Brett's 1st Baseball Game!

Brett went to his first baseball game today to see Dad play against the Mets! He didn't seem all that amused though... he slept through the ENTIRE game! Dad went into the game in the 8th inning and played 1st base. Unfortunately he didn't get any at-bats. We went down to the field after the game and were able to steal Donnie away from the autograph seekers long enough to get a few pictures! Tomorrow, Brett will go down to Bradenton to see Daddy play against Uncle Neil! Hopefully there will be some good pictures to share!

Brett Walker Kelly is here!!!!!

Donnie and I are so excited that our little man is finally here! He arrived two day before his due date... and one day after Donnie's birthday!!! He apparently was dead set on having his OWN birthday!

I woke up at 3:45am on Monday, Feb. 16th with some strong contractions. I decided to try to go back to sleep. That really didn't work! By 4:15am I woke Donnie up and we called the Dr. We were told to come in and were admitted around 5:30am. The rest of the day is kind of a blur. My parents had arrived in Florida just the night before! We called them and they drove up from Bradenton right away. Around 5pm, the fetal heart rate monitor started to go a little crazy. We knew that something was up when the Dr. and a bunch of the staff rushed in. The baby's heart rate had dropped considerably when he descended into the birth canal. I was given oxygen and we were told that it as soon as Brett's heart rate stabilized, I would start pushing. Around 5:20, it was go time. I only pushed for 15 minutes because Brett's heart rate was skyrocketing with every push. With a little help from the Dr. (and a good pair of foreceps), our big guy came into the world around 5:35pm. He weighed 8lbs, 10ozs and measured at 21 1/2 inches long! He had the longest arms and legs and a FULL head of black hair.

We are finally getting adjusted to life with a newborn. We aren't getting much sleep yet but we are figuring Brett out and I think he's getting used to us as well. My mom has been with us the whole time and has been a lifesaver. She's been cooking meals, doing laundry, going to pediatrician apptointments with us, and giving us a break whenever we need some help! I honestly would have been lost without her here! I don't know how long she'll stay but we certainly aren't showing her the door! Donnie is adjusting to baseball all day and baby all night. He is a natural as a dad... as if there was any doubt!

We are so excited for everyone to meet Baby Brett!

Super Bowl XLIII Champions!!!!

Donnie and I are all settled into our new place in Lakeland! FINALLY!!! Being so close to Tampa gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the Super Bowl festivities! On Saturday, we headed down to Raymond James to take in the 'NFL Experience.' The lines were incredibly long and punt, pass, & kick games weren't really my bag at 38-weeks pregnant but the atmosphere made it well worth the trip. The Steelers fans so outnumbered the Cardinals fans that it almost felt like being at home in the 'burgh! It was a blast to meet up with Neil and a bunch of friends from home who were down to see the game.

On Sunday, GAMEDAY!!!, we started out the day tailgating on the top of a parking garage about a mile away from the stadium. We ended up walking about 10 miles that day (and no, I am NOT exaggerating!!!) to meet up with friends and try to scalp some tickets. After tailgating, we hung out by the stadium till 6pm and were pretty bummed that there was not a ticket to be had. Again though, being outside in the amazing weather with so many Steelers fans and the buzz that is Steelers Nation made the whole day worth it! Donnie and I finally decided to cut our losses (ie: make it home in time for the game!) so we headed back to Lakeland. We had to listen to the pregame festivities on the car radio and we missed some of the first quarter to pick up some takeout but we were home in time to catch the rest of the game. Surprisingly, the drama and suspense of the 4th quarter PLUS all of the walking I did that day did not bring on labor. HAHA! We DID sleep well that night though!

37 Weeks... Officially Considered 'Full-Term'

Today is my official 'full-term' date! I am excited to have reached it but I also feel that labor is still a long way away! At my last Dr.'s appointment, I found out that Brett is head down. Although this is a good thing, I've learned from my mom and my friend Sara that the baby still has plenty of time to flip if he so desires! HAHA! In all of the excitement of meeting my new Dr. in Florida, I forgot to ask him if he could take a guess at the size of the baby. Hopefully I will remember to ask this Friday when I see the Dr. again! From external belly measurements, I was told that I am 'doing some good growing!' I am still feeling great. Donnie has been sucking it up and going for walks with me, which I LOVE to do (pregnant or not) and he hates, but I think this is keeping my energy up as well! We are SO excited to meet Brett but trying to be patient and enjoy our last few weeks of childless coupledom! :)

I've been asked once again to take a belly pic and, after a conversation with my friend Melissa, I've been motivated to take one more! (Melis... you know this means that you have to take one now, too?!?!) Hopefully, the next picture I post will be of me with Brett on the outside of my belly!!!

What a difference a day (okay, 2 days) makes!

We took a picture from out our back door before we left Pittsburgh on Friday. It was snowing and the high was 8 degrees, I believe. When we woke up in Charlotte on Saturday morning, we turned on the Today Show and the Weather Channel was in Pittsburgh because it was -8 degrees!!! So, I decided that I needed to take a picture out the back door this morning for the sake of comparison. I guess there's not much to compare really! It's sunny and 60 degrees this morning. What a difference 2 days makes!!!GO STEELERS!

Our 2 year Anniversary

Yesterday, 1/13/09, we celebrated our 2-year anniversary! While those two years weren't necessarily without incident, Donnie and I both agree that they have been the best of our lives. We dated for 2 years and were then engaged for 13 months; nearly all of which was long distance. Whether it was Donnie going to fall-ball in Phoenix, baseball rehab in Florida, or returning to Pgh to finish school or it was me being in NY for college, going to Ireland to play basketball, or moving to Florida to pursue a job... it made for a LOOOOONG 3 years before we were married! Now that we are living life together, we can't imagine it any other way! All of the places that we have lived since we've been married have been so much more enjoyable because we are experiencing life together. We are finding that having your best friend there to share things with makes the highs much higher and the lows much more bearable. Our promise to each other as we begin our 3rd year of marriage is to keep each other laughing.... hopefully that tactic will make life with a newborn just a little bit easier!