Our baby has arrived and...

It's A GIRL!

Cambria Raquel Campbell

7 lbs. 11 oz. 20 3/4 inches

Cambria Raquel Campbell was born early Friday morning August 28th at 1:30 a.m. Mom and baby are home and doing very well.

The hospital food and bed were not as good as I remembered, so I opted to come home a day early. Especially when my Mom so generously offered to take the kids a couple of days. Thanks Mom!!! And thanks to Kelly and Ron as well!!!

Less than 48 hours old

Cambria is already demanding lots of holding time from Mom since arriving home this afternoon.

She lays in my lap even while I type this. We feel so blessed to have her little spirit in our home!

New Beginnings

Lisa, Jeanine and Kelly

So I don't have a new beginning to report on yet, but I've been thinking so much about my sister Lisa's New Beginning at BYU this last week. She started in the Honor's program at BYU and started school on Thursday. Her departure last week brought on a flood of memories of when I started at BYU so many years ago. I'm so happy and proud of her and in some ways envious of her stage in life. Not that college is all fun, but who wouldn't go back and do it again and do it better than the first time around. Oh, those painful hours in the testing center are best forgotten, but how great was it to be around so many fun and upbeat people. I wish I could live it through my sister. If I wasn't 39 weeks pregnant I would have gone with my family to drop her off just to feel a little bit of nostalgia again. I love being on the BYU campus, it just brings back so many good memories.

Of course I am about to be a part of my own new beginning, and yes I am quite excited to meet our newest family member. But ahhh, there's nothing quite like starting a new life in college. Wouldn't you agree!? Maybe I'm just getting old and wishing back those younger carefree days.

I just watched a bit of the movie "Coraline" with my kids last night and thought, "I don't want to be a stuffy old mother - boring, matter of fact" - and that's just what I've become. I need to remember the younger days when life was more FUN. Okay, I know I've always been more of the responsible type rather than the carefree, but not so much the latter now. Those are the feelings I need to rekindle in myself to be the kind of Mom I want to be. How do you do that?!?!?!?

Can you guess which one is me? An old friend posted this recently on Facebook from our Freshman year at BYU. This was around Christmas, so I had already gained my Freshman 15. . .does is show?

June and July events

I just can't keep up on this blogging. Maybe because I'm trying to prepare for the arrival of our next little one. Or maybe because I've become more obsessed with keeping the house clean so I spend more of my free time doing that than on the computer. Nonetheless, here are some events from the summer. To start Dawson finally lost one of his upper teeth. It's been almost a year since he lost the bottom one, or so it seems. He was very excited and he looks pretty cute without it. Next, I have some pics from a beach outing to Salt Creek. I posted the next picture realizing that my oldest son is looking more like me all the time, (minus the dark bags under my eyes - thanks to those less sleepful pregnant nights).

Everett and Sidney are enjoying our beach outings more this year. I've been enjoying them too!

Everett turned 5 at the end of July. I can't believe he's growing up so fast. He definitely seems taller this days and more handsome too. He is trying to be a big boy. We've been working on reading and writing this summer and I'm so pleased at his progress. We had a small birthday party for him. It was just perfect for me. He loved having a pinata and other games. The boys were all very good!

And here we have our most recent picture of me and the kids taken today. I'm 37 weeks pregnant. And for those who still think my belly is little, I want you all to know I have gained the required 35 lbs and maybe a little more. So. . .like I tell my son, I still feel like I'm carrying around a bowling ball on my tummy and my back is taking a beating for it! Three more weeks to go and I'm very excited!

Sidney said the funniest thing tonight when we were at a wedding reception. She was watching the bride and groom dance and her Daddy asked her if she wanted to get married and wear a white dress like the bride someday. Her response was, "Yes, I want to wear a pretty white dress and then I can have a baby in my tummy and it can grow bigger." I'm glad she has the order right.

All the kids are getting excited for the baby's arrival. They all know it is coming soon. Sidney is hoping for a girl, the boys of course want another brother. Greg and I just want a healthy little person to welcome into the Campbell family. We'll let you know when the surprise baby arrives!