Lily Margaret Rauch

Born 9/30/09 at 11:37 A.M.

8 pounds 3 ounces, 20 inches long

I really like my husband - like a lot

Today I woke up to this email from Tim:

Ms. Rauch,

You are cordially invited to join me for a relaxing evening of fine dining at the historic Anvil in Cedarburg. As a memorial to the end of our run as "just" Tim and Sara I wanted to treat you. I thought you might want to take it easy with a light dinner on Tuesday night, so thought tonight would be better.

Please RSVP at your convenience.

Graciously,

T. Charles Rauch

I responded:

Mr. Rauch, I humbly accept your offer.

Fondest regards,
Mrs. Rauch

Love him.

I can only hope that your Friday night was half as exciting as ours

To preface this post: no, this has nothing to do with us having our baby. I'll be induced at 6 am on Wednesday, September 30th if nothing happens by then. I am hoping something will happen before then on it's own, but if not, we'll get this baby out somehow.

Tim, Dirk, and I went for a walk last night to the park that's two blocks away from our neighborhood at around 8:40 pm. As we were walking through the park, we see a police cruiser go speeding down the street. I was talking on the phone to my friend Noelle, and Tim said, "Uh, let's go home." So we turned around and started walking quickly back towards our house, through the park. Of course Dirk decided that NOW was the time he absolutely had to pee and poo. I was like, "Dirk, if we get mugged because of you, I'm going to be kinda mad."

Suddenly several police cars are driving around the park, shining spotlights through the park. Crap. There are definitely signs in this park that say, "No Dogs Allowed", but I'm pretty sure that three Milwaukee cop cars on a Friday night are not concerned about that. We walk faster. I hang up with Noelle. We are being very alert and wishing Dirk had a little more killer instinct.

When we're one block from our house, an unmarked police car pulls up and the police ask us if we've seen anyone running. We say no, we haven't seen anyone. Then Dirk lunges at the car because of course he thinks everyone wants to meet him. Always making excuses for my dog's bad behavior, I explain, "Don't worry, he's friendly." Then the officer makes the mistake of saying, "Oh hi, doggy, " and Dirk even more inappropriately jumps up on the cruiser window and the officer says, "Ok...that's enough." Um...sorry. Then another police car peels out of the alley across the street from our house and the officers we're talking to take off, while I'm wondering if they could at least escort us to our house??? Because I'm a billion months pregnant or something??? Anyway, end of story is that we made it home safely, locked up, instructed Dirk to be his usual self and bark at any real or imagined sounds, and were fine. Oh and I'm still pregnant.

Will Someone Please Get This Baby Out of Me

40 weeks + 1 day

Nope.

No baby yet. In case you were wondering. September 23rd is my due date. I have a doctor's appointment then and we'll set an induction date for the following Wednesday.

In other news, we heard from my brother and have an email address for him now! Yay! Email me if you would like it so you can drop him a line.

My heart hurts

My brother, Chris, is officially being deployed today, on a ship to...he doesn't know where.


I don't like not knowing where my brother is.

I don't like my brother being in harm's way.

I like my brother nice and safe in San Diego with his sweet wife, Cindy.

I do not like being awake at 4:30 in the morning, crying.

Stupid Marines, and Afghanistan, and Iraq, and Somalian pirates.

How is my brother supposed to know when his first niece is born?

I am not mature or patriotic at 4:30 (now 4:46) in the morning. I will get there. But I'm not there now.


I love this guy. Even when he grows stupid mustaches (please see the first picture). When he gets back he will get to hold Lily and I will make his favorite enchilada casserole. Please pray for my brother. He is special to me.

All we need now is the baby

I need to center the "Lily" banner that my friend Katie made - I love it.



Ashleigh snagged the rooster picture for us!

Lily drawing by Jess K. and elephant (from Uganda) from Jess G.

Lovely blanket courtesy of Cami and Wendy!


I also want to make a mobile out of the paper hands that people made at my family baby shower, so that will be showing up eventually as well.

9/11

Please take a moment to think and even pray about what happened today 8 years ago. If you have a chance, I highly recommend reading this. My friend Noelle wrote a beautiful and powerful post about her experience on 9/11/01 in New York. She reminded me that we cannot and should not forget what today means.

Thanks, Noelle.

My feet are hot and swollen

37 weeks with my friend Jess at the Mitchell Domes.