Merry Christmas!

We are so excited for Chase's first Christmas! A few weeks ago we went to see Santa Claus. Chase was so excited to see him and was not scared at all. Santa even said that he could stay there with him all day because he was the "best baby" he has ever seen. The pictures turned out adorable and of course this first time momma had to buy the whole CD with all the pictures. Chase attended his first Christmas show at church. He was such a well behaved boy. We only had to walk out of the church a few times when Chase decided to sing very loudly along with the choir!

So much has happened since my last post. Chase is now crawling all over the place and really trying to stand up now. Our lives have completely changed now that he is crawling. You really have to watch him. He is eating a vriety of baby food. Sometimes he loves it and sometimes he hates it. My parents say that he acts like I did at mealtimes. We spend a lot of time doing the "choo - choo" and playing airplane. He still is getting breastmilk and I am down to pumping only twice daily. I am going to cut back to just once in the morning now. I have so much fozen that it will definately last him another 5-6 months.

I hope you enjoyed our Christmas card this year. I really enjoyed creating it. That was my first attempt at digital scrapbooking and I am addicted. I will post some more of my creations as I complete them.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Well...I finally got to try skiing! Stephanie and I drove up to Loveland, CO to ski for the day while I was in Colorado for work trip. I was excited but also terrified. There were no bunny slopes open and no ski lessons available. I was also shocked to see that there were no safety bars on the ski lift. I was so nervous and managed to come back in one piece. I will be able to go on a ski trip in the future. It was absolutely beautiful watching it snow. Keep in mind that this was only the second time I have ever seen snow in my life. Steph took the pictures on her camera. I was too nervous to deal with the camera. She has some good ones of my awkward positions. I will post them when I get them.

BTW...my breastmilk made it back safely and still cold. I had to pack it in a cooler with ice and check it in my luggage.

Check out this adorable picture of Chase. He has two bottom teeth now. He still doesn't like eating from a spoon too much, but we are working on it. He is rolling all over the place and almost crawling. We need to get that baby gate installed soon.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. We will be traveling to Boca. It will great to see Chase and Liam playing together.

Almost 7 months!





















Alot has happened over the last month. Chase started sitting up on his own. He is eating more baby food (although he isn't that interested in it). He had his first real illness (103 degree fever which was heartbreaking for mom and dad). Finally, he got to dress up for his first Halloween and go trick or treating at dad's office and around our neighborhood!

Chase dressed up as a little lobster and we were chefs from Hell's Kitchen. He was such a trooper. He would just stare at everyone in their costumes. He looked as though he was really deep in thought at what the heck was going on! As you can see he couldn't keep his eyes off mom and dad while we were holding him.

Today, I leave for a business trip to Denver. I will be gone for 5 days and dad will be responsible for Chase. I am going to miss both of them terribly! I have left plenty of breastmilk for Chase and will have to check the milk I pump with the airline while I am gone (darn terrorists!). It will be very strange to be away from both my men for so long. Chase changes so much everyday and it will be neat to see the new things he can do once I get back. I know he will have a tooth by the time I return since it is starting to pop out now. Poor Dawson....I am leaving him with a teething baby. He will do a great job though.

Well sorry for the short and rushed update, but I gotta pack. This Florida girl is gonna FREEZE! It will only be my second time seeing snow. My girlfriend Stephanie will be staying with me and we hope to hit a bunny slope or two.

6 Months already!

I can't believe how fast time flies when you have a little one in the house. Last month, we went to Sanibel Island with my parents and sister's family. Sanibel is a cherished place where the Zimmer family spent many vacations growing up. It was so nice to be back. Liam and Chase had a great time in the pool splashing around and check out how Liam is alittle acrobat. He really impressed everyone how he can stand up on his father's hands in the air for such a long time. It was a wonderful, yet short vacation. Check out how proud my parent's look with their grandchildren. We are so blessed.

I started working at Nemours 2 days per week and could not be happier. It is so nice to be able to spend so much time playing with Chase and watching him develop and discover new things every day. It's also a nice break to have adult time and reconnect with my coworkers and patient's each week. God has blessed me with the perfect work-life balance.

Chase is such a happy baby. This is such a great age. Every time you look at him he make a huge toothless grin and makes your heart melt. What an amazing experience this has been for Dawson and me. It makes my heart skip a beat when I see Dawson and Chase interact. For instance, I was pumping this morning (yep still exclusively pumping and no formula) before work and Dawson was responsible for Chase when he woke. It was 6:50 am when I was finished and I heard a conversation in the house, but thad no idea where it was coming from. Chase and Dawson were not ususally up at this time. I was suprised to find Dawson in bed snuggling with our little man talking about what was going to happen that day. It was so sweet. Chase is the sweetest when he first wakes up. As painful as it is to wake up that early, those feelings quickly subside when you see his excitement to see YOU. It just makes your whole day!

"Da Da!!!"
Yep, he said it! On Chase's 5 month birthday, he said "Da Da". We even got it on video tape. I wish I had a way to post the video to this blog because you all should see how proud Dawson is of his little boy.

Well, I worked my last day at the hospital this week. I am really excited to join Nemours and work just 2 days weekly. It also feels good to have my patient's so excited that I will be staying with the team. I start there officially 9/18/06.

This Friday, we are heading to Captiva Island to spend some time with Gramps and Mimi (my parents) and my sis, Kelly and Liam. I am so glad there are no hurricanes brewing to ruin our fun. I am sure to have a lot of cute pictures of the cousins together when I get back.

Take care,

Allison

I quit my job on Friday!!!!! and accepted another one at Nemours Children's Clinic. I will still be working with the CF team and doing what I love. I will only work Wednesdays and Thursdays with no holidays or weekends ever. I am so thrilled that they gave me an offer I just could not refuse! I have worked with the CF team as a contracted employee through the hospital for almost 8 hyears. I have become very passionate about what I do and I am thrilled that I can still do that 2 days weekly. I think it will be a perfect work life balance for me!

The Brinkley's have had a busy week. Dawson and I went to Daytona for the night over his birthday weekend. Chase got to stay with Nanna and Mammaw. He had a wonderful time with them. Such a great time that he stayed with them again Wednesday night while Dawson and i went to a Dave Matthews show in Tampa. We had a blast and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. We enjoyed prepatying with Sheryl, Norma, and Dino (Dawson's sister, Dawson's cousin and her new hubbie). Then we took the trip to Boca to see my family. My parents babysat Liam (my nephew) and Chase while Dawson, Kelly, Amanda and I went to the Dave show in West Palm. We had a blast. He ended the night with Two Step!!!

Chase is growing so quickly. He started rice cereal on Sunday. He looks so cute eating it. More ends up on his body than in his body though. He still has only received breastmilk, NO formula. I am still pumping away.

Great News!!!!

I am able to work 2.5 days per week! I am thrilled. Today, is my first day back and I just know that it would be difficult to work full time. I am so excited. I can start this schedule in 2 weeks so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Chase will go to the babysitter 2 days per week and my mother in law will watch him the half day per week. The best thing is that I will have Thursdays and Fridays off! Yipee!

Chase went to the babysitters for the first time today. I left the house before he woke up. Dawson will be the one to take him to the sitters in the morning. He tells me thta everything went smoothly and he had no problems. I am glad he took him because I know it would have been very difficult for me. Can't wait til 3 when I can leave this place to pick up my little one.

Love, ali

Almost 4 Months!!! ...and almost time to return to work! BOOOOOO! I have one more week to be a SAHM. I am talking with work to allow me to work just 2.5 days per week. Hopefully, this will be able to happen. Otherwise, I will be working 4 days per week.

So much has happened since I last posted. I had the joy of having my UF girls (Steph, Peyton, Nicole and Tracey) come for a girls weekend in Orlando. We all crammed into my place and had a great time catching up. Chase loved playing with his new friend Bowen, Peyton's five month old son. Dawson was wonderful by babysitting Chase the whole weekend so that I could focus on my friends. Nicole got Chase to laugh out loud for the first time during that trip. What a beautiful sound. Next year, we will all meet in Cabo san Lucas at a vacation place Peyton and her husband own. ****Hey guys...plan a guys weekend sometime this year. Dawson sure deserves one!!!

Jen Massey came to town for a couple days for a scrapbooking marathon. We got several pages done in our baby books. Jen brought little Marley to meet Chase. They are only 17 hours apart.

For the 4th of July weekend, we went on first family beach vacation to one of the Fairfield resorts in Ft. Lauderdale. Chase loved swimming in the kiddie pool. We also managed to spend a few hours at the beach before it rained.

Laura White came to O Town for my birthday. I had two wonderful nights with her. We got to gether with Michelle and JP McLaughlin for my birthday as well. We all sure do miss that mid -west girl.

Finally, Dawson and I went to Vegas! Chase stayed with his Nanna for 4 nights. I was so happy to hear that he slept through the night for her every night. He even got to go to a family reunion while he was with her. do you know how hard it is to leave that much breastmilk???? Well, I did it and it was all fresh (130 oz.). He still has not gotten any formula. I am a pumping machine. Vegas was incredible. We went to several shows, yummy dinners and a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam. I was sad to leave Chase, but so happy we went. We needed to have a break and spend some time alone.

Well...I am going to spend the rest of my maternity leave hugging and snuggling my little boy. Pray for me that I will get to work just 2.5 days per week. I will keep you posted!

Sleeping through the night!!!!
That is my biggest news. Chase has been sleeping through the night for the last week. I even got to sleep a full 8 hours myself last night. I woke up because I needed to pump and he was still sleeping. I just could not believe it. I am still swaddling him and that I believe makes all the difference in the world.

Last week, I relaized that I have been a huge slack about tummy time. He just hates it so much. I decided to do it one day last week and right when I put him on his stomach, he flipped over to his back. I could not believe it. I grabbed my camera and video camera. I put him on his stomach again and prayed that I would be able to get it on film. I couldn't believe that he did it over and over again! I was shocked that I got it on film. Our little boy is growing up!

My Aunt and Uncle came to visit us this past week. It was great to visit with the Wolff family. We even got to join them for the day at St. Augustine Beach. Chase was such a good boy and really enjoyed the beach breeze. Driving home was a different story. He had enough by the time we got home.

2 1/2 Months Already!!!
Chase is changing everyday! I can't believe he is 12 pounds already! When we first brought him home from the hospital, hardly any of his clothes fit! His little body would swim in them. Now, I have packed up a box full of clothes that are too small for him.

Lately, he is full of smiles and coos all the time! It melts my heart when he gives me a big toothless grin. This usually happens after a feeding, diaper change or just to see me in the morning. His whole face lights up and makes the sweetest sounds. He tries so hard to suck on his fingers. He will get them in his mouth for just a second and gets really frustrated when he can't keep them there. Soon enough, he will be sucking his thumb like his momma used to.

Last week, Chase got his first round of immunizations! That is FOUR shots!!! What a terrible thing to go through. Chase's face got really red and he cried so loud. It absolutely broke my heart. Once I got him in his carseat to go home, he finally passed out. He was just exhausted from the whole experience.

Yesterday, Dawson took Chase in the pool for the first time. Chase hated it and screamed almost as bad as when he got his shots! I guess it was too cold for him. He loves his warm baths so we know that the water doesn't bother him. I guess it is just the temperature. He takes after me. I hate cold water.

Well I hear the little man stirring. Time to feed him...he is still 100% breastmilk! Yeah!

First Road Trips!

Chase and I took a trip to Boca to visit my family. Chase was great in the car sleeping most of-the way. We only had to stop once for a feeding each way. We enjoyed the visit with Gramps, Mimi, Aunt Amanda, Uncle Kelly and Liam. Brewster was excited to have another person there to play ball with him. Little did he know it would be quite awhile before Chase would be able to play catch with him!

That trip prepared the Brinkley's for a long tnp with an infant the following week. We went to Charlotte to visit the Schwiegerath's and Celones'. We broke up the trip by staying in Savannah each way. Chase attended his first birthday party (well slept through most of it). Hudson had his second birthday while we were there. It was so great visiting with old friends and seeing all that Charlotte has to offer. It sure would be a great place to live.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

My first Mother's Day was wonderful. Dawson and Chase spoiled me rotten. Chase was a good boy and slept while Dawson made me breakfast and mimosas. We even got to enjoy some quiet time while eating on the pool deck. Later in the day, we visited Nanna and Mammaw for Mother's Day. Chase enjoyed visitng with them and Aunt Sheryl, Uncle Norman, and cousin Taylor. It will be a Mother's Day I will never forget.

Since my last post, Chase has grown so much. We went to the Pediatrician last Friday and he weighed 9 pounds 15 ounces already! He gained double his goal since his last visit. That is actually a relief since he was having weight gain trouble initially. I am still exclusively pumping (due to latching issues) and proud to say that he has not received any formula yet. Who knows how long I will keep this up, but I am taking it one pump at a time.

Dawson and I celebrated 5 wonderful years on Cinco de Mayo. Nanna babysat Chase for us so that we could go out on our first date since the baby was born. We started the night having cocktails at the Hard Rock Hotel's Velvet Room. Then, we went to Universal CityWalk for dinner at Emmeril's. It was so wonderful. Dawson suprised me with a beautiful eternity band to comemmorate our 5 years together. I can't believe it has been 5 years already (10 since we started dating). Time flies when you are having fun!

Dawson continues to be a wonderful father and loves Chase to pieces. He is a huge help and can't wait to come home from work everynight to snuggle with his little cutie! I am also really enjoying being home with Chase and watching him develop everyday.

Tomorrow, Chase and I will go on our first road trip to Boca. It should be interesting since it is expected to rain all day. Hopefully, he will sleep the whole way down. Then, next week will be the ultimate road trip to Charlotte. We will stop in Savannah mid way. it will be nice to visit with the Schwag's and Celones'.

Take care and love to you all!

Just wanted to add a few cute pictures of my new love.

Chase is 3 1/2 weeks old. Time is flying by!

My mom left last Sunday and I have been adjusting well on my own during the day. I do miss having her around though. I was so lucky to have her here for 3 weeks. I think my father has a new found appreciation for all she does. He had to fend for himself for 3 weeks.

Amanda brought Liam up for the night and the cousins got to meet for the first time. It is not that easy getting two infants to pose for a picture. That was the best I could do. I can't believe how big Liam has gotten in such a short amount of time. Chase has already changed so much in the 3 1/2 short weeks. I know he is going to grow and change so quickly so I am enjoying every moment with him. OK, maybe not the middle of the night feedings.

Dawson continues to be such a great help. Right when he gets home from work, he helps out with Chase so that I can get some things done. Dawson is the best at putting Chase to sleep in his crib. He loves his little boy!

Well, I off to eat something before my little angel wakes up. I have to squeeze "me" time in anywhere I can these days.

It's a BOY!!!!
On the morning of Monday, April 3, 2006, we welcomed Chase Taylor Brinkley into this world. He was born via Csection at 7:38 am. I was lucky enough to have not only Dawson, but my mother present during the operation as well. He weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. and was 18.75 inches long. The surgery was quick and not as bad as I thought it would be. It was a very surreal experience seeing my baby for the first time. Look at that hair! He is just the most adorable, snuggly little guy. We think he is a Keeper!
Dawson stayed with me during the hospitalization and was a tremendous help and provided me with constant support. I left the hosptial without even changing his diaper yet. Since I was drugged up and had difficulty getting around, Dawson took over and did all the diaper changes! He is going to be a wonderful father.
We were a little nervous when we left the hospital because Chase had lost more than 10 % of his birth weight. Babies will lose some weight just after birth, but this was too much. My milk had not come in yet, so he was not getting enough calories needed to gain weight. I stuck with breastfeeding and finally we got the hang of it. When we went to the Pediatricians office several days after discharge from the hospital, we were so happy to find that Chase was almost at his birth weight. He had gained 11 oz! I was thrilled and it has definately put me more at ease.
My mom will be staying with us for a total of 3 weeks to help me through this new mommy adjustment phase. She has been a tremendous help. Fortunately, she just went through this with Amanda so she had a refresher course before coming to me. I really don't know how I am going to make it when she leaves.
We will keep you updated on Chase's progress and post new pictures often. They grow up fast and I am dreading that! He is just too darn cute!

My Adorable Nephew!

I couldn't resist and had to share this CUTE picture of little Liam! Don't you just want to snuggle him. I can't wait to see him again in person. I only got to see him for the first hour of his life and it is incredible how quickly they grow and change. My parents got to babysit for the first time over the weekend. My parents sound giddy when they talk about it. They even invited friends over to watch. Ha ha ha! Well...my turn is THIS Monday. I will be having a Csection (breech) Monday morning. Can't wait to find out what it will be!
Allison

Almost 39 Weeks...
Boy, I hope I don't get any bigger. It is so exhausting carrying all this extra weight around. I am ready to have my body back. The baby is kicking alot and it is amazing to watch my belly move around. I have gotten so used to the little (sometimes big) kicks and it will be kinda weird once they are gone. The baby is really active at night before I go to bed. I have heard that many women had difficulty sleeping this late in their pregnancy, but I seem to have no problems. I slept 12 hours each night Friday and Saturday. I am trying to fit in a lot of sleep time before the baby comes. We spent this past weekend getting some last minute things done. We set up the pack-n-play in our bedroom so the cat would get used to it. We are training her not to get in it. So far so good. We had one last shopping spree at Pottery Barn Kids and put the final touches on the nursery. We will post some finished pictures of that once the baby is here.
My last day at work is Thursday! I can't wait!
The next time we post...we will be introducing our little one!
Ali

37 Weeks and counting...

Well everyone, we are in the final countdown. Fortunately, Dawson agreed to take pictures with me again cause now I really look like I am pregnant. You all know I gotta have the pictures for the scrapbook! The baby room is almost completely ready. Just a few things left to do. I am getting the house cleaned as I type...a luxury during this last stage of pregnancy. By the end of the day, my back is killing me and I just don't want to do the necessary things to keep this house clean myself. Hazel's long hair doesn't help things either!

I have been so busy trying to get everything wrapped up at work before I leave for maternity leave. My last day at work is March 31 and I am really looking forward to it. I am starting to get very uncomfortable with all this extra weight. My ankles are swollen and today was the first day I could not wear my wedding ring. Dawson and I are still trying to finalize boy names. We are set on Ella Grace if it is a girl. Soon we will all find out and we are so excited to finally know. What a wonderful surprise it will be.

My sister's baby is doing well. He had to go into the hospital for a couple days during his first week of life due to newborn jaundice, but is fine now. Amanda is still recooperating from her delivery and really enjoying being a mom.

Well...I am going to take advantage of my free time to scrap. Lord knows, my time will be limited once the little one comes.

-Allison

Liam Takoda McLaughlin

It's a BOY!!!!!
Amanda and Kelly welcomed Liam Takoda McLaughlin into this world today at 8:53 pm! Amanda was admitted for an induction on Friday, February 24th (her due date) to Boca Raton Community Hospital. Dawson and I traveled south so that I could be there to meet the new addition to our family. I was so happy that it would be done over the weekend so that I could be there. I only have about 5 more weeks til my delivery so I was getting a little nervous traveling so close to my due date.
Amanda was an amazing trooper. She labored all day Saturday without an epidural (hypnobirthing). Unfortunately, she did not progress past 4 cm on Saturday. She was completely wiped out by midnight Saturday night and the Pitocin was stopped in hopes that she would get a break and some sleep. She ended up sleeping very little and fortunately her water broke naturally on Sunday morning. Amanda made a wonderful decision for herself Sunday morning and decided to have the epidural placed on Sunday. I forgot to mention that Amanda was suffering from migraines throughout this whole time period and was vomiting a lot from the pain. So we waited all day on Sunday and finally she was ready to push around 7:30 pm.
I wsa so fortunate that Amanda let me sit in on this truly incredible miraculous experience. I was not sure how I would feel watching all this especially knowing that it will be me in just 5 weeks. I was just amazed at how strong Amanda was through all this and I learned a lot from my kid sister. It was amazing seeing the baby being born and is something I will never forget. I feel so fortunate that I was able to share this experience with Amanda and Kelly.

Liam Takoda is a perfect baby weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces and 20". Welcome little one!

33 Weeks
As April looms on the horizon, Allison continues to grow…and grow…and grow. It seems that I can almost see her belly creeping outward if I stare long enough. Either that or my mind is playing tricks on me due to the lack of sleep caused by Ali’s new habit…SNORING! I don’t mind though, as I’m not the one who can’t roll over or sleep on her stomach. Free of those discomforts, I shall never complain.
Who knew that carrying an extra person around all day would cause you some back pain??? I now know what Chris Leak felt like last year trying to carry the Gators on his back.
We have invested in a back massager in an effort to relieve Allison of her back pain. The whole couch seems to vibrate with the electric masseuse is in action…but the cat and I both tend to enjoy the cheap thrills.
Goodbye for now, and keep the first week in April clear on your calendars.
- Dawson

Week 28

Greetings from the oven,
Starting this week, we will probably visit our OB more frequently as he will be keeping a closer eye on Allison’s progress. We still have another 10-12 weeks, but our baby is probably strong enough at this point to survive a premature delivery. "Preemies," as premature babies are lovingly called, are relatively rare thanks to modern obstetrical care.
Our baby weighs approximately 2.4 pounds and is about 10 inches from crown to rump, or a little under 16 inches from head to toe. He or she has been gaining weight steadily during the past 27 weeks as its stem cells develop into organs, blood and immune systems, and bones. However, from this point forward, our baby's weight gain will be due to increasing amounts of body fat. We found out that a quick way to predict our baby's birth weight is to average Allison's and my birth weights.
A although her beauty sleep has been suffering as of late, Allison still looks lovely. About with a severe cold or flu gave Ali a taste of what it will be like as a stay at home mom. She missed all last week of work…but something tells me that she didn’t really missed itJ
-Dawson

24 Weeks

Yes, the Zimmer girls are both pregnant! I am about 24 weeks and Amanda is about 30 weeks. We took these pictures as a suprise gift to our parents. This will be the only time both the Zimmer girls will be pregnant together (hopefully). I am learning a lot from my little sister about what to expect as the weeks pass. Our pregnancies seem to be quite different, but we both have decided not to find out the sex! There are only a few suprises in life and we are having fun trying to guess what we will have.
I think our parents are still in shock that they will officially become "grandparents" this year for both of our little ones. As soon as my mom helps Amanda adjust to her new life, my parents will have to come up to help me. It sure will be a busyand exciting few months for all of us.
-Allison