Leichliter's Do Carolina Beach

Family friends from Ohio, Jan and Ric Leichliter, have been visiting my mom since last Wednesday. I know she's had a blast with them and it's been great getting to catch up with them myself...

Havanna's for drinks and live music

Happy Hour beach walk

Beach scenery

Wine tasting at Fortunate Glass downtown - Yes, please.

Connor's 2nd Day & Kaylie Finally Visits VA Beach

I've sadly never visited my siblings-in-law in VA Beach. It wasn't on purpose, it just never worked out. Sheesh, all Kelly had to do was carry my nephew for 40 weeks and birth him at 9lb 12oz a little sooner and I would have been there :)

Anyways, I was very excited to see where they lived and get out on the town... oh, and hold that adorable baby again too...

Boardwalk on the beach

Lunch at a great brewery

After lunch we went straight to the hospital. If my face doesn't say bliss, I don't know what does...

Then Saturday evening we rode bikes to get some local eats and drinks. While we waited for our table, we took in some (touristy) sites...

World meet Connor

Connor Michael Long - 9lbs 12 oz - born 9.2.11 at 10:55pm

This past weekend was an exciting time for all! We got the text Friday morning that Kelly was in labor. I begrudgingly went to work and had to stay past 5pm on a Friday for a meeting - the guy drove from Raleigh, so I couldn't blow him off!

Jimmy and I finally got to the hospital in VA Beach at a little before 10pm to Dan and Stefanie waiting for us in the parking garage with the news that Kelly was about to start pushing. Yes! Connor had the good sense to wait for his Aunt Kaylie and Uncle Jimmy to get there!

Marisol, Dan, Stefanie, Kevin, Jimmy, Preston, Mrs. and Mr. Long and I all anxiously waited in the waiting room until mommy, daddy and baby were ready for the parade of visitors! Holding a baby just a couple hours old was even more special than I thought it would be. We were all in 7th heaven. So proud of Kelly - and Spencer - for bringing Connor into this world with such courage and poise!

Craziness

I can't believe that my sister-in-law, Jimmy's little sis, Mrs. Kelly O'Connor Long is going to have a baby any day now. She's due tomorrow. So excited to meet you my sweet, adorable little nephew.

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Irene Update

Well it's the day after the day after Hurricane Irene passed by Carolina Beach and we never lost power and house is great - just quite a bit of debris around the yard which Jimmy cleaned up this morning. We have enough provisions to keep us full, hydrated and tipsy for a good week, but there will be many more storms - hopefully all of which with as low of a threat as Irene. We were very fortunate with this one. Here's a few aftermath pics from Saturday morning:

Tree down at 5th and Cape Fear Blvd

Aftermath waves - better than they look

Fort Fisher damage

Yep

Fort Fisher - boardwalk missing their steps

CB Lake overflow

I recorded some great videos on my mom's camera, but she can't find her camera cord. Typical :). I'll post when we locate it or buy a new one.

Hurricane Irene

I don't like these Hurricane Irene predictions/images. We're most likely heading to the triangle area to stay with Matt tomorrow night. It breaks my heart to think about something happening to my house that I love so much. Ready or not, here comes the 2011 hurricane season. Thank you again Mother Nature for sparing us on Sept. 19, 2009 so we could get married in peace.

Lucky Ladies

Marisol, Stef and I are three lucky ladies...

Kevin, Dan and Jimmy

End of long board ride - I missed him actually riding the wave!