And then there were five

Our beautiful new addition has arrived! Cate Lucia Douglas came into the world on 01/11/10 at 3:11 in the morning. She weighed 6 lbs, 12 oz, and was 18.5 inches long. Once again we barely made it to the hospital. We knew with my history of fast labors it would be quick, but Cate sure did take the cake. Labor was only 40 minutes. When we got to the hospital (in 15 min), I was already 10 cm dilated. Yikes! At least the process was quick and we're all doing great! Also, the girls got to see their sister come into the world (we knew there'd be no time to wait for someone to come and watch them, or for us to drop them off).

Conrad and I are in awe over how beautiful she is and couldn't be happier with another baby. Hmm...did we say we'd stop at 3? ;-) Bronwen and Ava are in love with their little sister and are already great helpers.

Some surprising things...Bronwen has really changed with her new role in only a day. It is amazing to see her with Cate. She loves nothing more than to cuddle Cate (which Cate loves to do!) and help take care of her. "Mom, I think Cate is hungry." "Mom, can I help change her diaper? Only if it's not poop though." "Mom, I burped Cate." Ava is definitely in a more enamored state. "Awww, her ears are so tiny." "Can I put Cate's hat on her?" "Cate is so cute." I think she thinks of Cate more like a real doll. :-)

Conrad and I are doing really well too. We're remembering to take it easy on one another (yes, it's only been 4 years since Ava was born, but there's still something about a newborn's cry that makes you hop to it!), and to enjoy this precious time. As we've seen, babies grow so fast. Cate does make it easy to enjoy her though, as she is pretty cute!

Thank you for all of the well-wishes from family and friends who have come together to celebrate with us, and to offer help.

Love you all,

Conrad, Michelle, Bronwen, Ava and Cate

<6 Weeks Left

Well the reality of having one more little girl is hitting me as I am seemingly growing bigger every day. My maternity shirts are turning into short midriff tees, I've had to say bye-bye to a few maternity jeans, and my maternity overalls are at their last expansion button. I hope Cate comes soon or else you will be seeing me out in public in Conrad's pajama bottoms! Hee-hee! So far everything is still going well. My blood pressure is that of an athlete's and I'm having a great time with Conrad and the girls preparing for the holidays. I hope everyone who reads this has a beautiful Christmas and a happy, healthy, enriching New Year.

Love,

Michelle

Cougar Mtn. Zoo Reindeer Festival

The air was a crisp 37 degrees and Christmas decorations were already up in the house. All that was missing was our annual visit to Santa. What better of a way to see him than at his very own WA house? Conrad, the girls and I were off!

Each year the Cougar Mtn. Zoo holds a Reindeer Festival. It's only 15 minutes from our house, but it would be worth the drive if you're farther out. The girls got to feed Santa's reindeer, write a letter at Santa's Post Office (and mail it), talk to Santa, have hot chocolate and sit on hay bales while listening to an elf read a Christmas story, and enjoy seeing a few other animals (tigers, kangaroos, cranes, lemurs). Luckily it was sunny when we went (although very cold). It was a perfect way to start off the Christmas festivities!

Less than 8 weeks left! :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bronwen and Ava have always been my little chefs when it comes to baking, but today their skills went to a whole new level! They helped me wash the turkey, mix the turkey basting -even went to our garden to pick fresh Rosemary- and they stuffed it with vegetables. For the sweet potatoes, they measured and poured all of the ingredients (butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, milk, and their favorite, marshmellows). Bronwen even made the rolls and gravy while Ava was sleeping. She also picked out the wine glasses and filled them with apple cider. We had a few other side dishes that I took care of earlier in the morning, which made for a very filling meal. All in all Thanksgiving was a success thanks to my beautiful family!

Ava's Fourth Birthday

We cannot believe our little mouse is four! On her actual birthday I took the girls to McDonald's to get Happy Meals, then to The Bouncy Place (an indoor play area with many inflatable jumpers). We had an awesome time and topped off the day with a great dinner and cake. Since her birthday was in the middle of the week, we had her party this past Saturday and had a wonderful time! We got to see our good friends from Dupont, a few kids from Ava's preschool class, and one of Bronwen's classmates. In other words, we had a great turnout! Happy birthday Ava, Momma and Dadda love you so much!

A whirlwind of events during the last few weeks!

I have a lot of catching up to do on our blogsite! :-)

A few weeks ago my sisters came up from OR to help me decorate Cate's bedroom. We headed to Ikea and came out with fabulous curtains, light fixtures and an easel for the girls. The rest of the day was spent eating pizza, listening to music (haha Conrad and Bianca!) and painting artwork to hang in Cate's room. I definitely felt great after marking these things off of my to-do list. Ironically, this visit prompted another major to-do...

Since we found out about the pregnancy, Conrad and I debated whether or not to trade my beloved Mercedes for a more functional SUV. We didn't really want to spend more money on a car, and even tried to convince ourselves that there was enough room in the backseat after switching the girls to booster seats. The final straw was the trip coming home from Ikea. There my sisters and I were, with the girls, and our purchases, completely squished together. Bianca, my youngest sister, who was sitting between Bronwen and Ava, was sitting with a curtain rod literally 1 cm away from her head. It felt like clowns were going to come out of the car after we got home. Conrad and I talked and decided that it was time -the Mercedes had to go. In its place is "Shady Sparkles Douglas", our Jeep Commander. It has 7 seats, DVD, nav, etc., and most importantly 4 wheel drive. Now I can sleep at night knowing that we will be able to get to the hospital in time even if it's snowing!

Other news, the girls and I have been busy with a lot of cute Fall arts and crafts, they began dance lessons again two weeks ago, and I reached 25 weeks into my pregnancy. We've had a great time this season, and I'm looking forward to what Winter will bring!