Ready for her close-up

Snuggled in the blanket Titi Danaly made for her :)

Two of daddy's favorite things

Reading and holding his precious daughter... And he gets to do them at
the same time!

Perfection

Kim's reward...

Thanks to the gestational diabetes, Kim and I haven't touched a french
fry in months. Fortunately the hospital cafeteria was happy to
oblige the new mommy.

Darren

Faith Cara Joy Rogers

8lbs 8oz, 22 1/4", and absolutely beautiful. Mom is doing great too!

Peaceful labor

Kim had her epidural about an hour ago and is now resting comfortably
through labor. 6cm and counting... We wanted eerything to be
completely different this time around, and so far it really is.

Darren

It's begun

Kim is now officially in labor. Her contraction are relatively mild,
but it still pretty hard work and she is doing an awesome job of
laboring.

It's almost time folks....

The induction is scheduled to start in 2 hours (10:15), so keep us in
your prayers and get readyt o meet the most beautiful little girl
you've ever seen. Dar

11:15 pm update

Well, hopefully the worst is over with the nurse blowing out two veins
trying to put my iv in... I cried... And they still need to try
again! Yuck. Other than that we are relaxed and chillin'. I am only
1 centimeter dialated so we've got a ways... As of right now they
will induce starting tomorrow at 10:00 am.

More updates later!
Kim

Sent from my sweet iPhone

We are on our way!

Dar and I are taking a couple hours of us time before checking in to
the hospital (my last meal till the baby arrives!) We get there at
six and are induced tomorrow if I don't go into labor naturally
tonight... Stay tuned for updates sent from darren's phone throughout
this exciting journey!!

This is how Dar feeds his iPhone app addiction

Like mother like daughter

If my friend Danaly ever wonders where her uber cute daughter Lucy gets her 'tude, she might have to look in the mirror! To be fair, Lucy was in the middle of chowing down on bacon, and Danaly's pic was all done in fun, but you have to admit - they are spitting images of each other!!

Soft, strong-feeling skin?

I was taking a shower and glanced over at Darren's manly shower gel and had to laugh.   What exactly IS soft, yet strong feeling, skin???

We're "Ready"!

Since I may go into labor at any time, we have our bags packed... and have had them packed for the last few weeks :) The giant cone of chocolate covered popcorn on the top was just given to us by our neighbors. Because of the gestational diabetes we can't eat any of it, but it will absolutely be coming to the hospital with us because once this little girl makes her debut we are eating all of it! My nurse told me that on my daughter's birthday I can eat everything I wish I could have had while I was on the strict diet - wahoo!!!

Christmas!!

Look at my big boy!! He is learning to pose now and I think this is the sweetest picture! The giant boo boo on his lip came from (we think) falling out of bed and getting a huge fat lip and rug burn. Fortunately it's almost gone.

Noah LOVES garbage trucks. Every Friday morning when he hears one he says "hurry hurry! Garbage truck!" and we rush out to the porch so he can watch them lift and dump the trash cans. The drivers usually wave and Noah gives out a big "OH YEAH!" When Darren and I saw this green Tonka garbage truck that lifts the can and everything, we knew we had to get it. Noah played with it all day!

Life Before Christmas
(mommy's artistic box with roads)

Life After Christmas
(a four story parking garage)

Before Daddy (ugh)

After Daddy!

Life is good

Merry Christmas!

Daddy, I mean Santa, has his work cut out for him

Thoughts on Postpartum Depression in the final two weeks

Here I am in the last two weeks of this pregnancy and I would be naive not to reflect on the possibilities of postpartum depression.  I am, after all, at risk. However, I am also more informed than I was last time - and I'm counting on this knowledge to be of help.

When Noah was born, I was completely blindsided by this illness.  For the first few weeks I thought it was normal to hate being a mom, to feel like my life was ruined, to feel totally and utterly overwhelmed and incapacitated.  I didn't seek help for 5 months, and didn't find help until 9 months later.  That is a LONG time to be in a place of despair and survival.  

As mentioned, having had it once I am at risk for it happening a second time.  

But it is a risk and not a guarantee.  

So we are praying for NO PPD this time around.  Will you join us?  

We are preparing for it just in case.  We will have postpartum assistance the first few months and no qualms about calling a Dr. or starting medication.  We will not be naive again. 

However, we are asking God for mercy and grace, and we are sincerely praying that He protect our family from this illness.  It would be amazing to experience our daughter with joy and excitement and not anxiety and fear.

So please pray with us in these final days that we would experience what roughly 85% of all other mommies and daddies experience - a depression and anxiety free 1st year with our beautiful little girl and her amazing big brother.

Thank you!

Kim and Darren

Are all boys this, um, curious??

This USED to be one of his favorite cars - a yellow VW bus that Titi Danaly had on top of a present for him last year.  Well, apparently he wanted to know how it was put together.  

Unfortunately, "Fix it mama" was not a request I could fulfill!  I superglued the yellow part the first time he brought it to me in 2 pieces... but this was beyond my skill set - or energy level!  Maybe dad can help him put it back together later...

A conversation with Noah

N: Mama, a doggie!
M: Yes, Noah, that's a dalmation - dalmations have black spots
N: It's messy - have to clean it UP!
M: Oh that's not dirt, it's just spots in his fur :)

I have a feeling this will be the first of some of my most favorite interactions EVER.

Bellies :)

My friend Kristen and I are due right around the same time - and we look it! I can't believe it's coming so fast...


And that's our Christmas tree in the background :) Noah helped to decorate it - you can see his handiwork below. The very first ornament he placed was his foam snowman.... he then proceeded to line up every other ornament right next to each other on the wire for the lights - he was focused!

Noah's yummy house

Jenny brought over a gingerbread house for Noah to help decorate the other night. Since he doesn't eat candy very often I'm not sure what he was more excited about - decorating with it or eating it! A friend of hers had advised us to glue-gun the house together FIRST, before letting Noah at it. I laughed at this, but then was so glad we did it - toddlers aren't the most gentlest of creatures :) (Right Danaly?)

It's far from perfect, but we love it!

Progress!

So the extreme makeover isn't totally complete, but we have come a long way baby.

This was the master closet:

Now

Our master bedroom

Now...

We still have things like mirrors and shelves to hang, and throw pillows, and lamp shades, and more shutters, etc., etc., but we are well on our way to our dream room. Aren't the walls awesome? Those stripes are painted on - so cool.

It's snowing in Livermore!

Well, sort of... It's the snow they make every year, but Noah still
thought it was pretty COOL. Heh heh

Pray for this family

The wife of my friend's pastor in Oregon had some kind of stroke after Thanksgiving dinner... please pray for this special woman and their family as she is the ICU with many unknowns.

You can read about it at:

http://heathersupdate.blogspot.com

Thank you.

Proof of my blessings...

Noah helped daddy make the pork roast tonight - these are pics of them preparing it with the rub. I think they are precious! I love my boys!

For you bakers out there

Here's the cinnamon roll recipe you can use when you decide to bless us post-delivery :)

CINNAMON BUNS

Our budding photographer

This is the second picture Noah has taken of himself :) He had so much fun pushing the button I have quite a few that look just like this.

Why didn't I highlight his first picture you ask? Well, um, here it is...

yes, it's his little crotch.

Our post delivery day wish list :)

With this gestational diabetes thing, Darren and I have had to stick to a very strict diet... and there are things that we so wish we could have but can't. We have learned that my GD should resolve itself shortly after the baby is born...so, we are now making a list of things we will want in the room right after the birth, or in the days following:

1. Starbucks Holiday Drink (K - pepp mocha, D - egg nog latte)
2. Boba (tapioca milk tea) - K
3. Cinnamon Roll - K, D
4. Twix! - K
5. Chocolate chip cookie dough - K
6. Donut wheel donuts - D
7. Bagel with cream cheese and tomato

I'm sure we will think of more in the next month :)

"Please turn on the lights"

Country star Wade Bowen wrote a song about Postpartum Depression after watching his wife go through it. He recently sang it at a large charity function and it's dedicated to all the amazing husbands out there who walked through the darkest of shadows with their wives. My husband is one of those heroes... and we were fortunate enough to be a part of the video played as he sang the song... (everyone in the video went through some type of PPD)

The henna deserves its own post ;)

My good friend Chrys Goodman is an amazing artist. After the shower she created a beautiful blossom inspired henna tattoo on my big belly. Here are the pics. I LOVE IT!!

Baby shower for me and my little girl :)

My friend Kristen hosted the most beautiful shower for me today. The theme was cherry blossoms - which I LOVE. The decorations and food were wonderful and it was nice to celebrate this new life with close friends and family. Here are some pics from the day.

My sister Pam, me and my mom

Kristen the amazing hostess (due same time I am)

Cupcake tree provided me Jennifer and Jill of course