We had a nice visit from Grandma and Grandpa Ainslie this past weekend. It is official... all of the grandparents have made an appearance. Next up... all of the great grandparents. Grandma is already offering her babysitting services and Grandpa and the little guy had a brief snoring contest. (You will have to guess who won).

Hello Ladies...

It has been a while since the last update because things have been a little crazy around here. We were fortunate to find a buyer for our condo and we have accepted an offer to sell. For the last few days we have been looking at houses to buy so we don't have to live on the street when they boot us out at the end of August. In more important news... as of today, the little guy is sporting his belly button proudly (cord free now, thank you very much) and we have the photo to prove it.

We had lots of visitors drop by the house this weekend. Grandma & Grandpa Lauer, Matt & Kelli & Aaron, Deb & Mark, Jen & Patrick, Grandpa Leuneberg... It was great to see everyone and we are looking forward to catching up to many more of you soon. In the meantime, here are some more pictures with a few of the Grandparents.

We had a last-minute visit yesterday from Matt, Kelli and Aaron. So it has begun... Alvin and Aaron have met face-to-face. Newborn ladies beware...

Ah yes... a moment of peace and quiet. I think he has inherited my hair-do! The secret... wash it, dry it, mess it up... perfect.

Yesterday was a great day... For those of you who don't know, Jen's brother Matt has been my best friend for around 15 years and he has been residing in Ohio with his wife Kelli and their new baby Aaron (born on June 1st) for a long time. Yesterday they began their move back to Michigan which puts them about 30 minutes from us and a couple hours from both sets of grandparents. I was able to stop by yesterday to see them and meet my newest nephew. Of course I brought the camera and I wanted to post a picture of Matt and Aaron.

Over the years, Matt and I have had lots of fun (and avoided most of the trouble). I hope that Aaron and Alvin will have as much fun growing up together as we did (assuming Matt and I actually grew up).

Matt, Kelli and Aaron... we are all glad to have you back and we can't wait to see you again soon.

Jen and I were excited to see how Molly would react to having Alvin at home. So far she seems pleased with her little brother and the crying doesn't bother her at all. We caught him a little off guard but Molly was posing nicely...

Grandma Lauer and Aunt Katie came by for a couple days to help out around the house and spend time with the little guy. We really appreciated the help and my to-do list is better off now thanks to the extra assistance.

On another note... those of you know how much Karen (Grandma) hates to have her picture taken will understand how hard it was to get this photo. I suggest you all print it out, frame it and place it in a visible location at your home so she can see it whenever she visits. Ha! Just kidding Mom...

Some pictures don't need a caption...

I think Grandpa might be a little proud.

On Sunday we brought the little guy home from the hospital and experienced the stereotypical first day home... lack of sleep, excitement, confusion and animal introductions.
On a separate note, there have been a number of requests for a hat-free picture so everyone can check out his sweet hair style. I like to call it the "I already have more hair than my dad" look.

WE HAVE A BABY BOY!

As of 4:13PM on July 13th we were joined by Alvin Jameson Leuneberg. He was 8 lbs 2 oz and just over 20 inches.

He was a little reluctant to come out and meet us but after 3 1/2 hours of really hard work he gave in and decided to meet everyone. (For the record, my wife is amazing and I have lost any excuse to avoid doing work around the house for approximately the next 100 yrs)

Grandma Lauer, Grandma Ainslie and Katie were on the scene to begin the spoiling process immediately with new clothes including an outfit for football Saturday so Alvin and his cousin Aaron can cheer (or cry) for the Wolverines.

We hope you are all doing well and I will be posting more pictures as we have them.

Hello from McPherson Hospital.
After my last posting we have had some progress. Last night around 11PM Jen decided that the contractions were strong enough to merit a trip to the hospital and we have been there ever since. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to sleep for more than a couple seconds due to the discomfort but things are improving... She is at 4-5cm and they gave her an epidural around 8AM so the pain has dropped off a lot (which means it is sleepy time for a little while).
Meanwhile, we are expecting the Mom migration to the greater Howell area any time now.

Well folks, here is the update as of 10:25PM...

Jen had an appointment with her doc today and she was 2cm. Currently she is having contractions on a semi-regular basis. For the record, she is NOT comfortable at the moment and I think she is questioning the whole "let's have children" thing... Just kidding (I hope).

With that being said, I thought now seemed like a good time to remind her (and all of you) about the joy that was our wedding day through the wonders of digital photography. Maybe it will cheer her up and maybe she will punch me in the stomach. Either way I am hoping it will help her feel better.

Hope to have more news soon so keep checking back.

Hello again...

We had a brief visit yesterday from Grandma-to-be Lauer and Grandpa-to-be Lauer on their way back from Ohio. Can't wait to have Matt, Kelli and Aaron back in the great state of Michigan and free from the nightmare that is Buckeye land.

The due date is only 10 days away now. Even with all the excitement, Jen is still finding time to nap whenever possible and she is rarely alone... nap time = a happy Molly.

It is hot!!!! For all of my friends and family who don't live in this wonderful region of the country, Michigan is known for its bitterly cold winters and sweltering summers. Currently it's hovering around the 90 degree mark, with no relief in sight until Wednesday. Ugh! Mental reminder: next baby, if able to plan these things in advance, please schedule to deliver in winter or spring.

Hope all is well!

Pictures as promised...

Jen and I went over to Holland for two days to enjoy the beach at Lake Michigan one last time pre-baby. The trip was great and everyone we came in contact with was shocked to hear that Jen was only two weeks from the (approximate) big day. Overall, it was a nice trip and we even got to stop by Horrock's and surprise Grandma-to-be Ainslie at work on our way home. Here are a couple photos of mamma enjoying the beach in the evening. (FYI - I don't plan on getting wife approval for all photos that end up on this blog so if I come up missing you know who the primary suspect is...)

Hello everyone... thanks for stopping by. We are now less than two weeks from the due date and I am on blog duty so you can feel free to check back for updates on the mamma and the baby whenever you like. I am hoping to post on a daily basis and there may be pictures involved periodically so keep your eyes open...

AJ