Today we had a visit from Aunt Sarah. She drove up from San Antonio to say hi to Alex and see Grandma Linda while she was in town. Alex was really alert this morning, so Sarah got to enjoy a happy, awake baby for quite a while before the lure of a nap called the little guy away from his company.

She brought him a present, which Alex is modeling below. Very cute! Thank you, Sarah.

In other news, Daddy has to go back to work tomorrow. He's bummed. Dan has done such an amazing job of adjusting to his new role. He's not afraid of poop, has actually gotten into the cloth diaper experience, and proudly wore a shirt with spit-up on it most of the day today (no, he didn't leave the house looking like that, but he also didn't feel the need to change immediately, and he wasn't afraid to hold Alex again. He just shrugged and said, "The shirt's already dirty.") On the topic of Dan's clothes, Alex also managed to pee on his shorts during a diaper change. (We have to admit that Brian warned us about this potential hazard, but I guess everyone has to experience it for themselves to realize the importance of constant diaper-changing vigilance.)

Everything else is going really well. (A little about Mommy, here, although it's a side track from the star.) My body is doing great. I am still a little sore, but overall I feel so wonderful. I was kind of miserable those last few weeks of being pregnant. My body just ached all the time, I had no energy, and on and on. There were so many days that I didn't even leave the house. I was a complete slug. Now, my only problem is that I am supposed to be resting. I feel so much better than last week, I want to get up and run a marathon! I want to get out and about and take my little boy with me to show him his new world. But, I am constrained by the rules that I need to take it easy (enforced by Dan, who keeps asking me, "Aren't you supposed to be horizontal right now?") I guess my wild dreams of adventurous outings will have to be satisfied by a trip to the mailbox.Here I am, modeling my new outfit from Aunt Sarah. The hat says, "Judge me by my size, you do?" and the shirt, "Size matters not." Ironically, it is too big right now, and I'll have to wait to wear it. It appears that size matters a little bit!



Sydney: Hey Dan, you got something on your shorts.

Busy Day

An update from Austin...

Today was a day of fun firsts! Alex went on his first shopping trip! We were looking for a glider to make feeding a little more comfortable. So far, it has been a balancing act of pillows on the bed or fluffed up blankets on the couch armrests, trying to elevate his little head to a comfortable position for us both. Just as we finally get settled and adjusted and make it just right, it's time to switch sides. We found one that suits our needs perfectly! Good color, comfortable, glides nicely, etc. I am already spoiled.

In addition to the first shopping trip, it was the longest car ride Alex has been on. Not that he knows this, as he slept the entire time. But so far we've driven home from the hospital (in our backyard, if you remember) and then to and from the dr's office, located right next to the hospital. So, this was an adventure!

We also experienced "tummy time" for the first time. Alex is a very, very sleepy baby. It has been hard to get any awake time with him, so when his eyes opened a bit this afternoon, we grabbed the chance to get him some excercise time (plus, we had to try out this cute "tummy time mat" we got as a shower gift!). It was great! He made so many great faces, I took a million pictures, and it encouraged him to stay awake for a little while.

And, this evening, Dan and I had the joy of going out and leaving Alex with his first babysitter! Unlike a usual babysitting situation, Grandma Linda actually paid us to let her take care of him :-) Dan and I went to see a movie, and Alex had another first: his first bottle of pumped breastmilk. Yum!

So far, I am an expert at laying down on the board. Aunt Cate needs to give me some lessons!

This is Alex, Daddy, and his big sister Sydney. Sydney loves her new little brother, especially licking his toes and ears!

Whooo! Today was exhausting. Shopping, surfing, eating and looking cute can take a lot out of a guy.

Grandma got to babysit, Alex got to fall asleep in Grandma's arms. I'm not sure Mommy and Daddy enjoyed their movie as much as these two enjoyed each other.

A Couple More Pictures

Thanks, Dad for helping me put a bunch of pictures on here earilier. I am just updating with a few of my favorites from our hospital stay.




I am a cozy baby burrito.




Hi world! Ready or not, here I am.

Picture time

Mom and Alex enjoying their first day together!


Alex sneaks in a nap with Dad....


Baby's first pizza (yum!)


All set to go home for the first time!


Alex learns to play Civilization!

It's been a crazy few days since I posted...I was busy :-)

As you all probably know, Alexander Clarke Goemans was born in the wee hours of the morning on Monday. Dan and I are now busy falling in love with him and making him part of our lives.

Aunt Sarah is bugging me LIKE CRAZY to post a few pictures, and I have huge intentions of catching everyone up on all the details of the past 5 days. Stay tuned for lots of both. I am really so excited to share, but this adorable little face keeps distracting me away from the outside world.

Your pictures are coming Sarah. We have a dr. visit this morning at 9, and THE MINUTE I get back, I'm on it.

Until then, just picture "really cute" in your head, and you've pretty much got it!

-Laura

So, D-Day came and went. Oh well, I wasn't really expecting it. Now I have my eyes set on Tuesday, and I am kind of assuming that that will be the day. I have a bit of fear of having him tomorrow. Only because the 11th would be a difficult birthday to have! I saw a little segment on the news about people with Septemeber 11th birthdays. One was a little girl whose parents were all gung-ho that she should still celebrate her birthday on her birthday, because that was her special day, etc. But there were some people who were so adamant that anyone born on that day had a responsibility to to move their celebrations to avoid partying on a day that holds so many bad memories. I'd rather just avoid the whole conversation, and have the little boy stay in for at least one more day! Also, Dan has already given him directions to not pull anything tomorrow. Dan plays D & D on Sundays, and he has asked the kiddo not to interfere with those plans. Who else will be out there, killing the bad guys, protecting us all from the forces of darkness?

Today, Dan and I went to see an IMAX movie about fighter pilots. It was good, as IMAX movies usually are. We decided we should make an effort to go out and do something on this, our last weekend as non-parents. Although, my range of "fun" has diminished a bit. Even sitting in a theater makes my back hurt. (Yes, more whining!) Hopefully we'll get back out and do something else tomorrow (after Dan gets done fighting the forces of evil, of course). We need to make the most of our last hours of childlessness.

D-Day Tomorrow, Deadline Scheduled!

Yesterday we had our final dr. appointment. The little boy is technically due tomorrow, so maybe he'll surprise us all (especially his parents!) and be on time! At our appointment, however, we made the plans for in case he decides to overstay his welcome. The doctor is on call on Tuesday, so we planned the induction for Tuesday morning (6:00 am!!) if he hasn't made his arrival by then.

That also happens to be my sister's birthday. I called her to make sure that this was OK with her. I mean, you only have one day all year that is supposed to be your special day-all about you. I wasn't sure, if the situation were reversed, if I would think it was cool to share a b-day with my nephew, or if I'd want him to get off my birthday! Sarah said that, as you get older, your b-day's not that important anymore, and maybe, if everyone is thinking it's Baby G's birthday, they'll forget that she's getting older, too. OK, good way to think of it :-)

So...our deadline is Tuesday! We should have a little boy by that afternoon or evening! WHOO!

Last Day of School...

We had our last childbirth class today. A little potluck, a little discussion of the postpartum period and all the fun of learning how to care for a baby. Luckily, the Grandmas will be taking turns with us in Austin, so there will be someone with proven expertise in childcare (5 kids between the two of them...all still kickin', they must have done something right!) to help these fumbling newbies. Dan has gotten a bunch of practice now. He has changed a diaper on a teddy bear, and another one on the life-size newborn doll. OK, so neither of those wiggle, squirm, or threaten to stick their feet in any unpleasant diaper contents, but he's getting there :-) Give him a couple of months and he'll be an expert, too.

So, last day of class. Another landmark. Another thing to check off the "we're ready" list. We just laugh as we accomplish each new task and say, "OK, now he'll think we're ready. Now, he'll decide it's time." But, Dan and I pretty good procrastinators, so I guess we should expect it from our child. "Not coming out 'til the last minute, or later. The world will just have to wait!"

I've been kinda cranky lately, but I had a really good day today. I ran some errands (groceries, return library books so they won't be forgotten and become terribly overdue). I felt really good. I'm still huge and akward, but I feel really lucky to have escaped any of the problems that I've heard about, diabetes, preeclampsia, major backaches, etc, etc. I've had it pretty easy and had no problems to speak of, so my complaints are just relative to "my normal self," which makes me feel like I really don't have much to complain about. Not that that will stop me...

Hey Kiddo, Don't You Know What Today Is?

I was hoping that BabyG had a calendar and knew that it was Labor Day and would get the hint, but, as this day comes to a close, it looks like he didn't get it. Oh well, he's not actually late, I'm just anxious!

Dan and I have made progress, however. We went to eat at Texas Land and Cattle tonight. It's a pretty nice steak place, but the reason we were there is that their parent company was doing a benefit today for the Katrina victims, and all of the proceeds from all of their restaurants is going to help flood victims. How can you argue with that? A yummy meal that makes you feel good, too. Anyway...while waiting for food, we each took a piece of paper and wrote down our top 5 names. Then we switched, chatted, tried out the names with all their various nicknames and with the middle name we had pretty much already decided on. And, I think we've actually got a winning name! Still no plans to broadcast it, because we can always change it without explanation, but just know that he's not going to be Baby G forever :-)

I am hoping that this is what he was waiting on. "Oh, now my parents have a name for me. Now, they're actually ready. Here I come!"

Back to the Dr.

So, it's 9 days until the official D-Day. Dan and I had another dr. visit today. It's amazing what pregnancy will do for your modesty. Every visit includes weighing, blood pressure, listening to the baby's heart, talking about swelling and movement, etc. But the last few are a bit more...um...invasive. Today as she was poking around, the dr. said she can feel the head, so he's at "zero station" meaning, he's already lined up between my pelvic bones, right where he's supposed to be. What a smart kid :-) And, things are progressing just like they're supposed to. Yeah! I guess I'd better make sure that everything is packed. We could be off to the hospital any time!