Graeber John Fennell Arrives!!!!

Baby Grae is here! I cannot believe that I had a boy!!! I don't know what to do with boys but I bet I will quickly figure it out. What a shocker and here is the story. Monday night, went to bed at my usual time around 9-10pm (I did not have to work) after an exhausting day of running errands with Guen. I woke up Tuesday morning around 145am to use the restroom. When I got back in bed I noticed I was contracting. I thought they were Braxton hicks but they were coming pretty regularly and so I decided to start timing them. I got up and found a website on the computer that keeps track of your contractions for you while I played around on Pintrest. After an hour, they were about 5 minutes apart and 30-40 seconds long. So I went and woke up Ryan and we timed them together for about 30 minutes. They were getting pretty intense so I went to take a shower to get ready for the hospital while Ryan called my Dad to come over for Guen. After my shower I felt so much better that I laid down again in the bed and asked Ryan to time them again. I did not want to show up at my work and the be sent home cause I was not even close to having a baby-how embarassing! So we laid there timing them for about 15 minutes when my water broke during a contraction around 445am. Yippee, now I officially could go to the hospital. We finished getting dressed and said our goodbyes to my dad and headed to my work. We got there at 6am, got my epidural around 830am and I had Grae at 1112am. My birth with my friends at work was fabulous. I have had the VIP treatment and have been treated like a princess this entire time. Grae was 7lb 7oz and was 20.5 inches long. A lot smaller than Guen who was 8lb 12oz. He looks kinda like Guen when she was born but definitely has my feet and my ears. He, so far, is a great breast feeder and a very mellow kid (unlike Guen) and I hope he stays like that. I have been feeling a lot less stressful about this kid and feel like I can actually enjoy the experience rather than worrying about the small stuff. Guen came to visit for the first time this morning and she was very good with Grae. She was "real soft" as she pets him and calls him "my baby". Will be discharged tomorrow and reality will begin. Wish me luck!!! Anyone with any boy hand-me-downs to pass on to me, will be eagerly accepted. Anyone need any girl clothes? Love, Liz

Please vote for Harris County Library

Good News! Ryan's video is a finalist for the following contest:

www.ideapaint.com/360Vote

People can vote once a day until December 4th. Please vote for him! My husband and the kids worked very hard on this submission for the Harris County Library, see video on the very bottom of the link and watch the magic.

Thanks, Liz

November...

This November has flown by. I guess it is because it is the last month to be a family of 3. We have been getting ready to be a family of four at the end of this month. On November 13th, Ryan and I thought we were having our last date night before Baby #2 came with the Homer's at Zelko Bistro. Instead it was a suprise baby shower with all our friends. That sneaky Sarah had arranged for Barbie, Robert, Amy, Dr Huang, Chris, Tootie, Chad and Sarah and Aaron. It was fun and they all got me a double BOB stroller!!! The food was delicious and the company was awesome. The following weekend, we went to a wedding reception for Ryan's old roommate from college at University of Charleston. He got married in Thailand back in August and had a reception here with Andy's side of the family on November 19th. They had pics of their wedding as a slideshow on the tv screen. Their wedding looked amazing and their reception here was very nice too. It was good to see Pang and Andy-Congrats to you both again! We were saying at the wedding how it was funny that the last time we saw them was when we were in New York (where they live) and I was pregnant with Guen and now when we get to see them again I am preggo with F2. We said next time we see them again Pang better be the one that is preggo, not me. For turkey day weekend, I had to work Thursday, but fortunately my parents held off Turkey Day til Friday when I was off so I could celebrate too. On Friday the 25th, we went over to my parents house and my sister Missy came up from San Marcos and we all had Thanksgiving together. It was a FEAST!!!! After turkey, my sisters and Chad came over to help Ryan and I put up the xmas decorations. We put up everything early this year because of F2's imminent arrival. I just did not think that I would want to be decorating when dealing with 2 children, much less one child. The next big news is we are buying a new car. It is going to be hard for me to swallow a car payment after not having one for so long. Both of our cars are 9/10 years old. But Ryan's car is on the brink of death and before it goes, it would nice to have a new and bigger car before the baby gets here. So I have been frantically emailing dealerships this past weekend, trying to get us the best deal/APR. Hope everyone had a fabulous November/turkey day. Next time I write will be the posting of F2's arrival. Exciting!!!!

Busy October....

This past October went by so quickly. Besides the big October 3rd birthday of Guen turning 2 years old, there was a lot more fun that I want to share. During October, Guen and I took at road trip to San Marcos. We went to visit Missy, who lives in my parents old house. I have not been to San Marcos since my parents moved here 2 years ago. It was neat to see how much San Marcos has changed. The night we rolled in, Thursday, we ate at Herberts, then the next day, Friday, Guen and I went to New Braunsfels to visit my friend Amy and her son Grahm. It was great to see them. It was such a beautiful day, we went to Landa Park and the kids played. Amy was kind enough to feed us lunch after that too. Guen and I went back to Missy's house where my friend Randi, whom is a teacher and took a half day just for us, had come down from Austin to visit us. We talked a long time (2.5 hours) while Guen napped and then went to Paper Bear for ole times sake. We met Missy at Grin's for dinner and ate out on the patio because it was such a nice night. For a sweet treat afterwards, we went to the San Marcos food trucks located behind the old Mr Gatti's and we all had cupcakes. Then Randi went home. Saturday, Missy was off and we went to have breakfast tacos at this yummy Mexican place in San Marcos, called Ta Molly's. It was so filling and delicious. I miss central texas tex mex food!!! Then we went to the outlet mall to look around. After that Guen and I headed home to Houston. Guen did really well on the trip back and forth. I was proud.
This month, on October 25th exactly, my work peeps through me a baby shower. I thought it was so sweet considering I just had a baby 25 months ago and have everything, except if it is a boy. Anywho, it was actually held at my OB/GYN's house. He is married to a NICU nurse whom I work with. It was kinda funny to have all my NICU friends there and then my doctor there too. He actually hung out with us girls too, so sweet, I love my OB/GYN Dr McGuirk. We had a fun time and I made out with A LOT OF LOOT!!!!
Another exciting event was my parents combined birthday party weekend. Since my Mom's birthday is on the 24th of October and my Dad's birthday is on November 5th, we had a combined birthday party on October 29th. Missy came over to Houston and we all went out for lunch at my mom's favorite Red Lobster. Then we came back to our house where we opened prezzies and had black and white cheesecake made back Missy and apple crisp a la mode, made by me. It was such another pretty day, we spent most of the party on my back porch watching Guen play and enjoying the weather. After the party, Tootie and Chad stayed behind and helped me move Guen into her new big girl room. We officially moved Guen into the other bedroom and left the nursery for the new baby. We finally got all the painting and construction done this month too. So that is exciting. Now it is down to the final details to get the back half of the house finished. I promise to show pics when it is all done, but there is still a lot of little things to do. Guen had no problem adjusting to her new room and seems to like it.
Lastly, Guen and I went to Wyatt's birthday party on the 29th which was another beautiful day. She got to rewear her Halloween costume from last year and it fit perfectly. She had a blast at the party. The Guen and I went to go trick or treat on Halloween and she finally "got" Halloween and what to do. She kept saying "one more house" and came home with lots of candy. See pics from October below. Hope you are doing well. Count down is on here at the Fennell house. 25 more days till F2 arrives!!