Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween... I am an "Ugly witch" according to Cyprus. Actually I am Morticia Adams. I love wearing dark wigs. It is fun to look totally different than I do normally. At the ward party, people would look at me funny, or just walk past, like they didn't know me, then the dawning of recognition... What do you think, blonde or black?

It is funny that unless your baby has fairy wings and bows, most people assume they are male. I had this costume from Ginger and it fit her pretty well and was warm.
I found a pattern online for a hat and I adjusted it a bit... our little jack-o-lantern (Cyprus calls her a "jack-a-liner").
Isaac is always scrambling at the end for a costume... Here he is with his brother... kind of freaky, but very funny. Isaac as a blonde. Just give guys eyeliner and see what they come up with. OK, really freaky.

Playing catch-up

Cyprus turned 3 on Oct 5th... I didn't do bday cards this year! I was a bit overwhelmed with life!

My friend Ellie sadly moved to the Eastern US! We still chat a lot. We've been friends since 9th grade and our kids are almost the same ages. Samantha and Jonny.
Great grandma Grammy came to visit. We love her! I am so thankful she gets to see my girls on occasion. She loves gettng more great grand babies!
This is my favorite... ELF EARS! Not sure where she got them. Isaac says it is because I look part elf. Her left ear is pointier than her right.
Mercedes is nearly 3 months old and she is doing well. Cyprus was a sweet baby and got really feisty, Mercedes is pretty laid-back still. She sleeps well. I had Cyprus in my room until she was 7 months old... she never slept very well. I didn't want to do that again, so I put Mercedes in Cyprus' room last month and they really have done well. Sometimes both are crying right when I put them to bed, but as long as both are ready, they fall asleep pretty quick. Cyprus will yell, "Mommy, Mercedes is crying! Come get her!" But they usually don't keep each other up too long. Mercedes cry is quiet enough that it usually doesn't wake Cyprus up when she wants to eat at 4 or 5 am. There have been quite a few nights in the last 2 weeks she has gone til 6:30. I love those nights!

baby blessing, sept 13th

Our new little family! I love my 2 baby girls.

Mercedes wore the same dress Cyprus and cousin Avalon did. Ginger made baby booties again and I opted for a little head band that I made over the bonnet.

I love this shot. I used a wide angle lens for the look. She looks like an angel to me.

Babies grow so fast

1 week old, in a cute premie outfit

3 weeks
1 month (labor day bbq at my aunt's)
5 weeks at her blessing... she has the cutest toothless grin
6 weeks with her great grandma!
Mercedes is growing fast.  At about 5 weeks, she was 9 pounds!  She has especially long skinny arms and legs (Isaac thinks she may have his).  She smiles all the time.  She has even tried to laugh, but whenever she attempts a giggle, she ends up with the hiccups instead!  Cyprus still loves her sister.  If she cries, Cyprus runs to her and says, "shhhh, it's ok Mercedes"  in a little sing-song voice.  She sleeps pretty well, eating once or twice at night.  She is falling into a nice schedule, I feed her twice in a row, swaddle her, and put her in bed between 9 and 10.  She usually falls right asleep and eats around 3 or 4.  A few mornings, she will make it to 7:30 after that feeding.  Usually it is closer to 6.  We sleep in around here... usually til 8:30 or 9:30.  Cyprus is like a teenager and wants to go to bed late and sleep in!  She was up more than Mercedes was last night!  It is fun having 2.  I love it, I love saying, "I will meet you with the 'girls'"  or "kidS"  Plural is weird... What is it like with 3? or 4!?  

Anyway, through the craziness, we are a little happy family.

Welcome Mercedes Elizabeth McCurry

My 2 girls...Cyprus loves Mercedes.

Cyprus tells me she is a baby... Isaac and his 2 baby girls (Isaac wanted a girl even more than me!)
Hospital gowns are so attractive.
Birth announcement... I forgot to put the time (5:49 pm) she was born.
It was a pretty crazy day.  I was inspired by a few people (Marie, Leslie, my sister Ginger) to have the baby naturally, so I didn't want to be induced.  The day she was born was my 41  week day and they were wanting to induce me the next day.  I woke up at 2 or 3am in mild labor, my water had broken and I was having contractions every 10- 15 minutes.  I was able to sleep in between contractions.  I knew if I didn't have the baby soon, I would have to be induced that day because my water broke.  I decided to wait to go into the hospital (my midwife wouldn't let that go) for a few hours to see if labor progressed on its own.  It slowed in the early afternoon.  I talked to my sister and she said that I needed to go for a walk (I had gone at 5 am and another at 7am) to see if it would get things moving.  If it didn't, I was planning on going in by 3 pm to avoid infection and get the baby here.  Isaac & I went to the mall (AC) to walk at 1:30 pm, by 3, I think I was scaring people in the mall (I had to stop during the contractions and focus).  We went home at 3:30 ( I was getting really nauseated and wanted privacy) and by 4:00 we were at the hospital.  I got to skip all the entry checking because my water had broken and within 1 hour I went from a 5 to a 7.   They got the room ready for delivery and after some crazy intense contractions and some violent throwing up, I yelled to all that I was ready to push.  I had no volume control... I probably was worrying other mom's in there.  She was born at 5 49 and I kept yelling, "my baby!"  I couldn't believe she was there.  I was shaking like crazy, but Mercedes was so alert and aware.  Isaac was so great and so was my midwife (she kept saying that I didn't need her - I did, just not for the comfort and labor support - for the delivery she was great).  It was a wild ride, but it was quick and so good for the baby.  I was better too (I was out of it for 3 days with my epidural).  

Still Pregnant...

I asked Isaac to take some pics of me for posterity... here they are!  I am hoping to not have to induce labor.  My midwife will want to next Thursday (Aug 6th) if I haven't gone by then...  I hope the baby decides to come before then!  Until then, I am going on lots of walks (do they really help?) and just trying to not think about it too much.  It is funny.  I am a time bomb.  I can't call anyone without hearing, "Have you had your baby yet?"  I am not annoyed, I think it is funny.  I am actually enjoying it, because after the baby is here, my phone calls won't have any possibly really exciting news!  Thanks for all those that call me and wonder how I am.  I am fine.  Feeling a little too good (not enough contractions). 

Here is a complete profile view (since you really need this many pics to see:)
This one was Isaac's favorite.  Oh, I finally washed those capris...  I love them and still wear them nearly every day!  

Some Fun Stuff From July

Family History!  I have started doing some... it is quite the undertaking, but I am so excited about it.  I went to visit my Aunt Peggy and her dad, Uncle Bill to do some interviewing.  I loved it.  SO many cool stories about family and the past.  I have lots to do still, but am definitely working.

Meet Charly.  He is a crocheted sea horse that I made for Jake & Beth Hunter's new baby Toben.  It took way longer than the bunny that I made a few months back... I started this one way before the bunny!  Anyway, I finished him and sent him off to California and they love him.  Jake and Isaac grew up together in Saudi Arabia and swam in the Red Sea with sea horses together. 
Cyprus is such a character.  She was dressed for bed and she put her arms in her pj's and was trying to walk around bent over.  She is such a nut.  I think she knows something is going to be different with the new baby soon, so she has gone back to drinking only milk, sitting in her highchair, trying to sleep in my bed with me, and speaking like a little baby... I hear it will only worsen when the new baby comes!  Look out!
Cyprus found our chart stickers... She put them all over her little people and then put them to bed.  I love to watch her at work.  Her mind is so amazing and creative.