New BABIES!

This was a fun week.  It was a delight to hear that Adam and Savannah decided on a name for their new baby, Piper.

Monday dad and I finished up all kinds of odds and ends at home and packed and headed off to Miranda’s. It was a shock to pull into ½ of ½ in Springdale and find the store totally gone!  I was SO disappointed.  We went on to Miranda’s and it was great to see her and her family.

Since it was the last day of ½ of ½’s 99 cent sale, Tom was kind enough to go with me to the Tulsa store after dinner.  I found 4 things at 99cents.  And a pair of bootie slippers that were not.  Tom found three shirts that were not 99cents, but were lots cheaper than Joseph Banks.

Tuesday we hung out at Miranda’s.  I don’t recall exactly what we did.  But we got reacquainted with the young ones so that when Dan and Miranda were gone, they’d know us at least a little.  Tom did some chores around the house.  I did some writing.

Wednesday Alex Thomas McClellan was born at 7:20 am weighing 8 pounds 11 ounces and 20 inches long.  He has light brown hair.  It took a day or two for his eyes to open, but they are cute and gray.  I think they will turn brown.  We’ll see.  We took the kids over to see new baby, one child at a time.

Camdon was in preschool, so we took Ethan first, then traded him out for Camden.  Dan came home in the evening for dinner and playing with the kids and putting them to bed.

Ethan gets up early in the morning—about 5:30.  He calls. “Ah dada” over and over (I want Daddy.)  He did NOT want grandma, but grandpa was okay.  Tom  would get up with him and they’d go out to the living room.  He wouldn’t let Tom hold him, but he’d lie on the floor next to him.  He’d be Tom’s shadow during the day.  It was so cute!

Thursday I had a conference call about the book I’m writing—co writing, actually. The person paying me asked, can this be done by next month?  Ummm, probably not!  January, Feb? Much more likely.  The co author has been writing like mad, then sending it to me to edit, revise, and polish.  Fortunately both people like my revisions. Very fortunate.

Friday Camden was not in preschool, so we took them for a picnic in the park.  Tom took his car as well.  After we visited Miranda and Alex in the hospital, Tom left for home. I stayed with the kids a little longer and Dan came from work to visit as well.  They had hoped to be able to go home on Friday, but the doctor really wanted them to stay another night.

Camden and Ethan played happily for a while with Camden pushing Ethen around in the dump truck. Then he'd dump Ethan out, and they'd start all over again.

Saturday I was alone with the little ones. We had muffins, took a walk, and watched General Conference.  The kids colored, played… and sometimes watched.  I learned a new game to play with a puzzle.  It was a wooden alphabet puzzle.  It’s called “Flying Letters.”  You stand on the fireplace hearth, heave the puzzle into the air and watch all the letters fly out.  Then you leap off the hearth, collect the pieces and put them on the back of the puzzle so they can then be “distributed” again.  This entertained both of them for a good half hour.  Ethen would gather pieces and put them on the puzzle board, and Camden would say, “Thank you!”  Too cute.

 After lunch Miranda and Dan and little Alex came home.  He seems to be a good baby.  The boys like him, but their enthusiastic playing means one has to keep a watchful eye.  Perhaps someone should invent a baby protection—like a soccer net to put over the baby.

We have had amazing conference talks—both Saturday and Sunday!  Really appropriate for today’s environment.  Saturday night a friend brought some wonderful lasagna over for dinner.  Tonight I made Rebecca’s sweet and sour chicken.

Life seems to be going pretty good for Miranda, Dan, and Alex. He doesn’t cry much. He does eat a lot. And maybe the reason he doesn’t cry is that Dan is up at night holding him.  Camden and Ethan seem to be adjusting well, too.