A Busy Week In NY

Olivia is twelve weeks old this week...soon approaching the 3-month mark. It's hard to believe that almost three months have passed since she was born. The past three months have been great though. I love being a mom - and I love the feeling of knowing that she needs me every day.

She has been spending more time awake during the days, so I have been spending more time with her lately. She still hasn't rolled over yet, but she's pretty close. I bought her a mirror this week and she has enjoyed spending time looking at herself in that. She is getting more comfortable with tummy time and doesn't get frustrated so easily.

While she naps, I've been busy sewing. I finished a Christmas present for one of my nephews this week...and I have to admit that it's pretty darn cute! I've also been donating my time to sew a quilt for a local church. One of our family friends told me that they are creating 9 quilts for a halfway house in Yonkers, but they don't have enough help to complete them all. So, I've been spending my time sewing squares together for them so they can complete their project on time. I would rather be sewing more Christmas presents, but it's also nice to donate time to others as well. My next project is another Christmas present for another nephew. Then a project for my grandparents, then finally I'll make something for Olivia!

Chris has been at meetings almost every night this week. I've barely seen him at all. Yesterday, Olivia had a rough day around here and was pretty cranky. Chris had a business meeting at church...and he is such a great husband that he offered to take her with him so that I could have the night off. It was nice to be able to sew and do the dishes without being interrupted! And it was nice to know that I could trust Christopher to take Olivia with him to the meeting...and everything would be just fine. Sorry ladies...but I have the best husband of all! :)

11 Weeks Old

Over eleven weeks have passed since this cute little bundle of joy has arrived. Our lives have changed immensely since she was born and we feel so very blessed. She is babbling so much more, especially to Chris and me. Her favorite two words now are "Goo" and "Ga" - typical baby sounds. Her face lights up with a beautiful smile when she sees us, and she loves interacting.

She is still at the point where she doesn't mind if other people hold her, so she is getting to know other faces at church, as well as when we have guests over or get together with friends.

She tries really hard to roll over but hasn't quite mastered that skill yet. She can push herself up while on her stomach, but quickly gets annoyed and bored that there isn't anything to look at underneath her except a blanket. I'm looking forward to borrowing my sister-in-law's activity gym so she can have something to entertain her while she is lying on her stomach and on her back.


Olivia really likes to be in the sitting position lately too. If we put her in her Bobby pillow laying down, she tries really hard to sit up, almost like she's doing stomach crunches. As soon as you sit her up, she is happy as a clam and will sit like that for quite a long time (propped up or our our laps of course).

She hasn't started laughing or giggling yet, but we can definitely tell she is getting close. She makes a funny noise that we think will turn into a laugh eventually, but she's still just smiling a whole lot.

She is really getting long too. Her 0-3 month clothing is finally getting to small because her legs poke out the bottom of the pant legs. I think she gets her height from my dad and brother. She'll probably be tall and skinny like her cousin..but only time will tell.

We are looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving so that our families can see how much she is changing. We will spend 1.5 days with my family and 1.5 days with Chris' family. It's not exactly ideal, but we are just thankful for the time we do have with them instead of sad about how little time we have.

I'll post her 12 week picture later this week - and maybe by that time she will be rolling over - so I'll have a video to post too!

Three Shots and a Princess

Olivia went to the doctor today to get her first set of shots. To make the day seem a little more happier, I decided to dress her in a costume. (Perhaps more happier for me than for her!) None-the-less, she was Daddy's Little Princess for the day. I even made Ellie an outfit to match! Surprisingly, she didn't mind wearing it at all. She actually purred when I put it on her and she let me take several pictures without running away. Now we have two little princesses in the house!

Overall, Olivia did really well at the doctor's office. She was tired when we got there, so she didn't mind just lying still through the exam part of the visit. She even fell asleep in my arms while we waited for the nurse to come back in and give her the shots. She got three shots, two of which were a combination for several different things. I felt so bad for her though - she was sleeping soundly in my arms and suddenly the nurse stuck her with the first needle. Her eyes opened wide, then they shut and the tears poured out the sides. She took a deep breath in and waited about 10 seconds before letting out the ear-piercing scream. Her face turned bright red and she screamed even louder as the nurse gave her the next two shots. Thankfully she let me hug and cuddle her and she was then able to calm down. But the look in her eyes still said, "Mommy, why did you let that happen to me?." I know it's best for her, but it still breaks my heart to see her in pain. I did decide to take pictures of her before and after the shots so that we could remember the moments though. (Before=Above, After=Right) She is weighing in at 10 pounds, 9 ounce and she is 22.5 inches long. According to the charts, she is between the 25th and 50th percentiles...which means she is healthy and strong!

October is almost gone

It's hard to believe that October is almost over! The past several weeks have flown by way too fast. However, I feel like we have accomplished a lot as a family. Our trip to Ohio was great - we were blessed with the chance to see lots of family and friends, as well as spend extended time with family. It was more than just a quick trip which allowed us to be able to relax a little while we were away from home.

Olivia is growing quickly and has more personality every day. Chris and I are so happy to spend time with her and we are truly enjoying parenthood. Sure, it's tiring getting up to feed her in the night, and it takes longer to load the car when we go out...but the pros of being parents far outweighs those things.

She smiles at us all the time and it completely melts our hearts each time. Seeing her gummy baby smile never gets old. She's headed to the doctor tomorrow for her first round of shots....so we'll see how many smiles she has for me tomorrow...probably not that many! Keep us in your prayers!

6 Weeks Old

Olivia turned six weeks old on Tuesday. Time continues to fly by so quickly! As I look at her weekly pictures, I see differences in her that I don't necessarily notice on a daily basis. I'm glad we are in the digital age where we can take so many pictures and not have to constantly pay to develop them all!

This afternoon we will take a road trip to Ohio...again. This time around, Olivia will get to meet so many new people. Her journey starts in Columbus with Neil and Melissa, a couple that lived in New York and went to our church, but recently moved back to Ohio. Then she'll get to meet all of our friends in Cincinnati (and see a few that she's already met). Plus, she'll get to experience the Homecoming parade and her first football game! She'll get to spend some more time with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. She'll get to meet her three great grandparents on my side of the family, plus meet a few of my high school friends. Then, she'll travel with me to Montpelier where she'll get to meet her three great grandparents on Chris' side of the family. She'll take her first trip to Michigan to pick up Daddy at the airport and she will meet Uncle Steven, Aunt Amy, and Cousin Elijah. She'll also get to meet a few of her paternal cousins, aunts and uncles. Then she'll get to meet ALL of Chris' maternal family. Everyone will be in town for Granny's 80th birthday, so she will get the chance to meet aunts, uncles and cousins.

It will be a big week for all 3 of us - Olivia and I in Ohio with our family, and Chris in New York all by himself! Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as we embark upon this journey! We'll definitely document it with lots of pictures - we'll keep you posted!

One thing I keep telling myself is, "it's not about me." It has definitely taken me a while to get used to the fact that my daily to-do list doesn't matter when Olivia needs something. I can have 20 things on my list that need done, but if she needs fed, I need to take care of her. If she is awake, I take the time to interact with her instead of sitting her in the swing to be entertained while I work on my own things. I've come to understand that the list will get accomplished eventually - but everything on the list combined isn't as important to me as Olivia.

It's a lot different than being at work, having a schedule, sticking to that schedule, accomplishing tasks, and going home. Being a stay-at-home-mom is taking a while to get used to. But I love being able to be there when Olivia wakes up from her naps, I love feeding her, and I love going on daily outings with her - taking her to experience new things (even though she has no idea what we are doing!).

Something else I enjoy about motherhood is getting the chance to see Chris with our baby girl. He is an amazing father and loves to spend time with Olivia. He's actually going to Ohio this weekend, so he won't get to see her for two days. My guess is that he will definitely take pictures of her home with him not only to show to family members, but to show to EVERYONE he comes in contact with. He is such a proud father. When we go to church, he is usually the one who holds her and several ladies commented to me that it seems like I never hold her! Seeing him interact with her makes me feel more in love with him each time. I thank God all the time for blessing me with such a wonderful family.

One Month Old...Already!

Time really is flying by! It's hard to believe that it has already been one month since I gave birth to sweet Olivia. Where did the time go? But, when I look at her, it definitely looks like she is a month old. She is already a different baby than we brought home from the hospital. She is more alert, is starting to stay awake more, and her features have changed so much.

We went to the doctor today and she weighed in at 8lbs, 6.5oz. She's also grown over two inches since we brought her home from the hospital. The doctor said that she is very healthy right now...so her next appointment will be to get her 2-month shots...that should be a fun visit!

This picture was taken on Tuesday when she was four weeks old. From week to week she changes just a little bit. It's definitely hard to tell just by looking at her, but we can see the difference in her weekly photos. To see her weekly pictures, you can go to http://picasaweb.google.com/cincychelle and click on the Weekly Photos album. There are also other new pictures in the Olivia - Month One album. Starting today, I'll post new pictures in a Month Two album.

She is starting to sleep a little better at night now. Although, she still cries after about 20 minutes of sleeping alone in her crib. But, that at least gives us SOME time to stretch out in the bed by ourselves without feeling like we are sleeping on pins and needles with a baby in the bed! Monday and Tuesday this week were really rough and she just wasn't sleeping well at all during the day or night. Things have calmed back down now though and she's back to her semi-schedule of sleeping for 3ish hours at a time.

**Big Sigh**

Now we're jumping into month number two. This month we have lots of things to look forward to with Olivia. She'll travel to Ohio with us again to watch the UC Homecoming game and meet a lot of our friends. She'll spend the week with me at my parents' house and get the chance to meet her great grandparents. Then we'll drive to Montpelier to spend with with the other great grandparents. She'll go to Michigan to pick up Chris at the airport and then will get to meet A LOT (if not all) of her extended family on Chris' side. She'll get to go apple and pumpkin picking with us at Stewart Farm and then end the month with vaccinations. Off we go...

We will be sure to post pictures on Picasa, Facebook, or MySpace. Check back for updates!

Like Mother-Like Daughter

I definitely think that Olivia gets her sense of wanting to be cuddled ALL THE TIME from me. She sleeps so soundly if she's in your arms or on your lap. She sleeps 4 & 5 hours at a time during the night if she is in the bed between us. But she wakes up within 5 minutes of us putting her in her crib. I can't tell if we are spoiling her by holding her so much, or if it's too early in her life for her to get used to that.

We are still trying to figure her out and we are still learning her signs of being sleepy and her signs of trying to go back to sleep on her own. The books all seem to have different opinions, as do people...so we're just trying to learn about our daughter on our own...we'll see how far it gets us!

Baby Blues

...not that I have the Baby Blues...but that I love taking time to just look into Olivia's big, baby blue eyes. She loves to take in her surroundings and just watches everything going on around her. When she gets tired, she lies in my arms and just looks at me. It is such a blessing to look down at her, talk to her, and know that I'm her mommy. Her soft skin is so kissable and I spend part of the day just cuddling with her.

It's hard to believe that she is already three weeks old. Time sure does fly when you become a parent!

It's already going so quickly

I completely agree with the sentiment that time flies as you get older. I'm not sure where the past 20 days have gone! It doesn't seem like it's been that long already since Olivia was born. She is already growing (6lbs 14oz at the doctor last week), and she seems to be more alert to everything going on around her.

In the past 2 1/2 weeks, Olivia has already accomplished so much! She's traveled to Ohio and back, been to a wedding, went on two boat trips, spent four nights in a hotel and had a 'playdate' with five other babies. She is a great baby and I can't wait to see how our family grows together.

I'm a Mommy!

A lot has changed since my last post! Olivia Grace was definitely worth the wait! Labor pains started around 1:30am on Tuesday August 26 and Olivia arrived at 9:17am.

Childbirth was a surreal experience and Chris was an amazing and supportive husband throughout the entire process.

Olivia is a great (not to mention adorable) baby so far and we feel truly blessed to finally have her outside of my tummy!

She has blond hair, big blue eyes, and a cute little baby smile. She is already a snuggler - she must get that from me. But Christopher eats up all the snuggle time possible with her.

She had her first sponge bath yesterday, her maternal grandparents have come to visit/help, and her first pediatrician's appointment went very well.

We are off to a great start - so please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Making the most of it

Well, it's Sunday already, three days past the estimated due date, and this little lady is giving no signs that she wants to come out. That's okay though, because I'm still enjoying being pregnant. Yeah, it's annoying to need Chris' help to get up off the couch, and rolling over in bed is no easy feat - but feeling the little baby continue to move inside me is such a blessing.

Chris and I are trying to make the most of our time together (just the two of us) before she arrives. We went on a 'last date for a while' several weeks ago...and still have all this time to ourselves! Yesterday we went to a cute town in New Jersey along the Hudson River and walked around for most of the afternoon. It was nice to be able to talk, enjoy each other's company, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

So, we're doing our best to keep ourselves occupied, that way we don't spend all of our time wondering when the baby will arrive.

We have done our fair share of trying to induce labor naturally - but we've decided that my body just isn't ready, so we're not pushing it. This baby will come when God decides its time.

Although my estimated due date has come and gone, I'm not worried. I'm counting it as a blessing to have the opportunity to be pregnancy more than 40 weeks. After all, not many of my family members have had the opportunity to go into the 41st week of pregnancy! :)

The baby is moving around a lot, which the doctor says might be leading up to the impending labor...but I think it's because of all the sugar in the ice cream I've been eating! I was dilated 1 1/2 centimeters this morning at the doctor's office...although I think she just gave me the extra 1/2 to not make me feel bad about still being at a 1!

I have several options for ways to naturally make myself go into labor, but so far none of those have worked. I'm not trying them because I'm anxious to get this baby out - I'm trying them because I would rather not have to attend the scheduled induction at the hospital for Wednesday night. I would much rather it happen naturally than artificially.

Besides, feeling this baby move inside of me is an amazing experience. Last night, Chris was talking to her, then he'd kiss my belly, and she responded right away by pushing her foot out. They did that three times and it brought a huge smile to both of our faces. She's constantly moving, and constantly reminding me what a blessing it is to be pregnant. Thankfully, this has been a great pregnancy and I'm not extremely miserable waiting on her to arrive. Anxious, yes. Miserable, no.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to wait patiently. We are very excited about being parents - and can't wait to meet our little girl.

ESTIMATED Due Date

When Chris and I had our first doctor's appointment back in January and the doctor established the estimated due date, we knew it was just an estimate. We didn't get completely attached to the date, althought we knew we would be having a baby roughly around that time. Well, as of today, all of you who thought the baby would arrive before the due date are wrong! We still have 12 hours left in the day to have a baby before those of you who thought we would give birth on the due date are wrong. The only option that will be left come midnight will be to deliver after the due date.

While it is still extremely anxiety provoking for me, Chris, and all of our family members...the doctor has assured us that the baby is healthy, just not quite ready to make her entrance into the world! I went to the doctor yesterday, and I'm headed back tomorrow, just so she can keep a close eye on me.

If nothing else, the doctor plans to induce next week so that the baby doesn't get too big. This isn't the best option and we all prefer to allow me to go into labor on my own. So, please keep me, Chris, and this little baby in your thoughts and prayers as we venture into the 41st week of pregnancy! Hopefully we will have good news for everyone soon and we will be able to share her with the world. For now, she is certainly teaching her father and mother a lesson about patience!

Still no change - but no concerns

I went to the doctor today for a Fetal Non-Stress Test. She monitored the baby's heart rate, my uterine contractions, and then checked the fluid in my uterus. Everything is normal and seems exceptionally healthy. I'm still 1 cm dilated, so that hasn't changed at all.

The doctor isn't concerned about anything, but she's getting anxious too! Only God knows when this little girl will arrive, so the rest of us will just keep waiting!

Nothing has changed

Here is my picture from yesterday. 39.5 weeks pregnant

After my doctor's appointment today, she said that I am still 1 centimeter dilated. Nothing has changed since Friday. There are several appointments in store for me throughout the next week - pending I don't go into labor. So, check back for an update later in the week!

1 centimeter - but waiting patiently

When I went to the doctor on Friday, she said I have dilated 1 centimeter. While that seems exciting.....I'm still waiting patiently on the other 9! I told Chris, "if getting to one centimeter was this easy, I can only hope that getting through the other nine will be this easy too!"

Still no real contractions, no pains, no hint that a baby will be arriving soon. I think this is the cause of my anxiety lately - that I have no idea when anything will happen. Will my water break first? Will contractions start? When? Where will I be? Will Chris be with me? I just don't know - only God has the answers. So, I'm doing my best to wait patiently.

Chris on the other hand, is waiting not-so-patiently! He's anxious to see how he can help me through labor - already anticipating that he will feel hopeless. So, keep us both in your prayers as we journey into the days ahead.

No action yet...

While this baby seems to be moving around tremendously inside me, there is no evidence that I will go into labor any time soon. We'll see what the doctor has to say at tomorrow's visit, but for now I'm just relaxing and enjoying my free time off work.

Everyone seems anxious for me to give birth - including my husband. I think so many people are just ready to meet this little girl. I guess we will all just have to continue to be patient!

My body is preparing...

It seems as if pregnancy is beginning to catch up with me. So far, it's been really great and I haven't had any complications. Now that my due date is just around the corner, my body is getting very tired. I even seem to have a head-cold now, complete with a stuffy nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. I thought it was a cold at first (although I've never had one in August before) - but I'm beginning to think that my body is just getting tired of being pregnant! Any thoughts?

Two more days of work!

It feels really good to only have two more days left of work. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would make it to the end because I thought I might go into labor before the last day arrived. Unless something happens today or tomorrow morning, it looks like I'll make it to the end!

It has been great to work here and I feel truly blessed by the opportunity I have had. I am going to miss working with the kids and communicating with my coworkers on a daily basis - but I'm leaving it all to stay at home with my new baby girl. It's nice to know that in the near future, if I would like to go back part time or even full time, my boss will welcome me back. But for now, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to stay at home with the new baby.

These two days should be pretty stress-free, as all I have to do is meet with my coworker to transfer the cases back to her. I also need to clean out my office and say goodbyes, but I'm completely caught up on paperwork and have no loose ends to tie up. It's a pretty good feeling!

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as these next two days come to a close!

Everyone has opinions...

Everyone seems to have an opinion about how soon I will be delivering this baby. Some say, "any day now" some say, "you're not big enough yet" some say, "wait until I return from vacation"....the list goes on. I was warned early in my pregnancy about people wanting to give their advice to you...but I didn't think it would go so far as to them picking when I should deliver! I guess you never know what people are going to say!

It's a start

I started this blog in hopes that I will keep it updated regularly - that way my friends and family can see/read what I have been up to. Truthfully, I haven't been too good about updating posts in the past simply because I've been a) too busy or b) too lazy. Hopefully this one will be a little bit different. I feel so far away from everyone I love (except my husband) and it's so hard to regularly email everyone. With our little girl due to arrive within the next few weeks, I'm hoping to update everyone on her progress as well. Help remind me to post regularly!