Trey Alexander arrived at 3:03pm on 7/15/09 weighing 7lbs 10 oz and measuring 22 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great as are dad, big brothers, proud grandparents and so on.

I didn't make it in time for the delivery because once he decided to come this little guy was in quite a hurry. SIL went from 3cm to 9cm in a couple of hours. She actually progressed so fast she wasn't able to get an epidural because by the time they checked her she was almost ready to push. Fortunately for her, she only had to push for about 10 minutes and he was here. I got to the hospital around 6:45 (my BIL had called just as I was getting on the road to let me know Trey was here so I was in no rush driving over). Everyone had gone off to WalMart to shop for SIL and the baby so when I arrived it was just me, SIL, and Trey for almost an hour and a half. That was really nice. We just chatted and Trey slept in my arms the whole time.

He is so precious. So small and warm and he makes those cute little newborn baby noises. And his hair and skin are so soft. He even smells good. I am totally, completely, 100% head over heels in love. I guess it really is true that your love just grows as each new child comes. Even though they aren't my own, I love my nephews and my niece like crazy. When Joey was born I wondered if I could love him as much as Andy. But I immediately did. Same thing happened with Trey. One glimpse and I was hooked. ♥



( More pics behind the cut. Please indulge the proud auntie. He's just too cute for words. )

SIL is in labor. My wonderful mother has agreed to let me borrow her car so I can head over to the west side of the state (only reason I couldn't go today was my husband needs our car to go to work). Hopefully I'll get there before the baby does!

So according to her OB, my sister-in-law should be in active labor within 72 hours to deliver my third nephew. I'm really hoping he comes on Thursday or Friday because then I can travel to the west side of the state to be there when he's born. I would love to be there when she delivers him or at least be able to see and hold him within the first few hours of his life. I didn't get the chance to do that with either of my first two nephews or my niece. Andy was born while my husband and I were separated so I didn't meet him until he was 16 months old. Joey came a fairly surprising 10 days before his due date so I missed his birth as well. And Constance was born in Louisiana because that's where her dad is stationed so I didn't get to see her until she was 6 weeks old. So I really want to be there for this one. I hope it works out. I still have to get big brother gifts for Andy and Joey but I have the new baby's gifts all set to go. I swear, my cell phone won't be out of reach at all for the next few days. *crosses fingers and repeats to herself "Not tomorrow... not tomorrow... Thursday or Friday... Thursday or Friday..."*

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a great series and they earned the right life Lord Stanley tonight fair and square. Their team and their fans deserve to celebrate this all summer long. Well done.

I'm disappointed. I'm not as crushed as I thought I was going to be if they lost. I'm not sure why. It really sucks. But they had two chances to close it out. And they didn't do it. I guess that's it. They didn't deserve to win. So it's easier to accept that they didn't. Not that I'm not going to be pretty bummed out for the next several days, because I will be. But this is still a really good team. They weren't hungry enough to win it in back to back years. And that's frustrating. But honestly, it's also not all that surprising.

I will be interested to see what happens in the off-season. I pray to the hockey gods that I just watched Mikael Samuelsson play his last game as a Red Wing. Ericsson and Helm have clearly earned full time roster spots in Detroit next year. Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen are all signed long term. We should have a really good shot again next season. As good as anyone. And that's all you can really ask as a sports fan, I think. To have your team have a chance every year.

If Marian Hossa takes a big money contract come July, then his coming to Detroit was just a stunt and karmically, he deserved what he got. If he really believes Detroit is a superior club and decides to stay here for less money than he could get on the open market to be part of the tradition of excellence this team has, then I will respect that a bit more. We'll see. It'll be interesting.

I've really stayed pretty calm the last couple of days waiting for this game but now, a half hour from puck drop, I'm freaking out. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I've never watched a hockey game that has meant more to me. I'm going to be elated or I'm going to be devastated. No middle ground.

I have a lot of confidence in this team to win the big game and this is the biggest. But in a one game scenario anything can happen. Hockey can be a game of inches, a game of bounces. I actually had a dream while I took a nap earlier today that the Wings were trailing by a goal, scored to tie it and then scored to take the lead and somehow both goals (??? It was a dream, okay?) were called back on a goaltender interference call on Holmstrom and I was absolutely livid! So am I nervous? Oh you bet.

I know all the odds. Home teams in the NHL win 80% of Game 7s. In the Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals all-time home teams are 12-2. The Wings are 11-1 at home in this playoffs. The home team is 6-0 in this series. No road team has won a Game 7 for the championship in the NHL, NBA, or MLB in 30 years. It hasn't happened in the NHL in even longer -- 38 years. But none of that changes the fact that tonight two very, very good hockey teams are going to take the ice with the chance to win the Stanley Cup, the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, by winning one. single. game.

Which team is going to want it more? Will the Red Wings' desire to deliver for their fans, their city, this state that so desperately needs something, anything to feel good about be stronger than the Penguins' desire to win their first championship as this group, their first championship in 17 years, and rub it in the faces of the Wings and their fans by winning it on Detroit's home ice the way Detroit did to them just last year?

I want to believe the Wings will not let us down. That they will celebrate their 5th championship in 12 years tonight and that the people of Detroit will party long into the night. That a million people will pack downtown Detroit for a victory parade and be allowed to forget about auto companies and bankruptcies and foreclosures and a 13% unemployment rate at least for a few hours and get to bask in the enjoyment of one thing this state does have going for it -- we have a kick ass hockey team.

In a few hours we'll find out.

Osgood is the only reason the Wings were even in that game through the first two periods. The Conn Smythe is his if the Wings take Game 7, no question. The Wings have to want it more than the Penguins. They didn't have their backs against the wall tonight and they played like it. But there can be no excuses if they don't win Game 7 on home ice in front of their fans. The people of Detroit (heck, all of Michigan) need this and this team has an obligation to deliver.

I'm going to bed. It's a long time until Friday.

Okay Wings. Finish it. I wanna see Lidstrom and company lifting that big shiny silver thing and skating it around the ice in Mellon Arena tonight.

I usually would have had so much more to say about this series but I've been so sick for the last week that I really haven't been able to organize my thoughts enough to make them into posts. Doesn't mean I haven't been having them though. ;) I'm just tired and cranky and have pretty much used up all the energy I have just to watch the games and study for my finals which are this week. I am really ready to start feeling better soon. But at least I didn't start feeling sick until after Game 2! Being at a Stanley Cup Finals game and watching the Wings take a 2-0 series lead was one of the most exciting experiences of my life.

Oh dear... They're letting Carmen Harlan talk about hockey on Channel 4. *headdesk*

I'm sure this game is going to be a tough one. The last thing the Penguins want is to watch the Wings skate the Stanley Cup around on their home ice for the second year in a row! But if the Wings play their best, they should win. I don't think my nerves would be able to handle a Game 7. Anything can happen in a one game scenario. So for my sanity the Wings need to finish it tonight. They look calm. They look poised. They're fairly healthy. They know what it takes to get it done. Now it's just time to do it.

No team has lost at home yet. Tied series heading back to the Joe for Game 5. I'd have more to say but I have this cold that is kicking my ass and it was all I could do to stay awake through the game. Good night.

Could the Versus announcers possibly kiss the Penguins' asses any more? Ugh.

The Stanley Cup Finals start again in a few hours. Wow, that year went fast. The Wings and Penguins are both back to take another crack at each other and it should be a hell of a series. The Wings have the chance to be the first team to successfully defend their Stanley Cup Championship since they won back to back in 1997 and 1998. I believe they have a very good shot at doing so. The injury situation is a bit concerning as I always say you need three things to win the Cup: skill, health, and luck. Datsyuk and Draper are still out tonight but Lidstrom and Ericsson are back. That's great news for the defense because when you have dress Derek Meech you know things ae getting pretty desperate. Missing Datsyuk isn't as bad this year as it would have bene last year when he was second on the team in points in the playoffs. Franzen's been tearing it up again and Cleary's having an incredible playoffs and so is Filppula. They're picking up a lot of the slack from some others underachieving offensively. That could really work in the Wings' favor because if the Penguins focus on shutting them down that will leave more room for guys like Zetterberg and Hossa. And vice versa. But I'm sure the Penguins have learned a lot in the last year and they won't be surprised by anything like they were last year.

I am really sick of people comparing this series to the 1984 Finals between the Oilers and Islanders. I understand what they're trying to get at but I really don't think it fits. The Wings ae not as complacent as the Islanders and the Penguins are not as talented as the Oilers. Crosby + Malkin =/= Gretzky + Messier. That said, the Penguins definitely do have a better chance of beating the Wings this year than they did last year and Detroit will be in for one heck of a fight.

Okay, I guess that's all I have to say. Time to drop the puck.

THANK YOU, DAN CLEARY!!!! WHOOOOOOOOO!

Here we go. Game 7. *eek*

Go Wings!

Motherfucking son of a bitch!!! Brad Watson, what the fuck was that?!?!?!? You are a fucking disgrace to the league! That is an embarrassment to the game of hockey! I am so disgusted I could puke. That's bullshit. Get the fuck off the ice. You don't deserve to ref in the playoffs.

Happy Birthday, Heather. Enjoy a little birthday pic spam behind the cut.

( He's not a Red Wing. He just plays one on TV. )

If St. Louis wins tomorrow, the Wings will play Columbus in Round 1. If St. Louis loses (regulation or OT/SO), the Wings will play Anaheim. Take that for what you will.

I just got home from voting! (And registering to take 16 credit hours next term, eek).

Please, if you are a US citizen, whatever candidate you support, exercise your right to get out and VOTE!

I'm going to go nuts being stuck in class tonight and unable to watch the results coming in.

I'm going to have a hockey hangover tomorrow, I can tell. Or actually it'll technically be later on today whenever I I wake up, assuming that at some point I'm going to go to bed. It's 5 in the morning and I'm still up. Granted, I'm usually up until around 3am anyway because that's just my natural tendency to be a night person, but man... that was some shit.

( It's about hockey and I know most of you don't have any clue or care to so don't worry about clicking this because I'm just venting. )

At least the Gus-in-my-head is happy since I'm pretty sure he's a Penguins fan (being raised in Canada but born in Pittsburgh).

So it goes back to the glorious Pitts for a Game 6.

Also on the plus side is that being a little down usually puts me in the mood to write. So maybe I'll make some progress on a fic tomorrow later on today.