Alexa and Friends

Jackie comes running to Ali's side whenever she makes a sound. I think we've found the answer to our daycare dilema.
A tender moment with aunt Rachel.

Miss Deb, you know I'm cuter than you. Let's settle this.

Alexa at 1 week

Our little lady is 11 days old today. Here are some pics from her 7th day. Many thanks to Auntie Cecille for the lovely snaps.

Alexa's World - Nursery Pics

Here are some pics of the nursery. I wish I could take credit but Baby Daddy did it all. It was his labor of love.

Baby Daddy made this sign that hangs above Alexa's crib.
She sleeps in her bassinet, which we wheel from room to room.

She's probably spent about 10 minutes in her crib.

Where the feedings happen.

Many a dirty diaper have been changed here. Many more to come

Face like an angel, lungs like a siren

Recap - Our baby surprise

Mentally and physically I was ready. Our hospital bags were packed and the nursery had been set up for months. But we still had 12 days to go. So Saturday, we had a fun coed shower where we ate lots of Mediterranean food and played Guitar Hero and Rock Band late into the night.

And as if our lives weren't complicated enough, Baby Daddy and I decided to redo our bathroom before Alexa's arrival. So Sunday afternoon I waddled around Home Depot choosing tile and bath fixtures. But Alexa had other plans. At 6 a.m. Monday, Baby Daddy was driving me to the hospital, while I tried my darndest to convince him that my water hadn't broken. I was wrong.

Like a true princess, Alexa came into the world with a full supporting cast.

Baby Daddy and Fairy God Mother Sally were my labor coaches. Sally drove 3 hours to be with us after she got the call. They were phenomenal!
Aunt Gokben kept everyone fed .
Not even a flat tire on her way to the hospital could keep Aunt Arlene away.
Aunt Emily kept Alexa's fans updated on the blog
Aunt Sheron brought the good stuff.

Of course, we can't forget all our doctors and nurses who cared for us during 12 hours of labor.

Sweet Alexa - Day 2

Daddy's girl! As expected, Baby Daddy is a natural. He's mastered the art of swaddling and knows how to keep her calm. I'm still working on both.
When she's awake, she's pretty alert. All her newborn clothes are too big. Here she is lost in a sweater-turned-robe.
She's already a big flirt. She gets that from her grandpa Clem.

She had a pretty big day today. Her checkup with her pediatrician went well. She was the star of a childcare class at the hospital and she hosted lots of visitors.

Miss Alexa is quite the social butterfly.

Introducing Alexa Noreen Gregoire Stuart

Here are some photos of our precious angel. She's got the sweetest disposition, a head full of curly black hair, dark brown eyes and a some remarkably long fingers.

She's named after Jervon' s dad Alexander and my grandmother Noreen.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. Chapter 1 is just beginning. Stay tuned.

SHE'S HERE!

5:56 p.m.
6 lbs, 1 oz.
and a dimple in her chin!

This is where the magic is happening

Natashia and Jervon are in this room, the third window on the left
(just letting everyone in on the fun)

Getting closer!

Twelve hours in and Baby is on her way!

The doctor just gave Natashia the go ahead to start pushing so we hope to have an update soon!


***TMI ALERT***
She's a full 10 cm, so they are ready to start pushing. She went from 6 cm to 10 cm very quickly...very exciting!

She'll join a neat group of people...

To pass the time...Arlene, Natashia, Jervon and I are discovering all the exciting things that have happened on May 12 in history.

Others born on May 12
Nurse Florence Nightingale
Katharine Hepburn
Mary Kay Ash (of the cosmetics empire)
Yogi Berra
Tom Snyder
George Carlin
Emilio Estevez
Kim Fields
Tony Hawk
Stephen Baldwin
Ving Rhames
Steve Winwood
Burt Bacharach

And so it begins...

Hello, Baby Boogie lovers--

It's your favorite guest blogger, Emily, announcing the beginning of the arrival of our little bundle of joy. I'll try and keep you posted on behalf of Natashia (who, thankfully, has put away her laptop for the day) and Jervon.

First announcement:
About 5:30 a.m. this morning, Natashia knew it was time to head to the hospital. She and Jervon have been here for about 8 hours. She's doing great, doctors say everything looks just fine. Going to be a fun ride...


**The TOO MUCH INFO Barometer**
This blog is intended to tell all those loved ones around the world about Natashia's progress in her delivery. Some want all the details, and some don't want a Grey's Anatomy play-by-play. So throughout the day, if anyone does NOT want the all the news that's fit to print, just stop reading before the ***TMI ALERT***. There will be no talk of centimeters or epidurals above this notification.

So your first ***TMI Alert***
At 2 p.m. Central Time, Natashia has 1) had an epidural 2) is at 4 cm and 3) is begging for a glass of wine.

Happy Birthday Baby Daddy

I've been having braxton hicks contractions, the kind that are not really painful, they just feel like someone is tightening a band around my belly. Anyway, I think Baby Daddy was secretly wishing I would go into labor and deliver this weekend so he could share a birthday with his baby girl. He didn't get his secret wish but we did have a wonderful weekend. On Saturday, he celebrated with his friend Dodge who shares his birthday. And on Sunday, our friends Karl and Lynaire and Dave and Emily came by for a laid back afternoon of grilling, golf and girl/guy talk. Even Jackie got some company from Emily and Dave's dogs Baxter and Bailey. A good time was had by all.

Baby Daddy loved his birthday gift. Now, he's gotta learn to play it.

Dave and Em made Jervon a delicious lemon cake. His favorite.