I’ve been meaning to take photos of the shirts I got for the kids in California. I wasn’t so sure about this shirt for Eden at first, but Joelene pointed out that since almost every photo I take of Eden is a grumpy one, that really this shirt is very appropriate.

And of course she really likes it, if only because it’s extremely pink.

I was just happy to find any black shirt for Honor. I have the hardest time finding clothes for little boys that don’t have teddy bears on them. I’m not really into the sports thing, so I’ve tried to limit the amount of baseball shirts he has. It’s not really easy to do. Luckily, I can usually at least find some cammo stuff, but there’s only so much cammo a boy can wear. Since dressing a boy isn’t nearly as fun as dressing a girl anyway, I just want to at least like what he’s wearing. I’m picky, it’s sort of silly, I know, but you have to admit, he’s pretty dern cute.

“Aren’t you glad that you did your chores and got your Dora toy?”

“Mmm, hmm!”

“But you know that you still have to do chores.”

Jaw drops open, “But I finished my chart!”

“Do you like to live here?”

“Yes, silly.”

“Everyone who lives here has to do chores.”

“But mom…”

Yesterday Eden walked out of the bathroom and said to me, “Mom, my butt just exploded.”

Later on that day the light bulb burned out in the bathroom and she came and told me, “Mom, the batteries died in the bathroom.”

First let me say that these photos are taken with my new Nikon D50. I got an AMAZING deal on ebay for it brand new, with a Nikon case. And before I spend this whole post gushing about my new camera, I’ll move on to the birthday pictures.

She wanted a pony cake and a pony cake she got. Fancy.

They had a torturous time waiting until it was time to eat the cake.

She named this groovy girl after my mom. Note the 40 dollar car in the background. At least she’s still playing with it.

I woke up on the 11th at about 8am to what I can only describe as a rush of water. I remember reaching down to check if anything was wet, and when I realized nothing was, I figured that it was just a dream. When I stood up the water all rushed out. I was soaked. Jim had been laid off from his job two weeks before, so he was in the basement working on his computer. I yelled down at him and he came up to see that my water broke. We were both so excited, we knew that this was the real deal.

I took my time getting ready and packing for the hospital. I wasn’t contracting, but barely having cramps. When we got there, the midwife checked me and told me my options. The baby needed to be out within 18 hours of my water breaking or there would be a risk of infection and I’d have to be on antibiotics. She wanted to go ahead and induce labor at that point, but I was determined to not be induced. We decided that we’d go home and try to get labor going and meet her back at the hospital at 5pm if nothing was happening by then.

We walked and walked and walked. Nothing happened. We sat and watched a stupid movie. I was just not going into labor. So I finally decided that I didn’t want to wait until 5pm and we headed back to the hospital around 2 or 3. My midwife put some gel on my cervix. It sucked, I had to stay laying down on the bed for an hour. Labor started, but it wasn’t anything productive. The contractions were coming, but they weren’t progressing. I think it was finally around 8 or 9pm when I gave in and decided that I would go to the next step of induction. She put a 1/4 of a pill called cytotec on my cervix. Then was when the contractions started really coming.

I got in the hot tub for awhile. The contractions started to get really bad. After having Honor and knowing how fast I labored, I think that at this point things would have gone really fast. But not knowing that, and thinking that I had hours to go, I requested some IV medication. It knocked me out, but didn’t do anything for the pain. It probably slowed things down, but I think it was enough that I could finally sleep between contractions.

Sometime after midnight, the nurse came in to tell me that I could probably have another dose of the medication. She decided to check me first. I remember the amazing relief I felt when she told me, “You’re ready to push!” She called the midwife who had gone home to sleep for awhile. Everyone was so surprised that I was pushing already. And push I did, for over an hour. I was still so out of it from the drugs that I actually fell asleep between pushes. At one point, someone exclaimed, “I think she’s asleep.” It woke me up and I said, “I was dreaming about Bill Clinton.”

Eden was finally born at 1:41 am, Feb. 12. The midwife let Jim help deliver her and when she was almost out, she told me to pull her out. I pulled her onto my chest and she started crying. I remember being so relieved that she was out that I didn’t even ask what sex she was. My mom finally asked, “What is it!?” Jim checked and said, “it’s a girl!”

She was born with the grumpy face.

It still seems like it just happened, and it was four years ago. She’s gotten so big.

I can’t imagine what my life would be like without my little peanut. She has completely changed our lives, I love waking up to her little grumpy face every day. (And I’ll have to remember that when I tell her to do something and she replies, “Whatever.”)

I’m pausing from my “sword” fight with Honor with plastic knives (how safe is that?) to post a few pictures.

First! I woke up this morning to big, fat snowflakes! They’re still coming down!

I just finished knitting this Ballet Tee from Loop d Loop and I whipped up some little leg warmers to match with the leftover yarn. I added a garter stitch border at the hem and also picked up stitches and added a border for the neckline too. Does anyone know the washing instructions for Cotton Fleece?

Eden was none too pleased to be modeling for me today, hence the grumpy face.

EDIT: I forgot the most important part, a big FAT thank you to Leanne for the yarn! You’re such a sweetie!!!

Me: “Eden, are you glad that you were obedient and got your car?”
Eden: “Yes.”
Me: “Do you like your car?”
Eden: “Yes.”
Me: “Do you think you’ll keep being obedient?”
long pause
Eden: “Mmmmm…. Maybe.”

I had a long talk with Eden before she layed down for her rest yesterday. And when she got up, she told me that she “thinked” about it and she’s going to try and get her star tomorrow. I asked her, “So you’re going to be a big girl?” “Yes, when it gets dark and then it gets light again. In the morning.” “So will you say your verse?” “Yes, in the morning.” “Why don’t you say your verse now?” “No, I can’t. Sometimes girls just like to wait to say things until tomorrow.”

So it seems that bribing motivating Eden is not going to work. For a few days it worked, she has four stars on her calendar, and now, she just doesn’t care. I’m not really sure where to go from here. Usually she is so passive and obedient, but when she gets something in her head, she will not budge.

When I was talking to Jim about my frustration, he just said, “You’re underestimating the Jim in her.” And while I can SO see that, it doesn’t help. Our biggest fight with her is always when we want her to say something. She won’t say, “Thank You.” or she’s supposed to be memorizing a memory verse for my mom who does Bible school with her every week. She knows the verse, but she won’t say it. This is the kid who I have to ask to stop talking once in awhile just for a moment of peace.

sigh.

Weren’t they supposed to come with user guides? Maybe I lost mine at the hospital when she was born.

I’ve been having the most terrible time with Eden lately. She’s been in this phase where she thinks she can’t do anything for herself. We’re talking things that I know she can do for herself, like getting dressed. So, in a moment of desperation I tried bribery. I told her that if she could be big girl and do things for herself for a whole week, that I’d buy her a new groovy girl. She said that she wanted the groovy girl car and I said fine (little did I know the car cost FORTY dollars, eeesh!)

I printed her out a calendar and taped a picture of the car on it and she gets a star every day that she can be a big girl. This means no significant fits or that she straightens up after a gentle reminding about her car. So far it’s working fantastically, she’s got two stars on her calendar. Motivation is a powerful thing. And mommy has learned that she shouldn’t promise toys until she realizes how much they cost!