Settling in

William is 3 1/2 weeks old - can't believe it! It seems like he has been here forever, but at the same time, the days are flying by in a haze of feeding, snuggling, diapers, and more feeding.

At his 3 week appointment on Monday, we were thrilled to find out that he has gained more than a pound since we brought him home from the hospital, AND has grown an inch!

We have been feeding him every 2 hours in the day (waking him up to stay on that schedule), and letting him sleep at night. He wakes up from between every 3-4 hours at night, which honestly is not too horrible! I had heard so many horror stories about getting no sleep, and of course it's hard to wake up at 3 a.m., but teamwork is helping out a lot - I feed him, and Esch changes him.

Now that our families are back in PA, and Esch is back to work, I have had my first few days alone with little Dubya (just kidding) this week, and it has been going well! There's no time to get anything done besides take care of him, but it's all fun and new. Monday night we gave him his first bath (had to wait until his cord fell off - and his little bellybutton is so cute!), AND he had his first bottle. The pump is my new favorite thing; it's pretty freeing to be able to have Esch give him a bottle and let me have a break for that 2-hour period!

If you have not seen them, here is the link to William's newborn photos. We are so happy with them! Naomi of Pitter Patter Photos did a great job.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=819047193309%3A1596943102&cm_mmc=site_email-_-new_site_share-_-core-_-View_photos_link

One week ago...

It's a few minutes past noon, which means that at this time last week, we had about one hour to go until we held William.

I can't believe how fast the week has gone - and how great he already is! We have been sleeping at least 5-6 hours a night; I can't believe it. He's been eating every 2 hours during the day, and every 3 at night.

Today Daddy had to go back to work, which was very sad for all of us, but Nanna is here (Grandma Grim!) and is saving us!

The first few days at home with just Esch, William, and I were surreal - especially the very first afternoon when we walked through the door with the baby. It was really strange to see our things where we had left them - like nothing had changed in the past 2 days... but it certainly had! The book I tried to read while timing contractions in the middle of the night was still on the coffee table, and other little everyday things left out and about just seemed so odd.

I felt like a new person walking into our home after having been cooped up in the hospital room for 48 hours. Esch carried William around the house and showed him his room, introduced him to his doggie sister, etc. It was all just perfect and quiet and peaceful. I think that both of our adrenaline was still keeping us going, so we felt pretty good.

The next few days flew by - feeding, changing, holding, sleeping. William honestly is so good - I don't know what we did to deserve such a good baby! Of course I am partial, but he is just beautiful, too. :) We have taken so many pictures; I hope I am not posting and sending too many!

Nanna arrived on Saturday night, and it was so fun to see her face when she walked through the door and saw her grandson for the first time. We are so lucky that she is here, and of course William just loves her! We can't wait for Grandpa Grim (coming Friday) and Grandma and Grandpa McCombie & Aunt Erika to meet him in the next days/weeks. Everyone will be here together for Thanksgiving, but we'll miss Uncle David and Uncle Andrew! They will get to meet him a few weeks later at Christmas, when everyone is coming back again!

Yesterday (Sunday), Naomi, a newborn photographer, came to the house for a family and baby shoot - she was here for more than 4 hours! We had to take breaks to feed and change William - and had several little incidents during nude pictures with pees and poops! It was fun, and I cannot wait to see the pictures of our little muffin.

He's finally here... Part 1

... And he's perfect. No more waiting for William!

We have been so happy to receive everyone's calls, texts, emails, etc... we are still getting adjusted and don't have time to respond quite yet, but wanted to thank you all so much for thinking about us and our new bundle!

Wanted to tell the basic (let's face it, you don't want to know ALL of the details!) story of the most exciting day of our lives. I don't have much time to sit down to write, so for now I'll just do the "birthday!"

This past weekend we were both busy - I think even Esch was "nesting" - we both painted some furniture, I made brownies and lasagne (which turned out to be very lucky, it was waiting in the fridge when we got home from the hospital!), we did laundry, cleaned, and bought some last minute baby items.

Little did we know that Sunday night/Monday morning something big was going to begin! I was still planning to work an entire week, and was SURE that we would go past the due date.

Sunday evening I had contractions that were 20 minutes apart, and not yet painful, just a little uncomfy. Went to bed, and thought nothing of it, just that they were "practice" as many people have.

Woke up at 2 a.m. to a contraction that hurt a bit... looked at the clock, and had three or four more every 17 minutes. The fact that they were regular should have signaled to me that this could actually be "it," but it didn't! I grabbed a book, went downstairs to the living room, and slept/read/timed contractions. They were definitely becoming closer together and more intense. Somehow I made it until after 5 a.m. and decided that maybe (just maybe) something was really happening. Oddly, I was trying to occupy myself and checked/responded to my work email for awhile, as well as straightened my hair.

Finally went upstairs and woke up Esch. I told him (not believing the words myself) that I thought it was time to go to the hospital. Understandably at 5 something a.m., he was both groggy and a bit unsure. He (very nicely) said, "I know you're anxious, but are you sure? It's still early." I believe I responded by bending over to lean on the dresser. I was having trouble talking through the contractions. (Another sign that our classes and OB had told us meant to get yourselves to the hospital!)

We barely talked on the way there, and I breathed through the contractions. Luckily the hospital is 5 minutes from the house, so the drive wasn't horrible. I very clearly remember the ride up in the elevator with our bags and pillows, and checking in at the Labor & Delivery desk.

We were sent to a triage room, and a nurse checked me. I was already 3 cm dilated. A mixture of "Told you so!" and "Oh. My. God. It's real." went through my head, and Esch and I both smiled. William was going to be born today!

I was admitted, put into a wheelchair and taken to a delivery room, where before getting into the bed, I promptly threw up. Things started to happen really fast, and my contractions were soon only 45 seconds apart. Esch was wonderful and watched the monitor, told me when another one was coming, and offered to help with all of the techniques we learned in class.

I asked for the epidural and believe I got it around 9:30 or 10. I was proud I'd gone from 2 am until now naturally, but WOW, I decided I had nothing to prove and should certainly accept their offer of pain relief.

Sadly before the anesthesiologist could give me the epidural, a UT med student had to give me an IV. It took honestly 20 minutes. My left arm is now covered in huge green bruises - and eventually the darn IV was put into the RIGHT arm. The poor girl was taking forever and the nurse was teaching how to do it... on me! I was too involved in throwing up and breathing through contractions to say anything, but wow, looking back, the IV was a disaster. Especially because - as you may have already heard - poor Esch passed out!

The nurse and student were fumbling with the IV on the left side of the bed, and Esch was standing on the right, apparently watching too closely, because suddenly he was looking right at me, his eyes rolled around, and he started to fall. I yelled for them to grab him, and the poor guy kind of crumpled. They got him juice and had him lay on the floor for a few minutes. It's funny in hindsight considering he watched the entire delivery but for some reason the IV shenanigans got to him.

Got the epidural (not fun), and was in heaven about 5 minutes later. What a difference! I'm still glad I felt the natural progression of things, but I should have taken this as soon as they offered it! Couldn't feel much from the waist down, just pressure. It was amazing. I was smiling and talking, and for about 2 hours, Esch and I just chatted (and stared in disbelief) as we got closer and closer to William's arrival. In one hour I went from 4-7, then in the next hour 7-10 cm.

We were both floored when the nurse told us that she was going to call Dr. Cutler and that William would be here any time. She actually said that he could have been born at 12:00, but they wanted me to wait until 12:30 to allow Dr. Cutler to get there, and to make sure I had the IV in long enough before delivery. I was shaking (nerves and a side effect of the epidural, I think) and completely in shock that this was finally really going to happen, and that we were about to see and meet and hold our baby.

Dr. Cutler and several more nurses (they actually paged, saying, "We need a baby catcher") were suddenly in the room, and it was time to push.

William was born at 1:02 p.m. and they put him right on my chest. Needless to say there are no words to describe that feeling, so I really won't even try.

He was tiny and crying, and they weighed and measured him right in the room with us. 8 lbs 2 oz (BIG boy for being early!) and 21 inches long.

Esch got to go with him for his first bath and tests in the nursery.

For a few minutes after Dr. Cutler helped and worked on me, everyone left, and I was alone in the delivery room. It was silent, and I just couldn't believe that I'd had my baby. I called both of our parents, and the new great-grandparents. I think the first thing I said to my Mom was "He's here," and I'm sure I cried a bit.

After what seemed like an eternity, Esch came back, and we were moved into our recovery room, where we'd spend the next 48 hours getting to know William.

I will have to finish the story soon. Will update about our going-home day, and William's first few days of life ASAP!

Everyone is doing extremely well - and again, we want to thank you all for your love and thoughts both the past 9 months and now! We are thrilled, and in love with our little one.

2 weeks until due date!

38 weeks! I now know why they call it "expecting."

It is just a waiting game at this point, and it's all I can think about! This is my second-to-last week at work, which is crazy. I can't believe how fast the past few months, especially, have gone. The fact that it's finally November is amazing to me; it seemed like this time would never come.

We kept ourselves busy this weekend with the very last things on our to-do lists. Esch installed the carseat, which seems very surreal. Whenever I get in the car, I look into the back seat and can't believe it. Soon there will be a little guy snuggled inside.

Last Wednesday, Esch's wonderful colleagues had a Baby Shower for us! I could not believe all the food (it was a delicious pot-luck, and honestly, WOW! There are some great cooks and bakers at Progressive!) and generous gifts... including a beautiful hand-made diaper cake. We felt so lucky, and can't say how thankful we are for everyone thinking of us. It was fun to see (and meet some of the people I have heard a lot about, but never met) everyone, and to receive some baby and parenting advice. Thank you, again, to all (and thanks to Lisa for taking & sending us these pictures).

Next appointment is on Friday; dying to see if there will have been any "progress" (there was not at last week's). I have a feeling William will not be coming on time, and so far do not feel like anything is happening. We'll see, though.

In any case, he will be here in less than 3 weeks as the induction date, if we need it, is the 21st. My parents will be here on the 20th, and the McCombies will be here on the 25th! Everyone will celebrate Thanksgiving together at our house. Aboslutely cannot wait to introduce them to their grandson.

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long. He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old.

I'm a Watermelon.

37 weeks.

I can't believe we are on the last "fruit" comparison! I remember seeing the watermelon at the end of the list and almost not believing that something so huge could possibly be walking around with me every day. But here we are. Today I am considered full term.

3 weeks until the due date, and if he came at any time now, it would be fine! I feel really thankful and relieved that we've made it to this point.

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

At last week's appointment, everything was still right on track. Dr. Cutler said that she doesn't like patients to go more than a week past their due dates, so if William is not here 4 days after our date, she actually set an induction date for Saturday November 21. I would obviously prefer that he comes on his own, but there are risks for the baby when they are past due, and it IS nice to have a last possible "end date" in mind! She said that she likes to start inductions at night, so that I could potentially (hopefully!) sleep through some of the beginning of labor, and that he would likely be born on the 22nd.

My last day of work before maternity leave is Friday the 13th (let's hope he does NOT arrive on that date, for superstitious reasons)... I can't believe how soon this is all coming up.

Please cross your fingers that most of you are wrong (in the "when will he arrive" poll!) and that he does come a little before, or right on his due date! I feel ready. Getting bigger by the minute (as you can see from this week's lovely photo, in which I not only look like I am carrying a watermelon, but am one myself!). I'm pretty uncomfortable; but I am almost giddy, I'm so excited.

36 weeks!

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

No picture this week; and posting 2 days late - it's been a crazy week at work, and I've been exhausted at night. Am in a bit of denial, I think, that we are getting so close!

I made the mistake of putting my rings back on a week ago, and now officially cannot get them off. Tried a bucket of ice water, lotion, etc. etc. and they are not budging. Yikes! My feet have been so swollen at night; it doesn't hurt but is uncomfortable, hard to walk, and I look like I have elephant feet. Very, very, very tired and achey all over at this point, but I have to keep telling myself only a few more weeks left!

I am so excited to meet William. I'm dying to hold him for the first time, to see Esch hold him for the first time, and to see what he looks like! I feel like I know him already, and he certainly keeps my attention lately with almost constant movement.

Have an appointment tomorrow (they are now once a week) and Dr. Cutler said that we will be talking about labor, etc. VERY surreal, but so exciting!

35/35

Best week ever!

Wednesday we had our last Lamaze/childbirth class. I think we both learned a lot, and even if we don't use a thing, it helps to feel like you've done everything you can to prepare.

Had a great appointment on Friday; William is head-down already, which is good news, and everything is going perfectly, per Dr. Cutler.

Friday evening my Mom and Nain (grandma) arrived from Pennsylvania; they came all the way to be at the Baby Shower on Saturday. We had so much fun going out to eat, shopping, and enjoying some girls' time.

Saturday was the fabulous Shower thrown by Amelia, Roni, and Lauren. I can't even begin to thank them enough. I could not feel luckier to have such sweet friends here in Austin, back in the Northeast (a very special package arrived from a certain 5 Bucknell ladies), and family (thank you, Gran!) Thank you to everyone who came on that rainy and cool Saturday! Love you all, and we are so very thankful. Bath tub, baby toiletries, booties, books, bottles, bassinets, oh my!

P.S. Today is also an exiting milestone... 35/35. 35 weeks down, and 35 DAYS to go!

Any time after 37 weeks, he would be considered 100% full term - so essentially only 2 more weeks, and he could come any time!

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

6 weeks to go!

34 weeks yesterday! Have had a busy week at work AND just found out that my MOMMY and grandmother are coming this weekend! Surprise visit for my shower!!! I am so excited, I cried when Mom told me over the phone. I can't wait to see them.

I just uploaded this picture and can't believe how big I look. He is really getting big, I can feel him all the time. Getting so, so excited... can't belive that it could technically be any time now!

I hope he stays put until 37 weeks, when we are considered full term. Any time after that, we would be thrilled for him to "get here!"

Off to our last baby class tonight at the hospital.

Hope everyone has a great week and weekend...

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

33 down, 7 to go!

33-36 weeks is considered month 8. I CAN'T believe we are so close, or that I am 8 months pregnant! (Though apparently most people can, I get lots of "Wow, you're about to pop!" "You're really waddling now," and "You're getting SO big!" comments.) Sadly they may be right. Last week the depressing day came when I had to take my rings off. Terrible!

Just realized that tomorrow is the first day of October, so now when people ask when I'm due, the answer will finally be "next month." (!)

Posting one day late this week; things have been really busy both with work and with our "extracurriculars." Esch took this morning's picture (it has been dark and cloudy for the past several weekly picture days) and Georgia wanted to be included. She's lucky I still love her after she kept me awake from 1:45 - 4:00 a.m. last night. I guess it's good practice.

Last week, HAPPY BIRTHDAYS were wished to two of the soon-to-be Grandparents (Carol and Jeff)! We love you and miss you! I turned 27 on Thursday.

Also had our first Lamaze class in this past week, as well as Breastfeeding. I had an appointment on my birthday, and William gave me the always nice and reassuring gift of hearing his little heartbeat pounding away. Dr. said everything is still looking great. My next 2 appointments are every 2 weeks, and after that we start the weeklies. It's getting very real! We have our second (of three) Lamaze classes tonight after work; looking forward to this one because we get a tour of the delivery rooms, etc.

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

8. Weeks. Left.

Happy first day of Fall!

Here's a good comparison shot: 12 weeks ago vs. this morning.

8 weeks to go! This feels both like "WOW, only 8 weeks left until he's here." and "WOW, how will I ever make it through 8 more long weeks?" simultaneously.

Busy and fun week this week: it's restaurant week in Austin, so we're going to try out Jeffrey's tonight. YUM. Wednesday is our first Lamaze Class, Thursday is my birthday (I definitely didn't think last year that we'd be about to have our first baby this year at the same time!), also have a doctor's appointment that day, and Friday is another "Baby Class."

Saturday morning, we are going to Port Aransas to go to the beach for the weekend; very excited. Though yesterday it was not feeling anything like Fall here (96 and sunny), today is dark and rainy, high of only 80 - so that's progress. Just hope that we have decent weather for our beach trip.

Hope everyone has a good week!

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

A Comparison

Put the same top on that I was wearing in my 27 weeks picture. Took one today, at 31 weeks - hopefully with the same outfit, the change is more clear.

So here we are, the difference that 4 weeks makes!

2 months to go

31 weeks.

This Thursday is September 17th, so only 2 months until William's due date!

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying 4 navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Apologies for the dark picture! Rainy, gray day.

The Big 3-0.

30 weeks. This seems like a big number!

30 weeks = 210 days.
30 weeks = Only 70 to go.

I think I'll try to remember to do weekly pictures from here on out - looks (and feels!) to me like the changes are getting to be BIG (yes, pun intended).

We had a nice Labor Day weekend - went to a movie Friday Night, friends over on Saturday to watch the PSU game, then to a sports bar that night to watch their game (Florida).

William was happy that PSU won the first game he "watched" - he was very active during the game and his Dad is happy to know that it does look like we will have a little football fan! He weighs at least 3 lbs. now, but it really feels like more - his kicks, punches, and rolls are getting very strong.

Sunday and Monday were relaxing, just took Georgia on walks, went to the pool, did some shopping, and had a great end-of-summer dinner (corn on the cob, turkey burgers, roasted potatoes... mmm). Of course we are nowhere near the end of summer-like weather here, but it IS only in the mid to high 90s now; it hasn't hit 100 for about a week, knock on wood.

Hope everyone else had a nice long weekend!

A New Season: What to Expect

By Jeffrey Esch McCombie, Blogger/Writer for EM Press

It is September, and that means one thing: the start of the season is right around the corner. Today we’ll review three teams from three leagues; The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, The Penn State Nittany Lions of the NCAA, and Team McCombie, the Fight’n Scots, currently living in Big-12 country. (Editor's note: For those of you not interested in the Steelers or PSU's pre-season rundowns... please proceed to the 4th paragraph!)

The schedule for each of the above appears to be favorable this year. Generally speaking in the NFL, the better your record in 2XX1 the more difficult it will be in 2XX2. Not so for the defending Super Bowl Champion Steelers. Fortunately for them, they will play the AFC West, a weak division, and as always, they have the luxury of playing both Cincinnati and Cleveland twice. I expect these 8 games alone to yield 6 if not 7 or 8 wins for Pittsburgh. The offense returns its core and if the O-line and running backs can stay healthy this year, expect the Steelers to get back to being a top running team. Defending Defensive MVP (and Kent State alum) James Harrison returns to lead the #1-rated defense to another exceptional year. Record: expect a 10+ win season, 13-3 if they can avoid the injuries from last year.

Similar to the Steelers, the Lions had a great 2009. They have an easy non-conference schedule and most experts feel the Big10 is down right now. This looks good for PSU, but don’t forget Iowa last year, Michigan in 2005, and Minnesota in 1999 - each destroyed the Lion’s hopes at undefeated seasons. This year’s big potential upsets include at Illinois, at Northwestern, and at Michigan State. While the offense loses 3 top receivers and will be playing with an O-line that will return no starters to their position from 2009, there is a lot to look forward to. All starting WRs are 6’2”-6’6” and PSU returns its entire backfield. Defense could be a concern with a rebuilt secondary and D-line that lost players to the NFL last year. Fortunately, PSU, aka Linebacker-U, returns what could be the best and most experienced line backing group in the country. Record: 2 losses would be ok, 1 would be a good year. Undefeated? A possibility.

The McCombie Fight’n Scots (McCombie is Scottish…) have a slightly more difficult schedule, building to a crescendo with the "big game" (date and time TBA) in mid-November. Team McCombie has had a strong preseason, we’ve seen a lot of work on their new field (the nursery) where they brought in a new crib and chair, dog decorations, and a ceiling fan to fill the void left by the twin bed and bookshelves. Erin McCombie, team President and Manager, brought up some artwork from the minor leagues that she had been working on. She was unavailable for comment, but towel boy Esch had this to say,

“I like ‘em, I really like ‘em. Who would have thought that in THIS family, the colors would be blue and white with a dog (Lab) theme?"

Along with baby clothes, books, and music, Team McCombie has also acquired a new Pack n’ Play and travel system (stroller/car-seat) in the early parts of the preseason. There was a slight scare this past weekend in McCombie camp, but it turned out to just be a dry-run to the hospital. Reports show that some pesky Braxton-Hicks contractions sabotaged Team McCombie’s Sunday plans, but all is now well, and there are no concerns in camp at this point.

The only bump in September will be a road game to Port Aransas over Erin’s birthday weekend, then back to more preparation. We expect the Fight'n Scots to continue to work on the "little things" during this part of the season. September will also hold a number of mini-camps for Team McCombie, including sessions (classes) on Lamaze, and on feeding the soon-to-arrive rookie. Home prep and scouting in terms of what to expect in November should continue to be at the forefront. The season picks up in October with another away game to Chicago. (When Esch goes to watch PSU vs Illinois).

Esch is quoted as saying, “This trip to Illinois will be my last time away from the team until well after the big game in November. I mean, I think I would be out of a job if I missed it, right?”

The following week there will be a big home game when Austin, TX plays host to the rookie, William’s, Baby Shower.

Shortly after this time, "1-a-weeks" (doctor appointments) will begin, and the team will expect to put about ½ a pound a week on the rookie in an attempt to bulk him up for the big game. Most expect the President/Mgr. of the team to help with the rook’s growth and take on some weight herself. In a show of support, even the towel boy is taking on sympathy weight and eating whatever and whenever needed.

“I love it! Truthfully, it looks like I’m the only one putting on weight. Yeah, her stomach is stretching to accommodate William, but that’s really it. She looks great, beautiful! Neck up and waist down you can’t even tell that she is carrying a human inside her,” he said.

Early November will be final prep-time for the big game. Training sessions will be done, the nursery completed, and equipment stocked. While Team McCombie expects to be as ready as possible, the team’s management knows they won’t be completely prepared for what is to come. Legends and scouts alike (parents and siblings) from Pennsylvania are flying in to review the game, assist with post-game celebrations, and help out in the weeks following what is expected to be the biggest victory in team history. While she refused a statement (team policy), Erin was overheard saying

“Yeah, this will be the biggest day in team history. I remember the day this team was founded, just over 2 years ago; we knew then that we wanted to grow to a 3 person team soon, and eventually we’ll go to a 4 or 5 person roster.”

The future looks bright for Team McCombie. An expected All-American on the way, and a great support system should make this team a dynasty.

In other news, Team Andrew Grim is in the middle of his training with Federated in the Twin-Cities. First reports show he is doing well and enjoying his time there. Team David Grim is back at school, leading Juniata again as President of his class and as a forward on the schools soccer team. And, Team Erika McCombie has made a move from high school to the college level at Kent State, beginning classes this week. We understand she is settling in well, but misses her brother, Team McCombie’s towel boy, a lot. We continue to wish each of them the best of luck!!

29 weeks!

I wanted to post quickly in addition to Esch's "Pre-Season" themed entry today...

Esch was very sweet this weekend, and humored me in my wanting to set up the stroller and playpen. Having these in the house makes everything seem more real, and we are getting more and more excited! Poor Georgia is, as you can see, far from enthused about all of the new things being put together and invading "her" home.

11 weeks to go:

Month 7: Weeks 29 to 32

Baby’s energy is surging. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleeping and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

28 Weeks

Your baby can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb.

Only 12 weeks to go! Wow.

Unfortunately we're still experiencing the hottest Summer ever in Austin, but there is something promising on the horizon: less than 2 weeks until college football! Our favorite time of the year. And this year, we'll have a little guy named William to hold during a few games - can't believe it! I hope that the next 12 weeks go by quickly; I'm just so excited. This is probably impossible - everyone tells me that the third trimester feels like it's the longest.

But still, feeling good!

I've posted a few pictures of our finishing touches on the nursery (if you haven't seen them on Facebook).

27 weeks

Here "we" are, at 27 weeks. Yay!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on.

3 months to go

Though the weekly updates are usually on Tuesdays, when I hit the next week - today deserves its own mention.

August 17th - exactly 3 months until William's due date.

AND it's the "official" start to the 3rd trimester - 26 weeks, 6 days is two thirds of 40 weeks.

Can't believe I'm in the last trimester. I can already tell that it will feel like the longest.

We're so excited!

The picture is from this weekend - Kyra came to Austin for a wedding, so we met for brunch and some requisite trying-on of cowboy boots. It was great to see her! We'll see if Esch lets William wear the Red Sox onesie she gave us - just kidding. It's so cute that the team name doesn't matter :)

98 days...

26 weeks! We're now in DOUBLE DIGIT days until William is here! Can't believe it. We had a fun weekend with Jeff and Barb visiting us in Austin. It was very hot (obviously), but we stayed cool with a trip to Barton Springs, a comedy show and movie in air conditioning, some very yummy dinners out, and had a little get-together with friends at our house, too. Thank you for coming all the way to TX to see us! The weekend went by really quickly, and now we can't believe that the next time we see you, William will be here (or arriving any day). The photo above is of Barb during our little cookout party. For probably the first time in a month, we had a few sprinkles - of course on the day that we had our deck all set up for the party. We stuck it out, and it felt pretty good after all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Barb this week! - and Andrew's was this past Thursday.

I wanted to give a special hello to my Gran, who I know reads the blog from sunny Florida.

We love and miss everyone!

Happy 2nd Anniversary, Esch!

August 4th, 2007 was the happiest day of my life - and to think that soon, there will be a new most exciting day in both of our lives: November 17th (or around there!) is amazing. I can't believe how quickly those 2 years have gone by, and how they've been even better than I could have hoped!

We moved to Austin, bought our first house, bought our first new car... and obviously, most importantly, we are going to be Mommy and Daddy to our baby boy this year.

Tonight we have reservations at Uchi in Austin, which we've both been waiting forever to try! Very excited.

William must be growing up a storm, because I am feeling bigger and bigger movements - a few times it's felt like my entire belly flipped/rolled over. He must be doing somersaults!

The update for this week (he's the length of a large eggplant) told us to try having Esch listen for the baby's heartbeat (which is pretty amazing!)... as SOON as Esch put his ear down, William kicked him, RIGHT in the ear. It was pretty funny. Esch said he could hear the thump. We'll have to keep trying to find his little heartbeat.

Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb.

Wanted to thank our family and friends for being a part of our beautiful wedding day 2 years ago today! Can't wait for all the rest that's to come.

PHEW!

Normally, one does not want to hear that their doctor made a mistake. However, in this case, we were relieved this morning to learn that my OB had looked at the wrong ultrasound photos, and in effect had sent us back for a "re-do" that wasn't necessary. Several different ultrasound techs looked at the last round of photos, and all agreed that the spine measurements were perfect, and that Dr. Cutler had just misread the file.

GREAT!

While it was not fun to get worried all over again and have to go back in, the tech was nice and did a short ultrasound anyway, just to be sure. She got new measurements (and William weighs a pound and a half!), and said that everything is perfect.
Huge relief, but wish we had never had the question in our minds! Even Drs. can make mistakes, which is not the most comforting thought in the world.

Unfortunately we weren't given any pictures, and I couldn't see the screen today, but Esch said that William was moving a lot, opening and closing his mouth, waving his arm and hand across his face. Just glad that he is A-ok!

Here's my 24 week profile shot... there is a big difference from both 20 and 22 weeks, if you scroll down to see the other recent pictures to compare.

3/5 of the way there!

Had my 24 week appointment today. Only 16 weeks to go!

Got to hear WWM's heartbeat, which was fast (150something beats per minute) and Doc said that that was great.

I won't disclose how much weight I have gained in the past 4 weeks - but let's say I was shocked. :) I shouldn't have been, though, he has obviously been growing really quickly, because I am, too.

We have another ultrasound tomorrow morning; I'm a little perturbed with the Dr., because our last one was a month ago, and though the tech told us she got all the measurements she needed, Doc must not have agreed, because all of a sudden today she announced that she'd like me to have another one. She said that I shouldn't worry, but it's still a matter of WWM being in a good position to get measurements of his spine.

SO, please cross your fingers for us at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning - hopefully everything will be fine, and we will have another picture or two to share of the little one. He should have changed a lot in the past month!

He's been kicking up a storm, and the kicks are getting stronger and stronger. It's still fun and exciting, but some are getting a little bit uncomfortable!

We got back on Sunday from a GREAT time in Hilton Head with the Grims (minus Andrew). Here are a few more pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075663&id=3800165&l=9cb9945c6c

Will post ultrasound pics and MAYBE a new belly shot tomorrow, since it's been 2 weeks, and I can see a difference. Stay tuned.

23 weeks - from the beach!

One day late because, hey, both William and I are on vacation!

We're in Hilton Head with my family, (minus Andrew, who can't take off from work in Minneapolis - we miss you!) and having a great time. The weather is 15-20 degrees cooler than Austin (which makes it a perfect 85!) and we've been at the beach every day. William even got a gift (a future gift, I guess) to wear next Summer - a Salty Dog Cafe onesie.

Today Esch flies in to join us; can't wait to go pick him up.

While we DID take a belly shot yesterday on the beach (thanks Dave), I forgot my camera cord and can't upload it until we get home. Let's just say that one lady asked me when I was due, and when I answered "November," she said, "Oh my! Is it twins?" Thanks; thanks a lot!

I don't mind, though - still feeling great, it's just getting a little bit harder to get around - can't bend over, have crazy heartburn, all that good stuff.

Next week when we get back from the beach we have our 24 week appointment - at which point I will be exactly 3/5 of the way there. Scary but so exciting!

22 week pictures!

I forgot to post these last night - here we are, at 22 weeks... including Georgia's belly shot!

22 weeks

Instead of going week-by-week, William is now being given his "fruit" comparison by month. 21-24 weeks is considered month 5 - and he's a papaya!

Another cool update on how things are changing and growing:

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day.

I think it's amazing that his little face is already 100% formed! Who will he look like?!

We've survived another HOT week in Austin, every single day well over 100, most over 104 - and I think the high has been 107.

This Saturday we drove up to Fort Worth to visit Mary, John, and Gregor Esch - It was nice to see them. We are keeping Mary & her family in our thoughts, and sending our love!

On Sunday, it was so outrageously hot even at 6 p.m. that we went to Barton Springs for the first time. For our non-Austinites, this is a natural spring built into a huge community pool - the water is 68 degrees year-round! It felt great. William could be felt (and even seen!) moving around... he must have appreciated the cool dip, too.

This weekend I am off to Hilton Head to join my parents at the beach for a week! I could not be more excited - and Esch will be coming out Wednesday-Sunday to join us. It will be a great time; can't wait!

I am a lot bigger than 2 weeks ago when the last picture was posted, so I'll take another one tonight for a complete update.

Nursery Progress!

For those of you who are not on Facebook, I thought I would add a few pictures of the progress in William's room! Just today the mobile came in the mail; if you can't tell, we have a slight doggie theme going on here...

Our little banana!

10.5 inches long! We are now measuring head to toe, instead of head to "rump" (that cracks me up, sounds like something you would use to describe a horse, not a baby).

I think that the update this week is so interesting:

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work!

Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

If so, William will LOVE green bean casserole, anything spicy (especially buffalo sauce), pesto, popcorn, and popsicles!

He has been very active the past few days (or more likely, has always been this active, but is now getting bigger every day and thus I can feel him more & more every day)... yesterday at work there was one hour when I counted 20 kicks/punches! It's an amazing feeling, and very entertaining.

We spent the 4th of July at a friend's pool and grilled all 3 nights of the 3-day weekend. It was 104 degrees on the 4th, but we survived, and that night were so tired from the heat that we just watched fireworks from our backyard. Other than that, we relaxed, watched Wimbledon, and finally decided on and bought a chair for the nursery. Too bad it takes 8-10 weeks to be upholstered and come in...

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

H A L F W A Y !!!

I have been looking forward to this week for awhile now, and can't believe it's really been 20 weeks already... exactly halfway! Wow.

William's nursery is almost finished, and every time I walk by, I just have to go in for a minute or two to look around, or just sit down in the middle of the floor and get very, very excited.

It's been over 100 degrees in Austin for a few weeks straight now, with the hottest day reaching 107... it's been interesting! Too hot to do anything outside, at least for me. We've tried going swimming, but the water is 90 degrees, so it's not the most refreshing thing in the world. We're looking forward to the 4th this weekend, especially myself because I've got Friday the 3rd off!

Even more so, we're looking forward to the week of July 18-25 when we'll be joining my parents in Hilton Head. Can't wait for some beach time, lots of fresh seafood, and time together. I know that the boys will be playing lots of golf, too.

I'll post an updated picture of my growing belly (well, of William!) tonight after work. There's a big change since the last one shown on the blog!

Hope everyone has a fun, relaxing and safe 4th of July weekend.