It was bound to happen...

As I walked around the corner to the living room, what to my wandering eye did I see? A pack of girls having a "No Boys Meeting!" It is only day 4 and they are beginning to gang up. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The man responsible for this...

Well sort of...this is Dr. Barney Munro. He and his staff - as well as the hospital staff - provided wonderful care for Angela before, during and after Emerson's birth. We've known Dr. Munro for nearly 12 years and we are so glad he was a part of this experience.

Despite being a serious physician, as you can see, he can also be pretty silly.

We're home

We came home from the hospital today. Angela is doing great. Sam is a fantastic helper and Shelby is just learning the fact that there is one more in our pack. Here is Emerson's expression when we told her she was going home...

Here the girls are at home.

One more of Daddy and his girls at the hospital...

Ang, Sam and Emerson arriving home in the truck...

Emerson completely relaxed as Daddy drove home...unlike some of his other passengers, Emmy didn't tell him where to park!

Emerson's Video Debut...

This is Emerson's first video on the blog. Partially through the video you'll hear a funny noise...that is Samantha making some chicken noises with Emerson's hat. Enjoy...

Simply Grand...

The planets aligned and all of Emmerson's grandparents were in the hospital room at one time. What a priceless picture for her and Samantha to have. Also today, Emerson has her first official photo shoot with a professional photographer. She'll be sporting a black shirt that has a rhinestone binky with some embroidered denim jeans. She's going casual...

Emmy also discovered her fingers today. Ang was up and about all by herself...even went to the nursery, took a shower and went for a good walk.

More to come I'm sure....

The meds have kicked in..and apparently Sam got some too!

Now this is more in focus...

Tiny toes.

A little foot...hopefully she doesn't stick it in her mouth like her Daddy.



Samantha got a wonderful little present from Emmy...a little statue that looks like Sam helping Emmy learn to walk.

Its a .....

Girl!! Her name is Emerson Noelle. She weighed in at 6 pounds 14 ounces and was 20 inches long. She has dark hair and more than her Daddy. We're thrilled! Angela is doing tremendous and we have a awesome room...I think it is bigger than our first apartment. Take care everyone! Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

We're here!

We are at the hospital getting all ready! Not sure if we're on schedule right now or not, but we're checked in. Jenny is our nurse. Hope everyone is doing well. We'll be in touch afterwards.

There were three...

Tonight we decided to go out for dinner one more time as a family of three. Samantha chose to go to Stella's Blue Sky Diner in Urbandale. We had a wonderful time. Sam picked "Brown-Eyed Girl" to listen to and then she and Angela enjoyed a peanut butter-chocolate malt. While we're looking forward to tomorrow a great deal, we're happy to have had this dinner with the three of us.

Speaking of tomorrow, don't expect to hear anything much before 4:00 PM. By the time we get through the whole process and have Samantha meet the new little person it will most likely be around that time.

Have a good night, tomorrow we start changing diapers again. :-)

Just a few more days...

We're very excited for the next few days and for the new baby to arrive (no later than) Wednesday. Samantha can barely contain her excitement. We plan to seclude ourselves to relax and enjoy these last few days as we prepare for the new addition. Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers. More than likely our next post will be announcing the new baby's arrival. Have a wonderful few days...

Why is it called a "jumper" Samantha?

First Day of School

As Angela began to get ready this morning at 6:15 for Sam's first day of school, there was a knock at the door. It was Samantha. Much to Angela's surprise, when she opened the door there stood Samantha in uniform and ready to go to school. She was just a little excited. She ate a good breakfast and even Shelby seemed excited for the day. When we took her to school she was sure to mention that she would like to get ice cream after school to celebrate her first day - a request I'm sure we'll fulfil.

When we got to school, we made our way through the busy parking lot, and meandered down the hallways passing all of the other nervous kids and anxious parents. We found Sam's room and got her settled. Samantha's teacher is going to be wonderful for her and all the kids. Sam will sit next to a girl named Grace - which is Sam's middle name - whose mom's name is Sarah - Ang's best friend's name. Both of these things seemed very comforting to know as Sam makes new friends and embarks on her wonderful education.

The State Fair - One More Time in '08

The family went to the State Fair again on Saturday. It was our friend and Sam's "Uncle" Dennis' annual trip back to go to the fair with her. We had a great time...from the dog show, to egg on a stick, to splashing in the fountains, to Sam riding down the Super Slide by herself.

Here are the boys with Samantha going to "Little Hands on the Farm." Sam got to plant crops, harvest them, milk a cow, and take everything to market.

Samantha got to meet the 2008 Iowa State Fair Queen!

We had the famed pork chop-on-a-stick and Samantha had a frozen-fudge-brownie-dipped in chocolate-on-a-stick with sprinkles. Mmmmmm..

We thought there was no better way to end the day than to have Rob and Samantha ride an elephant! Check that off the lists of things to do...We look forward to next year!

Last Day at Daycare

Today was Samantha's last day at Klassic Kids daycare before going to kindergarten at St. Pius X School. She loved all of her time at Klassic Kids including all the teachers and other kids. We are so grateful for the care, nurturing and guidance she received there...the new baby will also go to Klassic Kids this winter. Here are just a few of the pictures of her with some friends and her teacher Angie. Her last day included a pajama party with McDonald's for lunch. Sam also took cupcakes for all the kids.

The State Fair AGAIN!!!

Sam is a lucky girl indeed. She got to enjoy the fair again with her cousin Madie, and Grandma and Grandpa Hilbert (her Mom too)! They had a great time including putting on a harness and jumping on a crazy trampoline, the Super Slide and even milking a "cow" at little hands on the farm. The girls were also thrilled to stop at the vendor who sold American Girl doll clothes. They also enjoyed getting their temporary tatoos in the Varied Industries Building - probably about twelve each. Sam will be going back to the fair one more time on Saturday with her "Uncle" Dennis from Chicago.

My State Fair Is A Great State Fair!

Our first trip (of hopefully more) to the State Fair for 2008!

Sammie and Mom spent the day with Vlasak's Grandparents. We started the day out with Sammie and Mom maneuvering traffic and our secret parking and lane change game that bypassed the miles of traffic. SHHH..... Sam told her daddie about it today and shared how mom said, "watch for the cop cops".

Sam's highlights were being a farmer at Little Hands on the Farm, watching and petting the baby ducks, pigs, chickens and baby cow (named Robby Boy- hehe), jumping on a trampoline, the Super Slide, sharing a carmel apple with Grandma (then eating another one later all by herself) and playing in the Pella Water Plaza. After being completely soaked at the water fountain, Gpa paid Sam a quarter to give Gma a hug while wet. It was even funnier when the tables turned and Gpa got soaked too. Good times for everyone (including the baby who enjoyed a Hot Beef Sundae).

The video attached is of the Super Slide- watch the 2nd lane from the left for Gpa and Sammie (about 10 seconds in shows them coming down and you can hear Gpa yelling).

We can't wait to go back... maybe tomorrow????

A few words from Samantha...

Another day in the life of a 5-year-old...For lunch I had cheese, crackers, meat, white milk, and pepperoni. I got to tie-dye at school today. I did a onesy and socks for the new baby, and I did a shirt for me and socks too. I'm super excited for the State Fair tomorrow with Grandpa Russell and Grandma Joanne and Mommy. We're going to ride the super slide...but not mama. I'm also excited to have my cousin Madie visit next week too. I think we're going to the zoo and the State Fair then too.

The Countdown Is On

It is hard to believe that 37 weeks have gone by so quickly. Only three more weeks until our newest addition arrives. Here is a picture of Angela's belly and a picture of the entrance to the Mercy Birthing Center. We had a wonderful private tour of the hospital with a labor and delivery nurse. The birthing center opened about a year ago and is beautiful...lots of waiting areas, a waterfall, and WiFi in each room. Not to mention the fully stocked "galley" of snacks and drinks. We look forward to seeing everyone when the baby arrives...until then, we've got State Fair food and attractions to see!

They Gotta Eat Too

A summer tradition at our place is to go and feed the ducks. Sam and Angela went to Lakeview Park right by our home and broke some bread with the grateful fowl. Here is a video of Sam tossing the slices of enriched flour to Daffy and Donald's cousins.

This just in....

We've created a blog! It only took five minutes and it is pretty cool. Not sure how to do much yet, but we'll have a good time filling it in...especially after the new little one arrives.

The picture is from Samantha's visit to the Urbandale Library with Dan Wardell.

Hope all is well with everyone!

A day in the life of a 5-year old

SAMMIE: Today I played at school and we played with Bright Builders and mix-up toys. We played outside too. And I had for lunch carrots and fishsticks and white milk and peaches too. Mommy picked me up a little early and I took a nap at home to rest after getting my kindergarten shots - five of them. Before I had my nap, I got to have ice cream - chocolate cone dipped in chocolate from Dairy Queen. I hope everyone has a good and fun weekend.