Joseph Mitchel is HERE!

Joseph was born a week early yesterday at 7:24pm. He was a BIG boy weighing in at 9 lbs 11oz and 21 1/2 inches long!! We had him at Nativiti birth center, which was an amazing experience. I really want to share the whole story, but I don't think I'm up to it now. We were able to come home a few hours after the delivery, which ended up being such a blessing. We had a great first night. We went to bed late, but slept great and Joseph just woke up to nurse (actually, I woke him up!) We had some family over today to help and just hang out. Joseph is a good baby and Reece is a great big sister. She has been helping me change diapers and talking up a storm to Joseph. I know she will probably get jealous, but so far she's having a lot of fun with it. It probably helps that both Grandmas have been around a lot, which she loves!

Here's a few pics:

"Punkin" Patch

Reece LOVES "punkins." She has punkin shoes, a punkin shirt, two pumpkin toys, a punkin necklace AND we got 5 small and one big punkin at the punkin patch the other day. Oh, and she's always asking, "Where did punkins go?"

So, Friday, we finally got to go where all the punkins live. Reece was amazed!

There were some mom's taking pictures of their little babies in the pumpkins and I thought it was so cute and EASY because their children didn't move like mine does now! I never knew how hard it was to get a good picture of a almost two year old! She was way too distracted by re-arranging all the pumpkins.

This is Reece moving all the pumpkins around. Hopefully she can get a job there next year :)

I only put this one in so you could see my huge belly!! Only two more weeks to go! (If I'm on time, but I'll probably be late like last time! :) This baby is definitely taking over my body. Bending over to get stuff off the floor is no longer and option. (Good thing I have Reece around to help me!) I'm up every 2-3 hours at night drinking or peeing or making half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or rearranging pillows or getting Daniel to help me with leg cramps. Not that I'm complaining. I think it's more funny than anything. Being pregnant is SO amazing and I'm very thankful for the gift of being able to carry a child. I'm excited about having a baby soon, but I know I'll miss being pregnant. It's such a special time! :)

Reece helping Daddy water the yard (and this was just after Grandmama gave her the punkin shoes, which I now can't get her to wear anything else. I'm not ever sure how I feel about Halloween yet, but I can't deny her of the punkins now...she loves them! )

Mmmmm... making brownies!

Reece having a tea party with all her little punkins. So creative!

Stains

Does anyone know how to get old stains out of car-seat seat belts? Our infant seat has been in the attic for about a year and the stains look so bad!

Update on last post:
Reece kept screaming every time we put her in her big-girl bed for naps and at bed time, so we decided not to rush things. (We even tried buying Dora sheets and a Dora pillow!) We don't want her to totally hate her big girl room and the baby! We still have a few months to move her as the baby will be in our room for awhile.

Thanks for your sweet and encouraging comments.

Oh, Dear...What am I doing??

Today was our first attempt to move Reece into her big girl room with her big girl bed. We have been making a big deal about it for about two weeks now. We have been playing in there, putting things all the wall, and talking it up a lot. So, we all three cuddle in the bed tonight and read a book together. Then, we get Reece all cozy in bed, give her hugs and kisses, and then Daniel turned the light out. Immediately, she starts crying. Oh, yea, I forgot to mention that we left her pacifier in her crib, so it was a lot of change at once. (we tried to take the paci away back in May and it was a huge disaster)

So, we leave her in there, screaming, "mommy, Mommy!" She stayed lying down in her bed, but she just screamed. I felt strong at first, but as each minute passed, I started feeling all these guilty thoughts: Reece is growing up too fast, she's not even two yet, I'm about to totally turn her world upside down with bringing a new baby home, I don't want her to hate her new room, I don't want her to hate the baby, I don't want her to hate ME......


So, I broke down, got the paci out of her crib, and went back into her new room and gave it to her. She was almost asleep immediately, and then I left the room and shut the door, and I hear, "Mommy, Mommy... I want to get in my nigh-night bed!!'' Over and over....

Daniel and I are SOFTIES!! We can't handle it!! Daniel got up and put her back in her old room in the crib with TWO paci's!!! Are we terrible parents? Have we messed everything up now??

Or, maybe I need to lighten up and not worry about the crib or paci or anything right now. Hmmm, I have five weeks until we bring our baby home. It would be really nice to have Reece settled into her new room without the pacifier! Oh that paci... it was so nice when she was a newborn, but now it seems like a curse. Help!! We need advice!!

Anyway, we have been having a lot of fun lately, too. Reece is way into "punkins." She decorated this one and insisted on taking it everywhere for awhile.

Then, we made turkeys with glue, feather, and lots of small body parts. We put them on the window sill to dry, and later I found Reece tearing every little piece off the turkeys. Then she said, "Mommy fix it." So I did... :)

She helped Daddy wash the car and Culby while Mommy finished her walk.
She's almost two, but with all she's doing and saying, you would think she's three!

Mommy at 35 weeks pregnant. Only five more weeks to go! And, only TWELVE more days of work!! I'm going to the midwife every thrusday now. The baby isn't breech anymore!! (we found that out last week). This week we found out that the baby is head down, but facing the wrong way. So, now I have to try doing another position to see if I can make this baby move. (Over a month ago when we found out the baby was breech, they had me lie in this really uncomfortable position every day to try to turn the baby, and it worked!) So, hopefully it will work this time, too.

Lots of Love!!
This was taken right at the part: "POP goes the weasel!"

Enjoying the nice evening weather!