Lookin' like a fool with you pants on the ground!

Haha! It is 1:30 in the morning, Danny is doing the dishes so I can actually post something (isn't he nice?!), I have to be up at 6:30 and Justin is in trouble because he has been burning episodes of this current season of American Idol for us to watch- and it's so addictive!! But it's so fun! My title was from someone's audition- it was great! A 62 year-old guy dancing and singing about kids lookin' like a fool with their pants on the ground. You should see it. :)

So anyhoo... Now I have no time to write my post, so I will be very fast. All is going well and I am finally feeling better. I didn't realize how sick I was and it feels sooo good to feel normal. Well, as normal as you can with a 4-week old!

 Things are busy around here and it is hard to have time to get everything done, or anything done, except for watching American Idol! Emme is a doll and is super good and truly, truly hardly ever cries. Only when she is really hungry and I am changing her pants or some other silly thing. She is still stuffy and sounds like Snuffleupagus, which is rather stressful. But she is sleeping and eating fine. She is getting lots bigger and likes to coo at us. She smiles, but not a lot. I think she is still trying to figure out how. And she still sleeps a lot, which is great! So why do I have such a hard time getting us all ready and the beds made before 10 am?

  On Friday was the school talent show and Alex did great! His music wouldn't play, so he just started singing accapella, which might have been better. The lady backstage who was helping actually had tears in her eyes! "He's just so good!" she said as she sniffled and wiped her nose. It was a hoot and we did tape it, but I can't get video on here. I will work on it and see what we can do. He was so cute and looked so little in the middle of the big stage with his cowboy hat and guitar and wasn't nervous at all and was just so stinking cute!! Since I don't have video for now, here is a picture of him the night we got him his "Curly" costume. He was so excited, he took his jammies right off to wear it. It took some convincing the next day to get him to wear it over his clothes.

And here's a bunch of pictures of Emmelou, just being a cutie.

 

                 All the kids love her and have adjusted just fine. They went with Danny and Justin this afternoon and flew a kite and played with airplanes. Justin introduces all kinds of fun new things into their lives. The kids have all said funny things lately, like today when we were in the car and Alaina kept kind of "grrr"ing and saying, "I'm mad." Danny said, "You are not mad." and she yelled back at him, "I am mad!!" I can't even remember all the other funny things they have said, which is what happens when you go so long without blogging! Then I am sad that I can't remember.
  So, I should probably go to bed now. I think it's a good thing I got a really nice, long nap today. (Thanks again to Danny. I think I'm going to marry that boy!)

Leaving the hospital and being at home

Howdy-do everyone!! Well, here are a lot of pictures, that pretty much say what's been going on here. :)

This was the first time Tristan saw Emme. He was so cute and quite overcome with emotion. He said, "I love her soo much." It was really cute. Alaina looked concerned when she cried and held out her finger for Emme to hold. But when she grabbed it, Alaina jerked it back in surprise.

This was Alex's first time to hold her. He really loves her and when he comes home from school he runs in to see her. He took some pictures to school and they said he was quite proud showing them and said, "Baby sister Emme!!"

At the hospital she would sleep on her side sometimes and squoosh her cheeks all together. It was so cute. I tried to take a picture of it, but this doesn't quite capture how squooshy they were. All the nurses just loved her and said she was an "angel baby."

This is how she would look at me when she was awake. Either I am very beautiful, or very scary. She probably doesn't care which!

Another cutie picture!

Tristan making himself at home in the hospital bed! Him and Alaina loved coming to visit and seeing the baby and getting cookies and cheese and juice and watching SpongeBob. Tristan would go on his own to the snack fridge and help himself!

Just a funny picture!

These next pictures are after we came home. She came home last Sunday morning. I have to say, considering it was less than ideal to have her in NICU for a week, we absolutely loved the hospital and all the staff. They were all so kind and made me feel very welcome and were great with Emme. Not one person was rude or mean the entire week and that included all the CNA's and cleaning and food staff. Oh, and the food was great and I could have kissed them a hundred times for feeding me while I was there!! Emme even gave a big smile to one of the ladies who was there almost every day and had a strong accent. She said hi to Emme every morning and she said that she smiled at her one day when she said hello. Her name was Rose, so that was fitting since that is Emme's middle name! She was super nice. Sorry these next pictures are so dark! I have some announcements to send you and I lightened the pictures and they are really cute!

She loves to suck on her fingers- including her thumb!!

Daddy with his little girls. :)

So, I have to say that she is the sweetest little baby!! She never cries, even when she got her foot poked at the doctor's. She sleeps a lot and when she wakes up she just wants to eat and then looks around at things. She has smiled quite a lot, but is still learning how.  Oh, when we went to the doctor's Alaina saw her umbilical cord for the first and asked if her belly had pooped. And whenever I nurse around Alaina or Alex they say she is "eating your belly." Tristan keeps saying that he is her dad and when I tell him that he is her brother he asks, "Well then, who is her Dad?" And everyone has to give her kisses before they go to bed at night. We love our little muffin top.
  On a different note, I think we are going to Salt Lake tomorrow for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. We had decided not to, but Danny forgot to tell his work that he didn't need tomorrow off, and now it is too late to un-take it off. So, I think we will go. It might be rainy, which is yucky, and we haven't taken Emme farther than 5 miles, but we will see how it goes. Alex has been begging for weeks to see the Christus Statue in Salt Lake. And then I can go to a few decoratey stores, too! And hopefully we will get the same hotel as last year, with the swimming pool that is open all night and the great breakfast!! Wish us luck!
  Also, did you guys know that Kattie is in Washington D.C. now? There were visa issues, so she is finishing out the last of her mission there. But, she is serving where there is a Mongolian ward and her companion was someone she knew and loved in Mongolia. She was with her the night she got her mission call to Washington D.C.! How crazy is that? If she doesn't extend she will be home the end of April. Keep her in your prayers! I think she is having a hard time adjusting back to America and all the prosperity and the busy-busy attitudes.
     I think that is all for now. Say a little prayer that maybe it won't rain on us and that I won't get left at McDonald's with all the kids again, like last year!

Emmerson Rose

For all of you asking- here are some pictures! Sorry I don't have time to write more!

When the kids come up to visit, they are really excited to see the baby- for about 5 minutes. Then they want to go back to my room and eat cookies and watch SpongeBob.

Fatty cheeks! And her eyes are still a little swollen.

A little present!! All wrapped up and ready to love!

She is super sweet and the nurses said that she is an "angel baby." She likes to eat and sleep! And she seems very cuddly and lovey and happy to be held and rocked, which she is a lot. I'll put more pics on soon if I get some more!