Avery's Happy Birthday

  As it happens Avery and Luke's birthdays are only six days apart now.  Avery doesn't mind right now.  In fact she talks about her and Luke being birthday buddies all the time.  It's very cute, but I'm not convinced they will always be happy about the close proximity of their birthdays.  Oh well they'll live.

   We celebrated Avery's birthday with a party the Sunday after the fact.  On the day of Avery's birthday Daryl took her and Harper to see Big Hero Six followed by a fabulous dinner at McDonald's where Avery and Harper played for 45 minutes in the play area.  Daryl was feeling exceptional generous that day.  We asked Avery how she liked her birthday that night, and told us there was no cake, presents, or candles which obviously meant it wasn't really her birthday.

  For her party we were happy to have all the usual suspects in attendance such as Aimee, Karl, Tyler, my parents, Adam, and Angie, but we were lucky that Brad and DeAnna were in town to meet Luke.  Avery once again this year requested a cake with strawberry cream and frosting, but this year she wanted it decorated with butterflies.  I of course didn't make it, but purchased it from a bakery.  Avery had a great time opening her presents and playing with her cousin.  She loves Tyler so much.  We have to explain all the time why she can't marry her cousin when she is older.  Avery is a energetic, sweet girl who is a wonderful sister and daughter!

Avery's birthday cake complete with butterflies.

Avery with her Angry Birds Princess Leia.  We had to position Harper and Tyler on either side of Avery, so they both could have an up close view of the present opening.

Brad, DeAnna, and Luke.

Emery loved the birthday cake.

Emery also enjoyed getting in DeAnna's boots.

Here is Avery's super cool My Little Pony birthday card, and you can see her new ponies on the table too.

Here's Luke

   It's been two weeks since our newest family member, Luke Van Adam, joined us on November 6th.  He was born five minutes before his due date on the 7th.  My water broke about ten minutes to eight that evening, and we were off to the hospital since I have a history of fast births.  This one was no different.  Contractions didn't start in earnest until maybe nine-thirty or ten after Daryl and I walked around for about a half hour.  They were pretty mild too, so we thought we would try to sleep.  The nurse had just given me a shot of painkillers to help me sleep and left when things started to get a little more serious.  I had had her check to see how dilated I was before she left though and I was still hanging out at three maybe four centimeters, so no one was really worried about an imminent arrival. We should have been.  In the next twenty or so minutes I became fully dilated, and I shoved Daryl out of our room in search of help when I felt the baby crowning.  Daryl returned quickly with help, and indeed the baby had crowned.  He was out pretty quickly.  When they put him on me I noticed he had a ton of dark hair, and that the doctor had made it.  In fact those were my first words after Luke was born, "Dr. Graham you made it!"  I guess I was in "real labor" for maybe an hour and a halfish.
   Luke was 6 pounds 7 ounces and 18.5 inches long confirming my guesstimate that he was smaller than Emery who as a baby who was a giant 7 pounds 5 ounces. Like I said he had a ton of hair when he was born and he even got some more after he was born.  We ended up staying in the hospital two nights since he was born so late the first night.  The girls were very happy to meet him.  When we held Luke out for Emery to get a closer look at him she immediately held out her arms to try and hold him.  I thought that was pretty sweet.  Avery and Harper were very excited to share with their nursery and primary classes that they had a baby brother that Sunday.  So far Luke has survived being a little brother to three older sisters.  Emery has already accidentally stepped on his face a couple times trying to climb over him and me included.  Babies are lot sturdier than we give them credit for sometimes.  We love Luke and are so happy to have him as part of our family.

This about an hour or so after he was born.

I love how happy Emery looks right here.

Emery holding her baby brother.

Emery and baby Luke hanging out on Mom and Dad's bed.

Here's Luke with the monkey at eleven days old.