Workin' on a FULL house!

We came home this past Wednesday with our new little pink bundle. She is super sweet and quite the attraction around home.

Dad - trying to remember what it's like to put a teeny tiny person in a big ol' car seat.
I love the first car seat picture - amazing that her legs will be hanging off the end in a year.
Grammy and the kids made a nice welcome home sign for us.

Paige kept asking me, "Is the new baby done?"
It's a fun new crazy around our house. Thankfully we have grandparents helping for the first several weeks. Cadence and I are doing good -- the kids love their baby sister - but will be very happy when she can really enjoy their efforts in the entertainment dept.

Happy Grandparents Day!

Grandbaby #4 for Gma & Gpa Stickel and...

#5 for Gma & Gpa Washburn!

The kids 1st visit with Cadence

Tuesday morning, Grandpa and Grandma Stickel and Grandma Washburn prettied up all the kids and brought them up for their 1st look at Cadence. Thanks to the grandma's there were gifts a-plenty. The kids were SUPER excited, and so were we. It was fantastic (and chaotic) to be reunited as a whole family. This is life as we will know it in the days to come.

The Grandmas Visit

Monday night the Grandma's couldn't handle staying at home, so they made a late visit to the hospital. Cadence and Don were in the nursery finishing up the 1st bath and hearing test when they arrived. Don caught the expressions of the Grandma's first glimpse of the little princess.

Welcome, Cadence Brianna Stickel

We are the proud parents of a beautiful little girl again! Both Mom and Baby are doing well.

Cadence Brianna Stickel
9:03 PM
7lbs 3oz
19 inches long

Proctor Bike Race - Peoria Illinois

This is a local bike race (Criterium) that I am volunteering for. I have neither bionic skin and bones, or deep enough pockets to fix broken bikes, so I will not be racing. I will however get a cool shirt and a free meal :) Criteriums are TONS of fun to watch and to ride in - as long as you stay out of the crashes.


100_0298.mov

La-La girls reunite! - inside joke:)

This blog entry is a month past due - opps! Barb Smith, Beki VanMeter and myself all became great friends when we all lived in Decatur. October 2006 Barb and Beki came to visit me in Michigan and we decided to make our girly get-together an annual event. Unfortunately 2007 zoomed by and we didn't make it happen...so we decided that we'd better boogie before I have another baby that requires Mommy for every meal. :) So Beki and I found a good airfare and flew out Thursday morning and home Sunday afternoon. Our 4 days were packed with so much fun, laughs and creative inspiration - we are already looking forward to meeting in Decatur in 09. Barb was a fabulous hostess and treated us to great restaurants, shopping, a day at the beach, an amazing art show and even chauffeured us to special meeting on Sunday!

Our day at the beach was so amazing. It was quite windy - but the sun was shining and we didn't have any strollers, sippy cups or sticky kids! Wowzer!

And it ended in one of several awesome restaurant meals we had that weekend. Such a treat for 3 stay at home moms to not ask for a kids menu and crayons at every stop.

I realized that we haven't said or posted much about the belly/baby #4 - this pregnancy has gone crazy fast. We are so distracted that until this point of waddling everywhere I would half forget I was pregnant. Barb has a fancy schmancy camera and likes to dabble in photography - so she suggested some belly shots at the beach - never a better background.

Fun shadow!

The photographer - up on the lifeguard stand all for a great picture!

Thanks again Barb for such an amazing break. That treat was enough to help me sail through the birth of another baby and hopefully the first few tired weeks. For those of you wondering - we hired a babysitter for Thursday and Friday when Don was at work - but other than that he was flying solo. Even got everyone up, dressed, hair done and to meeting on time on Sunday! IMPRESSIVE!

The gold stars just piled up behind his name for that 4 day vacation.

Gramps and Grammy weekend

As you can see from our recent blogs - both sets of Grandparents couldn't wait until Baby #4 arrives to see the other grand kids...so we have had productive weekends with so much great help around!

Dad hauled 70 bags of mulch for me so that I could finish up the front landscaping! Unfortunately the last 2 weekends have been crazy rainy - making it impossible for Don to put in our lawn. :( The kids and I are anxiously awaiting grass.

Everyone in their Sunday best. Of course, when we think to take a picture Tater (aka Hudson) was asleep.

Cyling inspiration from Uncle Keith

We thought that it was neat that Marina's new bike that she picked out was of the same origin as Uncle Keith's. As you can see in the picture - the mountain bike he left me is a Specialized Hardrock. Marina's is a Specialized Hotrock. Coincidence? .... I think not.