Good Morning! It's April 10th, at 5:30am. I am 39 weeks 1 day along and finally getting ready to deliver my sweet baby girl. Boys slept at Wayne and GG's and Ry and I slept just a few hours and then headed nervously to the hospital. It's surreal and finally here and I can't wait.

Crosbi Lucille Eccleston joined our family at 7:57am via C-section at Edwards Hospital in Naperville. She was 12 lbs 2 oz. and 20 inches long.

Dearest Crosbi,

Your birth story is probably the most text book and really uneventful of all my kiddos. You came exactly on time. I can't believe that you made it to your date, but I am thrilled that you did. You were nice and big (understatement) and healthy. I was so nervous but so very very excited to meet you. They pulled you out and daddy and I heard the best and most beautiful sound in the world...your little cries. We didn't get to hear either of your brothers right away, so this was a surprise and blessing we just couldn't be more thrilled about. And guess what else?? We got to take you to recovery with us. No NICU for you little girl. Your blood sugars were awesome, all your screens came in normal and you were breathing like a champ. It was amazing. I am so thankful for your dad, who kept me calm the whole surgery and is truly my best friend. I can't believe that I have gotten to share this experience with him not just 1 but 3 times. He is the only person I can imagine holding hands with as we bring a baby into this world. I am so lucky to have my dreams for my life coming true with him.

Here's our first meeting. I got to hold and nurse you right away, it was a dream come true.

Your brothers were very anxious to meet you and came to the hospital 2 times the day you were born, wearing their BIG BROTHER shirts proudly. I started recovering which has seemed a titch harder and more painful this time, but totally worth it! I was out of bed that same night and we got ready to leave the hospital after 2 nights.

Bye bye Hospital. HELLO world. We had a wonderful hospital experience and a wonderful staff to take care of us and you. We came home on Thursday night, April 12th to a full house. Grandma & Grandpa Eccleston and Richard and your brothers gave us quite a welcome home party! We all ate dinner together and OOOOOHHHHed and AWWWWWWed over you.

We've had lots of special visitors. The grandparents, some friends and more family and even some skype dates to meet you! You are very well loved all ready!

G & G Eccleston

Aunt Al

GG & Wayne with all the kiddos!

My new necklace from GG & Wayne. Now all of the babies are close to my heart!

Crosbi Lu, you are such a precious gift. All I can think every time I look at you, is THANK YOU God. I can't believe that I have 3 healthy babies to love and raise. I am over the moon to have daughter and feel so blessed that you came into this world so peacefully. I can't wait for everything we have to look forward to in the years to come...BUT for now baby, I am enjoying each precious moment, each snuggle and new born squeek and tiny pink item and even pumping (which is terrible:)!) because it means I have you and I just want to live in this moment and love you precious baby.

Welcome to the world. It is now a better place, just because you are in it.

Love you.

MOM

Easter '12

We spent Easter this year waiting and wondering when our "special guest" would arrive. It was looking like after all of my ahead of time prep, I would in fact be present to hunt eggs with the boys. And I was thrilled that I got to be there, but a bit miserable too! The weekend before we went to an Easter event downtown Oswego and the boys got to "trick or treat" through the stores and meet the Easter bunny, which Beanie wasn't really too thrilled about. Ha ha, poor guy!

Easter weekend we went to church on Saturday and then had a lazy morning at home on Sunday! It was nice to just relax the four of us in our home and enjoy the morning! The EB was very good to the boys and even left a basket for our newest family member!!

We headed to Grandpa and GG's house for lunch after our hunt and breakfast and spent the rest of the day eating, playing, bike riding, kite flying, bulls watching and enjoying each other. We are so thankful for time like this and most importantly a Savior who gave it all so that we can celebrate together.

PS: Griff learned to ride a 2 wheeler this weekend! I'll get some pics up soon, but we were all very excited and he is thrilled with his new accomplishment! Pray for me as I now will really have to be fast to keep up with him:)!

Anytime Now...

9 months

38 weeks (almost)

and...an hour away from APRIL, I kinda had my heart set on April and we made it.

Whew!

But seriously little one. Anytime now is good. My bag is packed and so are your brothers and so is your dad. We are ready to do this. We all want to meet your sweet face and see your adorable cheeks in person. We want newbie snuggles and to analyze who you look like. We want to see if you have hair and how much and what color. We can't wait until you are snug as a bug in our little rug.

Also, I am miserable and you are huge. It's time for you to get your own place.

I thought for sure you would come early. I have never carried a baby past 38 weeks. But you might surprise us all and just make it to the 10th. However it works out, I am just anxious now to know the story and be holding you in my arms as I retell it.

See you soon.

Momma

The last shots of me pregnant with you C. Beanie can't wait for you to get here and is loving kissing my tummy and pointing to the "be be"!

Tickled Pink

I am SUPER blessed with the best girl friends in the world! On Saturday they threw the sweetest PINK filled shower for C & I! I wish I had more pictures but the few I do have will do the job.

A pink tutu wreath welcomed the guests at the door,

a pink C adorned the table &

countless other pink treasures were scattered about. Mary Beth made these adorable pink dishes that had washcloths, bibs and little hats wound up in lu of ice cream and put her amazingly creative party planning touches every where.

Erin hosted the whole event in her beautiful home and made the most delicious chicken avocado salad that was a HUGE hit! (Everyone wants the recipe)!!!

I even heard they stayed up till like midnight one night making these little puff balls to hang from the chandeliers. Every little touch was adorable and...

delish!!!!

...they are seriously the greatest!

And this was me and you C, almost 36 weeks.

I am HUGE, and you must be ready to come out because I started having contractions when I woke up the morning of the shower and they continued the whole time. It was the only downer of the party! Ry took me to Labor & Delivery right after the party and we stayed there for a few hours listening to your sweet little heart thump thump away while I contracted. I eventually got released, put on moderate best rest and was forced to promise to come in Monday for some follow up. We would like at least 2 more weeks little girl to get those lungs ready!

Ryan and I were over whelmed at the generosity of our friends. C got loaded up on clothes, socks, some things for her room & I even got some nursing essentials for after the babe comes! God continues to blow us away with people in our lives to surround us and our children with love and kindness. We are very blessed and can't wait to welcome our daughter into our "family", blood and beyond!

Thanks Erin, Mary Beth & everyone else who made this such a sweet day!

Parents Day & Flash Backs

Every Thursday for the past 7 months we have found ourselves at soccer for Griffy. At the end of each session is a parents day and I am sure there are pics on the blog from previous ones. Griff finished out another session this week and what made this parents day SO special is that DADDY came!! Everyone was THRILLED, especially mommy who can no longer participate in the activities parents day requires. It occurred to me that this was my 3rd parents day pregnant. One for each trimester. The first one I did all the races and games and dry heaved in the bathroom afterwards. The second one, I did as good as a girl in the second trimester could do!

And this one I was way too preggers to do more than watch and wave, which I happily obliged! Thank you Daddy!

Ry & I were both very proud of G! He listened and did all the tasks he was asked to do and he has improved a lot! He of course LOVED the racing and game the best and even scored a few goals!

Daddy did great too, and I could tell he was in his glory playing with both his boys! I am telling you neither of them could ever get enough of playing with their dad!

And the whole time we were in that hot sweaty gym I kept having flash backs of a very young Ryan, who at the time was my boyfriend, playing intermurals with his college buddies. A LOT of time in college was spent playing or refereeing intermurals for Ryan, thus a lot of my time was spent either playing with him or watching him. At soccer the other day I couldn't help but hearken back to those days and I just wondered how big the smile would have stretched across my face then to know that someday this guy would be my husband and be playing in a hot sweaty gym with our boys. I absolutely LOVE it. My best day dreams back then couldn't hold a candle to this reality!

And this reality has energy, a lot of energy. What a ham! He was thrilled that the kids "beat" the parents in the ultimate challenge...the game of the century according to Griff. The kids earned the medals since they came out victorious!

And we loved play time all together!

TIME: Standing Still and yet FLYING BY!

It is now about the middle of March. In December I would have thought, WOW, that is so close to baby, almost there. Yet from where I stand now, it still seems FOREVER away. The phrase, "I can't do that until after I have baby C" is one I use over and over again to all 3 of my boys, poor guys. They are hanging in there though. We have doctors appointments and low key time at home and crazy errand days so we get done all of our "TO DOS" before baby. I know the weeks are flying but it also seems like time is kind of standing still until she gets here! Griffin said this morning that he can't wait until his sister is here! I was so relieved to hear not only that he isn't resentful (yet!) but he is also excited! He is such an easy going guy and I am lucky he just rolls with everything. In the midst of all things baby prep we have managed to find some fun things to keep us going as well. Here are just a few pics from my phone that give a small highlight of life lately. I've been bad at taking pictures and blogging but at least I have a recap stored in that little machine!

Here are the boys with Graham Tigulis, my best friend since Jr. High's little guy! Andrea & I try and get together as often as we can (which isn't nearly enough) but keep up through the more than occasional texts that always seem to start with, "if only you were my neighbor..."! They live in Indiana! It's always so fun to catch up & see our boys together, who would have thought!!???!!

Things at Griffin's school have also kept us rocking and rolling. We made pirate Valentines for his class this year and he had a blast at the party passing out and receiving cards!

He's also been super busy working on all his letters and for Valentine's Day he brought us home one of the sweetest things we'll ever receive on paper....

our first written "I LOVE YOU"! He's also doing awesome on his name! His teachers have sent home a few notes and told us how proud of Griffin they are for all the he has achieved this year, how great he is progressing & for what a good listener he is. It has made us very proud too! Now we just gotta get in those listening skills at home:)!

Last week in honor of the GREAT Dr. Seuss's birthday there was something fun each day! On Monday it was silly sock day, so naturally we made super hero socks and Griff wore his Green Lantern shirt (which by the way, is his FAV! He requests either this or his Bulls shirt everyday and is devastated when both are dirty!!)!

Wednesday was PJ day and I got to come in and help in Griffin's room! It was really fun to see him and his class in action and Friday it was hat day! We also had some green eggs one night after he read the book in class that day and had a very colorful chat about where the green eggs had come from!:)

And we got to see Coop in this last month a few times! His mom & dad were in and out of town for several wedding showers so we got in lots of good Cooper smiles. We love our cousin and can't wait to play more!

And lastly, I ran across this book and had to take a pic of it. I need to read it and let it soak in. I have realized that no matter how hard I try, one me isn't going to accomplish all that needs to get done in 24 hours. Especially when I add one more, so I am just trying to do and enjoy what I can. It isn't always easy to let things go, but some things just aren't as important as playing

"I SPY" and watching your boys laugh together! Here's to hoping the next few weeks go by smoothly and in the next few posts we have a baby!