Night and Day

Since I always YELL at my sister that she doesn't post enough pictures of Cupcake, I figured I'd better get on the ball posting pictures of Joey. Here he is, 5 days old, enjoying the sound of Nana's voice. (I'm sure I'll lose count of days soon enough, but until then, you'll just have to deal.) This was during his 4-hour "I'm awake" episode, which fortunately started at 5pm yesterday, and not his normal 1am. Which meant he slept in four 3-hour shifts last night, giving Mommy lots of rest. YIPPEE! 

Happily Ever After (Now and Then)

My parents flew in on Friday, hoping that they'd be able to get to spend some time with the little guy. Little did they know they'd get in before I went into labor, so they'd get to see everything. (OK, not everything, but they didn't miss a minute with Joey.) Here they are holding the little guy at the house. Day 5 of this crazy ride they call parenthood.

And yes, that is a Jimmy Buffet title. Could I use anything else for the blog title about my parents?

Daddy

My husband will kill me for posting his picture, but I can't help it. Look at that smile. It's been glued to his face since I started pushing. I had to actually tell him to shut up at one point. I mean, how many times does someone need to be told they're doing a good job when they can tell the baby's just not coming out? OK, so it was only about 45 minutes of pushing, but seriously, you can feel the fact that you are pushing something out of you that just doesn't seem like it should fit. But he was just trying to be supportive. And he was great the whole time.

He's been fabulous since, too. Changing the poopie diapers, putting up with my parents, bringing me water and tissues and clean onesies. And realizing the world isn't big enough for all the love he has for his son.

The Sweetest Thing

Joseph Michael was born October 31st at 10:45 pm. He was 7 lbs 13 oz and 21 inches long. He is the sweetest thing.

Critical Mass

OK. So apparently blogger just doesn't want me to upload a "small" version of this picture. After two days of trying, I guess I'll let you all see me in a medium size. (Lord knows how large it will be if you click on it.) Anyway, for those who have been anxiously waiting, here is the much-longed-for picture of my belly. You can see the wonderful stretch marks that started appearing about a month ago. And believe it or not, that's still an inny you see; it's not an optical illusion.

Enjoy it while you can, because this will most likely be the last image of me you see. 37 weeks, 6 days and counting ... there will be pictures of Boba before you know it! Maybe you'll see a corner of my face or my hands or something, but I can almost promise no more pics of me. I think we'll all be the better for it.

Party People

So it's not a much-hoped-for belly shot, but at least it's an update. This picture is from the baby shower Gloria and Danielle threw for me. It was absolutely fabulous. Pictured are great friends (front) Nicole, Jayne and Teresa and (back) Laura, Cara, me and Joe. The favors were the best - Baby Burger M&M's!! (Don't worry, Mom, we saved you some.) We received tons of wonderful presents and can't thank everyone enough for their generosity and support.

Everything is going well. We're in week 37, with an induction scheduled for sometime in week 39, so only 2 weeks left! I can't believe how quickly the past eight months have flown by. And no, I'm not ready for it to be over. Because right now, when I eat, the baby eats. (S)he can go to sleep whenever (s)he wants. I don't have to worry about crying or changing diapers or midnight feedings. Really, the pregnancy is easy. OK, so I can't wait to sleep on my stomach or back for a whole night. But at least I'm sleeping!

But don't get me wrong. We're incredibly excited. And scared to death. But I'm pretty sure that's what everybody goes through. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Visions of Utopia

So no belly pictures yet. But for those of you who weren't sure ... yes, it's for real. Here's what the nursery looks like. The "good" side. Where I've actually actually managed some semblance of organization. The desk is still in the room, as is the futon. But when I got back from Easton and the room was painted and the crib was put together, there was just this reality that sunk in. It sounds silly that carrying Boba in my belly for 7 months wasn't enough to make things real. But it's true. And now reality is really setting in. And it's absolutely wonderful.