Introducing... November 21, 2014

Meta Jane McCalvy

November 21, 2014

8 lb 9 oz

21 inches long

Anchorage, AK

Proud parents: James and Jessi

First family photo: Jessi, Meta, Lincoln (3) and James

First Bath = sink bath

Snuggly warm

Getting to know Mommy

Super Daddy!

Meeting Super Big Brother Lincoln

Oma, Lincoln and Meta - Oma arrived in Alaska just a few hours after Meta was born. Good timing!

Lincoln, Grandma and Meta - Grandma was going to fly back to Cordova this morning until Meta made her grand entrance. Good timing!

Lincoln's Anchorage Adventures - Nov 20, 2014

Lincoln is having a grand time living in Anchorage.  Almost every day we have gone out to do something semi-active.  Mostly shopping.  Mommy needs to do a lot of walking!  We even went to church on Sunday to the Inlet View Ward.  We went to all three hours, Mommy and Lincoln both in nursery so that Linc could play with the toys and Mommy could just sit still and not chase a 3 year old.

Nov 7 - riding the toilet paper like a bucking bronco.

Nov 10 - playing at the library park.  We packed snow clothes for this adventure, but so far we haven't needed them.  It's cold, but not COLD.

Nov 14 - NICK!  Lincoln and Nick are playing soccer in the living room and kitchen.  Lincoln loves playing with his cousin!

Nov 17 - baby's due date and no baby yet.  Lincoln has been refusing to take naps here in Anchorage.  But today, one snuck up on him.  He was watching TV with Daddy and sitting still did the trick.

Nov 18 - Lincoln's first real trip to the movie theatre. We saw Big Hero 6 at the Dimond Center Mall.  It has big reclining arm chairs for every seat in the theatre.  Lincoln is covering his eyes because of the flash - he enjoyed some popcorn and then fell asleep and took a nap.  He woke up in time for the action and enjoyed the end of his movie.  I felt some contractions during the movie, but they didn't stick around.



Nov 20 - every time we came to the Dimond Center Mall, Lincoln asked to go ice skating.  We went to the mall a lot to window shop and get some walking in. Finally, finally, we took Linc ice skating. They even had skates his size!

Nov 20 - Home Depot. Last night as an only child, but he doesn't know that yet.

Early Thanksgiving - Nov 14-17, 2014

We're thankful for company!  Daddy, Grandma, Auntie Beth and cousin Nick all came on the same weekend for an early Thanksgiving (with hopes that the Little Chickadee might arrive too).  We had fun shopping for and cooking a Thanksgiving dinner at the apartment.  Auntie Beth had to bring a bunch of kitchen supplies because the apartment wasn't optimally stocked, but it was so much fun to have an apartment full of family.  Daddy is taking time off from work until the baby is born and Grandma is going to stay until Friday when Oma is scheduled to fly in.  That way, one of Lincoln and baby's grandmas will be at the apartment with Lincoln so he doesn't have to hang out at the birth center.

We got to keep Auntie Beth and Nick and extra night when their car had some mechanical difficulties.  They were disappointed that the baby didn't arrive during their visit, but it was still fun to have Thanksgiving together this year.  Let's do it again!

It's Hurry Up and Wait Time - Nov 6-8, 2014

Of course my phone was having problems and I couldn't find the charger for my (very old) digital camera, so I don't have pictures of some of our adventures.  

One of the problems with living in a small town in Alaska, like Cordova, is that the medical care is limited.  There is a hospital with an emergency room, but no labor and delivery.  The local doctors don't practice it, so it isn't available in town.  In order to give birth with medical oversight we had to leave Cordova and go somewhere bigger before baby arrived. Throughout my prenatal care, we've been coordinating with a midwife at a birth center in Anchorage.  So ten days before my due date, Lincoln and I moved to Anchorage and planned to stay until after our Little Chickadee arrives.  However long that might be.

We left Cordova on the ferry on Thursday November 6th. Aunt Terry came with us (THANK YOU!) to help me with Lincoln, to drive with us to Anchorage, to play with Lincoln during my midwife appointment, to help unload the car and settle into the apartment.  We rented an apartment for three weeks (with Grandma's help - thank you!) called the Vaught Spot at 5436 Dorbrandt St.  It's close to the airport and Aunt Terry made sure I could find my way to the grocery store and all the shopping places. She also bought us some groceries and some books for Lincoln.  She was so very generous with her time and with everything.  Thank you, thank you for making this adventure start out so easy.

It was sad to say Goodbye to Aunt Terry at the airport, now Lincoln and I will be on our own for a few days - Daddy will be visiting soon!

Aunt Terry left this adorable quilt for our Little Chickadee and then sent up some DVD's for Lincoln with Daddy a few days later.  THANK YOU!

She put the Berenstain Bear family in the center panel - just like our little family will be in 8 days (plus or minus 2 weeks), Papa, Mama, Brother and Sister!

Halloween - October 31, 2014

Daddy had to go to Anchorage for work about a week before Halloween. On Friday the 24th, he returned with a pumpkin!  We carved it up for family home evening one night and then set it on our front porch. Lincoln didn't care much for pumpkin guts, but he loved lighting the candle!

Lincoln was Jake the Neverland Pirate (Disney Junior TV cartoon) for Halloween. Daddy brought home this awesome sword and pirate bandana/headband from a different work trip and we found the Jake sweatshirt online. Grandma gave us fabric for Lincoln's Halloween bag and Mommy made it with Oma's long distance help.  He started trick or treating with the Hambergers and Mommy picked him up as soon as she got off of work.  (Today was my last day of work before maternity leave!) We visited the hospital, the fire department for a ride in the fire truck, the post office to see Grandpa and more.  

Daddy joined us as soon as he got off of work and we visited some houses.  Most places let Lincoln choose more than one piece of candy, so he was bringing in the loot!  His favorite is suckers.  

Before trick or treating, we bought a bag of tootsie pop suckers - just in case we were going to be at home part of the evening and would need something to hand out to trick or treaters.  Lincoln emptied the bag of tootsie pops into his own Halloween bag and then proceeded to give them away.  He gave them to Grandpa and the rest of the Post Office Crew.  Then he followed a lady out of the post office to her car and gave her one through her car window. She was very surprised that a pirate chased her down to give her some candy treasure.  It was a very fun Halloween.

Windy Sand Hill - Sept 28, 2014

Just because we wanted to, we took a Sunday drive out to the "Windy, Sand Hill." (as Lincoln calls it). We brought Linc's new birthday Tonka trucks and played in the sunshine and sand.

Lincoln 3!!! - Sept 9-14, 2014

Lincoln's birthday was on Tuesday, September 9th. The Hamberger's celebrated his birthday with balloons and gave him this wonderful cake and four airplanes.  Thank you!

Then he got a special birthday letter from Grandma Great Price in the mail on the 12th.  It included a $2 bill.  Thank you! We love our special birthday greetings.

And finally, on Sunday the 14th, we celebrated again with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Bob and Aunt Terry.  We had three huge cupcakes that Lincoln got to blow out the candles and then open presents.

This "drifters" game is from Oma and Opa Simpson.  It has a race track for some teeny tiny airplanes - like Dusty Crophopper from Disney's Planes movie.  Daddy is going to build him a board to set up the track, so that we don't have to attach the race track on the apartment wall.  Thank you!

Lincoln got some Tonka trucks from Grandma and Grandpa and some books from Uncle Bob and Aunt Terry and there were other presents that Mommy can't remember right this second, but THANK YOU!  This Copper River Fleece jacket with dinosaur trim is from Mommy and Daddy.