About a week ago, 3 months old, Olivia started rolling over and I decided to get a video this morning. Please excuse her pooping in the beginning of the video :).
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Happy 3 month Birthday Olivia!
I can't believe Olivia is already 3 months old! One of my friends just had her little boy and I realized I'm already missing that newborn stage! She is so much fun now too and I'm just trying to soak up each stage because they go so quickly.
We are seeing more of her personality each day - she is determined, talkative, so "grown up" (she'd rather sit and talk with the adults than play with her toys), likes lots of attention, doesn't relax very often while awake -yes, a little high maintenance :), knows what she wants and lets us know, and is very observant!
She loves being in the wrap or sling with mommy and loves going on walks outside. Some of her other favorite things right now are talking, looking in the mirror, baths, getting tours around the house (you know, walking and saying what different things are), watching her mobile, playing with her hands, and playing on her playmat. She bats at the toys on her playmat and will grab onto them occasionally. She also kicks one of the toys that hangs down until it makes noise and then grabs it between her feet and pulls her legs up to her chest and holds them there until she can't anymore - we call it her ab workout and it's so funny to watch. We have full conversations with Olivia - she mimics what we say and is making all kinds of new sounds. She says "boo", "goo", "ahh", and even copied my dad, Grandpa, saying "I love you", yes we have a genius on our hands :). Grandpa has also taught her how to spit and blow bubbles. We also do "this little piggy", "patty cake" and airplane and get lots of smiles! She's giggled a couple of times and I wish I could catch it on camera. She can roll onto her side very well and with a little help will roll from back to front. She does pretty well with tummy time and does a mini pushup. She also enjoys "standing up" and has figured out that if she bends her legs and straightens them she can jump! If I hold onto her hands while she is sitting she will pull herself up to standing, such a strong little girl.
Even though she's a little high maintenance she really is a happy, good little girl! She does so well at church and sunday school or if we're out running errands. She doesn't really like her carseat but the paci and making the "Shhh" sound pretty loudly works most times haha. It will be interesting to see how she does on a 10 hr car ride at Thanksgiving.
She's really a good sleeper, especially at night! She goes 7 hrs now and even longer a couple times. Although, we hit that 3 month growth spurt a couple days ago and the past two nights she woke up after 5 hours and then again after 3 hours but it should only last a few days. She's just starting to take better naps during the day. I'm thankful that she's such a good sleeper and that we never let her "cry it out". It is so much easier and natural for me as a mommy to comfort her and calm her to sleep. It never takes more than 10 minutes and is usually much less than that! I like to attribute her good sleeping at night to a consistent bedtime routine, no paci at night, swaddling, and of course mommy singing to her and patting her on her back :)
Here's a few pictures I took of her yesterday. She officially grew out of her newborn clothes a couple weeks ago and is now in 0-3 months- she's still a tiny little girl and mommy's in denial that she'll ever not be tiny! It was sad having to put clothes away but fun playing dress up with the new ones :)
We are seeing more of her personality each day - she is determined, talkative, so "grown up" (she'd rather sit and talk with the adults than play with her toys), likes lots of attention, doesn't relax very often while awake -yes, a little high maintenance :), knows what she wants and lets us know, and is very observant!
She loves being in the wrap or sling with mommy and loves going on walks outside. Some of her other favorite things right now are talking, looking in the mirror, baths, getting tours around the house (you know, walking and saying what different things are), watching her mobile, playing with her hands, and playing on her playmat. She bats at the toys on her playmat and will grab onto them occasionally. She also kicks one of the toys that hangs down until it makes noise and then grabs it between her feet and pulls her legs up to her chest and holds them there until she can't anymore - we call it her ab workout and it's so funny to watch. We have full conversations with Olivia - she mimics what we say and is making all kinds of new sounds. She says "boo", "goo", "ahh", and even copied my dad, Grandpa, saying "I love you", yes we have a genius on our hands :). Grandpa has also taught her how to spit and blow bubbles. We also do "this little piggy", "patty cake" and airplane and get lots of smiles! She's giggled a couple of times and I wish I could catch it on camera. She can roll onto her side very well and with a little help will roll from back to front. She does pretty well with tummy time and does a mini pushup. She also enjoys "standing up" and has figured out that if she bends her legs and straightens them she can jump! If I hold onto her hands while she is sitting she will pull herself up to standing, such a strong little girl.
Even though she's a little high maintenance she really is a happy, good little girl! She does so well at church and sunday school or if we're out running errands. She doesn't really like her carseat but the paci and making the "Shhh" sound pretty loudly works most times haha. It will be interesting to see how she does on a 10 hr car ride at Thanksgiving.
She's really a good sleeper, especially at night! She goes 7 hrs now and even longer a couple times. Although, we hit that 3 month growth spurt a couple days ago and the past two nights she woke up after 5 hours and then again after 3 hours but it should only last a few days. She's just starting to take better naps during the day. I'm thankful that she's such a good sleeper and that we never let her "cry it out". It is so much easier and natural for me as a mommy to comfort her and calm her to sleep. It never takes more than 10 minutes and is usually much less than that! I like to attribute her good sleeping at night to a consistent bedtime routine, no paci at night, swaddling, and of course mommy singing to her and patting her on her back :)
Here's a few pictures I took of her yesterday. She officially grew out of her newborn clothes a couple weeks ago and is now in 0-3 months- she's still a tiny little girl and mommy's in denial that she'll ever not be tiny! It was sad having to put clothes away but fun playing dress up with the new ones :)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Newborn Pictures!
Our friend Carrie took these photos of Olivia when she was 1 and 2 weeks old. She did an amazing job and I absolutely LOVE how they turned out!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Baby Pictures
Here are some pictures of Wesley and I as babies alongside pictures of Olivia. I originally thought she looked more like her Daddy but looking at these pictures she looks a lot like me! I still think she has Daddy's eyes. What do you think?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Smile!
This past week Olivia really started smiling at us. We knew for sure it wasn't just gas anymore :). She has the most beautiful smile and it melts Mommy's and Daddy's heart.
She's also discovering her voice more and more each day. I wish I could catch one of our long conversations on the camera but for now here's a very short taste of her sweet talking.
She's also discovering her voice more and more each day. I wish I could catch one of our long conversations on the camera but for now here's a very short taste of her sweet talking.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I can't believe Olivia is already 5 weeks old!! Time is going by so quickly and sometimes I wish I could just freeze it. This newborn stage is just so sweet...I love cuddling with and holding my baby girl, just sitting and staring at her and all the cute little noises she makes. I know that each stage will be so fun and exciting and eventually I will get tired of getting up in the middle of the night to feed her so I guess she can continue to grow :).
Being a mother is the most wonderful thing in the world. I can't describe the joy that I have in caring for Olivia and the tremendous amount of love I had for her from day one. It's amazing how the Father's love for us has taken on a whole new meaning now that I have my own child! How deep the Father's love for us is and how amazing it is that He gave His only Son to save us from our sin and to provide a way for us to be reconciled to Himself!
Being a mother also has its challenges and is stretching me already but the joys far outweigh the challenges!! Nursing was something for me that in the beginning was so difficult. It required patience and perseverance and I am so thankful I stuck with it! It was hard not to get frustrated and just give up. It is so rewarding now even though we are still working through some issues. I absolutely love the fact that every 3-4 hours I know I get one on one time with her and I love the bond that it has created. I love the fact that I am the only one that can meet that need for her!
Olivia is such a sweet little girl. She loves her sleep and likes to be held while sleeping during the day...we are working on taking some naps in our bed :). She is content when awake except for in the evening at dinner time. I don't think I have eaten one dinner with two hands yet...unless of course Grandma or Daddy are holding her. She loves bath time and loves listening to music and having Grandma and Mommy sing to her. Some of the things that make us laugh most are her hiccups, which she gets ALL the time, her snoring, her "whistle face" as Daddy calls it, and her squeaking noises, which are usually made when she is gassy or "has the toots" as Daddy says :). I'll leave you with a couple videos of her when she has the hiccups:
Being a mother is the most wonderful thing in the world. I can't describe the joy that I have in caring for Olivia and the tremendous amount of love I had for her from day one. It's amazing how the Father's love for us has taken on a whole new meaning now that I have my own child! How deep the Father's love for us is and how amazing it is that He gave His only Son to save us from our sin and to provide a way for us to be reconciled to Himself!
Being a mother also has its challenges and is stretching me already but the joys far outweigh the challenges!! Nursing was something for me that in the beginning was so difficult. It required patience and perseverance and I am so thankful I stuck with it! It was hard not to get frustrated and just give up. It is so rewarding now even though we are still working through some issues. I absolutely love the fact that every 3-4 hours I know I get one on one time with her and I love the bond that it has created. I love the fact that I am the only one that can meet that need for her!
Olivia is such a sweet little girl. She loves her sleep and likes to be held while sleeping during the day...we are working on taking some naps in our bed :). She is content when awake except for in the evening at dinner time. I don't think I have eaten one dinner with two hands yet...unless of course Grandma or Daddy are holding her. She loves bath time and loves listening to music and having Grandma and Mommy sing to her. Some of the things that make us laugh most are her hiccups, which she gets ALL the time, her snoring, her "whistle face" as Daddy calls it, and her squeaking noises, which are usually made when she is gassy or "has the toots" as Daddy says :). I'll leave you with a couple videos of her when she has the hiccups:
Monday, August 17, 2009
Olivia's birth story
My due date was August 22, 2009 and I had a very normal, uncomplicated pregnancy. I really enjoyed being pregnant and am thankful for such a wonderful pregnancy. I never had any swelling even though I was told it was inevitable with a summer baby - I like to think all my water drinking helped this!
On Tuesday, July 21 I had a doctor's appointment and was told I was dilated a fingertip, cervix was thinning out and the baby was at a -3 station. My doctor told me I could go to the beach with my family the next week for a couple days because she did not feel delivery was imminent. So, I went to the beach July 26-30th and made sure to drink LOTS of water and not go out into the ocean as that was the only orders my doctor gave me. On the way home from Hilton Head I started having contractions and back pain. We had to drive through downtown on the way home and decided to stop at my doctor's office to get me checked out. I was 36 weeks and 4 days. They sent me over to the hospital to be monitored. I was having contractions every 2 minutes although they were just uncomfortable not really painful. I was dilated 2 cm and 75% effaced. My doctor decided she wanted to stop my labor so I was given IV fluids, 3 shots of terbutaline and some demerol and the the contractions finally stopped. I was quite disappointed because I knew I was so close to full term (37 weeks). I was put on bedrest for the weekend and sent home.
The next week I spent walking every day and praying Olivia would come soon because I was so ready to meet her and hold her in my arms. I would have pretty regular contractions every evening and then when I went to bed they would slow down. My family would ask me every night if I thought they should pack their bags for the hospital.
Thursday night (37 weeks 4 days pregnant) I knew was different than the other nights that week. I was having contractions every 7 minutes but they were more painful than I had experienced before. We went to bed early hoping to get some sleep because we thought it was possibly the night we would be heading to the hospital. I told my family to be ready :). I slept maybe an hour before the contractions got really uncomfortable. I tried to lay in the bed and count contractions myself but ended up waking Wesley up around 1:30 am to help me. I did a lot of walking around as it made it easier to get through the contractions. At 4:45am Wesley convinced me to go wake up my mom and sister because we needed to go to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 5:45.
The nurse in triage checked me and said I was dilated 4cm and nearly 100% effaced. She said "You're going to have a baby today" and started the process of admitting me and getting me into a LDR room.
Once in the room the contractions continued to get stronger and I was really having to concentrate on breathing through them. I must say I am thankful I did the early labor at home because once at the hospital I had to stay in bed. Not being able to move around during the contractions was much more uncomfortable. I found out my doctor was out of town and one of her partners would be delivering me. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping to have a woman deliver me. The doctor and nurse told me we would probably have a baby by lunch time.
I waited about 45 minutes to get the epidural and once I got it I felt no pain at all. I still had feeling in my legs and was able to move them. Wesley, my mom, my sister and I were able to talk and listen to music and the time really went by quickly. Our nurse was a Christian and was so wonderful...I could not have picked a better nurse! Around 11:30 I told her I could tell when I was having contractions so she checked me and said I was at 9cm and we would start pushing soon! My water broke shortly after this and then we began pushing.
I pushed for about an hour. In that hour I had a 15 minute break because Olivia's heart rate would drop during contractions. After some oxygen and that break I was ready to push again. Pushing was exhausting but once I saw my little girl I forgot how tired I was! At 12:58pm on August 7, 2009 our little girl made her arrival! She came out crying and was given a 9.9 apgar. Holding her for the first time was the most wonderful experience. I was so thankful to have Wesley, my mom, and my sister there to encourage me throughout labor and delivery!
After 45 minutes of repairing mommy, Wesley's parents and my Dad were able to join us in the room and meet Olivia for the first time. We had a little scare when it was time to move me to the postpartum room. My blood pressure dropped scary low and I started to black out. The nurse kept me awake by having me tell her how Wesley and I met and started dating. I was given more IV fluids and after a little while was ready to go to the postpartum room.
While in the hospital Olivia had to have a few extra tests done but ended up being perfectly fine. She was 6lbs 3oz and 19 in long at birth. She had to have her bilirubin levels checked more often because she tested positive for coombs which just means that her blood (B) and mine (O) mixed and it could put her at risk for jaundice. When we left the hospital she had the lowest levels in the entire nursery...no jaundice for our little girl! She also had to do a barium swallow because she spit up green (stomach bile) and that could be a sign of a blockage or something wrong in her intestines. Thankfully everything came back normal!! When we left the hospital she weighed in at 5lbs 13oz. Good thing we decided to bring a preemie size outfit just in case the newborn one was too big!
Recovery has been difficult for me but it is so worth it! We love Olivia more than words can describe and are just in awe that the Lord chose to bless us with her! She is just beautiful...a mix of Mommy and Daddy. She has Daddy's eyes and forehead and Mommy's nose and mouth we think. Wesley and I could stare at her all day long and are loving snuggling with her. She is still such a sleepy little thing but has good awake periods during the morning and late evening. We can't wait to get to know her and see what her personality is going to be like. She is a content and peaceful baby unless she is hungry or getting her diaper changed. I'll leave you with some pictures from her first week of life...time is already going by too quickly!!
On Tuesday, July 21 I had a doctor's appointment and was told I was dilated a fingertip, cervix was thinning out and the baby was at a -3 station. My doctor told me I could go to the beach with my family the next week for a couple days because she did not feel delivery was imminent. So, I went to the beach July 26-30th and made sure to drink LOTS of water and not go out into the ocean as that was the only orders my doctor gave me. On the way home from Hilton Head I started having contractions and back pain. We had to drive through downtown on the way home and decided to stop at my doctor's office to get me checked out. I was 36 weeks and 4 days. They sent me over to the hospital to be monitored. I was having contractions every 2 minutes although they were just uncomfortable not really painful. I was dilated 2 cm and 75% effaced. My doctor decided she wanted to stop my labor so I was given IV fluids, 3 shots of terbutaline and some demerol and the the contractions finally stopped. I was quite disappointed because I knew I was so close to full term (37 weeks). I was put on bedrest for the weekend and sent home.
The next week I spent walking every day and praying Olivia would come soon because I was so ready to meet her and hold her in my arms. I would have pretty regular contractions every evening and then when I went to bed they would slow down. My family would ask me every night if I thought they should pack their bags for the hospital.
Thursday night (37 weeks 4 days pregnant) I knew was different than the other nights that week. I was having contractions every 7 minutes but they were more painful than I had experienced before. We went to bed early hoping to get some sleep because we thought it was possibly the night we would be heading to the hospital. I told my family to be ready :). I slept maybe an hour before the contractions got really uncomfortable. I tried to lay in the bed and count contractions myself but ended up waking Wesley up around 1:30 am to help me. I did a lot of walking around as it made it easier to get through the contractions. At 4:45am Wesley convinced me to go wake up my mom and sister because we needed to go to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 5:45.
The nurse in triage checked me and said I was dilated 4cm and nearly 100% effaced. She said "You're going to have a baby today" and started the process of admitting me and getting me into a LDR room.
Once in the room the contractions continued to get stronger and I was really having to concentrate on breathing through them. I must say I am thankful I did the early labor at home because once at the hospital I had to stay in bed. Not being able to move around during the contractions was much more uncomfortable. I found out my doctor was out of town and one of her partners would be delivering me. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping to have a woman deliver me. The doctor and nurse told me we would probably have a baby by lunch time.
I waited about 45 minutes to get the epidural and once I got it I felt no pain at all. I still had feeling in my legs and was able to move them. Wesley, my mom, my sister and I were able to talk and listen to music and the time really went by quickly. Our nurse was a Christian and was so wonderful...I could not have picked a better nurse! Around 11:30 I told her I could tell when I was having contractions so she checked me and said I was at 9cm and we would start pushing soon! My water broke shortly after this and then we began pushing.
I pushed for about an hour. In that hour I had a 15 minute break because Olivia's heart rate would drop during contractions. After some oxygen and that break I was ready to push again. Pushing was exhausting but once I saw my little girl I forgot how tired I was! At 12:58pm on August 7, 2009 our little girl made her arrival! She came out crying and was given a 9.9 apgar. Holding her for the first time was the most wonderful experience. I was so thankful to have Wesley, my mom, and my sister there to encourage me throughout labor and delivery!
After 45 minutes of repairing mommy, Wesley's parents and my Dad were able to join us in the room and meet Olivia for the first time. We had a little scare when it was time to move me to the postpartum room. My blood pressure dropped scary low and I started to black out. The nurse kept me awake by having me tell her how Wesley and I met and started dating. I was given more IV fluids and after a little while was ready to go to the postpartum room.
While in the hospital Olivia had to have a few extra tests done but ended up being perfectly fine. She was 6lbs 3oz and 19 in long at birth. She had to have her bilirubin levels checked more often because she tested positive for coombs which just means that her blood (B) and mine (O) mixed and it could put her at risk for jaundice. When we left the hospital she had the lowest levels in the entire nursery...no jaundice for our little girl! She also had to do a barium swallow because she spit up green (stomach bile) and that could be a sign of a blockage or something wrong in her intestines. Thankfully everything came back normal!! When we left the hospital she weighed in at 5lbs 13oz. Good thing we decided to bring a preemie size outfit just in case the newborn one was too big!
Recovery has been difficult for me but it is so worth it! We love Olivia more than words can describe and are just in awe that the Lord chose to bless us with her! She is just beautiful...a mix of Mommy and Daddy. She has Daddy's eyes and forehead and Mommy's nose and mouth we think. Wesley and I could stare at her all day long and are loving snuggling with her. She is still such a sleepy little thing but has good awake periods during the morning and late evening. We can't wait to get to know her and see what her personality is going to be like. She is a content and peaceful baby unless she is hungry or getting her diaper changed. I'll leave you with some pictures from her first week of life...time is already going by too quickly!!
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