Outside.

With the weather finally getting better (although quite windy lately) we have been spending time outdoors. Presley helped me pick out flowers for the front porch on our trip into Salt Lake last week--she even picked out a pink geranium by her self that we planted together. She loves to help me water the flowers (anything involving water is fun for her).

Chris kindly screwed in the plant hangers (they look slightly crooked to me but after measuring they are indeed even) and with no replanting the petunias were hung up and looking good! I still need to find time to pick up a few more plants to pot and put out on the back deck.

The other thing Presley loves to do is sweep and play with all the dirty things in the garage. Here is a picture of her proudly sitting with the plunger (gross, I know) which she carried all around the yard skipping and laughing.

Who knew you could have so much fun with junk in the garage!

Photo Shoot.

Stella had her first "photo shoot" when she was 4 days old. Grandma came to help hold the light disk while Chris took Presley to Park City to run errands--her favorite being a stop at PetCo for Roxy's treats where she ran all over the store looking at the animals. Stella was pretty unhappy the first time around so later that night Chris and I took a few more photos.

Krista color-corrected the images (thanks!) and here are the best of the bunch.

Stella is a little angel! It is amazing to have another newborn in the house. They truly are little miracles and we all love her so much! If only they didn't grow up so fast . . . .

Keeping us busy.

Another addition has been keeping us all busy! We are up nights with Stella (who is getting better with her days and nights) and playing all day long with Presley. We are trying to deal with Presley's semi-new act of crying for everything--food, attention, toys--I guess it is just a combination of her being t-w-o and a new little sister. We are using a "naughty mat" technique and it actually seems to be helping the situation.

Presley is really into water lately so we spend a lot of time playing in the sink and taking baths or showers. We really need the weather to warm up so we can head to the pool and play outside more. Grandma even has a water table toy that Presley played with all last weekend while Stella and I were in the hospital. That weekend was the only warm weather we have had in months!



We even purchased a new toy to help keep Presley busy and deal with the lack of attention. A new sandbox/picnic table combo. We put it on the deck and we are going to fill it with pinto beans instead of sand (a bit less messy but still fun--I think I read about it on someone else's blog and it sounded like a fun idea).



Chris and Presley spent the afternoon putting it together and playing with it. Chris also got the deck and patio furniture cleaned off while I secured the grill with bungee cords to the deck railing (it keeps blowing away with all the strong winds and storms lately).

Just out.

Again, this will be brief . . . just a few photos of Stella's arrival. Initially, when she was handed to me, I thought Stella looked completely different than Presley, but after looking at these photos I was mistaken--they look so much alike as newborns (Stella is just a bit smaller and has a slightly narrower face).

Getting cleaned up and weighed.

Ready for Mom to hold!

Crying in Dad's arms.

I will get to work on downloading and correcting the raw photos from the nice camera tomorrow. I am also going to shoot Stella's official baby pictures.

More to come . . .

She's here! And it was perfect this time! Here is the short list of details (photos and all the gory details will be up soon, for those who are interested):

• Born at 12:24 PM on Friday, May 16th
• 6 pounds 2 oz (so tiny!)
• 19 inches long

Today we finally gave her a name before we left the hospital,

Stella Madelyn McGown.

Waiting.

Maybe Lady Baby is waiting until we find her a name before she decides to make her debut . . . maybe she's just not quite ready yet. At the non-stress test today things went well. The baby has good movement and heart rates but the amniotic fluid is a little low (the doctors like it to be over 10 and I am at 8). If you are under 5 they need to get the baby out.

I have a doctor's appointment and another non-stress test scheduled for Monday morning. Let's hope I won't need either of them! I did have 8 pretty wimpy contractions in the middle of the night last night but nothing since . . . Predictions anyone???

Happy Birthday!

5 years ago today the best little dog was born! And just a few short months later she joined our family. We couldn't be happier with what a sweetie she turned out to be!

This is Roxy days after she came home with us (rescued from a co-worker of mine whose child was severely allergic to her). My how she has grown! We miss those floppy ears--every once and a while, when she is sleeping, they return. We love you punkin' dog!

Spring leaves!

With the rain storms yesterday and sun today we finally have little leaves popping out on all the trees! Presley loves to be outside even though it is still a little chilly (warmer weather is on the way, I hope) so we try to spend lots of time outside playing.

It is amazing what Presley soaks in! Just the other day while we outside she put her hands up to her face, like binoculars, and started singing "Popcorn popping on the Apricot Tree". I couldn't believe how many of the words and verses she could put together on her own. She learns very well through song. And thanks you Camille for teaching her "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam", she sings it all the time--my favorite is the ending which she likes to mix up a bit "at home, at school, at play".

Baby news.

I am due in just under 2 weeks! And I think we are all ready for this to happen. Of course at my doctor's appointment this week he made it seem like I still have a long way to go but I am hopeful that I will have this baby sometime near my May 15th due date. I got a hair cut and color this week and I am treating myself to a pedicure next week--after the pampering the baby is welcome to come at any time (well, after the 12th when Chris is back in town would be best!).

My friend Shannon had her baby 3 1/2 weeks early this week and he is adorable--hopefully out of the NICU and home with a name. No pressure though because I am sure we will be lucky if we have a name picked out before we leave the hospital with our baby. And Kimber has her birth scheduled for the 19th--good luck but I really do hope I have mine before she does (it is only fair).

Outside, finally!

The weather is supposed to start warming up--meaning in the 60's with sun and no real chance of rain or snow for a week! We all couldn't be more ready to spend some time outside together before the new baby comes. Here are a few photos of us outside playing and getting ready for spring.



We got new tires for my car (I guess the steel belts were showing on the front tires so it was time) and we rearranged the shelving in the garage so that I can now open both sides of my car wide enough to get Presley and the new baby into the back seat with car seats.






Presley and Roxy spent their time outside exploring the new grass that is starting to come up and looking at the daffodils and bark. Presley loves to have her sunglasses on but anytime she wants to look at something she pulls them down onto the end of her nose so she can see it better.

And we can't enter into a new season without Chris "tuning-up" something--in the winter it is the skis and the spring it is all the bikes. Presley got a kick out of dad jumping off the landscaping and testing out all the little fixes he made to one of the bikes. I was more than a little nervous when Presley asked for a ride and Chris scooped her up onto his lap and then proceeded to ride around the neighborhood one handed without any protection for either of them--we need to get her a helmet and a more secure way of joining up on a bike ride!