"I think I'm full," says Ella.

The Andre family.

Fast asleep in her car seat.

Stretching out.

Checking herself out in the mirror!

Winners of the Name/Birthdate Contest

Thanks to all who participating. It was fun to receive your reflections on the names and when Ella would arrive.

Winners of the name contest are:

Monique Aiuto
Carrie Andre
Jen Bunyan

Winners of the birthdate contest are:

Linda Duncan
Mary Schlechter

p.s. All winning guesses were submitted long before I knew I would be induced! Don't hate the player, hate the game!:) Congrats!

I guess Ella missed the memo about wearing her sunglasses for this picture!

Ella and her Moma at the hospital after a weigh-in and cord clamp removal.

Ella and her first "milk drunk" experience with our nurse Candy after a successful breastfeeding intervention.

Here she is wrapped in her bathrobe after a little sponge bath.

A mommy/daughter moment.

Up close and personal after an attempt at breastfeeding.

Fast asleep as usual. Here you see our own version of the classic swaddle because Ella likes to have at least one hand out. She's a squirmer!

A bit of a better picture of her. She's a very sleepy girl. ZZZzzzzzzzzzz

Ella and her daddy getting ready for bed after another exciting day together. She likes to have her hands up near her face...not good for photo opps:)

The Andre family getting ready to be discharged from the hospital.

Back to our house we go........

.....and it will never seem the same now that there are four (Oscar included). So, for all of you dying for the reveal of the "juicy details" of Ella's birth, here they are........

Once upon a time, I thought I would awake in the middle of the night with that panic of contractions, Phil and I would rush to the car in our nightclothes and a few hours later the baby would arrive. Well, that sounds like a fairytale for one reason; IT IS! In real life, it played out a bit differently.

First of all, I didn't spontaneously begin to have contractions. As of Monday at my doctor's appointment I was about 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. My doctor, the wonderful Dr. Lyon, said that we should probably induce on Tuesday morning. So, bright and early on Tuesday morn, Phil and I headed for the hospital. There I was started on Pitocin at around 7:30 am. I was having contractions, but they weren't intense and I wasn't feeling them. It seemed like things were going to be pretty easy, and then, it happened. I began to feel the contractions. Imagine a pretty bad stomachache where your stomach cramps up and you know something is going to come out whether you like it or not--that is exactly what contractions feel like, in their MILD stage! Around 11:00, Donna and I were just starting to watch the movie Pride and Prejudice when I felt my water break. Go Jane Austen! That's when all hell broke loose and the contractions went from mild to really uncomfortable. The nurse came in and asked me what my pain level was at the time. I said, "10!" It couldn't possibly get any worse than this, I thought. If I only knew what was in store for me in the next few hours.

Well, apparently my membrane had not completely ruptured, so it needed a bit of help from the doc. There was a bit of meconium in the mix, so then I had to get flushed out, which sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it? Here's the part in the story where my memory is a bit blurry because I started experimenting with some mild drugs to "take the edge off", which actually did not take any edge off, but just made me a bit sleepy. Well, you can't exactly sleep when you still feel like someone's jackhammering your back and punching you in the stomach at the same time. So, needless to say, the mild drugs that I did have were not of any help.

So, as I came closer and closer to realizing what a true 10 is on the pain level scale, I begged for an epidural. "Please, Candy. Go get the aneastesiologist!" For those of you who heard a rumor about me saying no to drugs, it is a lie. I wanted those drugs, but Candy, my L & D nurse, thought otherwise. But, oh, she never said no to me outright. She was very sneaky about it, stalling by claiming she needed to chart some stats and then she would order the drugs. I hated her at the time, but now I appreciate it because by the time I was asking for the drugs, I was only about 2 cm away from pushing. Once my water was broken, it only took about 2 1/2 hours to go from 4 to 10 cm. At 3:00, I was at 10 and ready to push. I really feel for those ladies out there who push for hours on end, because let me tell you, it is exhausting! Luckily, I only had to push for about 50 minutes, then Ella was born at 3:59 pm.

We're all doing well. Phil is an awesome daddy. He took care of the first few diaper changes without a hitch! And this is a guy who thought he would be afraid to hold a newborn! Ella has proven him wrong and she loves it when he holds her. We came home this afternoon and the little bambina is sleeping downstairs. She's a very content baby and we're so glad that she arrived safe and soundly. We wish you all could be here to see her in person! Ciao for now, the mama needs her recovery sleep!

Ella's Second Day

and the correct spelling of my name is ELEANORA LOUISE

8 lb 10 oz and 21 1/2 inches long, aja says, ?Whew!?

momma and sweet elenora

momma and sweet elenora

momma and sweet elenora

daddy and elenora louise

daddy and elenora lousie

buongiorno, mondo - hello world!

elenora louise arrives on 7-11

elenora arrives on 7-11

Ben, Phil, Donna, and Aja at the restaurant Hosteria al Palmento in Nicolosi on Thursday.

40 weeks and counting......

Well folks, you can all stop holding your breath for the much anticipated due date because there's still no baby being born! That's right, she's holding out on us, but the old pregnant body is starting to get ready for the birth. She'll be born mid to late next week at the latest as the doctors don't like to let people go beyond 41 weeks here. So, for all of you who voted that I would be in this predicament until July 18th or whatever date it was, you are sadly mistaken:) So sorry!! We'll keep you posted in the ever running drama of "Baby Andre 2006." Ciao!

We're having a heatwave, a tropical heat wave........it's too hot here even for Oscar to do anything but lie around. Temperatures in the 100s all week, folks! Thank goodness for AC:)

Philip playing with Oscar and D.O.G., our neighbor's dog.

Name and Birthdate Poll

Buona sera.......

Well, obviously we are still waiting for the baby's arrival, but I have had some requests to see the tally count for each name candidate, so here goes. This count includes most of my 6th grade (now 7th graders!!) students' votes.

Girl Name: Boy Name (just in case!):

Sarah--14 votes Kevin--18 votes
Stephanie--11 votes Xavier--9 votes
Isabella--10 votes Luca--6 votes
Elise--9 votes Julian--5 votes
Lillian--8 votes Theo--5 votes
Olivia--6 votes Logan--4 votes
Eleanora--4 votes Liam--4 votes
Natasha--4 votes Gideon--2 votes
Cynthia--3 votes Campbell--2 votes
Dora--2 votes Oliver--2 votes

There are still some birthdates left to choose from! The following days have the # of people guessing that the baby will be born then. If a date is not listed, then no one has chosen that day.

June 28--3 people
June 30--2 people
July 1--1 person
July 3--2 people
July 4--2 people
July 6--1 person
July 7--3 people
July 8--4 people
July 9--1 person
July 11--1 person
July 12--1 person
July 15--1 person (I don't care if that is your b-day, Kathy, I'm not going that long!!:))
July 18--1 person (ditto to you, Diane E.!!:))

We'll keep you posted! Ciao!

Aja at 38 and 1/2 weeks with a collage she made for the baby's room.

Here's Phil in front of our new car.

Me and Phil at our baby shower last Monday at school.

Summertime, and the living is easy.......

Buon giorno, tutti!

Well, our school year has come to a close as of today. Now Phil and I can just rest up for the big event that has been cleared to happen! The past few months have been both busy and dragging at times, but we both made it through. Phil was busy this spring with the men's soccer team again. I have been very active with some end of the year activities with our 6th grade class--a Pizzathon, Renaissance/Medieval Festival, field trips, etc.

Recently, we had some painting donw inside of our house, namely to the baby's room, guest bedroom, and kitchen. Check out our Yahoo photo albums to see what the house looks like now. For some reason, the direct link to the albums is not working, so here is our log in information:

user ID: ajaphilip
password: oscarwilde

It's Mr. Cooper at nearly 5 months (tomorrow). Look how his dad is trying to push baseball on him--the poor kid!:)

Okay, so his belly's not quite as big as mine, but iw was worth a shot! This picture was taken last Sunday at our end of the year party. The other belly belongs to Chief Naab, our school liasion to the Navy.

Baby belly at 36 1/2 weeks--it's almost time!

A recent picture of our nephew, Cooper. Apparently he is already quite the water enthusiast! Anyway, my hope is that his cute picture distracts you from the grotesque pregnant lady in the picture below!

Baby belly at 35 and 1/2 weeks.

The Baby Andre belly at 34 weeks. The baby has definitely dropped down and continues to get bigger everyday!

Here I am with Phil's family during my recent trip to the States. From L to R is cousin Andrea, me holding Cooper, mom Donna, sister Carrie, Andrea's baby Madelyn, and aunt Kathy.

The baby belly at 31 weeks--Oscar doesn't know what to think of the expanding tummy!

The baby belly at 24 weeks--this is 2 weeks old!

A recent picture of little man Cooper--already a stylish dresser at only 1 month old!

Here's a full length profile shot.

It's a Girl! Or at least the sonographer was almost 100% sure, but that's good enough for us! Here she is with her right hand up to her mouth.

Check out the belly from lil' baby Andre! More sonograms to come soon, and hopefully the gender as well! Ciao!

We Have a New Nephew!

Phil and I have officially become an auntie and an uncle! Phil's sister Carrie and her husband Andrew welcomed Cooper Olen Zentner to the world on Tuesday, January 17th around 9:30 pm (Central time). He weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz. and is in perfect health. Nonna Donna (Phil's mom) was able to make it to Chicago in time to see the birth of the first Andre family grandchild! He is so cute and we love him so much already!

Andre Baby at 14 weeks waving for the camera.

Phil and Sonia on the slopes of St. Johann

Me and Phil having dinner with Wolfgang and Consuela in their home in Austria.

Me and Phil with the Schlierfs in their home.

Christmas with da Ahnold (Schwartzenagger, that is)

Over the holiday break from school, Phil and I did some road traveling through Italy, Germany, and Austria. Italy was more or less for traveling through, as we just stayed a night at the Naples and Aviano bases to space out the driving on our way to Germany and Austria. It's quite amazing though how much the landscape changes while driving through Italy. We went from somewhat warm Sicily with its volcanic terrain and desert foliage, through the mountains covered with snow south of Naples (and the never ending construction on those winding mountain roads--people who have made this drive, you feel our pain), past the rows of fields and vineyards surrounding Rome and on into Toscano, then finally into the industrial flatlands with much more German-style architecture and driving (they actually stop at stop signs up there--a miracle!) with the Alps looming high in the background.

We were comforted to be spending Christmas in an area that closely resembled what Christmases had been for us all our lives--white snow, bundling up from the cold, evergreen trees. It was strange to be away from our families and friends, but also nice to be out exploring the world a little bit more. Our first non-base stayover took place in Burghausen, Germany with the Schlierf family. No, we didn't just knock on a stranger's door and ask them to shelter a pregnant woman and her husband for the night. Alois Schielrf works for Wacker Silicone in Burghausen and has the equivalent position there of what Phil's dad, Lee, does at Wacker in Adrian. So, they are family friends. We were well taken care of not only by Alois, but also his wife, Hannalore, and their two college-age daughters, Sonia and Andrea.

They walked us around the old town of Burghausen, which is very charming with lots of quaint independent shops in centuries old buildings as well as a castle that is claimed to be the longest castle in Germany. It sits high above the old town and is well lit up at night. Apparently, people actually live in the many buildings of the castle. The houses are passed down from generation to generation and are not easily attainable any other way. It is quite an honor to be a resident of the castle grounds. After our long walk, we warmed up with a traditional Bavarian dinner back at the Schlierfs house. I wish I could remember the names of all the dishes, but all I can remember are spetzle and blukraut. The next day Andrea and Sonia took us to Salzburg in nearby Austria (Burghausen is situated on a river that seperates the German and Austrian border) for a taste of the Christmas markets quite popular in this area of the world. There you will find rows upon rows of booths offering wooden nutcrackers, smokers, tree ornaments, Mozart balls (chocolate balls with a layer of nougat and marzipan in the center), pretzels (even doughnut pretzels), and Gluhwein (a hot mulled wine). While we were there it began to snow, so we ducked inside the oldest tea house in Salzburg for warm drinks and cakes. We couldn't stay too long in town because we had to be back for dinner at another Wacker friend's house, Wolfgang Kisch and his wife, Consuela. Wolfgang actually lived in Adrian on Elm Street for about 4 years while doing work for Wacker. Now he is back at Wacker in Burghausen, and he and Consuela live in a beautiful new home in Austria, just across the river from the Schlierf's house. Wolfgang is from Austria and Consuela is originally from Romania, but they met on a cruise through the Caribbean and married soon after. Consuela works for a company that is a subsidiary of Wacker and also has an online business for a popular Romanian skin care line.

While we loved being invited into the homes of friends, we did have another destination to get to on our trip. We packed up and drove to the Austrian Alps for a week of skiing. The area where we stayed was only about 2 hours from Burghausen. We arrived on Friday afternoon to our beautiful hotel, Hotel Kalkstein, near the village of Kirchdorf in Tirol of Austria. The hotel was filled with families on their winter holiday from France, Austria, Great Britain, America, the Netherlands, etc. We met a lot of people who work on a NATO base in Brussels, Belgium and our table partners (we actually shared a table in the dining room with two others because of space) were a DODDS teacher from Germany and her daughter! It's a small world!

Phil and I signed up for a few days of ski lessons. Of course, I was in the "I've-never-been-on-skis-in-my-life" class and he was off to the intermediate class with our friends the Coreys from Sigonella. It was nice though because I met a lot of great people in my class and had really helpful and patient ski instructors. I stayed on the slope nearest to our hotel, but Phil was off to a few different ones. He actually went skiing with Sonia and Alois for a day when they came to visit. I enjoyed my lessons much more than I had anticipated and definitely want to try it again next year. We had such a good time here because everyone took such good care of us. A gift was left for us in our room on Christmas Eve, the hotel had very fancy Christmas meals arranged as well as activites to keep people busy like sleigh rides, tobaggining, etc. On our last day we took a break from skiing and ventured back to Salzburg. There we visited the town's fortress/castle, Mozart's birthplace and the home where lived in his late teens and twenties, and the church where he used to play the organ as a teenager.

We drove back on Friday and Saturday of last week. School started on Tuesday, so it's back to work we go! Oscar was very glad to see us and now we are watching the neighbor's dog so they can go on their vacation. It's a school night, so I must say Adieu for now. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

To see more photos from our trip, click on the link to our Yahoo Photos. If it takes you to a log-in screen, our log-in is "ajaphilip" and the password is 'oscarwilde". Enjoy!