Who Can Count Them?

EIGHT!
  Days of Hanukkah! 
and 364 days untils Justin's Next Birthday! 

We had a great time celebrating Hanukkah

and Justin's Birthday with the Family :)

The first Night of Hannukah - a few days before..

Thankful

Thankful For....

New Learning Experiences

Cute Cousins

New Family

Travelers

Feasts and Chefs

Togetherness

Another great year of the Mayerniks,  Perezes, Kronmeyers &  Fords joining to celebrate Thanksgiving at a wonderful meal hosted by Grandma Ford!

The October Wrap-Up

 Top Ten reasons why October is the BEST month of the year!

#1 - Miranda Panda

#2 - Snip Snap - Photographer and Friend, Sara, Captured Our Beautiful Girl!

#3 - Ella's 5th Birthday

#4 - Daddy's "Paternity" Week Off - daily trips on the DOUBLE tag-a-long to school!

And DOUBLE piggy back rides when you get home!!

#5 - 50th day of school - 50's Day Celebration with a 50's party complete with rootbeer floats, hula hoop contest, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse reruns!

#6 - Grandma's Birthday

The picture like the birthday celebration was forgotten :(  but Grandma was happy to celebrate all of the other blessings :)

#7 - Preschool Parades - Grandpa, Daddy, Mommy, Ella and Miranda all came to see Lilah in  the Hillcrest Preschool Halloween Parade

 

#8 - Scott Avenue Literature Parade - and a handy Mermaid book to keep us legal!

Our Perez Family Participants!

#9 - Halloween  Night - Trick-or-Treating with great friends and family 

#10 - Daily Notes! - A Kindergartener who can read and write!

Translation - Mom and Dad this is a gift for you. I love you to the moon.  The End

Fantastic Five!!!!!

Mermaids are all the rage at our house these days.  So naturally Ella's fifth birthday began with her own Ariel costume as a special gift from Mom and Dad.  A fifth birthday is extra special so it was celebrated about ... 5 times!

Dad decorated awesome cupcakes to take with treat bags to Kindergarten.



Some friends joined us for cupcakes after school




And finally, family friends and of course - 2 week old sister Miranda all helped celebrate at Ella's Sea-to-Shore party.

Waiting is the hardest part...

September came to end and baby number 3 stayed warm, cozy and squished!  My due date came and went as my pregnancy became more and more unmanageable 
(I mean,  walking around  dilated to 5 for a few weeks is incredible but NOT comfortable!).  
Nothing to do but ............ 

.............    w.        a.        i.          t...................

On October 7th at 12:40 a.m., I had my first real-deal, no doubt, undeniable labor contraction.  The pain spread around my middle and I watched the clock.  Another 6 min. later, then one 5 min. later.  Barely 4 minutes later... another.  Time to wake the husband and NO time to grab the camera, do the dishes, or even wait for the Aunt/babysitter to answer the phone - My body told me that this baby was coming FAST.  

At 1:25 we sped off as Grandma and Grandpa arrived to take care of Ella and Lilah.   Traffic laws and valet requirements?  Ignored!   As we pulled in to the hospital,  I was wheeled up to Labor Delivery since walking through my contractions was no longer an option.  The nurses gave us a disbelieving look as Justin tried to rush me directly into a room.  Slow down and paperwork I heard through the pain...  Justin insisted that "This baby is her third and coming fast!".  Nurse Catherine took one look at me with her old Irish eyes and said 
"Come with me!". 
In a flash she checked the dilation and effacement - TEN and 100%.   I was ready to deliver.  Twenty six minutes later, I lay on the hospital bed staring at the minniest Mayernik yet!  Our seven pound, four ounce Little Girl Miranda Ida Mayernik was born at 2:16 a.m. with Nanna, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jackie and Daddy ready to welcome her into the world.