Walter's First Official Photo Shoot

Well, I got nothing done that I set out to do today. I took Walter to get his pictures done instead. Completely on a whim. He was dressed for Halloween so I figured, why not, right?







Grace has her school pictures tomorrow. I figured since she takes those alone that Brother should get a set too. Now, tomorrow, I will go to the cleaners, return the shirt that does not fit, and return the expired tea that the commisary sold to me...

Happy Birthday PawPaw

Happy Birthday PawPaw. We hope that you had a wonderful day!!! And we will keep your age to ourselves...

58

Ooops!

Gross Anatomy

Lamar has been studying to further his education in certain areas recently. He is brushing up on his biology and anatomy to keep his options open. Right now he is concentrating on the human body. He was upstairs with Grace reviewing the parts of the body with her last night. He asked her to show him her radius, ulna, and humerous bones. She complied. He asked her if she had a pancreas. She said yes. He asked her if he had one. She replied emphatically no. He said that he did and they battled back and forth. He finally asked her why he did not have one. She told him that his was a blucreas because he is a boy. Blue=Blucreas. Pink=Pancreas. Girls vs. Boys. I guess that it starts REALLY early...

oh...

And Brother can now roll from his stomach to back on the other side. That boy will do ANYTHING to get out of tummy time:)

Child Prodigy??

Do we have a genius in the making? Baby Walter rolled over today. A fluke you might say at seven weeks. Well, what do you say to three separate times at three different times today. The first time was the morning while he was upstairs with Grace and Daddy. The second time was a little later for my benefit, while we were all upstairs. The third time was tonight during tummy time on his playmat. Lamar told him when he rolled over he could get off the floor. So, he went flip. We are tummy to backing it right now. Great job Brother!!

The Messy House

Lamar and Jeff took on a rather large project this spring/summer. They decided to buy and flip a house. Naturally, there are no before pictures, but they did take some great afters. It is listed here in Norfolk with a realty, but also on militarybyowner.com. Take a look...they are available for hire for projects. Just call me.

www.militarybyowner.com/listings/tourplus.asp?F_BASE_ID=247&F_STATE=VA&LISTING_ID=53029

Address Change

Lamar's website address has changed. Thank you, Bec, for pointing out that I have not fixed it. Lamar told me to and I naturally forgot.

http://web.mac.com/curtis.hardy/Walter_Robert/Homepage.html

Caught Up!

Yea!!! I am caught up! I can't believe it! It is unbelievable! Let's see how long it lasts. Be sure to scroll down past the FINALLY post. Pictures have been added before Walter was born!!

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Jeff and Andrea!!

Welcome to the world Aubrey Nicole!

Welcome to Parenthood!!

Pumpkin Shopping

We took Grace and Walter to the pumpkin patch at the church this week. We went for several reasons. We needed a pumpkin for the house, I wanted pictures and Grace had to bring in a pumpkin for homework. Kill all those birds....

Camping

We went camping the weekend of October 19th. When I say camping, I mean in 27 foot trailers. Hey, I have a newborn and a toddler! I am not that crazy! Anyway, we went with Nana Su and her family and Miss Beth from Grace's school and family. The campground is on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on the Eastern Shore. It is called Cherrystone. Each year, they put on this Halloween Extravaganza as an end to their camping season. Nana Su has been going for 10 years, since Lindsay was four years old. You can rent anything from a tent site, to a cabin, to a trailer. They have paddle boats, volleyball, haunted houses, hayrides, crafts, and bike riding galore! We had a wonderful time despite a statewide burning ban, which really put a damper on smores, hotdogs, and marshmellow roasting. Oh well, we got creative the last night and roasted over the Weber. Gotta improvise sometimes!

Grace wore her costume to go Trick or Treating. She even shared the bling with brother (more information on the bling in a lower post.) All of these were taken camping.

South Carolina State Fair 2007

Lamar and I took the children home for an extended weekend during the state fair. The closest fair to us here in Virginia is in Richmond, about an hour away, so we decided to drive 400 miles to go to the one that we like. Make since?? We all had our fill of fair food, rides, exhibits and all around entertainment. Grace rode the first few rides with her daddy and then she was off on her own. The swings were her absolute favorite. She was screaming as they spun around by the end of the day. Baby Walter just enjoyed being outdoors, as did Pop.

Story Time

Baby Walter loves his bumbo seat. He is able to sit up and look around at everything that is going on in the room. He is getting really good at holding his head up, so this allows the use of the seat much more! Grace enjoys reading to her baby brother. Here she is reading "Barbie's Fairitopia." I feel as if I am losing brain cells each time I read it! I prefer the classic children's stories much more, but to each his own I guess!

Cinderella

Grace decided that she would like to be Cinderella for Halloween. Nana Su and Lindsay took her shopping for her Halloween costume. She came home with it all. The gloves, shoes, tiara, necklace (affectionately known now as "the bling") the purse, and the dress. She is set to go! Thanks Nana Su and Lindsay! What would we do without you!?!

Baby Walter at Rest

Baby Walter sleeps really well, during the day!

Random Around the House

These are pictures taken around the house as we adjust to two:)

Happy Birthday Grace

Linda Grace turned three years old on September 25th. She is officially old and sassy. She decided that she wanted a princess cake. I asked her what a princess cake looked like. She said pink. So I set out to make a princess cake for my very picky three year old. Sure, I have a newborn at home that wants to nurse every two hours. I have time to make a cake, right:) Anyway, the princess cake (or my rendition of one) was a rousing success. We took Grace to the Painted Lady Tea Room for dinner with PawPaw and Janet. She (Grace) decided that she wanted to wear her purple dress and have a "perfect cup of tea" for her birthday. The waiter humored her and brought her iced tea in a china teapot with her very own teacup. After dinner we came home and opened presents. Between these and the big sister presents, she won't need anything else until she is 15. Happy Birthday Princess Grace!!

Baby Uncle Walter

Pictures of Baby Walter

Finally!!

Baby Uncle Walter/Tyler William on the Phone is here. He was born on Wednesday, September 5th at 6:19 PM. He weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces (OUCH!) and was 21 inches long. Lamar almost had to deliver him in the tunnel here during rush hour traffic. It was a rather eventful trip.

I had a doctor's appointment that morning. The doctor told me that I was at 4 cm. She gave me the option of walking around the hospital for a while and coming back, probably to be admitted. Well, Lamar had to fly and I really had some things that I needed to do at work, so we declined the offer. Lamar went to brief and I left for work. I started feeling sore around noon, but I worked through it. At about 3 PM, I told my assistant that I was not feeling well and was going home. I called Lamar and left him a voicemail telling him that I thought that we would probably be heading for the hospital that night. I picked up Grace from school and headed home. Lamar called and I told him not to hurry; my contractions were only about 15 minutes apart. I packed Grace's bag for Nana Sue's house and got my things together to go to the hospital. Lamar got home, asked if he had time to shower and grab something to eat. I told him that he had plenty of time. He took a shower, but decided that he wanted to go to Taco Bell for something to eat on the way to the hospital. We dropped off Grace and then all of a sudden my contractions started at 2-3 minutes apart. We hit Tidewater Drive and then the blessed tunnel. Five o'clock traffic at the Downtown Tunnel. My contractions were coming every 90 seconds. I told Lamar that I did not think that I was going to make it.

We made it to Portsmouth Naval. Lamar dropped me off at the ER. They took me upstairs to the fourth floor (Labor and Delivery) This is where the real fun began...

The wonderfully efficient corpsman (NOT SO MUCH) told me to have a seat in the waiting room. Still contractions are 90 seconds apart. Lamar got a little nasty (THANK GOD) and they took me back about 10 minutes later to a triage room. They connected me to the monitors and checked me. I was at 5 cm. I asked for my epidural. The nurse told me that she did not know if they were going to keep me or have me go walk around (UM...WHAT!!) She left the room to find out. Right about that time, my water broke. I told Lamar to go get the nurse. She came back and noticed that the baby's heartrate was a little lower. She asked me what my last labor was like after my water broke. I told her fast! She checked me again and I was at 10 cm (in five minutes) Walter's heartrate dropped into the 60s and then all hell broke loose. Monitors ringing, doctors and nurses shouting, me SCREAMING!!! I was not fully effaced, so the MD decided to go for a c-section. I told him just to get the baby out. The DO came in and checked me again and said that he would push the leftover shelf out of the way and to start pushing. In about two pushes he was out. He was placed under the baby warmer and given oxygen. Then they took him to observation for a while.

So that is my birth story for Baby Uncle Walter. Absolutely NO pain meds and no preparation for natural childbirth. This was pretty much the equivalent to dropping the baby in the field and continuing to pick grain. I did not have an IV. I was still in my clothes, and he was born on a gurney. At least the DO came in afterwards and introduced himself as the person that delivered my baby boy.

Until I get pictures posted, please refer to:

http://web.mac.com/curtis.hardy/Walter_Robert/Real_Birthday.html

Back at Work...WHAT!!

Yes, I have returned to work...at 37 weeks pregnant!! Yes, I am completely nuts. I have gone back to Children's Harbor, which is where I worked when we first moved to Norfolk. The center in Chesapeake needed a senior director. It was posted in the paper, and I applied, just for the fun of it. Well, they called me and offered me the job. They knew that I was pregnant and probably did not expect me to come until after the baby was born. I however am completely BORED! Grace has returned to Children's Harbor Ghent in the two year old classroom, better known as the Green Team, and I am in Chesapeake. So far, we are both loving it. Baby Walter will be able to go to to Ghent when he is old enough, so he will have the benefit of the same education program that Grace had as a baby. I think that this is the best move for all of us. So, yes, I am crazy, but loving every minute of it!!

Beach

Our family (Dad, Janet, Walter, Justin, Curtis, Diane, Rachel, Brandon, Me, Lamar, and Grace) went to Garden City beach this year for the second annual family beach extravaganza. You will not find any pictures of me here. I was 33 weeks pregnant and not going NEAR a camera! We had fantastic weather. Uncle Walter turned 21 while we were there, so we had a birthday party for him. We took Grace to the pier countless times. She rode the rides down at the mini pavilion. Her favorite part was the restaurant that had "real live" mermaid swimming in a pool inside. It was one of those touristy restaurants with the huge seafood spread and the works. There were two girls swimming in a pool inside in mermaid costume giving out jewels to the children waiting in line. I think that Grace may have found her first job:)

As Previously Promised...

Shot from the leap into the coffee table.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Congratulations to Jacque, Zach, and "Baby Crazy Crumbs," AKA Regan Olivia Dewey. Regan was born yesterday evening, weighing in at 7 lbs and 13 oz. She is absolutely adorable (from the pictures!) Baby Tyler William On The Phone is hoping that she will date younger men!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REGAN

Love,
Grace and BTWOTP

www.crazycrumbs.blogspot.com

First Major Injury

Well, Grace and I made her very first trip to the emergency room for treatment today. She was in the den and did a nose dive routine onto the coffee table. What what she doing, you might ask...Running, Dancing, Skating....no she was stretching. I kid you not. I would not have believed her if I had not seen it happen. She was stretching on the couch, went to stand up straight, tripped and landed head first on the coffee table. She split about a half an inch cut in her eyelid, just below the eyebrow. And you all know how much head wounds bleed. That is what scared her the most. So off we went to the ER for some attention. Had it been anywhere else but on her face we would have left. She spent the waiting time dancing around the ER waiting room. Definitely a trooper. I am beginning to think that she is one of those people with the disorder where they do not feel pain. They can put their hand on a hot stove and not notice that it is burning. Anyway, we left with a super-glued forehead to show for it. She was very brave and kept asking the doctor if he was in Norfolk. Funny girl. I have taken pictures and will post them when Lamar uploads the camera. Side note...my computer is still in the shop, so posting will still be slow!

Computer problems

My computer is down. It is back at Best Buy. Posts will be slow until it returns. I am at the mercy of Lamar's MAC. Thank you, Honey!

Check Up Appointment

I had my 24 week appointment yesterday. I have gained a total of 14 pounds. The doctor is still happy with that number. Blood pressure is still really low and still measuring 24 weeks. Everything appears to be on track. On a side note, BTWOTP had been pretty still over the past several days. When the nurse put the doppler on to hear his heartbeat, he kicked the doppler. Guess it ticked him off. The nurse jumped and almost threw the doppler. She shrieked, "Oh, goodness!! They are usually not that strong at this point!" HAHA. He is VERY strong at this point. I am not a big milk drinker, but he is definitely getting his calcium for those bones somewhere:)

From the Mouth of Grace

Well, she has done it again. She never ceases to amaze me! Grace has now decided that she wants a black baby. She told my grandmother and now me that she wants a black baby. I told her that there is not really a whole lot that I can do about that. I think that I will get her a baby doll. I did not realize that she was even noticing those differences yet. Imagine my surprise!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Yea!! They did it!!

Julie and Derik got married this past weekend (May 5th). The wedding was absolutely beautiful. I am sure that pictures will be available soon:) I got to see many old friends that I have not seen since college. It made me realize how old we are all getting! Derik and Julie are now enjoying the beauty of the Caymans!

Congratulations guys! We love you both.

Jennifer

Well....

What do you think it is......


It is a BOY! We are a little shocked, but very excited. He looks great, although he was a little uncooperative after the "money" shot was taken. In fact the US tech said, "yes, it is DEFINITELY a boy....all boy!" We just laughed. No flags on this ultrasound for any problems, and my triple screen came back negative. All good news. His heartbeat was 141. I have gained eight pounds. I think that I would like to stop there. No such luck. He already weighs a whopping 13 ounces. Normal for this stage...8 ounces. He measured 20weeks and 1 day, so maybe he will be early like his sister. I think that I will go with September 9th. The sooner the better for me. He was very active the entire scan, but that only means that we got to see alot of him:) I got back to the doctor May 22 for the glucose (YUCK!) The rest is all good for now. And for all of my predictors...you were right:)

Jennifer

Angels Above

Grace has another angel above to watch out for her on Earth. Lamar's aunt, Judy Bankhead, (affectionately known as Ju-Ju) passed away early this morning. She has been sick for several months, but no amount of preparation time diminishes the pain of loss. Ju-Ju leaves behind a loving husband, a devoted "baby" brother, two wonderful children, and two of the most precious granddaughters that you have ever wanted to meet. Please keep them all in your thoughts in the upcoming weeks. We will miss you, Ju-Ju.

Jennifer

And Now....On a Lighter Note

Aaaaaah....I feel better already!!! Amazing what a picture can do to lift your spirits.

Go Tigers....and Hokies!

VA Tech

Living here, we cannot escape the coverage of the past week. This was sent to me from our admin assistant at Children's Harbor. Virginia Tech is a member of the ACC, so as a tiger and fellow ACC member, I found this poignant.

Two Year Old Quotables

We should really all write a book....

Grace came running into my bedroom this afternoon talking about the baby. She was saying that we needed to go and buy it. I asked her who was going to buy it for us? She said that she didn't know. I asked here where do we go to buy a baby? She said the gas station....

Oh, Grace...if only it were that simple...

What Do YOU Think It Is?

So, next Monday, (April 23rd) we got for our big ultrasound to look at the baby. Of course, the radiology tech will measure the legs and arms, check the head and body, and look at all of the structures to make sure that they are doing what they are supposed to be at this point. S/he will also make sure that we are still on track for the due date of September 13th. Let's ALL cross our fingers that they move the date UP! We will also being finding out (hopefully) if Baby Tyler William on the Phone(BTWOTP) is a boy or a girl. As long as BTWOTP cooperates. Grace was not the most cooperative child at the time, but she finally showed us the goods. So anyway...what is the point of this post?

We would like to get your ideas and guesses on what this baby might be? I "knew" that Grace was a girl, but I do not have a feeling either way this time. So, what do you think?? Post your comment:) You do not have to be a blogger to leave a comment.

Happy Birthday!!

It is a little late coming, but then again, we were all in South Carolina for a while......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

Boy, you are getting OLD!!!

Love,
Gracie
(The Monkey in the Mirror)

**Thanks to Jacque for the great picture:)