Ian Matthew Schleicher

God is so good! Ian Matthew was born at 5:25 pm today (5-7-09). He weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. As you can see, he has a full head of brown hair and loves stretching his long legs. He even was sporting a duck-covered temperature sensor while he warmed up after the bath. The name "Ian" means Gift of God--how very true!
The happy family after Ian had his first bath. Kim had an epidural and did really well during the entire time of labor and delivery.
Watch out...Ian is already flexing his muscles and is excited to meet each of you.
The proud papa. Thank you for continuing to keep Ian, Kim, and me in your prayers.

Baby's a comin'

At today's ultrasound, our little one weighed in at a whopping 8 lb. 13 oz. Because of this, the doctor thought it wise to induce labor so that Kim would be more likely to deliver the baby naturally. When Monday was all booked at the hospital, TOMORROW became the next option. So, it appears like our baby's birthday will be 5/7/09. Our scheduled induction time is 6:00 AM. We're feeling excited and nervous all at the same time. Please pray for a healthy baby and safe delivery! We'll be hopefully posting pictures of our baby tomorrow! :)

Baby is still keeping us guessing!

Well, it appears like all of you who are guessing that baby's arrival will be on or around the due date are exactly right. Baby still seems comfortable enough inside. ;) Kim has appreciated the time off work to put her feet up and get some small projects done around the house.

Kim's cousin Marcie, Marcie's husband Ben, and their adorable daughter Amelia came to visit. They're from Chicago and spent about a week touring the Houston/Galveston/Brenham areas. We were happy to meet up with them for dinner on Thursday night!

What's YOUR guess?!?!

We got our final ultrasound on Friday. The technician said it was rather difficult to get accurate measurements of the baby's head since it's down so low right at the pelvic bone. But, her best estimate (after taking all of baby's measurements) was that the baby currently weighs 7 pounds 14 ounces (give or take 1 pound). The fetal heart rate was 138 bpm. The doctor said Kim is 1 cm dilated. Kim, who likes to plan ahead, asked the doctor, "Do you think the baby will come early, on time, or late?" To which the doctor replied, "Yes! The baby will come early, on time, or late." So much for planning!

Kim plans to stop teaching after Tuesday of this week. Many in the family tend to think that the baby will come during this 38th week. Kim's dad (since the beginning of the pregnancy) has guessed April 27th. Kim thinks April 28th. Matt thinks April 29th. Matt's dad is guessing Friday, May 1st. What's YOUR guess?

Only 19 days 'til baby's due date!!

It's fun to think that we're entering the "final days" before we get to hold our baby! The hospital bag is ready; the pack 'n' play is set up in our bedroom. We've taken a few classes at the hospital (birthing, breastfeeding, infant care). We've completed some last minute house projects. We think we're ready!

The baby's kicks are getting more and more forceful. Kim still feels good but has puffy feet and gets very tired by the end of the day. Kim's long term substitute started this week. They plan to have a few weeks of overlap in the classroom to ease the transition for everyone.

The OB-GYN says the baby is head down and totally "engaged" in the birth canal. Later in the week, we're planning to have our final ultrasound so that the doctor can predict the baby's birth weight.

Matt's cruise

Over spring break (March 19-23), Matt attended the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools' conference. The conference was held aboard the Carnival Destiny ship! Matt loved his first cruise.

Matt was impressed by the large size of the ship!

The ship left from Miami and stopped first at Key West, Florida. Matt shopped Key West with his principal, Joel, and Joel's wife, Judy. They were impressed with the bright aqua color of the ocean!

Joel and Matt pose by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville in Key West. Matt, Joel, and Judy ate lunch here.

The boat's final stop (before returning to Miami) was Cozumel, Mexico. Matt rented a Jeep with four others from the cruise. They spent time exploring the island and visiting the quaint shops.

Week 35

This week, we've been busy doing some of our last baby "to-d0's." Matt installed the infant car seat bases in each of our cars. We also purchased our stroller and high chair. The baby's been as active as ever. He or she even got his/her first "case" of hiccups (that Kim could feel)!

Kim and her colleague Jenn (who's having a baby in June) pose with their "New Mommy to-be" tiaras. The Trinity staff threw a joint baby shower for Kim and Jenn this week.

The cake was scrumptious!