Julia Ruth born Nov 12, 2008

I took the grands home last evening at suppertime along with pizza for their meal. Bruce & Liz had gotten home in the late afternoon. It was all I could do to hold them off that long, as they were anxious to get home to little Julia! Carol Klop was going to arrive after supper to stay a few days.


They got here Wed afternoon when B & L headed to Moline to the hosp. We talked to Bruce around 8:30 that evening and not much was happening, but they gave Liz pitocin and an epidural at the same time about then. The children had a hard time settling down that night, and it was pretty late by the time they were finally sleeping.

I had told Bruce to call me as I would be awake several times during the night wondering how things were going. I couldn't believe it when I heard my cell phone ringing at 11:20, and he said the baby had been born. That was fast progress!

The next morning, the children didn't ask me if I knew anything so I didn't tell them. Then they said surely their parents would be calling soon, and then they asked if they had called yet. I said, "Not this morning." So they caught on, but my lips were sealed! Bruce called while we were eating waffles and we put it on speaker phone so they could all hear at once. The girls said "YES" when they heard it was a girl!

Then the grands & I got ready and headed to Moline to view the new little princess! We got there late morning, stayed a while, then went to Fazoli's to eat lunch, and then went back to the hosp for another brief visit. Everyone went to bed earlier Thurs night, and settled down much better. Plus they slept later the next morning.

They were quite well-behaved while they were here and left the place in better shape than when they arrived! They pitched in after meals without too much prodding, as they are used to helping. They each folded their own laundry except for Andrew. And they helped me put on the clean sheets after we washed the beds they slept in.

Julia Ruth will not be lacking for caregivers!! She did have good timing as to her arrival, since they haven't been able to be in the field since Tuesday late morning. She was about one week early. Andrew referred to himself several times as "the big brother." Sometimes, the younger ones would forget what the baby's name was now that there is a name and a known identity.