Quality time

Isn't it about... time? Nothing could be more true for Abram. This little girl seems to be growing on him, and rather quickly.

If only that could make her even just a tad more agreeable... say, around bed time? One fears to hope.

As for now, while Bri is often away, Grandma Nae, Aunt Squirts, and I take turns trotting this finicky disposition of a girl around the house. Contorting our bodies into all sorts of uncomfortable positions, or challenging our endurance for side swoop lunges -- anything for a sliver of silence. And then the handoff. Thankfully for me, there IS a handoff.

I am so grateful to them for their unending willingness to comfort Halyn, and me also. How thankful I am that Grandma Nae said "yes" when we asked if we could intrude a few weeks (which turned into six months) while in transition to California. What would I have done otherwise? This setup has been so great -- I'm married, but with roommates. I will greatly miss, miss, miss it.

Just Halyn

Again, it's hard to believe that we had these photos taken by someone other than Angela and Gerardo. I mean, when I was first pregnant (and Angela was the first to know), I had grand plans to have them shoot my newborn photos because I've never had newborn photos done and, well, have you SEEN the newborn photos they do? Who wouldn't want to go to them? Alas.

Poor little Halyn was not cooperating by any means, so I'll have to say that these two shots were the best we got. Luckily, I think, they're pretty darn cute.

They also mean so much to me because my grandmother gave me that little antique baby buggy when I was expecting Marin (way back when). Marin was the first child/grandbaby/great grandbaby, and Granny, as always, wanted to give me something special to pass along.

Truthfully, if we had waited any longer, Halyn absolutely would not have fit in this miniature buggy. She was only 3 weeks in these photos! My goodness.

I wrapped Halyn in Granny's shawl and hoped that she would stop crying and fussing for just one shot. By some miracle, she paused just long enough. Phew.

Halyn is the only one of my children that my grandmother never held. When Granny was dying, I leaned over and whispered in her ear that I was going to have another baby. I just couldn't imagine how my life could go on after the day she left us. How could I enjoy anything significant all the while wondering what it would've been like had Granny been there with me? But somehow, life does continue on, and although I have no physical proof, I have great comfort in knowing these two are still connected.

This little Halyn is a lucky girl. I look forward to showing her these pictures of herself, when she was just a newborn, all wrapped up in her great grandmother's love, and how her being born gave us sweet comfort. I have a lifetime of stories to tell her.

The Hulse Family Way

Play. Play. Play.

Is it even a remote possibility that we took family pictures without our dear photog friends Angela and Gerardo Garmendia? Barely! We did it, but we didn't like it. Well, we liked it a little. The truth is, we can't fly to Texas every year for family pictures, or every time we need to capture an important moment. And since no one could ever surpass Garmendias in our minds, Aynn did a great job. Especially with what she had to work with -- us!

Marin

STOP growing up Marin!

She doesn't listen.

She just doesn't listen.

Santi

A girl without freckles is like a night without stars.

I've heard that quote several times before... it just never looked so good as this.

Abram

You want some of this?

How about some of that?

Halyn

Here's our little bundle at just 3 weeks.

How could we be this lucky?

Abram fell down, and bumped his crown...

...and the girls came tumbling after.

Actually he didn't bump his crown, but he was stung by a bee. Poor kid.

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder,

who has a chance against us?

I have NO idea.

Being a father of four is so becoming on Brian.

Abram turning it on. Mostly for the ladies, but for anyone who's looking. There's more where that came from.

My boys. Any more would be too much. Really. I'm quite serious.

And I don't want to toot my own horn but, I just did.

Braggadocio.

Introducing...

Halyn Lael Hulse

October 14, 2009

9 lbs

19 1/2 inches

The obligatory post delivery pic. By the way, I have no idea why the quality of my pictures are so bad for this post. Perhaps the photog's assistant (Abram) made some unknown adjustments to the camera?

So the story is this: Considering I'd been having contractions for the previous eight weeks, I was going to be darn sure I was in labor before I rolled my giant self out of bed. So we went to the hospital about a quarter to 4am and she was born at 5:52am. It was practically a drive-thru delivery. I was stoked to get an epidural thanks to the speedy go-go-gadget nursing staff, but I freaked out when I started to feel a little more than I would've liked during the actual delivery. The anesthesiologist's explanation: when you deliver such a big baby and go from such and such station to such and such station, there's no guarantee for pain relief. Um, information that would've been helpful... yesterday! Oh well. She's here and her perfectly round head was worth all that discomfort (to put it lightly).

The biggest shocker is just how swollen she was. The doctor explained that she'd been so cramped in there that her little head was pinned against my pelvis (nice thought) for who knows how long. I do. I know for how long -- since I was seven months. Thanks doc for validating my continual remarks that it felt like she was practically peeking out to check the weather. Though this is the doc who reassured me that there was no way I'd be having another 9 pounder. "High sevens -- tops," she said. High sevens my...

The other shocker was that this little girl sucked on her hands with such determination that she had a couple blisters on each hand. One had even scabbed over! My goodness she sounded like a little vampire. Her bloodsucking tendency aside, she is a healthy and beautiful little girl who has given us yet another reason to rejoice in our blessings. Far too many to number.

The Big Kisses...

Halyn dressed to leave the hospital. Aunt Emmers embroidered this onsie for little Halyn. Oh, does she look like a two-month-old baby? That's because she's as big as one at just two days.

A funny story...

Bri and I were in the hospital with a fussy newborn and we're looking at each other trying to figure out how to appease her. "She just ate, but it's like she just wants to suck (and I'm not having that)." And then we remembered the wonderful invention that is the modern pacifier. Marin was our last child to have taken a pacifier, and that was ten years ago. Again, the blisters on Halyn's hands should've given us a heads up. And they sent this baby home with us? You'd think we'd have it down after four kids.

Going home.

The proud Biggest Sister. Emmer's made sibling shirts too! Aren't they sweet? It helped compensate for the fact that the children weren't allowed to visit the hospital due to the Swine Flu scare. Brian brought them to the window of my recovery room so they could catch a quick glimpse of their new sister.

Three sweet sisters. Santi is pleasantly pleased to have a little sister. Poor thing has earned it. She'll find caring for a little sister to be easy as pie compared to wrestling a little bro, I think.

As usual, Marin admiring the small details in life, noticed Halyn shares her long and agile toes.

Ambivalence is the best way to describe it. You can tell that Abram wants to be OK with all this. Fortunately, his acting up as been projected onto other things (like taking Sharpies to walls, and "drumming" on any hard surface within reach). He shows affection to his little sister but I can tell it's going to be a process.

Halyn hanging out at home. We're loving this girl.

Marin loving her some Halyn. Nice quiet moments like these make me think (however briefly), "I just may be able to do this after all." Please don't tell that to Social Services. I'm just grateful for such an unplanned and precious moment that is a respite from the chaos of everyday life. Thank Heaven for little girls. And big sisters.

Perfect 10

Marin's 10th

Marin wanted to go to the American Girl store in L.A. and pick out her very own doll. She was proud to save up birthday money and buy it herself -- which I thought was quite a feat. She ended up picking Rebecca and is looking forward to reading more about this character and her Jewish heritage.

The girls absolutely enjoyed the girliest of all girly style brunches. The menu was darling and the girls had so much fun eating, ever so dramatically, the tiny little finger sandwiches.

And they were tiny. Dad and I could've downed the entire menu on our own. Well, I would've been able to eat up the scones and tea cakes by myself anyway. Maybe not, since I can really only eat a tablespoon of food at any one time. Preggers is Blah.

And what will you be having my dear?

I LOVE chocolate malts (YUM) and I LOVE Marin! That alone made for a perfect day.

Beautiful Santi. Our beautiful Santi.

When Dad is with his girls, he's always the luckiest guy in the world. I hope he can handle one more when the baby's born.

So what was it she wished for? If only I could see half of Marin's imaginations.

The girls at the Salon with their dolls.

Brown. Blue. Blue.

It seems a great big world out there when you're a little girl.

Marin took the picture above. After much convincing, Brian kissed me and Marin snapped this photo. Poor Brian was so embarrassed.

And below is exactly what I did in the parking structure while Bri and the girls waited for the Hollywood sign to light up. There I am in all my nine month pregnant glory. So glad Brian caught how I've been feeling for the last few months. I will show it to the new baby every day!

My very favorite picture of the night and so far, my second favorite picture of the temple. After leaving the American Girl store, we drove by the L.A. temple where Brian took the girls out for a picture. I'm so glad he did. I will always treasure this one.

The night ended with us driving on a balmy fall evening through Beverly Hills while en route to the 405 which prompted Brian to put on Weezer's "Beverly Hills." So we all sang along like we were in the music video. Because we think we're pretty cool.