A Trip to the Zoo...

Last weekend we took our first family outing since James has been born...I feel like between bedrest and not being able to do much due to contractions summer has been passing us by...so now that James is here we are trying to squeeze in as much summer as possible!
Elsie enjoyed the zoo...but most of the animals were sleeping so it was a little boring...her favorite animals were the bears!

When James needed to be fed at the zoo I sat on a bench and fed him while Elsie and Daddy walked around and looked at the animals...

A happy girl...Elsie still has some problems with her ankle and leg hurting if does a lot of walking...so we had to make her sit in the stroller for a while!

James was a very good baby for the entire trip...he slept all the way to the zoo, most of time at the zoo and all the way back home! What a perfect little man!

After we got done at the zoo we found a park and had a picnic...the picnic was a highlight of the weekend for Elsie! Elsie had her favorite...a mayo sandwich...with grapes,cucumbers, BBQ chips and cookie bars. After eating Elsie and daddy played at the park for a while...a perfect day...good memories...

Meeting James...

A few hours after James was born Jon went and picked Elsie up from my parents house so she could meet her little brother...
Elsie instantly loved James! She was smiling a huge smile as she came through the door...we put her up on the bed so she hold her little brother...I think she loved his feet and belly button cord the most! As I write this James is 2 weeks old and Elsie loves him just as much as when she first saw him...such a good big sister!

Later in the afternoon Grammie and all the aunties and uncle came to meet James...I think they all agree that James is one special baby!

It is a good thing there is a very long couch in the hospital room! Love this picture! Grandma B. , Papa Wayne, and great-grandparents, Betty and Roger also came to the hospital to meet James...

We were in the Hospital for a little over 24 hours before we were finally able to come home...Elsie and Daddy came to bring us home...and Elsie was just so excited! Elsie helped to change his diaper and get him dressed in the special sleeper be bought for him...

Love this picture...Elsie felt that the sun was shining in his eyes so she quickly pulled the hat down over his eyes...and stuck the pacci in his mouth so he wouldn't cry! Such a helpful sister!

James Hawthorne

He is here! James Hawthorne finally made his appearance on July 13, 2010 at 1:02am
6lbs 13oz...19" long...lots of dark hair...and dimpled cheeks...a perfect baby boy!
We went in the hospital when contractions were about 2-3 min apart...I was more then half ways dilated when we got to the hospital...after walking for about an hour I was fully dilated! About half an hour of pushing...and James was born! I was blessed with a very easy delivery and not too long of a labor. Jon made it to the hospital about an hour or so before James was born...and my mom and sisters, Ceara and Laura were also there to watch James be born...I think It was so special that my mom and sisters were in the room also...

One of the first pictures of James...my mom was the photographer of the birth...and Laura video taped...James cried right away...nursed perfectly from the moment we first tried...such a perfect baby...such special memories...

Daddy and his son...shortly after James was born...we are so blessed that James was only 2 weeks early and a very healthy little boy...having such a perfect little baby made the bedrest and months of contractions and pressure so worth it!

Welcome to the world baby James Hawthorne...

Walking, walking, walking...

On one of my last Dr. appointments I was told to do lots of walking in hopes of my water breaking so I would go into labor...so my mom and the kids were nice enough to come over almost every night to go on a walk with me...
love this picture...

Out of all the walks my water never did break on its own...even after walking fully dilated the water never did break! So in the end I think the only thing walking did was put in more pain!

These pictures were taken just a few days before the baby was born...

Just had to throw these pictures in...after going for walks the kids played...and coloured in the giant colour book...

Fireworks...

Just like every year since I was little we all went to the park to watch the fireworks...The kids were just a little wound up and wild!
Every year our group seems to get just a little bigger...

Elsie started out by sitting on Laura's lap...then she cuddled with the little aunties, then she sat on my lap and eventually fell asleep...

Cuddling together watching the fireworks...I think Elsie enjoyed watching the fireworks!

4th of July...

I am way behind on posting...so going back a couple of weeks to the 4th of of July...We sat in our usual spot up town...I don't remember a single 4th of July parade sitting else where!
Grandma B. came by to watch the parade with us ...

Elsie and Uncle Colter picking up candy! The kids came home with a bag full of candy...

After the parade everyone came to our house for lunch...grilled brats and hotdogs, potato salad, spinach and strawberry salad, corn on the cob, chips, knox blox...so much food!

We had a very layed back kind of day...lots of visiting...lots of laughing...lots of good times and good memories...

a very fun day...I think the 4th of July is my favorite holiday...

Elsie and grandma B.

Love this picture of the kids...if only they were still wearing their red, white and blue clothes...

Emma and I...silly faces...the night before the 4th was spent timing contractions and ended with a trip to the hospital...so on the 4th I didn't feel very good at all! Makes for good memories...

Slip and slide fun! The kids spent the afternoon going down the slip and slide, playing in the little pool and in the sandbox...I think they all had fun!

Painting...

On our little shopping trip I picked up some more paints for Elsie...and the next day she just couldn't wait to try them out! She put on her swimsuit for easy clean up...layed out some paper on her picnic table...and started creating away!
Soon we had every paint we own on the table...and piles of paint on the paper...and a very creative mind that soon started making hand and foot prints on paper...

I love having new art work hanging on the kitchen wall...

Shopping Trip...

A few weeks ago my Mom and I were super brave and ventured out to Walmart on a Saturday to go clothing shopping with the 3 little girls...thankfully Lisa volunteered to go with us also!
They were all very good in town...at least we never lost any of them and we got our lists all completed! They each came home with several new outfits. One the way home we stopped at Taco John's for Tacos and ice water to eat on the way home!

The best part of the trip was finding matching shirts for the 3 of them! They love to all be matching...and now that Elsie is almost out of the baby/toddler section we will probably find them matching more often!

Cute girls all in pink!

Gotta have a picture of feet...

4-Wheeler...

A few weeks ago we went to watch Ted race his dirt bike...and Elsie saw some little girls racing 4-wheelers and dirt bikes also...so she has her mind set on racing now! I have have slightly different plans for her...dance or something more girly! For now Elsie is contented to go "riding" on the 4-wheeler with papa wayne right behind her! Her thumb is not quite strong enough to push the throttle by herself...so papa wayne helps a bit!
Elsie has gotten her love of going fast from her daddy...whenever I bring her on rides she just wants to go faster and faster!

This helmet looks so big on her...but she is happy!

Making Potato Salad...

Elsie has a love for potatoes in any form...mashed, fried, hashbrowns, boiled...so potato salad is a favorite around our house also! We usually make 2 batches at our house...one with eggs and mayo for daddy and one with no eggs and vegan mayo for Elsie and I. We put everything on the little table so Elsie can help make it. Her favorite thing is to peel the hard-boiled eggs!
What a good helper! Jon likes lots of eggs in his salad...so Elsie has lots of practice with peeling!

Sometimes she enjoys just squeezing the eggs between her fingers...good thing Daddy likes big chunks! What a good cooking helper Elsie is!

Some Changes...

I have decided to password protect my blog. I will be putting the password up by the end of the week. I know I have many readers and I want you to continue reading...so please just send me an email and I will add you to the list! barefootcottagemn@gmail.com