Party of Five

It's been 2 weeks since we welcomed our new little peanut to the world. It's been quite the adjustment for everyone.
Zoie adores Bia--she wants to snuggle and hold and poke and kiss and feed and bathe, and rock and etc etc etc her. However, Zoie doesn't like that the baby requires attention from mom or dad. She also hates the fact that she can't yoink Bia's binkie....that's a big deal.
Riley is trying to figure out how to keep herself entertained the last few days of summer since we have been "trapped" in the house most days. However, she loves the fact that she actually gets to watch some movies during nap time so that I can nap with the other 2.
Berns' biggest adjustment is that he no longer works at home, so he has been at the office for the past 2 weeks (not the best timing to switch from working from home). He loves coming home to snuggle each girl.
I forgot that little babies don't sleep...so I walk around like a zombie most of the day. I don't recall the last time I actually got dressed or brushed my hair...I'm looking awesome.

Dispite the lack of sleep and the 1500 diapers a day; I wouldn't ask for anything more. My 3 girls are stunning. Simply put. I like them and love my calling as being mom to them.

Come visit--you may take turns snuggling them too....if I decide to share.

"Pwincess"

Reason #eleventy-hundred-six-six to have little girls:



Zo and Ri have been dressing up as "pwincesses" for the past few weeks. Riley drapes things on Zoie and Zo just twirls and spins in delight.
Riley, however, has decided she is too old for crowns and poofy dresses--so she takes time to dress as a "princess warrior" or a gypsy...

And if you look real close to the picture, you will find that even daddy gets to play every now and again...Thank goodness for daddies that love having little girls and all the frills that come with it.
Hun--you look dashing as a Pwincess.

Sumthin Schmells in here....

The REAL reason for our trip to Durango:


My beautiful lil sis got married. I bawled....several times. I laughed, a lot of times. She was stunning...all of the time.

Mr. and Mrs. Schmelzle. Jeff--Welcome to the crazy, but never dull family. We welcome you with open hearts...but mainly because you have a SWEET last name.

A Green Table

So remember how I lived in Durango for soooo long and never went to Mesa Verde (yup, it's only 45 minutes away...). The last time I was there was when my Dad took us on a road trip when I was like...7..maybe...
Regardless--it was about due time to go. So while on our lovely trip to Durango I packed up the car and the girls and I headed up the mountain (along with my sister Britt and her family). Papa Berns had to take a early flight home on Monday (for work), so he didn't get to join us.
I'm not going to lie--climbing up and down the trails on the mountain in HOT weather being 8 months pregnant was not the FUNNEST thing to do in the world; but the girls had a great time.

Riley's new mission you ask? To make houses on the side of a mountain just like the Indians did. She planned out her mental blue prints the entire way home....First a cowboy and now an Indian...this girl is on one.

Giddey Up and Git-r-done

If you give me an excuse to go "home" to Durango I'm usually bound to jump on the bandwagon. My lovely sister Damon decided to get married in Durango the third week of July so we packed up the girls and a few delicious car trip goodies and headed to the land of elk and deer. Never mind the fact that my OB/GYN advised me time and time again NOT to take the trip because it was too close to my due date.....

Being that it's a 10 hour drive, I begged and pleaded with my lovely lovely husband to let us girls stay for a week instead of just a quick weekend trip. And, yes, my lovely lovely husband agreed. While there we played all around grandma's "farm", got dirty, ate lots of food, sang some mountain music, played in the dirt....rolled in the dirt, road horses in the dirt, brought dirt inside, etc and etc in the dirt.
The morning of Damon's wedding Berns took the girls horseback riding. Since Riley has been on a cowgirl kick lately she was SUPER excited to go. Zoie ADORED the horses and didn't want to stop riding them. Riley ADORED the horses too...BUT she preferred feeding them instead of riding them.

It's always nice to go back to Colorado--every time Berns and I try to figure out a way to move back--but until then we will enjoy our quick trips of playing in the dirt to some good ol' mountain music.

And now...enjoy some obessive overload of pictures:

Slacker with a side of {ketchup}

I would like to say that due to the fact that I just had a baby I have not had time to blog about all of our adventures this summer...HOWEVER, all of our adventures happened in June and July--so me having a baby in August is probably not a good excuse. So bare with me as I take time to catch up on all of our whereabouts.
Sorry if I bore you---let's be honest--it's more for me to look back on--we aren't THAT exciting of people.

Regardless...what better way to reminisce about summer than with pictures of swimming pools and darling little girls?




After Rooster got her casts off, the girls and I spent as much time at the pool as we could. Riley and Zoie both turned into fish once the summer sun hit Las Vegas---and my big whale pregnant body enjoyed cooling off submerged in the cool water. Once the pool closes this coming October I will be at a loss for what to do with the girls...looks like we will be scoping out the indoor lap pools...

And Now I Present to You.....

Lil Miss Bia Eliana
Born 08/13 at 13:08 (1:08pm). 7 lbs, 5 oz- 19 inches long. She is nothing short of wonderful.
I went into the hospital at around 10:00 with bad back aches, a few random contractions here and there (but nothing that I thought was labor inducing), and some "leaking" (sorry if that grosses you out). I had called the doctor's office before going in to see if any of those things should concern me since I was already dilated to a "4" the past 2.5 weeks. They told me to just go to the hospital and get checked.
Berns was singing and dancing the entire way to the hospital and I tried to keep him grounded telling him that most likely they would send us home.
Well, to my pleasant surprise, when they checked me around 10:30 I was dilated to a 5. They decided to keep me and get this baby out.
Everything else went so quick it's kinda a blur...a painful blur, but a blur.
Epidural man came, then they broke my water, then checked me again about 12:15 and I was at an 8. Checked me again about 5 minutes later and I was a 10. I had to push for about 40 minutes and she was out. Labor lasted about 3 hours! The only problem was my epidural didn't work on the right side of my body so I felt quite a bit more pain than I really cared to.
Little Bia entered our world sucking her hands and with a 1 dimpled smile. She already has us all wrapped around her little finger.
Zoie refuses to do anything except hold the baby, Riley oohs and aahhhs about how tiny everything on her is. Berns is twitterpaited and in 7th heaven with another little girl. I'm just in utter amazement because I'm so blessed. I look at my 3 girls and can't help but get teary eyed. This is what life is about and nothing else seems to matter.
Welcome home Bia--we love you

A wee little bug

I have horrible luck with computers.

I will leave it at that.

And, yet again, my luck has run out.

For a nasty little virus has struck my computer not letting me open ANY files....meaning the beautiful place where I keep all of my pictures you are DYING to see; is not accessible.

So until I find Mr. Computer Fix It Man...you will be kept in the dark over the whereabouts of us Costa's.

I have quite the stories to tell. But what good is a story without a picture...so you will just have to wait.

Those of you that live near me and know where Mr. Computer Fix It Man is when I need him...please inform me. Regards.