She's Here!

Elizabeth Noelle Rupper arrived last Monday, December 17th at 7:23 a.m. measuring 8 lbs 5oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She is absolutely perfect and we've been so in awe of her that we really haven't done much other than hold and love on her for the past week! Anna is so sweet on her little sister Izzy and Quinn isn't so sure that he likes sharing all the attention, but the baby is growing on him and he is occasionally willing to let her sit in her bouncer seat when he isn't using it. Brett is, once again, smitten by a younger woman and I am both overjoyed and overwhelmed at the blessing of having a third child to call my own.

Two Weeks and Counting. . .

Each time I'm pregnant Brett paints a little something to celebrate the season on my bump. With Anna, it was a turtleshell, Quinn's pregnancy was a jack-o-lantern, and "Baby Brownie" got a Christmas ornament. After the fact we decided that a christmas present would have been proper, with a tag stating, "Do not open until Christmas." My actual due date is the 25th, but with a c-section we get the option of scheduling early and anyone who knows me knows that if I can open a gift early, I won't hesitate!

Yeah, I'm pretty bold to post photos of my belly but, sadly enough, when I'm pregnant my midsection is the firmest it ever is (I won't say "ever will be" because I may actually start working out after this kid!) Also though, I LOVE having a big bulging belly-I love the attention it gets and the feeling of having a little person squirming around in there.

I love how excited the kids are about having a baby sister too. They often come over to kiss the baby and Anna keeps bragging to her friends that she's getting a baby sister for Christmas. Which, I can't argue-nothing Santa brings can really compare to what we're getting at our house!

Just two more weeks-I can't wait! My c-section is scheduled for December 17th. After then I'll have something worth blogging about!

Slime Time!

I had to post these pictures we took last weekend while frog hunting in the nearby ponds.

Brett and Anna fearlessly trudged through the swampy mud and found a bucket of frogs. Anna and Quinn then giggled, squealed, and hopped around after their new slimy green friends. This was one of those moments when time stands still, when you see the wonder in your daughter's eyes instead of the mud on her clothes, and when the sweet sound of your childrens' laughter (and your husband's) echos in your mind for days thereafter. It was priceless!

It's Fall!

Cool crisp mornings, apple cider, pumpkin bread, weather FINALLY cold enough for wearing sweaters, the changing of the leaves. . .nothing beats this time of year. Autumn is my favorite season, a time when we go for drives up the canyon, collect and press leaves in golds, oranges, and reds, spend our last evenings outside before the freeze, and for me, a time to reflect on that fall when Brett and I fell in love.

We took a drive on a dirt road a week or so ago when my Mom was visiting and stopped along the way to get some branches of leaves for Anna. When I climbed back in the car on one occasion Quinn looked and me and simply said, "fall peese" so I handed him a branch of red maple leaves and he was satisfied. This pleased me, even my little guy wanted to feel this season and take in what he could of it!

What's New. . .

I guess the biggest Rupper news (which is growing BIGGER and BIGGER daily), in case you haven't heard, is that we are having a baby GIRL!!! Anna nicknamed her future baby sister "Baby Brownie" after her favorite dessert and LOVES to rub it in her Daddy's face that she was right about the sex of the baby and he was wrong. Also, we parents are a bit relieved/overwhelmed to be having another girl as we were informed by our lovely daughter that she would not be nice if the baby was a boy. Needless to say, we hope this baby has a mellow sweet temperment like her brother.

Here's Anna, living up the last days of summer in her hot new swimsuit, compliments of Aunt Jill and Aunt Ashley. When she first donned the suit she said, "Look at me Mom, I"m a pink girl zebra!"

Here Anna is enjoying a new friend Daddy found for her in the yard, a frog! She and her friend Hallie took care of him all day and even brought him swimming in the kiddie pool with them.

We aren't sure what happened to Kermit, he may have escaped or turned into a prince-I could swear I saw Anna kissing him at one point in the day!!!

Here's our sweet Quinn, asleep after a short stroll around the neighborhood with Ariel, the beloved sprinkler toy. Q is such a busy boy and is growing so fast. He is starting to put a few words together too. Last night he pointed to Daddy's bike and said, "Bike. Pees. Dada?" To which Brett HAD to give in and give him a ride, it was SO CUTE!!! Another favorite is when we go out on the porch he tilts his head and inquisitively suggests, "Paw-sicle?" He's a big fan of the Otter Pop, and with his sparkly eyes and sweet smile, it's hard ever telling him no.

Last comes Brett, who has managed to not only get away for his annual "Guy's weekend away" to the mountains for some 30+ miles of backpacking in the Uintahs recently, but he has also gotten our fence installed almost single-handedly -both during the month of August. He is such a hard worker and has nearly gotten our entire yard completed this summer! He's stalled on a few fence pieces and I'm kinda relieved, we don't have the budget to keep up with him!!!