Since it’s Conan here writing, you’re going to get the basics. Melissa will fill in with the whole story later, I’m sure.
Name: Evangeline Elizabeth Heiselt
DOB: 29 Oct 2008
Time of arrival: 10:54 PM EST
Gender: girl
Weight: 6 lbs. 4 oz.
Length: 19 3/4 inches
Cuteness level: High
Be sure to click on the Read More… link below to see more pictures and a video.
So, with 2 weeks left to go, people are always asking me… "What are you still doing here?" and "Haven’t you popped that baby out yet??!" Um thanks, but I’ve still got some time to go, though I appreciate your crude concern. Their comments are no doubt due to my size, and elevation… er, lack thereof? I carry very low anyway, so when I drop it just looks dangerous, apparently.
In fact, at the last exam, my midwife informed me that our little girl is so engaged that she couldn’t even feel the head. Or the neck. And only a little slope of the shoulders. But does that mean birthing is eminent for us? Not necessarily. Neils was very low 2 weeks before his due date, and I’d started effacing and dilating and my doctor thought I ought to prepare to go early… and he was 2 weeks after that silly due date.
It does, however, mean that Mamma is a wee bit uncomfortable, to say the least. My midwife also said that she is posterior, meaning although she is head-down, she is facing out, rather than towards my spine as she should be. Many women birth babies this way, and most of the time they do turn around during labor at some point, and even if they don’t they can still make their way into the world just fine, but it accounts for that very uncomfortable "back labor" we hear about, and just generally means a longer more painful labor and delivery in general. Since I am going au natural, I would really appreciate prayers that she will turn herself around BEFORE we go into labor. It would make things happier for both of us, I am sure.
FINALLY. It had been fully constructed for almost a year, painted for months, and we (ahem, I) finally bought birdseed. So we will see how many birds we can help out these cold weather months! Well done, Neils.
I like to leave a lot of our "schedule" up to the boys’ interests whenever possible. Sometimes this means we spend a day studying six different types of combustion engines, like yesterday , but today it meant "Adventure Time." Neils woke up ready and energetically committed to the idea, so first thing we headed outdoors; he with his little magnifying glass and notebook in tow. Unfortunately, it was only 45 degrees outside so, despite our coats, we were frozen before the boys got past the old dead tree. Ah well. We discovered evidence of deer sleeping in the tall grass there, the boys enjoyed climbing and observing the effects of gravity, and we hastily headed into the kitchen for some nice hot cocoa. Such is autumn in Michigan.
These are a little old, but I’ve been wanting to post them forever. This doesn’t even begin to capture it, but Burke is definitely the man of many faces. He is SO into getting a reaction out of others, and so good at expressing his own in that precious face of his. He was too amused to give me his hideously grumpy look, but he sure can give you a run for your money with that dirty look of his! You never have to guess what this little guy is feeling!
I admit it. I’m brilliant. This year with baby E due early November or possibly late October, Burke’s birthday on the 18th and Neils’ on the 25th (as well as three church activities) we decided to play it safe and have a combined birthday party for Burke and Neils today. There is a wonderful little place here in Okemos called Caesarland… yes, as in Little Caesar’s. So, imagine Chuck E. Cheese, but a little more low-key, with a huge climbing apparatus for big kids, a boxed in one for little guys, lots of arcade games and ways to earn tickets for prizes, and a few of those little rides for little guys… oh yeah, and Little Caesar pricing. So for as much as I might spend on decorations, games, prizes, a filled piñata, goody bags, etc. for one birthday party, we had a party for both boys hosted at Little Caesar’s! Wahoo!
I was determined to make it to this special Homeschool Opportunity at Peacock Road Tree Farm of Laingsburg, where we would not only get to do the traditional hayride back to the pumpkin patch and pet some farm animals, but we would get to tour their old one-room schoolhouse and farm cabin, learn about how farmers did the laundry and other household chores 100 years ago, and learn how to make rope. It was a promising excursion I’d been looking forward to for weeks. But being 9 months pregnant makes certain things a little more of a challenge… such as chasing 3 boys all over a farm, and well, walking in general. So we opted to wait until Conan got off work to join the festivities. When we arrived the parking lot was virtually empty and we were so ready to be disappointed. We were informed that the homeschool day was over, and that they had another activity lined up. But if we wanted to, we could be part of their TV spot Comcast would be filming, at no charge, and we’d get to do all the things we’d hoped to do plus watch pig races, and ride the train! Sign me up, yeah!
It’s that time of year.
Beautiful leaves, sometimes beautiful skies, cozy blankets & socks.
To commemorate I’ve changed our theme.
Thanks, Heavenly Father, for your beautiful creations.
I was tagged by my good friend Elaine. Way to keep me blogging Sista!
8 TV Shows I love to Watch? Hmmm… I’m not much of a TV watcher, and since we only get PBS and download a few shows here and there… I hope these count: Bleach (A Japanese Anime we get with subtitles), Avatar: The Last Airbender (yes, I am aware it is a Nickelodeon kids’ cartoon!), LOST (still working my way through season 3 I think), I used to really enjoy Battlestar Gallactica–the new SciFi Channel version we downloaded (though we never did finish), HGTV remodel kinds of stuff if I’m ever at a friend’s house who has such a thing, PBS’s American Experience (when I happen to see it, I like it), Nature Shows in general I like, and Maybe Iron Chef? I saw part of it once and it looked interesting.
8 Things I did Yesterday: Washed 3 loads of laundry, Read to my kids, Supervised a massive dishwashing project undertaken by my 3 boys (our dishwasher was out of commission for 3 days), Took a train ride, Watched my kids help out with pig races, Learned about the old time farming experience, Swatted a million mosquitoes, Explored a fabulous Pumpkin Farm with my sweet wonderful family!
8 Things I’m Looking Forward to: Birthing a baby, Sleeping on my back, Sleeping on my stomach, Nursing my last baby, Christmas in Ohio, Spring planting, Disneyland trip next year, Having four kids all out of diapers!
8 Things on my Wish List: I wish happiness for my brother who really needs it, I wish for my mother’s house to sell quickly, Joy in the Journey, Peace in our Home, Financial Freedom, Horses and a barn, Llamas, a Private Jet so I can visit all the people I love whenever I want!
8 People I’m Tagging: Oh Goodness, I don’t know if I know 8 people who blog, who read my blog, who haven’t already been tagged, to be honest… how about Mary, Liz, Jodie, Lizzie, Bente, April, Brenda, and Jenn. It’s all you, ladies!
So, I admit it. I am a cookie idiot. Apparently. I can’t even get what is supposedly the best basic chocolate chip cookie recipe ever to turn out. My sister-in-law recommended this awesome recipe from her awesome cookbook, which is now a standby in another sister-in-law’s home, which was divine when I tried it in said sister-in-law’s home. However. Mine look something like this:
Rather than something like the "thick and chewy" cookies the title of the recipe indicates, looking like this:
Admittedly, the flavor is still good, and I have gotten a few batches to turn out chewy enough cookies to my taste… but they’re still so FLAT. And the recipe has this whole process for shaping cookie balls, then pulling them apart, rotating 90 degrees then sticking them back together… but my batter is way too runny and sticky to handle that. I swear I followed the recipe exactly!
Any suggestions out there?