Iowa Baby!

Now wouldn't you know that as soon as Momma left, Grandpa and Dad decided that they should put my little Cyclone fan through hell and dress her up as an Iowa Baby! AND...to help decorate the nursery by placing that Iowa blanket on top of her crib! BAD GRANDPA...BAD DADDY!!! (Actually, we all took part and she does look quite cute) We won't be seeing a lot of those items out and about very often just special occasions like when Grandpa comes back for a visit (IF they haven't been 'accidently' lost by then). Ha-Ha!

Super Grandpa came and it was 'Grand'

It's official! The touring season has begun and it was kicked off with Super Grandpa (S.P.) coming for a visit. With the exception of Jonann being here when Raquel was born, this is the first time anyone has been here to see all of us, and it was quite lovely! We made sure to indulge in a lot of 'lovin on' time and Raquel made sure to christen S.P. with a few 'surprises' in her diaper. He was a real trooper! and definately was a big help when Raquel would cry and needed some TLC. She has a soft spot in her heart for her Grandpa...and it has NOTHING to do with the fact that S.P. mentioned a pony....NOTHING!...she just loves her Grandpa! And we loved having him here. We are looking forward (with some reservations) to my crazy sis coming out next on the 5th of October...hopefully she won't drop the baby...that's what Hayes girls are known for, in case you didn't already know. BUT, Momma hasn't dropped the baby so maybe Aunt Aundrea won't either! We'll see! Gotta Go, one adorable little person is waking up and is a little demanding when it comes to eating! Talk to you soon!

Pearls and Bears

You probably thought I meant teddy bears...NO, NO, NO. THE BEARS! is Raquel's favorite NFL team since her Daddy won't let it be the Raiders! But he can't say anything about her favorite college team...yes, that would be the Cyclones of Iowa State! Even though there are those of you that are trying to sway her to the dark side of the Hawkeyes with bright and shiny new passies, she shall not be deterred! for she is strong and smart and loves her Mommy and Great Grappy! Sorry to you Hawkeye Fans...it's a done deal (with love of course). And here's poor Raquel having to suffer through another photo shoot for Mom wearing pearls when all along we know that diamonds are a girl's best friend!

Like Father like Daughter

Here's Daddy multitasking at lunch. We went out for our first lunch outing and Raquel was a dream! Now her Daddy, that was another matter:) I tell you, I think Ross has done this before. Does somebody know something that I don't because I thought all along that I was going to have to some him a thing or two and he has actually ended up teaching me. I keep saying, it's as though he already has 6 kids at home, he's truely a natural and has taken to her like...ducks take to water? Anyway, I couldn't have asked for a better partner or Daddy for Raquel, I'm damn lucky! We thought the picture or Ross holding Raquel on the couch while he was on the phone was quite amusing since it appears that she is mimicing him with her hand. How adorable!

She's quite photogenic!

Momma can't help but try to pose our little one for her photo shots. She doesn't seem to mind so I will continue. We can't believe how much she has changed in just 9 days, and I think she is getting more stunning by the day...a little bias perhaps but you best not voice that to me! Oops, she's waking up, better go and feed the little one. More pics to follow. ( Bear with me, it's not easy timing this so that I can spend the time on the computer to update, especially since Ross is back at work, but I will keep trying)

Deep in thought...and a buggy ride

Only five days old and already deep in thought, contemplating my life so far. "What should I do today... go for a buggy ride with my 'Macho Daddy', have a mini-spa day with Mommy or simply have to tolerate that damn paparatzi again. Oh the delimma! I'll do what any princess would...ALL THREE!"

DAMN PAPARATZI

What's a girl to do when all she is trying to do is go to her first doctor's appointment and everyone keeps snapping pictures of her! "Look this way", "Over here!","RAQUEL, RAQUEL,RAQUEL!" Geez!!! Proud Mom and Dad can't help but want to take a thousand photos and show them to everyone! The picture of her in the green dress was her first outing to the doctor's office in the dress that Daddy picked out especially for her. And the other one shows her delicate little feet that we can't stop looking at, so tiny and perfect! We are compiling a "Faces of Raquel" book of daily photos so you will be seeing a lot of close ups to show how she is changing so much every day. It's AMAZING to us how much she has already changed in just 6 short days.

Oops, Forgot to mention

Forgot to mention about her headband. You can't tell from the picture but the bow on her headband has a butterfly on it rememberance of Raquel's Grandma Roberta.

Homecoming

Everyone's Home!!! Raquel did great on her first car ride today - she's a natural. The first night in the hospital was amazing, she slept pretty much all night and didn't fuss hardly at all. Little did we know that it was all a set-up for last night. It was completely the opposite - barely slept and fussed all night. It was enough to make us ask about the warranty and exchange policy but apparently we own it. Guess we'll have to suffer through some how. (It's really not that tough. One look into her eyes and you completely forget about all that.) The prictures of her in the dress is the outfit we brought her home in today. We introduced her to her nursery and Lil' Prince Jolly Mon. I think she likes her room better, not quite as furry. Stay tuned - lots of changes in NC. We can hardly keep up and barely believe it ourselves.

The Wait is Over

Introducing: Raquel Jon Marcoot Born 9.4.2006 Weighing in at 7lbs, 11oz Lenght of 19 inches Both momma and the newest Marcoot are doing great, expect to come home from the hospital on Wednesday. More to follow after we get the whole family home, Proud Papa