WELCOME TO THE PARTY LITTLE ONE!

On Friday -- our daughter's actual "due date" -- we took a risk and purchased tickets to see an afternoon showing of the new Downton Abbey movie. Once we made it through that, I told her she was free to go into labor at any time. She took me at my word, for that very night we got a call around 2 AM saying "You might want to head back to Austin now to pick up little Goobs."

"So many Super Calvins, Mimi!"

We took him back home with us and snuggled into bed, but woke up early, anxious for some news. We waited, and waited, and finally got a text about five hours later saying "Well, we seem to have stalled out." We were making plans to take Calvin home the next morning when we got another message, saying "OK, things seem to be starting up again, but I wouldn't get too excited just yet." Finally, around 11 PM they decide to head for the birthing center and call the doula.

But, once little sister made up her mind that she was ready to break outta dat joint, her mama says it was like a freight train coming through. When the midwife said "Here she comes!", Lex thought she meant she was finally crowning, but the midwife said "No! I mean she's halfway OUT!"

And so, more than 24 hours after those first contractions, our chubby-cheeked granddaughter, Rowan Rebecca Sanders -- weighing in at just under 8 lbs. -- finally made her entrance. Sadly, I have no pics to share just yet.

Meanwhile, the worlds cutest race car driver spent three fun-filled days with us, but couldn't wait to get home to his Mama and Dada, to make sure this usurper wasn't trying to take his place at the center of the universe -- just like his own mama did when her little brother was born. Ahhh, sibling rivalry!

We'll just have to keep reminding ourselves that only ten or fifteen short years later, Austin and Alexis somehow managed to magically morph into being the best of friends! 

GUESS WHO?

Guess who turns three years old today? This cool dude, that's who!

Our baby just isn't a baby anymore. 

We had quite the celebration here yesterday, with all the cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. He's mighty happy that his cousins from Minnesota finally decided to move and join the rest of us down here in Texas!

Fabulous Cupcakes from Lexi's Good Buddy at Cake Monster in Georgetown

Yippee! They get to assemble something!

 

Not sure who had more fun with the Magnatiles -- Calvin,  his cousins, or Auntie Areej!

Doggie Doctor Calvin

What's even harder to believe than this baby being three years old? The fact that, in less that four months, we'll have another little goober's birthday to celebrate!

WHO'S GONE GAGA?

You'd think it would be the women in the family who'd be going gaga over the news that our next grandchild will be female. You'd be wrong.

Last Friday Hubby and I had some time to kill before a movie, so I suggested going into Marshall's for a quick scan of the toy department, where I occasionally find good deals on Melissa & Doug or Green Toy products.  It didn't take but five minutes for me to see there was nothing I needed there. However, by the time I made it back to the front door, Papa John had already purchased these!

I have a feeling we're gonna need to keep a close eye on that boy!

THE THING THAT WILL BREAK MY HEART

In my 43 years of marriage to a traveling engineer, I've walked away from some fairly awesome homes and gardens with hardly a backward glance. You get used to it. I'm finding it extremely difficult, however, to contemplate a future where we might need to live somewhere other than here. What's funny, though, is that it's not really the house or the garden that I will miss. In fact, they have both been royal pains in the ass!

What were we thinking, buying a house with only two bedrooms, a one-person kitchen with practically no storage or counter space, a one person bathroom that Hubby and I have to share, with a tiny shower, one sink, no countertops or drawers, no walk-in closets, and no separation or privacy between the toilet and everything else? A house that has only three rooms on the main level, and which requires one to go outside to reach the two rooms on the lower level? And, gardening with deer, snakes, armadillos, raccoons, and feral hogs? Fuggitabowdit!

So, no, I won't be missing any of that if we ever have to leave. Nonetheless, there will be tears. The thing that it will surely break my heart to walk away from? It will be these windows in the trees, and the amazing things I see almost every time I walk past one. Views like this one out my bedroom window, which kept me mesmerized for most of the the morning the other day!

That very same afternoon I walked past the dining room windows and spotted a doe that must've been in labor, so there are probably at least one or two more precious fawns hidden away here now.  Is it any wonder that I can never seem to get anything crossed off of my to-do list?

 

WHERE'D OUR BABY GO?

Mom, what do you think you are doing?

SHEESH!

Why are my best buddies here at Mima's house? They've never been here before.

I don't know what these weird paper things hanging everywhere are, but I kinda like them. Let me pull them all down!

YIKES! What did you do to those cupcakes?

Can I touch it?

What am I supposed to do with this?

A little help, please?

Hmmmmmm...

WHOA! That made my toes curl!

Got any more of that?

Who you callin' a baby? I'm a BIG boy now!

TONGUE-TIED

Little Cal had an appointment with a pediatric dentist yesterday. When the midwife first examined him she said he might be "tongue-tied". When she came to the house to check on him and discovered he had lost some weight, she was fairly certain of it, so she sent them to a specialist. He said it was becoming more and more common in newborns, but they hadn't yet figured out what was causing it. Luckily, it's an easy fix. Nate's parents had mentioned a craving for enchiladas, so while Lex and Nate took Calvin to his appointment, we took Holly and Frank to Chuy's! While there we got a message from Lex saying that everything went well and was over in a jiff, but that hearing her Little Goober scream was "pretty rough!" She thinks it was more from being startled than anything else, as he stopped soon afterwards. By the time we got back from Chuy's, with takeout for the new mom and dad, Cal was already nursing away!

When Little Mama took a break to eat her lunch, Papa John finally got to hold Goober for the very first time.

I think he's in love!
 

Or maybe he's just imagining all the shenanigans the two of them have in their future. 

OUR LITTLE MAN

Apologies in advance for the poor quality of my photos, but I was waaay too absorbed with the subject, to pay much attention to technique!

Meet Calvin, our little man...

  

OH HAPPY DAY!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for A MIRACLE! Our first grandbaby, Calvin Louis Sanders, was born yesterday at around 9:30 PM -- strong, healthy, and absolutely beautiful. The new little family came home from the birthing center at around 4:00 AM, and have been sound asleep ever since. Will be back soon with more details, maybe even a picture or two!
  

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY

Until my sister-in-law Priscilla had her first child, I'd never heard of Lamaze or La Leche League. Dear Pris was a bit of a renegade, you see, as everyone in my family bottle-fed their babies, wanted all the drugs they could get during delivery, and couldn't imagine why anyone would actually want their hubbies to be in the delivery room with them, to see them in such a state! Hospitals were slow to get on board with the new programs, however, and when Priscilla opted to have her second child at home with a midwife, our parents really thought she had lost it. Me? Well, I thank my lucky stars every day that she was there to pave the way for me and my daughters, for it is due in large part to her and her renegade compadres that we now have places like the Austin Area Birthing Center, where Little Goober will be born!

Miss Alexis invited Hubby and I to meet her at the birthing center yesterday, for her now-weekly-appointment with the midwife, and to take a tour of the facility. To tell you the truth, I was a bit blown away!

All but one of the birthing rooms was actually in use, but the one that we did get to see -- the Austin Music themed room - was absolutely fabulous. Turns out, it's the one Lexi and Nate listed as their top choice.

There's also a big walk-in shower in the restroom, where expectant mothers can sit on a balance ball with warm, soothing water raining down on them.

Love those little packets of smelling salts, taped strategically around the room!

Then there is this lovely waiting area for families, with tea kettle, where John and I will be hanging out.

I even got to hear Goober's strong little heartbeat while I was there! Best of all, the midwife says we are 70% effaced, with everything progressing exactly as it should be for an arrival on or around her  due date this Saturday -- and, she'd be very, very shocked if we went more than one week past. Woohoo!