Our new life July 27, 2009

So it is no surprise that life has changed a bit in the Homeyer household.  Before Brooks’ arrival I got really tired of hearing, “Boy you’re life’s gonna change!”  As if I didn’t know. 

Today was certainly a change from any other day of my life. 

I got to sleep last night thanks to Melinda (Kelley’s mom) coming to stay with us and help with the night shift. 

This morning was spent alternating holding Brooks with Kelley (and Melinda before she left) and straightening house and even going into work for just a little bit. 

This afternoon was spent at a pediatrician’s office hearing how beautiful and healthy Brooks is and then at a Vet’s office hearing how bad Max’s allergies are. 

Here is where the day gets fun:  Kelley hasn’t had any breaks as she is the primary (read:  sole) feeder of Brooks, so as soon as I got back from the vet I took over baby duty so she could have a nap. 

He was in a real cute mode.  Eyes open, swaddled in a blanket my Mam-maw made him, just looking around. 

He had the hiccup/poots, which I find hilarious, UNTIL, the poots become something so much more. 

Suddenly he pooped so much the diaper could not contain it.  Out it came onto the blanket and Brooks.  I rushed him into the nursery to change him.  There was yellow poop everywhere.  Just as I got him cleaned up he peed all over himself.

Sidenote:  Brooks LOVES to pee just as the diaper is coming off.  I already feel he has an ability for military tactics.  If he gets you from the front 3 times in a row, just when you block the front, he’ll come from the side or even from the back and get you WHEREVER you aren’t covered.  Brilliant.

So the latest effluence was all over him and the changing table.  I proceeded, being the good Father I am, to clean him up yet once again. 

Just as I cleaned him up YET again, I reached for a new diaper and he pooped all over himself and the changing table.  It TRULY capped off a wonderful 5 minute Father/Son bonding experience. 

Finally, I got him cleaned up, diapered, and swaddled again. 

My greatest hope is in the Healthcare Reform discussion going, the Obama administration will tackle diaper improvement.  That maybe another post later on. 

Anyway, such is the new and improved life of Matt and Kelley Homeyer.  And we love it! 

Here’s a great new picture of Brooks my mom took. 

Homeyers on Shutterfly July 27, 2009

For anyone who would like to see every single picture we’ve taken of Brooks, here is our new shutterfly account.

thehomeyers.shutterfly.com

Brooks Matthew July 23, 2009

Brooks Matthew arrived Wednesday July 22, 2009 at 7:20 A.M.  He weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces and was 19 inches long. 

I’m writing this about 32 hours after the birth and mom and Brooks are doing great.  I am amazed at how quickly Kelley has gotten up and around!  Brooks LOVES to eat and has had no trouble figuring out how to do so.  Less than an hour after he arrived he took right to eating!  This leads me to believe he CERTAINLY takes after the Homeyer side in some respects. 

We are worn out and didn’t sleep much last night, but overall it has been a glorious couple of days.  Even though we could go home this afternoon, we are going to stay tonight and take advantage of professional care while we can! 

Here are some pictures.  More will follow once we have a bit more time.  If you have facebook, there are lots more pictures there.

 

 

Click here to see the facebook pics!

 

Oh Heavenly Day, all the clouds blew away

Got no trouble today with anyone

A smile on your face I live only to see

It’s enough for me, baby, it’s enough for me

Oh, Heavenly Day, Heavenly Day, Heavenly Day

Family and Fajitas July 19, 2009

It’s been a good weekend.  Matt and I spent the night in Austin Thursday to have one last getaway together.  The trip consisted mostly of eating and relaxing because we were so tired from the late night of seeing Harry Potter the night before, but it was just what we needed.  We spent some quality time at the Cheesecake Factory and had brunch at Magnolia Cafe on Friday.   Matt discovered that they make omelletes with queso and avocado which was amazing! 

This Saturday we got to spend some quality time with our family as they all made the trek to Marble Falls (except for Mallory who we missed terribly!)  Matt’s parents, Bobby and Joyce, came early in the afternoon to hang out.  They brought their great-nephew, Hunter, who is about 16 months old.  Bobby and Joyce have gotten lots of good grandparent practice with Hunter this past year.  It was fun for Matt and I to get to spend some time with him and get a glimpse of what our life is going to be like next year.  Hunter LOVES balls so we spent a lot of time playing catch/fetch with him.  He is just starting to say some words.  We got to hear him say “Bobby” several times,  much to Bobby’s delight.  He also pretty clearly said “out” and since this was one of his few distinguishable words, we (or at least the speech therapist in me)  felt it important to respond to his communication attempts and take him out to play.  Well, mostly Joyce was nice enough to take him out in the heat…she’s going to be a great grandma!  Hunter also brought several pacifiers with him and enjoyed switching them out periodically.

My parents, Terry and Melinda, and my siblings Amy and Aaron and Aaron’s girlfriend, Chelsey all came over for dinner.  Matt really did most of the cooking since it mostly involved grilling.  He made some spectacular jalapeno poppers and we also had fajitas.  Matt took some delicious shots of the food so you all could see it.  And it’s probably a good thing because this may be the last good meal that’s actually cooked in this house for a while!  It was quite the spread…

The poppers are the top/middle

We had some oreo ice cream cake for dessert.  This was always a staple in my family that my mom would make for my brother and my cousin Christie’s birthdays in January when we were kids.  Somehow then it never seemed weird to eat ice cream cake in January, but it seems so much more appropriate in July!  Chelsey also made some delicious cookies for us.  Here’s the whole crew minus Matt, the photog.  It was great to spend some time with our families and it’s always fun when we get to get the two together! 

I think Terry and Melinda realized they’ve got some catching up to do with the other grandparents…they haven’t had much practice with babies in a while!  Matt and I are doing our best to rev up the competition between them to make sure that Baby H gets good and spoiled.  I don’t think we have to worry too much since he’s the first grandbaby for both!  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to show off the nursery while it’s still clean and neat!

Most likely the next time this crew is reunited will be in the hospital, hopefully sometime this week! 

 

 

I’ll end with an unrelated picture of the cheesecake I made a couple weeks ago.  I’m just very proud of it and did take a picture to show it off!

Since Baby H hasn’t arrived yet… July 17, 2009

Since Baby Homeyer hasn’t made his appearance yet, I figured I would include a post for all you Baylor fans out there.

I am guardedly excited about the upcoming Baylor football season.  I am optimistically hoping for a return to a Bowl Game for the first time in a ridiculous amount of years.  I REALLY want to take Baby H to at least a portion of a BU game this year so when he is living in Penland Hall in 2027 (my vision is that in 2027 Penland will have been torn down and rebuilit a la Brooks Hall and will house both regular students and those rare students who play linebacker for the football team and occassionally pitch for the baseball game and lead Bible studies in the off season…of course maybe he’ll just live in Brooks Hall, which could work as well) he can say he’s been to a BU game every year of his life.  I’m not sure what exactly that would do for him, but from my vantage point now it sounds cool. 

ANYWAY, my beloved Bears announced a new look for this fall. 

Check it out:  http://www.baylorbears.com/view.gal?id=50597

Sic Em Bears!

Birth and New Birth July 16, 2009

I wrote this for Fellowship’s newsletter this week.  I thought it appropriate to include here.  Enjoy.

 

Kelley and I have been relegated to a very odd stage of life over the past couple of weeks, but one most of you can easily relate to:  the stage of waiting for the baby to come!  It is such an odd stage.  Pregnancy has now become the norm.  It seems like a lifetime ago when we actually found out we were having a baby.  At this point, Kelley is out of school for the summer and our life has slowed down a bit and we are left to wait. 

                For two people who love to have control, this is not an easy stage.  We know that at any moment the process could begin that will completely change our lives forever, and as much as we read, as much as we prepare, you just can’t be fully prepared for what is to come.  A strange stage of life indeed! 

                In this strange stage I have reflected, read, and thought much about what is to come in the next couple of weeks and months.  Much of it is miraculous, but one thing I’ve learned really jumped out at me. 

                In my ignorance, I’ve always wondered how a baby in the womb could breathe, especially when their lungs are developed and capable by the end of the pregnancy.  Added to this were questions of how exactly the baby is fed and generally survives in the womb, and then how all of that changes immediately when he is born. 

                I learned this from our Birth Preparation Class (nurses and doctors and other experts, forgive me if I get a detail or two wrong):  In the womb, the baby gets everything it needs to survive through the blood vessels in the umbilical cord.  Food, oxygen, water, you name it, the baby gets it through its complete connection to the mother.  The baby in the womb is also designed to exist in the amniotic fluid.  It can bring fluid into the lungs and there is no problem.  This is the way they are engineered, which is amazing in itself. 

                When the baby is delivered and takes that deep, sweet, fresh, first breath, he undergoes an entire re-mapping of its circulatory system and the way he is designed to survive. 

                Up until the moment he hits the cold, sterile air of the delivery room, he is engineered and designed to exist within his mother’s womb with his mother as his source of life.  The MOMENT he is delivered, he must breathe on his own, and with that first breath, the entire way he is designed to exist and survive changes.  He must breathe oxygen into his beautiful new lungs.  He must drink milk into his fresh, ready to use digestive system. 

                Birth isn’t just the progression for Baby from one stage of life into another, it is being delivered into a complete new way of living and surviving, a completely new composition of life.  In many ways, the baby has a new source of life. 

                As I listened to our birth prep coach animatedly talk about this incredible occurrence, I couldn’t help but reflect on Christ’s words to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 

                If our first birth is a re-mapping of our self, a re-working of how we exist and survive, so is our re-birth into the spirit. 

                We cannot truly see the Kingdom of God, receive the Holy Spirit, become a Follower of Christ, unless we undergo a complete re-mapping of the way we exist and gain our sustenance in this world.  From our first breath after we accept the grace of Jesus we breathe in the Holy Spirit.  We drink in the presence of Christ in our lives.  We exist as a new being who now is dependent on a Holy God for life.  We are transformed and changed!

                So Fellowship, breathe deeply this morning with the miraculous lungs you have been given and know that you are fearfully, wonderfully, amazingly made.  Give God praise for the completely, utterly new birth and new life we have in Him!  Gain strength in this knowledge to throw off that which entangles you and be conformed into Christ’s image.  Go out and live like the new being you are in Christ!

In Limbo July 14, 2009

I have found myself having a really hard time knowing how to handle this current state we’re in.  For the past few weeks, I’ve been at home working to get ready for a baby, knowing that I need to be enjoying my last carefree days of summer as my days without much responsibility are limited.  But, I’ve had a hard time being fully able to let loose and enjoy them because my mind doesn’t seem to turn off from thinking about all that is on the horizon.  I find myself , amid lots of excitement about the arrival of Baby H, nervous about my capability to be a good mother, nervous about how our lives are going to change and just nervous about all of the unknown. 

I’m most definitely ready to not be pregnant anymore.  Some of the things I’m looking forward to in regards to not being pregnant include:  being able to roll over in bed, putting on pants without grimmacing, walking without feeling like I’m going to wet my pants and not being soo hot!  Though there are a few perks that I will miss: having a good excuse to eat whatever I want, having a good excuse to slack off a bit at the gym and having Matt rush to help anytime I drop anything because he knows how hard it is for me to get things off the floor!  I will admit that this pregnancy has not been nearly as bad as I was afraid pregnancy was going to be, so I can’t complain too much, BUT I don’t think I’ll miss it (except for being able to feel the baby move around-that’s been pretty amazing!)

I am aware how my mood has changed especially these last few weeks.  (Let’s just say I may not have been the most pleasant to be around!)  I will take this opportunity to praise Matt for how great he’s been not just recently, but through this whole process.  He’s been very patient with all the ups and downs I’ve put him through.  It has started to become the norm for tears to spring up unexpectedly and Matt has always responded to these tears with great comfort and reason when I don’t seem to be capable of thinking very rationally.  Well, he’s responded appropriately to all the tears except the time when I’d been crying for an hour in the car and then he got a speeding ticket, but I guess one screw up in 9 months is not too bad!  (I love you, Matt!)  Anyway, I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful partner to walk with me as we go through this weird state of limbo.  He even suprised me with a new video camera last night so that we can start documenting Baby H’s life from day one, though not in the delivery room…don’t worry! 

I realize that this post is a bit of random rambling, but that’s the way my brain is functioning right now!   I really am terribly excited about this new adventure we’re about to begin.  I’m just not doing well with the sitting and waiting!  Tomorrow we go back to the doctor for our weekly checkup, then there’s only one doctor visit left before the BIG day!  11 days and counting..!!….!!….

When do YOU think Baby Homeyer will arrive? July 13, 2009

So, as we anxiously await the arrival of Baby Homeyer, I thought I would create a little poll and see when YOU think he will arrive.  Yes, folks this is an interactive blog! 

For odds and the over/under on each choice, please contact me at matt.homeyer@yahoo.com as I am not allowed to take bets via this public forum. 

What do you think?

The Bob Revolution July 13, 2009

I’ve always been fascinated (in my vast life experience!) to find the changes new phases of life brings.  We spend so much of our time preparing to take the next step of life (high school prepares you for college, college prepares you for jobs, dating prepares you for marriage, marriage prepares you for children, etc, etc.) it is bizarre at times to find yourself suddenly in a new phase of life. 

I don’t know how many times over the past several years I have said to one friend or another, “Man, we really are adults!”  As if I should be suprised.  As if, even in an age of extended adolescence, one could reach the age of 28 without adult responsibilities!  All the same, every once in a while an actual adult treats me (who still feels like a pretend-adult) like an actual pastor or an actual peer and I am very suprised! 

In this whole baby situation, Kelley and I have tried to be diligent in reading books, talking to people, and generally figuring out how in the world to be a parent and successfully enter this next phase of life.  A big part of this has simply been learning all of the baby “technology” out there.  Going into Babies R Us the first time was an incredibly overwhelming experience (that maybe another post). 

We’ve tried to be reasonable and relatively frugal in our choices of all the baby junk we need, but one thing we splurged on after talking with our friend Courtney, is a Bob Revolution Stroller.  For those of you who don’t know what a Bob Revolution is, here is a picture.

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago I was pulling away from a house after visiting some church members when I saw a man jogging with his young soon.  Suddenly I recognized that he was pushing a Bob Revolution.   Without thinking I pulled up next to him, told him I liked his Bob Revolution, and asked him how he liked it.  We talked for 5 minutes about a stroller. 

And as I pulled away I thought to myself, “Man, I REALLY am an adult!” and just an adult, a soon-t0-be-dad.  Six months ago I would have had no IDEA what a Bob Revolution is, much less been able to discuss it with a stranger for 5 minutes! 

So I guess I really am a “real” adult (granted, many of you college friends, especially Kelley’s friends, will say I’ve been 40 for the past 8 years), who talks about IRAs, taxes, lawn maintenance, and and yes, strollers. 

And now, check this out

Our Bob Revolution comes with a car seat adapter…jealous?

Enjoy it while you can! July 12, 2009

It has been a really nice weekend.  We’ve tried to relax and enjoy laying around with very little responsibility while we can! 

Kelley’s sister Amy moved from Dallas to Austin Friday and we went in to help her move into her apartment.  Moving into a 3rd story apartment on July 10 in 105 degree heat at 4:00 in the afternoon is quite an experience.  It was miserably hot but will be a good family memory.  More importantly, now Kelley’s parents, brother, and sister all live within an hour of us…which means babysitters! 

Our Church does Meals on Wheels with St. Frederick’s Baptist Church on the second Saturday of every month.  St. Frederick’s has this incredible Meals on Wheels Ministry where they provide meals every Saturday of the year for people who get governmental Meals on Wheels during the week but might not have anything for the weekend.  We help package the food and deliver once a month.  Kelley and I got up early and went and helped out Saturday morning.  It is always a great time visiting with Bessie Jackson and Rev. George Perry at St. Frederick’s along with all of our family from Fellowship. 

We laid around most of the rest of Saturday, BUT, went to one of my favorite places in the world on Friday night, Alamo Drafthouse! 

We went and saw Away We Go with Maya Rudolph (SNL) and John Krasinski (The Office).  It was a really good movie, but for our current stage of life, it was perfect.  It is the story of a pregnant woman and her boyfriend as they search for “home” in the vastness of America.  I highly recommend it.  Add pizza, drinks, and an oreo shake to a great movie and it makes for a great night.  Of course, the evening was topped off with a trip to Babies R Us. 

This morning was a great morning at Fellowship complete with a new family joining, which is always wonderful.  We did NOTHING this afternoon, and right about the time I had convinced myself to take a bike ride, our friends Will and Jenny called and invited us for Brisket and Brats at the Brust’s house.  It was amazing.  Brisket.  Brats.  Mashed Red Potatoes.  Frito Salad.  Grilled Corn on the Cob.  Ice Cream Cake.  Water Melon.  Awesome.  Also, Happy Birthday Emily!  THanks for being born 19 years ago so we could bbq today. 

Tomorrow continues the waiting and watching. 

Even So, Baby Homeyer come quickly (a little shout out to you seminary geeks)

I’ll leave you with a couple pictures.  The first is of a little onesie a smart aleck church member gave us (Thanks Dan!)  Some of you Agriculture and Mechanical fans might appreciate it. 

This one is a birds nest a mockingbird is building in our Red Oak Tree.  It has been fun to watch it be constructed over the week.  I’ll keep you posted on the progress!