Big Sister finally gets a chance

We've had colds and sickness but Audra finally got a chance to hold her youngest brother. Feels like it was such a short time ago that I held Audra like this....now she's almost eight!

Christmas Eve...

He really is a love... thought I could show a picture with his eyes open!!!! We can't really tell if he looks like any of the other three?

Merry Christmas to all and to all...

and to all.... a good night's sleep!!!!!!!!!!

And his name shall be called...

DANE EMMANUEL CARLSON

Baby Boy Carlson...

For unto us a child is born...
December 18, 2008, 11:54pm, 8 lb, 6 oz, 20 inches...
Name decided by tomorrow (I PROMISE!!!)

A litte like Mary...

There have been a lot of references to me relating to Mary this last month. I have dismissed most of them for many reasons. For starters I thought this baby would have been home with us about two weeks ago. I hate to admit it but I really thought I would go two weeks early and so he wasn't going to be a "Christmas baby". I dismissed them because really....she road a donkey, at 13, with her unwed betrothed, for a census, and gave birth in a barn to the KING of KINGS!! I on the other hand; live in a subdivision, with my husband of 14 years and our three other children. I can turn the heat on and take a warm bath every night to ease my weary bones. But this last week I have wondered more and more how Mary must have felt. Today, I thought....I think it might be me and the cows who get to witness this birth.
IN a matter of two days this is what has happened:

My in-laws who are coming for Christmas and to help (whom I have been very excited for their arrival) are in West Texas in a hotel waiting on a part for their car to be delivered...instead of their planned arrival which was today.

My sister in law who both comes to the hospital and is back up for my children to go to...has a child with throw up, 101 fever and is sick w/ a cold herself

My other friend who has been back up in case the Carlsons aren't here yet has a child with a fever and ear infection

Amanda who is basically my doula, has been in every delivery room of mine, has a child with pink eye

Gunnar came home with a note from school today saying....please watch your children...we have had a case of lice and scabies in his classroom!!!! Scabies? ....WHAT ARE SCABIES????

As I sat dumbfounded this evening wondering what it would be like to give birth alone, I thought of Mary. Her cries of pain in the cold night air, her husband no doubt wondering how to help or comfort her, the animal smell, maybe even some Scabies themselves!!!!! She had no idea what it would be like to be a mother but like mothers before her and mothers to come, she succumbed to the pain, gave birth to her son and took it one moment at a time.

I guess that's what we'll do...take it one moment at a time.

Living near NASA

One of the fun things living near NASA is the extras that happen on an ordinary day. Today the Shuttle flew home from it's latest mission and here it is just above our neighborhood landing in a matter of minutes. I was in the car with Anders and said...."Look! It's the Shuttle coming home!!"

YOUR EYES ARE NOT DECEIVING YOU!!

YES!! It snowed in Houston last night. The day before it was 77 for a high and humid and the next morning we woke up to chilly temps and rain. It drizzled all day and by 6pm it turned into flurries!! It snowed until midnight and we sat by the fire and pretended to be having "winter!"
It's a Christmas miracle:) Now we're waiting for baby boy Carlson to come to complete the miracle!

A cold walk to school...

Yes....some days we actually have a cold morning here in Houston. Last week, one of those mornings it was in the 40's for our 7 minute walk to school. It's really a short walk but for these thin blooded kids who are used to 80's or higher they feel the colder temps down to their bones. I of course breathe deep on a morning like this and take in every second since by afternoon it's back up to 70 and in a day or two the high's are back in the 80's! But for this brief moment...we walked, silently to school, feeling the cold on our cheeks, pretending just for a moment in my mind that I lived in the North again....

Christmas Concerts...

I made it...no baby before the church Christmas concerts. Here are the "biggies" as we call them Katherine and Audra were angels this year (costumes came later) and also played hand bells in the big service this morning with the entire Bell Choir (maybe 40 people?) It was precious.

Oh the Games they'll play...

It's my kids ritual to come home from school, have a snack and go play outside. Lately they've been enjoying basketball together (making up all sorts of versions), then I've been trying to teach them the ins and outs of football. Anders says "hut hut hut" and runs the ball to the street himself. But on this particular day they made up their own game. I'm not sure what it was called but the intent was to get the tennis ball through Anders' legs w/out him taking it all the way to Gunnar. Literally hours of fun with a paddle and a ball!

Big Belly Mama....

My sister wanted to see a side view and this picture was just sent to me by my beloved Amanda. Is this a belly?? I'm not sure what else to say except......I'm CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!