree-eeeese! I'll never stop loving you!" And Liv couldn't stop smiling and saying, "I can't believe Reese is here!!!"



Here's our first family photo...and what will have to be Reese's favorite candy.



And an all-girls photo is a must. :o)



The biggest sister!



I love taking pictures of Brian after the birth of our children. He's always so proud and you can see it so well in these pictures. I have similar ones of him holding Liv in 2003 and Holland in 2005 in the hospital.





Speaking of Brian....he's the greatest. He always knows the right thing to do and say during labor and after. I'm so grateful for him!



Just 2-1/2 days later, Reese's bruising has gone down a considerable amount. It's amazing how resiliant babies are!


Thank you God for this amazing blessing of Reese.

Reese

She's Here!

Hey everyone!

Georgia Reese arrived safely into our arms at 2:07pm, today, August 11th, 2009.  She is our chunkiest girlie yet, weighing in at 7lbs, 15oz.  She's also the shortest, at 19 inches!  Labor began at 12:00 noon with pitocin and breaking of the water and lasted almost exactly 2 hours! Because of the fast labor, poor little Reese's face is one black and blue bruise.  She even has to have a sign on her bassinet that says, "I have a bruised face", so that other nurses don't take her away to administer treatment.  The Doc says that it's quite possible that she has a headache and facial pain because of it, but even so, our little girl is easily consolable and very alert.  

The girls, sat in the room behind me as their little sister was born....ecstatic to be a part of it all.  How wonderful for our whole family to be together when Reese was born!  The girls were immediately enamored with her.  The words of Holland: "Aw, Ree-eese!  I'll never stop loving you!"  Liv made a pot holder for her little sister while she was waiting for her to be born.  I imagine Liv has lots of plans involving her little sister and all the projects she can teach her someday.

Thank you to all of you for your prayers and encouragement.  We will post pictures when we can!

Love,

The Wiebers

Waiting

It seems like we have waited so long to finally meet this little girl of ours...and it looks like we won't be waiting much longer!  I'm scheduled to be induced in the morning.  We are due at the hospital at 7:30am.  All your pain-free thoughts and prayers are very welcome!  ;o)

Here are some recent pictures of our family in the last few weeks...waiting for the newest, and sure to be just as spunky as we make 'em, Wieber female.  

It was really important to me to have a day just hanging out alone with each of the girls.  So I planned 2 days last week....just to spend time with each one of them individually. It was a huge blessing to me, and I think to them as well.  The morning I took Liv out for our day together, she screeched with excitement and bounded out of bed.  She showered and bathed and asked to use my smell-good Aveda shampoo.  After putting on her favorite dress, she came into the bathroom to watch me get ready.  Noticing my flat iron, she asked if I was flattening my hair and wanted hers done as well.  It was so fun to do our hair together.  Then she noticed that I put mine back in a ponytail and asked if she could also have hers in a ponytail.  Then she combed her bangs just like mine.  Smiling, she looked in the mirror and said, "Mom!  We look just the same!"  It was such a sweet little moment. 

 Then we hopped in the car and had lunch at the Spaghetti Factory where Liv just can't get enough of Mizithra Pasta.  

Then, off to the fountain to throw pennies.  We also window shopped and had fun just people-watching downtown.  It was a very special day.  When I asked her what else she'd like to do on our fun day together, she replied, "Mom, I really had a lot of fun with you today, but now I'd like to get home so I can work on some projects."  She really is so funny.  

Holland NEEDS time one-on-one with me or Brian at least once every couple of weeks.  Once she gets time alone with either of us, she becomes more content and restful.  We constantly need to remind us of this fact.  The thing is is that it doesn't need to be fancy.  We can take her grocery shopping by herself and she is happy as a clam.  But Holland also has a side of her that appreciates the finer things in life.  Right before we left for our day together, she looked at Liv and said, "I'm going to miss you, Liv.  I'm really happy to have a sister like you."  Liv repeated the sentiment.  My heart melted. 

 I took her to a great mosaic studio here in town.  It was the perfect day for a creative, indoor activity as we had the biggest thunderstorms that day. We sat for 2-1/2 hours placing our pieces just right and then glueing them on.  I made a little cluster of mushrooms to go with a fawn for Reese's room, while Holland made a modern little design called a splat.  

We get to pick them up later this week after they have been grouted.  It was such a restful day with her.  After, I told her I was taking her to lunch somewhere nice and she said, "Ok, mom, but not McDonald's, okay?"  (like I said, she does appreciate the finer things in life :o). Then she asked if Liv was going to be there.  When I reminded her that it was a day for just the two of us, she squealed.  Then sighed.  "I miss Liv".  I love seeing the sisterly love grow and I'm so happy to have another little girl to add to this fun mix!

Brian and I have gotten to have some date nights this Summer, thanks to Gramma Jan being here.  Here we are right before the Shakespeare Festival, examining my growing belly.

I really love how antsy Brian gets to meet our children.  He has been asking me for the last 2 months what's taking me so long to have Reese.  

Our next post may contain pictures of our sweet Georgia Reese.  Stay tuned!!!

Love jen

Baby Bowling

A few weeks ago, The Wieber Family went bowling.  I love to bowl.  I bowl funny, but I bowl well and that's why I love to bowl.  It's the one sport that I always, always come away victorious.  And when you're married to Brian, you know that everything is a competition.  

So normally, he doesn't get too excited to bowl with me.  But I think he agreed to go bowling because he was sure that my present pregnant state would hamper my usual bowling finesse.  Well, I hate to break it to all you Brian Wieber fans out there...but my pregnant state did not hamper my finesse, and I did come out, once again, victorious.  

Oh, and when I say I bowl funny, I mean that I bowl with my palm facing the ground, not the ceiling.  I'm not sure why I bowl like that, but I have always bowled like that.  But, hey, it works for me.  Why mess with perfection?  

I was asked, however, to point out that Brian was, in fact, bowling without a major organ, and also a broken thumb.  But who's really keeping track of that stuff anyway?  

Here's some footage of myself bowling because who doesn't want to see a pregnant woman bowl? 

SCARY

When Papa Snail came to visit a few months ago, Liv got this crazy idea to scare him.  She ran upstairs and was up there a peculiarly long time when finally, she dashed back down.  She had a headband on and was carrying.....a piece of paper.  "Rawwwwrhhhh!" She bellowed.  Of course, Papa Snail always indulges the girls' whims so he acted the part of a scared grandpa.  Of course Liv loved it.  I was a little puzzled as to why she thought she was being scary.  She didn't have any real costume on...just the headband.  But soon, the tables were turned and Papa leaped from behind the couch and scared Liv.  Dropping her piece of paper, she ran upstairs to escape.  Picking up the paper, I had to laugh.  And laugh. And laugh.  Liv's idea of scaring Papa Snail was to draw a frightful picture and shove it in the face of her poor victim.  

I didn't get any pictures of this event, but last weekend, the girls got together and conceived a similar scare-fest for Brian when he came home from work.  Here are the dreaded pictures. Warning: images may invoke fear.  

You may need to enlarge to get the full effect.  Notice the stickers on their faces.  Scary, no?

Here is a full picture for you to consider.  Notice the scary hanger attached to the velcro of Holland's Nikes.  You must also appreciate the undies that are looped around Holland's neck and arm.  I can't think of anything more frightening.  And of course, their expressions.  Makes me want to hide under the covers.  

And I sincerely apologize if you are now unable to sleep at night.  

Really, I am.  

Magic Rice

Liv's first signature dish was magic rice, found in Paula Dean's My First Cookbook. Liv and I tweaked a few things to make it suitable for what we usually have on hand in our pantry. Afterwards, we made it just as the recipe detailed, however she liked it best the way we made it the first time:

MAGIC RICE

Ingredients:
1-1/3 C. beef broth using beef bouillon cubes
10.5 oz. onion soup, prepared using Lipton Onion Soup dry mix envelope
1/2 C. of finely chopped mushrooms
2 T. butter
1 C. white rice
1/2 tsp. black pepper

(The original recipe calls for a 10-1/2 oz. can of beef broth instead of the bouillon cubes, a 10 oz can of French Onion Soup instead of Lipton's Onion soup, and a 3 oz. can of sliced mushrooms instead of fresh mushrooms.)  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the beef broth, onion soup, mushrooms, and butter into casserole dish. Add the rice and pepper and stir with a fork. Put the foil on the baking dish. Have an adult put the dish in the oven and let the rice cook for 1 hour. Remove from oven and toss with a fork.

This is one of Liv's favorite side dishes and is 100% responsible for her newfound love of mushrooms.  Plus, it's so easy and quick to prepare.  

Enjoy!

Making Spoons

One thing is for certain: as a homeschooling mom, the school subject I will never need to teach the girls myself, is the subject of woodworking. Brian is very talented in the art and is never too busy to invite the girls into his garage for some fun lessons. Last week, I heard Liv asking Brian if she could hang out with him in his garage. His response?

"Your presence is required!"

Now, what little girl wouldn't love hearing that from her dad? I adore him for making our girls feel like a necessary part of his every minute. Thanks, honey. :o)

After that remark, Liv ran up to me and said, "Mom! Daddy said my pregnancy is required!" Yes...it's baby season around here alright. Just 6 whole days till we go in to be induced!

(Notice, I said "we". But really, it is I who will undergo the pain and torment and absolute nail-biting experience. But alas--it is all worth it.)

After correcting the misshapen conversation, Liv dashed out of the room, giggling, to get her shoes. She has spent many hours building in the garage. After I got Brian a longboard for his birthday, she insisted on building her own. A shortened 2X4 with castors and wheels on the bottom. I believed for a few weeks after that Brian had placed the wheels on the underside of that piece of wood. I was shocked to find out that Liv had done it herself. I wonder if she would show me how to run a drill?

After visiting the Saturday Market one crisp morning in April, and seeing the beautiful handcarved spoons at one booth, we came home wanting to make our own. We spent all Saturday working on the spoons and having a good time. It was fun to compare the results....each spoon so different!





Brian demonstrates.




Jan shows off her spoon!

Painting Friends

Jeff

Brian's brother, Jeff, has come to stay with us twice this Summer... treks he made primarily to unselfishly lend a hand to Brian and the many projects that piled up this Winter while he was healing from surgery.  I can't begin to share what a blessing it has been to have the extra hand, especially since Miss Reese will be here soon.  He has seriously helped me deal with all the nesting I am doing!  Some of the things he and Brian have finished in the last several weeks:

Built our shed

Built and finished the attic and new workout room

Helped remodel the kitchen ceiling and finish it.

Replaced brake pads.

Repaired the Blazer.

Broke :o) and then fixed our lawn mower.  

Hauled and pulled and pushed and yanked for our garage sale.

Planted our maple tree.

Replaced fire alarms.

Here he is, with 2 other hoodlums, fixing our lawn mower:

I don't feed him when he comes to visit, so here he is eating the drywall mud as a last resort:

Here Brian and I are, getting ready to go on our date to the Shakespeare festival.....10 minutes after the above picture was taken.  I did feel a twinge of guilt parading off to entertainment while he ate the mud.  But he's a pretty good sport.

And what do we do to repay Jeff....besides parade off to entertainment and make him eat mud?

Put him in a headlock.

Then laugh about the funniness of it all.

Did I mention what a good sport Jeff is?