The Wrigley Newton

Well, my sister, Addison Jean Newton arrived on Thursday, February 11 at 11 a.m. CST. What happened to March 4th, you might be asking? Yes, Mom, Dad, and I are asking the same thing. But while we Newtons are all planners, Addison had a plan of her own as well.

Mom and Dad had both worked over on Wednesday night. And after a quick stop at the Home Depot to buy a new air purifier, Mom was home to spend a casual evening with me and Dad. But after dinner, they went up to the bedroom to dust the walls, I know, it sounds silly, but it’s true.

Before they knew it, the night had passed them by, and Mom decided she was off to bed. Dad wasn’t quite ready for bed yet, so he stayed on the couch with me and enjoyed the nightly news, Cheetos, and a glass of wine.

All of the sudden, we heard Mom yelling from upstairs, “Allen Newton, come here now!” I’ll leave out some of the gory details, but needless-to-say, Mom’s water broke while she was brushing her teeth. We didn’t know that is what it was, but after two calls to two different hospitals, the doctors told Dad to bring her in to have her checked out.

Now, we thought this was just a false alarm. Mom did not want to go, and I didn’t want her to go either, but Dad insisted. They quickly packed a bag, patted me on the head, and let me know they would be back in an hour or so. Or so they thought.

Now, this is where my first person experience ends. The rest is how I have heard it from Dad. Mom wasn’t really having contractions before her water broke, but by the time they made it to the hospital, she was feeling pains every six minutes. Mom, still in denial that this was happening three weeks early, refused to get out of the car. Dad eventually convinced her that having the baby in the new car may not be the best course of action, and they waddled in.

It took about 45 minutes for the nurse to confirm that yes, Addison was coming, and they were off to the labor and delivery room. It was a long night, but by 7:30 Thursday morning, Dad started to call the family and let them know that Addison had jumped the gun. I was alone all night at home, but MeeMom Newton came and got me for a sleep over at her house until Mom and Dad could come home from the hospital.

Addison’s delivery was smooth and uneventful, well, as uneventful as having a baby can be! I think she is super cute and smells especially good. Her ears are a little small, but I’m hopeful that they will grow before too long.

Love, Wrigley

So lets face it. The fact that I don’t have true thumbs has come to bite me in the bum. That is really just an excuse. Since the arrival of Addison Jean, I have been so busy as a big brother, I haven’t blogged.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to catch you up on the birth of my sister and the first four months of her life. Maybe I’ll make sure I don’t so far behind next time.

Hope everyone is well!

Love, Wrigley

Happy 2010, everyone!

Crazy Newton life has continued over the past few months. My mom has continued to grow out, my dad has continued to prep the house, and I have continued to nap. It’s a hard life, but we love it.

One of the things that Dad has been feverishly working on Addison Jean’s new room. I am so excited, because it used to be the guest room I wasn’t allowed in, and now I can go in all the time. Many nights, Mom, Dad, and I sit in Addison’s room before we go to bed. It gives us a time to talk about what needs to be done and what we are excited or scared about. They’ve been great about getting me ready for her arrival. I am not digging the new walk schedule, but I am totally stoked about more bellyrubs and cuddling with my sister. And did you know Mom is going to be home with me (and Addison) for eight whole weeks. I just cant wait!

Here are some of the pictures from the guest room to nursery transformation. Mom and Dad picked most of it, but I diligently inspect each item before they bring it in. Only the best and safest for my sister!

- Wrigley

Here Dad is testing out the colors for the room. We went with the bottom color, but went lighter with the top.

Now the painting is done, and Dad has installed the chair rail. Yes, that PhD has come in handy here; he did it all by himself!

Thanks to my Uncle Allan and Aunt Melissa, Addison will have a very comfy bed to sleep on. And now that the bedding has arrived, the only thing we are missing is my sister.

Finishing off Addison’s Parisian inspired room is the Eiffel Tower wall decal and pictures from Mom and Dad’s trip.

Dear friends and family,

Since I announced the impending arrival of baby fig Newton, our world has been quite busy. For a doggie that prefers sofa time to partying, it has been an exhausting two months.

We celebrated the initial news with many phone calls and visits. Everyone was excited to see us and learn about our new family member. We even got a few presents! I have thoroughly inspected all of them, and they got the Wrigley “seal of approval.” Mom and Dad have resisted buying too much yet, but they did buy a sleeper with basset hounds on it. I personally think it is excellent.

Dad and I have been keeping Mom and fig very active. While she used to walk with me twice a day, Dad and I have convinced her to join us for the late night walk as well (most nights). I have even sent a message to Mom’s coworkers, and they have been walking around the parking lot for extra exercise. Despite my best efforts, Mom’s belly keeps growing, and growing, and growing. Dad assures me that it isn’t Mom’s belly, it really is baby fig growing, so I have started to cut her a little slack. I definitely want baby fig to be big and strong like me.

After trips to Tullahoma and Shelbyville to see my Comer side of the family, we packed up and went on my first trip to Grandma Sherrell’s house in Fredonia, KY. It was such a long car ride – two whole hours. But after Mom and I caught a quick nap, we were almost there. It was great to get out of rainy Nashville for a few days and explore a whole new house. If I had to describe Grandma’s house in three words it would be fun, yummy, and comfortable. She made meals that filled the house with the best smells and was a very good belly rubber – I was in basset hound heaven. Grandma even slow roasted a pork bone for me to chew on, which was amazing.

And outside was just as much fun. Dad showed me a place called The Store, where he used to go when he was a kid to get snacks. Then we just lazed around on front porch and waved at all the passers by. It was just the relaxing weekend we all needed.

The past few weeks have been filled with anticipation. Will baby fig be a boy or a girl? Will I have a brother or a sister? While Mom and Dad were not partial, they kept getting signs that it might be a boy. Mee Mom Newton did the ring test – boy. The Chinese calendar – boy. Mom and Dad’s dreams – boy. So we were totally prepared for a girl to be on the way.

Yesterday they finally went to the doctor’s office for the official ultrasound. They told me not to get too excited, because sometimes fig will hide and not tell us. But thank goodness that was not the case. Mom and Dad rushed home to tell me that a sister is in my future. Yep, that’s right. Wrigley James Newton is going to be the best big brother to a little girl.

I have so many things to teach my sister – where the sunny spots are in the living room, where Mom and Dad hide the good stuff to chew on, and how to be the world’s best cuddler. Thanks again for all your prayers and well wishes for our family. We cant wait until the newest Newton is here for you to meet.

Love,
Wrigley

Dear friends,

This spring, I had a very serious conversation with Mom and Dad. I have been part of the family for almost two years now, and I was ready for more responsibility. Now granted, I have had a little trouble with putting my toys away like Mom tried to train me, but I have perfected couch cuddling and all-day house defense. I was ready for the next step – to be a big brother.

Now don’t think I jumped into this on a whim. I am my Dad’s doggie. I did my research. I have scouted out my friend Jordan’s brother, Mac; played long days with my cousins; and read What to Expect When You Are Expecting. There is crying, tail tugging, ear pinching, and sleepiness, but I still believe I am up to the task.

Mom and Dad appreciated my opinion, but it was their home too. They weighed the options and planned for the future. So guess my surprise when we returned home from family vacation and got the news – my sibling is on the way! We had to keep it a secret at first, but now I am howling it from the rooftops, “Wrigley Newton is going to be a big brother!”

I know that things like this don’t happen right away. I won’t know if I am having a brother or sister until October, and the baby won’t be here until March – six whole months away. I can’t wait to keep you all updated here on the blog while we all get ready for the new member of the Newton family.

If you see my mom, she needs a hug; she is still nauseous and sleepy. If you see my dad, give him a high five, because he is super-stoked. And if we happen to bump into each other on a Lenox Village walk, I am always up for a congratulatory belly rub (for me of course, not Mom). Most of all, keep us in your prayers. Because in the end, my parents are planners, and even though they planned for this, there is no planning for what’s to come.

Sloppy drool and never-ending basset belly rubs,
Wrigley (and Allen, Stephanie, and the little fig)