Cute Stuff!

Here's a simple little montage I shot during one of Alyse's recent diaper changes. It conveniently portrays the vast range of her emotions. Enjoy!

Alyse's Day Out

It was time for Alyse to leave the house for the first time on her one-week birthday. I discovered suddenly this is the manner of expression she makes when too much sunlight hits her in the face:




Here is Charlotte and Alyse at the Women's Center where Alyse weighed in at 7 lbs 15 oz.


Then we all went to Applebee's for an early Valentine's Day lunch.


Later, Alyse got to spend some time with her cousin, Andy.


Here, Alyse and daddy spend some time playing together.


As usual, Zoe does her best to get someone to play with her—but to little avail.

Cute Lil' Lysie

New Pics!

I've added some new pictures which further chronicle Alyse's first week of life.

http://homepage.mac.com/drewallen/Alyse/PhotoAlbum30.html

P.S. I'm adding links to all photo albums at the top of the sidebar for future reference. Why am I writing in post script on a blog? Frankly, I've forgotten.

She's a Sleeper!

Here's a sneak preview of what Alyse was doing ALL day today—getting her nap on!

Cutest Picture Today:

Alyse Has Entered the Building

Alyse Lenore was born February 7, 2006 at 4:00 PM. She weighed 8 lbs 3 oz and measured 20 inches long! Charlotte, in what was a somewhat more pleasant scenario than we were anticipating, was in labor for about eight hours to the minute. We were allowed to leave the hospital last night at about 6:30 and now Charlotte and Alyse are at home doing wonderful!


Sorry, I can't write much more as I am holding my beautiful baby daughter and I'm having to type one letter at a time with my available free hand. If you want to see more pictures than you can shake a stick at, visit
Alyse's photo album on my .Mac account.

Hummel from Alcatraz, Out!

It was all well and good being an expecting parent, but I daresay I am overdue to be an actual parent.

For all the hype, incessant posts, and incorrect predictions, the time has finally come. Time for the fleshy organic ballet that is child-birth; time to slip the surly bonds of the womb, and touch the face of earth.

Within a matter of a day or two, you need not be bothered by my off-beat and oft unwitty banter anymore—this site will be congested with something infinitely more valuable—pictures of the newborn Alyse.

I wish I had something more profound to say, but words—in this case—are patently unnecessary. I won't sully this and coming moments by a minute's more tom-bloggery.

Good day, kind sirs.

D-Day

It is now 12:30 in the A.M. on February 4, 2006. For the past nine months, this date has been regarded as more than a day, more than a holiday even—it has been the focal point of all days preceding it.

The question now is, will Charlotte join the rare elitist 5% of women who actually deliver on their due dates?

I don't mean to cry "wolf" or else be the harbinger of false alarms, but Charlotte's contractions have been stronger and more frequent throughout the day. In fact for the preceding hour, they have consistently been spaced about 6-7 minutes apart.

Timing the contractions wearing a bit thin, Charlotte just propped her feet up in the recliner and said she'll wait for the fabled pain that has been bantered about so often by random female passersby and other experienced mothers.

Bring it on, she said as she lay back and closes her eyes.

And I think back to our doctor visit last Tuesday and try to piece together meaning from his vaugeness and lack of conjecture about how soon we may expect.

All women are different, he says, the babies just come when they're ready. Could be tomorrow or you may have to wait until induction, he says.

In my heart I know this was the answer, but I wanted to hear something more concrete that I could wrap my brain around until then.

We'll just have to wait and see, he tacks on as he exits the examination room.

I know, I know.

It's same thing I've told myself everyday since I've found out about this baby.

Patience is a virtue, yada yada yada...

I Can't Believe the News Today...

So it's official, then.

Provided Alyse does not come naturally within the next week, Charlotte will be induced into labor this coming Tuesday at 7:00 a.m.

Here's a graphic to give this post some focus:

Coming Soon...

With most of the predictions now vanquished, there are only four remaining days guessed, not including Groundhog Day and Alyse's official due date. If, however, we can take our doctor at his literal word, inducement--if necessary--will happen around the 7th or 8th, so Stuart's prediction is pretty much shot.

Charlotte's pains are becoming stronger and more frequent--even nightly--so we are truly settling into the "any day now" mentality.

I honestly think she'll come before week's end, so the next post on this blog may very well be a picture of our little girl.

Seacrest, OUT!

Home Remedy for Inducing Labor #10:

Yogi Bhajan's Organic Healing Formula Raspberry Leaf Tea for Female Support!



Dre brought by this organic tea that is reputed to help full-term women go into labor. Supposedly it helps with a variety of female complaints—including easing menstral pains—but also helps soothe and tone the uterus. Additionally, pregnant women who are not considered "full-term" are warned not to drink this item.

How can one beverage boast so many fantastic properties? Because, of course, their claims have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

So I brewed a few cups up for Charlotte already and, so far, no—nothing.

Aside from providing a quality organic tea at outrageously high prices, the dear Yogi Bhajan also includes several strategies for meditation and key insider Yoga tips, as well. Also, consider this scary poem which adorns this inside flap of the tea box:

The Gardener
There is a garden, in which so many plants have grown.
They bear the ambrosial nectar of the Name as their fruit.
Consider this, O wise one, by which you may attain the state of bliss
All around this garden are pools of evil, but within it is the abrosial nectar,
O Siblings of Destiny.
There is only one gardener who tends it.
She takes care of every leaf and branch.
She brings all sorts of plants and plants them there.
They all bear fruit—none is without fruit.
One who recieves the ambrosial fruit of the name from the Guru
O Nanak, such a servant crosses of the ocean of life.

Now that is what every woman needs—a tea with a philosophy! One that can speak poetically, abstractly, and metaphorically about Sikhism.

Mommy's Big Day

For all of Charlotte's crafty and calculated planning, her intricate efforts seeking to maximize the potential of her maternity leave and its coincidence with Spring Break, Friday the 27th—today—is the day she wants this baby to arrive. I, being the shrewd and surly competitor for which I am well renowned, would typically scoff at Charlotte's prediction and discard the very mention of it like so much trash. I have learned, however, where e'er this baby is concerned, Charlotte has eerie powers.

The fact it is now appoximately 1:25 in the AM—coupled with my ignorance of how labor and delivery work respectively—I would assume she would need to start with the heavy contracting some time early this morning. But then again, I don't know how it works.

Will it happen?

Experience says maybe.

Will I be anxiously awaiting a call from Charlotte at school, her sentences broken and her breathing intermittently tensed by contractions, laboriously commanding me to meet her at the hospital?

Yes. Yes I will.

She Wants Out!

Alyse was crazy active last night. As such, here is the video.

It's fairly clear in full quality, but I didn't know how the compression would affect the visibility of the movements since they are noticeable only from the kitchen lights reflecting off Charlotte's belly. The time lapse at the end, I felt, would help the movements be slightly more obvious if there are compression issues.

Watch the top of Charlotte's belly after she points to it for the first time.

*I've tried to fix whatever problem there was with the YouTube embedded code. If it doesn't work, please view the video on my .Mac Homepage.

D'oh!

I suppose my prediction was supposed to mean something special, but it is just as statistically insignificant as any other. Alyse knew she was supposed to come out yesterday, but she decided to stay the coziness--though very cramped--of her mother's womb.

This is most likely my fault for tying her fate to that of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I honestly believe if I hadn't, the Steelers would have lost. Ergo, it was but for the greater good.

Though I believe she will come by Sunday, I reaffirm my faith in a February 2nd birthday. I won't cheat and count it as my prediction, but if it is to be Groundhog's Day, there will be some consolation.

I am hoping and praying, if not only for Charlotte's sake, Alyse will be here in time to see the Steelers win the Super Bowl.

38 Weeks!

According to the good people at the Texas Department of State Health Services, this is an estimation of what a baby looks like in the womb at 38 weeks. Alyse, being relatively larger than the baby portrayed in this graphic, probably appeared in this wise a couple of weeks ago.This is momentous because by reaching 38 weeks, she has achieved the status of full-term. Although we have had--what we thought was a close call, the full-term classification makes her forthcoming coming very much more real.


There is a short time left to wait, but gone are the days of piddling anxiety and worriment.


The only thing left is for her to get born.

First to Fall

Well, despite Annette's dedicated and unflenching belief that today was the day, the sun has set on her wishful thinking. Kudos to her, though, for being so bold as to make the earliest prediction.

In the future, I will make sure to tell Alyse that her aunt Annette stopped by the night before her predicted due date and basically commanded her to begin the cervical breach into the outside world.

Superb bit of guessing though because around 3 AM this morning, Charlotte was near certain she was going into labor. She had the most severe contractions to date—the symptoms of which were mostly indicative of real labor pains.

I was skeptical, of course, but weighed the gravity of the situation slightly more seriously when, at about 4 AM, she told me if I wanted to take a shower before the hospital visit, I should do so with haste. Desperately I showered and tried to get all the baby gear together. The contractions were still too irregular and far apart to take action. We kept timing them and by 7:30 they were sparse.

To be completely truthful, I fell asleep at around 5:30 AM to let Charlotte writhe in her own misery. I wanted to overlook that minor caveat, but Charlotte is forcing me to include it.

January 22 It Is!

¡Charlotta esta muy grande!

36.36 Weeks!

Here are the current standings of Alyse's birthday predictions:

January

• 18 - Annette
• 23 - Jeremy
• 25 - Chris
• 26 - Charles
• 26 - Sherry
• 27 - Charlotte
• 28 - Michelle
• 29 - Dre
• 30 - Rachel
• 30 - Steven
• 31 - Elizabeth
• 31 - Aaron

February

• 1 - Amy
• 2 - Drew
• 5 - Bryan
• 6 - Marshall
• 11 - Stuart

(As a conditional addendum to my prediction, if the Steelers defeat the Colts this coming Sunday, Alyse will be born on January 22. This much seems obvious.)

One Month To Go...

Since Alyse's projected due date is February 4—one month from today—I'm recording everyone's predictions for her arrival.

I, of course, am still hoping for a groundhog baby on February 2 and Charlotte is saying January 27. Annette was so bold as to predict as early as January 18.

C-Day +1

Baby Shower!

Here are a few pictures from Charlotte & Alyse's first baby shower in Tyler last Saturday, December 10. We obviously want to thank everyone for all the wonderful gifts and for making it such a special day for the new mommy!

A special thanks to Dre, Amy, and Sara for preparing the event and thanks to Aunt Narva and Shanna for taking pictures.












I will try to obtain any photos from the shower given the next day by Charlotte's sisters, mom, and aunt and post them soon.

32 Weeks!

I guess I've always had some difficulty understanding Alyse's movements—especially how hard they can be or how sometimes we can feel (what I would guess is) her back stretching sideways across the top of Charlotte's tummy.


This illustration, however, clears up pretty much all of that confusion. As I can now see, she is really cramped in there! A good thing, then, over the course of the next eight weeks she'll probably only grow another inch or so.

Provided she completes a full 40 week term, Alyse has completed 80% of her tenure in the womb.

Merry Christmas!

***





(Alyse's due date is exactly two months from today!)

30 WEEKS!

Alyse has completed 75% of her stay in the womb. She truly is on the homestretch now.

Baby Registry

We've finally become sucked into Target's cooperate vacuum of registering for baby stuff so that all of our friends and family will come into Target stores, empty their pockets and scuttle off. (I put a link to the registry in the sidebar in case you are browsing the baby blog again someday and randomly decide to go out and buy more stuff!)

Fine by me, of course, so long as the stuff is plentiful and free.


As we were dutifully and greedily scanning items at will, an old friend of Charlotte's approached us and exclaimed, "Are you expecting??"

You know, as I reflect on it now, the question, "are you expecting" is one that should really never be asked. Obviously, if one is too unsure as to the actuality of the pregnancy and requires additional confirmation from the person in question, he is fiddling much too much in dangerous territory.

28 Weeks!

Twenty-eight weeks has arrived. Being the mathmatical genius I am, I made the following calculation on my cell phone calculator:

28/40=0.7

This means, obviously, we are roughly 70% through the pregnancy. This also means, also obviously, there is only roughly 30% of the pregnancy left. But something tells me, given Alyse's superior genetic makeup, she'll be ready ahead of schedule—even if it is only two days early and I get my wish of a groundhog baby!

There have been many significant changes in Alyse's demeanor over the past few weeks. What once were sporadic and quick movements have transformed into longer, sustained movements over the surface of Charlotte's belly. In fact, several times throughout the day one may feel a large solid spot (which is either her head, back, or bum), if one was so inclined. Sometimes Charlotte and I sit and watch her belly during Alyse's most active times and just watch it move, and move, and move, and move....

Your Heart is My Home

I've got to tell you, I've never felt so happy about losing. Charlotte and I couldn't be more proud. Here are the ultrasound pictures of Alyse Lenore Allen:


It's very obviously a girl. Fortunately, we were able to see right away. Also, the arrow is very helpful.


Here is a regular ultrasound image of the face.


And here's her little foot...


This is very clearly a 3D image.


This is a 3D image of her profile.


And here is an incredible picture of our daughter. Not that you won't be able to tell, but she has her left hand over her left eye.




***

For Posterity's Sake...

Charlotte and I are due at the doctor's office in a few hours for the big ultrasound, the one that reveals the baby's big secret. Reflecting upon some of my final thoughts while our son or daughter, whom has erstwhile been referred to by me as simply "Baby", is still "genderless," I have one final confession to make:

I think it's a boy.

While early in the pregnancy, we were so excited about having a baby, the sex really didn't matter. Then, around the third or fourth month, Charlotte and I really started to lean towards wanting a girl as a first child. Recently, however, I've really started to feel like maybe it is a boy. I don't know, just an overtly reasonless gut feeling.

But just as everything between Charlotte and I has to be a competition, I thought this would be a great way to record the ulimate of all competitions. If history maintains its consistency, the winner shall be me. If it has a trick up its sleeve, as it has so very few times in the past, it will be Charlotte. Only time will tell.

Drew vs. Charlotte.

Boy vs. Girl.

Chief vs. McLoud.

What do you think, sirs?

25 Weeks!

Baby Journal

Interestingly, I was at Walden Books just browsing around when I happened upon this baby journal in the baby section. Although I'm not much of a baby book aficionado, I felt this one was extremely sharp—it really asks the right questions and deals with aspects of the baby's life that I think are very important. Also, in this day and age, it's becoming increasingly harder to find a baby journal that doesn't have a huge commercial theme to it (e.g., SpongeBob, Where's Waldo, McDonalds, Desperate Housewives, and—of course—the much-too-much overused Curious George line). Also, it seemed neat the "author's" name is Amy Allen. You can see something of it at http://www.humblebumbles.com/.

Big Girls Are Best

We're almost at twenty-four weeks which is told to be around the time when the higher processes of the baby's hearing become fully developed. Ergo, we've started reading to the baby every night. The first book officially read to our baby was The First of Octember! by the late great Dr. Suess. The Crime & Punishment reading (followed by other Dostoevsky works, time permitting) is scheduled to commence for the beginning of the 28th week.

Also, the fact that Charlotte's belly is larger than my head speaks volumes of its enormity.

One Step Closer to Knowing...

We had our monthly appointment with the doctor today. He is different from other baby doctors in that he makes folks wait 26 weeks before getting the ultrasound that reveals the sex of the baby. So the only time we've been able to see our son or daughter was the first ultrasound at about 10 weeks. Every month, the good doctor uses one of those doppler-type devices so that we may hear the baby's heartbeat. Charlotte and I have been fairly certain we have an extremely active child and this notion was confirmed when the doctor had to repeatedly move his instrument to hear the heartbeat, so much was the baby was moving around.

In related news, we'll finally know whether we'll be having a son or a daughter on October 28 at 1:00. Finally, we'll be able to do away with this "he or she" nonsense.

22 Weeks!