Happy Birthday to Bryn

I can't believe my baby is twelve. It just seems wrong.  She's old and I'm old.  Jr High is around the corner for her, and what-death-for me?  Ha!  She really is growing up, and she's smart and kind and funny.  Happy Birthday, Bryn!

Junk in the Trunk

Claire loves this little plastic car, but rarely does she ever sit in it and drive.  She likes putting things in and out of the trunk.  I think she thinks of it as an oversized purse you just push around instead of carry.

Batman and Sidekick

I love my boys!  And I love that Max is wearing a Pooh Bear outfit we got for Ella.  It's been used as baby doll clothes for the last nine years, with a brief couple of weeks on Owen and Claire.  It's kind of fun to have something passed through most of the kids.

Daddy Love

Max looks like he's contemplating something deep in this picture.  Hey everyone, my baby is brilliant!  He's solving world hunger and cancer!  I just hope he remembers it by the time he grows up enough to tell us.

What I really love is Andrew's expression.  That husband of mine has some serious baby love going on.  When Bryn was first born, he and my mom would jokingly fight over who got to change the diaper.  I've never quite understood that, but whatever it is sure makes him a good dad.  I think I'm the one missing the newborn gene, because while I do adore my children, I'd happily skip a few months into the future.  Maybe I should go to Hawaii and let Andrew be the mom.

Not an Award Winning Photo & Some Pirate Booty

But it does show just how dang blond this little boy's hair is.  We're still wondering how he got it.  We don't have a milkman and the mail carrier is a lady?!  I figured we'd better get a picture before it falls out or turns brown.  Of course, since I took the picture, he'll probably stay blond forever and grow up thinking I'm crazy for taking pictures of his head instead of his face.

And here's the pirate booty.  It's a cute booty, but also not an award winning photo.  I think I'm kinda smitten, since every piece of him seems photo worthy and perfect to me.

Awww, it's a baby!

Shocking how many photos a mom can take of a little person who doesn't actually do anything.  It doesn't matter since he's cute and I love him!

King of the (Dung) Hill

Oops, since that kid's parents clearly didn't ask the neighbors what kind of pile they were letting their child jump in.  Owen had fun (WHICH IS THE IMPORTANT PART), and we didn't tell him what it actually was (which is the unimportant part).

Brothers are Cool!

I left Max alone for a few minutes and came back to find Owen keeping him company.

Introducing...

Officially, he's Maxwell Race, but we're calling him Max.

Seriously Proud Big Brother

Claire Bear and her Babies

Claire has been taking great care of Alyssa for the last few weeks.  Now she's excited to have her baby meet my baby.  Kind of entertaining, and definitely cute.

Squishy Baby

It's the obligatory going home from the hospital and looking super tiny in a carseat shot.  Everybody needs one of those :-)

What? 5 kids!!!

And even more impressive is that they're all great.  They're so excited to have baby brother here, especially Owen who has been outnumbered for too long.  They've done a great job accepting his lip and are really just taking everything in stride. Makes me a proud mama.

He's here!

Sweet little baby nameless was born at 2:43 pm, weighing 9 lbs 10 ounces and 21 inches long.  He has a cleft lip and alveolar ridge, but the palate is intact.  I just want to know where the blond hair came from?!

Twas the Night Before Baby...