First Trip to the Zoo

Our weather has been amazing this weekend...reaching the mid to high 70's! It was also opening weekend of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. My Aunt gave us a year long membership to the zoo for Christmas and we have been itching to get Olivia there for the first time. This was the perfect weekend for it, so we decided to make today our first trip (of many, I'm sure) to the zoo!

Instead of adding to the hundreds of strollers being pushed around that place we decided to strap the Baby Bjorn on Todd and just walk around. She seemed to enjoy being strapped to Daddy. Since we will be going to the zoo many times this season we did not feel like we had to see everything, so we thought we would just visit a few attractions and let Olivia see some of the animals. Here is Olivia and her Daddy by the monkeys!

She really enjoyed all of the commotion around the zoo. Kids running everywhere and lots of exciting things to look at. I am not sure how many of the animals she actually noticed but we did point them out to her and tell her what each one was. Some of the bigger ones seemed to spark some interest. We took her on the log ride in the Australian Adventure and I even managed to snap a picture of the three of us...

After an hour or so Todd was getting quite tired from carrying Livie around. Remember...the child does weigh over 18 lbs! Not to mention that it was pretty warm and we did not want Livie spending too much time in the sun. So we stopped to relax in the shade before heading home.

We are looking forward to taking her to the zoo many times this summer. It may not mean much to her this year, but by next year she will probably be begging us to go every weekend. It is such a nice zoo and Todd and I enjoy going, so I know she won't have to twist our arm! It was a long day for Livie and she passed out on the way home. How sweet...

So thank you Aunt Sue Sue for giving us such a special gift. We will have many special memories from our trips to the zoo this summer as a family!

Rollin'...Rollin'...Rollin'

Olivia is one active baby! Within the past month she has begun rolling over on a regular basis. She prefers to roll from her belly to back but will occasionally go the other way if the mood strikes. She actually rolled over a few times when she was two months old but it must have been a fluke because it stopped as quickly as it started. Around four months she started showing some interest in changing positions. It was very frustrating for her at first as she had a great deal of trouble figuring out how to get over that bottom arm to complete her roll. She would sit on her side for quite awhile and usually end up just rolling back, as it was just too much work. But one day she made it all of the way over and now she has it down pat! In fact most of the time, as soon as I lay her down she immediately rolls over to her tummy! Here are a few videos of Olivia's new favorite thing to do. The first video shows her trying to roll over but just not making it all the way. The second clip shows her reaching her goal! The video clips are quite dark but I think you will get gist of it...

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=AlmostRolling-Video.flv

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=RollingOver-Video.flv

Olivia is also a very strong little girl. Around the age of three months she started trying to lift the top half of her body off the ground like she was trying to sit up. She would hold her breath and her face would turn red as she attempted a task that she obviously was unable to complete at such a young age. Watching this is hilarious as it looks like she is trying to do sit-ups. She does have quite a big belly so maybe she is trying to tone those muscles! As you can see from the pictures she is desperately trying to pull herself up...

And...Livie is also able to sit up unsupported for a short time. Within the past two weeks or so I have been able to let go of her while she is sitting. She sets herself up in a tripod position...with both legs spread and her arms out in front of her. By doing this she can hold herself up for quite awhile. Yesterday I think she sat unassisted for about three minutes before toppling over. Here she is sitting up all by herself! I am so proud!

This is a great accomplishment as we are on our way to being able to play without Mommy and Daddy's help. But for the meantime we just prop her up on the couch in the boppy and she plays with her toys while watching her favorite TV channel...Sprout! She changes more and more each day!

Hippity Hop!

What a cute little bunny rabbit! Well today is Easter...but you wouldn't know it by the weather we are having. It actually snowed today as we were on our way to church! There is no excuse for snow in April! But the weather did not stop Olivia from getting all decked out in her Easter duds!
Olivia's Nana bought her this adorable outfit for her first Easter. She caught quite a bit of attention at church looking like a little "sailor girl". Church was quite long today but Olivia managed to get through it. Her little catnap in the middle of the service helped. She also managed to smile at just about everyone that would look her way. She is quite the flirt these days! After church we headed over to some close family friend's for dinner and Olivia even got to participate in her first Easter egg hunt! Well...Mommy walked around looking for her eggs while Daddy held her...but it was fun nonetheless. She also got two Easter baskets full of goodies! So it turned out to be a pretty good day for Livie. But all of the excitement of Easter caught up with little Miss Olivia and she started getting fussy by the end of the afternoon. So we headed home and she immediately crashed! A little too much Easter excitement for one day I guess. Here's Olivia with one of her Easter goodies...sitting on Nana's lap. Give her something to play with and she is one happy camper!

Nasty weather aside it was a wonderful first Easter for Olivia and the rest of us. It was a day full of fun and most importantly being around loved ones! We hope you and your families also had a very blessed Easter! Now it is time for Spring to come and stay for good!

Spring is in the Air

Spring is officially here! This is good news for Olivia. It means no more having to be stuck in the house while it is freezing cold outside. We can finally starting getting out and enjoying the weather....and we have been doing just that! With a few nice days here and there we have been going for long walks. It is clear Olivia loves doing this and does not mind being in her stroller. Most of the time she wants to sit up and look around but occasionally she lays down and enjoys a leisurely nap....what a life! Check her out...so stylish!

Just yesterday we took her outside to enjoy the sunshine. We sat her in the grass for the first time and let her explore. She was very fascinated with the grass and immediately starting grabbing at it. I know we will have many fun adventures this Spring and Summer! Here are a few pictures of us enjoying the lovely weather...

Olivia is on the verge of turning five months old and boy it shows! She is almost sitting up on her own. She still needs support but can balance on her own for awhile before toppling over. She is also improving on her eating skills. The cereal is going down a little easier after two weeks of trying. She still prefers milk and rather not take the time to be fed by a spoon. But I make sure and give her a little bit of cereal at least once a day. And last we checked she was weighing just under 18 lbs!!! Yes...she is a very big girl for 5 months. She is wearing 6 month clothing which is screwing up our seasons a little, but her rolls are adorable and it just makes more for her daddy and I to squeeze.

With Spring in the air there is so much to do and enjoy outdoors! The month of April is going to be very exciting for Olivia as she will be baptized also. We are looking forward to this special occasion and being able to share it with family and friends. And just imagine little Livie in her beautiful white gown!

Yum! Yum!

Olivia is officially a big girl! After about four months of existing on nothing but breast milk we decided that it was time to take the next step...so last week we started her on solid foods. The first step is trying rice cereal...yummy! So we strapped her into her high chair and gave it a try. Below are some before and after pictures. You can see the uncertainty of what is to come in her face in the "before" picture. And as you can tell from the "after" picture more of the food ended up on her face and her bib than actually in her mouth.

BEFORE AFTER

I know it will take her awhile to get used to it. We have been giving it to her once or twice a day for about a week now and I can already see an improvement. She is swallowing more of it but is still a complete mess when she is finished. She has mastered the action of opening her mouth when the spoon gets close but once the food is in her mouth she is still unsure of how to keep it there. Most of the time her left hand goes into her mouth at the same time as the spoon. Not sure why exactly but she can't seem to take a bite of food without that hand being part of the action! And sometimes she closes her mouth and blows a raspberry which causes the food to spray all over my face! Ah...the joys of parenthood!

Here are a few video clips of Olivia adjusting to her new, expanded palate...

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=CerealVideo2.flv

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=March2007028.flv

I think we will introduce veggies very soon. I can tell by Olivia's interest in what we eat that she is more than ready to try some different foods. She will reach for my bottle of water and open her mouth when I am drinking. She did the same thing earlier this week when I was eating a banana while she was sitting on my lap. She is almost five months old so I don't think there is anything wrong with giving her a few more options.

We have just entered a whole new world with the introduction of solid foods! I am sure we will see many strange reactions as she tries things for the first time...sure to make for some great pictures!

Splish Splash

Olivia loves bath time! At first it was not her favorite thing to do but now that she is a bit older she has so much fun just splashing around in the water. Todd gives Olivia her baths...it is one of the special things they do together. She is quite the wiggle worm so it can be difficult to scrub her down. And with all of her rolls there is a lot of scrubbing that has to be done! But she is completely content just lying there and enjoying the water.

Here is a video clip of Olivia enjoying her time in the bath...

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=March2007026.flv

After she is all clean, Livie gets into her comfy robe. Mommy then takes over and gives her a massage. Then the PJ's go on and we are all done! She has become such a fun baby, and it so great to be able to do these fun things together!

I have a feeling she is going to be a baby that enjoys swimming. We are greatly anticipating summertime because Todd's brother has a pool at his house. It will be so nice to spend the hot summer days over there just floating around in the cool water. We have already gotten Olivia her summer time bathing suit. It is the cutest thing ever! Not only does she have a cute swimsuit but she has a matching terrycloth cover-up and sandals to top off the ensemble! You will have to wait until the summer for pictures!

Here's a quick update...Olivia is now rolling over in both directions! She has only done it a handful of times but she can do it! Most of the time she goes from her back to her belly. She gets stuck on that arm that is so darn hard to roll over. But with some hard work she gets it done! And just within the last couple of days she has started blowing raspberries! It is so cute and the spit just flies when she does it! New things are happening every day!

One Stubborn Girl

From the beginning Olivia's personality has stood out. She has never been a difficult baby really...just very, very stubborn! She knows what she wants and she will go to great lengths to get it! Well she has been testing everyone with her stubbornness quite a bit lately. I have mentioned the problem we were having with separation anxiety. Whenever I would leave her with someone she would cry and cry and cry, only giving up once she had exhausted herself so much that she just could not continue any longer. We have also had problems getting her to take a bottle. She will throw such a fit, crying so hard that she turns bright red and can hardly breathe. There have been a few times that she has gone many, many hours without food because she refuses to take it from a bottle. We used to give into her, but lately we have not and have allowed her to throw her fits. We figured that when she gets hungry enough she will eat, no matter how it is given to her. Working through these issues has been very challenging. But I think I can say that things are improving a little bit...thank goodness!

Last week Olivia did very well at the babysitter, and has done quite well this week also. She only fusses for a little while, right after I walk out the door. I think that she is starting to get used to bring there and realizes that crying is not going to make me come back any sooner. She is also more occupied with her toys now and that helps immensely! Also, over the weekend we tried to feed Olivia with the bottle as much as possible and I am proud to say that she took them without a fight! What a relief! As happy as I am that I choose to breastfeed, I need to know that she will not have trouble getting her food if I am not around. Her protesting is partly my fault, as I did not give her a bottle as much as I probably should have in the beginning. But I think we are working through that issue as well. There are still a few more things we have to work on...like taking better naps and not being so dependent on the pacifier, but I can only tackle one problem at a time!

We did visit the pediatrician last Friday for Olivia's four month appointment. She weighs 17 lbs. and 3 oz. and is 25 1/2 inches in length. The doctor is very pleased with the way that she is growing. We discusses starting solid foods and I think we are going to give her a taste of rice cereal later in the week. That should be interesting! Overall she seems to be developing just fine. She rolled over last week one time, but hasn't done it since. And she is getting very strong as we work on sitting up on our own! But I can tell that this is a child that will do things when she is good and ready to do them...and not a minute before!

It is amazing to watch her grow into a more independent baby. Her smile can light up a room and she can throw a fit like you have never seen before. She seems to be catching onto things very quickly and sometimes tries to do things that she is just not physically able to do yet. This shows me that she is developing very well and that she is also going to be a lot of work for her mommy and daddy. She is our wonderful, stubborn girl!

So Big, So Fast

Four months ago today Baby O was welcomed into the world. What an exciting and exhausting four months it has been! Everyday we thank God to be blessed with such a healthy, beautiful baby girl. We have enjoyed becoming parents and enjoyed watching our little baby grow up in front of our eyes. It amazes us how much she has changed in these four short months. In some ways it seems like it was just yesterday that Todd was rushing me to the hospital. On the other hand, these four months have gone by at a snail's pace (when I think of the many sleepless nights!) We are anxious for what lies ahead but we will miss our tiny little baby. So in the meantime we will cherish these special moments as they flash before our eyes!

Things have definitely changed over the course of four months. She is sleeping very well at night...only getting up one time to eat and going right back to sleep afterwards. She has become very vocal...even more so in the past few days. She seems to enjoy the sound of her own voice and can talk for hours on end. It is the most precious thing to hear, but we are ready for some peace and quiet when the day is over! Here is a recent video clip of her chatting away!

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=Feb-6.flv

She is very close to sitting up on her own. With very little support she can hold herself up and I think that within weeks she will have mastered this task. She has yet to roll over. There have been a few times she has been very close, but she seems very content just playing on her tummy or back. At four months she weighs approximately 16 lbs and 12 oz. She has slowed down on the weight gain, which is probably a good thing considering the pace at which she was gaining! And as you can see from the picture below, Olivia loves her toys! It is so much fun watching her discover what sounds her toys make...not to mention it is great that she is finally able to entertain herself for a little while.

One year ago at this time I was just discovering that I might be pregnant. It is amazing how much our lives have changed since then. Even though Todd and I had a great life together before Olivia came along, I honestly cannot imagine life without her now. We have already created so many wonderful memories with our little one and we are so excited for all that lies ahead!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Well winter came late this year, but it sure hit hard a few weeks ago! Fort Wayne was hit with a blizzard the day before Valentine's Day...and after all was said and done we were left with almost 9 inches of snow! The whole city came to a stand still for a couple of days and we did our best to just stay inside...out of the cold! Although the snow was quite pretty, the wind was harsh and that made things much worse. The snow drifts were what caused the biggest problem, making it hard to even get down our driveway. Todd spent most of Tuesday coming in and out of the cold as he tried to keep up with the snow with constant shoveling and snow blowing. Olivia and I stayed inside where it was nice and toasty. Once the storm was over we bundled her up in her warm and fuzzy snow suit so that she could get a taste of her first big winter storm.

Nana got Livie this snow suit for Christmas. Although it is extremely adorable I was not quite sure when we would use it. But we have used it quite a bit. I bundle her up in it every time I walk her next door to the baby sitter. It is a great way to keep her warm for the short trip. She just looks like a big, stuffed teddy bear!

Well it is almost two weeks later and the snow is still on the ground. Last night we had a minor ice storm. Not too bad, but enough to make the roads very slick. Needless to say we have had enough of winter weather. We are read for Spring so we can start doing things outside with Olivia. We are very much looking forward to being able to take her for walks and play in the grass. We are also excited to take her to the zoo for the first time. And even though it will probably be awhile she has her bathing suit all ready to go for all of the time we will be spending at Uncle VJ's pool this summer! There is so much to look forward to. So goodbye winter, we are ready for Spring!

HELP!!!

Calling all moms! I need advice...and I need it quick! If there is anyone out there who has experienced what we are going through please tell me how you got through it.

Olivia is almost four months old now. She is a very healthy baby. She is also a perfect angel...as long as she is with me. Miss Olivia seems to be going through a severe case of separation anxiety. I know what you are going to say, "Not possible! She is only four months old." Well it must be possible because that seems to be what is happening. Anytime she is with me she is perfect....happy. Whenever I leave her with anyone else her demeanor changes within minutes. Once she realizes that her environment has changed and I am no longer there she starts crying and does not stop. She will cry so hard that she turns purple and is unable to be consoled. And she does this with everyone; Todd, my mom, and her babysitter.

The reason I am so baffled by this is because separation anxiety is typically something that you do not experience with your child until she is 6 months or older. I have never heard of it happening in babies this young, and nor has anyone that I have talked to about it so far. I have even called our pediatrician, as I am very concerned about her behavior. Based on the way I described her actions they believe that she is experiencing separation anxiety, but of course there wasn't much else they could tell me.

I think that in order for her to get over this quickly she needs to continue spending time with other people while I am not there. But I am afraid that if she keeps this up the babysitter is going to give up on me. The whole situation is a Catch-22! I am hoping that she will grow out of this phase quickly. It is very stressful and difficult on me as I am the only one who can calm her down. That means that I am not getting many breaks and it is exhausting!

I guess I like to think of this as Olivia just being ahead of the curve as far as her development goes. Maybe this means she will grow into a little genius! But I think for now I would prefer for her to stop being so stubborn and start cooperating with those who only want to spend time with her and love on her. Could this be a sign of what is to come with this child?

HELP!

Our Funny Valentine

Valentine's Day was quite eventful this year as it fell in the middle of Winter Blast 2007 in Fort Wayne. Olivia and mommy were stuck in the house all day because our neighborhood hadn't been plowed yet. After some assistance daddy was able to get his car down the street and out onto the main roads so he could go to work. We had a cute little Valentine's Day outfit all ready for Olivia to wear, but we weren't able to go anywhere to show it off. The three of us had planned on going out for dinner as a family, since Todd and I celebrated Valentine's Day with a evening out last weekend, but because of the weather we opted to stay in. Todd picked up some carry-out instead and the three of us enjoyed a nice, quite Valentine's Day in our warm, cozy house.


Even though we stayed in for Valentine's Day I still had to get Livie dressed up in her special outfit. Here is Olivia all decked out in her cute little onesie that says "My Heart Belongs to Daddy!" She complemented that with a corduroy skirt, a white hat with a heart on it and cute little shoes with the words "Love...You" on them. Oh, and let's not forget about the binky with hearts on it.

Every year my mom and I usually make Valentine's Day cookies. I was not able to assist her this year, as Olivia takes up most of my free time these days. So Nana was left to make the cookies all alone. But she did make a few special cookies for us to enjoy...

...what talent! Next year Olivia can assist us in the cookie making...who knows what those cookies will look like, or what mess we will have to clean up afterwards!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope your day was filled with lots of love!

Look Who's Talking

Within the last week or so Olivia has become extremely vocal. She has been cooing for about one month now but just recently her sounds have become much more advanced. She now talks constantly! I think she is going to be quite the chatterbox. I have been trying to catch her talking on video but it tends to be challenging. Below are a few short clips of her chatting away...

Just click on the links and it will take you directly to the video clips...

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=Feb.flv

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=Feb-1.flv

I can't believe how quickly she is changing, right in front of my eyes!

Cute as a Button

So many outfits...so much work! Since we had Baby O the cute and adorable outfits have been pouring in from everyone! Every outfit that we get is cuter than the one before. Between all of the gifts we have received and the things that Todd and I just could not resist buying ourselves, I think Olivia has a full wardrobe until she reaches 18 months!

I never knew that having a baby girl would be so much fun! But although the outfits are adorable they are a pain in the butt to get on a tiny baby! Trying to get the child dressed in anything but a sleeper is a huge chore and not one that she has much patience for either. But we do it anyway because she is cute as a button in her little outfits.

Another thing I was not expecting was for her to grow out of her clothes so quickly. Since she has gained weight quicker than we could have ever imagined she is ahead of the curve when it comes to the size of clothes she should be in. We are finding that although she is only three months old, the six month clothes fit her just fine. If she keeps this up she is going to be ahead of the seasons and all of the clothes that we have won't fit her during the proper time of year!

A few quick updates...Olivia just got over her first little case of the sniffles. She handled her first cold like a champ. The poor little thing had a terrible time breathing for a few days. And she was not too fond of her mommy constantly putting the bulb syringe up her nose to suction all of the crap out, but she handled it very well. I think she is pretty much over it now.

We are also having a little bit of a daddy dilemma. For the past couple of weeks Olivia has decided that she does not want much to do with her daddy. Every time he would hold her or try to play her with she would throw a huge fit. Needless to say this hurt Todd's feelings more than you could imagine. But he does understand that it is just a phase and she will eventually get over it. We were just surprised that she is going through this so early. I guess that is a sign that she is very advanced for her age! He has started doing special things with her to try and get her to be more comfortable spending time with just him. He gives her baths and they play together. She seems to enjoy these activities and we hope that little phase will pass quickly!

She is also starting to grasp her toys and play with her rattles. She does seem to be more enthralled with her hands right now, but she is starting to realize that all of these toys make great sounds and are quite fun to play with! New things keep happening each and every day!

Our Little Angel

Ok, well maybe not so little! In fact we think she resembles a little buddha or a prize fighter on her way to the big fight!

At almost three months old, Olivia is weighing in at over 15 lbs! Yes, you heard correctly...15 lbs! So needless to say we are not having any troubles in the eating department! Livie likes her food as you can see.

Things are going very well. This Sunday Olivia will turn three months old! I cannot believe how quickly the time as passed. It has been a roller coaster ride, but a fun one so far! We have enjoyed watching our teenie-tiny baby grow into a little buddha. And nothing could have made me happier than when she smiled at us for the first time. I am amazed by how much she grows and advances each day. Who knows what she will accomplish in her third month!

She is sleeping pretty well through the night...even though she still prefers sleeping in her bouncy seat. We are ok with that for now, as we think that is most comfortable for her and her acid reflux problem. She usually gives me one long stretch of 6-7 hours straight. We then wake up to eat and she goes back down for another 3 hours or so. I could not ask for more than that at this point in time. Although Todd and I long for the day when I can go to bed and sleep straight through, without any interruptions! She is talking more and more each day. The sounds she makes are too cute and sometimes we sit and have conversations about absolutely nothing at all! She is also very close to rolling over from her tummy to her back.

She is just our little angel! Well...most of the time anyway. Don't let the adorable pictures deceive you. Livie can still have her moments. Lately she has been protesting the bottle. For what reason we do not know, but it is a struggle getting her to take one...just ask Todd. And she also seems to be going through an anti-daddy phase. Not sure why, but she is not a huge fan of Todd lately. She seems to cry every time he holds her or tries to play with her. Needless to say, this has been hard on him. He asks, "Why does she hate me?". And I tell him that she is not capable of hating you this early (but just wait until she is a teenager!), and not to worry as she is just going through a weird phase. Hopefully she will go back to being daddy's little girl again soon!

For Christmas my mother gave Livie the little angel jacket and shoes that you see in the pictures. With wings on the back of the jacket and on the heels of the shoes, the outfit it just too cute...especially when she wears it with nothing but her diaper!

Happy three month Birthday Olivia!

A Long Overdue Thank-You

Over the holidays our good friend Kim was kind enough to take some professional photos of Baby O. Kim is a very talented photographer and I knew she would be able to get some great shots of the baby.

Kim who has her hands full with her five year old and a one year old set of twins, took time out her very busy life to take some amazing photos. This was Olivia's very first photo shoot and we knew it would be challenging. As you can see from this picture Olivia did not always cooperate...
Kim had many ideas as to what she wanted to do (she is very creative and talented as you will see). Since it was close to Christmas we thought we would have our very first family photo taken as well. So Kim got to work and provided us with some of the most beautiful pictures of our baby girl thus far. I wanted to share them with all of you and also thank Kim once again for taking time to do this for us. Here are some of our favorites...

Here is our first family Christmas photo...

Since the day Olivia was born we have been taking pictures like crazy. We don't want to miss capturing one moment on camera or on video. We have some amazing pictures that we will always have to look back on. But so far the pictures that Kim took for us over the holidays are by far our favorites.

So this is a long, overdue thank you to Kim for providing us with such beautiful pictures and memories that we will have with us always!