Recent Photos, August-October

New Baby

Celia Jane Rasmussen

October 21, 2010

10:04 p.m.

8 lbs., 1 oz.

19 inches long

Greeted the next morning by siblings and cousins, none more excited than big sister, Jamie Beth.

This photo of Nate reminds me of another photo of another big brother holding a little sister.
Matthew was also 3 years, 8 months old when he became a big brother...

Calmly leaving the hospital.

Best position for a long nap.

Enthusiastically celebrating Halloween.

She does open her eyes! I took this photo of her tonight: almost three weeks old, a very quiet baby, channeling Grandmother Rasmussen a bit (according to her doting dad), possibly out-weighing her sister already (as observed by a certain uncle).
We like her very much.

About that baby...

The kids have varied responses and thought processes concerning the upcoming arrival of their sibling.

Matthew keeps his eye on the goal:

"So when are we switching the bedrooms so I can have my own room?"

He's also interested in the birth process:

(With his hand on my stomach during a random, painless contraction) "Does that mean it's time to go to the hospital?"

Jamie Beth is observant of my condition:

"Mom, after baby comes, will you be able to bend down and pick stuff up off the floor again?"

Dallin is ready and prepared:

(A couple days before my due date) "So baby is coming any minute now?"

Nate has plans:

"When our baby comes, we get to have pizza for dinner!"

and...

"I will not smack our baby; I will give her a binky."

Me, pregnant, 34 weeks

The clock is ticking...that's really my main thought every day. I have a mental list of all the "must-do" projects, and I'm procrastinating until the painter comes. I tell myself I can't set up a crib, organize baby clothing, hang pictures or curtains, find a new carseat, sew blankets and burpcloths...until the painter comes. I have no excuse for why the pantry isn't yet organized.

Yes, I do. I'm busy gestating.

I keep reminding myself that I don't have to waddle; I really am capable of walking with a normal gait.

I sit in front of the fan in the living room a lot. There was that one weekend several weeks ago that our air conditioning broke down...permanently. The entire system needed to be replaced. Can you imagine how quickly I scheduled our A/C guy, how eagerly I paid him whatever he wanted? Nothing like pregnancy and superheat to illustrate the laws of supply and demand.

This baby moves a lot, an experience I really do enjoy 90% of the time. The kids frequently want to feel the kicks, but it seems like all movement stops when someone else's hand is there. Does this mean that baby will be easily soothed by family attention?

The kids already call the baby by the name we've chosen, and that always sounds weird to me. I just don't connect the name to a person yet. Baby. That's the baby's name to me. Just Baby.

I get the restless legs syndrome at night. And if I stretch and point my toes while I'm sleeping...immediate leg cramps. I've taken a calcium supplement the past couple nights and that seems to be helping.

I can't decide if I should be on edge in case my labor is early and quick, like Dallin's birth; or, should I relax because the other three births were all late? My sister-in-law had her first baby five weeks early--that would be this week for me.

I really hope that doesn't happen. The painter hasn't come yet.

Matthew and I play word games together. If he wants logical--chess, checkers, rubiks cube--he goes to his dad; but for word games, I'm his girl.

Quiddler is our favorite lately. It's like Scrabble or Boggle, but played with cards. Because negative points are possible for a round, the leader of the game can change drastically in just one hand. Matthew is fiercely competitive and keeps a running record of high scores. I have to use all of my brains and none of my mother-mercy in order to win. We love it.

Last Sunday I lay down my hand, confident that my valuable q and z cards would win the round.

"Quay? What kind of word is that?" Matthew didn't want to give up his lead.

"You can go look it up if you want."

He actually sighed. "No, I know it's a word because it's you."

*Revelation #1--He trusts me.

*Revelation #2--He knows something about my personality.

Such little things are learned through these little interactions...for both of us.

Words to live by...

Because we live near so many cousins, my kids often remind each other who they are and are not allowed to date/marry. In genuinely concerned tones, they repeat verbatim the useful information given several years ago by a wise, helpful (8-year-old) cousin:

If you marry a family member, you will have a two-headed baby.

I might be serious...

A while ago Dallin was curious about the logistics of errand-running with a new baby. He asked about strollers, fitting baby and Nate into a grocery cart, carseat arrangements, etc.

"Oh," said I, "when we have baby five, we won't be leaving the house ever again."

His eyes widened. "But how will we get food?"

"I guess your dad will have to go shopping."

Apparently this far-fetched solution clued him into my facetiousness. He shook his head as a grin crept onto his face. "Nooo...you're just teasing me. Dad can't go shopping because he has to work! We actually will leave the house."

We'll see.