Introducing Alex

Here he is...the long awaited arrival of Alex is here...and we couldn't be happier. He is sleeping, so I am posting these and going down for a nap :)





Stay tuned...more will be coming in the next few days!

St. Gerard Prayers must have worked!

Alexander Quentin Buck was born on 7.25.08 at 1:35pm at Sacred Heart Medical Center. He was 8lbs 3oz and 20.5 inches long. We just got home from the hospital, I am feeling great and will post some pictures very soon. I went into labor on Thursday night around 8:30, but didn't go into the hospital until 4:30 am on Friday...mainly because I knew that if I went to early they would just send me home to continue laboring. Dr. Barrong was able to deliver him and everything has been going really well.

So, thank you for all of you that joined me in the St. Gerard prayer...it must have worked!

Okay everyone...start praying

I am not Catholic, I am Lutheran. We don't pray to saints, we pray directly to God. But, the benefit of working for a Catholic hospital is that we have Catholic sisters all around who can answer questions about praying to saints. Sister Rosalie is awesome...I love her to death and while I am not Catholic I am desperate...so I am asking you all to join with me in praying to St. Gerard, the patron saint of expectant mothers. I don't care if you are Catholic or not, the power of prayer is still one of the most amazing things there is in the world.

Here is the prayer:
O almighty and everlasting God, through the Holy Spirit, You prepared the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mary to be a worthy dwelling place of Your Divine Son. Through the name of the Holy Spirit, You sanctified St. John the Baptist, while still in his mother's womb. Hear the prayers of your humble servant who implores You, through the intercession of St. Gerard, to protect me from the dangers of childbearing and to watch over the child with which You blessed me. May this child be cleansed by the saving water of baptism and, after a Christian life on earth, may we, both mother and child, attain everlasting bliss in heaven. Amen.

I had an ultrasound yesterday, he is big. Dr. Barrong checked me today, I am at a 4 and 85% effaced. What does this mean, you might ask. NOT A DARN THING! He doesn't think I will make it through the weekend, I told him I would see him on Monday at my OB appointment. I will remind you that I went in to be induced with Matthew at a 5, so I am not holding out any hopes for having this kid this weekend.

Does this make anyone else mad?

Another summer day, another story about a "parent" leaving their toddler in the hot car. Everytime I read or hear about these, I get sick to my stomach. For example, a woman's young child died on her wedding day because she left the child in the car while she was getting her nails done. Apparently no charges were filed because she claims that she didn't know that her child was in the backseat. REALLY?? You mean to tell me that a toddler didn't make one single noise during the ENTIRE drive to the salon? Lady, what is your secret? I can't get Matthew to be quiet for 5 minutes.

Another story out of Salt Lake. Some jerk left his child in the car while he was inside a nice, airconditioned theatre watching the new Batman movie. After 2 hours, someone else coming into the theatre parking lot called 911. The theatre stopped the movie and the man was arrested, while fellow movie goers threw popcorn and pop at him...personally, lock him in there with the audience for 5 mintues and let them go to town on him. GET A BABYSITTER.

Being a parent is not about doing what is best for YOU, but what is best for your child. Why is it that people don't get this? Has our society become so selfish that innocent children suffer at the hands of parental stupidity? Why is it that you need a license to drive, to fish, to hunt...yet no one needs a license to have kids and then those children are treated in a way that would make any prisoner scream "cruel and unusual punishment". Sad thing is, the prisoner would probably win a court case...but these tiny little kids can't speak for themselves. It is time for people to start being more responsible and stop focusing on themselves. No wonder we are starting to see children who don't trust anyone and have no respect for authority...they were probably taught at a very early age that they can't depend on anyone but themselves.

36 Week Update

I am now going weekly to the doctor. I have an ultrasound scheduled on the 21st (Monday) to determine the size, or anticipated size, of this little man. Dr. B said that we will be having more "discussions" on the 24th (my next appointment) as to the direction that we will be headed with bringing Alex into the world. I am currently sitting at a 3+ and 80% effaced. He was able to bring on some contractions yesterday after my exam, so that is good. While I am still have sporadic contractions, they have been lasting longer (i.e. every 10 minutes for 2 hours) before they stop. I just have a feeling that Alex is going to to hold out until the bitter end...just like his brother. In my heart I know that is best for him, but I am going off very little sleep at this point, and starting to go a little nuts!

I am starting to work shorter days due to swelling. It isn't really practical to put my feet up anywhere in my office and still work, and poor ankles get so swollen after about 4 hours of sitting. The good news is that Dr. B thinks it just water weight since my blood pressure is really good still and I am not spilling any proteins in my urine. Really, I couldn't be asking for things to go any better.

We have the stuff...now all we need is the baby

I am sure that those of you who have been pregnant before can sympathize with this statement...I AM TIRED OF BEING PREGNANT. I am ready to meet Alex and to have a normal sized body again. Case in point, I could only work for about 6 hours today because my ankels became kankels about 2:00, and my toes went numb. Shoes are uncomfortable for sure! Alex has started slowing down in his movements...so I am hoping that means he is getting ready to join the world. Only time will tell, but my doctor told our babysitter that he predicts I will go on July 18 and she will go on August 18. THAT IS NEXT WEEKEND!!! YIKES!

My sister, Kristin, threw me a baby shower in June and a lot of my friends and co-workers were able to make it! A great time was had by all and we got a lot of really great stuff. Kevin and Matthew set up the bassinette last weekend and I have started washing all of his stuff (i.e. sheets, car seat cover, blankets)...so I am ready to go...now all I need is the baby!

Warm Weather brings Water Fun

A couple of weekends ago it was HOT! 90 + degrees in Spokane, and I felt like it was about a million degrees in Spokane! My objective: stay in the basement with my feet up and some ice water. Finally by Saturday night I was going a little stir crazy, so I took Matthew out and bought him some squirt guns. It didn't take him long to figure out how to work those and we had a nice time cooling off with a squirt gun fight in our back yard. He got me pretty good too!



No, this wasn't a "pose for the camera" moment...he was actually shooting at me.


Even though I was soaked at the end, a good time was had by all...and I was much, much cooler!

4th of July goes to the dogs...literally

We had a great 4th of July! I went into work for a few hours, then came home, took a nap, got up and went to my mom's house where we joined my family and our cousins for a nice relaxing evening of food and fun! My mom always outdoes herself! After dinner we left for the roof of the employee parking garage at Sacred Heart to watch the fireworks...best seat in town, especially because you don't have to fight downtown traffic trying to get home. Our friends Misty and Dave and Paul and Naomi and their kids all joined us!

We pull up to our house about 10:45 and notice a dog that is wandering around our yard. This poor dog is obviously lost and refused to leave our yard. Thankfully, the owners put a tag with their phone number on it. Just as Kevin was making the call about that dog, another dog came into our yard and refused to leave. Again, the owners had enough sense to put a tag on it, but there was one hitch...they didn't answer the phone! We called again about 20 minutes later...still no answer. Kevin calls Spokanimal (because the dog is licensed like they are supposed to be) and they tell us that WE need to keep the dog overnight until someone can come the next morning. So, I trek off to Safeway to get this poor dog some food and when I come back we notice how nervous the poor thing is. I tell Kevin that there is no way that we can just let him stay outside all night, banging up against our doors and crying, so he called Spokanimal again. Basically the response he got this time was "well, we'll let the authorities know that this dog may be wandering around". Um, okay...what is the purpose of licensing your animal (for it's protection, might I add) if the stupid people who run the shelter aren't going to come an pick it up.

At about 11:30 the owners called us and came to get dog #2. Apparently they had rescued him a few years ago and he gets very anxious. He was so happy to see his owners that he ran straight into our house and out the front door. What amazed Kevin and I the most was that both dogs that ended up in our yard had traveled a significant distance from their homes...couple that with the boom of the fireworks and we ended up with two very nervous animals...but two very happy owners.

The funniest part of all of this was Matthew..."so, what are we going to name our new dogs"?

Matthew Wayne Buck-Couture

Matthew has been asking a lot of questions about Alex being born lately. So, tonight I found the CD of the pictures of him when he was born. He was totally amazed at how little he was. Funny thing is, he looks just about the same, especially when he is mad! :)

I went to the hospital on Friday, January 9, 2004 at 5:00 am for my induction. I was 39 weeks into a very long pregnancy and couldn't wait to hold my baby boy for the first time. The nurse started the pitocin at 6:00 am and Dr. Barrong came in and broke my water at 8:15 am. By 3:20 that afternoon (and after 2 hours of pushing and a baby who was stuck), Matthew Wayne Buck was born...9lbs 1oz, 20 inches long. I was so happy to have Kevin, my mom, Kristin and my dad all in the delivery room with me. And, for those of you who are wierded out by the fact that my dad was there, he spent the entire time in a rocking chair at my head.

Here are some pictures from the day our baby boy came into our lives.

Matthew and his grandma (you can see that their special bond began day 1):



Aunt Kristin and Matthew:



Probably one of my favorite pictures of Matthew and I:



Grandpa feeding Matthew one of his first bottles:



Matthew and the proud daddy:

Today's "Matthewism"

I had a regular OB appointment this morning at 8:45, so we decided we would take Matthew with us. We were playing around and joking, but he got mad at me (over what I don't remember) and started tapping his foot at me.

Me: "Matthew, are you tapping your foot at me"
Matthew: "Sure sounds like it, doesn't it?"

Poor child, he comes by it honestly...but it is hard for me to deal with him when he gets like that!