day of reckoning

Many years ago, I bought a sports car with the notion that I would sell it when I had children. Although I thought children would enter my life sooner than now, I am still having a bit of remorse to move to a more practical car. Yesterday we bought our city/commuter/family car...so today the sports car will be sold. I will usher in this new chapter of my life in my new Honda Element.

On a side note, Christmas was wonderful with all of our family. We couldn't be more blessed. I will be posting pictures soon, stay tuned.

Anna

as i promised

So Champ is getting big. Yesterday we met with his teacher for school. I feel very blessed. Champ was extremely comfortable in her arms and the room seemed so organized and in control. That really amazed me considering there are 16 infants under the age of 9 months. He will start attending school after the first of the year. I will take pictures of his first day.

I also mentioned that Jeff and I went to San Fran. Jeff's best man Brian finally married his long time girlfriend Sarah. The wedding was small as many had to travel cross country to attend. That made it very intimate. The were married outdoors on a jetty into the Bay on the northern side of San Francisco. The backdrop to the wedding was the Golden Gate bridge. The wedding was breath taking. Our entire trip we had amazing weather, clear blue skies with chilly temperatures. We visited with friends, toured the MOMA of SF and ate dim sum in China Town. It was a great trip. All of this was possible thanks to MawMaw and PawPaw who took great care of Champ. They all seemed to enjoy the weekend as much as Jeff and I.

I have been enjoying my last few quiet days at home with Champ. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. We have both enjoyed our time home together. During this time, I think Champ has taught me more that I have taught him. It will always be a time I will remember and cherish.

Here are a few recent pictures for everyone:

Good morning mom...this is how my days start.



As Santa is on his way I wanted to show everyone that it is the simplest things in life that keep me entertained, an energy bar wrapper and my toes.

please stay tuned

Jeff and I truely appologize for our deficiency in updating the blog. As with everyone else the holidays are keeping us running. We travled to LA for Thanksgiving and plan to return for Christmas. In between we took a get-away without Champ to San Francisco. I will further elaborate on all of these stories and post some more recent pictures. Please bear with me.

Also going on arround here is I found out my next job assignment (it took a special waiver to get) and we introduced Champ to his school.

Things here will only get more crazy after the new year with me returning to work. As I stated earlier I will be posting pictures soon, stay tuned.

grandma's are great

This weekend my mother came for a visit. She is getting to see the changes in Champ as he grows. One of the reasons I think gradmothers are terrific is that they lend an extra set of hands. This morning she provided me with the privilige to go for a run. I think this is the first solo run I have had since Champ has arrived. Until now either Jeff, Champ or both have accompanied me. Well I took the freedom and pressed my endurance to the limit. I finished my run fairly quickly and it felt fantastic.

On a separate note, I don't know what all the hoopla is about the woman winning the NY marathon 9 months after giving birth. I ran and did hours on the stairmaster through my pregnancy. It is very do-able. I was also quite surprised how quickly I returned to my pre-pregnancy fitness. I am very proud to be a woman that is pushing stereotypes and accomplishing things people don't think are possible.

Anna

the magic always works

The other morning, I had Champ next to me on the couch. Since it was a little chilly, I used an available blanket to warm him. Well, the nearest blanket happened to be our LSU throw. When I covered him he was playing, but as I looked back a few moments later he was out. Champ helped to prove a very important point, that no one can resist the combination of the couch and the LSU blanket. I myself have succumb to a number of naps with this lethal combination and it appears that I have passed those genes onto my son.


Below in a post for Champ's nanny. She was so kind to send him a teether for Halloween. As all can see below, he is already enjoying it.

boo, i mean kick-off or happy halloween

Champ wanted to wish all our family and friends a Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeen! Because of his early infatuation with LSU football, he has been begging us to be a football for Halloween. As luck would have it his torso is almost exactly the same size as a regulation football. So for all you engineers reading, yes he is to scale! It has been a quiet trick or treating night in our neighborhood. We had one trick or treater so far (our next door neighbor), but she was a cute little devil.

The boys were playing on the sofa this evening but now Champ has crashed after his long day. He was so excited about Halloween that he didn't want to take a nap so he inevitably peeked a bit early. I guess he will learn.

-jeff & anna

still enjoying the weather

Champ enjoyed two runs today! Anna took him out this morning, and I watched him this evening while Anna took care of some things. The weather is still awesome, so Champ and I decided to go for a run. I felt good today and kept a much faster pace than planned. I could see in Champ's eyes after the run that he was a bit surprised by his old man too.

Our route around Rice offers lots of rabbits on the trail to chase (especially this time of year). It has been exceptionally good weather for outdoor activities. After our run, Champ proceeded to his usual knawing of the hand while considering washing it down with some gatorade.

Anna and I are catching ourselves falling into the stereotype of new parents lately. Mainly by talking about Champ a lot! It has been hard to resist because he is at such a cute time now. He is getting more and more interactive and showing off lots of personality. Oh well, I think it's been good that he is shaking up our routine a bit.
-jeff

amazing weather...here at last

Fall has finally arrived in Houston and the weather is no longer in the 90's. We are enjoying highs in the 70's with blue bird skies. This post will be a bit miscellaneous since I want to discuss many things that have been going on since I last logged in. Having a little one I have found it difficult to post as he demands a great deal of attention and I am using some of his precious nap time to do necessary things like shower.

Earlier this week, just following the passing of our first real cold front Champ and I took the opportunity to enjoy the weather. We went for a run, the first cold run of the year. I found something new in myself as we prepared for the run...I am an overprotective mom. Not knowing how chilly he might be in the stroller, I bundled him well. The weather was fantastic and we both enjoyed ourselves.



Last weekend we again made the journey to LA to visit the grandparents and see LSU play Auburn. Yes, the game did make it worth the trip. For any who might have missed it, Death Valley erupted when Byrd caught a pass from Flynn in the endzone to win with 1, yes 1 second remaining on the clock. We had a great time at the game and my father and brother hosted a wonderful tailgate. All this was possible due to my mother, who helped prepare the tailgate and gave up her ticket to the game to babysit. Thank you very much. So Champ, Honey, and Mimi rooted the Tigers on from the home front. I also understand that Mimi started tutoring the latest generation in Spanish. I hope that Champ picks it up for in Texas it will be quite useful.

The next topic added to the pleasure of the weekend as well. Champ has begun sleeping more consistently through the night. Following our early morning return from the football game he gave us 5 hours of sleep much to our surprise. At home the trend is continuing as this morning the little bum didn't wake up until 8 o'clock. I have to admit, I kept checking to make sure he was breathing. I think my body is a bit shocked with the new sleep.

On our way to Baton Rouge, we also made a stop in Lafayette. Champ never left his MawMaw's attention. She is spoiling him already. Upon our arrival she gave him a personalized Halloween trick-or-treat bag fashioned after ol' Mike the Tiger himself. He will not quite be able to carry it this year, but I am certain it will get well worn with the years to come. I don't have to write all this out, as you can see by the attached pictures from Lafayette, this child is certainly loved.

sad tigers of all ages

Anna mentioned a few posts ago that Champ had got a couple of shots at his doctor's appointment. That was definitely a rough day for the little guy, but he told me to post his picture that showed off the war wounds. Since it was very cute, I agreed.

However, I knew he was a true Tiger fan when I saw his reaction to the LSU loss to Kentucky yesterday. He wasn't very happy about the two shots from the doctor, but the Champion came out in him as he threw an arm/leg flailing, crying fit after the heartbreaking loss. It was touch and go for a while, but after a couple of bottles (of milk!) he calmed down.

Of course, Anna and I weren't in much better of a mood. I understand that sometimes your opponent is just the better team on that given day, but the Tigers made lots of terrible mental mistakes at critical times giving up tons of yards in penalties. I think this is what made me frustrated the most. Oh well, I guess we will forgive them if they beat Auburn next week.

I went for a ride this afternoon for the first time in a while. I was trying to take advantage of the awesome weather we've been having. Of course I found some rain on the ride, and it was the kind of shower that wet the road enough to make it very slick. After remembering a few of the spectacular crashes I saw during the Tour in the rain, I decided to stop and let a bit of air out of the tires. I don't mind a little more tire area on a rainy day! Besides being a bit damp, I felt better than expected.

I signed up for the MS150 this year after my 2 year break from the event. Taylor gave me a bit of coaxing, and we both think it will be a good event to do before doing Cheaha again this year. I'd like to try to keep up with riding through the fall and winter to prep for the ridiculous miles and miles of sawtooth climbs at Cheaha. Well, I hear it is about time for me to quit babbling and go help Anna with the Champ.

-jeff

road trip

Another first for Champ...a Louisiana weekend. This weekend was important for many reasons, the Halter Island Redfish Rodeo, LSU (1) vs. Florida (9) and 2-great-grandmothers to meet. All 3 went extremely well.

Champ travelled well as he slept most of both drives. The largest challenge of the trip was packing and transporting all necessary items that such a small child requires. I think we made it there and back without forgetting anything of note. I hope he continues to travel this well as we would like to make frequent trips to visit family.

I attended my first football game of the season and it was fantastic. Tiger stadium was packed. The most amazing thing was the reaction of the fans and players when USC's defeat was announced. At that moment the Tigers stopped the foolishness, took control of the game and continued on their powerful season.

Jeff caught lots of fish, but did not place in this year's tournament. The sucess of it all was that thanks to the help of the grandparents he was able to participate in the rodeo and I was able to attend the football game.

huge milestone

I never though I would be so happy to wake up at 5 am. Last night the entire family went to bed at 10:30 and I am the first one to wake up this morning. Yes, Champ slept through the night, his first time. I don't think I can fully describe my excitement. I know that this occurance may not be regular for quite some time, but for this morning I am enjoying it for all that it is worth.

I have learned many lessons with a new child. The latest of which, is that a new mother's most valuable resource is another mother with a child about 1 year older. This can't be just any other mother, no she must be someone close to you that you can ask anything, and I mean anything. There are so many details that come with a new baby and all the books attempt to be complete "owner's manuals" but all fall short of the wisdom of a mom. For all of this, I owe a huge thank you to Carla. My wonderful nights sleep is all thanks to you.

Just catching up on other stuff...last weekend was pretty quiet. The lesson of that weekend was in football. If you are going to look bad, just be greatful when everyone else looks worse. LSU owes a huge thanks to all of the other teams who lost or nearly lost.

Another wondeful occurance was I am learning just how small of a town Houston can be. This weekend Jeff was sitting in the front window of the house, talking on the phone. To his surprise, he saw Christopher and Ana walking down the street. He waved them in and we had a nice visit and offered a bathroom and water stop. It's so nice to feel like you live in Mayberry.

two months; two band-aids

Tomorrow will be Champ's official two-month birthday, but today was his two-month check-up at the doctor. He was a little fussy through out the appointment, but who can blame him. I have to strip him to his diaper. I try to wrap him in a blanket as much as possible, because I know it must be cold. First he is stretched out to get his height, then his is unwrapped and placed on a scale. Then mom gets to console him a bit before the doctor comes and places a cold stethoscope on his chest and pokes around to check for hernias. That is just the warm-up. Then the nurse comes in for the heavy lifting. Today was one oral vaccine and 3, yes 3 shots. Two band-aids...one for each leg. I must give credit to the nurse. When it was time for the injections, she gave all 3 in record time. He didn't get the scream out until she was just about finished. He screamed for a few minutes, but grabbed two handfuls of my hair and slowly calmed. He fell asleep and is still sound asleep. I am a little nervous on how the next couple of days will go. Keep him in your prayers that he has little to no reaction to the vaccinations.

He is growing like a weed. At 2-months he is 23" and 12 oz. This puts him at 60% for both height and length. He is a chunk, but a proportional one.

Well I must run the prince is waking up. We are all doing well.

Anna

wonderful weekend

This past weekend the 3 of us had a nice quiet weekend. Jeff and I enjoyed some running and Jeff got back on his bike for a spin. The weather was wonderful. Most importantly, LSU continued their fantastic football season. We all watched the game and Champ learned that quiet sleep in his mother's arms during a football game is not possible.

Yesterday, Jeff returned to work. Champ and I ran around Rice. I learned a lesson. Jeff had pushed the BOB during all of our family runs. Monday was my first experience. I now have a lot more respect for runners with jogging strollers. It was more difficult than I expected. My pace was a great deal slower, but we made it. The weather was again wonderful.

Anna

No longer a heathen

Champ was baptised into the Christian faith this weekend. He is, for now, free of sin. The most memorable moment in the ceremony is that the deacon said an important part of the sacrament is that the individual is blessed with grace to help them avoid temptation. I just thought to myself, well I will see how well that works. Poor child he did get our genes. Well the deacon was also very generous with the anointing oil. After several washes Champ still smells like a church. I guess his head full of hair didn't help him in that regard.

The weekend was wonderful. Both of our families came in and Champ got to meet one of his great-grandmothers for the first time. Below is a picture of Champ and Mimi. Please note, the blanket displayed in the picture. Mimi cross-stitched it for Champ. As she presented it to me, she said it took her 9-months to create. So both Champ and the blanket are the same age. My brothers and I grew up with a similar blanket that my mother and Mimi cross-stitched. I am grateful that Champ will grow up with his own "Pluto" blanket.


To anyone who has other notable pictures from the weekend, please circulate them so that we may all enjoy.

Thank you to all of our family and friends who made the journey to enjoy this day with us. To all those who were unable to attend, we felt your prayers and thank you.

Anna

Who's your daddy?

Sorry it took me a while to post this...but note it was written 10 days ago.

I have mentioned to a few people that Champ happens to have been gifted with the incredibly potent Courville genes. So I have decided to provide evidence. Below is a picture of Jeff, yes that is Jeff, at about 8 weeks of age.

For futher reference here is a picture of Champ...

Well the Courville apple has not fallen far from the tree for the last 3 generations, so I guess there is no reason for that to change now. A fourth has blessed our presence. We must get to thinking, though. Jeff and his father have many names that refer to their pair: goober, Jake... Now we will have to figure out how a third will fit into this. Again, I must be carefull what I say. Years ago, noting that Jeff and his father are eriely similar, I asked my mother-in-law how she survived being married to one and raising another. I figured it has been a fun adventure when she started her answer with a laugh. So now I embark on my own fun adventure.

A little update on Champ, we weighed him last weekend and he has hit the 10 lb mark. He continues to be healthy and eat well. He is controlling his head more, holding it up longer and looking around more. My favorite new learning is that he holds onto my neck when I burp him. Feeling that first bit of a hug melts my heart each time.

Things here have been moving along. Christopher and Ana became our neighbors Tuesday. We are all so excited to have them back and so close. I continue to make to do lists and cross off my accomplishments as they come. Jeff and I have a 3-day weekend together and we are both looking forward to it.

Anna

night out with Champ

Last night we walked over to Rice Village for dinner with Champ. He was great; he really loves the BOB. I really enjoy watching him in the stroller. His facial expressions are priceless and I often wonder what he is thinking. At dinner, we sat outside and he was truly enthralled with a pink flood light. In fact, the light worked so well, maybe I should invest in one for the house. The walk home was the most eventful part of the outing. On the way home Jeff noticed a cloud and lightening in the distance. We picked up our pace to a very brisk walk. On our way we noticed a few small rain drops and continued our pace. Just as we arrived home the rain drops started. We ducked into the back door, and the heavens opened within seconds. We both said a huge thank you to God as he couldn't have timed that better.

It was all a little ironic. During the LSU game on TV I noticed a girl in a white t-shirt in the rain. I commented that a white t-shirt is a tasteless choice in the rain. Yes, last night I was in a white t-shirt. Careful what I say, those comments always have a way at coming back at me.

As it is the start to the Labor Day weekend, Jeff and I are looking forward to the time together. Lots of football on tv today, that allways makes me happy.

Enjoy the holiday,
anna

a hard day's night

Well, it appears the honeymoon is over. Champ has entered into his developmental phase and with it he has learned what colic is. The little guy has taken to some very fussy evenings. The hardest thing from my viewpoint is seeing him so upset and not being able to diagnose/fix his problem. I can handle his crying remarkably well, but I guess this is just a life lesson for me. There will be many things he will encounter that as his mother I will be unable to fix. He will just have to face his challenges head on. My role will be to just love and support him. I hope that I will be able to know when he just needs me to listen and not fix or advise.

This moment is one that I love. After a rough couple of hours, his is sleeping peacefully on my lap. He is warm and nestled just so. It appears that for now my lap is the perfect size to hold him perfectly.

On a separate note, UPS arrived last night with a bunch of pottery barn boxes, yippee. I am trying to finish a few odds and ends in the nursery. The most important piece for his room arrived last night, some storage boxes. The boxes will hopefully help Champ keep his toys organized for me, but the boxes are fabric covered in camo. That is completely for his father. I don't think Jeff's son's room will ever be complete without fish, camo and LSU. Now with the arrival of the camo boxes, the golden triangle is finished.

Well the heavens have opened in Houston, so Champ and I are home bound for the time being. We have just started wondering out into the world, but braving the rain and lightening is not something I am ready for yet. Hopefully it will pass soon and we will return to the streets of Houston.

Anna

happy 1 month son and comments anyone???

Let's start with a happy one month birthday to Champ. Yesterday was also an important day. We've previously took Champ on some shorter test runs, but yesterday we made our first full lap around the normal Rice loop (just under 5 miles) and yes the BOB rocks. Champ enjoyed the run as well as me and Anna. He slept for about half of the time, and the rest he seemed to enjoy looking at the trees on the route. This was also a great milestone for Anna's and my sanity because our runs are an essential part of "normal" life.

How about some comments? I have talked to a lot of our family, who mention things about the blog which lets me know they are reading it. Some of you guys have told me hilarious things that would make great comments. Please don't be bashful and post a comment if you have one. You just need to click on the link below the post (the one that says "comment"), and it is pretty simple to post your message. You will also be able to view the other comments made by others (also fun and interesting). If you are prompted to enter a word you are given graphically, this is not a screening process. It simply verifies you are a human and not a computer generating comments. Also bear in mind that sarcasm is okay and in fact welcomed. I tell all the stories of Champ peeing on me because we can laugh at ourselves. Finally, I wanted everyone to know that we enjoy reading the comments, and they make the blogging much more interactive for us.

So, I will look forward to all the comments from those who love us, those who find us weird or interesting, and those who just like to make fun of us.

-jeff

Cornholio's back (my lawn mower is too...)

Let's start with Cornholio. Anna and I have used the expression that Champ turns into Cornholio from time to time. We have gotten a couple of puzzled looks with some friends and family not understanding the reference, so I figured I'd explain.

Most guys my age who had poor taste in comedic television probably watched a fair amount of Beavis and Butthead on MTV. Clearly the funniest episode was when Beavis ate a bunch of candy and with the help of a sugar high turned into "The Great Cornholio", then antics ensued. Of course the whole episode was fairly crude and mindless humor, but it was funny nonetheless. So what does this have to do with Champ?? When he falls into a really deep sleep, he puts his arms up above his head like a goal post which was part of Beavis' signature move as Cornholio. Champ has yet to pull his shirt over his head like Beavis, but I'm sure he may learn this later from his bad influences (like his Dad). I have included pictures below to help with the reference. As well as how cute he looks, we love this pose because it usually means the sleepless night is over and you can get about 3 good hours of sleep before he wakes up!



Now let's talk about my lawn mower. Most of you probably don't know that I have been struggling to keep my lawn mower running all summer. The engine has coughed and sputtered barely keeping the blade moving to a point of just plain embarrassment almost every time I've cut the grass.

I have run into a lot of people who have the false impression that because someone is a mechanical engineer they also have the skills of a mechanic. This is definitely not true. However, even though I lack all the skills I do fancy myself as handy fixing things around the house including our cars and such. Usually (like any good engineer) I just take it apart over a cold beer as if I knew what I was doing. Often times after not finding a shoestring untied or something obvious like this, I realize I have broke it even further. This leads me to actually do some studying or consulting someone who knows what they are doing for advice. At the end of the day, I learn something and the sick patient gets fixed.

This strategy has been very successful so far. I've done most of the maintenance on our vehicles and even repaired a few broken things on my truck and Anna's car. I say all this to lead up to my recent humiliation cutting my grass. My neighbor never said anything, but he gave me lot's of looks that I interpreted as phrases like "I thought he said he was a mechanical engineer" or "should I tell him that mower shouldn't sound like that?"

I have taken the engine apart about five times this summer trying to fix various things. Each time I was disappointed after not fixing the whole problem (part of which was the damage I had done while "fixing" the engine). After the last time, I was running out of patience. I sat down with a beer and had a talk with the mower. I told him that it was his last shot and threatened the junkyard if he did start performing. So after I got a pep talk from Charles (my brother-in-law who is a mechanical engineer who actually does know how to work on engines) and some advice, I took it apart one last time discovering a damaged gasket in the carberator. I didn't realize that this gasket also was also a diaphram that was pretty important for the engine to work properly (this must be why Briggs and Stratton so conveniently calls it a diaphram carberator). Anyway today after about 10 minutes and $4.32 later, I replaced the gasket and was finally victorious. This probably sounds ridiculous, but I celebrated my victory with a beer and felt like Tom Hanks in Castaway after he managed to start a fire on the beach. For now, I can poke my chest out with pride until I break something else!

-jeff

quiet time

It's rare that I find myself unable to sleep, but tonight is one of those nights. I always try to see the positive side of any situation, so instead of tossing and turning and worrying what the lack of sleep will lead to...I am going to use this precious quiet just to reflect.

I find it amazing how quick time is flying since Champ's arrival. Yesterday marked 4 weeks that he has been part of our lives. Small changes are occuring daily. When he came home, all of his clothes seemed so big, and now everything seems to fit. I am already questioning how much longer he will be wearing his current wardrobe. His diapers are even getting snug. I do truely enjoy each day and eagerly look forward to the things he will learn and how much he has yet to teach me.

So many things seem to have occured in the last week. Jeff and I have been venturing out quite a bit. We have returned to working out and running. Yes, Champ had his first trip in the jogging stroller (the BOB) and slept through the whole thing. Another first this week, was his first hair cut. In true Courville fashion, his head full of hair required a bit of a trim to keep the hair off of his ears and his collar. There is not any noticable change, but I couldn't have my child looking unkempt for his baptism.

Speaking of baptism, things are progressing on that front. I found a baptismal gown with the help of his Maw maw this past week. I am also finalizing invitations, party plans and, in general, logistics for the weekend. It's amazing how much I look forward to seeing my child pass through a mile stone such as this.

Well I hear it is time for another feeding so I must run.

Anna

Geaux Tigers!

Yesterday Champ reminded us that we would be enjoying LSU football NEXT WEEK! I think his exact words were "Waaaaaaaaaa! Geaux Tigers!"

Also, here's a tip for all you parents of newborn Tigers. You will probably need more than one LSU outfit for the little one. Champ is already expressing his pickiness about which Tiger get up he likes best. He can't talk yet, so he just peed or other things on the first couple of LSU outfits we chose. Apparently the grey one was the winner, it stayed dry and free of foreign colors all day!

We had a great weekend. Anna and I got to workout with Randy on Saturday, and we both got runs in today. This was a pretty big step to things getting a bit like a stable routine. However as much as we enjoyed this, Champ has slept most of today. I'm sure that will mean that I won't get much sleep tonight. In any case, Anna and I have been taking things day by day and all has been pretty well so far.

-jeff

it's friday, again

This week has been fairly quiet. Champ and I have spent most of the week at home. I had planned an outing yesterday, but tropical storm Erin, cancelled our plans. We just stayed home and stayed dry. Champ has ventured out of the house a couple of times. He went to mass and lunch on Sunday then he joined Jeff and I on a walk through the neighborhood and to Walgreens. I have to admit we are just settling into our routine here at home and it is nice. Tomorrow will be my first return to working out and I hope to return to running soon.

Keep us in your prayers as Hurricane Dean enters the gulf. I don't really want to evacuate with a newborn.

anna

he's his father

So far the only thing Champ has that remotely resembles me, is his ears. Everything else on his body, head to toe, is Jeff.

Today was our first check-in with the pediatrician. In two weeks he has grown 7/8" and weighs almost a pound more. He is 20-7/8" and 8lbs 1oz. The only thing I told Jeff was I am really glad he came 10 days early. The doctor was most impressed as most infants are just reaching birth weight at 2 weeks. Not our over acheiver. So for all who might be concerned, he is really healthy. Jeff was known to be a chunk as and infant and todler. I am hoping Champ doesn't try and keep up.

He continues to eat and sleep well. We also know all the discharge is going well with plenty of dirty diapers. He continues to confrim everything with his uncanny ability to tinkle everytime his diaper is removed. Oh well, just more laundry...

he's adorable, but i'm partial

This has been a busy week. Jeff has returned to work and my parents have been in town to help ease the transition. I have to say that Champ has been wonderful as an infant. He has remained true to form and continues to wet everything as soon as his diaper is off. We have gone through numerous clothing changes as well as changing pads changes. I think it is all in his effort to protest the most difficult time of his day. We typically change his diaper as he's waking up to make sure he is wide awake for food. He does not cry with a dirty diaper, but attempt to change it and he screams.

Tomorrow we will go to his first pediatrician visit. I can't wait to see how much he has grown in the last two weeks.

I am doing well and all of my clothes are fitting again. My stomach still has a long way to go to regain its previous shape, but the daily improvements keep my spirits up. I am getting a bit stir crazy and can't wait to return to running and working out. Hopefully next week everything will fall into place and Champ and I will make our first visit to the gym.

Attached are some portaits of Champ at 1 week. Today I ordered the birth announcements so hopefully those will be in the mail in the next couple of weeks. Keep a lookout in your mailboxes. If anyone is interested in a print of any of the portaits, please let me know and I will send a print. Images downloaded off of the blog are not at a tremendous resolution.

Here's the little guy...

baby race, first heat down...

I wanted to post this pic of Champ and his Uncle Beau after his Aunt's very subtle request.

Let me explain the title of this post. When Anna and I got married, Beau made a bold proclamation during his rehearsal dinner toast. Impatiently waiting for a niece or nephew he said "the baby race is on." Of course Christopher (Anna's older brother) jestfully waived his white napkin to concede Beau's race. Well, Anna and I took it serious and after a blistering race pace (not really), Champ has arrived to complete the first heat after a little over 6 yrs of marriage.

Now I have a burning question, after Beau so boldy threw down the gauntlet years ago. Will Uncle Beau try to win heat #2 of the race??? I suppose only time will tell. -jeff

the learning curve - steep but fun

As a new father, Champ has been teaching me all kinds of new things, a few of the notables below...

1. If a Dad ever tells me his son has never peed on him, I would tell him he has not been helping his wife near enough. It has only been 4 days; he has gotten me multiple times, the wall in his nursery once, and almost got his picture of Jesus next to the changing table. Anna and I had to draw the line at Jesus, so we employed a new strategically placed washcloth technique that has worked so far.

2. No doubt the enemies of babies and parents everywhere are gas, hunger, being too cold, being too hot, etc...

3. Champ has a vast language of one word "waaaaaaaaaa!" I have learned that this one word can mean many different things:

-"dad, I'm really hungry!"

-"what are you doing?, I'm not hungry, help me get rid of this gas!"

-"don't take my diaper off, it's cold!"

-"okay, this time i've got some gas and i'm hungry. you've got some work to do!"

-"just listen to me for a minute, i've got to work this one out on my own"

The list goes on and on... Anna and I are very blessed though, because he has such a sweet nature. Once you crack the code of his subtle language by noticing the addition things like of a furrowed brow or a very serious look, you can give him the milk or pat on the back he needs. After he gets this he turns into an angelic little sack of potatoes that would sleep through a freight train going by his crib.

So despite a few bouts with gas bubbles, Champ has earned his name in every way. - jeff

a new trick

Today Champ learned a new skill. He found his left thumb and likes the way it tastes. Immediately after birth I noticed him sucking on the knuckle of his left thumb. The thought crossed my mind that he might find that thumb and so he has.



Each day is a new adventure and we are just enjoying the ride.

anna

here i am. don't you love me?

Well, here are some long awaited Champ pictures. Hope you enjoy!

My first day and my first up close, asleep in maw maw's arms.

The flash bulbs continue; the ladies all adore me.

The new addition to the family...with some of the proudest parents in the world.


Now, I'm stylin'. Mom and I have passed all the tests and it is time to go home. The hospital clothes come off and I am dressed to go.


I'm on my way out. The wheel chair ride was fun, and I understand I have many adventures to look forward to in my new jogging stroller.

Getting all buckled in for my first car trip.

We are finally home, healthy and happy.

my favorite pic

Jeff is currently attending to a fussing Champ so I get the privalage of posting the first picture. Jeff took this in the hospital Saturday morning. It is not the best show off of Champ, but I love the shot. Jeff can pick his favorites, but of his first 3 days, this is mine. enjoy!

anna

asleep again

Well, the little prince is fed, changed and sleeping. The Courville house is once again quiet. I am will try and finish my previous post with some additional information. Champ is named for his great-grandfather, Atwell "Champ" Champion as well as his father and grandfather who are both Jeffery John. The irony to the whole situation is that although his expected arrival was in August, he was born just one day past what would have been his great-grandfather's 91st birthday.

In the past 3-days, Champ has lived up to his name. He is eating well and sleeping wonderfully. To all who know Jeff the ability to sleep anywhere under any situation definitely got transferred with the genes. He is an amazing infant and we are looking forward to seeing him grow.

The grandparents all came to visit this past weekend and Beau and Jenny just happened to have excellent timing. Thanks to all of you Jeff and I stayed well fed and rested. Jenny brought the little guy some new clothes and both grandma's helped with needed errands for both Champ and myself.

Jeff, Champ and I are trying to settle into our new life together. Today we not only juggled the little guy and his needs but accomplished the small battle of getting the house straitened out. I got in a shower, the hair and make-up didn't happen. For now I have not left the house so as long as the Courville men don't mind, simple things like that will wait. Mostly I like to keep myself together for me. Since I am still on the mend, running and working out will have to wait so the simple things like drying my hair become so valuable.

We will continue with each day as it comes, with the new challenges and adventures. Again Jeff will soon upload more pictures.

anna

champ is here!

Well this is the first post after Champ's arrival. Just to catch up everyone, I gave birth to Champion John Courville July 27, 2007 at 3:53 pm. He weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 20" in length. The day went fantastic. My doctor was wonderful, my doula (birth coach and lactation consultant), the staff at Memorial Hermann and Jeff couldn't have done any better. It was truly one of the most spiritual events in my life and I will forever be greatful to God for it.

Both Jeff and I have been a bit secrative over the last couple of weeks, but my track record continues...nothing happens normally. At 36 weeks, I was quite dialated, but Champ was not ready to come. Over my next couple of appointments, I continued to dialate, but his head proved to be hard from pre-birth and he did not want to come out. At my 38 week appointment, my doctor said she had never seen a woman in my situation. For a first pregnancy this should not happen. She prepared me for a c-section saying some children just don't want to come and we don't know why. She sent me home reluctantly as there were risks to Champ's life because of the situation. She wanted to induce and so we did Friday.

I was a bit of a nervous wreck from my appointment wednesday thru thursday evening and did a whole bunch of praying. Didn't sleep much thursday night, but woke-up friday with the greatest sence of peace.

We arrived at the hospital, got a room and my ob broke my water. The first hurdle was cleared when Champ's head engaged. Labor set on fast and hard. It was extremely painful and not very productive as he was sideways. After 4 hours of active labor, the nurse checked. He was not lined up and still had a long way to come. I caved into the drugs. I feared a seizure if the labor wore me out too much. The epidural is a great marvel of modern medicine. As the epidural set in my ob said we will give pitocin a try and see what progress would come and if he would, this would be a long labor. The tone of her voice was not promising.

I tried to relax for the time and save my energy for whatever may come. About 3 hours later, she came again and checked. She was astonished. His head was alligned, his body was in place and she asked if I were ready to start pushing. (again drugs are wonderful!) I said sure. In less than 30 minutes Champ made his grand entrance. Lots of training lead to a suprisingly easy delivery. (Thank you Randy!)

So the long and short...the doula was right and is always right. She said all along to not worry. His head would desend and we would be fine. I asked my doctor on Saturday what chances would she have given me that I would avoid a c-section at that time, she said maybe 25%. God is wonderful. Lots of prayers made it possible.

Champ is definitely Jeff's son. With future pictures you will see his head full of hair, an olive complexion that is darker than mine at birth and a dimple in each cheek.

I will post more later, but Champ is waking up, I must go.

Thanks again for all of the thoughts and prayers.

Anna

mixed feelings

I was first introduced to cycling through my love for mountain biking. I initially enjoyed cruising through the woods, but the pain and suffering of road cycling was not something I appreciated.

A few years ago, Anna and I completely fell in love with cycling. I have learned to appreciate the "sweet pain" of riding, and you actually begin to crave the necessary effort of a nice long ride. We found watching the pro rider's competitive spirit amazing. I remember seeing Armstrong crash after a spectator hooked his handlebars with a bag, and some of the lead riders actually held up for him. Cycling is such a pure competition that most of the riders would rather not win because of a crash or mechanical problem. They would prefer to have a true battle of ability, strategy, and the will to tolerate all of the punishment the other riders can dish out. This is the nature of the cycling that we love.

So in the wake Vino, Rasmussen, and the Cofidis squad getting booted from the Tour, I am disappointed and happy at the same time. I was fooled into complimenting Vino's heart and desire along with Rasmussen's amazing climbing ability, but they stink as professionals and as people. There is no room in cycling for someone with such a lack of moral fiber and lack of heart. I think to truly clean up the sport, all of the teams will have to adopt the Slipstream model of policing your own athletes. All in all, we are happy to see a few more cheaters out of the sport. I have held back on posting a more lengthy rant, and I intend to leave it at this. We look forward to cycling enduring this tough time and rising back to a sport we can trust as fans.

Anna is doing quite well, and we continue to anxiously await the arrival of our son.

-jeff

still waiting (but not too patiently)

Jeff and I went to my doctor's appointment this morning. Everything is going well and the little guy is cleared for arrival. We are still 10 days from my original due date, so no telling when he will decide to arrive. I think the hardest thing at the end of pregnacy is managing expectations. Since this is my first, I am not sure what to expect. We will keep everyone informed as soon as we have any news to share. In the mean time. please keep Jeff, the little guy and me in your prayers. We appreciate all of the support we have received so far.

-anna

he's ready to start riding...

Even though he isn't born yet, our son has cooler cycling gloves than Anna or myself (Thanks Dr. Wittle). He doesn't have a bike yet, but Carrie and Taylor hooked him up with a bad*@% rocking horse. He'll soon be big pimpin on his furry ride.

So the little guy has been quite active in the evenings kicking like crazy in Anna's tummy. I think it's been his reaction to our watching the Tour. He gets a bit of French in him from both sides, so he's bound to become another crazy cycling fan. The stages have been pretty exciting to follow and today delivered the climbing showdown I had hoped for. The wiley little Spainard was too much for the mighty chicken to handle. Johann is an absolute genious using the talents of the Disco boys flawlessly. Levi (nice and steady), George and Popo (workhorses of the bunch), and Contador is the little maniac attacker of Rasmussen in the steep grades of the Pyrenees. Wow, I hope the Tour continues to deliver such drama.

Anna's been doing great; we are praying that the delivery goes as well as the pregnancy has so far. Her doc is back in town this week so the little guy has the green light to arrive. I am sure the workout with lots of jumping jacks will ensue along with any other efforts to coax him out. (Again, under Doctor's approval for all you grandparents who may be reading!) Keep us in your prayers, and we'll continue to keep everyone updated. -jeff

Holy Kazzak Kaboom Batman!

Wow. Alexandre Vinokourov had an amazing day in the Tour. He literally rode himself almost completely back into the race. I think he said it best that today is a new Tour for him. I had hoped Levi would look stronger for the Disco boys, but Contador seemed to have a bit more heart today. I am looking forward to a possible Contador vs. Rasmussen showdown in the Pyrenees.

Anna and I are doing well. We finished our last bit of errands today. Although we have lots of baby related equipment, I am sure there are things we will realize are necessary when he gets here. In any case, the basics (eating, sleeping, and pooping) seem to be covered.

Last week I had a bike fitting, so I went for a nice ride today. I am starting to get used to the new position, but I plan to take it easy for a while to let things settle in right. Well time for bed... -jeff

quiet weekend

Since beginning the blog, we have already been challenged that keeping posts current will be difficult. I am sure depending on what life throws at us, that may be quite true, but both Jeff and I will try to keep the important things communicated.

This weekend was nice and quiet. We watched the Tour de France climb through the Alps. The athletic ability of professional cyclists is amazing to spectate. I won't bore all the non cycling fans, but the strategies are interesting to watch unfold as are the wrecks very painfull to see. I ask my son everyday if he is going to arrive early enough to see the ride into Paris on July 29. We will all just have to wait and see what his answer is.

Another important milestone of the weekend...Anna now owns a digital camera. I love black and white photography and will continue my use of film and darkrooms, however in today's world the need for digital photographs is growing. Jeff bought me (as an early baby present) the digital Cannon to match my film one so all of my lenses will be interchangeable. The main purpose of the new camera will be the ease in uploading pictures to the blog. One thing I have learned about photography is that it is a money-pit of a hobby. The new camera puts a 1.5 multiplier on all of my lenses...now I "need" some wider angle lenses. I think Cannon purposefully changed things enough so that people would keep buying equipment...corporate America.

I also dragged Jeff to the gym this weekend. I have to admit that 3 weeks from my due date and I am still keeping up or doing better than some men that join in our workout sessions (Jeff not included). Some have commented that they can't believe I am still working out, but mentally I really enjoy doing something. At this point, I am most looking forward to the challenge of getting back into shape. Our trainer has already said the little guy will be welcome to join Jeff and I in our future workouts. We will have to see how that works. (Note for the concerned parents: Jeff did ask the doctor at my last visit if working out was still permissable. She said at this point the worst that could happen would be labor. I am at full term today so the little man is cleared for arrival.)

We continue preparations arround the house for the arrival and are starting to pack bags for the hospital and such. Keep us in your prayers and we will let everyone know as things develop.

Anna

getting ready for the little guy...

Well, this is the first post. Still trying to figure out lots of things about the blog, so you will have to bear with us a bit. We figured we would try to keep up with technology and use the blog to help our out of town family keep up with us. This should also be a great way for everyone to get pictures of our first child on the way as well. I know the pics will be the main reason why lots of you check out the blog, and I'm hoping it distracts from my lack of writing talent.

Anna has been doing well, but we are both ready to meet our new addition on the way. We did a pretty good job of timing the pregnancy to allow for plenty of lying on the sofa watching the Tour De France. The Tour has definitely delivered interesting results so far. From super human performances of Cancellara and McEwen to totally sketchy bike handling by Zabel wiping out half of the Peleton.

Of course most of our time has been spent trying to get ready, so I have added some pics of the crib bedding that came in recently (mostly for the grandmas).


Yes, that is a fish mobile... It is never too early to train him right!

I will keep adding some posts to keep you up with the progress of things. -Jeff