OMG, I AM FAMOUS!!! Thanks to Kelle Hampton's photos!!!

Today I got an email from a Shutterfly employee telling that my Check out my Shutterfly digi scrapbook I put together with the awesome pics that Kelle took of Chase and me. Then, scroll down to see the email that Shutterfly wrote me after having my book inthe gallery for only 3 weeks.

Click here to view this photo book.

"Dear Aligator,

My name is Rachel Bakker and I manage the Shutterfly Gallery. Your photo book, ‘Our New Blessing’, is so special that I have decided to feature it in our Shutterfly Gallery home page, Family, Baby, and Digital Scrapbooking categories.

http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/home/start.sfly?http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/browse/start.sfly?occasion=Family
http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/browse/start.sfly?occasion=Baby
http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/browse/start.sfly?occasion=Digital%20Scrapbooking

Your book will be featured for at least 3 days, possibly more. Thanks so much for sharing.

Best,

Rachel Bakker

P.S. The images in your book are absolutely beautiful – love that you included your older son in the shots. And the cover with you and your husband’s bellies facing each other is so endearing. Great scrapbooking too – complements the images perfectly. Thank you again for sharing this special book to Gallery. "


THANKS AGAIN KELLE for sharing your talent with me! You are the best!!! Anyone in the Naples area who wants a photographer, make sure you contact Kelle Hampton!!!

IT'S A BOY!!! Calhan "Cal" Wolff Brinkley! "Wolff" is my mom's maiden name. Chase's middle name is Dawson's Mom's maiden name "Taylor." We like the name Cal and just kinda came up with the name Calhan to go with it. We also wanted to have his name start with a C like his big brother.

The delivery went perfectly! The anesthesiologist was a PIKE at Florida so we all bonded right away. He let my mom in the operating room with us. Usually you can only have one person (hubbie) with you. I feel so blessed to be able to have both of them share this experience up close with me (my mom was also in the delivery room with us for the delivery of Chase). The procedure was very fast. I was able to hold Cal for a long time after the birth and he came with me to the recovery room so that I could breastfeed right away. That is a blessing. Breastfeeding is going a little bit better this time around and I have a great lactation nurse helping me.
Chase is sick and was running a fever of 101.5 Wednesday night. A child at Chase's daycare had Strep, but Chase never had physical contact with him this past week. Dawson took Chase to the pediatrician Thursday and he was started on antibiotics just in case it turned out to be Strep. Fortunately, Nanna and Mammaw have Chase at their house while I am in the hospital. That way it limits the possibility of exposure to infection. I still have not seen Chase since Thursday, but may get to see him tonight. He has not had a fever for 24 hours and has been on antibiotics for over 24 hours. We should be safe, just need to do a lot of good hand washing.

Dawson got some awesome shots of the action in the delivery room. He was not supposed to take some of these pics, but managed to sneak a few! So cool to see what was really going on behind the sheet.

We probably will be here til Monday. I just wanted to share some of these great pics with you all. I am off to go to sleep now since I only got 3 hours of sleep last night. Cal was HUNGRY!!! I am also on some hard core drugs still so I am very sleepy.

He is such a cute little bundle of joy! I love him so much! OH yeah here are his stats: born yesterday at 12:04 pm, 7 # even and 20".

Thanks everyone for all your well wishes. Nite Nite!

Dawson taught Chase this little trick. He pretends that he is going to tell you a secret and gets you to come close to you and then he splashes you! He makes me laugh every day!

1 week left!

A few weeks ago, we went to My Gym's open house. They had many vendors there including Picture People. They took free pics of Chase. Look at this cute little guy! I love him so much!

Two weeks from tomorrow and I am a mother of two! It is the final count down! My C-section is scheduled for Friday 9/19/08 at noon! I am gonna be so hungry! The doctor told me that I have started to drop, but I am not dialated. I am happy about that because I don't want any chance of going into labor. If I have to get a C-section, there better not be any labor pains for this girl!! I have decided that next week will the the last week I physically go into work before I have this baby. I can do some work from home the last week. It will just be nice to have the house to myself, sleep when I want, and pamper myself before my world completely changes.

Here is a cute video of Chase playing catch with his Daddy! BTW, I love footed jammies!!! Doesn't he look so snuggly!

Today, Chase went to the dentist for the first time! Dawson went with us because I was afraid to have Chase sit on my lap during the exam. I didn't know if he would freak out and flail his arms and legs. I am 9 months prego now so there isn't much room on my lap anyway. I wasn't able to go back there with them, but Dawson said that Chase was such an awesome boy! He sat very still and let them brush his teeth and put a fluoride paste on them. Chase has 16 teeth and the next ones that will come in are his 2 year molars. The dentist said that his mouth looks perfect and of course no cavities! He is such a big boy now!

Dawson's father is off the ventilator now. He was only on it for about 24 hours this time around. Today, they are supposed to do a barium swallow to determine is his esophageal leak has healed. If it has, then they can start advancing his diet. I know he is anxious for a cup of coffee. The hospital he is in flooded during thunderstorm Faye. Cars in the parking lot were under water! Crazy!

Today, I think was the last time I will do spin class or exercise before this baby comes. It just didn't feel right this morning. So I will hang up my spin shoes for the next few months. Kinda sad about that. I am still gonna go to the Y so Chase can play, but will just chill and read magazines.

Here is a picture of Dawson and Chase from our day at the park over the weekend. I love this picture! Chase is loving all the extra playtime with dad. I just don't have the energy anymore so he looks to Dad for entertainment!

Brinkley Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Actually, Dawson's dad took a turn for the worse today. His heart rate monitors were going off and nurses found him in respiratory distress. Apparently, he went without oxygen for a little while, but there is no brain damage. He was clearly on his way out. They moved him back to ICU and put him back on the ventilator. Peggy and Sheryl are there now and Dawson is on his way. Keep Praying!

It is truly a SAD day for DMB fans everywhere. Founding member of the band dies!

DMB sax player dies at 46 from ATV wreck injuries
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 32 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - LeRoi Moore, the versatile saxophonist whose signature staccato fused jazz and funk overtones onto the eclectic sound of the Dave Matthews Band, died Tuesday of complications from injuries he suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident, the band said. He was 46.

Moore died at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was admitted with complications that arose weeks after the June 30 wreck, according to a statement on the band's Web site. It did not specify what led to his death, and nursing supervisor Galina Shinder said the hospital could not release details.

On June 30, Moore crashed his ATV on his farm outside Charlottesville, Va., but was discharged and returned to his Los Angeles home to begin physical therapy. Complications forced him back to the hospital on July 17, the band said.

The band went on with its show Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where lead singer Dave Matthews dedicated the entire show to Moore.

"It's always easier to leave than be left," Matthews told the crowd, according to Ambrosia Healy, the band's publicist. "We appreciate you all being here."

Saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who played with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, had been sitting in for Moore during the band's summer tour.

Moore, who wore dark sunglasses at the bands' many live concerts, had classical training but said jazz was his main musical influence, according to a biography on the band's Web site.

"But at this stage I don't really consider myself a jazz musician," Moore said in the biography. Playing with the Dave Matthews Band was "almost better than a jazz gig," he said. "I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas."

Lead singer Dave Matthews credited Moore with arranging many of his songs, which combine Cajun fiddle-playing, African-influenced rhythms and Matthews' playful but haunting voice.

The band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, Va., when Matthews was working as a bartender. He gave a demo tape of his songs to Moore, who liked what he heard and recruited his friend and fellow jazzman Carter Beauford to play drums, and other musicians.

The group broke out of the local music scene with the album "Under the Table and Dreaming." The band won a Grammy Award in 1997 for its hit song "So Much to Say" off its second album "Crash." Other hits include "What Would You Say," "Crash Into Me" and "Satellite."

Fans who attended Tuesday's concert expressed sadness over Moore's death and concern about the band's future without him. "LeRoi was just super important to the band," Shawn Harrington said before the concert. "That's how the band came to be."

2 years 5 months old and already swimming!!!

Over the weekend, the boys were in the pool. Chase kept telling his dad to move back while Chase stood at the edge of the pool. Then, he would dive in and swim to Dawson. Dawson would move closer to grab Chase since he could not swim up until this point. Chase would quickly look around to see how far he swam and got mad that Dawson moved closer to him. He would yell, "Back Daddy!" and point! So Dawson did and Chase surprised us by swimming aobut 8 feet! He by no means can survive alone in the pool, but it is nice to not have to be right on top of him whenever we are in the pool. Our boy is growing up so quickly.

Here are some great pictures from our weekend at Bonnet Creek Disney celebrating Dawson's 34th birthday! We went to Hollywood Studios to show Chase all his Playhouse Disney friends. This was his first time going to Mickey's house. He was absolutely star struck. We enjoyed a character lunch with some of his favorite characters from Little Einsteins and Jo Jo. He was absolutely adorable. I think his favorite was the car stunt show and the Indiana Jones stunt show. He kept talking about the cars and airplane for days.

We have had a busy few weeks. We went to the Celebrity Mascot games in Orlando and then to the Kennedy Space Center. Chase and I went to visit my BFF from high school in Naples. She has a nice post about our trip on her blog. You can see pics and read more about it at Stout's Blog (post from 8/3). We had a wonderful time visiting her and her new baby Lily! She is just precious.

Unfortunately, we got some bad news while we were at Disney. Dawson's father had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. Apparently his esophagus perferated and food was going into his chest cavity. This created a lung abscess and he had to be put on a ventilator. He has had surgery and is doing better, but is not out of the woods yet. He is still on the vent and is heavily sedated. Please pray for him and his family. This has been a very difficult time for the Brinkley family. Will keep you posted on his progress.

As for my pregnancy, I have just 6 more weeks to go! Woo Hoo! Can't believe it has gone by this fast. I am starting to get a little nervous about becoming a mother of two and how little sleep I will be getting the first few months and not to mention the CSECTION! I am still going to spin at least once per week. I wanna see if I can continue doing it up until I deliver. This will make it easier to continue once I recover from my Csection.

Well...gotta go, it is naptime for me!

You will not believe how amazing this photographer is...

I am here in Naples with Chase, staying at Kelly (Stout) Hutcheson's house. One of her closest friends is an amazing photographer and agreed to take maternity pics of me. She also captured some beautiful shots of Chase. Here are just a few of the incredible photos she took last night! She has such an eye and wonderful talent.

Check out her site here Enjoying the Small Things.

She is available for hire. So if you are in the Naples area and you would love to have some beautiful family photos taken, this is your girl!!!

Thanks you so much Kelle!!!!!

30 weeks!!! But I really only have a little less than 2 months left. Since I am having a Csection, I can schedule my delivery up to 10 days before my actual due date. So the next time I go in, I will schedule it! It will either be 9/18 or 9/19. I am feeling good. My back gets really sore by mid day.

We are getting ready for the new addition to our family. We officially transitioned Chase to his big boy room and big boy bed yesterday! I have been so nervous about this transition, but it went beautifully! He did great for both nap and night time. What an awesome kid! This morning, I heard him saying in his cute little voice, "Mommy, Where are you?" So cute! I will post pics later of him in his bog boy bed. He just loves it.

Hard to believe my heart is going to grow even bigger in just a few short weeks!

We have been spending a lot of time in the pool lately. It has been so hot and the pool feels so good on my back. Chase is a little daredevil. We really have to watch him because he loves to just jump right in!

DO YOU THINK SHE IS MAD AT ME????
Ok, I have had it with the cat hair all over the house. Hazel was starting to disgust me with all her hair and always wanting to be next to me. So I finally convinced Dawson that it was time to shave her. It will grow out eventually if we don't like it. I think it is a little too short right now, but maybe we could keep it nice a trim with some of our own clippers.
Chase was laughing so hard when he saw her for the first time. He chased her around the house yelling "Hazel, where are you?" So cute.
Check out the video in the next posting.













Here we are at My Kids Gym today. Unfortunately, today is the last day we will be able to go because my worst fears have come true! They are closing for good this FRIDAY!!! Darn recession!

I have just 2 months left in this pregnancy. I promise to get some belly shots this weekend and post them to the blog. It has gone by rather fast. I am getting more tired this last trimester and starting to get a little anxious thinking about juggling two! At my next doctors appt, I will be able to schedule what day I want my Csection. WOW! Can't believe we are at that point already. Everything is going fine and right on schedule.

Yesterday, I had a great birthday. Dawson let me sleep in and made breakfast for Chase and me. Then, we went to get my new iphone (bday gift). We couldn't wait in that insane line so we ordered one and will get it later this week. So excited. We all napped. Since it was raining all day, we decided to order food in from Samba Room and enjoyed my favorite cake (Baskin Robbins chocolate chip). This was the perfect day for me at this point in my pregnancy. This last trimester is going to kick my butt. By lunchtime, I am so sore. I don't remember it being like this, but then again I didn't have a little guy to run after.

Here you can see chase singing me Happy Birthday! So adorable!

Last week, I had to do a 3 hour glucose tolerance test because I failed my 1 hour test. What torture!!! I had to sit in that lab for 3 hours without anything to eat or drink (except for that nasty glucose water). Well...I am happy to report that I do not have Gestational Diabetes. I didn't really think I would, but I was still a little nervous.

Last Wednesday, Dawson and I went to the DMB concert in Tampa. We had a great time. I have gone to a Dave show pregnant before, but not this far along. I did see one other pregnant girl there! She was 6 months along. Boy was that exhausting though. It is hard enough to keep my balance in general. Add a bunch of dancing fools around you and it is near impossible.

Happy Birthday to Amanda (her bday is today).

NEW TOY!!!
My parents got Dawson and I a cool new camera for our birthdays! It is the new Olympus 1030sw underwater camera. I wanted something more compact than the current (awesome) camera we have that could go underwater. This is awesome to get cute shots of Chase swimming underwater. Chase started swim lessons recently, but we only got to do one class so far due to the rain. GRRR. As you can see, he has no fear of the water. We just need him to learn survival skills.

I am now in my THIRD trimester! Can you believe it? This pregnancy has gone by so quickly. We had our second ultrasound yesterday and everything was perfect with the baby. The baby was looking right at us as you can see in the picture. The baby now weighs approximately 2 pounds and it's heart rate was in the 130's. The sonographer said that the baby was sleeping at the time. I should have eaten some candy right beforehand to give it a sugar rush. Then we would have seen some good movement. I am getting bigger and starting to move slower. I forgot how much your body starts to ache in the last part of pregnancy. I still manage to get to spin class at least weekly.

Dawson and I have been working really hard to get Chase's big boy room ready for him. It is a long process putting together furniture and clearing out my craft supplies. We still have a way to go, but I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to have him in his own room by the week after my birthday. I know that will be somewhat of an adjustment for him and will possibly have some sleepless nights. Chase needs to move rooms long enough before the baby is born so that he does does not feel like he is getting shoved aside.

Yesterday, we also went to Chase's first swim class. He was definitely the most advanced in the class. The teacher would give us some one on one time since he was obviously very comfortable with the water. We will have to go to class every other day for the next 2-3 weeks.

Chase continues to surprise us everyday with his emerging personality. He is such a fun kid to be around.