Daddy & Kathryn

Mommy & Kathryn

Kathryn Comes Home

We were in the hospital 48 hrs so I was getting anxious to come home. It is wonderful to be back in our own place. Anika and Andrew are doing really well with Kathryn so far. Having Grandma around to help is priceless.

The Happy Family

Anika and Andrew couldn't wait to meet their new sister. Anika keeps telling me that she was right, "I told you it was a girl." Anika brought a bunny to give to her little sister and both of them were anxious to share their blankies (their most prized possessions!)

Kathryn Grace

She has arrived! Kathryn Grace made her appearance on Tues. May 20th at 4:45 PM. She was 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 inches long. We arrived at the hospital at 10:30 AM after a night of contractions. We are thanking God for a safe, healthy delivery. Since I'm a bit sleep deprived and distracted, I'm not going to be trying to commentate on this next few entries - I'll let the pictures do the talking:-)

Trap Shooting

There is a group of men from Almond Valley CRC who go to the trap shooting range every Sat. Lloyd has enjoyed joining them whenever he can. This Sat. the fellowship committee invited the church to come for a picnic lunch as well. So, we headed out to check it out. It was so amazing to see Daddy - the kids were really impressed.

Mistlin Park

Although we love the sprinkler in our backyard (and will use it frequently once the new baby arrives), we also love to go to Mistlin Park just down the road and enjoy the sprinkler there. I took Mom and the kids during this awful heat and we had a blast. It definitely got busier throughout the day but what do you expect when it is free fun!

At first we had it to ourselves. (Mom and the kids are trying to catch the "jumping" water.)Anika had a great time in the water but also making new friends!Andrew had to be in the thick of it all.

More Sprinkler FUN

We got a special sprinkler toy to keep us cool in the heat. It was 98 degrees in the shade on Sat. Anika loves her goggles and thinks she has mastered the art of "going under water". She is certainly better at taking water in the face but we might have a ways to go before she is ready to dunk her head!

Sipping from the hose:
Andrew's turn to take a sip:

Andrew discovers that he can direct the spray directly at his sister - note the delighted expression on his face!

Grandma's Here!!!!

We're all so excited that my mom is here. I'm delighted to have the help, the kids are delighted by the company, and my very tired husband is happy to have a reprieve from working full-time AND doing so much to help me:-) (Although he hasn't complained a bit. He is a saint!)

So, as you can tell, I'm still waiting for the newest addition to our family. I'm trying to stay busy and distracted:-)

Anika and Andrew are really into gymnastics and sommersaulting right now so Grandma hit the mark with some stretching exercises. (You won't see Mommy doing that right now!!!)Andrew and Grandma share a rare, quiet moment.

Play-Doh

Andrew found the play-doh recently so we spent the morning being creative. Anika and Andrew spent hrs. playing with this stuff. (Why does it have to be so messy? I think creativity requires a certain amount of chaos. . .) Anika was very proud of her "Mom's Day cookies with orange sprinkles".

Heat Wave???

It is beginning to really warm up around here:-) Anika and Andrew continue to enjoy the sprinkler -which is a good thing since it is supposed to be TRIPLE DIGITS here the next few days. (I'm not used to being pregnant in this kind of heat - Anika and Andrew were both Jan. babies. And yes, I'm STILL pregnant!!!)

Anika's idea of sunbathing:-)Daddy's idea of abusing the dog:-) (It is supposed to be Anika's hula skirt cover-up but Lloyd liked it on Scout. Isn't she a patient little beast?)

Sprinkler Fun

I pulled out the sprinkler today and Anika and Andrew had a blast running through it. We need to be careful in this warm CA sun so we wear lots of sunscreen but they LOVED it.

A Blissful Moment

My previous post about impatiently waiting for the newest addition to the family has to be amended. I've had some moments in the last few days where I'm reminded that it is really nice to have just two:-) As my brother-in-law says, going from two to three kids, is like going from man-to-man to zone defense. So, I'm trying to remember to enjoy these moments - I'm going to miss this. . .

Here are Anika and Andrew having a great time munching marbles with Hungry Hippos.

Counting the days. . .

I'm waiting (impatiently) for Wicker #3 to join the fam. The nursery is ready, tiny clothes washed, hair cut short:-), what more do I need!?!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Andrew is notorious for copying Anika. Anything sister does, he has to do too. Well, Anika has been in costume all day today - she is a bride. (She put the hoop from one of her dresses on her head as a veil.) So it should have come as no surprise to us what happened next. After dinner, Anika & Andrew disappeared into her bedroom and sure enough, Andrew soon emerged, with a little help from his sister, as a ballerina.

Jammin'

Anika discovered an old CD player recently and ran to get her favorite CD out of the van. (It is the Raffi CD that Deb VanDuinen sent us ages ago.) I was stunned when Anika put it on and Andrew threw himself on the floor in front of it and listened for 30 mins. (Andrew doesn't even watch TV for 30 mins.) AMAZING! It was so fun for Anika and me to sing the songs, do motions, and watch Andrew's reactions. It has continued to be a hit for the last few days. Lloyd is getting a little sick of the songs, but I can't help but appreciate the joy (and distraction) they bring to my kiddos.

Gettin' Ready for 3

Anika and Andrew were so cute cuddling on the couch with Anika's baby doll that I couldn't resist capturing the image. I think we are all getting ready for the new addition. Andrew is quite excited about babies in general; although, I'm a little fearful of his reaction to this baby in particular. I'm not sure how Andrew will handle getting bumped from the youngest spot. Anika is ready to baby-sit, she tells me. And I'm just ready to have my body back - this third time around has certainly had more than its share of aches, pains, swelling, tiredness, nausea, etc. We are about 2 1/2 weeks away from the due date. I'm trying so hard to be patient:-)