HE'S HERE!!!

Max is here!

Max Mitchell Rantz was born on April 27th at 11:09 pm in Seattle, Washington.


He weighs a healthy 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and is 21 inches long.



We are so in love!!

Max gets a good look at his daddy

Yeah! Look what I did!

Tutu meets the little man

Good boy!

Max's birth was somewhat of a whirlwind! I had a doctor appointment on Monday afternoon, and discovered that I was dilated 3-4 cm, and the doctor stripped my membranes to get the labor to progress a bit. Within hours the contractions were intense and painful, so we made our way to the hospital. I was dilated to 6 cm when we arrived, 7 cm by the time that I got into a Labor & Delivery room, 8 cm when I received the epidural, and then my water broke, and just when I was comfortable and ready to take a little nap, it was time to start pushing!

Max was born less than 3 hours after we arrived at the hospital!

He is beautiful and perfect. So far, both Grandma Tutu and Grandma Donna have met him, as well as the proud siblings, Joseph and Lucy. Joe and Lu took turns kissing and holding him. Lucy was eager to show Max her new Dora shoes. The Grandmas had bought them "Big Brother/Big Sister" gifts, which they were super excited about.

Mother of 3?? Whoa!

Our family :)

Smooches from Lulu


Grandma and Max

Smooches from Joe

Daddy and his "Team Rantz"

Lucy seems to really understand that Max was inside of me and now he isn't. She has confirmed several times, "Max is not in your belly anymore-- he came out! Max is not in mama's body!" She also confirmed that he will be coming to our house tomorrow. It is going to be so much fun to see the kids get acquainted with the new addition!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting!

Waiting is not fun!

I thought that yesterday was going to be Max's birthday. I'd had contractions since 3am, and by the time that Devon and the kids woke up, and we put all of our plans in motion, I realized that I wasn't in quite enough pain-- I was going to be sent home from the hospital had we gone.

So, ever since, I've been waiting for the pain-- bring on the pain!! And then, of course, bring on the epidural!!

Here's what we've been doing while we wait:

And now we are off to the mall!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's very special birthday, and though I usually like to be with her on her special day, I hope that she is having fun without me :)

Mom, you have taught me so much about being a mom. Right after I married Devon and became a mom to Joseph, I remember calling you, in tears, asking, "HEY, why didn't you tell me that this is such a thankless job!?" You could have lamented with me, but I remember you encouraging me and telling me that there is just something about being a mom that is so rewarding, and so fulfilling, and so important, and that you wouldn't have traded it for anything. Those are big words coming from someone who has mothered 4 kids-- each one distinctly different than the next, each with different challenges!

I realize that today isn't Mother's Day, but because the majority of your 50 years have been devoted to your family, I feel that it is worth celebrating your success as a mom and wife.

I love that you are close with each of us-- me, Adam, Seth and Molly.

I love that you are such a thoughtful Graham Cracker/Tutu.

I love that my husband thinks that "You rock!" when most son-in-laws wince at the thought of a mother-in-law!

I love that after 30 years of marriage, you and dad still go on dates, hold hands and kiss in public (though this was mortifying when I was around 14 years old!), and are a great example of marriage.

I love that you have traveled so much. I love that we've seen Israel and Europe together, and I will always look forward to our Palm Springs trips. I have inherited your wanderlust, and I hope that we can have many more trips together.

I love that you are my best friend, and that it completely frustrates me when I can't immediately reach you on the phone EVERY TIME THAT I NEED YOU!

It is okay if Max isn't born today, because you deserve your own day!

I love you very much! Happy birthday!

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value... She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed." Proverbs 31

"Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure;

Where your treasure, there your heart;

Where your heart, there your happiness."

Saint Augustine

The Baby Checklist

Okay, friends, I think that I've checked everything off my list of "To Do Before Baby is Born." Here is the rundown:

Hospital bag packed (complete with "It's A Boy" chocolate cigars!). CHECK!


Baby clothes and blankets washed and ready. CHECK!

Purchase glider/recliner for living room. CHECK!



Baby's room prepared (Lucy is very excited to have a new roomie! Her room just hasn't been the same since Joe moved downstairs! And notice the picture frame made by Sadina and the letters made by Andrea!). CHECK!

Purchase double jogging stroller (I can't wait to get back to Stroller Strides with my new double-wide! Lucy will be wearing pants on all of our stroller outings). CHECK!

Big sister t-shirt for Lucy. CHECK!

Cameras and cell phone charged and ready. CHECK! CHECK!

Toe nails painted and legs shaved (shaving my legs was quite a balancing act in the shower, resulting in two band aids, but Devon painted my nails like a pro!). CHECK! CHECK!

Am I forgetting anything??



We've had a really nice weekend, complete with a walk to the park, Joe's baseball game, Devon's softball game, grocery shopping, and waiting waiting waiting for some contractions to start!








At Devon's softball game this morning, he pulled his calf muscle and is now limping and in a lot of pain. He has kindly asked Max to stay put for a couple more days, or at least until he can walk as fast as a my waddle. WTH? No, no, Max, don't let anything slow you down-- you aren't getting any smaller in there! Devon has received many suggestions on how to treat a pulled muscle, and he is currently in an Epsom salt bath.



I'll keep you all posted of our "waiting game"!

38 Weeks

Are any of you tired of reading about my pregnancy? If you were, would you tell me?

Well, I am tired of blogging about my pregnancy, but there is an end in sight!!

Look at my massive belly-- don't I look ready?

Little Mommy

As I was shopping for Easter basket stuff last week, I came across this book, and I recognized it as a book that I had when I was little. I thought Lucy might like it, because she likes to play with dolls, and I thought that maybe with a little brother arriving soon, it would be good to encourage her role as a little mommy (or maybe not! My little brothers might feel that I needed NO encouragement to play any motherly role in their lives!).

As I read the book to Lucy yesterday, I realized how outdated it is! The copyright is from 1967.

The "Little Mommy" in the book has three dolls that are her "children," and she takes care of them all day while "Billy is Daddy; he works in the city. He has a new car. Isn't it pretty?" Mommy's day closely resembles my own, "I do the dishes and sweep the floor, and wipe the fingerprints off the door...I wash the clothes in my washing machine. I scrub them with soap and rinse them clean..." Keep in mind that the "washing machine" is some sort of wooden bucket filled with water and one of those crank-things.

I felt a bit of regret for purchasing this book-- like maybe I should also find Lucy a book that tells the story of how a girl can also be a doctor, or a lawyer, or an entrepreneur, or a writer, or, like "Billy", she too can work in the city with a pretty new car!

This morning I was sitting at the table paying bills online, and I looked up to see what Lucy was doing-- she had been back and forth between the kitchen and the living room, and she was carrying on a conversation, and she seemed very busy. She was taking dish towels and using them as blankets for her doll. She was tucking her doll into a nap, telling her, "You will be nice and warm! Go to sleep!"

It was such a sweet sight, and she caught me watching her, so she asked, "Mama, are you done with your 'puter?" Of course, I immediately got up from the table and wanted to be a part of her game. She told me to go to the couch and take a little nap. She then began to cover me with dish towels, and she made several trips to the kitchen for more dish towels, and when she ran out of them, she came back with oven mitts. I wish that I had a picture of myself sprawled on the sofa covered in small, colorful towels! She kissed me on the forehead and told me to close my eyes. I nearly fell asleep before she pulled all of the towels off and was ready to play another game.

I love watching Lucy as a "little mommy."

There will be plenty of time to encourage her in other areas or career aspirations, but for now, I think I'll wait a while before I fold the dish towels and put them away, in case she wants to play with them again!

There is no shame in being a mommy :)

Spring Break

It has been an interesting week-- Joseph is on Spring Break, which means that it is up to me to entertain him everyday, and seeing as how I'm huge and hopeful that I will go into labor any minute, I think we've only left the house twice all week. I don't know how entertained he has been... but I've let him watch tons of cartoons, make messes, stay in pajamas all day, and drink smoothies for breakfast :)



On Wednesday I boiled a dozen eggs and set up the traditional PAAS egg dye kit. Lucy is still a bit young to understand the process. First, she was excited that she was going to get to drink the cups of dye. No, Lucy! Then, she was excited that she was going to get to crack and eat the eggs. No, Lucy! Then, once I gave her a model of how the dye-job gets done, she proceeded to dunk all 6 of her eggs in every color, spilling the dye twice, splashing all over, and completely staining her hands. Oh well.








Joseph was just as frustrated with Lucy's "technique" as I was! But when we tried to instruct her, this was the look she gave:




When I called Joseph up from his room to dye the eggs, this is how he arrived:

Um, okay!

Joseph was much more strategic and artistic with his 6 eggs. They turned out lovely!

Dear Max,

Hello little guy, how's it going in there? We have now reached 37 weeks, which means that you are welcome to come out at any time-- no one is going to stop you!

Are you comfortable? The doctor felt your head and said that it is really low and in position. You seem to stretch and adjust often, which I kind of enjoy because, though it can be uncomfortable for me, it lets me know that you are doing well. Not to mention, when your foot is sticking out, or your knee is pushing against my belly, I try to find someone (daddy, Joseph, grandma) to feel you move, just so that they can get to know you a bit too.

You probably hear Lucy's voice a lot, since she is around us the most. She has a lot to say! She is going to be a great big sister, and she is really excited to meet you. She wants to play with you and help change your diapers. Lucy is 2 years older than you, so she may think that she knows everything already, but don't worry, we won't let her get too bossy with you!

Joseph is your big brother, and you can expect a lot of kisses from him. He has so many toys, and I think that he is planning to pass some of his favorites on to you when you get bigger. Just today, he handed me a baseball card and said that the card is for you-- your first baseball card already! He can't wait to teach you about swords, superheroes, pirates, and "battles." Joseph has taught me a lot about being a mom to a boy, so you can thank him for that someday :)

Your daddy is pretty much the best dad around (well, along with my dad, who is your Coco), and I'm sure that you already love him very much. I hope that you are just like him. He is calm and compassionate, smart and funny, and he has a whole lot of love to give! He is the speediest at changing diapers, so you and I will prefer that he handles all diaper changes! Daddy will teach you about sports, insist that you are a Seahawks and Mariners fan, and try to get you to enjoy his loud music. It is okay if you don't like his music, but I don't think that the sporting teams are negotiable!

And as for me, your mama, I just can't wait to hold you and see your little face. I hope that I've given you a great place inside of me to grow. I've tried to accommodate all of your demands (milkshakes, candy, Cap'n Crunch). I already really love being a mom to Joseph and Lucy, but I'll admit that I get pretty tired and grumpy at times, so, on that note, if you could do your best to sleep at night, it would be much appreciated!

Now, as I mentioned before, you are welcome to come out at any time now, but please do not be late! Waiting until after April 29th is completely unacceptable! Joseph has a dentist appointment on the 15th, so that probably isn't a great day, and your dad has softball games on Sundays. Your Tutu's 50th birthday is on the 23rd, and she told me that she doesn't mind sharing her special day with you. You will love Tutu- she taught me all about being a mama, and she made it look so easy, which was a bit of a bait-and-switch, but we can talk about that later :)

Anyway, you can come out whenever is best for you, and your dad's only request is that you arrive in the afternoon so that we don't miss a full night's sleep. But, again, whenever you are ready is just fine! Oh, but make sure that you give Grandma plenty of time to drive to our house from Seattle! She is going to stay with Joseph and Lucy while daddy and I are at the hospital with you. By the way, you'll get to see Grandma a lot because she doesn't live too far. She will read you lots of books, watch cartoons with you, and spoil you!

Well, Max, we've got cute clothes, warm blankets, and even a rocking chair waiting for you! We hope that you will love it here with us and that you will feel right at home.

I love you already, and I will see you soon!

Love, Mommy

Tuesday Tip!

Gosh, I haven't had a Tuesday Tip to share in a while!

So, we've had four sunny days in a row here in western Washington, and the nice weather has been inspiring me to make a delicious tropical smoothie for breakfast (I am fooling myself into thinking that I too am going to Hawaii with my mom and Molly, who are conveniently taking this mother/daughter trip while I am too pregnant to travel... but, hey, I'm not bitter! Okay, I am a little bitter. Not only am I NOT going to Hawaii, but I might just have a baby WITHOUT my mom on the continent!!??).

Anyway, if you are a smoothie lover like me, here is a fantastic one!

2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lite coconut milk (I bought a can at Trader Joe's)
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple (Trader Joe's has great frozen fruit at great prices!)
ice

BLEND and ENJOY and DREAM of waves crashing against the shore in Waikiki....