Merry Christmas!

An eventful Christmas season has come and gone. The presents have been opened, meals have been shared, and, most importantly, MANY photos were taken to comemorate Althea's first Christmas. Here's a few to enjoy!

Cousin Kelly with Althea

Cousin Stella scooting around!

Gifts at the Schachtele's

Aunt Rachel with Althea on Christmas Eve

Althea and her new teddy bear

Althea loves books!

Alright, you caught me. So she's not quite a reader...yet. But she does seem to be enjoying her book in this video.

Do you like how she doesn't match AT ALL?! Thanks to those of you who have provided us with clothing. Unfortunately, that doesn't always translate into fashion sense!

And since we haven't quite gotten to our Christmas cards yet, here are some of the newest pics (with captions by mom)!

How you doin'?

This Bumbo Chair allows me to see the world in an upright position! I love it!

But all that sitting up makes me tired. Bye for now!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We are thankful for all of our friends and family, this day and always! And this year, Althea is our biggest blessing of all!

Cousins, Andrea, Grant and Jack.


Dale, Bud, and Bryan on the couch.

Aunt Rachel as hostess!

A first Thanksgiving to remember.

What are all of you thankful for?

Turns on a dime!

Ask anyone who's spent some time with her and they'll tell you: Althea is a calm, happy baby. But for those of you interested in her short lived crying fits, check out this video. Nobody's perfect!

Fall Fun!

It's fall of 2008 and Althea is busy being cute and having fun! Two of her favorite things this fall are traveling to the Schachtele cabin and attending Ultimate Frisbee games. Daddy can really play! We also had a fun Halloween last night. Althea met many other costumed youngsters and we ate all her candy!

Frisbee field fun!

Halloween at the Anderson's

Former Mounds View grads and their offspring

Vegetable cousins on their first Halloween.

Daddy and Althea at the cabin

Daycare, here she comes!

Tomorrow marks the beginning in a new chapter of Althea's life: Daycare! She'll be in a home with a caring provider and three toddlers. I'm sure she'll do fine, it's mom and dad who will have to adjust! Any advice out there about returning to work would be much appreciated! Also, any thoughts on a nickname? We could go with Ally or Thea. Feel free to cast your votes and enjoy Althea's latest hello!

Tummy Time!

She's two months old and has survived her first shots. Mom survived, too, despite Althea's cries! Enjoy the latest hello from our little one!

Smiling Althea

All of my attempts at capturing a smile on camera finally paid off! Enjoy as Althea is adorable and I make a fool of myself yet again!

Video Starring Althea!

She doesn't do a whole lot, yet, but at almost 7 weeks, this girl is still absolutely enchanting! Maybe that's just me as the parent talking. However, her coos and funny faces keep me very entertained so here's a video to share so you can be the judge!

The first smile?

Okay, so I don't have a picture of it, but I SWEAR Althea smiled at me today and it was NOT just gas. She was staring at my face, I said, "Hello beautiful girl!" and she lifted up the corners of her little mouth. Wow. That'll knock a new parent on their butt. Everyone who told me all the tough times are worth it were proved correct in that one simple expression. And there are many more to come, soon to be captured on camera!

Hanging with Althea

A chance for you all to see Althea as she hangs out in the morning. So cute!

Friends and Family

Thanks to all for the amazing outpouring of support for our new addition! Althea seems to love being around people as she is always in a good mood for friends and family. Here are some pics of her visitors and outings!

Scott, Sarah, Stella visit at the hospital (and have been over to the house, as well!)

Proud Grandparents Al and Julie!

Carolyn, Abbs, Anna, and Char stop by bearing gifts and smiles!

John and Sarah brought Mia, Brian and Megan brought Nora, and Althea met some great girlfriends! But found out taking pictures is hard.

Althea watched her first Vikings game (which they, of course, lost) at Aunt Rachel and Uncle Jamie's house. Jim and Sal spent as much time holding Althea as possible, and Rach fed her a bottle! Good times.

From hospital to home

Though the transition to parenthood is difficult, every tough moment is worth it. Especially when you look in those beautiful eyes! Welcome home, Althea!

ARRIVAL!

She's here! Our beautiful Althea Grace. Born on August 21st, 2008 at 7:07pm, she weighed in at 7 lbs. and 10 ounces. She was 20 inches long and has gorgeous long fingers and maybe the Anderson nose? Enjoy the pics!

Still Waiting...

The due date has come and gone, but we're still content to let nature take its course! Here's a photo of my final baby shower which was more of a girl's afternoon out. Massages and pedicures, food and fun. I hope Althea will be surrounded by strong, loving women just as I have been! And for all you guys in our lives, thanks to you, too. Submit your own pictures if you like!

Nursery Preview

Thanks to all who contributed to this room! Althea is going to love it. We already do!

Why late is good

Tomorrow may be our little one's due date, but I'd like to thank her for not appearing yet. She must know that the later she arrives, the later my maternity leave will go into the school year! Also, arriving after August 15th means we don't have to pay health insurance for her for the first part of the month. What a fiscally responsible baby. Seriously, however, I'm confident that she'll arrive when the time is right. The anticipation builds!

Baby Shower Collage

2 Weeks 2 Due Date

According to the doctor, all is progressing well with baby Schachtele. She has a strong heartbeat, 150 beats per minute, and is head down. For those who know what this means, I am 2/3 effaced and at a 1+ dilation. Any tips as we emotionally prepare ourselves for the big day? And for those of you who haven't heard yet, her tentative name (depending on her look when we meet her...) is ALTHEA GRACE SCHACHTELE! Althea is a Greek name meaning "Healer" and it just so happens that it is also featured in a Grateful Dead song. It's an older name, but has lots of nickname potential, and neither Bryan nor I could find any fault with it as we combed through the lists of past student names. We also feel that it's pretty and original! Let us know what you think, as long as it's positive. :)

A time of firsts--first blog

Welcome all to the Schachtele family blog! This sharing site is born out of our desire to share our upcoming arrival with all of our friends and family. Whether you are in Minneapolis or elsewhere, we can connect here as Bryan and I post pics, info, and video of our little one. She has a strong heartbeat, a strong kick, and a due date of August 12th. Hope you enjoy this adventure along with us!