Early Days

Brayden and Layna were very excited to tell all their friends at school that they had a brand new baby sister! While we were at the hospital, I picked up some special "It's A Girl" lollipops that they could take and give to their friends. Layna was ready to with hers!

Back at home, Annemarie received a beautiful wreath from Gigi and Gido, got some tummy time with Dad, and then caught a good nap on Mama.

When the big kids got home, they rushed Annemarie again and Layna spent the night glued to her!

Welcome Home!

Welcome home, Annemarie! We headed home on Tuesday afternoon and she was greeted with a sweet sign from the hospital!

It wasn't long before Brayden and Layna got home from school -- and wow, were they happy to see her!! Both of them rushed to hug Nicole and to get their hands on their new sister.

Sweet brother

Layna was SOOO excited to finally have her baby sister with her in the flesh, that she sang and danced and entertained her all night. Here is a quick video of some excellent moments!

We decided that a special night like this deserved a birthday party -- a pizza birthday party! So we gathered around the table, chowed down, and then sang to Annemarie with a yummy collection of cupcakes.

First Full Day

Annemarie woke up this morning for the first time! She had a great night in the hospital, sleeping very well. She stayed asleep all night except for when Nicole woke her to nurse. Hopefully she'll be a good sleeper!

Here are some shots from the morning.

Sweet sleeper

Taking a hearing test (and sleeping through it!)

After a morning of exams and check-ups, Nicole and Annemarie were given the green light to go home if we were ready ...and Nicole was very ready! We loaded the girls up and hit the road!

Stay tuned for pictures and videos from our first night at home (the kids were over the moon to finally have her home!).

Meeting Sweet Pea

Nicole and I love nicknames for the kids -- Brayden has always been "Bee," Layna has always been "Buggie," and now we think Annemarie will be "Sweet Pea." She is so little compared to the chunks we're used to.

Last night, Brayden and Layna rushed through the recovery room door from school, thrilled to finally meet Annemarie! They were absolutely adorable, loving all over her. Seeing the three of them together was fantastic!

Brayden loves his new baby sister, but Layna LOVES her. She would not stop touching or kissing of loving her all night. One of the funniest moments came when the three of them were together in the rocking chair and Brayden and Layna were just chattering away, stream of consciousness. It's hilarious to see the difference between the two of them and how they consider her (typical little boy and little girl)!

Welcome Annemarie!!

She's here, she's here! Annemarie Catherine was born this morning at 9:53 AM. She was 6 lbs. 6 oz. and 18 3/4 inches long -- a petite little girl! Here are some of the highlights from the morning.

Nicole has been ready for this day! Here she is at 39 weeks.

Annemarie was born very quickly. In fact, when her heartbeat was difficult to find with the monitors, it took the nurse a minute to realize that she had dropped to low that she was about to fall right out! She yelled for the doctor and the extra techs and had Nicole hold on and not push. It only took about 45 seconds of pushing for her to come right out! Nicole and Annemarie are both doing just fine!

We love you sweet pea!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

From our family to yours -- Happy Thanksgiving!!

Getting Ready for Annemarie

Nicole is in her 39th week, so Annemarie will be arriving any day. Brayden and Layna have been preparing to welcome her by helping to put the nursery together and by taking a special siblings class at the hospital, Methodist Germantown. It was an excellent experience that included creating birthday cards for Annemarie, practicing diaper changing, gathering gifts for her, and taking a tour of the hospital -- so fun!

Annie!

One of the things Nicole wanted to do most this fall was to see Annie at Playhouse on the Square. This is the local professional theatre here in Memphis and it was excellent! We had fantastic seats and the kids were captivated for 2.5 hours straight. Layna's been singing It's a hard knock life for a week (she is sooo cute!).

Fall Fun

We've been pretty busy this fall -- there are so many things that I'll just have to pile them all together in one post.

One of the big highlights was joining the church on a parish retreat to Camp McDowell in north Alabama.

 
Brayden left a little "present" there -- his kite in a tree!

Getting ready for the big day...

And then came the BIG day -- Halloween! We had a blast with new friends in the local neighborhood of High Point Terrace.

The kids have been entertaining themselves at night, too. One of the most fun evenings included the creation of a couple one-man-bands.

Day-to-Day

The kids have been doing many fun things here, including activities at church and at school. Both of them are singing in the Calvary Children's Choir and doing a fantastic job!

 
Layna and Brayden with Noah and Jack

Layna had a great time participating in a Bike-a-Thon to benefit St. Jude's, headquartered here in Memphis.

Brayden's been making lots of friends, too, especially at school.

We also hit up a one of the free concerts in the park, held at the Levitt Shell. It featured the Memphis City Youth Orchestra and the kids loved it.

And of course we brought a little Alabama to Memphis!