She's here!

After roughly 5 1/2 hours of labor (we're not so sure this time because for a while I was in denial), Aimee Katherine Collier made her appearance on 27 December 2008 at 3:26pm. She was born at the Nativiti Birth Center in The Woodlands. Especially considering she was born 2 1/2 weeks early, she is a good size baby: 7lbs 5oz and 19 3/4" long. The last child we had that was this early was Kyrie and she's 11 now! No pictures with Alex yet because he's been away at youth leader training camp since Boxing Day. We were able to get a message to him though and we know he's very anxious to be home and meet his newest baby sister. We've been wondering why labor triggered so early. It's been speculated that I was on my feet quite a bit Christmas day when we had some of my extended family over and on the 26th, Tartan and I went looking and test driving Ford Expeditions. Personally I think it's because Tartan got me a beautiful birthstone necklace with a stone for each of the children- including Aimee. Now he'll have to take it back and have a December stone put in instead!
We had only just decided on the name Aimee a few days beforehand. Kyrie suggested Aimee, and Tartan came up with the alternate spelling. We were going to have Elizabeth as the middle name, but Tartan lobbied for Katherine while I was in labor and our midwife added her vote (her name is Katherine, too).
We are very thankful that she is here safe and sound and that I'm recovering very well. Praise God!

Trusting in Him and His timing in all things!
>Naomi for the Colliers

We had snow

On Wednesday, it actually snowed here in Houston. Not a lot, but the kids were excited and went out and played for a while. They made mini snowballs by piling it up off the bumpers of my truck. I didn't get any pictures unfortunately because by the time I got off the phone telling Tartan about it- the snow had dwindled and then it got dark.

It's been officially announced so now I can make it public- Tartan has been promoted to a new position at work, effective 1 January. The downside is that he'll have to drive farther to get there and home again, which makes him very nervous about the upcoming baby delivery. He's trying to figure out if he can work from home that week leading up to the due date. If not, we'll find someone who can be with me during those times he can't be here. He'll be the manager of Planning and Stewardship for business side applications. Previously he's only been in the upstream side. If you're not involved with the oil industry, just know that it means it'll be experience broadening. We can look back at his career so far and see how God has placed him where he needs to be- even those times where it may not have looked like it. :)

I'm sitting here trying to think of what else I can say. The kids got the tree up and decorated- they did it all this year, including bringing it down from the attic and setting it up, Tartan got the lights up outside, and I put the stockings along the fireplace mantle. Next week is our last week of school until January. We may or may not have a week or two of school in January before baby arrives. We still haven't decided on the name and this is definitely the longest we've gone without one. I'm sure we'll decide before she appears.

We wish you all a merry Christmas; may it be filled with His peace, love and joy!
>Naomi for the Colliers

PS Tartan, Alex and I are on Facebook now.