So happy together

I may look a little pregnant or something in this picture... but be at ease- I am not... my shirt is just doing something strange.
If you were to walk into my kitchen after dinner... this is probably what you'd see.

Geni makes THE best faces. Geni Geni Geni. What a girl. SHe is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!! Can I even put enough exclamations on? She sleeps from 9 pm to 5 am. WOW. SHe only cries when she has a real problem, like from hunger, dirty diaper, or gas- and those are things that really do need fixing- so I can't blame her for that. :)
It's not that I love her more by any means... but I just REALLLLLYYYYY appreciate her good nature, cuddles,smiles, coos, and sleeping while we are going through this rough spot with Mel. It's not easy being two!!!

I love Mark. I always have. I loved him before I knew him and it just keeps growing and maturing. He is a GREAT dad. I wish all children had fathers who were so doting, patient, and playful- and that all mother's had such equal partners. I chose well. :)
If you walked into the living room in the evening right before family scripture study, this is what you'd see. :)

On a Sunday afternoon- you'd see something like this taken place in the kitchen. :)

For the record, I am VERY happy ... even while I'm tackling/wrestling/bribing and who knows what else to get Mel to let me change his diaper... well mostly happy anyway. :)

I'm not kidding folks...it's not fun. Well... sometimes it is :) but in a "I'm going to kill you !!!!!!" kind of way. :) I need to do a post on Mel soon. I can't believe all that he can do these days.

I really love moment pictures. These were some from Father's Day... but they could have been taken any day.

Life is wonderful- God is real.

Remember Me???

Looky looky! The coat I made when Mel was.... six months maybe ... finally fits!!!! Though of course he hates it... and it is summer... and after all... it IS made from grocery bags and newspaper bags... meaning it is stiff and crinkly-NOT comfortable. But still... go Britta! Look how awesome it is!

Mel is jumping in this one. :) He REFUSED to hold still a minute and smile. Oh well.

Geni Smiles for the Camera!

Geni looked so adorable for church yesterday, we just had to have a little photo shoot... and sometimes you just get lucky!!! She was actually smiling!!!
This one is my favorite. Doesn't she look sweet?

Growing Genevieve.

Genevieve has already gained 2 pounds!!! Way to go little girl!
So, because I'm not a regular blogger anymore, I forgot how to order the uploading of pictures... thus, in this post she gets younger the further down you go... hummm... that's not true... because a picture I took just today is practically right in the middle of the post. Oh well... Very cute. I love the flower on the bum.

With the weather so nice, we're frequenting the High Banks Metro Parks again. Mel LOVES it.

I LOVE Geni's eyes. Such a dark blue... I hope they stay!

This is the picture I took outside today ... on a swing reading Fablehaven, (which I finished today and loved) while Mel played in a kiddy pool.. doesen't Geni look big?

Us in our back yard... pictures should never be taken at noon. :)

Geni with her Grandma Laurie.

Look at those hairs!

What a sweet face!

This was taken on Mother's day.... burrrrrr! It was chilly, but we went strolling anyway. Isn't she adorable all bundley?

That is all. I just wanted you all to see how cute she still is... and I also wanted to hear all your comments on that fact. :) Merci friends.

Geni and other tidbits...

I just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about this post... there will be plenty of Geni... which is why I begin with this picture... taken just moments after I birthed her. :)

From this picture, we go back to the week before she was born... when my sister and her little guy came to town to wait for Geni's birth... (she SOOOOO lovingly atched Mel whilst Mark and I were in the hospital.)

We went to the zoo.


Mel and his cousin tried out our new double stroller... neither one loved it- but oh well.

Mel kept pushing his feet on his cousin's seat... which greatly irritated his cousin.

They bathed together.

They wore matching pajamas.

I love this picture.

Until the week before Geni came I hadn't seen either of my sisters in a little less than a year.

Oh how I've missed them!!!!

They stacked cans and boxes from the pantry.

And the day before Geni came, we four went to Cosi, a hands on science museum.

So... This is as belly as I got.

My sister and her little man.

I LOVE this picture.

After playing in the water area, the boys were soaked. Not to worry though, Cosi will dry your clothes. Mel only soaked his pants... thus why he's pants-less. Very funny to me, he is wearing a "Run Forest, Run!" t-shirt here... which is hilarious without pants, whilst wearing tennies.

Here are the four of us.

I want to give a little shout out for my baby carrier... which clearly I still use, though Mel is nigh unto two years, and I have been extremely pregnant. It's THAT good.

Then... The next day at 2:00 ish a.m. I woke with an intense braxton hick... it happened again... and I woke Mark at 2:09.

I laid in bed switching sides for about another half hour, wondering if this was really the beginning.

Then we timed the contractions for an hour. They were every 4 min.

Mark took a shower, after which I showered. It was so nice I didn't want to get out.

My intent had been to take my time, get a little bit ready, pack a bag, and leave for the hospital- hoping that by the time we arrived I would be dialated to at least a three, and would therefore be admitted and not sent home. :)

That was my plan... but once I got out of the shower... I had to stay on my hands and knees during the contractions, which were getting closer... and I could barely dress myself.

I finally did... and started throwing up right before we left for the hospital.

I cried the whole way there... the contractions were so intense, and I was panicking that I was being a huge pansy, and that the hospital would turn me away.

We arrived at the hospital around 5:45 a.m.-

All the way up to labor and delivery I would stop and get on my hands and knees for every contraction. We finally made it there- and when checked imagine my surprise when they told me I was dialated to a 9 and 1/2!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry folks, I still got an epidural, which slowed my labor way down- putting contractions at 5 min. intervals instead of the 2 they had been.

It was wonderful. They knew I would deliver within the hour, so they didn't even give me a drip epidural, just the initial dose- but seriously... amazing. :) I still felt the contractions, but they felt just like braxton hicks- like a muscle flexing.

The rest is history. I pushed for 7 contractions, and Geni was there.

In our rush to get out the door, we didn't pack anything for Geni!!! Can you believe it? So when we brought her home she wore two shirts from the hospital, one on top, and one on bottom. :)

Mel finally took interest in Geni once we got home.

Okay people- we'd JUST gotten home when this one was taken... meaning my hair hadn't been washed in ages... but I love it anyway because Mel is so darn cute in it.

Auntie and cousin with Geni... Cousin was practically hyperventillating he was so excited about the baby.

There are her eyes!!!

She looks NOTHING like what Mel did. I can't wait to see who she becomes.

cousins playing outside... it was SOOOOO nice to come home and be with Mel again.

Mel loves to wear my glasses. I know it'll ruin his eyes... but I just can't tell him no.

more of Geni.

And more...

And more...

more...

Us having our first outing... dinner at Hoggys....

A bath... Look! She has hair! It's just all in the back. :)

Whilst in the hospital, two robins built a nest on our fence... today we saw their eggs.

Mel and Mark watching a rain storm.

Geni today.

Whew. I don't expect anyone will have made it to the end... this post was really just for me to document our last week and 1/2... so wonderful.

I can't begin to describe how happy I am- how blessed I feel!