Theresa and her brothers

 Theresa is very loved by her big brothers. Stephen is always eager to hold her and likes helping her when she's crying. He puts his hands on her, and she'll usually stop crying. I can tell that she recognizes Stephen's voice because she always looks at him when he's near her. Stephen likes being my helper when I'm changing her diaper. The cutest thing is when he holds her hand in the car.

Paul likes sticking her pacifier in her mouth. He insists on calling her "Rose." He's not as interested in holding her, but he does like knowing where she is. We're working on gentle touches. His favorite is rubbing her head. I know he will be a great big brother.

2 years old!

Happy 2nd birthday, Paul! He is such a happy little boy and brings joy to everyone around him. We had a train party the day before his birthday. He always gets very excited when a "choo-choo" goes by on the tracks behind our house or when we see a train anywhere. Here are some things I want to remember about Paul as a 2-year-old.

*Paul LOVES his big brother and little sister. He can usually be found doing whatever Stephen is doing. As much as he likes playing with him, Paul is also very good at pushing Stephen's buttons. He will take toys away, push or bite him, or even tackle him if he is upset. Paul calls Theresa "Rose" and just points at Stephen.

*He enjoys looking at pictures of his family members and will point and name everyone.

*His imagination is really developing. He has fun pretending to play basketball and baseball. He will also pretend to be a puppy or a tiger.

*Paul is a big fan of reading books, by himself or with mommy or daddy. His favorites include any books about trucks, "Slam Dunk," and animal books.

*He has a stuffed tiger that always goes to bed with him. He holds onto it by the tag around its neck. Paul is also still attached to his pacifier. He asks for it by pointing his finger in his mouth.

*His vocabulary is building everyday. I can usually understand what he is talking about. His favorite word is definitely "why."

*Stephen and Paul both like to be "Father." They are frequently seen holding books up and walking around like a priest does at Mass. Paul likes pointing out crosses and Jesus. He has started repeating random words he hears during Mass. This morning he heard the priest mention St. Paul. Paul looked at me and said, "Paul!"

"Paul loves playing outside. He likes riding bikes, playing baseball, and digging in the dirt.

We love you, Paul!

"Happy birthday, dear Paul!"

Blowing out his candles

Yay for grandparents!

I'm so grateful for my parents. They came the day after Theresa was born and stayed for a week. Stephen and Paul loved having them here. I did too! They were a huge help as we began our adjustments to a family of 5.

Napping with Grandpa

Playing baseball

Stephen takes his turn as catcher.

Our best effort at a picture with all 3 kids

It's a girl!

After having two babies during the 37th week of pregnancy, I was definitely anticipating another early birth. I started having what I thought might be contractions on the morning of Monday, April 28, so I started keeping track of them. By lunchtime, they were about 4-6 minutes apart. After I got the boys down for their naps, I called the doctor's office. The nurse said I should head to the hospital so they could check things out. Unfortunately, Dr. W was out that day. I called Steve and Grandma Rose. Then I finished packing and cleaned up around the house a bit. Steve got home around 2:00 and Grandma Rose got here around 2:30. We arrived at the hospital at about 3:00 and got checked in. Finally, after all the usual pre-delivery questions and checks, at 5:00 Dr. L said we would be having a baby that evening. I walked into the operating room at 5:20. Steve had the privilege of standing up and announcing, "It's a girl!" Theresa Rose was born at 5:51 pm. I got to see her before she was cleaned up.

Our first look at our baby girl

Steve went over with her to watch her get cleaned up and weighed. He also got to finish cutting the umbilical cord. Then he brought her over to me before heading to the recovery room.

Daddy cuts the umbilical cord.

I joined them at 6:27 pm. After getting situated, I was able to nurse her right away, and she ate like a champ. We started making our phone calls to announce her birth. Steve headed out to pick up the boys and Grandma Rose. I was wheeled to my room around 8:00 and the boys got there shortly after that. Stephen and Paul were both a little confused by Mommy being in bed and weren't too sure what to think of their baby sister.

Grandma and Grandpa G arrived Tuesday afternoon and were very eager to meet their new granddaughter.

Steve brought the boys over after naptime. They were much more excited to see their little sister.

We also did FaceTime with Megan and her kids. They were very excited to see their new cousin. I used some of the down time in the hospital to take some pictures.

We were able to leave Wednesday afternoon. Theresa wasn't overly thrilled about her car seat. We are ready to begin our transition to a family of 5.

37 weeks pregnant

I'm now 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Baby continues to be very active and is now head down after being breech at my ultrasound last week. We're about as prepared as we can be. Bags are packed, car seat is in the car, fridge and freezer are full, and laundry is caught up. We do need to agree on a boy name. Now we just wait for baby to decide it's time to come. I'm under orders from my family that baby can't arrive until after Monday afternoon. Clare has a dance recital on Saturday that my parents are planning to attend, and my dad is needed to work on Monday. Any time after that is fine with them. :) We'll see what baby has to say about that. Stephen is still very insistent that it's a baby brother. His name suggestion is "Crucifix." Thank gooodness we're not leaving it up to him. :)

As apprehensive as I am about adding a third blessing to our family, I'm excited to meet this little one and embrace the grace and joy he/she will bring us!

37 weeks

34 weeks

We've made it to 34 weeks, 3 days. If baby is like his/her big brothers, he/she could arrive in just 3 short weeks! Or, since I'm planning on an early arrival, he/she will probably decide to wait until the scheduled c-section on May 8. I'm slowly getting things crossed off my to do list. Next up is to pack the hospital bag. Baby is still very active throughout the day. I've think I've actually been getting the best sleep of any of my pregnancies. My hips haven't been bothering me which is a definite positive. Trying to enjoy all the sleep while I can. Stephen has now decided that baby is a baby brother. I have a feeling he will be excited regardless of the gender. Paul loves to say "baby" and kiss my belly. Hopefully, he will be okay with sharing mommy with baby.

For fun, I thought I'd do a baby bump comparison. I think I'm bigger with this baby.

Our little hoopster

Stephen is quite the basketball fan. He loves watching it and playing it. He is also quite adept with the vocabulary of the game. He's frequently heard saying "Foul," "Free throw," "pass," "dribble," "jump shot," "defense," "slam dunk," and "shoot." When he plays he will often fall to the ground and say he was fouled. Daddy has taught him to aim for the square on his basket, so he gets quite excited when he hits the square. Stephen is a good little left-handed dribbler. He can even dribble and move at the same time! He is a very attentive fan when we watch basketball on tv or in person. He will clap and yell as any good fan would. Stephen loves going to watch basketball at St. Louis (where Steve referees) because after the last game he gets to go on the gym floor and play. I'm excited to see how our little basketball player does as he grows up. 

Watching basketball with Daddy at St. Louis

Playing basketball with Paul in the hallway