Nathan and I greeted and second daughter into the world! She was born Monday morning at 6:05. Her measurements are 6 lbs 14 oz and 19 1/2 inches. And of course as beautiful as ever! :o) My labor went really well. It was a little shorter than Ruthie's but only by a couple hours, but it felt like it went a lot faster. I was really impatient these last few weeks. Because Ruthie was ten days early I had it in my head that as soon as I hit 38 weeks I would go straight into labor. When that didn't happen I grew even more impatient. Sadly even though I was feeling these things I knew that I was being really silly because most women go at least to their due date if not over and here I am throwing a fit because I couldn't have my baby early. :o) Then on Friday I went to my prenatal appointment and found out that I was dilated 3 cm. So that gave me hope that it would probably be sometime this weekend, since being dilated 4 cm means you are in active labor. Then Sunday evening at six I started out having contractions that actually gave me some pain. Before I would have some braxten hicks but they didn't hurt and only happened once or twice. I had about three during church but didn't trust them because they weren't extremely painful and I thought I was just being overly hopeful. Mom and dad asked us to Dairy Queen and since I had two there Dad started timing them for us. They were coming about ten minutes apart. That seemed pretty definite that I was in labor,and Ruthie went with Mom and Dad so we didn't have to wake her up during the middle of the night. Nathan and I timed contractions for about an hour and then I fell asleep and slept tell 2:30. Finally I had contractions five minutes apart for an hour and they were starting to feel alittle different so we went to the hospital about 4:30 am. They measured me at 6 cm which was disappointing because these contractions were pretty intense. They seemed much more intense then with Ruth. But I went from 6 cm to fully dilated in about and hour then pushed for twenty minutes and we had our Phoebe! YAYAY! The only frustrating thing is that with all the H1N1 security Ruthie can't come see her sister :o( But we will see her tomorrow and see how she does. She loves her Grandmama and her Papa so she isn't even missing us I don't think. Miss Phoebe is a great baby so far. Nursing great and sleeping great. Hopefully that will continue. :o)

Last night for some reason my body decided to wake me up at about three thirty. Since I was wide awake I decided to read some. At some point I hear Ruthie whimpering and calling for me. When I got in to her room I couldn't tell what was wrong. Finally as she tried to turn her head toward me I realize that her hand was connected to her head and she couldn't get it loose. When I look closer I see that she had twirled her thumb in her hair so tightly that she couldn't get it free. Ruthie was still half asleep and upset, and since I was holding her I couldn't get it free. I was actually thinking that I was going to have to cut her hair (which I really didn't want to do). So I had to wake up Nathan and he was able to work her thumb out of the knot she had worked it in. hahaha I still chuckle when I think about it. I have never seen something like that before. Never even thought it could happen. (So just in case this is not as funny to others as it is to me, this is my funny story :o)

My other story has to do with Ruthie too of course because she really is all I have to talk about:o) She has had a stuffy nose all week. To help her sleep we spray saline solution in her nose before she goes to bed. As anyone who has used saline solution knows, it isn't exactly a pleasant experience. So I can understand that she fights me tooth and nail when I try to squirt it up her nose. This weekend she spent the night with mom and dad and I took the saline solution so she would sleep better for them. This morning my mom told me that not only did Ruthie NOT fight her, she actually put the nozzle up her own nose for my mom!! I don't think this is fair at all. And when I express my thoughts to my mom she said that we are always grumpiest with the people we love most. Which made me think of course about how true that really is, with everyone. First it made me realize again (I keep forgetting this) that babies and children have the exact feelings, emotions, and reactions(good and bad) as adults but adults can either hide it better or for some reason it is more accepted with adults. Second and this one kind of goes along but it made me realize how I treat those I love the most with much less courtesy then even strangers who I will only see once in my life. I make especially Nathan put up with the worst side of me because I know that he can't technically go anywhere, he has to take it. This is a sad way to think. Why not treat these people the best because you love them so much. Wow sometimes children really make you think about things and they sure teach you alot! :o)

Friday night mom and dad had Ruthie stay over to give Nathan and I a date night. So we decided to go to a movie. I love the twilight series and since that movie just came out we decided to see that one. So first we went to the Bolivar theater so catch it. Of course there was a huge line and it ended up that it wasn't just for the 7:10 showing that we were trying to get to but also that the later one was completely sold out too. Since I really wanted to see this movie (just for support of the book because lets be honest the first one was awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Nathan the wonderful husband that he is took me to springfield where we knew there would be more than one showing. When we got there at about eight we could only get tickets to the 10:30 showing which we deicded to do. However the cashier told us that we needed to be there at least an hour early if we wanted a good seat. Then he pointed to the extremely full lobby and said that this line already formed was for the 10:00 showing. We had the mind set of already commited to seeing this movie so we rushed to eat and then went to target to get some magazines to help the hour before getting seated pass. Nathan thought we needed to get some type of twilight clothing to actually fit in with the crowd in line. We were just two old fogies in line with over excited teenagers. So finally we got through the movie, which was aleast better than the first one but that is about all I can say about it, Nathan and I got into the car and made our way home. Both of us need some sugar to be awake. Then as we got into our house at 2:00 AM we both agreed that we were just too old to do something like that again. Expecially when the movie isn't going to be anywhere near worth it. :o) Man, I rememeber when I could go to the midnight showing (which I have done several times) get home and could be at work at eight the next morning like it was nothing at all. I don't know if it is having a child or if I am just getting older or what it is but I sure can't go without sleep like I use to. :o) I like sleep I want sleep!

Well we just experienced Ruthie's first sickness. Which is guess is pretty impressive that in all eighteen months of her life all she has had is one stuff nose. But the streak ended last weekend. She had a fever all weekend that ranged from 101 to almost 103. Nathan and I we kind of worried about her naturally. She got it from one of her "cousins" who we pick up from preschool most days. They were both sick at the same time, so we are pretty sure it was the same thing. It was interesting because Chris called and said that Zach was running a fever and they took him to the doctor and they just wanted to warn us to watch Ruthie and myself (since the whole low immune system because of pregnancy). Right after we got off the phone Ruthie fell asleep in her high chair in the middle of lunch which is really abnormal for her. When I felt her she was of course warm and by golly she had a fever. In all reality she went through it was a great attitude. She was extremely fussy or anything just really lathargic. She would just lay down with Nathan and I and zone out as the tv was going. She NEVER does that! She get bored with it in about a minute and is up and down and all around say "mommmy mommy mommy mommmy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy." We were worried that she would get a really high temp during the night so we would wake her up and take her temp and give her some more medicene, poor girl. I think she is still recuperating because last night she slept for 13 hours.(kinda nice because it ment that I would sleep in but kind abnormal too.) About two days after the last of her fever her skin broke out and was all blotchy. Luckily it didn't bother her at all and the doctor said it was just something that sometimes happen with viral infections and it would go away on its own. I felt bad for Nathan though because with the rash came he was out of town and couldn't come and be with his baby girl. We were thankful that it didn't turn out to serious. She is basically back to her old self yelling mommy twenty million times and she walks around the house following me. :o)

Luckily neither Nathan or I have shown any signs of getting this fever, and hopefully it will stay that way. Oh and exactly three more months and we will get to meet this new person. I am excited! Nathan kind of has a feeling it is going to be a boy this time, but I think it is going to be another girl. Of course with Ruth I though she was going to be a boy and Nathan thought she was going to be a girl and he ended up right! I guess we will see if he can be right again or not.:o)

I have a firm belief that Ruthie is going to enjoy animals. From the time that she could focus on a dog or cat she has reacted positivly. My dad's dog even helped her start scooting around. She wanted to get to Mini so badly that it was enough to motivate her more than her toys. At home she can hear our cat and dog in the back room during the day and points and says "meow meow, arff arff" and would love to go back there if I would let her. If sophie is around (our dog) she has to try and go pet her. At Grandmama and Grandpa's she helps grandmama with her goats, chickens, geese, rabbits, cats, and dog. She just thinks the world of the animals. Sometimes she will stand by the glass door making animal sounds and has started to say "here goats" all garbbled of course. I am actually amazed that she doesn't seem really scared of them at all. She doesn't particularly like it when they get in her face. But really who can blame her, I wouldn't like a dog ten times bigger them me in my face either :o) But my dad tells me that my sibblings and I were terrified of anything non human so I guess she must have got it from Nathan. Her favorite I think is cats. She has a cat stuffed animal that she carries with her all the time and she goes around singing the "Meow Meow" song (which much to my joy her grandmother taught her). It is all extemely cute.

Oh and I can feel our newest addition moving around now! I love that feeling! It is amazing being able to feel kicks and turning. I have my ultrasound on friday and am really excited about seeing our new baby.