LINCOLN IS SIX WEEKS OLD!

10/22/08 Our little Lincoln is six weeks old today...and growing up fast! It is amazing how much he has changed in the last few weeks. He is now over 11.5 pounds! His arms and legs are so long they don't fit into most newborn outfits. He will definitely be a tall boy! I am so happy that he is so healthy and thriving. He is an amazing little guy.

Lincoln has started to make the cutest little noises...he is smiling a lot! He even laughed the other day - it made Anthony laugh so hard; it was adorable. He is starting to interact with us a lot more too, and it is really fun. When I feed him, I always rub his little feet and he likes to hold onto my finger for comfort. He is a little lover boy, really sweet and tender. He loves to be in contact with skin, and loves to be held because he likes to nuzzle his little face into your neck; I love it.

He has the most beautiful eyes, they are light blue and will probably stay that way since Anthony and I both have light blue eyes. Lincoln's eyes are so big and are always looking at the world with wonder. My favorite thing is when he wakes up in the morning because he is swaddled and just has his cute little head poking out. He is always content and just likes to look around. I love to gaze at him, he is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

From the very early days Lincoln has tried to hold his head up and is now doing it almost all of the time by himself. His legs are really strong too...he can support his own weight and it is really cute when he tries to walk like a big guy! He also loves tummy time and the other day I put him on his side and he rolled to his tummy. It will be fun to see him roll over on his own in the next little while. He is so cute when he wakes up from a nap...he loves to stetch. He makes the cutest faces and little noises while he moves his arms all around. So much fun to watch :)

Roxy has been incredible with Lincoln. She really loves him! She still continues to bring him her favorite toys and always wants to be near him. When I feed him, she curls up right next to us - I love it. If I ever lay him down on the bed, she likes to be as close to him as possible. She is very gentle with him and is always aware of him so that she does not jump on him. She tries to lick him as if he were her puppy and when I tell her that she can't lick his face, she will gently lick his arm or lightly nudge him with her nose. It is really cute; I think she is just trying to tell him that she loves him. They will be the best of friends one day and in the meantime she will be a great big sister and will protect her little brother.

Lincoln loves to take baths; the other day he was kicking his feet and splashing around in his little tub. He also loves to shower with Anthony! I think he will be a little swimmer like his Daddy! Lincoln also loves to go on walks with his Mommy. Man, we love the Baby Bjorn, it has been amazing! He also loves his swing and his little bouncy chair :)

I love to feed my little guy, it is the most amazing thing I have ever done, and my favorite part of the day. I love to spend time with him and he just makes me smile. He is what I refer to as a "gourmet eater" because he loves to taste before he eats and it makes me laugh because he is so animated about it. He turns his head from side to side and likes to lick a little before starting to eat. I just can't get enough of my little sweetheart.

Since we brought him home from the hospital Lincoln has been a great baby and has slept very well. We have been really lucky that he has slept between 3 and four hours each night. There have been a few nights where he has slept for 5 hours at a time. Last night was the best so far, he actually slept for over 6 hours! We were so excited. He has just been amazing...I could not ask for anything more.

Time is going faster than I would like and I am going back to work in a couple weeks...that will be hard and I will really miss my little guy. He will be in good hands with Grandma Shirley and Grandma Nancy though. I will just have to get my little fella fix through webcam! I am very thankful for a very supportive family that loves Lincoln so much. Being a mom is the most amazing thing in the world. Anthony and I are truly blessed.

We ordered our baby announcement and it is so cute! We will send them out as soon as we receive them...and I will also post the electronic version on our blog so that all can see! :)

LINCOLN RYDER ALLEMAN

09/10/2008 We are happy to announce the arrival of our new little fella Lincoln Ryder Alleman, born at 11:56PM on September 10th, 2008. Anthony and I are so lucky to be the parents of this amazing little guy. We had an incredible experience with the labor and delivery...it was truly life changing and could not have been more perfect. I went into labor Wednesday afternoon and drove myself to the hospital at around 6:30; Anthony left work and met me there shortly after.

When I arrived at the hospital, I was dilated to a 4 and went through natural labor without pain medication until I was 8 centimeters. Anthony was very supportive of me while I went through the contractions; I could not have done it without him. After having strong contractions that were only a minute apart I had a 6 minute long contraction, which was the turning point for me and I asked for an epidural. Man, that anesthesiologist is my new best friend! My experience turned from one that was very intense and painful, to one full of anticipation - very relaxed and positive. I felt like a million bucks and could not have been happier!

After being fully dilated to a ten for some time, my water finally broke. We had to wait for the doctor to finish a surgery before I could start pushing, and I was watching the clock because it was after 11PM. I told Anth that I did not want to have Lincoln on 9/11, the first time I had mentioned a date that I did not want him to come, considering that I was about week overdue. At 11:50PM I told the Doctor and family members in the room that I had only ten minutes to get him out. With determination and his head just starting to show, I pushed like crazy until he was born 6 minutes later. It was amazing, but I am very determined when I set my mind to something! :)

Lincoln weighed 8 pounds and was 20.5 inches when he was born. He is very healthy and is the cutest thing I have ever seen! I had no idea you could open your heart and love something so much, until I became his Mom. He is my little man...I can't get enough of the guy! He has the sweetest temperment, and is a very calm baby. He is perfect in every way and is very strong like his Dad...yesterday he showed us that he can already support his head without help. He has really long arms and legs, beautiful skin and golden blonde hair. He is adorable - I can't stop staring at him.

Roxy, our little puppy, loves her new baby brother and is already a good big sister to Lincoln - she is very protective of him. She continues to bring Lincoln her toys, stares at him in his basinet to check on him and often tries to lick him to tell him she loves him.

We are enjoying our time at home with Lincoln and appreciate the support of all of our family and friends.