Look What Santa Left Us Under the Tree

Definately the best gift this year was Thea! What fun she has been and she continues to be more and more amazing every passing day. And speaking of passing days, I can't believe how many have passed since I last posted on the blog! For now I am going to use the excuse of being sick.

Thea had her first fever so I didn't think it was appropriate to post photos or write about taking her first temp the old fashion way (i.e. where the good lord split ya ;) . We ended up taking her to the ER because 1) it was Saturday night and instead of date night for Mom and Dad we decided the ER waiting room was much more romantic; 2) her fever was pretty high even after tylenol; and 3) I'm her mom and a first timer at that so I might have over reacted but better safe then sorry and money well spent for piece of mind.

Since Thea is so cute, we couldn't help but cuddle and kiss her and what do you know....we both end up getting sick. Chris was out shortly after Thea for a few days with a fever and then I got a GI bug (I could be more descriptive but I won't--you get what GI means). Luckily it was out of my system within 24 hours. Despite this excitement right before Christmas, we were able to head up to Chris's folks for Christmas. Thea was spoiled with lots of presents from Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Crystal but I think her favorite one was the yellow ribbon off one of the packages. Go figure. All in all it was a good Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Quints.

After we got home on Christmas day, Chris got round two of his cold which was a severe headache, nausea, fever, etc. He was out Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and actually went and saw a doctor (something he doesn't like to do). Is that all you ask? Well of course not. Another virus came knocking and I answered and ended up with a fever and chills for a couple of days. Now we are both down for the count. Luckily I have a great friend who lives in town who picked Thea up Wednesday morning, took her to Day Care and brought her home that evening. S he then came back that night, made some dinner (scrambled eggs), changed Thea into her PJ's and washed the dishes. She took Thea to day care on Thursday morning as well. Thanks Hope, you were definately a life saver!!!

So hopefully you all are keeping in good health and are having a safe Holiday. I know this wasn't the best Thea posting to read but the last few weeks has just been about germs, colds, fevers, etc so this is what you get.

More in a bit.............stay tuned.

Sigh......

Looking back to at the September 15th entry, I was so excited that Thea rolled over for the first time. Ahhhh, the tears of joy I had. Well, now it seems that rolling over is her favorite trick these days. Actually, it's her only trick and she performs it over........and over........and over....... and over again. This performance is taking place in the middle of the night which means gone are the days of sleeping through the night for us and for her, so needless to say Chris and I are exhausted.

Once the signal from Thea, in the form of a startled cry, comes over our monitor we go in to her room and flip her back over, causing her to fall back asleep, for awhile. This little game happens 3-4 times a night. She'll start fussing and crying because she can't get back to how she was, or she will start crying because she has scooted herself into a corner of the crib and get's "stuck" (see photo), or she will throw her pacifier out of her crib and now wants it back.

Despite this little nightly performance she's a great baby--just a little over zealous when it comes to "The Amazing Flipping Baby Show" and wants to perform it nightly. But I guess after she learns to roll 360 degrees it's not over. I hear that she will learn to sit up and not know how to lie back down so we will experience this all over again. And I think the same thing too when she learns to stand up.

Until then, we will continue to take turns getting up to roll her over.

Thea's first Plane Ride

Can I just tell everyone, again, what a wonderful baby Thea is. She did fantastic on all 4 (yes--four) airplanes to our trip to Phoenix and back! We flew out for Thea's Great Grandmothers funeral which is crappy that Grandma Helen didn't get a chance to hold Thea. But, Chris and I are relieved that Thea now has another guardian Angel to watch over her. She has Teeny and Poppa Art on Kim's side and Grampie Quint and Grandpa Swimm on Chris's side looking after her every move.

Aren't funerals funny how they bring people together and it turn something sad into a joyful occassion with the family reunion, sharing of stories, meeting new people, etc?? I was very glad to have gone so Thea could meet so many new people. She gave each one a fabulous smile too.

We started our trip by Kim waking up at 3:00 in the morning. We left the house at 4:00 to catch the 5:00 bus in Portland. That took us down to the Boston Airport in time for our 9:15 flight. That four hour trip was fine, Thea was chatty with the lady next to her and slept on my lap. When we got off the plane we were greeted by my mom who rode the second plane from Denver to Phoenix. And everything after that is a blur. Thea went from person to person and was great with each one. She never napped alone and was always sleeping in someones arms. I even got out of several diaper chances (lucky for them they were only wet--she still saves the "blow outs" for me).

The doctor told me that with a short trip like ours, I should keep Thea on Maine time. So there I was, playing with Thea at 4:30 in the morning since that was 6:30 in the morning Maine time, which is when she usually wakes up. Thea's Aunt Jen slept in the hotel two nights so she was helpful too when it came time to play with Thea.

We were sad to leave our family and friends but glad to return back to Maine too. We'll have more to post too since Jen and Chris are coming for Thanksgiving and Brad and Kim are coming the week after that.

Abracadabra

Happy Halloween from us to you! We were very happy and excited to dress Thea up this year. And with the help of Thea's Aunt Jen--We had one of the best costume around! Jen made the little Magic hat that Thea is appearing from and I made her ears and tails (okay mostly store bought but I tweaked them a tad to fit her head). I also made the magic wand myself and Chris bought the capes and hats for us.

We went to Thea's day care for a Halloween party and got to see all the little kids dressed up and meet some of the parents. Afterwards we went back to my office so my staff could see my complete costume in full force. Since I was dressed up as a magician, everyone asked where my magic bunny was and I would have to say, "um, she's napping at day care". So we had a nice time and a lot of fun.

We're just now hanging out at home and we try to head off the kids before they ring the doorbell since that sets the dogs off and they start barking. Thea is napping after her long day so the less distractions, the better.

She found them.....

Thea found her feet.

Now she is just wondering what she is supposed to do with them. Right now she holds onto them and is beginning to "assist" us with diaper changes by keeping her feet up. I think we both prefer that over keeping her legs straight and knees locked.

Her teachers at school (day care) said Thea is always watching the other babies who roll over and who are sitting up. She is fascinated by them and will soon be joining them in their milestones.

She is very, very talkative too. Lots of coo's, ohhhs, awwws and a squeal here and there. So the next time you call you might here some chatter in the background.

My two babies

Awwwww! How cute is this? While I was getting ready for work I was able to peek at these two still sleeping. Thea sometimes joins us in the early morning. On Friday when Chris is off he can try and sleep a little longer while I get ready in the morning. So the other morning I was able to capture these two napping before I had to go to work! The photo is very similar to when Thea was only a few days old and she was sleeping with me. We love these mini slumber parties!

Tummy time

It's been a little while since we've posted anything and Thea has been constantly bugging me about posting something new for you all to read about so here is a little something. It's a recent photo of her during tummy time. She spends some time throughout the day on her tummy to build her neck muscles, arm strength as well as give her a different prespective of the world. Thea has still only rolled over that one time and we are constantly watching for the next official rollover. I'm sure she feels like a watched pot though.

We are also waiting for a giggle. It's coming soon (according to all the books, magazines, friends, etc) and she seems so close. She has the biggest smile and gurgles behind it so one of these days she will put it all together and giggle for us.

Festival time

Last weekend Thea's school did a book fair/ festival that we went too. While she was too young for the face painting and we arrived too late to see the petting zoo, fire trucks and police cars--we did happen to make it in time to go through the Hay Maze!!! Thea ended up sleeping through the whole thing (like she did on her first beach trip) so luckily we have photos to show her later.

Are you wondering where the photo is of Thea and Governor Baldacci??? The function that Chris put together, which Governor Baldacci was supposed to attend, was Monday from 5-7 p.m. Chris did a great job putting it together and there was a great turnout. However, at 6:30--it seemed as if the Governor wasn't going to make an appearance so Thea and I ended up leaving. 10 minutes later the Governor shows up. I think he knew Thea was there and that all the attention would be on her so he waited until we left. Think about it--she did roll over recently and has to tell everyone about it so who wants to hear campaign stuff when you can hear about day care stories and rolling over??? Chris was in 7th Heaven since it was him, the Governor, and 3 other people sitting around chatting, drinking red wine and talking politics. If he can get the photo off the camera phone, we will post that too so keep an eye out for that.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it......

Newspaper headlines everywhere should read: "Baby Thea rolls over onto tummy today! Mommy saw it happen". Huge milestone in the baby world and Chris and I are very exited!! Here is how it played out.

I was home Thursday, doing my first work from home (thanks Barbara if you are reading this). Thea was playing on her mat with toys above her (see photo) and I could hear some grunts and tooting and I was expecting another diaper blow out. But then I see her continuing to turn onto her side. I'm watching her keep turning, and turning, and turning and the next thing I know she rolls over. She doesn't cry or anything and had the expression of "huh, why is all thr furniture now upside down?". So as any first time mom would do (and one who is still loaded with hormones)--I called Chris, crying, telling him all about it.

He came home from work and we watched, and watched, and watched to see if she would do it again and all Thea did was stare, and stare, and stare back back at us--probably waiting to see what new tricks we might do too (see "stare off" photo below)

First Day of School

Well, she survived her first day of school. A few tears and was distracted all day but enough about me......Thea did GREAT!! Everyone she meets comments on "what a good baby" she is. She took a couple naps, ate and was pretty alert. I think she will really do well there. She gets lots of cuddling too which is comforting for mommy and daddy. Her first full day was pretty active. We get a daily sheet that lets us know when and how much she ate, how often her diapers were changed and when and how long her naps were. She didn't take too many naps, probably because of all the new activity, so when we put her to bed last night--she slept the whole night!!

Thea will be "at school" on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday I will be working from home and Friday is Chris's new day off so he will be spending the day with her. We will keep this schedule for the rest of 2006 and then she will be at school 5 days a week.

Rub a dub dub

Thea's in the tub! Yep--she is beginning to enjoy bath time more and more. I love the way she smells after a bath and how super soft her skin is. Tonights bath was extra special because we need to get her nice and clean for her first day of day care tomorrow!

Another milestone

Thea has finally figured out how to control her arms and hands. Instead of bopping herself in the head, she can now suck her thumb! She does this more often now and finds it pretty soothing. Photo is a little blurry but you get the idea!

Sad Day for Red Sox Nation

When Kim and I found out we were pregnant one of the first things my Dad said was that he was going to buy our new baby a Yankees outfit. I told him that he could buy our baby anything he wanted, however I would not have our baby be caught dead in any stinking Yankees gear. That was the wrong thing to say because he took it as a challenge. Well, Grampy Quint 1 - Dad 0.

Not only did Thea wear a Yankee's outfit, my Dad went one step further and brought down his Yankee's jersey and hat. The one solice I took from this was that Thea, although she didn't overtly show it, deep down didn't like it. :) We all know where Thea's heart is, with Red Sox Nation baby! (Notice that Thea is smiling in her Red Sox outfit below and not so much in the Yankee's outfit ;) We love you Grampy!

Date night!

Chris and I went on our first date since having Thea! We left her in good hands with Chris's folks who came down for the weekend. I only cried, oh, three seperate times (after the photo was taken, of course), once saying goodbye and the other two times over dinner and waiting for the show to start. We saw "Talladega Nights" which we knew would be cheesy but we wanted something light and brainless. I told Chris that the movie wasn't worth being away from Thea that long but still nice to get out. Sure, we've gone out to dinner as a family or even to breakfast but it was nice to have Chris all to myself--even if it was just for a couple of hours (3 hours and 19 minutes but whose counting).

We owe Jill and Galen a BIG THANK YOU for all their help this weekend. Bringing down the rocks to complete our landscaping on the front of the house not only saved us $$, but has made the house look so much nicer. The kitchen is looking great so thanks for helping us paint it and thanks for the $ for the new backsplash! Thea wants to say thanks too for holding her, changing her and for her new outfits!

Once upon a time.....

Thea went to story time yesterday. Actually, we attempted to go on Saturday but Thea slept the whole time. Saturday’s session ended up being just us and we had a nice one on one session with the Biddeford Librarian at McAurther Library who gave us great information. And wouldn't you know it--this librarian had family and was fimilar with Chris's hometown of Hodgdon. I'm telling you, he knows everyone because he is a "County Boy" (meaning he is from the largest county in the state). Back to my story though. We learned how to incorporate hand gestures with songs to stimulate Thea's thinking. I'm a hands on learner myself so seeing her do it was very helpful.

Thea and I went on Tuesday and there were 15 other parents and several had a couple kids so it was very fun and busy. The group is for 0-24 months and is mostly finger play with hand gestures with songs and books. Thea stayed awake the whole time and was busy watching people and responding to a few things.

I think it was a very busy morning for her though because that night (last night) she slept from 10 pm until 6:00!!! Add it up people....that's 8 hours! We couldn't believe it either and I don't think it will happen today (she's been sleeping a lot today) but at least we know she does have it in her!

I should have taken a photo of Chris and I and what we look like this morning after 8 hours of sleep.

Batter up

Although Thea isn't ready to watch a game and root on her favorite team, she can certainly dress the part of being a Red Sox fan! And just look at the way she looks up to her daddy!

Chris is excited and has already begun to teach her all he knows about the game (he gave up on teaching me). It's never too early for her to learn new things.

Lucky for Thea, she actually has a few Red Sox outfits (one daddy bought her when he found out we were expecting). She also has several bibs too but we try to not let her spit up on those (it might be bad luck or something).

So as you can see, she is all dressed and ready for the day when she can stay awake for a full inning. I'm thinking her favorite player is David Ortiz. He is nicknamed "The Big Papi" which is similar to Thea making "The Big Poopie" in her diapers. Ok--so maybe that's a stretch.

A new record

The quickest turn around time for Thea to get another bath has just been broken. It is now just 5 minutes from one bath to the next. Yep--all thanks to a diaper blow out. Luckily she has been enjoying bath time so it wasn't an issue and I've gotten better with changings and bathing so cutting her onesie off wasn't necessary this time (for those who don't know the story--ask me some time).

I guess we could say she also holds the record for quickest outfit change too. I was bummed because I really liked the onesie she was wearing too.

Sorry no pictures for this one. You'll just have to use your imagination.

Dog Days of Summer

While I toil away the summer's nice weather in my stuffy office with the "Umm, recirculated air" (think Homer for the reference to this one), Sadie gets to lounge around in her new favorite spot, the papasan chair on the porch. From this vantage point she gets a nice breeze along with making sure the passer-by's meet with her approval. Can you say spoiled dog!

What are Kim and Thea doing to beat the heat? They are lounging outside on Aunt Jennie's blanket that she made for Thea. Isn't this the best picture ever. The reports back to the mothership say that Baby Thea enjoys the new sounds, smells and sights of the great outdoors that is our front yard.

Where is the picture of your fearless blogger? None to post. I am working hard to make sure that the likes of Chandler Woodcock, anti-everything Republican candidate for Governor of Maine, does not get elected this fall. Why you ask? Because of the two women in the picture above. Their future's depend on it. If you are interested in learning more about what I am doing this election cycle go to the PPNNE Action Fund's home page and read away.

Shots, Shots and more shots

Little Thea had a series of shots today. Four total but still needs one more.

It's quite the process with two nurses giving her one shot each in both legs and then doing it over again. Thea was fine before the shots, cried when she got them and was picked up and cuddled by Chris after they were over. I fed her right afterwards too which kept her happy. So she did great! And Chris was supportive to as usual. He actually was supportive enough to both Thea and me.

How was I during all this? I could learn something from Thea, that's for sure. I was at home before the shots looking up on-line the best way to support her during these shots. And I was crying during this, I was crying before the nurses came into the room, I was crying when she got them and cried hours afterward too just thinking about it. In my defense, I would like to add that I haven't had a nap in two days so after this posting I am going to sleep.

We have to do this at her 4 month visit and a 6 month visit. I hope it gets easier and I know I had shots when I was a baby and don't have any psycological issues about them so things are fine with her. Or maybe I do have issues with shots (I hated them as a kid) and that's what my problem is and I'm blaming lack of sleep?? Hmmmm, interesting isn't it???

Gas

Until we can figure out a way to harnass the gas that comes from Thea after a feeding or the type that results in a changing at 2:30 am, check this site out to find the cheapest gas in your neck of the woods.

Announcements--

By now (hopefully) you have received Thea's baby announcements and this is your first visit to our family blog. If that is the case, welcome! We're excited to have new visitors to our family blog so you can see the latest pictures, read stories about us, the dogs, fixing our house, etc. Feel free to look at past postings and we'd love to read your comments.

Thea and I went for a 6 week check up and we both are doing well. Thea tipped the scale at 10 pounds, 12 ounces! That's 3 pounds more then her birth weight so she is doing great in that department.

I've received another box (this is box number 2) from my sister Debi and her daughter Kendall. More girl baby clothes for Thea!!! Very excited to have Kendall's hand me downs and fun to go through the box remembering Kendall in these outfits too. Like all babies, Thea outgrows things so fast so it is nice to not have to spend money on clothes that will only get worn once or twice. We are very thankful Debi and Kendall are sharing these items with us and appreciate it very much.

For those wondering how Thea is doing sleeping (read previous posting about 2:30 am), she is doing great! Our latest trick seems to be working and last night we put her down at 9:30 and she didn't wake up until 3:30!!! I was up at 1:00 thinking she'd be waking up "any time now" so I still didn't get the extra sleep like I should have.

Step right up....

Step right up....step right up and take a guess. Guess little Thea's weight. She has an appointment on Friday so we can see where she has gone from her 8 lb 1 oz visit four weeks ago (at her 2 week check up). Any guesses???? What is the prize you say? Well we will dedicate an entire blog entry to the winner! That's right, your name on the internet!

Last night was a successful night for us. Thea did her normal wake up at 2:30 am, however this time she went back to sleep in her own crib. For those who don't know, Thea will sleep in her crib when we put her down but for some reason, at 2:30 am, she won't go back to sleep in her crib. She'll fall asleep in our arms but when we transfer her to the crib, she starts crying again. So one night a while ago I brought her to our room so she could lay down with us in our bed and guess what? She instantly was asleep the moment she hit the bed. So each night when I was unsuccessful at getting her back to sleep, I'd bring her to our room and she'd sleep there until her next wake up at 5:30 or 6:00 am. Then she would be fed, changed and we'd put her in her crib with no problems. The 2:30 am situation was something Chris was determined to not have become a habit (although I found it really cute--having her in our bed and all even though I don't sleep while she is in our bed because I'm nervous one of is going to roll over on her). So the other night Chris was up for over an hour with her and finally came back to our room.....with Thea in his arms. Chris 0. Thea 1. Actually it is more like: Parents 0 Thea 113.

So, how'd we get Thea to sleep in her own crib??? We got advice from Chris's friends from work (some are nurses) and from my sister Debi. I changed her routine from changing, feeding, then swaddling to changing, swaddling then feeding. This way, after she gets sleepy from eating she goes right into her crib without getting moved around from being swaddled.

It worked last night so let’s hope for another successful night.

Silent Bob vs. Joel Siegel

Allow me to deviate from Thea Vision for a moment and indulge me in something that I just can't pass up writing about.

I am excited to watch "Clerks II" by Kevin Smith. I am a big fan of Smith's movies, one reason being is that he goes out, makes the movie that he wants to make (and not the one that the studio but holes want him to make) and they are fan favorites every time. After reading about the recent battle between Joel Siegel, the no talent ass clown critic from one of those stupid morning news shows, and Silent Bob himself.

The other night, "Clerks II" was screening in NYC for a group of critics and Siegel was in attendance. He took issue, only 40 minutes into the movie, with a scene that included a donkey and, well I will keep this family friendly, but use your imagination. To get a deeper insight into this read Kevin Smith's blog, My Boring Ass Life.

You also have to listen to the exchange between Siegel and Smith on the NYC morning radio show Opie and Anthony.

Now back to your regularly scheduled Thea Vision!

Four Generations

This past weekend we drove up to Hodgdon, Maine, to introduce Thea to the Quint family. On Friday, the Quints' came over for a BBQ which Thea slept through while being passed around to various family members and she didn't fuss once (which is more then I can say for myself and Chris).

One of the more beautiful sites was watching Chris's grandmother, Maxine, hold Thea. Maxine has Alzheimer's and is in the in the middle stages of the disease. She can feed herself when it is in front of her with some coaching but she doesn't know who anyone is. She can still socialize and talk, which is nice, and she still has a very good sense of humor. In fact, she told Chris that she didn't care for his driving and that he he was going to fast (a whopping 35 mph) when he took her back to the nursing home. He cut his speed down to 20 to appease her.

We wanted Maxine to see and hold Thea (with help from his folks) and it was amazing that she instinctively knew how to hold a baby. She automatically moved her hands to support her head and the other hand to support Thea's bottom. It was really special to watch Maxine with her great grandchild. We have a photo but it's not on our digital camera so we will try and post it later.

Thea also got to meet her other great-grandmother, Mona. Below is a photo of Mona, Chris, Thea and Chris's mom, Jill. It was fun to get a photo with four generations present. That's a baby book photo for sure. Hopefully I can get a photo with my grandmother in Phoenix so that we have a generational photo from each side of the family.

Baby Blue Eyes and Beards

I was talking with my sister, Jen, telling her how Thea will just stare off into space or at me. (My two sisters actually know the real story about the dentist office and Thea staring at me but it's too long to write and it involves me crying to I'm going to leave it at that.) Jen said, "when I was there she kept her eyes closed the whole time so I have a hard time picturing her with her eyes open". So here they are. I have to apologize that this picture isn't worth a thousand words. Trying to take a digital photo of a baby is hard. There is a slight delay (either from the camera or me) so it appears Thea is pissed but she actually wasn't. Her head bobs around too so it was hard to get her at just the right angle. Enjoy these blue eyes......we certainly do.

Also take a look at the good looking guy in the beard. Can you say renaissance man? :)

Finally--more postings

Sorry folks for the delay in posting on our blog. With all the visitors and just adjusting with life with baby--we haven't had time to really post anything. But now that we are used to the sleepless nights, the naps (both mom and Thea) and the round the clock feedings--you should see more posts and photos too.

The above photo is my favorite site that I see a lot around the Quint household. Daddy loves holding Thea in this position and she loves it too. It always puts her right to sleep and daddy has that magic touch. I'm not as lucky with her in this position. You see, when she is that close to me--she can sense and smell that her food source is only inches away and will start "rooting" or moving in the direction. So I leave this special snuggling to dad and daughter!

I'll get more photos of how big Thea is getting. She looks much different then her birth photos (but I guess you could say I also look different from the photos taken during her birth too) :-)

Another visitor come and gone

A Big thank you to Debi and Kendall for their most recent visit! We enjoyed having you although your trip seemed too short. Debi (Kim's sister) and Kendall (Kim's 6 year old niece) made the long trip from Colorado to Maine to visit Kim, Chris and meet Thea. Along with just hanging out and talking while Debi held Thea, we also managed to go to the beach, out to dinner and to see a lighthouse. Kendall hasn't seen the ocean so that was a first and a joy to watch! We went to dinner to Flatbread Pizza which any visitor to Maine will go there with us. It's almost a tradition now and it is so good. It's right on the water, it's all organic and it's wood fired. We also went to a light house which Kendall says was the highlight of her trip (after Thea, of course).
Debi helped out by making dinner for us and changing Thea on more then one occassion. Plus--she held Thea which freed us up to do things as well.

So thanks Debi and Kendall. It was great having you here!

Finally!

At 12:49 am, on June 17th, Theodora May Quint, after her mom going through 28 hours of labor, including 3 hours of pushing, decided that it was time to come out and great the world. I was in the O.R. with Kim and her sister Jen during the c-section when I heard this wonderful sound of Thea crying.

First, I am married to the strongest, most beautiful woman in the world. I complain if I get a splinter in my finger (Kim can attest to this. Just ask her). But not Kim. She started her labor at 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 15th and it lasted until Thea was born, via c-section, at 12:49 am on Saturday, June 17th. WOW! Jen and I were with her the entire time and watched as Kim gave everything she had to bring Thea into our family. The only problem, Thea was stuck. She couldn't make that final 1/4 turn despite Kim pushing, with all of her being, every 2-3 minutes for 3 hours. (I can't say that 3 hours part enough)

Kim, Thea and I stayed in the hospital until Monday afternoon. In those few days I think Jen took well over 200 pictures of the labor, pushing, in the O.R. and finally Thea with her proud parents, Aunts, and Grandparents. I will post a link to all of the photos of Thea once I have gone through them all. Stay tuned.

On Sunday I got to celebrate my first Father's Day and I couldn't have dreamed of a better gift than Thea. Kim and I were able to celebrate both Father's Day and our new family member with a private celebration dinner at the hospital on Sunday evening. The setting couldn't have been more perfect.

Now that we are all home, we are starting to settle in. The dogs and cats aren't quite sure what is going on, but they are doing great with Thea. The dogs are making sure that Thea isn't a moment without a good, wet dog kiss on her check.

Kim and I want to thank our family for all the love and support they have given us these past 9 months, and especially this past weekend. Kim's mom, Donna, was here lending a hand by shopping and cooking and more shopping. Chris's parents, Galen and Jill, along with my sister Crystal, were able to be here for the special day. You all provided the support and love that made this day all that more special.

Finally, Kim and I want to extend a special thanks to Jen, Kim's twin sister. Jen, at the last moment, changed her flight in order to be at the hospital with Kim and I when Thea was born. She was in the delivery room, the O.R. and finally with us in the postpartum room. She cooked, cleaned, kept up our spirits and went on numerous walks with Kim. But most importantly, she was with us when we needed her most. We love you Jen and can't thank you enough for everything you did for us.

Thea would like to say thanks to all of our family and she looks forward to meeting those of you that she has not yet met.

Rent Control and X-Rated Eggplants

It looks like Baby Quint is taking his/her sweet time in being born. Would you leave a rent controlled apartment for a fluctuating, uncertain basement apartment? I think baby has this in mind. :)

Seriously, Kim is doing well, however she is ready to pop. Her twin sister, Jen, and her have been walking all over the place in hope that one of these times she will go into labor on one of her many loops around the block. The dogs have been loving having the twins home all day because they are getting 2-3 walks a day. Get it while you can Kylie and Sadie.

Kim's mom, Donna, arrived at the Quint home last night. This blogger is hoping for a lot of good food and a clean house, without me having to do it. :)

One final thing, have you ever wondered what happens when twins get together and go to the grocery store? Well, now you know. They buy x-rated eggplants.

The Baby Is...

...not here yet. The due date of June 12th has come and gone and we are still waiting for Baby Quint to arrive. Kim is doing well but definitely ready to get this kid out.

Kim's twin, Jen, arrived late Friday night and has been helping out around the house with some last minute cleaning and nursery touch-up's. Jen also took some great pictures of Kim on Saturday night at Ferry Beach in Saco. Kim looked radiant with the sun setting over the ocean as the backdrop. Click here to check out some of the photos.

Yet again I end my post with stay tuned. My guess on the due date - tomorrow, June 14th!

Down to the Wire

We are down to the final days of this pregnancy. What a ride! And the ride is just beginning.

Kim is due on Monday and we have finished the nursery in advance. (hold for applause) Well not exactly. I still have to install the trim around the bookcase, but that shouldn't take me long (in theory).

Stay tuned for the big news!

Two Weeks and Counting!

As I was putting the 2nd coat of polyurethane onto the nursery room floor last night, I was thinking about how different this room is going to look come June 12th. Right now it is empty with nothing on the walls, no window coverings, no life. In a matter of a few weeks this room will be full of life, and diapers, teddy bears, books and the like. Still somewhat hard to believe.

Anyway, here is the most recent photo of Kim. In case you can't read the piece of paper, it says "37 weeks".

Baby Quint is a Democrat

This past Sunday, Kim and I attended a fundraiser for Congressman Tom Allen (D-1st CD) at a beautiful home in Portland. It is safe to say that the baby responded favorable to the event and I am confident we have a future politico in the making. This is the first, and definitely not the last, political event that Baby Quint will attend with his/her Dad and Mom.

Kim, being the trooper that she is, showed up and was able to make it through the entire event without breaking a sweat. I am always so amazed at what she can do while carrying around an extra 20 lbs. and doing it all with a smile (most of the time) on her face. I can tell you that if it were me that was pregnant, I would be complaining like there is no tomorrow. I complain like a whining kid when I get a simple cold.

Pregnancy and Snoring Don't Mix

I know, it is no longer about me, but who else, if not me, is going to talk about my struggles. Kim is 36 weeks pregnant and she has a cold. What does that have to do with me you ask? Everything! Particularly when it comes to sleeping.

A couple of nights ago I was soundly sleeping, dreaming about another World Series Championship for the Red Sox when I was awoken by a noise that I have never heard before. I opened my eyes and saw Kim facing me in all of her pregnant splendor. This sound? Where could it possibly be coming from? Not my lovely wife? Well, it was my lovely wife. I guess when you combine being pregnant and having a cold it results in this god awful snoring the likes this world has never heard. And this is coming from a person who can saw logs with the best of them.

So what did I do? I woke her up and made her roll-over. That's right folks, I woke a 36-week pregnant lady up and made her roll over. I mean come on, I need my sleep too right? :)

But seriously, Kim is doing great. She hasn't gotten to that waddling stage yet but it is not far off. After tonight we will be seeing our Doctor weekly and packing our bag, waiting for the big day.

I am almost done with the nursery (when I am done I will post some "before and after" pictures here). All I have left to do is refinish the floor, trim out the new built-in bookcase and then we are ready to move everything in. The remodel has gone well and I have learned a lot. FYI, when the smoke-detectors are screaming, it is a good time to stop the floor sander and change the sand paper. :)

The Big 3-0!

Yes that's right. I turned 30 on April 25th. It's all down hill from here right? WRONG!

I don't adhere to those traditional thoughts that life ends once you turn 30. I feel good, am in okay shape (yes I need to start running more consistently again), have a great house, good job, and an amazing wife and friend in Kim. Another reason why I think my life is still on the way up, is the upcoming birth of our first child. (Here is a Kim at 33 weeks. What a beauty!)

Some say having kids ages you, and I am sure they believe that. I,however, think that having a kid keeps your young forever because you are seeing the world through kid eyes instead of those "old" eyes. What could be any more exciting!

Anyway, enough rambling. Kim put on a great birthday party for me this past Saturday at a local watering hole in Portland. A number of our friends came and enjoyed some good food, good "spirits" (some of us enjoyed a few to many "spirits", Rob you were there) and some good conversation and company. A couple of friends from college were able to come up and celebrate with our friends up here.

That's Nate on the left, Rob on the right, and the slightly intoxicated birthday boy in the middle. Nate's wife Beth and there two girls, Elle and Caroline, also were able to come. FYI, if you ever want to hear a Grammy award winning rendition of "Sweet Caroline" head over to the Camp homestead. We also got a chance to meet Rob's new lady, Peg, and she was officially initiated into the CSC club.

A good time was had by all.

Visit from Minnesota

Jen and Chris (Kim's twin and her husband) visited Kim and I this weekend and we had a great time exploring the coastline of Southern Maine. It is amazing that it takes a visit from family or friends to get Kim and I to see some of the beautiful parts of this great state.

We visited Perkins Cove, in Oguinquit, and walked Marginal Way which is a historic path along the rocky coast of Oguinquit. Chris, the other one (remember I am the better one:) got some great shots of the coastline. Photos are coming.

We ate lunch in Kennebunkport at a local institution, Bartley's Dockside. From the pictures on the wall, Bush Sr. and Jr. along with all the rest of the Bush clan, it looks like the two raging liberals, Chris and Chris, were a bit out of place. The only Democrats on the wall were in the back next to the bathroom's. Keep in mind the Bush's are frequent visitors of Kennebunkport as they have a vacation home here so needless to say Chris and I were constantly looking over our shoulders to make sure we weren't being followed by the big bad Republicans. :)

Yesterday we visited the Portland Head Light where we got a chance to explore Ft. Williams, which was an old maritime fort back during WW1 and WW2.

Stay tuned for some great pictures, inlcuding a couple of photos of Jen and Chris eating a fresh Maine lobster.

Previous Posts from East Branch Oasis

Here are the links to the two previous blog entries, from my East Branch Oasis blog, about Kim's pregnancy inlcuding the photos of the soon to be mom.

Kim is Pregnant

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

Welcome!

Here is the official Quint family blog. I figured that it would be best for me to seperate my political ramblings from our family updates (I hear you clapping Lindsay)

Stay tuned for updates on Kim's pregnancy and some new photos of our new dining room. Very exciting!