Just kidding, folks...

This is really my new ride. Thanks, Stef.

Another new arrival.

For Neely's one week birthday, Mommy got a new car! Okay, so it's been in the works for several weeks now, but it came in yesterday and we got to bring it home. After nearly a month of sharing one car, I'm so glad. I finally got my shiny red car.

More of Neely...

I wanted to share some more pictures of Neely from her first few days at home.

Here she is playing with her big brother.

And showing her school spirit.

Doing what she does best: sleep.

After her first bath. She's borrowing the froggie towel Aidan got to use after his first bath.

I had to throw one of Aidan in there. He looks so big now compared to his tiny sister!

I finally got one with her eyes open. She only stays awake for about an hour of every day.

Introducing...Neely Caroline Owens!

Well, folks, here she is! Neely Caroline was born on September 16th at 2:16p.m. She weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and she's 18 inches long. She is TINY! I had an idea that I was in labor this time, but I did have an appointment scheduled anyway on Tuesday morning and went in and let the doctor confirm that I was in labor before checking in at the hospital. Everything happened really quickly. I think I was checked in and ready to go by 10:00a.m., dilated by 2:00p.m., and then she was here! We're still not sure when we get to go home. Neely has been cleared by all of her doctors, but I haven't. (An X-ray was done on my ankle after she was born, and it's fractured, by the way. We're waiting to hear again about that and one other thing before I'm allowed to leave.) Hopefully we'll be allowed to go home before the day is over. I'm not sure if I can take a third night in the hospital.

I'm not sure what to say about Aidan's reaction to Neely so far. He recognizes who she is and understands that she's the same Neely that was in mommy's belly. When we've had him here at the hospital, he's basically just been bouncing off the walls. I'm not sure if it's a reaction to being confined in a tiny room, not being the center of attention at all times, or both. We'll see how things go once we get home. I'm sure it will be crazy, but hopefully it will be managably crazy.

Two in one day.

Okay, so I try not to be such a web junkie that I post two blogs in one day, but this was too funny not to share. I know I have shared with some folks that Aidan has really enjoyed teasing me while injured. I'm not kidding. Randomly, he'll start limping around going, "It hurts! It hurts!" Thanks, lil' buddy. A little while ago, he brings John my bandage and says, "Put it on." So this is Aidan, wearing my Ace bandage. And yes, as soon as he had the thing on, he starts saying, "It hurts!" What a little meanie.

Rags!

I have a new craft obsession, and I have my good buddy Andrea to thank for it. She was telling me the other day how she's gotten into making these rag garlands and was going to send me a picture of one. Well, after days of waiting for the picture to arrive, I got so curious that I just had to Google it for myself. (Girl, I know you're super busy. It's okay.) They're so easy to make, and I think they're adorable. I had some leftover black and white fabric from making table runners for a wedding shower over the summer, so I decided to make a Halloween garland! I rummaged through the remnants bin at JoAnn's and found some more black and white to add to it, and I bought some orange tulle. I think I spent maybe seven dollars. I love it! Now, I just have to find a good place to hang it. And I'm so excited about it that I think I may go ahead and start making some to go with my Christmas decorations.

I finished!

Neely's blanket is finally done! Actually, what took me so long was cutting out all the squares of fabric for it. I did all the sewing and cutting last night and this morning. But whenever I would try and work on cutting the fabric, Aidan would come and take over my ruler and cutting mat. He likes to use them as race tracks for his cars. I'd only ever get a few cut at a time before getting frustrated with him and putting it away. I guess I could have been working on it during his naptime more, but pregnant mommy needs a nap sometimes, too!

Anyway, the top picture is of the front of the quilt, with the flowers and purple squares, and the picture of the back has white squares and fun blue bubbles. I hope Neely decides to like it. I know I do!

Home Stretch

I went to the first of my weekly doctor's visits before Neely is born today. It was fairly quick and uneventful...except for the part where my doctor remembered how early Aidan was born. It was pretty funny. We'd finished up and said good-bye, and he came back as I'm about to leave the exam room and says to me, "Three things. 1) If your water breaks, go to the hospital immediately. 2) If you start having contractions more frequently than 10 minutes that last for an hour and a half or longer, go to the hospital immediately. 3) If you start having painful contractions, go to the hospital immediately." I'm assuming that last one is in case #2 happens and I'm unaware, like the last time. We'll see how it all goes. I'm kind of hoping she'll decide to grace us with her presence early. I'm starting to be quite uncomfortable.

Lil' Devil

This time of year, it's kind of convenient that John's squadron mascot is the red devils, because I can find all kinds of devilish goodies with the Halloween stuff. I found this adorable little outfit for Neely at Old Navy today. They're not in the picture, but it even has socks to match! I think it's the only outfit I have bought for our daughter that John got even remotely excited about...which means he smiled. Oh, and underneath the picture, it says "Daddy's Little Devil."

Oh, what fun it is...

...to be eight months pregnant, at home with a two-year-old, and on crutches. That's right, on crutches. Yesterday afternoon, I slipped going down our back stairs outside because of the rain and banged up my ankle pretty good. It's HUGE. I saw a doctor about it today, but all they can really tell me is that they "think" it's not broken. They can't do an X-ray on me because of the baby. No kidding, this conversation happened...

Dr: When's you're due date?
Me: October 11th.
Dr: If your ankle is still giving you problems after the baby's born, then you can come back and we'll do an X-ray.

Seriously. If I walk around on a broken foot for a month, I may just hack it off myself. Good grief!

Birthday Girls

These pictures are a few days old, but on Sunday night, Christina and I had a little birthday party for two of our Caregroup girls. Here they are decorating the cake.

And posing with the cake...

And then in typical fashion, they had to decorate one another with icing. This time, everybody got a mustache and goatee...even Aidan didn't escape the mayhem.

A good time was had by all.