A GREAT first week

So far, so good. At least that's what we think.

Today marked little Evie's one-week birthday and as Stacey would attest, it's been almost surreal. Some days have gone fast and some nights have seemed like they've taken an eternity. That's all part of it. Evie had her one-week checkup this morning and everything looks, sounds and seems good great. Our little darling is up to 7 lbs., 9 oz. (she's gained more than a pound in one week alone) and ranks in the 80th percentile in height (can you say WNBA?). What should not be a shock is that her head measures in the 88th percentile. She can thank both mom AND dad on that one, but it could be a benefit if she decides to pursue soccer down the road. 


Grandpa Paul met Baby Evie for the first time this past weekend

What's been equally surreal has been the outpouring of love and support we've received and the number of guests who have already stopped in to visit our baby girl. More than 30 folks have already greeted our bundle of joy and many, many more will be seeing her soon. Countless others have sent along well wishes by text, Facebook or in the mail. All of that stuff means the world to Stacey and I, knowing our girl is loved by so many special people.

Lastly, Evie had her newborn pictures taken yesterday by our good friend Kasey (www.kaseywalkerphotography.com), so we'll have tons of great shots to share soon. Trust me when I say there were some really great ones taken!

We'll have plenty of other photos to share soon. Right now, we're trying to grab some zzz's at every allowable opportunity. Once we get in a better routine, we'll be a little better about blogging and sharing pics.

Evie Ann Holdaway

So, we've been a little busy... our beautiful baby daughter Evie Ann Holdaway (6 lbs, 12 oz., 21 inches long) arrived on Tuesday, May 22 at 2:34 p.m.. Mom and baby did fantastic throughout. We arrived at the hospital around 6 a.m. that morning, walked around for about 90 minutes to accelerate the process and then mom pushed for another 90 minutes to get Evie here.

We had quite a few visitors in the hospital before we brought home our happy little baby on Thursday night. We're all still trying to figure each other out, but we've had a ton of support from friends and family already. Her big brother Griffey has been a huge help too. He's been great with her! This morning (day 5), he had to check on Evie before he was ready for his daily walk.

And now the adventure really begins.

Baby Update

Well, today is our official due date but unless something crazy happens in the next 9 hours I don't see the baby coming today.  So, it's the waiting game which I'm not a huge fan of but I suppose no one loves this game.  I've been feeling pretty well but had a rough day yesterday so decided to stay home from work today.  We will certainly update everyone when the baby is here.  Here is a picture of Griffey snuggling with the baby.  If he isn't laying on my belly then he is licking it. We can't wait for Griffey to have a little bubby or sissy!

Brown County

Ed and I discussed doing some sort of trip before the arrival of the baby.  We LOVE Brown County and hadn't been down there in a year or two so that was the perfect spot.  Ed planned everything and we had a great time.  He got me a beautiful necklace of the baby's birthstone and a super sweet card from the baby.  It was a perfect trip and was wonderful to spend time together.  Here is a pic of us at the State Park.

Invisible Fence

Ed and I debated for a really long time whether to get a fence or an invisible fence for Griffey.  We knew we needed to do something before the baby comes so we don't have to walk him right away when we get home.  I really wanted to fence but there was really no great solution that would work in the backyard without ruining the view of the water that we love so much. So, we ultimately decided to get an invisible fence along with some privacy panels in the backyard on each side of the patio.  We really like everything but we are having some trouble with Griffey and training with the invisible fence.  He was a model student when the professional trainers worked with him but the very next day he got zapped and didn't want to go out again.  We've tried everything to get him hyped up and excited.  This pretty much consists of Ed and I jumping around like idiots for 5 minutes with Griffey just looking at us like MOM & DAD you look ridiculous!  So, we've tried our own training which really isn't training at all. It seems to be working.  He LOVES to explore around the shed and he currently has been outside sunbathing for the last 2 hours and won't come in so we feel like that is a great sign! This isn't a great picture b/c I took it from inside but you get the idea of what he is enjoying!