Fingers and Bathtime

I realize that most of Thomas' hand/finger movement is unintentional right now, but he was cracking us up today. He was covering his ears (in a picture I have mentally captioned: "It's too loud!"), holding his pacifier in, and sucking his fingers. 

We gave Thomas his first (nonprofessional) bath last night...not technically his first bath, which came from a well-practiced nurse! He was not a fan. I'm sure we'll get better with practice, and eventually he'll learn to like the water. Preferably before ski season this summer, as he already has a life jacket!

And finally, my cousin Corey came over for dinner tonight. We call him the babysitter in training! Too bad Wash U lets out in early May and he'll be gone for the summer. 

Hard to believe tomorrow is Saturday already. Do you think he understands the concept of sleeping in?!?! 

Two more cute shots

I couldn't resist putting these up as well!

Days 2 and 3

Tucker was Thomas' first visitor, stopping by Monday night. 

Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Lindy arrived Tuesday night and were thrilled to meet their first grandchild! 

We came home from the hospital yesterday around lunchtime. We had fun showing Thomas around his house and room and have tried out several of his toys: the swing and the bouncy seat. There are no shortage of arms to hold him, either! 

Thomas is sleeping and feeding well...we hope that continues! He's also spending some time awake and is very alert, which is fun. Dad had him watching the golf channel yesterday and is looking forward to introducing him to Nascar this weekend (wish I could stop that one...!)

Many of you have asked what we're calling him...Thomas, Tommy, T.J., etc. Right now, we're calling him a little bit of everything, except for some of the less traditional suggestions we've received, like Jazzy Jeff  (thanks Matt). Right now, he'll answer to anyone that will hold him or feed him! 

:)

A Big Welcome

Since Thomas won't get to meet his cousins for a little while because we live so far apart, they made him a big welcome sign! Thanks Jakin, Annie, and Corban! We can't wait to see you and meet your new little sister too!

A Few Last Pregnancy Photos

Here are some photos from over the weekend that I didn't get a chance to post: the closet, the window treatments, and my belly pic from 39.5 weeks, right before we left for the hospital.

Welcome Thomas Jeffrey!

Our little one arrived early Monday morning at 5:12 am. And, as you can tell by the name, it's a boy! He's a cutie and loves being held by either his momma or his daddy. 

The stats:

Born: 2/23/09 

Weight: 8 lbs. 4 oz.

Length: 20.5"

Here are some pictures from his first day. As you can see in the one picture, he's got a full head of dark hair. He also has dark blue eyes. So far, he's been such a good baby...eating and sleeping well, with very little crying. We hope it continues like that! I'm in charge of feeding and Ed does the diapering and swaddling...he looks like an expert already! 

Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Lindy will be arriving tonight, and Grandma Alice and Grandpa Tom will be here around the following weekend. We can't wait for everyone to meet him! 

38 weeks

And the newest belly shot...

Big Weekend in the Nursery!

Three-day weekends are great...an extra day to get work done! 

My friend Kathy came down from Michigan to hang out/help, and she was a great motivator. I organized my office, she and I rearranged kitchen cabinets, and we bought components for the baby room closet. She also "shopped" in my studio and took home fabric for her next quilt.

Meanwhile, Ed and Tucker finished up the painting. On Monday, we assembled the crib and glider (and reassembled the futon, which had been living in pieces in the hallway) and moved everything into the baby room. We still have some bits and pieces to put together, but the main parts of the room are done! I can't believe the changes in this room--the new woodwork looks professional and matches the rest of the house so well. 

Although I've been secretly telling it this for a week or so (while Ed has been sending it the opposite message: encouraging it to stay inside), the baby is officially welcome to come anytime! 

Girls' Lunch

Sunday afternoon, while Ed and Corey were hard at work, I attended a girls' lunch/shower at Carrie's house with our local girl friends. Carrie, our gracious hostess, went all out with a tea party theme, complete with tea (of course) and fancy little sandwiches. Yum! And for dessert...mini chocolate-filled pastries (I didn't realize how much I'd benefit from introducing her to frozen puff pastry sheets!) and mini brownie cupcakes. It was a perfect girls' afternoon: hanging out and talking. Maureen, the resident mom, and me (mom in training) regaled the other three girls with enough details of pregnancy and childbirth to make them reconsider having their own kids!

RPB Baby Shower

Ed's RPB coworkers threw us a shower Friday night. The key to successful co-ed baby showers: beer! It was great to hang out with everyone again, and we had plenty of good food to eat. The icing on the evening was definitely dessert: Brittany photoshopped Ed's and my faces together to create what our baby might look like, and Kristy topped a cake with that photo. (The photo is my face with Ed's eyes and hairline.) Let's hope that our baby doesn't look like this! 

Weekend Progress

Ed had a productive weekend again, this time with the help of our friend Tucker and my cousin Corey. The woodwork is done in the baby room! Well, almost...Ed just needs a piece for under each of the window sills. He and Tucker finished putting the wood up on Saturday, and Corey filled nail holes with wood putty on Sunday while Ed caulked. Next weekend it's all about the paint and stain! 

Why We Love Old Houses

We love the charm and character of our 100-year-old house but sometimes run into challenges during home improvement projects. Check out the beautifully square top doorway edge of the baby's room! Nothing a 1/2" shim couldn't fix, and the door molding will eventually cover up this solution.

A level is truly an old house's best friend. 

Ed's Ski Trip

Ed snuck away Super Bowl weekend for a quick ski trip in Aspen with Cliff and Dylan. Sounds like they had a great time and really good skiing conditions. Ed saved his Christmas beard for the ski trip but shaved when he got back.

36 weeks!

Here's the latest belly shot. I'm still feeling good...no complaints. Ed does have give me a push to roll me out of bed though...

Oh, and the other night at the grocery store, we encountered our first major busybody. I have no problem with friendly questions and good wishes from strangers, but this lady walked up and began grilling us in the dairy section about where we were delivering the baby, what my pain management plan was, etc., and of course sharing her opinions on all of the above as well. :) 

Besides the woman who told us we were "boring" for not finding out the baby's sex, this was the most amusing conversation we've had with strangers so far. And of course, her advice ended with what I've realized is the pregnancy mantra: "You can't imagine how much this will change your life." I'm guessing there will be more changes than my current trend of two nightly treks to the bathroom, or the fact that baby supplies have taken over our house! (Insert sarcastic smile here.)