Are we having ANOTHER baby?

Hailey is a wonderful addition to our family! Having a newborn makes everyone a little sweeter, a little more sentimental, and a little more concerned about what really matters.

When we came home, my sweet little Maia kept asking to feed and hold Hailey--as long as she didn't cry.

When we came home, Jake wanted to hold his baby sister, too. But he is a little bit nervous holding someone that small.

When we came home, Jenny said, "I don't like her." Then she said, "I don't like her belly button." Now she loves her. Luckily, the adjustment period didn't take too long!

But it was Lizzy's reaction to my coming home that I will always remember. When we came home, Lizzy took one look at my still-bloated belly and said, "Mom, are we having ANOTHER baby?"

Hailey, 3 Days Old

Hailey has already brought so much joy into our lives! And she keeps on getting cuter! My only complaint is that her schedule is backwards--she sleeps during the day and wakes up at night. But I really shouldn't complain: she eats, sleeps, and goes to the bathroom well! Can't ask for more than that :)

Here's Hailey!

We are so excited to have our little Hailey join our family! Here are her stats:

Name: Hailey Anne Cook (named after Jeff's sister, Melissa Anne)
Birthday: Feb. 28, 2011
Time: 5:09 p.m.
Weight: 7 lb. 1 oz.
Length: 19 inches

Jake and Maia are doting older siblings. Lizzy can't stop stroking her head. Jenny's still making up her mind, but we think they're going to be best friends :). Her dad LOVES to hold her, and so do I!

Pokemon Mania!

Jake is a typical 11-year-old boy. He likes to swim, he plays the guitar, he looks adorable in his Boy Scout uniform that is three sizes too big, and he absolutely LOVES video games!

Today, I spent an hour and a half after school taking Jake and his friend to download the limited-edition Pokemon "Celebi" at our local GameStop. It was a long process, but it was worth it. Look how happy they are!

If only I could remember to savor the simple pleasures of life!

Shopping with Dad

Lizzy and Jenny have a few loves in life: Dora the Explorer, the mall (Lizzy's "favorite place in the whole world!"), staying up late, puzzles . . . child-sized shopping carts.

Every time we go to the store, they race to see whether there are any "shopper-in-training" carts available. I usually let them push the groceries around, although Jenny usually runs into the backs of my legs at least once during the adventure.

A few days ago, Jeff took the little girls shopping. As you can see, they were in heaven. Staying up late AND pushing a shopping cart around--what could be better!

Be careful where you stuff your face!

Yesterday, as I was wolfing down a Veggie Works burrito from Del Taco with one hand and driving with the other, I was reminded of a time when I was pregnant with Lizzy . . .

The event: Ethics class for my real estate license. The time: Mid-day, lunch. The sitch: I was super pregnant and super HUNGRY!

On my way home from the class in Lake Forest (about 40 minutes away from my home), I decided to grab a sandwich and eat it on the run. The sandwich was falling apart at the seams, so I decided to stuff it in my mouth as quickly as I could. I knew I was a sight but thought, "At least no one sees me."

Three days later at church, my friend Maryam called to me from across the foyer: "I saw you! I saw you! You were stuffing your face in the car in Lake Forest!" She then proceeded to imitate my sandwich-eating in front of at least ten other friends!

Apparently she was also driving in her car and spotted me on the road. I have to admit it was a pretty good impression!

Cops and Robbers . . . and Marijuana

Sometimes adults need a break from life, a chance to revisit their adolescence, an opportunity to let loose and play. That's what my friends thought they were doing last night.

The game was "Cops and Robbers." Five couples divided into teams (boys against girls, of course) and tried to spot each other while they trekked back to base, hopefully without being seen. Each team had to stay together, and they were declared "out" when they were spotlighted with a flashlight from the other team.

My friend Tina was one of the cops at the time. Together with four other friends, they drove up and down streets in the neighborhood hoping to catch their husbands dressed in black before they reached home base (i.e., the park).

Shortly before they reached the park, they spotted five men dressed in black. Excited, they spotlighted them, yelling, "We caught you! We got you! Come back!" When the men kept running, they chased after them, perplexed that their husbands were cheating. They were supposed to stop when they got spotlighted.

Tina and her entourage didn't catch their husbands, so they went back to home base--the park. Their husbands were already there.

"Why didn't you stop when we caught you?" they asked.

"We were already here when we heard you yelling," they explained. "But we did see five teenagers dressed in black sprinting through the park scared out of their minds. Oh, and they smelled like they'd been rolling doobies."

What started as a simple game of cops and robbers ended up as an accidental drug bust by five middle-aged moms! Oh the irony!