We are officially grandparents! Will is officially an uncle! We have been since last Monday, October 13 at 10:01 a.m. Rob, Will and I headed to Fairhope on Friday, Oct. 10. We were able to be down there for the big event. Actually, we got to get in lots of visiting before the blessed event. Friday night our family and Chelsea's family ate out together at Gambino's in Fairhope, then Nathan and Chelsea joined us and my parents and Rob's parents at Rousso's in Daphne for dinner Saturday night. Sunday, Oct. 12, Will, Rob and I headed toward Fairhope since Chelsea was having contractions 6-7 minutes apart. Since we were staying with Rob's parents in Lillian, we wanted to be closer then 35 minutes away if things started speeding up. The nurses at the hospital told Chelsea that she had begun true labor, but delivery was not imminent, so she should go walk and eat and see how things progressed. Since we were in Malbis at the Eastern Shore Center (great shopping there!), Nathan and Chelsea joined us. It is a very good place to walk. We tried to speed things up by eating Mexican food at Don Carlos' Mexican Restaurant, but Chelsea refused to eat the jalepenos! After eating we went to the new Bass Pro Shop at Spanish Fort. We were all worn out after touring around that place! During all this time, Nathan and Chelsea were timing the contractions and the time between them. (I have to say they were so cute doing this together--it was very sweet!)
They finally returned to the hospital at 11 p.m. Sunday night and got to stay. She labored all through the night, and we were able to be there the next morning before Avery put in her appearance.
Look, she already knows War Eagle, Hey!
Needless to say, Avery McKenzie Payne is probably the most beautiful baby ever! My two were beautiful too, but they were boys! She let everyone know that she wasn't too happy with leaving the warm, comfortable womb. That girl can cry with the best of them, but she looks gorgeous doing so! I think she is adjusting to life on the outside though, and her parents are the sweetest and most attentive to her. Nathan is even changing diapers! (He is already wound tightly around those little pink fingers!)
The happy family
Well, I could go on and on. Everyone is doing great and I was blessed to stay down there an entire week to visit, to help, to just be around. Rob and Will had to come back to Hartselle on Tuesday, Oct 14 because of school and work obligations. They came back down on Friday, and Will had a soccer game in Fairhope on Saturday. More time to visit with Nathan, Chelsea and Avery.
Home from the hospital.
I have decided to go by KayK as my "grandmother" name. Rob hasn't totally come up with what he'd prefer to be called, so I am calling him No Name. Hopefully that name won't stick! If you have any "grandpa" suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments! Did you know you can actually find lists of "grandpa/grandma" names on the internet? Seems like there is just about anything you can imagine on this thing!!!
Rob (No Name) and Avery
Uncle Will and Avery
KayK and Avery
