Grandparents!

We were lucky enough to have all 4 of Graham's grandparents visit following his birth. Steve's parents, Ed & Susy, were actually here when he was born. It was great to be able to share the special day with them....and to have all of their help once we returned home! Ed is a painter extraordinaire and Susy a great cook and baby whisperer. My parents arrived the week after Graham's birth. They too were delighted with their new grandson and were a big help to us here. Mom taught us many tricks, such as how to bathe a baby and calming a fusser, while making some of her signature strawberry pies. Dad helped Steve build new steps for the porch, replacing the rotten ones that were just waiting for someone to crash through them.

Here are some pictures from both visits...you can see Ohma and Pap Jr at the hospital just following Graham's birth, Janet bathing the baby, and Gary's new steps.

Our Tiny Miracle

Graham Edwin Sponseller was born to us on Saturday, June 16, at 8:52 p.m. at Maine Medical Center. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz at birth and is 20.5 inches long.

I went into labor in the wee hours of Saturday morning, and my water broke in the front yard around 9 a.m., witnessed by our neighbor Tiffany. We got ourselves to the hospital quickly where things progressed throughout the day. Unfortunately, the baby showed signs of distress for several hours during labor, so a c-section was necessary. I was bummed out by the need for surgery, but those feelings were forgotten as soon as I got my first look at little Graham. He is perfectly healthy, and beautiful to boot!

Field Trip

Today, my Health Policy class took a trip to the state capital of Augusta. We sat in on state House and Senate legislative meetings. The highlight of the day was a press conference held by The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. The Alliance released a report on their studies of harmful chemicals found in everyday household products that many of us use, such as water bottles, cosmetics, cookware, and cleaning supplies. If you are interested in their findings, check out www.cleanandhealthyme.org. The Alliance is urging the Maine legislature to support comprehensive chemical regulation. In the meantime, think twice before heating up leftovers in plastic containers, allowing your baby to chew on plastic toys, or filling up your trusty Nalgene bottle. Use glass alternatives for food and water containers.

I meant to take a photo of our group in front of the State House. Unfortunately, my instructor sent me home before the end of the day when she discovered that I had been having contractions for the past 6 hours. Unfortunately, the contractions have died off for now...not looking as promising for baby action tonight! Oh well--time for another walk around the block.

A Dog's Life

Rudy got to have some fun yesterday, too--we took a break from painting mid-afternoon to take her to Hinckley Park, a dog-friendly establishment featuring 2 ponds and hiking trails through the woods. She chased sticks and some ducks, too. The first picture shows the ducks frantically trying to escape her as she splashes through the water; the second picture shows her calmly guarding the yard after she has burned off some energy!

House Painting

Stephen woke up this morning with a nasty summer cold. However, after a little TLC from the wife (application of Vicks Rub, dosing with Ibuprofen, and a trip to the store for the famous Russian Tea ingredients), he is back at the house painting project. Our hope is to at least have the front of the house painted by the time the baby arrives. Most of you know that we were clever enough to buy a house with fantastic turquoise trim...the transition to a lovely dark red trim is finally happening! Steve is certainly making a name for himself as the hardest working hubby on the block--it's a tough job, with intensive scraping, priming, and then painting. I may even pick up a brush myself today to do parts of the porch that don't require getting up on a ladder.

Below are morning and afternoon photos of his progress.

The Waiting Game

We are in the home stretch of the pregnancy...only 9 days until the magic due date! However, I for one am ready to get on with things! We are sticking close to home, wondering if every twinge could be a contraction, etc. I am ready to try the old wives' tale of macaroni and cheese and steak sauce for inducing labor. Hmmmm--Sunday dinner tomorrow, perhaps? We are hoping for a June 13th birthday--the 5th anniversary of our first date. Fingers crossed that the little fella decides to make an appearance sooner rather than later!

Yesterday, we went for a beautiful walk on the beach in the early morning. Rudy chased sticks and the sandpipers.