Keeping Up With The Smuckers: September 2009

As we have been home with Rachel for a little over a week now, I'm realizing the importance of trying to have a schedule - for everyone! With Emma in Kindergarten, Heidi in preschool, and BSF getting going again, life does not slow down. (Thus explains a little why I haven't posted anything here since we've been home.) I think Rachel is going to have to just learn to work with all of us. The joy of being the third child. (However, I'm a third child and I think I turned out ok - hopefully she will too!)

Here's our first family picture back home. This was right when we got home from the hospital with Rachel on Sunday, Sept 6. Emma and Heidi seemed genuinely excited that all of us were home - including baby Rachel.

Pretty girls! Thanks Grammy for the dresses!

Rachel is doing great! It's taken us some time to get eating down - she preferred to sleep most of the time. Although when you're that little, I'm guessing it takes a lot of energy to eat. At her first pediatrician visit on Sept 8, she weighed 5 lbs 2.5 oz. However we went back today and she has gained 10 ounces in a week putting her at 5 lbs 12.5 oz. Dr. H was very pleased. :-)

Now she is starting to have a little more awake time - which is fun!

Super Baby!

Rachel's first outing was to East Cobb Park for a family birthday gathering. It was a beautiful day and a fun time with family. All of her cousins were pretty interested in checking her out - and Heidi was proud to show off her little sister.

Jason took last week and this week off of work (which has been wonderful). He has spent lots of time with Emma and Heidi. One thing they've done quite a bit is go for bicycle rides. They all enjoy the ride and time together. One generally sits in the seat on the back of the bike while the other rides in the trailer. Here, Emma is in the seat and Heidi is in the trailer. I'm sure as soon as Rachel is big enough, we'll be going for family bicycle rides. :-)

Fun in the bath tub!

Heidi looks like she belongs in Dr. Seuss' Whoville.

Emma finally starting riding the bus to school this past Friday. She seems to really enjoy it. This was taken the first afternoon she rode the bus home.

OK - backtracking some. My birthday was Sept 3 and Jason had graciously planned to have some friends keep the girls for us to go out to dinner. However, that afternoon is when I started having contractions. So we canceled the original plans. But Jason came home with flowers and the girls gave me my birthday present...

... a new garage door opener!!! And this was my reaction. :-) See, the garage where I park the van - sometimes the door opens, sometimes it doesn't. We have found no rhyme or reason as to when it works and when it doesn't. So, it was a little frustrating - and no good when it was raining. So I'm very excited that we now have a new opener for the van garage. Yeah! :-)