A Day Destined for Quinn

Yes, May 7 was the day destined for our baby girl's arrival.  We were planning induction for that day since I had good progress and I was ready for our newest little lady to make her appearance for many reasons.  It's always nice to have things somewhat planned, too when there is a big sister to consider care for.

Honey and PP made their way to Austin on Monday afternoon to be here with Reese while we headed to the hospital at 5:30 the next morning.  Not sure why, but I decided I should eat the same meal as I did the night before Reese was born, so we all dined on Pei Wei takeout on the deck.  Bedtime routine with Reese was done before 9, and I was in bed by 9:30 since I knew it would be a long day on Tuesday.  Little did I know it was going to be much longer than I had anticipated.

I think I finally dozed off around 10:30 that night and was up at 12:30 am for a bathroom break and some contractions.  I'd experienced a lot of Braxton Hicks throughout the majority of my pregnancy and these seemed about the same, but quickly things began to progress.  I played a few mind games with myself wondering if I should call the doc, go in early, etc since I was already scheduled for that day.  I realized that I was not going to be going back to sleep so I decided to take a long hot shower and get ready for the day, because what I DID know is that I was going to have a baby that day and I might as well TRY to look and feel fresh.

By the time we left for the hospital around 3:30 am, I was having contractions every 5 minutes or so and it was PAINFUL.  We were already about 5 minutes from the house when I realized I'd forgotten my purse, so we had to go back because I figured I would need my DL for paperwork etc.  The ride was pretty miserable.

After going to a few wrong doors because of the hour, we finally made in to L&D and into a room.  I was already a 6! By the time I got my epidural I was an 8 and so incredibly relieved that now I could rest a bit.

After a mere 5 minutes of pushes, our newest little lady, Quinn Mae had arrived at 8:41 am, weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long  My first thoughts were how much she looked like JP and how much she looked like Reese when she was born.

We are smitten with the newest member of Team Parker!

I've Joined the Club

Yep, I'm there plus 2 weeks. I joined th 30 club on March 28. The day came on the third day of back and forth business trips to San Antonio, so the day itself was low key, but I did get to enjoy some of my fave sushi for dinner.

But then came the weekend. Several weeks earlier JP had suggested we get everyone together for crawfish to celebrate. Sounded like the perfect idea to me and the perfect way to celebrate my Dirty Thirty.

It was a ball of a time being with friends and family. And the crawfish and beer was delish and the perfect companion for enjoying the backyard on the summer-like day. (if only it would stay thar temp through summer)

Love.It.

Pretty sure this is my little lady giving me a high five after I tried to pretend like I was 21 again.

So what happens now? Eating a little better, working out a little harder and wrinkle cream, right? All those things might be needed, but Praising the Lord for another wonderful year and looking forward to what He has in store for me for the next 30 is what I'm thinking about. It's a beautiful life...bring it 30!

A Fine Photo

We had a little Dirty 30 celebration on Saturday (more to come), and my talented brother-in-law captured this image of Miss Reese.  She fit right in with the theme with a little dirt on the face and dress, but in my opinion, this photo wouldn't be the same without it.  Thanks, Matt!

Don't You Just Love Lists?

And here I am...still stuck in 2011--on the blog, at least.  So to catch up REALLY QUICK and get into 2012, I'm going to make a list.  Don't you just love lists?

1.  We had a great trip to the ranch just before Christmas and JP got a deer...yay! that we have a freezer stocked again!

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

Not intended for human use...Reese's doll stroller is still intact...BARELY!

2.  We celebrated JP's birthday with lots of fried goodness (pickles and mac& cheese). I also made red velvet cake balls--I've made several flavors now and I'm totally into them!  They are easy, tasty and the perfect size.

YUMMY!

3.  I'm now trying to work off all the fun I had eating fried food, candy, cookies, etc.  Not easy, but I sure did have fun getting to this point.

4.  Reese totally embraced Christmas and all it had to offer this year.  She is really enjoying her tea cart and tea sets, new kitchen and all the wonderful food to go in it!

5.  Christmas with the Parker's was quite hilarious with 4 kids ages 1-5 opening gifts...we probably could have charged for tickets because it was pretty close to a Ringling Bros. affair.

6.  Reese still asks about Chippey every other day or so...she really misses him, but knows that he is in the North Pole with Santa helping get ready for next year.

I hope this new year is safe and prosperous for us all!  2011...OUT.

Wishing a Very Merry Christmas to All

Wow! The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season has been in full force since....well...just after Thanksgiving.  Getting the house decorated, shopping for friends and family, sitting on Santa's lap, daily conversations with Chippey, a trip to the ranch, now back in Austin and another trip planned to Brenham before it's all over with.

It is a very festive time of the year.  All because many many years ago, away in a manger because there was no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head and our Lord and Savior was born!  Merry CHRISTmas!

Celebrating 106 Years

We headed to the ranch this past weekend to celebrate a very special lady's 106th birthday.  Yes, you heard correctly 106 YEARS!  Aunt Cornelia's birthday is actually a week and a half away, but with other scheduling conflicts, this was the weekend to celebrate.  And, you know you have to celebrate when it's something like 106 years!

As I mentioned in my post about her last year, she did not have any children, so her nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great-great, and so on are like her children!  About 35 of us gathered at the ranch to celebrate this past weekend and what a beautiful day it was!  Aunt C arrived from San Angelo a little after 10 am and didn't leave until 4:30 in the afternoon...I think she was pooped!

Of course, it's always great to see her and celebrate with her, but an event like this also brings lots of cousins we don't get to see very often.  I think Reese grew up a bit this weekend.  She had to run with the big dogs, and I mean that literally.  They were pushing her little walker around and Reese was literally running behind it trying to keep up and laughing the whole way!  The great thing about the new Lodge at Schulz Ranch are the large open spaces to get up and go!

And Aunt C loved every minute of being with Miss Reese.  She couldn't take her eyes off her and really got a kick out of her being an "endless pit".  It's so fun watching the interaction between them and remembering their age difference.

So, I'll leave you with the chorus from the song that was written for at her 90th birthday celebration, which is a true testament to how special this lady is to her family and really everyone who knows her.

Aunt Cornelia, we're here to say we love you

Your cheerful ways and kindness warm our hearts
You know we're thinking of you, we celebrate your life
And we say Happy Birthday now to you,
God's blessings too!