Merry Chistmas Everyone!

Baby's First Christmas!!! And how fun it was! Our first Christmas with Baby O was so special...and of course she was spoiled rotten. Not so much by Mommy and Daddy but mostly by Nana (Grandma). Olivia got so many beautiful outfits that she is going to be the best dressed girl in Indiana...by far! Here she is on Christmas morning with all of her Christmas loot...

One of the cutest presents that Olivia received was from some family friends. She got her very own "first purse"! Here is the diva herself sporting her sassy handbag...

Our weather has been unseasonably warm lately so we were prepared not to have a White Christmas this year. But we were lucky enough to get a little bit of snow on Christmas day! The snowflakes were the biggest I have ever seen and the snowfall only lasted an hour or so...but at least we can say we had snow on Christmas...

We were so blessed to be able to spend Christmas with so many friends and family. But mostly we were blessed to receive the best Christmas present we could have ever asked for this year...Olivia! Here are some other pictures from the holiday...

All Smiles

Olivia turned 7 weeks old today! Yes, we are approaching the two month mark...so hard to believe!

Well there are a few quick updates to give. First, I had my surgery on Thursday. It went very well and I am feeling great. I was just a little tired the day of the procedure, but I was feeling much better by Friday. My Mom took the day off on Thursday to help me tend to Olivia as I would have not had the energy to do it alone. Todd took the day off Friday just to be here to help. It was nice for him to have an extra day off around Christmas and it was nice having him here. So hopefully this surgery took care of the problem and I can be back to my pre-pregnancy self. I will go for a follow-up appointment the second week of January to make sure things are ok.

Now a weight update for Baby O! We went to our breastfeeding support group this week for the Christmas party. After cookies, presents and some mingling with other moms we got the babies weighed. Now two weeks ago Livie weighed in at 10 lbs. 2 oz. I figured that by now she would probably be weighing around 11 lbs. Well no way...we are at a whopping 11 lbs. 8 oz! I can hardly believe how quickly this child is gaining weight. It is becoming very obvious in the size of her cheeks and the rolls that are developing on her legs and arms! I am loving every second of it. There is just nothing cuter than a chubby baby! And knowing that she is obviously getting the nutrition she needs is very comforting.

As I mentioned before Olivia has started smiling at us. She does it very often and it is so great! Up until now I have not had any luck catching any of the smiles on camera. Well I finally did this week! And I am sure it will become easier and easier to capture them as she becomes more interactive with us.

And one more first to report...she officially rolled over from her tummy to her back on Thursday! At first I thought it was a fluke...that she just sort of lost balance and toppled over. But she did it again and has done it a few more times since then. It is so exciting watching her do all of these things for the first time! Todd and I truly are proud parents!

A Bump in the Road

Beautiful baby Olivia has reached her 6 week mark! It is so hard to believe that she is almost two months old! Things have been going pretty well. We have had a few rough nights and we seem to be experiencing some sleeping problems but hopefully those will work themselves out as she gets a bit older.

On another note it seems that there is a minor post labor problem that I am dealing with. I have to undergo minor surgery on Thursday to take care of it. I guess it is not a big deal but I am still not looking forward to feeling like crap for a couple of days so close to Christmas. Fortunately Todd and my mom will be taking a few days off of work to help me recover and more importantly help to take care of little Olivia. This was a bump in the road that I was not expecting. As if taking care of a new born baby isn't hard enough on it's own! The good news is that after this procedure I should be back to my normal, healthy self.

On a happier note Olivia visited Santa Claus this past weekend! Even though she has no idea that it is Christmas we thought it would be cute to get her picture taken at least. She slept through it all, just like she does during most of her outings. How cute is this...

Olivia seems to be getting bigger and bigger everyday! She is completely healthy and we are so pleased with her progress. I should have a updated weight for her later this week. She is also smiling up a storm. I have not been lucky enough to actually catch one on camera yet. But as soon as I do, I will post it right away. It is a sight to see!

We are looking forward to spending our first Christmas with Baby O! I will be sure to post some pictures from Christmas day. But here are some photos we have taken of her in her holiday outfits so far this season!

Todd, Olivia and myself hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Holy Cow!

Just a quick update...

Olivia was weighed again this week and came in at a whopping 10 lbs. 2 oz! Yes, the child has gained almost 4 lbs. in her first month! At the rate of gaining almost one pound per week she could very possibly weigh 52 lbs. at her first birthday! Ok...well that would be a little weird. But I am very pleased with her weight gaining progress. She is obviously getting more than enough to eat. Her cheeks are getting so big that they literally rest on her chest when she is laying down! It is too funny!

On a sad note she has officially grown out of her newborn outfits and diapers. I cannot believe how quickly that has happened. It is heartbreaking to have to put away some of her adorable little outfits already. How can she be growing up so fast already? I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that she is 5 weeks old today!

I have also noticed this week that she is becoming much more alert of Todd and I and her surroundings. I am pretty sure I got the first real smile out of her a few days ago but I have yet to catch it on camera. As soon as I do I will be sure to post it. It will just melt your heart!

Well I must go as there is so much to do to get ready for Christmas! The fact that it is just over two weeks away stresses me out! There will be plenty of Livie Christmas pictures to come!

Lots of Firsts

Having a new baby means experiencing everything for the first time. Not only for Olivia but for Todd and I as parents as well. Todd and I experienced changing the first icky diaper for the first time. Man...those can get nasty! I experienced feeding her for the first time...which was very special. There was our first outing as a family...which included a trip to the mall followed by dinner. Olivia slept through the entire thing! And with our Livie turning one month old this past Monday there are sure to be many more firsts to come!

A few weeks ago we gave Olivia her first real bath. No more wipe downs with the washcloth. You would think that giving some thing so small a bath would be a piece of cake! Well this is no easy task! A four week old baby is still very small and quite slippery when wet. But we managed to get her clean. I cannot say she enjoyed it, but hopefully she will in time.

Olivia is continuing to get bigger and bigger each day. Todd and I are just waiting to see her first smile any day now. Of course she smiles quite often but that is only because she has gas! :)
I have started teaching my aerobics classes again. I am easing back into things of course, but it is nice to be active again. Olivia has been attending class with me. She sits in her car seat at the front of the room and usually sleeps through everything. I cannot say how long that will last but we will do it while we can. I think she enjoys the music. She should since she heard it in the womb for nine months!

Well there are sure to be many more firsts but for now we are just enjoying the every day moments with her. I have been told by many that I better enjoy this time because it will pass by before I know it. Although I am anxious to experience everything with Olivia for the first time I do not want her to grow up too fast!