Are You Ready For Some Football?

Getting out of the house (aka mission control) with Will is still a challenge for mom and dad. On Sunday and Monday, we braved the unknown and headed over to Mark and Terri's for football.

These are a couple of pictures from Sunday. Will with Terri and Mark. Then Mark and Mike goofing around.

Monday's kick-off was late - 8:30pm (heaven help me, I think anything past 8pm is late - what has happened to me?). We went despite the proximity to bedtime and had a great time. Will went over in his infant carrier and slept in Mark and Terri's front room. That meant mom and dad were free to chat and eat - nearly unheard of in the past month!

We left at halftime with the Ravens cleaning up. Unfortunately they lost the game in OT (mom, dad and Will found out the next morning).

Too Big For His Britches

Today Will turned three weeks old - the time has flown by and Will has gotten so big already. We've been watching him grow, get stronger and learn new expressions and noises every day. We were curious just how big he has gotten, so dad jumped on the scales with Will this morning and declared our little boy to be 11 lbs!

No way - 11 lbs, already? He is one heck of an eater, no wonder why mom is nearly down to pre-prego weight!

We celebrated the three week milestone with a bottle (no not a bottle of beer or wine - a bottle of milk!). Will took to the bottle but still needs some practice keeping the milk in his mouth. He also graduated to size 1 diapers (bye-bye newborn diapers!) and mom packed away the outfits which no longer fit!

Flying Solo

Andy has gone back to work and Mimi has gone home. So that means I'm on my own this week with Will. I'm not sure how other first-time moms feel, but I was one scared girl on Monday morning!

Well, it's Friday now and dad is home for the weekend (thank goodness!). We survived the week and Will hasn't fired me yet. We took a walk most days and even ran a few local errands. We also went for a visit at Karen's which Will and mom really enjoyed.

The toughest part of the week was missing Andy and knowing Andy is missing out on the time with Will. Thank goodness for our fabulous neighbors who have made this week so easy for us with lots of yummy food. They've helped make our evenings a breeze so we can enjoy time together before heading off to bed each night.

Turns out I can fly solo with Will - I still need lots of practice, but there is plenty of time for that over the next few months.

Check These Wheels Out

We finished the week with Mimi by heading down to Towson to Picture People. Will was born in Towson two weeks ago, but hasn't been back until today.

We had our first family portrait taken
and some solo pics of Will shot as well. In true unpredictable baby fashion, Will fussed and cried during the entire photo shoot. Once he got some additional grub from mom in the Nordstrom ladies lounge, he was sweet as pie. Too late for the pictures, but the ride home was quiet!

The best part of the trip was breaking in the stroller. Check out the Mountain Buggy Urban! This set up just has Will's infant carrier in the frame. When he gets a little bigger, he'll be sporting a red seat and we'll be sure to show it off on the blog.

Ah Swingin' - Thank You Bunko Aunties

Here's Will stretched out in his swing - one of his favorite places in the house. The ladies in the 'hood picked this swing out for our little one before he was born. They certainly know their stuff - it rocks!

When we aren't cuddling Will, he lounges in the living room in his swing, as you can see, he's quite content. Thank you bunko aunties!

Knitting With Mom

Before Will was born, I started a great little striped sweater in a 3 month size. It is pretty close to being done, but still needs a little finishing work. Will was wonderful today but really hungry. We're both getting the hang of nursing and while confined to mom's chair of choice, I got a few minutes of knitting work in. Will wasn't particularly interested, but he was glad to get some cuddle time in with mom.

Let's see if I can get the sweater finished before Will is too big to wear it!

Splish Splash - Will's First Bathtime!

With Mimi around, Andy and I took advantage of the mom expertise and learned how to give our little man a proper bath. We've done a few sponge baths since Will has been home, but since Will lost his umbilical cord today, we could do a full-on bath!

Dad was a champ at washing up Will. Will enjoyed the bath and the warm up afterwards, but he wasn't too keen on the chilly bit between the bathtub and the towel. Our first of many baby baths to come!

First Crab Feast With Mom, Dad and Mimi

Yummy, crabs! Every Marylander should eat blue crabs and as the only Maryland-born member of the family, Will is taking his birth right seriously. This Sunday, mom, dad and Mimi showed Will how to crack crabs.

Although he still has a lot of practicing to do to get it right, we're sure he'll love our Sunday tradition of steamed crabs followed by ice cream.

Hi Mimi!

Everyday is a big day for Will right now, but today was extra special. Mimi (mom's mom) arrived today for a week's stay. We need all the help we can get right now, especially with Andy headed back to work on Monday. Yeah for grandmas!

Aside from Mimi's arrival, Will also met lots of neighbors today, including Kendall who is just a few weeks older than Will. He also watched his first Newcastle game with dad and neighbor Mike and had a nice long visit with Kristen who thought Will was even cuter in person.

Our little man is quite the social butterfly!

Bye-Bye Verago

Last summer Andy bought a 1981 Verago as a fix-up project. The thrill and challenge of the project has lost its appeal. So, while we were both off for our first week with Will at home, Andy posted the bike for sale on Craig's List. It generated lots of interest and Andy found a buyer. It was picked up on Saturday and we waved goodbye to the Verago.

Bye-bye Verago, hello quick cash!

Will Turns A Week Old

Today Will is one week old and we can't believe how fast the time has gone. He's doing great and has met a few of the ladies in the neighborhood and Uncle Mark (dad's buddy from across the street).

On Wednesday he met Karen, he loves Karen and flirted with her for an hour then slept on her for an hour. They are going to have a blast together when mom goes back to work.

Yesterday we made a family outing to Giant, the gas station and the Hodle (yes, Will has been to the Hodle - hey it was Thursday - that's boys night out, of course he was included!). It was a big day for Will - but what mom and dad were most impressed by was how well he slept last night. Will ate at 11:30PM , 3AM and 6:30AM so mom and dad got tons of sleep last night - yahoo!

The biggest one week celebration is meeting Mimi (mom's mom). Mimi arrives tomorrow for a week full of lovin' on Will (and of course some lovin on Holly too). We can't wait to see her.

Will's Homecoming

On Sunday mom and Will got the all-clear from the docs and came home from the hospital. This is a pic of Will all wrapped up and ready for the ride home. Much to mom's surprise, Will slept the entire ride home.

Now on day 5 of parenthood, we're at home and settled in. Will is doing fantastic and mom and dad are working on that whole sleep thing.

A few neighborhood friends stopped by tonight and we were thrilled to have folks start meeting Will. We also took the chance to get a family photo...here we are!

William's Birthday!

Our little one has arrived! He's super handsome and doing great. We feel so incredibly lucky and blessed to have a healthy baby boy. Happy birthday William James.

The birth stats:
Sept. 5, 2008
12:02AM
7lb 12oz
21 inches

How Will rocked his first day:
Got delivered
Took a bath
Ate, slept, pooped and peed
Men met - 1 (dad of course)
Chicks met - 2 dozen (nurses dig him and were all about getting him to show of the birthday suit)

Here are a few pics from Will's birthday.

First minute - burrrrrr...
Will and dad in L&D
Resting up from the big day

Tales for L&D (if you dare!)

Everything went great with William's delivery. From start to finish (6am to midnight), labor took 18 hours. After 40 minutes of huffing and puffing (that was dad), William popped out kicking and screaming (2 minutes late according to Andy's prophecy).

So, I loved every moment of being pregnant except for the the last three hours - those were rough. Andy was amazing - funny (go figure) and strong (we were all worried about a weak stomach coming on - but he didn't even waiver). I didn't think it was possible to be more crazy about Andy - but I think everything I feel for him doubled in just a single day.

There are a few things that surprised me about delivery - so for the curious, here's a quick recap...

1. It hurts, a lot
2. Don't breathe, groan or cry when you push, why? it's ineffective - or as my doctor put it...
- "No, you aren't tired, now push"
- "That was better, but you're still not pushing hard enough, now push"
- "Don't you even think of crying, just push hard"
- "You're the only one in this room getting this baby out, now push harder!"

3. Your body needs lots of time, goop and TLC to recover

That's it - the final prego blog entry. I understand the memories fade fast (especially the painful ones). For everyone that's hung around for the adventure thank you for your support, advise and love. I have absolutely loved sharing the last nine months with so many wonderful friends, family members and colleagues.

39 Weeks Have Passed, Day One of Week 40!

How far along: Today is Baby Cowx's due date (he/she missed the memo)

What's new: No baby yet. The Labor Day weekend didn't convince Baby Cowx that it was time to make an appearance.

I'm achy, but no regular or really intense contractions yet. We're just relaxing and enjoying our final days being a DINK (dual income no kids) household.

Holly Jean says: Nope, not yet.

Geordie says: Nope, not yet.