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!

Baby's 1st Thanksgiving

Olivia celebrated her first Thanksgiving this week. It was pretty uneventful for her...since she could not partake in the turkey and all of the other delicious food, but we were happy to have her there. It was a very busy day for Livie and by the end of it I think she was a little overstimulated. After being passed around all day to different family members and being surrounded by all of the commotion she got herself a little worked up. But once we got home to the quiet comfort of our home she settled down and crashed!

But it was a nice being surrounded by so much family this year. This is our first Thanksgiving without Grandpa and he was missed but we still had a wonderful time. My Aunt Susan and her family came in from California. Her son Ryan drove up from Bloomington where he is a student at Indiana University. My Grandma, Uncle John and Uncle Mike drove down from Michigan. Add Todd, Olivia and I to that and we had a house full. Luckily enough Thanksgiving was at my Mom's house, as I could not imagine having to pull together a dinner like that right now! Everyone was so excited to see Olivia for the first time. Here she is with her Great Aunt Su-Su and Great Grandma Cleo...

It was a busy but fun weekend with the family. But now Olivia is trying to get back on some sort of schedule after being taken here, there and everywhere over the past few days. She is a little more fussy than usual, but she is a growing baby and that is to be expected. We still love her to pieces and cannot believe how she is just growing right in front of our eyes!

What a big girl...

It's Tummy Time!

Our little Olivia is almost three weeks old already! I cannot believe it. She has come so far in the short time she has been on this earth. Not only is she growing like a weed and gaining weight like a champion, she is working on some of her other skills as well...like her head control. But I will get to that in a second.

Earlier this week we attended a breastfeeding support group with a bunch of other moms and babies. It gave us the opportunity to talk about any problems or concerns we have had as well as meet some other new moms and their little ones. At the beginning of the group they allow you to get your baby weighed. Well I was pleasantly surprised to hear that our little Livie has gained over 1 lb. since we were at the doctor last week. She is now weighing in at 8lbs. 7 oz! I am so pleased with her progress and comforted by the fact that she is obviously getting enough to eat.

We have also been working on her strength by giving her tummy time each day. This helps to build her neck and tummy muscles. From birth Livie has been very good at holding up her head. She obviously cannot do it for very long, but she does it and we are very proud of her. Here are some pictures of her enjoying tummy time. Look at how strong our baby girl is...



Tummy time usually only lasts about five minutes before she gets frustrated with it. But we try to do it each day so that she can continue to get stronger!

Things are going very well. Overall she is a very calm baby, with the occasional crying spell. We are enjoying every moment with her and love watching how quickly she grows. We currently have lots of family in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and they have enjoyed spoiling her. It is nice that she is able to meet so many of her loving relatives so soon after birth.

Today is Olivia's three week birthday! Those three weeks have flown by. I hope the next 18 years don't go by as fast!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Mommy's Little Piggy

Olivia had her first appointment at the pediatrician this past Monday. The doctor wanted to see her one week after coming home to make sure she was getting enough to eat since she is being breastfed. Well no worries in that department! She already weighs 7 lbs. 4 oz!!! I was shocked. When she was born she weighed 6 lbs. 10oz. By the time we went home she was down to 6 lbs. 4 oz...which is totally normal for new babies. The doctor was hoping that at her first visit she would at least be back to her birth weight, so she was very impressed once we put her on the scale! She got a glowing review with the rest of her check-up also. She seems to be on the right track to being a healthy and happy baby!

I am breathing easier now that I know she is obviously getting enough to eat during her feedings. It is hard to tell when you are breastfeeding exactly how much they are getting. Olivia is definitely Mommy's little piggy and hopefully it will stay that way. I want to see some meat on them bones!

Now that Todd has gone back to work Olivia and I are on our own. Things have been going very well. We are getting used to each other and I am starting to learn what all of her little sounds mean. It is not too hard to know when she is hungry, needs to burp or has a dirty diaper. With trial and error I can usually figure out what is making her upset pretty quickly. We have also gone on a few outings this week. After being stuck at home most of the first week, I was itching to get out and do a few things. Well Olivia was a trooper. She slept the entire time in her car seat as I hauled her in and out of the car into different stores. She is a very good baby and seems to enjoy getting out with her mommy.

At this time Olivia does not cry that much. It is very possible that could change but she is not an overly fussy baby. When she does fuss it seems to be for good reason. And after I figure out exactly what she wants she immediately calms down. I know things won't always be this easy but I do get the impression that she is not going to be colicky. Knock on wood!!!

Here are some pictures of our almost 2 week old Olivia...

Our First Week

At 12:58pm today our little Baby Olivia turned one week old! It is amazing how quickly the first week has gone. It has been an adjustment but the three of us are doing great! We have had some late nights but overall she is eating and sleeping quite well. It has been so much fun getting to know this little person. We just love watching her little personality bloom and seeing all of her little quirks! Here is what we have learned about our little Livie in the few short days we have known her...

1.) She is fascinated with her hands. When I was pregnant I had three ultrasounds. In each one we would always see that she had at least one of her hands covering her face. And when she was born she came out with one hand covering her face. Well she must be very used to that because by now because most of the time she has her hands in front of her face, or her fingers in her mouth.


2.) She is Daddy's Little Girl through and through. Not only does she look just like Todd as a baby...she enjoys some of the same activities as her daddy...such as a nice long afternoon nap. Here they are taking a nap together...completely dead to the world!


3.) She loves to be wrapped up tight. One thing Livie does not like right now is being exposed. The toughest times are the diaper changes and the sponge baths. She is not a happy camper when she is being messed with. But once she is wrapped up like a sausage, she is a happy little girl!


Each day we are discovering more and more little things about our baby girl. And we are finding that we are falling more and more in love with her each and every day.

Todd must return to work next week so I will be on my own. It sure has been nice having him here. Things are much easier with a pair of extra hands. But I am sure we will be fine. We are going to the pediatrician for the first time on Monday. Hopefully we will find that she is gaining weight and getting enough to eat. Check back for updates on Olivia as it is going to be hard for me to resist bragging about my Little Livie!

Happy One Week Birthday Olivia!

Welcome Baby O!

Baby Menor is finally here!!!

Olivia Liana Menor entered the world on Saturday, November 4th at 12:58pm. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 in. long. She has a head full of black hair and looks just like her daddy!
Labor wasn't too bad...well now that I look back on it. At the time I did not think I would make it through. But once we got to the hospital and I got my epidural, the world became a happy place. I was in active labor from about 3am to the time I delivered at 1pm. So that is not too bad. And after about 50 minutes of active pushing Olivia decided to make an appearance.

The biggest surprise of all is that we had a baby girl! From day one everyone told me I was having a boy. And the odds were not in our favor for a girl either. With only grandboys on the Menor side we figured it was just not in the DNA for a Menor to produce a baby girl. Everyone thought that I was having a boy by the way I was carrying the baby. But the only person who thought from the beginning that we were having a girl was my Grandpa George who passed away a few weeks ago. Every time I would talk to him he would say, "I just know you are going to have a girl." I would ask him why and he would say that he just knew. So the moment the doctor told us that we had a baby girl was probably one of the most happiest moments of our lives!

So Grandpa George was right...and I think he knew it all along. It was a very fitting end to a very sad week. I was able to attend my Grandpa's funeral in Michigan only a few days before going into labor. The funeral was on Thursday and I went into labor very early Saturday morning. I think Grandpa knew the plan all along and he made sure I got home safe and sound before the baby decided to arrive. So as one life ends...another begins. And it has allowed my family to focus on something good during this difficult time.

So for now the three of us are adjusting to our new life at home. It is a difficult time but also a very happy and exciting time. I never thought I could feel such love for another human being. Olivia is so precious and there are not words to express how much Todd and I love her.

Here are some other pictures of Olivia and our stay in the hospital. More to come...

And Baby Makes Three!

The Proud Papa

Livie & Her Nana

Grandpa...You Will Be Missed

With all of the fun and exciting news surrounding the baby, we were faced with some sad news this weekend. My Grandpa...George Sculley, passed away. He had been suffering from a form of lung cancer and he ended his fight on Friday evening. In all actuality it was a blessing. From the time he found out he had cancer he chose not to fight it. At his age it would not have done him much good, and the treatment would have only made his final days miserable. Instead he chose to live out the last months of his life in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by those he loved, and the ones that loved him.

He was never in any pain and that makes all of this so much easier for everyone. Right up until the end he still had his sense of humor and that twinkle in his eye when he would speak to anyone in his family. Todd and I had chance to see Grandpa a few months ago. He was still doing pretty well then, but was definitely weak and not the same upbeat Grandpa I had always known. But most importantly he had the chance to see me pregnant. He was fascinated by it and he called it "My Pointy Belly!" He just thought it was the neatest thing. From day one and right up until the end he would always tell me that he was convinced we were having a girl.

I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with him once last time...last week. And although he was not able to say much more than whisper...I love you...I knew what he was thinking. I told him how much we all loved him and how much the baby loved him also. I told him that we would make sure that the baby knew all about his Great Grandpa George. If I could have asked for one more thing it would have been for Grandpa to have had the chance to meet his great grandchild. But knowing that Grandpa is now in a much better place, gives us all peace. I am grateful for the time I had with him and for the chance to have him walk me down the aisle when I was married.

He had a long and fulfilling life. He had an amazing family. You really cannot ask for more than that! And although he will be missed tremendously...he will always be loved!

If there was one last thing I could say to my Grandpa, that I know would bring a smile to his face, I would tell him...

"Grandpa...I kinda like ya!"

Third Time is a Charm

I am days away from my November 6th due date, and more than ready to have this baby! I am still feeling pretty good, but I am not sleeping very well...just can't get comfortable. The excitement just keeps building so we are definitely looking forward to the future!

I was at the doctor this week and have dilated to 1cm. That really means nothing at this point. It could happen at anytime but it could also be another 2 weeks before this baby decides to make an appearance. The doctor did notice that I am measuring a little small for this point in the pregnancy. She thought it was a good idea to do one final ultrasound to make sure that the baby was not too tiny. Base on my measurements she said it was a possibility that I could be carrying a 4 - 4 1/2 lb baby! I was totally surprised to hear this because to this point everything was progressing just as it should. But she wanted to be on the safe side so she asked that I come back later in the day for my THIRD ultrasound!

Now when all of this began I was very excited about being able to have one ultrasound so that we could get a good look at our baby. Never did I imagine that by the time all was said and done we would have the chance to see the baby three different times! Fortunately, everything is good and my doctor's fears were incorrect. Based on the baby's measurements inside the womb he/she should weight approx 6 1/2 lbs. at this point. Needless to say I was very relieved. According to the ultrasound everything looks good and baby should be in excellent health. Now, for why I am measuring small...it is hard to say. But as long as baby is at the weight it should be there is no reason for concern. And based on what I weigh at this point I cannot imagine that I have a small baby in there!

But the good part about all of this is that I got to see Baby Menor one last time before he/she joins us. Baby is quite squished right now and there is not much room to move around. But they were able to get a few good pictures for me...

As with all of our other pictures Baby has his/her hand in front of their face!

That is quite a nose! But the ultrasound tech said that all babies noses look huge at this point because they are so squished inside the womb.

So it is back to the doctor next Tuesday. They will check to see if I have dilated anymore. To this point I have not experienced any contractions so I have no reason to believe that this baby is planning on coming any earlier than it has to! Stay tuned...as things could change at any moment!

Two Years and Counting

This week Todd and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. Since this is the last anniversary we will spend alone my Mom decided to treat us to a special night out. So last Saturday she took us to Eddie Merlot's for a very fancy dinner. It was delicious and nice to just relax and enjoy our anniversary. We talked a great deal about how drastically things are about to change for us. But we are also grateful for the many years we have had together prior to deciding to start a family. We did it up right at dinner too. We had the works! Appetizers, main course, drinks (well not for me...but Mom and Todd sure indulged!) and finally an amazing dessert! Mom thought we deserved to be pampered one last time I guess!

And this past Monday...on our actual anniversary, Todd and I enjoyed a quite dinner alone. It seems all we can talk about these days is how excited we are for this baby to arrive! And in a little over two weeks our wish will finally come true! My November 6th due date seems to be getting closer and closer. I am now visiting the doctor on a weekly basis. This week the heart rate was at 166 and the doctor informed me that the baby's head is downward, which is just where it should be as it starts it's decent into the birth canal!

But as far as contractions go I still do not think I have had any. I was told that I could be experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions at any time but to my knowledge I have not. I think to myself...am I having them and just not knowing it? But everyone has told me that I will definitely know when I am having a contraction. So based on that, I guess I have to say that I have not had any yet.

Thank you to my hubby for two wonderful years of marriage! I am so excited to start our family!

Here are a few more pictures from our anniversary...

The soon-to-be granny!

Me and my hubby!

Ready To Pop!

Ok, so we are down to the final four weeks! Starting this week I am going to be visiting the doctor on a weekly basis until the baby is born. This was my 36 week visit and everything is moving along great. The heart rate sounds good and baby is still kicking up a storm! The kicks have become quite uncomfortable at times, but I still love feeling the baby move. They will begin to watch to see if I am starting to dilate in my upcoming visits. But so far I have not experienced any signs of labor...at least to my knowledge. I was told that contractions can start as early as two weeks prior to going into active labor so I am just waiting to feel my first one. I am starting to feel a bit uncomfortable, but I think that is to be expected. I find it exhausting just to get through the day. But I am still teaching my aerobics class, which has surprised even myself! I thought I would have to stop by now, but I am still feeling good so I am going to keep going. I monitor myself very closely to make sure I do not over-do it...and it is a challenge to get through my class, but I am proud of myself for keeping up with my exercise throughout the entire pregnancy. I think it will really pay off as I recover from the whole birth experience. At least that is what I am told!

Todd and I are getting more and more excited everyday for the arrival of this baby! Right now we are just trying to get all of our last minute projects done around the house before our time is consumed strictly with the little one! I am still working and plan on doing so up until the last minute. But working from home definitely has it advantages. Todd is on high alert, knowing that he could get a call from me at anytime saying..."It's time!"

But overall things are going great. Now we just sit and wait for everything to start! I can't believe how quickly these 9 months have gone! Mommy and daddy cannot wait to meet you...Baby Menor!!!

Here I am at 36 weeks...

Final Month of Freedom

Well as I get ready to enter the last four weeks of this pregnancy it has occurred to Todd and I that this is our last month of freedom! With this realization, comes mixed emotions. We are obviously very excited about the arrival of Baby Menor but we are also a little nervous about what lies ahead. We know our lives will be changing, but to what extent we cannot predict nor fully prepare for.

We have been rushing to get some last minute things done, while time still permits. Last weekend we took our final little roadtrip before the due date...to Chicago. We attended the wedding of a close friend I went to school with. It was important for us to be there as so many of my friends we going as well. It is not often that I get to see some of them so we definitely wanted to go and have fun. And we did just that. Even though I could not dance as much as I would have liked to...or drink, at all for that matter...it was still a fun weekend. Here is a picture of Todd and I from the wedding. Can you believe he let me sit on his lap? Considering I am as big as a house at this point, I was quite surprised!

And this weekend we attended our all-day baby class at Dupont Hospital. Yes...I said ALL DAY! We opted to take the class for a full day instead of going four weeks in a row. That meant that we were going to jam all of the information into a one day blitz...and a blitz it was! The class started at 8:30 am and finally concluded around 6pm. It was extremely informative and helpful in getting us prepared for the big day, but it was also very exhausting! But I think we are still glad that we chose to knock it out in one day instead of four weeks. We learned everything from the four stages of labor to natural childbirth and medicinal options. We watched some very interesting, sometimes graphic movies of the different types of birth. But all in all I must say I feel a little more confident about what lies ahead. But I am still pretty confident that I am going to turn to the drugs...I just can't imagine what it must be like without them! And I am not quite sure I want to find out!

So the clock is ticking. I guess at anytime I could be posting news of the birth of our baby. Hopefully it will not be too early, but hopefully not much later than November 6th...the actual due date. Stay tuned...

Another Superb Shower

Last weekend one of my closest friends...Korrie Wilhelm...threw me my second and final baby shower. I got the chance to celebrate the soon-to-be arrival of Baby Menor with some of my dearest friends. It was such fun...being able to share this experience with all of them. It gave me the opportunity to catch up with some friends that I have not seen in awhile and it gave them the chance to see my ever expanding belly! We had good food, drink and of course...yummy cake, designed and baked by Korrie...so talented!

And of course there were more amazing presents for the baby! Everyone was so generous and I received some adorable things. As many of you know, frogs are a major part of our nursery. Well Korrie found the most adorable thing to go with our theme. It is an inflatable frog that can be used as an ottoman, or as a cuddle toy for the baby when he/she is a little older. The neat thing is that the frog looks just like the frogs on the nursery bedding, complete with the gold crown on it's head. I know this is for the baby, but I have been propping my feet up on it almost nightly!

I was fortunate enough to have quite a few of my friends there, two of which are pregnant as well. That is Julie on the left. She is due to have her second baby at the end of November, a few short weeks after me. And Natalie is on the right. Her due date is right after the first of the year. They both looked great and it was fun to be able to share this day with my fellow pregnant ladies!

But overall it was a wonderful shower. Thank you to everyone who came and made the day so special for me. Each one of you is so important to me. Our baby is so lucky to be surrounded by so many generous and loving people! Also, thanks Mom for making your tasty sugar cookies as shower favors once again. They were as just adorable as they were for the first shower and just as yummy!

And most of all, thanks to Korrie! You made this a day I will always remember. Everything you did, from designing the beautiful invitations to making the equally beautiful and delicious cake, made it a baby shower that I will not soon forget!

Here I am with the host...

And finally, a quick update...I am in the middle of my 36th week. I had another visit to the doctor on Tuesday. It was pretty uneventful but things look good. The heartbeat is a steady 156 and I will be going back again in two weeks. After that visit I start making weekly trips to the doctor until this baby decides to make his/her entrance into the world. The clock is really ticking away now...not long to go!

Our Last Hoorah!

With the baby due in just 7 short weeks, our time as a care free, young married couple is limited. Awhile back Todd and I discussed taking a trip before the baby was born. We talked about visiting some place we had never been before...taking a nice vacation, just the two of us. Well time sort of got away from us and we failed to plan anything. By that time I did not exactly feel like getting on a plane and traveling a far distance, nor did I feel like sitting in the car for hours on end, just to get to our destination. So we agreed that we would stay close to home but do it up right!

We packed up and decided to spend a long weekend in Indianapolis. We stayed in two very nice hotels in downtown Indy and ate at some wonderful restaurants. We shopped, took a night-time carriage ride and slept in! But primarily we just enjoyed spending some care-free time together...time that we know will soon be hard to come by.

And in other news...I am about to move into my 34 week! The time just seems to be flying by now. Hope baby does not plan on coming too early, as there is still lots to get done before November 6th!

Baby's Last Photo Shoot

Baby Menor had a final chance to show us what he/she looks like this week. I had a second ultrasound at my 32-week doctor's appointment, to check on baby's progress. The doctor wanted to make sure that no additional water had accumulated around the kidneys. Good news...everything looks great! Baby is right on target and falls into the 51 percentile as far as growth. Awesome...our baby is above average and it hasn't even been born yet! Baby has also turned...and is now facing head down, just like he/she should. I was a little concerned as the baby was sitting breach when I had my first ultrasound. And since I am really not that interested in having a C-section I was hoping that the baby would get to movin'! Well considering all of the kicking that has been going on in there lately I am not surprised to hear that he/she has completely switched positions! The heartbeat is also looking good. It is a strong 144!

But most of all I got the chance to get another look at our baby before the big day comes. Unfortunately Todd was not able to attend this ultrasound because of work, but my Mom came along instead. It gave her the opportunity to get a firsthand look at her soon-to-be grandbaby! And just like before the baby was not being very cooperative. The first time around it had it's hands and feet in it's face the entire time. Well it seems that the baby likes it that way. Although it was not attempting to put it's foot into it's mouth this time it did have one of it's hands covering the face. But we were still able to get a few good face shots...


We are still keeping the gender of the baby a mystery. Everyone seems to have their own opinion as to what we are having. I think it is about 50% boy and 50% girl at this point, so one does not seem to be favored over the other. But after studying these pictures my Mom and I agree that we think this looks like a boy face. Not that it is really that easy to tell what you are looking at in the first place, but it is just a feeling we have. And we would not be surprised if we were correct, considering the long line of boys that run in the Menor family. With 8 nephews in the family already and not one girl in sight, the odds are definitely not in our favor! But we could be wrong...

So now the countdown begins! With about 8 weeks to go things are starting to become more real. We are starting to think about what our lives will be like once this little person joins us. We are so very excited, but also a little scared at the same time. Since we only have a few weeks of total freedom left Todd and I have decided to take a little getaway to spend some time together...just the two of us. We aren't going very far...just Indianapolis, but we have some fun, romantic things planned. Mainly we are just looking to relax and enjoy the time away with no worries about work or household chores.

Not much else to report at this time. I am continuing to feel very good. I am not uncomfortable yet, but I am sure I will be soon. I cannot complain about anything considering what a wonderful pregnancy I have had up to this point. I now start visiting the doctor every two weeks until the final month when I will be making weekly visits. Here I am in all of my glory at 32 weeks...

Stay tuned...

Showered With Generousity

This is one lucky baby! Having not even entered the world yet, Baby Menor has been blessed with the most amazing gifts from some very important friends and family members.

Last Saturday my Aunt Susan and Aunt Delia threw me THE baby shower of all baby showers! Not only did they both fly into Fort Wayne from out of town; California and Florida respectively...but they succeeded in making the shower a day I will always remember. It was a beautiful day, and I was surrounded with those that mean the most to me. There was great food, drink and conversation...and let's not forget the gifts! Here are some pictures of me with my aunts and mom...

Both of my aunts, along with my Mom put a great deal of time and effort into the shower. My Aunt Delia put her crochet talents to use and made bookmark favors for all of the guests...

My Mom and Aunt Susan spent quite a bit of time making the most adorable baby cookies as another favor for the guests. Not only were they very yummy..they were just too cute for words...

On top of that they also channeled Martha Stewart and created a baby carriage fruit salad for the guests to enjoy! Now this takes talent...

So between these wonderful creations, the most amazing Baby Shower cake (thanks to Hall's and their delicious cakes), and all of the other wonderful food...we had quite the spread!

Since this is the first baby for Todd and myself there were obviously many things we needed to get ready to handle our little one. Between diaper genies, crib sheets and pack-n-plays, we created quite the registry list at Babies R Us! Well we were very lucky to receive so many wonderful, generous gifts from our friends and family. Here's all the loot and me opening a few of my amazing gifts...

The shower had a literary theme, (Hello...my mother is an English Teacher!) So each guest was asked to bring along their favorite children's book to help create a library for Baby Menor! Needless to say we received a ton of great books and we are on our way to having a pretty awesome selection of stories to read to our little one! Each book meant something different to each person at the shower, which made it even more special, knowing that Todd and I will be able to share these stories with our baby very soon!

So it was an amazing day that I will always remember...and a day I look forward to telling my child about in the future. I want my baby to know how lucky he/she is to be surrounded by so many wonderful, caring people. Thank you to everyone who came to the shower and gave us so many nice things! We are so lucky! I have one more baby shower to look forward to. My close friend Korrie is throwing me a shower with a bunch of my close friends. A few of them are quite pregnant as well...so I am really looking forward to seeing them and everyone else!

Quick update...I am nearing the end of my 31st week. I will be going back to the doctor on Tuesday for my second ultrasound. Hopefully all will look well. We are nearing the final stretch! Only 8 weeks to go! I am still feeling great but I think I am starting to get a little nervous...