Okay, so maybe things could be worse...

I've had a really enjoyable time here in Buffalo, but a lot of things have not been done as far as getting seriously ready for Christmas, and my plan was to leave right after finals ended for Aaron. By now things have started to calm down for this little family, and they are ready for some nesting/nurturing time together. . . . Well guess what, Mother Nature has dealt a wild hand, with a MAJOR blizzard hitting Denver today. . . Like, the snow was forecast, already, but this is way over-the-top-snowfall. Jeffco schools NEVER close, and they closed early this morning before the snow seemed so serious. By the time I am posting this, Brian and Phil have shoveled several times to take care of the 18 or so inches that have fallen. B closed his office early this afternoon after seeing a few hardy souls, then got home to begin the snow removal (at 2:30 there was already a foot of snow to move.) Phil was scheduled to work today--he was in the perfect department at Sears, and sold about $5,000 in snowblowers, before they closed the malls at 2pm. Sounds like he had a harried ride home in all the white stuff. . . Long story short, MY FLIGHT TODAY WAS CANCELLED and rescheduled until tomorrow morning, and then MY FLIGHT TOMORROW WAS CANCELLED, and when I called to reschedule...I WON'T GET HOME UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY!!! so what kind of grinchy trick is that to pull on us all?

Some day this will seem more amusing than it does now--I was even PACKED!

Little Peanut in a Peanut Shell Sling

So this is one of those wonderful accessories that babies love. On my trip out here I saw a woman putting her baby in one of these slings, and asked her what she thought of it; her baby looked really content, and she told me that she also uses it for her toddler on her hip, so I asked her where she got it. She gave me the website, and the rest is history. Chase is a fan, as you can see, and went to sleep almost as soon as he was placed in there. What will they think of next? All these moms with their tried-and-true products. . . .

I have been amused to notice how much unsolicited advice I get just by standing in front of the baby "stuff" section in stores. Moms really want to share their opinions.

I used to think there weren't a lot of cute clothes for boys

Well this is the cutest outfit I have seen in a long time, and it is just the right size for Chase. By next week or so it might be a little tight, so it's a good thing Kristen wanted to try it on. She is fortunate to have generous friends and inlaws who have loaned/given a variety of baby items, especially newborn size clothes, to augment his wardrobe. Chase is eating like he means it, and creating regular wardrobe malfunctions, so wears something different fairly often each day. Grandpa S asked if Chase stayed in his "street clothes," but he has had several costume changes during the past few days, and creates some hefty diapers. He's growing chunkier every day, and sleeps (some) longer stretches. I will miss this little guy when I leave in two days.

Grandpa came for a day!

Grandpa couldn't stand to miss out on the fun, so he grabbed a "quick" flight (which was then delayed so that it actually left Chicago when it should have been landing in Buffalo), and then got a little fix of "Grandpa" time holding the bebe' on Friday before taking an early Saturday morning flight back home to Denver. It was a not-to-be-missed experience to hold Kristen's Little on his one week "birthday" and Grandpa was very satisfied with the trip. I am sure we'll come again as often as possible, this Grandma, especially.

Beautiful Baby

What a sweet boy! Is there anything else to talk about right now? There are other things going on in the world? I am sure that there are things to be concerned about, but they can wait a few more days, and when I get back home to my regular routine I'll remember some of this serious baby time. These photos were taken yesterday, each day he seems to look a little different, and it won't be long before the tiny onesies are too little for this little man...

If he looks tired it's because he is tired...except at 3am

Okay, so now I remember the sleep deprivation new moms go through, because this grandma is trying to help keep little Chase quiet so his mama can get some rest, and so his daddy can feel better able to study/sleep/focus on finals/think, etc.

He is such a beautiful baby, we just like to look at him all day, and he really likes to snuggle. He has nuzzled into my chin more than once, so already girls have to be warned that this boy wants to neck...and he does it really well...I really like the new-baby part that lets the grandparent see more while physically feeling less, although it was really difficult to see Kristen suffer through the labor and delivery of this sweet little guy.

Everything sems to be great as far as C's getting-used-to-life-on-the-outside, and K and A are going to do just great as parents, so they just take things one day at a time, and we get through the night one hour at a time with the life of the party. Right now Chase is certainly running the show, plus he's the star atraction! For Kristen's play by play account check out their blog. You can use the link to the right.

We Have a Boy!

What a cutie! I think (as an objective viewer grandma) that he is the most beautiful baby in town! Chase was born last night, weighs 7lbs 4oz, and 20 1/2 inches, and looks a LOT like his mama's baby pix. These are just a few of the many photos that we got last night, then gotta get on the road to the hospital to see the H fam again. I am sore from the effort of helping hold Kristen's shoulders and head up as she pushed, what a great moment it was to be there as Chase was born. It was truly awesome.

On Self Improvement

Winnie the Pooh and Piglet--love those guys!

Let the Countdown Begin

Still no baby to report. If you are paying attention to the time showing on any of my entries it may seem unusually early. The computer thinks it is at our house, so it is on Mountain time instead of Eastern Standard Time. Just another quirk, and I'll add to it by putting on the countdown to Christmas (which is more accurate for folks west of the Mississippi)
Get Myspace Christmas Countdown

So since we don't know the countdown until Baby, we can still amuse ourselves with a clock that keeps going and going and going... I know that Christmas will come earlier here in the East, but I like to be on top of things at home.

I didn't win the baby birth contest

Here we are in December and I didn't guess the correct date, but no one else has won yet. We are in waiting mode, and doing lots of walking, which is not quite so pleasant being outdoors, because the wind is wicked right now, and the rain/sleet mix has hit a few times. This makes going to the mall or WalMart or Target or grocery or Sam's Club, or the post office a whole new kind of trip.

I am comfortable driving to Wegman's (the nearest grocery, and the most posh grocery store I have ever been in--we were there on Saturday and the sample lady at the specialty foods section was offering four types of CAVIAR!!!) They are so posh they have all sizes of disposable diapers (complimentary, of course) in their ladies restrooms (and maybe the men's too, but didn't want to check) and a convenient display and put-one-in-your-cart-rack of soaps and lotions like the ones for use when you washed your hands, placed just outside the restroom so it is fresh in your mind.

The hospital route is also very easy and conveniently nearby, which should be okay even if the weather is the pits, except for the part about the construction zone they have placed right at the entrance and labor/delivery/new mother end of the hospital which is being enlarged and renovated. If we go during normal daytime hours there is valet parking available, and an assortment of wheelchairs at the parking lot end of a 100+ foot temporary covered corridor, then past the security guards and up the elevator to the second floor, right to the nurses' station at labor/delivery. After 8:30 at night we are to go to the ER entrance, and drop her off, then park and hoof it back to try to find her, or depending on what's happening with Kristen they may do valet parking from there as well. . . .that part wasn't explained in detail. . . .

Last Thursday (rain and wind) we attended a maternity ward tour, and it was very helpful to see all the areas she'll be in and where they are, so on D-DAY it should be much less stressful (for this Grandma, anyway, don't know for the Mom and Dad) to get there. Anyway, I'm sure we'll tell you way more than you ever wanted to know about the whole thing, because this is BIG NEWS for us.

The ward here has had a baby explosion, and many more on the way, so meetings are a little noisier than I'm used to, with all the young ones and their siblings. It is fun to see all the baby gear there is, and how it gets used. Stuff I never knew about is commonplace, and so many toys are making a comeback. All the nostalgia items I recognize. . . .stuff for next Christmas. . . .