I am still alive, but is anyone sitll out there?

So I don't really expect anyone to read this, because when I haven't updated in over 8 months, why would anyone check anymore, right? But I am pleased to finally announce the arrival of our fourth child. Kali'inani Alene Franco was born on June 26th, 2011 at 11:59am. She weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. Her name means "my little beautiful". Her middle name is the same as mine, and we are named for my wonderful grandmother. She is two and a half months old now, and truly is a beautiful baby. She is also a very, very good baby. She has been sleeping through the night since 3 weeks, give or take a night here or there, and she basically only cries if she is hungry, tired or needs to be changed. She also takes a pacifier, and goes to sleep on her own in her own bed. All of this very different from my wonderful, yet somewhat more challenging, boys. Speaking of them, they all love her. Herbie is 6 and in 1st grade, Kahana is 3 and Hinckley will be 2 next month. We have our hands full, as you can imagine, but we are very blessed!

The picture is a month old, but it is the only one I had on the computer for now--she likes to stick her tongue out like that.

I now send a out a fond farewell, for who knows when I will post again...I certainly don't!

Think Pink! (Do I know how?)

It is true, we are having a girl! We found out on Jan 25th that we are expected our first little girl, and we are very excited. Herbie, however, was not the least bit surprised. He has been assuring me from the beginning that we were having a girl. Others were not so easy to convince. One person was so sure that Hapaki was trying to trick them, they made Herbie get on the phone and tell them what the dr. said. Another called me a few hours later and said, "Hapaki isn't joking right? You are having a girl?"

All kinds of new ideas have been crossing my mind now, like how I get to use cute little frilly dresses etc. Then other thoughts have been coming, like, "will I know what to do with a girl?" and "Oh man, I am actually going to have to comb her hair everyday!" For Hapaki it has been more thoughts of the future. He is already dreading her wedding day. It is definitely a new idea for the Franco Family, but one that we are excited to embrace.