Fourth of July and False Alarms

The 4th has come and gone, and our boys were exceedingly cute.  In the meantime we wait....and wait for a little girl :).   Given all of my "pre-labor" we have been on standby for a week or so.  All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go....if only our baby were.  Every weekend for the last 3 weeks we clean and tidy the house so its all ready in case we have to go to the hospital the following week.  And then the following week only brings an accumulation of more clutter we have to clean and tidy the next weekend.  As of now, the bassinet is ready (i.e., doesn't have our clean laundry in it), the rocking chair is de-cluttered, the nursery is perfect.  The stage is set, just waiting for the main event.

Saturday night I was up from about 3:00 a.m.- on having regular, good and intense contractions.  I got hopeful.  In the morning I was so tired from not sleeping Cody took the boys to mass by himself (and they all did great!), and I got in a few more hours of sleep, thinking I might have to be ready for a long day of hard labor.  I resolved to call the grandparents in when I woke up.  Nope.  Contractions went away and here I am just as pregnant as ever.  I am still a week away from due date, but so hopeful that she might come early.  Please send me your labor vibes and prayers this week!

In the meantime, enjoy some severe patriotic cuteness from our home last Wednesday.  Our activities included a parade around the neighborhood (led by a real fire truck!), pool games and a cook out with friends to celebrate U.S.A.'s and Sean's birthdays.  It was a great, albeit HOT day here.  Enjoy:

Home-made face painting for the parade.  Given it was 98 degrees, it didn't last long.

Fun fact: I wore this "shirt" as a dress last year on the 4th.  Yep.

With all the excitement, Jamesie is going to his safe-happy place.  Nasal cavity.

But oh how cute he is!  Cody (and Jamie) told me his romper looked girly.  Its my last opportunity to see him in one though, and I'm feeling quite nostalgic about my baby growing up.  I thought it was cute.

Parade!

A parade in blazing heat can make any of us tired.  And lose our clothes. 

After a loop around the neighborhood (I stayed in the shade and let Cody and Jamie walk the parade), this is how he came back to me.

At the pool!  Sean has been taking swim lessons, and this jumping is VERY new and so exciting!  His lessons started off traumatic, screaming and crying the entire time, but have been so good for him.  He loves them now and can swim with his head under all by himself now!

One more shot of the parade-- Sean insisted that Cody be his special effects man and walk behind him blowing bubbles out of the Thomas Bubble Machine the whole way.  It gives him a certain aura to be surrounded by bubbles.