She is here!

Olivia Grace West
January 21st, 2010
12:08pm
9 lbs. 4 oz.

We are so in love with her...

After a slow start to the labor, Olivia arrived very quickly causing the entire delivery room to jump into action. She is perfect! She has the softest most kissable cheeks you can imagine. She has hardly been put down since she arrived. Her siblings could not be happier to have her here, well maybe Gabriella--but she is getting used to her. We are just not sure what we will do when Aunt Christy leaves. Is is bad to pray for a huge snowstorm so she gets snowed in with us?

We feel very blessed.

Samantha's Birthday

January seems to be a good month for us to have children! We were able to celebrate Samantha's birthday this month too! Samantha is such a precious little girl! I could have 2 dozen kids if they were all as sweet as her. No offense to my other kids, but anyone that knows Samantha knows that she is very easy:) She is a great student and friend at school. She is becoming a great reader this year and has always been really great with numbers. She started gymnastics this year and is doing great. You should see this girl climb the rope and flip herself around on the bar--she is SO strong. She could beat anyone in a push up contest. She is a wonderful sister, Gabriella especially looks to Samantha to play with her. I just feel so lucky to have Samantha in our family.
She is only 3 1/2 in this picture--with her favorite thing---Duckies!
3 1/2 with her doll "baby named 2"--yes that was really what she called her:)
3 with her big sister
4 1/2 playing with Joshua

273 DAYS

Why is it that I have been pregnant for 273 days and it has seemed to go pretty fast. But, these last 7 days until the baby's due date seem to last 3 times that long. I am just entering the "I am going to be pregnant FOREVER!" stage. I try to remind myself that I have felt this way with every pregnancy and-- in fact-- I have not been pregnant forever. My first baby is 11 so I know it is not true. If only the floor was not so far away. When I drop something it makes me want to cry. And if only getting shoes on was not such a test of my acrobatics, I might not be in such a hurry. But, I am anxious to meet this little girl.

Please remind me of this post a couple of weeks from now when I am so sleep deprived and I can't even remember where my shoes are.

You would think after 4 babies I would remember that they are so much easier to take care of when they are in rather than out:)

7 more days...

Mariah is 11!!!

Our little buggy is 11! I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I could not ask for a sweeter girl and I am so glad she belongs to our family. She is an amazing big sister and is very talented in pretty much anything she tries to do. Mariah is a great student and a terrific friend. Mariah finds happiness out of everything is life. She still thinks that the best way to get from one place to another is to do a cartwheel. I thought she would be tired of this travel method by now, but it is not to be. Hopefully she will be doing cartwheels for many more years to come! We love you Mariah and hope 11 is the best year yet!!!!

Mariah at 10 1/2
Mariah at 10 1/2
Mariah at 10
Mariah at 5--she was such a good big sister to baby Joshua!