She's finally ours!!

After 5 days in the hospital we finally have our new baby at home! So I guess a recap is in order for those of you reading that don't know details. Lyla has been a little baby from the get go, kind of like our other two, but just a little smaller. After buying my bro Mikes farely new car seat a few months ago, we took it in to the hospital to get Lyla and take her home, we quickly found out how small she really was...the nurse in a round about way told us how bad of parents we were because we had a huge (normal size) car seat that our little peanut as she called her, just would not fit in! Here she is in her preemie car seat and it looks like she's being swallowed, so you can

imagine how she looked in the other car seat.

Anyway, she is doing great, she is classified as SGA or small for gestational age or just a little baby. More than likely the placenta just wasn't giving her enough to grow to be a 7 pounder. At todays week old check up she passed with flying colors. She is so small that our biggest obsticle is keeping her warm, she has no fat to keep her warm so she is always bundled up. So after a slow start she is growing like a weed, she's up to 4 lbs 14 oz. She is eating good and is just as cute as ever. We like her a lot, and so do her big sisters!! They thought it was so cute how small she was, this was the first time they got to be close to her since she has been in the Special Care Nursey, they laughed when they saw that she really is a baby doll size.

Cristine is also doing great, she is eating good and pooping just like she should...and I like her a lot too! Actually in response to her Ying/Yang thing, she is just my happiness, she simply makes me happy. I love everything about her!

We also get to have Grandma with us for a while...what a blessing, she has been so wonderful. We love her and love having her! I couldn't be happier, I have the best family anyone could ask for, 4 babes all to myself! I wouldn't have it any other way, I think heaven father knew that these sweet girls were the key to my happiness, there's only 1 boy allowed, me!

Update...Update...Update...

So leave it up to me to completely botch the name...Hopefully everyone reads my explanation of the name, Lie-la, not lay-la. After her normal, "Brit, you are not very smart" look, Cris explained how to spell the name to me, it's LYLA. So I think it is pretty much official barring any last minute changes, LYLA CLAIRE TERRY.

Here is a little treat from some daddy/daughter time we had today. She is so sweet and little!!

My first time holding her...brings a tear to your eye doesn't it?!

Drum roll please, (imagine the droll roll!)

World....Please meet, ummmm, uuhhh, well, Baby Girl Terry so far...


Baby Girl Terry, born June 18, 2008 4 lbs 3 oz


She is so little you can almost see the "Precious Moments" label on her bum!


Mommy looks great 8 hours after being sliced open!


Isn't she so precious...?!

And finally a few little video treats for you. (Please ignore the lady talking and focus on the little cry, it'll make you want a new little baby of your own, I promise.

To all we care about, we love you and wish you could be here with us to see her. Thanks for the calls, texts and thoughts. Love Brit and Cristine.

Just checking the specs on the rotary....gurder...

Since Cris is taking a 4 day "Spa" day, I thought I would take the blog over for a few days and get everybody updated on our summer in Minneapolis. (Just a little humor...she is recovering from the C-Section she had today, good job honey, you did great, we love you!!)

Here is a little picture gram of what we've been up too.


Chloe getting more "2 wheeler" practice at Lake Calhoun, she did great on her first BIG 2 wheeler, and she even got to keep some treats in her cool pack on the front of the bike.


Sophie taking her normal "easy way" route. She is notorious for doing things more efficient for her needs. It's always, "Daddy will you hold me," or "Daddy, I can't walk!" In this case it's "Daddy I want more snacks back here!"


The girls are now addicted to the park and ice cream. The other day Chloe was scolding me because we only let them have 1 measly ice cream per day...We then had a Daddy Daughter teaching moment about appreciation, (repeat from last week, at some point the repetition thing should work right?) Here they are at one of the many local parks just soaking up the rays.


Modest lifeguards, that's how we like it...


They have some really cool museums here and the girls had so much fun checking stuff out. Cristine has been so awesome to entertain them as she calls it.


Can't think of a better place to spend some time out here than this. It's a small temple but it was really cool, Cristine and I loved it.


My sweet babies!

The Yang to my Yin

When Brit and I were first married, I knew there was no one better suited for me in the world! We like everything the same, we laugh at the same things and he could make me laugh until I needed my puffer! All of our similarities were destined for a life long blissful marriage. It wasn't until the differences appeared that threw me for a loop. But, after almost 8 years, it's those same differences that make me love him even more. And it's those differences that have magically changed to similarities for us.

For Example...

We both think it is hysterical when people use curse words in the wrong context, but he hates cursing.....and I sometimes do.

We both like to joke with other people. We pulled a prank just last night on his manager. We said I was in labor and he needed to watch our kids. We saw Indiana Jones. Brit has too pure of a heart to keep the joke up, my heart is black.

His plees used to be, 'can't I just get a normal cookie?' (referring to my health food store cookies), to 'mmmm, these ones are way better than the other ones.'

He always laughs when the kids are throwing fits because it should be funny when they cry for treats, but I can't seem to find the humor yet.

He compliments me for "cooking" the entire time we've been here, and genuinely means it. My cooking has been nothing more than frozen prepared meals. Granted they have been healthy and I do sometimes have to prepare rice or noodles. But he means it.

I like to fight. I will, and have fought about dirty clothes, clean clothes, kids, hair, make-up, cheese, family, name it....I have argued about it. He likes to keep things on a level surface, no waves.

And reasons why I'm glad he STILL loves me....

I am by nature, a grouchy person trying to break free.

Even though sometimes he says I'm not as funny anymore....I'm glad when I can occasionally make him laugh.

I used to really worry about him crossing his toes, that somehow I wouldn't be able to live with someone who could do that!

He doesn't judge me when I want french fries or chocolate cup cakes at midnight. He just gets them.

He has become a lot more accepting of things holistic, organic, herbal, natural, or non-conventional. Although he still teases me that if stores packaged 'organic' poop in cute bags, I would buy it.

He just laughs when I compare most of my body parts to food related things. Pie face, potato head, sausage fingers, jelly roll, cantaloupe knees... just to name a few.

When he watched me eat corn on the cob for the first time, he still wanted to marry me.

And, lately he gets a kick out of me only wearing "soft" pants. Jerry Seinfeld did say it best...'when you wear sweat pants, it's like telling the world, "I give up." But Brit still doesn't judge me, he just blames the baby!

I love you schmoopie!

Let me entertain you please

We have been in Minneapolis just over a month now and I am completely worn out with all the juggling and magic shows I've had to perform for my children. We have been to more museums, zoos, parks, theaters, libraries, malls, outdoor markets, indoor markets, and of course lakes, than I think I have been to in the past ten years! Do you think for one minute they are saying how much they love it? I think I have been over stimulating them. Chloe, for one says "we NEVER get to go and do anything here! And you never play with us!" And Sophie...I don't know if some signals in her brain get crossed or something, but whenever we are getting ready to go to the park (the park I said) has some kind of physical and mental meltdown.

So this past week I have only taken them out a couple of times and I'm ready to gag them both and keep them in the closet. (Do you like how I said 'take them out' like they are my housebroken pets?) Granted it has been raining most of the week, but I am also 14 months pregnant. I just want to put them to work rubbing my feet. Somehow the novelty wares off and Spongebob is so much more interesting than my swollen toes. Anyway... I thought I might instill a little gratitude for the things we did get to do as opposed to this week, (which by the way, we still managed 2 park trips, some shopping, and a twins baseball game). And I just got a little bit of the same from Chloe, but she is very content drawing and coloring. Sophie, actually, was meltdown free for the most part so I know I was definitely overstimulating her. My question is... how can we get our kids to be grateful?

Now most of you mothers out there can't relate with me or are thinking my hormone level is way off because I just threatened my children on my blog. But if you can relate, I welcome any answers or any volunteer nannies!