HAPPY 52'TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE BEST PARENTS IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE:  MINE!

You can head over to josaju to see pictures from their wedding.

I'll add some more here.

Here they are at my wedding in 1977.  Mom's in the blue dress, just in case you couldn't figure it out.  If my dress looks familiar, it's because I wore my mom's wedding dress.  All together now:   AWWWWW!

Here they are in 1986 when Ken turned 2.

Then 10 years later, 1996, with the entire clan.

In 2004, for their 50th anniversary.

And last summer, with their favorite daughter.

May you be blessed with many more healthy years together!

I love you!

We've been home 48 hours now!  Time for an update.

Around noon on Friday we had our first visitors.  Sarah, Dan and Natalie were in our part of town hitting all the subdivision garage sales so they stopped her for lunch.  Afterwards, I joined them for a couple of hours and found some great buys, including more of those sleep sacs that hide the hands. 

These three spent much of the night awake.  A parent on each couch and the baby in the pack n play.  We're hoping she uses her room once it warms up outside.  She claims her room is way too cold for a baby.  Good grief.

This afternoon this is what the people in this house were up to:

Dave was busy installing the new laminate floor in the family room.

Sam was asleep.

Kaden was asleep.

Michelle was asleep.

Barney was helping me garden.

I planted the vegies.

And some annuals.

I do not want my picture taken since I didn't take a shower so I could play outside in the dirt all day long!

Michelle is talking about going to church tomorrow with the baby.  We'll see.  I think it'd be OK as long as no one sneezes on him.  I think she's starting to get stir-crazy!

I hope you get to church tomorrow.  I think it's our last choir until the fall.  We'll miss it over the summer.

We're home!

Waiting to be picked up - loaded down with precious cargo!

We got home in the late afternoon.  Once we were in I headed back out to obtain provisions.  Aparently I'm the only soul capable of buying groceries in this house?  What's with that?  It worked out OK - I picked up some rotiseree chicken for our evening meal.  Maybe tonight I'll have to make a real meal? We'll see.

This was his going home outfit.  He's swimming in it - sized newborn.  His weight fell to 6 lbs 5 oz.  His mom's milk is in now, so I think we'll see some bulking up pretty soon! Got to fill out those skinny little legs!

I just love the wide open mouth in this one!

Couldn't sleep.  Don't know why.  I'll stay home with Michelle tomorrow.  Actually, there are garage sales right in our neighborhood, so I plan to walk around to check those out.  Maybe once it warms up and dries out we can start taking Kaden out in his stroller!

I could not find a good angle to take this picture - I put up a sign in the front window.  I printed out large block letters and said "WELCOME BABY KADEN"

Now I have him in my lap while I type this.  Got to start him young, don't you think?

Good night for now.

I do realize that there must be lots of things going on in everyone elses lives, but I won't be checking until at least tomorrow.

I think I should suggest that every mom's room in the hospital should have internet access and a computer.  I mean, really, what else is there to do all day?  Sitting and holding the baby takes up much of the time, but there'd still be time to log on, don't you think?

By the time I get home there's just enough time to check e-mail, xanga, etc then I'm ready to collapse and hit the hay. 

Tomorrow I'll pick up Michelle and Kaden and bring them home.  That's exciting.  I had Dave put the pack-n-play back up in the living room so we have a place to lay the baby down on the main floor.  I am going to a board meeting at 10, just becuase I need a change of pace, but I already told the new president that I'd only stay an hour.  She says I can play the new baby card anytime the discussion gets carried away.  "Come on ladies, stick with the point, I have to leave in x minutes to pick up my daughter and grandson and I'd like to move the discussion along now, OK?"

Not as many pictures today.  Just one visitor and Sam had to go back to work.

And this one - Michelle is glaring because she thinks all the flash (and we only took 5 picutres today) will hurt Kaden's eyes.  Sigh.

I offered her another chance at a shot but Dave assured me it looks quite natural.

Hope you're all doing well.  I'll find out later.  Thanks for all your wonderful comments!

Thanks for all your congratulations!  They are much appreciated.  And I made it into the top 50 xanga list for today!  That's never happened before!

I got a few hours sleep last night.  Barney woke me up at 4:30 wanting to go out.  I let him go since I really wanted sleep and he was being truly obnoxious.

I went back to sleep, only to have to phone ring next to my ear.  It was 8:30, but that was way too early for the amount of sleep that I'd had.  It was my mother-in-law, who hasn't joined the tech world and never will, wanting to know the news.  So I told her and that woke me up.  Michelle called about 9 with a list of things to bring to the hospital.  So I spent the day there, leaving in the middle of Idol, after Katherine screetched 2 songs - I couldn't take that any more, so I came home to send more e-mails and update more photos on xanga.

grandma and grandpa

Grandpa

Michelle is on the phone with great-grandma (not the xanga one) - the xanga one needs to call their hospital room!  LOL

Second cousins Michelle and Sarah with their babies - little Natalie is 6 months old now - amazing what a difference those months make!

My aunt Emily, Natalie's great-grandma

HE'S HERE!

Kaden Alexander arrived at 1:07 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16.

Mother, father and grandmother are all exhausted, but doing well.

Michelle's water broke at 10:30 a.m. and we were at the hospital by 11:30.  When we got there they put her in a triage room where they went through the usual tests.  They gave the litmus paper test and it didn't turn color!  We thought they would send us home, but then they ran it through the microscope and it passed that test - she had to stay in the hospital!

So they had us walk.  Up and down every corridor in the birthing unit.  For hours.  And hours.  Still the contractions were weak and infrequent.  They started the pitocin at 7:30 p.m. and from then on it went quickly.  She only pushed for 1/2 hour - I was just amazed when I got a glimpse of black hair - my first Kaden sighting!

I've assured Michelle that really, she won't remember any of this.  Not in detail anyway.  She was a real trouper and I'm very proud of her.  It was hard work, but so worth it at the end.  We were all crying.  He's just adorable!

We had quite a crowd in the room. 

I'm off to bed now.  Be prepared for lots more pictures to come!

Nope.  No baby.  Went to the hospital at 10:30 this morning.  By then, the contractions had basically stopped.  WAAAA!  No change in the cervix either.  I think this baby is way too comfortable.

Oh well.  Guess she'll never have to share mother's day with the baby's birthday!

10:47 p.m.  Contractions have been happening all day.  Now they are coming every 3-7 minutes.  I figure we should be at the hospital sometime in the middle of the night.  So it's looking like a due-date baby.

Stay tuned and check on josaju's site - she'll probably be able to post the news before I do!

Prayers!  Maybe this time we'll end up with a baby!

We had a very successful garage sale day in the rain.  People were astonished that she was out walking about the day before her due date with contractions.  We were hoping that would help. 

Hugs - prayers appreciated.

Happy Mothers/ Grandmothers/ Great-grandmothers Day!

No bambino yet.  We saw the doc today - hardly any change from last week.  We had to make an appointment for next week - we hadn't scheduled any for after the due date!  She could still go this weekend, but the dr won't be around.  I don't think Michelle much cares at this point.  She just wants to have Kaden out!

It is rainy and cold!!!!  Guess we need the rain, but I also still need to plant a bunch of stuff and can't do it in this weather.  Suppose to stay like this all weekend.  Oh joy.  At least tomorrow I'm subbing, so it doesn't matter as much.

For a fun mystery series with recipes, try these!

What gives America?

How could you vote Chris off?  He was the only one really worth listening to.

Michelle and I no longer care who wins.  We'd buy an album if he makes one.  He's that good. 

We're in mourning.