Chelsea!

So glad you were born!

Baby Eliza

Pam and I were lucky enough to visit (aka rush to California in the middle of the night) Santa Cruz last week. I've decided that cooking and cleaning and watching kids is super duper awesome when you have lots of friends around. I'm once again reminded that communal living is the best way to live. I made way too much granola, set the fire alarm off several times, forgot my cell phone charger, suffered through a few hours of buffering Downton Abbey, learned the best way to eat ice cream (mixed with whole milk yogurt and granola), experienced the Bargain Barn, went on an hour and a half "they live somewhere around here" jog, read not very much of Christian's dissertation, and even slipped in a dinner with Shelley and Steve. It was a great week. We were sad to go. Jake was glad I came home.

Da is underplaying what bad shape she was in, and when Pam and I walked into her hospital room two Saturdays ago, I realized that. Apparently the fact that she was texting me all through her ordeal made me somehow believe that she was kind of ok despite the fact that she had two blood transfusions and shifting slightly in bed was crazy painful and was on very heavy duty meds. This woman is pretty tough AND she was still the best conversationalist with us and everyone who came over.

Christian didn't make an appearance in my pictures, but he's pretty great, as you all know. He can get the kids bathed and ready for bed in no time flat, and if he's around, the kids won't have anything to do with the rest of us.

Why do we want to have babies again?

Oh yeah. There's this:

(perfect, miracle baby, who Christian dubs cuter than any other babies-- loving her baby train)

And this:

(Maria, whose face is a thousand words)

And this:

(Enzo making the best baby train and toys for Eliza

happy Happy Birthday Karen!
I sure love you!!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest aunty alive!!!

Happy Birthday, sweet Auntie Karen!

I love Karen and am so grateful to have her as my aunt/second mom! She is always so kind and has always been there for me, as well as for everyone! Everyone loves her and thinks that she is the sweetest person alive! Thank you for being you, Karen. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and remember how dear you are to us! We are so blessed to have you in our lives! Thank you for all that you do! We love you! 

Eliza Santos Palmer

Photo taken at the hospital when she left the NICU and I was able to finally hold her. 

Eliza Santos Palmer 11/1/12 8lbs 20 inches

Thank you so much for praying and fasting for our baby. We felt loved. You probably already heard her birth story but here it is again if you want to read it. We are so excited she is here and so excited she is home. She is the sweetest little thing, and of course an exact copy of her siblings only darker hair and really dark eyes. We are in love.

Eliza and Auntie Mariko

Today at the N.I.C.U.

photo by Pammy

Hallelujah!

 

November 1, 2012

We welcome little Eliza:

peacefully resting in Grammy Pammy's capable arms

after a rough start.  

photo copied from facebook