8 WEEKS!

Today is the Fourth Sunday in Advent - The celebration of LOVE. We were asked by the church to be the candle-lighters this week. I had to read a little ditty about how God's Love is the true meaning and the most important gift of Christmas and then we lit the 4th candle on the Advent wreath. It went very well - Josh and Libby stood next to me while I read and then we all lit the candle together. It was nice to be  involved in a service rather than showing up and leaving as we normally do.
Olivia wore a dress (her only dress) from Aunt Katie and was so dang cute in it! The congregation was all smiles as we took the stage. She behaved herself as usual. The girl loves music - she is very happy whenever there is singing going on. And when the music stops, she keeps going....She has become quite a chatty little thing! She was cooing and squeeling a little too loudly today, so we had to get the pacifier out (she never get it unless we are in public and she gets crazy)! She is becoming so much fun to hang out with since she started smiling and talking. It's about the cutest thing ever! We need to get a video camera so we can start recording some of these things!

Christmas is next week - Libby is getting a couple of really great things from Santa and I'm sure she'll be spoiled by our families! We are looking forward to seeing everyone!



Goofy Girl



Do you think she can be a baby model?

Guess it was too bright for her!

Family Time

Love my Baby!

Merry Christmas to all!

Proud Parents

I am sure you are all dying to know how O-Baby's first week at the Imagination and Education Station went, right?!!
She did SO GOOD! She has proven to be just what we thought she was - a happy, adaptable baby:) They all adore her as they should.
Wednesday was her first day. I cried all the way to daycare, the whole time we were there dropping her off (I think it took about 20 minutes) and then half way to work. And then a few times at work. I only called to check on her twice in the 5 hours she was there, so I didn't think that was too bad. The first time I called was at 8:30am and they told me she just finished eating was sitting in the bouncy happy and content as can be. I was really glad she was doing well but at the same time, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that she wasn't crying for me. But mostly I was happy. When I picked her up at noon, she was really glad to see me! I got all kinds of pretty smiles from her! It was awesome.
She hasn't napped well over there. I assume it's due to the new surroundings and all the noise - there's so much to hear and see and Olivia is definately not one to let herself miss anything just for a little sleep. So when I bring her home each day she takes a really long nap to catch up. Then we play for an hour or so after she wakes and eats. I have been getting out the rattles and books and mirrors . She loves the mirror; she can stare at her beautiful self for like 3 minutes and that's like an hour for a baby! She couldn't be anything like her mommy, could she?

Olivia is getting so big so fast. We are noticing that she is just a couple of inches from taking up the entire changing table! That's length, not width:) Although she is filling out quite nicely in the round way, too. She is also getting too tall for the sleep sacks she often wears to bed and her little nighties, too. She was in the 34th percentile for height shen she was born, which means 66% of babies were taller than her at birth, but I think she has probably flip-flopped that and is more around the 66th percentile. (That's totally talking out of my booty. I honestly have no idea but it seems it has to be true).

I appreciate everyone's kind words and encouragement during our transition this week - thank you! We made it through the first week, and I know it's just going to keep getting better and easier. Until she's two, right? Is that when they get that separation anxiety?? Oh the things we have to look forward to. I love all of it and being a mom is for real the most amazing thing in the world. I love my daughter more every day.

Our Little Boxer

Rolly-Polly with  little smile

How Pretty

Hello? I can't hear you - I don't know how to put it to my ear!

Mommy and Daughter

Big Blue Eyes

Trying to catch her smile. We kinda got it

All Bundled up for Winter

Thursday and Friday were better for me; I only cried little on Thursday and Friday I was just sad and missing her.

STUFF

My husband celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday! Thanks to my friend, Jessica, I got to take him out for dinner at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. We slow-played dinner, enjoying some fried zucchini fries (YUM!) for the first course, a salad and tasty bread and then we had some delicious steaks - Josh had a Char-Broiled Ribeye and I had a Chubby Sirloin. And let's not forget the dirty stuff! Oh yeah - Dirty Beefeater Gin Martinis....Hello Old Friend:)
Of course, I didn't break the rules - I never do - I only had one.
It was a really nice long dinner and we had a really good time together. Spending time with Josh is my very favorite pastime and thankfully that is the one pastime that will never change because we had a baby. And when I say we had a baby I mean that we had the most beautiful and precious little girl on earth.

We tried to go to church on Saturday night. When we got there, there were no cars in the parking lot and no lights on in the building. Apparently in the past 2 weeks they did away with Saturday night church. That totally stinks! We love Saturday night church! We went this morning instead and things went pretty well. During the music Olivia was alert and quiet - she loves listening to music. But when the music stopped and it was time for the sermon she started getting pretty loud so I had to take her out and feed her in the nursery. After that she was happy and quiet again - but still very awake and alert. Everyone oohed and ahhed over her like always. People can't get enough of babies. I am glad she is able to put a smile on so many people's faces. Hopefully she will continue to do that throughout her life. I can't wait to watch her personality develop and see how she touches the lives of others. I know she has touched mine in ways unimaginable to me until she came into the world. The love I have for her is so different than any other love I've ever experienced.

And that is why Josh woke me up in the middle of the night and my face was completely soaked with tears. I am dreading this coming Wednesday as I have to go back to work and put her precious life into strangers' hands. When I say I am dreading it I mean that every single time I talk about it or think about it and now dream about it, I cry. It's a quiet cry; one where hot tears pour out of my eyes and my heart aches like my best friend is moving across the country or something. It just hurts. Except last night it wasn't a quiet cry - I was pretty much sobbing in my sleep. I dreamt that she cried for me so long and so loud that they hated her. They called our sweet baby a devil child.
It's a weird thing how I understand that she will  survive without me near her every hour of the day, but at the same time I imagine that she will be so sad without me near her every hour of the day. And sometimes I even think that she is going to be angry with me; that she will feel I have abandoned her. I never want her to feel abandoned or unloved and I know that even if her caretakers love her they will never love her the way her daddy and I do. It's just not possible. I pray that she adapts as well as the back of my mind knows she will. I pray that they treat her well and cuddle her often and help her grow into a confident happy little girl. And I pray she never, ever forgets who her mommy is. Ever.

Over the next two days I may not ever put her down!