Why every girl needs her mom...

Because, aside from your husband, only your mom would stay with you all night in the hospital and let you know when to accept the drugs the nurse is trying to give you.

Because she can explain what the devil the nurse just said when she comes in and smacks an oxygen mask on you and mutters something about some strip and some numbers...

Because she'll tell you your baby is beautiful even when she's still got a cone head and looks a little bit slimey.

Because she'll hold your baby all night long while you sleep and make it look easy...and when you wake up in the morning, your baby will have been so thrilled to chill with Nana, she doesn't even want to come back to you!

Because she finds great ways to distract you from being miserable and overdue...like frosty chocolate shakes and other junk foods to delight the palate.

Because even as you drop her off at the airport, she'll share a few more priceless tips for caring for a baby and...more importantly, she'll promise to come back in 3 weeks and check on you and the baby.

Thanks for coming mom. Thanks for 2 weeks of pure unadulterated girl time and thanks for coming back in 3 weeks. Adam, Ellie and I are all counting the days!

At long last (and I promise, it was worth the wait)

More pictures of Baby Braun! Here she is with her bright eyes after I got her all dressed up and ready to bust loose of the hospital.



I handed her to Daddy for one last shot before we left the hospital so he could show off her adorable pink outfit and her super soft white blankey from Aunt Yetty. Then Daddy ran downstairs to pull the car around while we waited for a call from our room.



But she got tired of waiting and assumed her now trademark position of sleeping with her pouty shaped mouth wide open.



At long last, Daddy put her in her car seat and strapped her in tight and we were off on our journey home. And here we are at the end of a tumultous three days and the beginning of a bunch of good times together, just Mommy, Daddy and Baby Elizabeth Rose (but her very closest of friends call her Ellie).

And baby makes three.

Hey everyone! Here is your official sneak peak of the beautiful, if nameless, Baby Braun. We've not been so great about taking pictures of her post delivery and since neither the baby or I dressed for the occasion, we've had to forego posting pictures. But, I caught this shot during her nap this afternoon so I thought I'd post it as a teaser with the promise of more pictures in the coming days.



I was so fortunate that my mom came to be with me during labor and the week before and after delivery. She is such a calming influence and, as if having 9 children weren't preparation enough, she's been a labor and delivery nurse for the past 10 years. Here she is right by the baby warmer where we strategically placed her so she could make sure to scope out the instruments and set up to ensure quality control. She was our own walking encyclopedia and kept us motivated and informed during the whole process. She proved to be invaluable to those of us in the room who don't speak nurse. :)



And here's the proud dad. Just look at the look on his face. You can't fake excitement like that. He was unbelievable. If he was nervous at all, it sure didn't show. He was in rare form and made sure to keep us laughing. I am so squeamish but he did not get rattled by a single part of the process. See? I've got proof! Here he is cutting the cord.



Anyway, for those of you dissatisfied with the quantity of pictures posted thus far, I hereby promise to thoroughly bombard you with an untoward number of pictures of her in the coming days. We can't stop staring at her so it's just a matter of time before it occurs to us take pictures of our adorable little bundle. Thanks everyone for your excitement for us and for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf. We are certainly thankful and humbled by your kindness.

The best day of our lives

We welcomed our baby girl into the world on 8-19-08 at 5:31pm. Our little squirt weighs in at 7lbs 13oz and stands a massive 20.75inches tall. Both mom and baby are doing great!!

We don't have a name just yet, but look for that revelation in a soon-to-come post. Also, the doting mother of this bundle of joy vetoed the pics I was planning to post tonight, so you might check back tomorrow to see if we've come up with anything to show the world.

Thanks so much for all the prayers and support. We truly have been blessed tremendously throughout this pregnancy.

And we highly recommend Medical Center of Plano. As a very nervous husband, I couldn't have been blessed with better care for my wife and (now) new child.

FYI

Induction date is tomorrow (8-19). I'll post a couple of pics and some details as soon as humanly possible.

Please don't be offended if we don't get to all of your phone calls. It will be a busy, exciting, overwhelming time!!

Thanks for all the prayers and support!!

Adam

Make a Smilebox photobook

So, my due date has now come and gone and my baby is still making herself very comfortable in her home of the last 9 months.

Of course I wish she would have decided to come already but, on the up side, it has given me some time to update my blog. Besides, it's about time I put up some pictures of the best baby shower ever thrown. Thanks Becky and Teri (and everyone else who helped and attended) for putting it all together. You guys did such an amazing job! The food was incredible and the company was even better. It was so much fun and even though I lost miserably at all the games, I had the best time. Thanks to everyone who came to the shower, I at least I have her cute clothes and toys to look at and play with while I try to pass the time until she decides to make her debut. She had better be cute when she arrives!!! Everyone pray that we can coax her to come sooner rather than later, ok? :)

Tamara's Hidden Talent: WAR

So, I'm sure most all of you have played the card game 'War' (as shown above) at some point in your very interesting lives. It ranks up there with other favorites like Pinochle, Slap Jack, Solitaire...we're talking one of the greats. Well, that was how I felt until Tammy and I were feeling wild and crazy one night and I challenged my beautiful bride to a no-holds-barred battle.


Below is how it turned out for me...

The next pic is after I complained she must have been cheating. I still haven't recovered...

Congrats, Babe. You are, indeed, the War Queen.

**Disclaimer**
Tammy looks amazing 9 months pregnant...not at all like a sumo wrestler.