It is beginning to look like a California Christmas...

We are transforming the inside of our home to prepare for Christmas even though outside is sunny and 70! Strange for me. I miss the cold and snow... but only until December 25th, then I am over it. So, really I am not complaining of the San Diego climate. I just want it all - the snow and the sun. =0)

We have had lots of help and family in and out of the Speer abode. My parents and grandmother were here for the week of Thanksgiving, then my in-laws came, as well as Aunties from LA! Being that I could not do much, I REALLY appreciated having extra hands around to help. Thus, the Christmas decorating was accomplished, the girls were fed and bathed and we had clean plates to eat on... thanks again, family!

I also have to mention that my parents to the girls to Disneyland - their FIRST time! I was a tad jealous I could not make it (I was in the hospital learning how to walk again), but glad they were making memories with grandpa and gigi. I should have pics soon...

Rowyn Jade arrives...

Well... Rowyn came in a very different manner than I anticipated, but really how many times do things go according to our expectations? For me, not that much. But I naturally assumed that my third little girl would come into this world with some contractions and a few pushes. I would stay at the hospital for two days and arrive home in time to pull myself up to the dinner table for turkey, potatoes and stuffing.

Instead, I endured over 14 hours of contractions and two hours of pushing... Rowyn was not budging and had found herself in a very comfy spot in my pelvis and was not descending, even with the help of the vacuum. So, around midnight, the doctor, Nate and I made the call to go in and get her via C-section. C-section. The procedure I really I thought I would avoid after having two successful and fairly text book vaginal births. Oh-well, gotta let go of those expectations!

Rowyn Jade arrived at 12:45 am on November 24th weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She is my biggest, fattest baby yet - and I just love the chub! She is eating like a champ and all is going well considering that I just had major surgery. I will be going home from the hospital on Saturday, the 27th. My parents are here till Tuesday and then we'll find a way to get through the next few weeks with the girls - a prayer request for sure! I did have a small melt down today at the hospital when the nurse told me no driving for two weeks, avoid the stairs, and do not lift anything heavier than the baby. Ugh.

BFF Kamille comes...

While Nate hunted in Montana for five days, Kamille was able to come and stay with me - to not only keep me company, but to help me with the girls. I basically told my husband he was NUTS to leave me all by myself at 37 wks pregnant and thus, he needed to remedy the situation by giving up one of his frequent flyer Southwest tickets to someone who is more compassionate. Since I haven't seen Kamille in a very long time, I was praying and hoping it would all work out for her to come visit. She has three girls of her own, so I know it took a lot of work on her end to free herself up so she could come and have a fun weekend with me! I miss her already and her effortless ability to bend over and sweep up droppings with the dust pan (a job I hate at the moment).

Baby Shower!

My beautiful host, Jody, and her mom.

I tell ya what... for a gal who moved to San Diego six months ago, I was not expecting a shower for girl #3... even more so, enough friends that would want to come! But my dear friend, Jody, hosted a super fun and oh-so-stylin party for me and Rowyn (pink OPI nail polish for parting gifts - how cute is that?!). I was tickled (pink) to have friends from church, my neighborhood, my aunties Dea and Lori (father-in-law, Bruce's, sisters) and Kamille all surround me with lots of laughter and love! Plus, Rowyn now has a few "new" things to greet her when she comes.

Happy Trick or Treating!

Haven took the following pics to show Nana our porch she decorated...










This is the 3rd princess dress Haven wore for a Halloween event over the past few weeks. I don't think there are any other options out there for Halloween costumes in the mind of a 4 1/2 year old girl besides a beautiful princess! Then there is Parker who can't wait to wear her giraffe costume for the 3rd time. The theme of their costumes this year is: Beauty and the Beast (even though she is the cutest giraffe ever in my opinion).

Parker's Post

And... here is Parer wishing she could attend preschool to play on the amazing playground.

Crazy Hair Day at Preschool... Auntie Julia comes to the rescue!

I left Thursday for Spokane to be with my two moms and Missoula friends at the Living Proof LIVE Beth Moore Event (which, by the way, was A-W-E-S-O-M-E) over the weekend. Auntie Julia, who lives just outside of LA, wanted to come down to help Nate with the girls while he worked. In Haven's mind, this meant The Fairy Godmother would be arriving soon, and just in time for Crazy Hair Day at school! I know I could NEVER have pulled off this hair-do. Thank you, Auntie Julia and your great hair pieces!!

Sleeping Vampire

This was what we saw last night as we checked on the girls before Nate and I headed to bed... a sleeping vampire.

Apparently, Haven really liked the fake vampire teeth she won at our playgroup's Halloween party.

Pumpkin Flasher!!

I had to dress up for a costume party that was held at a friend's house in our neighborhood. What does a 8 month pregnant gal do for a costume?!

I went as a Pumpkin Flasher... lurking in the dark shadows awaiting her victims to flash the obscene belly pumpkin.

I did get props for creativity! =0)

A sweet moment...

I caught a sweet moment the other day as Haven showed Parker how to use her Leapster. Parker loved being able to play with a "big girl" toy! I love catching these little moments in between the more frequent snatching toys out of hands, complaining of each other's teasing, crying episodes.

The shampoo and baby powder containers now join the markers in the gun safe...

I am just sitting down after cleaning for two hours. I did this a lot today.

This morning I found a thick layer of pink goo in the girls' bathtub and an empty strawberry shampoo container laying on the bathroom floor. This wasn't a huge surprise knowing Parker's personality and tendency to make messes. Okay... so, I now need to put up the kid's shampoo. No biggie. Only $2.99 wasted.

I must be a slow learner because tonight I realized I should have done this to the baby powder. I was visiting with a friend downstairs tonight when Haven yelled for me to come to her room (she and a friend were having a dance-off in my bedroom). I climbed the stair and walked into a white haze. The powder was thick in the air and I quickly opened up the windows just to get a fresh breath. I tapped on the window screens and a puff of white powder smoke blew into the air outside. A white film was covering EVERYTHING. Parker had managed to shake, squeeze and pour out the ENTIRE container of baby powder. I had just opened this a few days ago too, so it was full. Parker looked like a little ghost - white hair, white face, and a white room. My little Casper. I am so thankful my friend, Tara, was with me because she helped with with the vacuuming while I attended to the comforters, rug, furniture, clothes, walls, toys, Parker in the tub....

And all this happened after the sweet child care workers at the women's Bible study today told me what a good little girl Parker was and how she showed "leadership qualities!" She sure did show some initiative tonight as she used her leadership qualities to discover a new use for baby powder. I sure hope she discovers the cure for cancer one day to make all of this work worth it.

I was so in shock and sidetracked to how I was going to clean up the whole mess, that I didn't think about taking pictures.