welcome

Hayden Elizabeth arrived on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 3:33 in the afternoon.

She weighed 6 lbs and 12.9 oz and is 19.25 inches long.

She entered the world wide-eyed and contemplative.

I can already tell she is wise beyond her years.

update

Mitchell had a CT scan today. Although he had trouble with the barium he had to drink last night and this morning, the scan itself went much better than the one he had in the hospital. The scan is looking for any abscesses or abnormal fluid collections in his abdomen. Hopefully it reads clear; he's not too thrilled about the possibility of having to go back on another antibiotic. We shall see... I'm having lots of pre-labor activity. Hayden should be here any time now. Mitchell got the crib set up last night... Yea! And the girls put the bedding on. They did a great job and were very proud of themselves for their efforts. Thanks to the shower and the generosity of others, we now have various and a sundry baby paraphernalia. Every day now Taylor asks me if it's a possibility that Hayden could come "today". The answer now is YUP!

i love these guys

I have been wearing these guys non stop for the last month. Granted they are a little bit hideous, but they are super comfy and I'm pregnant so I don't care how ridiculous I look. I'm thinking of buying them in a rainbow of colors....

another acquisition

This pretty, pink posy has replaced my old nano. I have been coveting one for quite some time, but my realization that Caroline had a cool, new iPod and I didn't spurred me to action. My brother will undoubtedly be disgusted by my reckless materialism, but it was a need I could no longer ignore.

Yea for me!

tooting my own horn...

And Emeril's too.

Having just returned from New Orleans, I had a hankering for some etouffee. After a little searching, I landed on Food Network's page and good ol'Emeril. I found Crawfish Etouffee, and while I did substitute shrimp for crawfish (those little baby lobster-looking guys are not too easy to find in the desert), it was pretty freakin good.

Brandie Crocker, indeed!

hold on there, pool man

I'm pulling out of my garage this morning at 7:56 and notice a back hoe, a raggedy contractor's truck and several contractor-looking dudes cruising in and out of my side yard gate.

Umm...Hello?

Oh. Hey, ma'am. (Really?)

Can I help you guys? (Of course I realize they're here to work on the pool, but shouldn't they have volunteered that info?)

Yeah. The pool....Working on the pool...

With this, he stumbles back through the front yard, disappearing through the gate. Really?



Highlights of the Pool Man's Visit:

• Watching the tall, skinny one chain smoke while jack-hammering, using an aerosol paint can, operating back hoe, and observing the other dudes install pool plumbing


• Appropriation of cool, banana boat-style, straw hat worker left in side yard


• Having retired neighbor hanging over back fence shouting at pool worker dudes


• Listening to them drill, scrape and hammer into the side of my freshly stuccoed & painted house as if they were trying to come through the wall


• 200 cigarette butts left in back yard after their departure