Two years ago, I remember hiking up the hill to the top of the golf course in hopes of walking that two week late little girl, right out of my body. She was still quite content for another two days though. And now tonight, I think back to this night two years ago. In the throes of transitional labor (and it was longer than 'transitions ' should be...) and awaiting the arrival of our third born. Just another six more hours, and my baby is two.
Last week goes down in the book as the craziest. On Friday we picked Kate and Jess up from the airport and headed back to mom's. That evening, around eight, we left for home. Ryan drove separately since he had met us there after work, so he was a little ahead of me and the kids. There was definitly some weird wind and ominous clouds happening all around me, and then Kate called to check on me since she had just bolted inside after a crazy gust of wind. Then I started to feel weird. Tree limbs started flying, the sky turned dark, and the wind was insane. I called Ryan who pretty much thought I was being silly because he was actually still ahead of this crazy storm that was chasing our van. No sooner did he stake his claim in my being silly, a big tree fell right across the road in front of our van. I hung up on Ryan, Isabella freaked out and I followed suit. I threw the van in reverse and started backing up down a dark, tree lined back road in hopes for a place to turn around sooner than later. I pulled into the first driveway I came too and froze. Too scared to go on and completely unsure of my next move...there was now a tree between us and Ryan, and a hundred trees with the potential to fall, between me and my mom's. Then, headlights. I wasn't sure how that was possible, but I put that baby in reverse and was ready to join that train of five cars headed my direction. Only, the first one pulled in behind me and it was Ryan. He had turned around and he and another guy moved the tree out of the road so they could pass through. Then he jumped in our van and we decided to go for it and try to make it back to moms. Which we did...only to encounter numerous fallen trees along the way and a downed power line directly across the bottom of her driveway. So we kept on driving, then deciding to go to Ryan's sister's house. Luckily she is close by as well so we ran inside (to of course, no power) and settled the kids down. Kristy pulled out all of her awesome distraction techniques, and our heart rates assumed normal rhythm. About an hour later, once the wind calmed a bit, we headed back to moms and ended up taking her, all of her animals, Kate, and Jess, back home with us (to our house that never lost power) to fall into bed by midnight. The next day we went back to her house to empty her refrigerator and take her chest freezer to our house. Taylor and Kelly also did the same and headed over since we were the only ones with power. And for the next four days, we had a mini impromptu sleepover party. Seven adults and five kids, but I must say, we made it pretty awesome. We ate lots of great food from our 'pooled together' three refrigerators worth. The cousins entertained each other endlessly. Everyone got lots of new-baby Piper loving, and yesterday when our kids woke up in the morning they were far from pleased at the lack of people inhabiting their house (I mean, come on, us alone makes five, but they like the double digits).
We had a hot, relaxing fourth of July. Isabella remembers the fireworks and was very excited. Declan loved them and was very excited and Quinn buried her head in my neck and refused to look. After the first few big ones, she turned her head to the side, keeping a firm grip around my neck, and watched in her own tired, sneaky way. And we stayed far away from the sparklers this year. Definitly not revisiting that tradition any time soon. And to round out the week, Genivieve and Zoey came into town to see Kate and celebrate Quinn's birthday.
We got to the park a little early this year. Okay, it was a lot early. The kids played, ran around, snacked, and watched fireworks in the distance. But as soon as the sky turned dark and we continued to wait another 40 minutes...most kids thought it was bedtime. Zoey, amazingly fell asleep just as the fireworks began. Isabella, exhausted, had a little meltdown as the fireworks started and had to be reminded that she liked them. And Quinn quietly lay her head on my chest and relaxed into me for the show. Three minutes in the van, they were all passed out. And it was 11pm.
Declan found his Cars slippers that he got for Christmas. He insisted on wearing them to the fireworks and Quinn has been wearing them at all times since that night.
But I have to stop. This birthday deserves a post of it's own.
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