"Expected Delivery Date"

I know that a due date is just a guess and have read the statistic that only 5% of women actually deliver on that date, so I'm not counting on anything happening today just because the calculator gave me this date. I love that the media in England ( and around the world) had to guess at the Duchess of Cambridge's due date ( and got it wrong) because the Royal Family simply announced she was due in "mid July".

And yet here I am on my Due Date, more than ready, no let me rewrite that--MORE THAN READY!!!

I have been feeling little rumblings and changes in my body for a week and a half. I got out the recipe for "birth"day cake the Friday before last and its been sitting on the kitchen counter since then. Yesterday morning, after being awake for two hours in the middle of the night (very rare for me) with crampy contraction-like action, I couldn't wait any longer and went ahead and made the cupcakes.

Then all day yesterday I proceeded to have mild contractions that felt very much like early labor. I talked with my midwife yesterday evening and she said go to bed early because we'd be seeing each other in the middle of the night...obviously we didn't or this would be a different post. I slept very soundly last night (got up to pee five times, but that's normal) and haven't felt a thing today.

The other thing that has made waiting more difficult, aside from the little internal changes, is that Audrey was born 12 days before her due date and siblings tend to trend towards similar birthdays in relation to due dates.

So, I guess, just like with parenting, and with life, we cannot presume to know exactly what to expect, or count on our expectations being met. But we can prepare and prepare and prepare; so that is what me and my little munchkin are doing, although the freezer has run out of space for pre-made dinners and I can only reasonably wash the baby clothes so many times.

I'm off to see the midwife now, more news to come....

Mama's ready

I got my haircut yesterday and that was the last thing I was hoping to get done before the new baby comes. Daddy and big sister claim to be ready too. So come on out baby.

Summer shots

Some days are too hot for clothes.

Flat water rafting on the Yampa



McKinley came over to play.


Our backyard kiddie picnic spot.

Audrey's banana binge. I turned my back for 5 minutes and she rips into and devours a banana and a half.

Busy Nesters

I don't think it really qualifies as nesting but we've been busy here at the house spending every weekend and free moment outside doing yard/house projects. We've got to log the work now because we won't be doing much but changing diapers and feeding babies in a few weeks. We realized we've got a little theme going with the major project being done about a month before our babies come. Audrey was born to a newly installed doorand view, now the next baby will have a new patio.
We have been lucky enough to have some great help from friends as this patio has come together. Audrey has kept a close eye on the progress as well.





























Phew it was a lot of work.



Here's to eating out on the new patio.

We've kept up with other day to day yard work as well, like watering and weeding.







And we built a giant baby gate to replace the half ton gate that had been falling off its hinges and permanently propped open for the past two years.