David, Jayme and Baby!

The new bundle in town

2010-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

On April 8th Emerson Grace Raichart was born at 6:30pm! 8lb 3oz and 20 inches long. It was a beautiful birth if I do say so myself and quick! I couldn't be happier about my experience this time around.

The last family of three picture as I was on my way to the birthing center. I managed a smile even though I was 6 cm dilated. I was just so happy to be having the baby! She was 3 days late which felt like an eternity.

Dad managing both girls...

My mom was here for the birth and stayed a few more days. It was so nice having her around.

Blissed out on Emmie.

Olivia is doing so well with her baby sister. She LOVES playing with her feet, waving and giving hugs and kisses. Being gentle is the only area we could use improvement on. I am pleasantly surprised though at how she is handling it all.

Liv and Em had their first park trip together yesterday. It was great to get out. Liv is all about the ducks and swing.
Such a big girl! She seems like a giant now that I have a newborn around!

Oh the drama

2010-03-29T12:20:00.001-07:00

INNOCENT GIRL

WILD GIRL.

If it were the thought that counted I would have so many blog posts. I think about it all the time when Liv does something that would be cute to share. I even "write" them in my head. But....when it really comes down to it, it just takes me too long to get here!

Livy is amazing. Amazingly hard to deal with, amazingly funny, amazingly beautiful, amazingly hard headed and short tempered and amazingly perfect in her own way. While she is and always has been "fiery" every baby hug, kiss or giggle she makes outweighs hardships by miles. She brings so much joy it seems impossible that I get to have another little blessing!

I am 39 weeks today! My bag is packed and I am as ready as I will ever be. The thing that is the scariest is how Livy will do with the new little one! Its no secret how she feels.

Woah we are starting to get hair!

2010-02-26T20:39:00.001-08:00

LOVES her crocs!!

Livy has a new word "woah!". She says it when she kicks a ball hard or I present her with a yummy looking lunch. :) She can now put hats on herself which she really enjoys. They are crooked a lot of times but she doesn't mind.
Outside is where Liv would sleep if she could. She is obsessed with going out and can throw a fit like there is no tomorrow when its time to come in. We have a park across the street and a really fun neighborhood to walk. She can go about 4 blocks on her own two feet.

I am 34.5 weeks! Feel good...all the normal yucky stuff...back pain, heartburn...ect :)

Here is my yogi/dancing baby in her jammies.

2010-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things:

Meowing like kitties and woofing like doggies...blueberries in all of it glorious forms..sand from the playground that sticks everywhere, these are a few of my favorite things! When the molars hurt, when I get a bonkie, when I'm feeling sad...I simply remember my favorite thinnnggss and then I don't feel so bad.

Spills!

2010-02-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

One of Livy's daily activities is going to the pantry and puling stuff down. I am trying to keep the doors shut but it doesn't always work. Yesterday she got down a box of cereal and I heard the swish from the other room.

Liv is coming along in her speech... She says "Da- Da", "Ma-ma", "Dog", "meow meow" and "Dall" (ball). Reading and going outside are her favorite things and will demand we do them multiple times a day. She will find her hat, jacket, shoes and socks and go cry at the door. OR follow me around with all of the items in her arms fussing. If only she understood that 7:30am is too early since I am still in my pj's! We read Goodnight Moon about 8 times a day. Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Baby colors are a close second. We read them around 5 times each.

She loves her freedoms!

2010-01-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

Liv is so enjoying everything that comes with being 14 months old (with the exception of molars). Such "stuff" is walking...in public, running around at home, reaching door knobs, snacking, brushing her own teeth, eating with a spoon and telling me "No". At her well baby check up our doctor said Liv is very "sophisticated" for her age as Liv stormed around the room "talking" and moving stuff around. I thought that was a wonderful way to put her 2 year old behavior. She knows what she does not want in a big way. She goes 0-60 in .3 seconds...one second she is happy happy then screaming like she is hurt. Her fits are beyond her age in true Livy fashion.
We went to the zoo which was the first big place she walked. We saw giraffes and elephants up SO close. She was in total shock. One of her favorite toys is "Sofie the giraffe" and I could just see it on her face..."Oh my gosh look at all those huge Sofies!" It was awesome.

This is the shocked face...

We were all amazed at the elephants! Its so fun to be a parent and re-live these things! Its been a long long time since I had seen an elephant. Livy couldn't even look away for a picture.

I am 29 weeks in with the new baby! Can't wait! Everything is going along fine!

Olivia is a true joy even in all her challenges, I thank God for this gift of patience and love. I am beyond blessed to be the one to watch her grow and change. I hope she knows how much I love her.

Walking!!

2010-01-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Although Olivia took her first step November 30 she only started "walking" January 7th! She is now walking all day, everywhere. Its so exciting! She looks like a little zombie walking around, but she is doing a great job. Of course there are many more "bonkies" throughout the day which is hard on both of us. Overall, its totally worth it to see my baby as big girl toddler!

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness the holidays are over! We went to Colorado for a week. Livy did not care for the snow (crying in picture) but overall was a wonderful baby on the trip. She loves her Grandparents so much. She also got to hang out with my brother who she also adored. Aaron has a dog named Jonah that stays at my parents and I am officially calling her first word "dog". She pointed at the dog and said it, she says it at pictures in books too. Although this morning she pointed to a duck and said dog...I am still counting it!

Other Christmas highlights: The Christmas tree at my parents house was her favorite thing. She stood there and talked to it, hit it, pointed to lights. Was really just beside herself with excitement. Before she really got into the tree she did well opening presents. She even had a surprised face when she saw what was inside. Of course she played with the box my towels came in and the other thing she liked best was a little piano.

Here I am at 25.5 weeks (tomorrow I will be 27!). Feeling really well but mentally becoming shaky. I can't believe I am doing this again! I need to get prepared in so many ways before I can have this little one. The baby is fine as far as I can tell...moving everyday and the heartbeat is strong when we go to the doctors. I think my next appointment is Jan 20.

My new beauty!

2009-12-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the new baby! He/she is growing fine! After seeing the baby this size I am thinking its a girl but I am letting it be a surprise. Up till now I was convinced it was a boy! Oh the fun of it!

22.5 weeks~Livy was a much different shape!

Birthday!

2009-11-29T11:35:00.001-08:00

Olivia started her birthday out with a morning present! She did pretty well unwrapping. I knew she would not be focused enough later at the party to open gifts so the morning was perfect to document her first present.

I made all the decor and bibs for the guests. We had a cupcake theme more or less. I baked numerous kinds of cupcakes, it was quite a display. It turned out so beautiful. Everyone had fun!

Birthday bib! I cannot even believe she is one. Even her clothes labels are starting to say toddler! I am shocked, where has my baby gone?

Here she is in her birthday dress. It had a vintage print of a cat, cake and a "1". She really just wanted to take it off :( It was also impossible to get her to smile for ANY pictures since there were 20 people over. Distracted and overwhelmed was how she was acting, but happy too. Until.....she cried when we sang happy birthday. Apparently that was a little much.

She bounced back very quickly and was ready for her cake! She did huff and puff but Mama had to blow the candle out.

Yumm!!

One year pictures!

2009-11-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

My best friend is really the best. She came to California for a short visit and took these beautiful photos of Olivia. I wanted to have a professional session marking her one year birthday. These totally blew my expectations out of the water. Of course it doesn't hurt that the subject is darn near perfect!

Drop it like its hot.

2009-11-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

Uh-oh

2009-11-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun video of Olivia naming her new sibling "uh-oh". So funny for many reasons...

I am getting ready for my baby's ONE YEAR birthday party this Saturday. Seems impossible. What a busy year. It completely boggles my brain to look at all the developments she has conquered. It makes my heart surge with pride too! She is perfection at its very definition.

As for baby 2...its starting to sink in but honestly I am so distracted with my "almost toddler" its hard to give this budding one enormous amounts of attention! Today is baby 2's 20th week gestational birthday ;) I do feel so blessed to get another child, since I am sure he/she will be just as wonderful (and challenging) as Liv. I think about that a lot. Its hard to imagine but I hear everyone says that before their second baby.

Baby 2 is half way to being here!

2009-11-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

:)

2009-11-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

Blossoming Babe

2009-11-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Livy updates! She is developing at a rapid rate...all of a sudden I realize she understands almost everything I say and she has her own "words" for them. Of course I think she is brilliant. Liv loves her shoes (like Mama!), she knows what they are and where they go! She has a stuffed Cat and she will go find her if you ask "Where's your kitty?" The same goes for her baby and ball. She has begun to play ball. This is sooo fun. She throws it and I roll it. Kitty is "Na-Na" ball is "Do-Do". Obviously she knows "ba-bas" (breast milk) and bottle. I have to be careful if I say one of them that the product is delivered fast! One of my favorites is the sweet open mouth kisses I get when I say "Can Mama have a kiss?" and she does high fives!

I want you all to know broccoli is back in! She LOVES it. I was actually worried about the amount she ate the other night. I was thinking she would wake up all night with gas! It turned out ok though.

So resourceful and smart! ;)

PS walking should/could happen any day!

Baptism!

2009-11-04T19:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

I am in love with a monkey baby!! Livy had a costume party with her friends this Wednesday. She is so lucky she gets to wear her costume twice! We had a lot of fun.

And this...is her new favorite thing and she does it ALL the time.

Dont you just want to eat her?!

2009-10-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Olivia loves peek a boo. That's no surprise but now she is hiding longer and longer under the blankie and giggling with anticipation. This video is the end of a looooong peek a boo session. I wish I thought to grab the camera earlier. She was hilarious!

Olivia is a sicky right now but is getting a lot better. She got an anti-biotic for an ear infection (no wonder she has been tough) and she has a runny nose. She had been fighting this ear thing for 2 weeks before it got full blown.

Thank goodness my angel is back!

Pumpkin Patch Day!

2009-10-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

silly cont, video did not upload!

2009-10-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Silly lovebug!!

2009-10-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures because when we went to Safeway today you would have thought she was a celebrity. I cannot count on two hands how many people stopped to talk to Livy and tell us she had the cutest hat ever! It didn't help that she was waving and making googly eyes with everyone ;) How could you pass her by? It was a bit crazy though!

Love of my life. Hat courtesy of Jackie from Disneyland!

Livy is so funny on cushy surfaces like the couch or the bed. She does the diving thing and plays all around in pillows and blankets. Today I caught a touch of it. Its so cute in the bed though, its like she really enjoys the padding and throwing herself around. She even jumps and lays out on top of me. Perhaps she will be a WWF wrestler? Eh, probably not, lol.

My beauty.

2009-10-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Such a pretty thing...Walking will be soon!

I could never be mad at this face! Its amazing, even when I have a bad day (like yesterday) and I see this, it all goes away.

Baby #2 is pretty quiet so far. He/she just makes me an emotional trigger. Other than that its a perfect pregnancy so far. Maybe this one already knows it wont be able to get a word in while Livy is around. ;)

In case you find it interesting at all what Olivia is like when she is eating, here is a video! This is the first half where you can see how dinner gets pretty messy. But in the second video I actually capture the moment she decides she no longer likes broccoli. I feel like a nature photographer! Warning, you may be grossed out if you are a sensitive eater.

Send back up!

2009-10-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have ever done a vent blog, but I have to or I will bust. I would normally never share these thoughts because I do not want to be seen as a bad mom or a weak person but here you go....

When is this supposed to get easier? I swear some of you have said that once you are out of the newborn stuff it gets so much better. I know I am not a wimp...so why can't I handle anything my baby throws at me? She is out of control. A nicer way to say it would be: she is now a character and discovering her power. But to me, right now, she is a terrorist.

I am completely exhausted everyday. After I put her to bed I have to pray for the strength to clean up after her: bath, toys, dinner, dishes, food stuck to the floor, in the cracks of the table.... Yes, today was particularly tough with a two hour cry session in opposition to an afternoon nap. I am not always so down but honestly,today is not the first day I have felt this. I think that's why I am at the explosion phase. Sometimes I just think "this cant possibly be my life".

I should just put this into a "bad week" category and move on. Those are the weeks when constantly the joys DO NOT out weigh the terrible. I have to move on, I have no choice. I am so jealous of you people with "easy babies" or maybe you are just better humans than me. I don't know, but I wish there was an escape button. I would be back in a time where I got a pedicure whenever I wanted and was able to pee without rushing it. Those were the days...

PS. If you can even believe it: I dropped my new camera in the sandbox and it broke. Thank goodness Costco will take anything back. But that is the reason for the picture delay. Camera karma?

PPS. I do in fact love my child.

Up, down and all around

2009-10-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

I love how babies have perfect posture. She is inspiring me to sit a little straighter. Here is my big girl in her first 12 month size onesie!

Livy enjoys eating leaves in her spare time but HATES the grass. We are spending time outside watching the world go by. She can watch for minutes, which in baby-land a few minutes feels like an hour. We love the yard!

All day long I clean. Since she is into everything, she makes a mess of everything. Dinner is the craziest time. She wants to do it herself which means, see how far I can push Mama. Its a hot button because by this time of the day we are both so tired. So we go from dinner to bath to bedtime.

Here is Olivia's workout. Notice the grunts! This is long but I just wanted to show you how many squats she does a day! If only I could do one for every five she does. Or if I could be as challenged by getting two items into one hand!

crawling proof

2009-10-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

And so it begins,,,,

2009-09-30T18:49:00.001-07:00

If you haven't yet heard through the grapevine, here is my official blog announcement...I am expecting another baby April 5!!!! I loved being pregnant with Liv and so far I feel the same. I cannot wait to have this little baby in my arms but am fully enjoying the experience we have had together in womb.
My little monkey....my little monster and my angel. These are all the names Olivia goes by these days. We have entered a whole new dimension of baby-hood, almost toddler-hood. The temper tantrum. She is just so vocal now and can fully express herself in other ways than crying. She squeals, bites, pounds stuff, hits, yells and so much more. While it is fascinating to watch this develop, its pretty hard to adjust to. I have to start "discipline". Whats even more amazing is how quickly she can go from laughing to crying. I am using "No!" and everyday she is just pushing me more to see what I will do. Its exhausting because I am so concentrated how I act and respond. I want her to take me serious without being overly harsh.
Today is the first day I have heard her say "Mama" more than once. Its been a couple months of "Da-Da" so I am hoping this sticks. Its the best. Yesterday, Livy started trying to comb her own hair after the bath. These are the little things that I love. She is becoming so capable, cute, aware and active.

Music maker

2009-09-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

I think on an unconscious level I thought a blog post with no pictures just wasnt worth anyone's time. Olivia has done plenty of blog worthy stuff since my last post in July but just lately it seems she is changing overnight. Things are happening so fast I cannot keep track and I feel badly not capturing it! So today I broke down and bought a camera...again. I never did find my last camera...lost in the move.

Livy is losing some baby face features. I cannot put my finger on what it is exactly but she is totally looking bigger. She is crawling like a champ, pulling herself up, talking a LOT, trying to stand unassisted, dancing, eating all big people food, playing music and mostly just getting into EVERYTHING.

So now that I am fully equipped for blogging. I am back.

Eli + Livy = looove!

2009-07-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Who could be the center of attention? (Colorado, end of June)

Eli and Livy took their first bath together while we were in Colorado. Livy's first big girl bath and she slipped moments after this picture was taken! It was so good to get the classic baby picture of them so we can tease them when they are older.

Whats new with Liv? Crawling is consuming her. She is sooo ready but cannot take off. She even sleeps on her knees, butt in the air with her face down. It is causing all sorts of sleep problems. She is waking up pushed up on all fours crying. Same with naps...as I write this she is fussing every few minutes because she wont lay down and go to sleep! I cannot put her on her back to dress her, play or change her diaper without serious tears.

She is sleeping through the night. (although the last few have been once a night cries due to the problem above). That has been nice for me, finally! I was surprised because I did not feel a huge difference like I thought I would, guess I was pretty adjusted to the waking up.

I am afraid to say but, I cannot find my camera! Somewhere in the move it got misplaced. So "dated" pictures will have to work for now. I am making everyone else take pictures and send them to me so I should have some recent ones soon.

What can I say?

2009-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

I suck. I moved June 1, got busy and life changed! So sorry for getting lazy on the blog. Liv is getting on her knees and rocking, sitting on her own, saying "na na" and "da da" and basically achieving perfection in every way. Here are a bunch of current pictures. I am back at it...promise ;)

These are her princess shoes given to her by a 4 year old at Gigi's. She was amazed by them.

Swimming in Colorado. She knew how cute she looked in her suit.

Whats up Mama?

My yogi girl

Big baby blues. On her way to the fireworks.

Still LOVES bath time. Splashing is a blast.

Little poser. She is starting to know the camera...ham!

Angel face!

Her first 4th of July.

Sitting up baby!

2009-05-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have been running with my running stroller...what a concept right? Olivia seems to be enjoying it. I think she could sleep on her head.

Besides the TWO bottom teeth Liv is getting in, she is now starting to sit on her own. She always goes forwards to grab her feet but one day she is going to get those knees under her! Can't wait! (I know what you are thinking, yes you can wait).
There is also this new excited surprised face that is so freaking cute. I captured part of it here. Love love it.

I dont know if Liv is weirded out by the move but she is staying up so late! Bedtime is gone...can be anywhere from 7:30-9 with lots of tears.
We are almost done with our move, the bulk of it tomorrow actually. So I need to get to bed. I am making it a goal to sleep through the night by July. Someone get Liv the memo.

The best sound in the world...the baby, not Dave ;)

2009-05-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Party Girl!

2009-05-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to my friends daughters 1st birthday party. It was a luau pool party! Olivia had a wonderful time and took a swim for the first time! She really liked the water, but not as sure of the "floaty".

Liv is now rolling from tummy to back and scooting backwards. She can move in all directions by rotating in circles but she cannot go forwards. Its shocking how fast this is all happening. When I leave the room and come back to find her in a completely different area, I am blown away. Time to baby proof!

The giggles are picking up, she thinks Dad is so funny. And I think, I think (cross your fingers) that she is starting to sleep more through the night. The last few have been pretty good.

Our little bottom tooth is making its appearance...its about half way out. That's all the news from here!

Delicious!

2009-05-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

I realize this is not a picture my daughter will probably love but I thought it was hilarious and cartoony. Avocado is the hot new food in her life and she is loving it.

Her taste buds have experienced: squash, rice cereal, sweet potato and avocado. She has started putting her hands in her mouth after every bite as well as doing raspberries at the same time. Lunch has become quite messy. I need a face shield.

Feet are still sooo fun! Liv is always after them. She can take off her socks and of course get her feet in her mouth. Amazing how she can fold up!

This is how I roll...big girl style! Liv is officially riding without her car seat in the stroller. She seems to like it

Arizona

2009-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Livy and I took a short trip to AZ! It was so great to see Sarah and Eli again. Sarah bought them these coordinating outfits which were SO cute I was almost sick about it. Eli can sit up well, whereas Liv is a little wobbly. So the photos we took were pretty funny.

Livy did well on the plane just a little bit of crying then she would sleep. She really enjoyed the airport and seeing all the people. I bought a water bottle and she was convinced it was for her...she was putting her arms out and shaking due to the excitement. So, I gave it to her and she put the top of it right in her mouth...she was thirsty! It was hilarious. She was also crazy over the boarding pass. LOVED holding it and cried when we had to give it to the attendant.

Unfortunately, Eli was sick so we kept them apart a little (they were on opposite schedules anyway, one baby would wake up and the other down for a nap). Livy got sick anyway by the time we got home (last Tues) then I did. I think now we are in the last bit of it. There is no sadder sound than a baby cough. It will break your heart.

Yumm

2009-04-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

We are getting on a plane tomorrow and Liv is still doing her screaming bit. She does it when she is excited or upset or just to express herself. So basically it can come at anytime. Should be interesting. We are visiting Sarah and Eli in AZ. We are staying 5 days and we plan on having a blast!

Livy LOVES squash. Which is funny because it was my favorite baby food and I still love it so maybe she will too! Of course I am getting ahead of myself...all she has had is rice and squash.

We had a doctors appointment the Wed and it went really well. Liv is thriving 16lbs 27 inches. She is in the 90th percentile for height and 74th for weight. She had her first shot and didn't even notice it. She always amazes me!

Discovering feet, saying clear "words" (ga, da) and getting a tooth are some of the new exciting things here.

I wish I had a pause button

2009-04-16T17:06:00.001-07:00

Livy is on the move...sllloooww but moving none the less. She works so hard to scoot around in circles and also to get toys. She is grabbing everything although she is not super coordinated yet. The newest trick she has is pulling her binkie out. She can get it back in about half of the time.

We are back to struggling with sleep. She is 100% anti-naps. Its exhausting, I guess I need to start back at the beginning of "sleep training". She can cry for 2 hours straight! I am so looking forward to sleeping through the night consistently too. She eats at least once a night and a bad night three times. I read about this crying it out thing at night but I just cannot do that...so I am hanging in there.

Pretty pretty princess!

2009-04-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Olivia had a wonderful Easter and she hopes you all did too. She knew she looked like the Easter princess and enjoyed the excitement so much that she refused to nap. Her outfit was from GGmom (great grandma). We had been waiting since before she was born to fit into it. It was so exciting! Practical? Not so much.

New noises...oh my! Livy can scream and she thinks its great fun. In this video you get a good taste of it while she plays with her new toy. She is grabbing her toys now, which took her forever to do, but she's got it now.

Happy Spring everyone!

2009-04-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

The big day

2009-04-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

I had been noticing Liv watching intently while I ate and she has been chewing her tongue for a long time....

Today she started freaking out while David was eating polenta. She was trying to eat it off his fork and cried when I took her away. So we did it! She had some very liquidity rice cereal! It was so fun.

Liv also sat in the laundry basket cause she saw that her boyfriend Eli could do it. FUN DAY!!

Just some pics..

2009-04-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Livy had a great time with her grandparents from Colorado. We go so many good pictures, I could never share them all. This one is awesome though because she is telling the "paparazzi" no more flashes!

Liv in her new headband from Grandma and outfit from Nini!

Rollin rollin rollin

2009-03-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

This week my parents came to visit. Olivia thoroughly enjoyed the attention and gifts! She got great new toys and more love than ever.

New developments...chewing and smacking her tongue as well as raspberries with lots of spit!

Livy is a roller! I have been attempting to catch it on video and she moves so quickly from back to side that by the time my finger clicks the button she is there! This is pretty close though.

Oooo Ahh Ahh Ahhh

2009-03-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

I can barley keep up with the changes, they are all so slight but huge in their own way. She makes new noises everyday, rolling over, grabbing things and so much more. She is also a total water facet, I wonder what it will be like when she is cutting teeth! She has multiple bib and clothing changes a day and today I saw a drool rash forming.

I love all her new developments but my favorite is the laughing. She is pretty selective about what she laughs at but when I hear it my heart bursts from joy. There has been an obvious liking to monkey's the last month or so, so I thought she might enjoy monkey noises...yup its an automatic giggle.

The grabbing is fun too. She is very gentle and careful with how she does it. I am not sure if it is because its a new thing or if that is just her personality. Either way its cute.

The hard times

2009-03-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Livy snuck her way into my bed this morning to eat then she decided to practice rolling over the "hard side". It is much easier for her to roll to the left than it is to the right. She did actually do it but it stopped filming...memory card full! Here are her attempts.

Oh the new fun!

2009-03-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Liv is just beginning to grab things when you hold them in front of her. Any day she will be holding everything! I made this ring for her and she took it then put it on her face! It was so funny to see her reaction.

She is thoroughly enjoying being a "big girl". Being able to hold herself up has expanded her world a lot. Anything that involves being up high and the phrase "biiiggg girl!" totally excites her.

Beautiful voice

2009-03-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

Livy has new noises. She is in the upper range now. Its so funny! She is really giving her cords a work out.

She has been a really bad napper this last week or so. Since she no longer can sleep on her side, I made her a mobile to look at while she is on her back. Good idea in theory but i think it keeps her up. She wants to stay awake to look at it. That is sort of the problem in general she now knows its more fun to stay up in the action so she fights sleep. She fights to the bitter end....she screams and kicks. I have to rock her to sleep almost at every nap (while she is flailing about).

Today in her crib, when she was supposed to be napping, she rolled a full roll from back to belly THREE times! I could not get her to do it later out of the crib but it was exciting!

A Twinkle in an Angels Eye

2009-03-10T12:30:00.001-07:00

This is Livy's "lambie" I bought it because I learned about wool and how wonderful it is for babies. In my baby/mommy class they have these for the babies to sleep on.

So..... I purchased one online for her crib. I have to keep the heat up higher than I would like to and my bill is outrageous every month. I was thinking if she slept on this it will absolutely keep her warm. Mind you wool is SO not inexpensive and this was an investment but worth it to take the heat down. Go figure....she hates it. She enjoys playing on it but when I leave her to sleep she scoots all over like she is trying to get away from it. She does not cry so this is an assumption but she ends up sideways in her crib. It happened three times.

Last night I went in at 3 or 4 (I cannot remember because my clock is still not changed, lol) she was sideways and from the scooting her diaper moved off to the side too and she peed though! It is such a drag to change a diaper in the middle of the night. One because it is dark (yes I put it on wrong) and two it wakes her fully up. Lambie....what to do now.

She was up a lot last night with really bad gas. I started adding the things that bothered her when she had colic back in my diet in small amounts and it did not seem to have any ill effects on her. So naturally I kept up with it. And then it all came crashing down. The worst feeling I get from being a mother is mommy guilt. I feel terrible when stuff happens to make her upset and its my fault. Ugh its AWFUL.

Sniffle sniffle

2009-03-06T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today I am feeling so emotional about my little baby getting so big.

I seriously cannot believe she is changing this fast. I wish I could stop time. One one hand, it is so exciting that she is growing up and doing new things but its also so sad. All the moments that were special to being a newborn are gone, and I can never have them back. I am going to be that mom crying on the sidelines as her child walks into the first day of kindergarten. So far I actually miss my baby when she is sleeping so it is just inevitable.

I have never loved like this (obviously) nor have I given so much of myself to anything before and every moment is worth it. A terrible day with Livy is still the best day of my life.

I think I am going to have a million kids now. Maybe I am the next "octomom"...I'm kidding. I miss being pregnant and I want to do everything all over again that I did with Olivia. I am craving being around a pregnant woman and I am crying at all baby related stuff on TV. BUT I will try to wait for longer because the idea of having two toddlers makes me cringe.

With these feelings being so strong, I wonder if this is truly my calling in life...my heart aches for it. Is this what happens when you are "called"? I don't know but its definitely on my mind.

Anyway, the pictures here....the first one is on a walk. It was so cold and she insisted on hand sucking the whole time so they about froze off. The second one is from today after a long day of "school" (her baby class), shopping and going to baseball practice! TOTALLY wiped.

How fun can fingers be? Ask Livy!

2009-03-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

Liv is so serious about her hands. She is sucking them when she is sitting in her bouncy, swinging in the swing, laying on the changing table, on the floor, when she is talking...you get the idea. It is so much fun for her it is actually a distraction. She will slip her hand in her mouth when she is supposed to be eating and they are so stimulating to her it keeps her up at night...she doesn't want to stop. I wanted to get a picture or video of the nose picking but she didn't do it this morning. This is pretty close though, I am sure you can get the idea.

Crazy Cute

2009-02-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

Here is the video that was taken when I took the pictures from the post before. She really works so hard, when she is done on her tummy she is out of breath and her heart is racing. Liv slept on her side her whole life up to this point. Now when you put her on her side she rolls to her belly, pulls out her arm and pushes up. Not really a position that works for sleeping. So...we are struggling. She has to sleep on her back and it looks like she prefers to be there, BUT if she can see me or David she wont go to sleep. If she cannot keep her binkie in (due to gravity), she cannot sleep. It amazes me that she is changing all the time. I mean I knew babies grew fast but the changes that come with it, like this sleep situation are fascinating. I am always on my toes, what worked a week ago may not work today.

The drool....oh my gosh. Livy has to wear about two bibs a day. It is so....wet! She just loves her hands and that brings on the slob even more. She is working on different finger positions and currently she sticks three in and leaves her pointer out. She thinks a good place for her pointer finger to go is in her nose! Yup I have a nose picker! Lol.

Sooo big!

2009-02-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

Olivia is now 3 months and to celebrate, she is holding herself up on her forearms! She is getting so strong!The first picture is Liv in her bedtime baseball uniform. She loves stories, still reading along a bit but her hands are a serious distraction. She is experimenting with double fisting and fingers in. It is super adorable but very wet...it grosses me out a little. ;)

In general, its just drool time. Bubbles and drips all day long. I think she is going to have to wear a bib daily. I may have to also. I change my shirt about three times a day between drool and spit up. Oh the joys! I read that 3-6 months is the most drooly time. Teeth come between 3-7 months. Yea!

Selma is Amazing!

2009-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

I have really been thinking about the Selma Hayek controversy with her breastfeeding that hungry baby in Sierra Leone. I personally was so moved, I cried. Why are so many Americans "weirded" out by this? What is our problem? Giving a baby cows milk is so much more "weird" if you ask me! That milk was meant for a calf. Human milk should be given to humans.

She selflessly gave herself to a week old baby in need. What a powerful statement. So compassionate.

It is such a miracle given from God that we can create and feed our babies from our own bodies. I would not think twice about feeding a baby that could not get milk from its own mother. The antibodies in breast milk is what keeps our babies well and away from illness. If my body could help another child who was sick or starving, I would do it! That being said I wonder why we don't. So I looked into breast milk donation and there are only 4 banks in America and they charge $4.50 an ounce for people to buy it. Why cant we donate to starving babies somehow for free?

I am so greatful and blessed to have milk for Livy. She will have the best headstart for her body because of it. I know she would be proud if I could help another baby too. I had an overabundnce of milk and maybe the women this happens to are supposed to feed others less fortunate? Do wet nurses still exsist? Lots of questions I know, hopefully I can find answers and speak out about this more and hopefully do something myself.

If you have not seen the video, dont go to youtube...it was removed! Heaven forbid we let the world see a woman breastfeed. I hope you can see it somewhere...the baby stopped crying and met her eyes like "ah, thank you so much".

Has a baby ever died from being kissed too much?

2009-02-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

I seriously worry that I kiss Livy too much..lol. I cannot control it I am obsessed. She is SO kissable. I wonder if she will grow up to hate being kissed because of me! The song "I wanna Kiss you All Over" has a whole new meaning...and I sing it often. Speaking of singing, really my daily life is one big musical. It is a dream come true, I always wanted to live in a musical. I had no idea all I had to do was have a baby. EVERYTHING can be a song!!

Olivia is getting quite vocal. Sometimes when I sing she tries to chim in but what she does consistantly is read! Part of her bedtime routine is a story and now she does her "talk thing" through the enitre book. She looks right at it like she is reading. I have a little smarty pants!

Livy can also hold her head completely upright as well as hold her body when propped up.

Tummy time!

2009-02-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Olivia is digging her tummy time mat. She loves the colors! She can now push her self up on her forearms and hold her head at a 90 degree angle. She cant hold it for minutes on end, but it is great progress!

She also loves her hands and brings them to her mouth. On the same subject, Livy has my long tongue and she has discovered it takes up so much room so...she chews on it! Its so funny, looks like she is chewing gum.

Big girl!

2009-02-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is Livy's big girl outfit. Argyle sweater and corduroys.

Going for a walk with Dad. She thinks she is the coolest in her hat.

Cutie ears! The sweatshirt fits everywhere but the head! She is a pea head, only in the 30th percentile for head size in her age. :)

More pictures from Eli's visit!

2009-02-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

Livy showing some skin. She is such a rolly polly!

Zoning out after all the fun...they need binkies after a long day.

Matching binkies! We had to get a picture!

Livy is 11 weeks!!

2009-02-05T12:11:00.001-08:00

Sarah and Eli came for a visit this week. We miss them so much already, it was a soo fun. Besties and babies is better than I ever imagined it would be. The babies did really well together...Eli said it was love at first sight (see pic below).

Its so cool too see there different personalities. Eli is interested in everything and is content to sit and look around. Liv is not impressed by everything and often has a concerned evaluating face on...and as you know she is NOT ok to be left on her own very long at all.

We went to the beach with the babes, took walks and had some floor time. Eli is 6 weeks older than Liv and is such a solid boy, he feels so different than her. She actually feels like a girl. It was really interesting.

Updates on Livy: We are working on sleeping on our own still. She is in baby boot camp. Its going ok so far but really difficult for both of us. I am also trying to spread out her feedings a bit. She can hold her head up on her own now and is really into lights!

This is what I think about my Glow Worm!

2009-01-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Bouncy seat shoot

2009-01-29T14:50:00.001-08:00

blabbin

2009-01-28T20:41:00.001-08:00

My little chubbers in her leggings...thanks Uncle Aaron. Liv has the best thighs, very squeezable!

2009-01-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

My first you know you're a mom when moment...I always have twinkle twinkle or itsy bitsy spider in my head!

Livy had her 2 month check up last Friday. She is doing great! She weighs 12.3 lbs which means she is in the 83rd percentile! Big girl. And guess what........she rolled over at the doctors office! She loves her doc, I cannot get her to do it for me.

Big steps back in the sleeping schedule. Now Liv does not particularly like her crib or sleeping at all for that matter.

I have started this blog post at least three times!

2009-01-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the gap, I have been trying to blog for a week. By the time I have the pictures uploaded its off to address some sort of baby issue.

Today I am blissed out. This is the second day that Olivia has napped by herself in her crib. It is a huge milestone for a colicky baby. I feel sort of human. I have ME time. We are working so hard on getting a schedule down, which again is so hard with a colicky babe. Her bedtime is still 11pm which is way too late so we will begin working on that as soon as our daytime schedule pans out. She is also beginning to eat every 3 hours instead of 2, thank God.
So great news from us for today!

Olivia smiles and is so much more active, its a blast. She loves the mirror and me. Those are her favorite toys so far. I make so many faces for her I swear I have more wrinkles. Its so funny though I am totally shameless...I will do anything ridiculous to get her to smile and "laugh" (more about that later) I am completely over the moon in love with her that I do not care how stupid I look or sound...all that is out the window.

Livy laughs kinda. She smiles and then does this gasping hyperventilating noise while she kicks her legs. Hilarious.

Nap is almost over so I need to head for the laundry.
xoxoxo

Christmas and more

2008-12-31T12:15:00.001-08:00

New Developments....lots! Forgive me this will be short, I am holding a baby who wont sleep by herself. Which brings me to the first bit of news, Liv has colic. It came about 2 weeks ago. She cries and cries at night till 1 or 2. She also must be held all the time, she even sleeps on me at night. I cant get anything done. Big bummer but we are making it.

Olivia makes new noises "ah-00" in a high pitch and a few babbles. She can also do a squeal scream at an octave that makes you shiver. She is miss smiley in the morning that is when she loves to play (for about an hour then passes out) I love watching her learn everyday, she has a concentrating face and a surprised face, when I see them I know she soaking it in. Soooo fun.

I have a big girl on my hands...10.5 lbs. She is out of NB size. Not quite into 3 mo so she is in the 0-3size.

Well that was pretty good for one handed typing. Will try to get back soon. xoxo

She is real!

2008-12-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

Olivia got her birth certificate and social security card in the mail. She has also received a few pieces of mail addressed to her....such a trip! It makes her so official.

I swear my baby is the strongest baby there has ever been! Did I tell you she rolled over twice and I was calling it a fluke but then at the doctors when she put Olivia on her tummy she almost did it again?! She also can push herself up to standing when I have my hands under her armpits.

She does not like to sit still in any one position very long. She demands to be walked around and shown everything when she is awake. The big workout bouncy ball we have is a favorite too, she is addicted to bouncing. Constant movement is the trick to keeping this baby happy. I can already tell I will have my hands full with her.

My little model!

2008-12-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

So...my camera broke! That's why I have been absent on blogger. I took it in and it would be $175 to fix so I am debating on what to do, I am not sure its worth that anymore. I am dying not taking pictures of her!

Olivia had a little photo shoot. She was amazing. I think we are in trouble because she loves to be naked! In this picture I posted her butt is against my stomach and she projectile pooped all over me and the carpet. Then later she was posing on a fluffy white blanket and she tinkled. Normal baby behavior but it made for a funny day.

She is developing and its so exciting. She makes eye contact and moves her head towards noises. She is very smiley too although I do not know if they are intentional yet.

We have been battling thrush and gas problems so that has been hard. We are doing everything to try to get rid of it.

What else....oh Liv LOVES bath time in her big girl bath. Its adorable, sorry no pictures!! :(

Overall, we are fine, taking it day by day.

Love to all! xoxoxox

11 days old already!

2008-12-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Olivia is starting to stay awake more everyday. She is awake in the morning for a couple hours then again in the evening. She is also amazingly strong lifting her head and holding it. She pushes up on her legs off my belly to stand herself up too!

The nights are getting a little easier. Everyday around 8pm I get nervous thinking about what is to come, lol.

Yawn...thats all I've got folks. xoxoxo

2008-12-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had a big day out!We went to the bakery, the beach and out to lunch. Olivia loved the beach, she slept through it but I am sure she enjoyed the sound of the waves.

We also had our first bath at home and she did great! It was just a sponge bath but at the hospital she hated it so we were pleasantly surprised. She was really into the feel of the water on her head. Dad was blow drying her body as I washed...lol.

I am starting to feel like I have more time to do things between feedings. I do not know what I would do if my mom were not here keeping the house up though. God knows David would not be doing it. It makes me feel so much more under control when the house is in ok shape.

Livy is the best. She is an angel during the day just sleeping away and a monster at night...a lovable monster though. She seriously makes little monster noises and flails her arms and legs like a mad woman, its adorable. Not great for my sleep but cute none the less.

Time to feed myself then the little one!

Olivia is a week old today!

2008-11-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

There is sooo much to say where do I begin? Olivia is perfect and its such a blessing. She is eating, going to the bathroom tons and gaining weight. She has already surpassed her birth weight by a lot!

We had our first doctors appointment on Tuesday which was our first time out! It went ok in the car then I fed and changed her before we went in. Unfortunately I was not prepared enough...Livy had to go into the doctors naked! She projectile pooed during her change in the car 3 times!! David and I were catching poop with our hands! She left her mark in the car forever, yuck :) It was the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen.

We also took our first walk on Wednesday. It was misty so she was covered but it was still nice. We went too far and I got really tired and sore but I think she enjoyed the ride. We are going out today too and the sun is out!

Thanksgiving was spent at Marianne's (my mother in law's) and it was a big event. There were 13 of us. She did pretty well in all the chaos. Of course my baby looked adorable but I did not take any pictures! I need to work on that, camera on hand all the time. She wore a dress and leggings (thanks Leigh!)

As always, more to come... Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers our way!

Labor

2008-11-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I am doing ok, recovering but it feels like its taking forever. Labor was an unforgettable experience. I do not believe that "you forget about the pain as soon as the baby is born" Bull. I did have a posterior baby so it is more painful than a baby in the right position so I am not sure what regular labor feels like, but in my experience there were times when I actually did not think I was going to make it.

They tried moving the baby by rocking my hips and I got sterile water injections in my back which was supposed to help the back labor but nothing worked. I spent a lot of time in the shower because it was the closest I could get to "relaxing". There were times of absolute delirium, exhaustion and I was terrified. Towards the very end I seriously could not remember why I was going through the pain, it was hard to keep my eye on the prize. So when the baby came out I was shocked! It was like "oh my God, oh ya...her!"

I had an awesome labor team, I could not have done it without them that is for sure. I had two doulas and a midwife...they were patient and helped me get through it. If I had a different group with a doc and no doula, I would have probably had a C section which would have devastated me.

Olivia is doing great. I will get back on to blog about her soon! But know she is healthy and we are trying to get everything together here at home!

pictures...

2008-11-23T22:57:00.000-08:00

Bringing Baby Home

2008-11-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

Baby Olivia is Here!

Got back from the hospital today with your perect little angel.

She was born at 3:18am on the 21st, weighing in at 7lbs 15oz and 21 inches long. Labor was 27 hours long and even though she was "sunny side up" and the back labor was so painful, Jayme delievered naturally.

Mamma got her milk in today so the little one is one happy peanut.

The doctors said that this is one healthy baby, so all is well in the
Raichart household. We just need to sleep!

I am in labor!!!!

2008-11-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Yea! In my robe at 5am with contractions 8-10 mins apart.

Daddy timing and me now 11:56am with 5 min apart contractions...she is looking low! Will be going to the hospital soon I guess. Well wishes my way!!

XOXOXXO

One week left!

2008-11-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would be this big...I am so ready! I have contractions and pressure so I am just waiting for something to happen.

I have one child birth class left but it is a potluck and two couples are coming with their newborns to share their birth stories. Last week we learned about infant and mom care after birth, good information for sure!

I am going to stop working this week, the house is clean and the freezer has a few meals in it. I have been so busy it is going to be weird to just hang out. I am sure I will find stuff to do...paint that belly cast, baby book etc. Oooo I just remembered I could clean the shelves of the medicine cabinet!

I went to the beach today and thought about the waves like contractions, it was pretty peaceful... hopefully something I can take with me when my big contractions start coming in.

I am pretty pooped from my day so I am going to go rest with some ice cream ;)

Love to all....xoxoxoxo

Its a full moon tonight...but no baby yet.

2008-11-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

I colored my hair to brown so I can be a mommy that doesnt have to keep up with highlights. I like it ok, I will like the money it saves me more. It looks sort of redish in this picture but its not.

I measured today at 39 weeks and I have had a lot of practice contractions! We are getting ready! My blood pressure is back down to where it usually is so no worries there.

I would really like her to come out before I have to get any bigger, I am certain she is large and healthy at this point. I am so ready to have some of my body back!

Come on out!

2008-11-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

The doctors was fine, nothing important to report. I go again tomorrow to check my blood pressure again. It was high for me on Monday so its good to watch it.

All of a sudden I feel like my baby weighs 20lbs. Walking is so hard, everything is so hard. My feet don't fit into any shoes comfortably and not being able to wear my rings makes me feel like people are thinking "that poor girl has to raise that baby alone". I am such a head case.

I think I am on my final round of nesting. Today I went to the store and bought things for beef stew, chili, black bean corn chowder and chicken jambalaya and tupperwear. After all the shopping though my energy is not there to cook!

Unfortunatly I have to go feed myself and this baby that I wish would stop growing! Will write again tomorrow!

xoxoxxo

38 weeks!!!

2008-11-09T21:26:00.001-08:00

We did a belly cast! It was so cool! When I first got pregnant I thought these things were totally weird but now that I am almost done, I realize I am going to miss it so much. I never want to forget what this experience has looked and felt like. A belly cast is just the thing! I am going to sand it and paint it...maybe put her name and little foot prints on it?? I am undecided about how to decorate it, I may also paint it in such a way it is "disguised".

I am super swollen :( Not only do my rings not fit but my hands are tight and manly, its bizzare. My legs feel hard, look huge, I have canlkles and puff feet. It hurts to walk very long. It makes me wonder if she has dropped and is putting pressure on my legs somehow....although it does not explain the hands. I am going to go into the doc tomorrow to get my blood pressure taken just to make sure everything is ok (ie no preeclamsia!)

Its really crunch time! I need to get Dave cleaning but he is snoring on the couch right now, must be tough to be the expectant dad...piff. Its a busy week coming up for both of us but hopefully we will relax a bit soon.

I will keep you all posted with doctors appointments this week! Stand by!

xoxoxox

She's Ready!

2008-11-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I am 37.5 weeks which is full term! This means baby is fully developed and can come at any time. I have a doctors appointment in 40 minutes but last week the check was good...everything is moving along for her to be born on time.

I had crazy dreams last night about forgetting the baby! I left her at home twice, once to go to the store and the other to go out to eat. When I came home to her I had left her on the changing table and it was falling apart. The other time I came home she was sweating a lot, I had left her over dressed. So...I think I am having subconscious doubts about my ability to mommy! Lol.

I am working hard to get to a point I can take off mentally and get prepared for all of this. I am really looking forward to that.

My heartburn is completely out of control nothing helps anymore, they say it goes away the second you give birth. I can't wait.

Have to run... xoxoxo

28 days or so left

2008-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

I am trying to wrap things up to be really prepared for the baby. I am working hard, too hard according to my doula, doing stuff for my website like getting new merchandise up and changing things around and creating the "juicy" world for holiday in the stores. I am planning on stopping everything a couple weeks before my due date to relax, turn inward and get ready. I heard it is a good thing for the baby, they need to feel relaxed too and welcome to come into the world.

I go to the doctor every week now. I am not sure why but I am going. When the doctor felt around on my tummy she said I was all baby, so she should be pretty big. Maybe around 6 lbs. She is head down although she looks quite lop sided (her butt is on the right side).

Classes are going well although I feel like I should know more at this point in my pregnancy. We did talk about labor last week, the stages, what to expect in each and what the baby is doing. So that was good. We also went over some breathing...quite basic but I am not sure I will remember when the time comes. This is why I have a doula.

David and I are going to pack the hospital bag this week and make sure the car seat is in ok. Next week I am full term!

If anyone wants something from my site, please let me know. I am offering stuff at cost or under to make room for more merchandise coming. Just shoot me an email jayme2256@hotmail.com

http://www.thedressingroomonline.com

I am going to give bed a try....goodnight. xoxoxo

Sleep typing...

2008-10-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

I am getting so excited to give birth! I cannot wait to meet my daughter! Everyday I am getting less afraid and more ready....thank God!

The nursery is coming together, David painted, crib is there, changing table set up (THANKS LIZZY!) and there is a dresser! I need to wash baby clothes and get a few more things. Oh and decorate of course.

The baby is dropping and my hips hurt a lot but I am happy for the pain, makes me feel like things are "happening". I still cannot sleep well and when I do its like I am not totally asleep anyway. Nature really has its way of preparing you. She is head down as far as I can tell...I have movement everywhere but especially up at the top, where her feet are.

I am more amazed all the time at the gift and mystery of all of this. Being pregnant and growing a human is so miraculous you just know its beyond this world.

I cannot really tie my shoes anymore. Somedays I cannot at all and David has to, others I am feeling more limber and can mostly do it. Its pretty funny. Everything is such a chore! Lol

zzzzzz...got to go.

xoxoxo

ZZZZZZZZZ....I wish!

2008-10-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

I dont sleep. It is terrible! I did just find out that pregnancy insomnia effects 75% of women, so I am feeling better knowing I am not alone.

There have been nights lately that I have only had 2 hrs of sleep! My eyes are bloodshot and my body hurts.

On the upside, I am 33 weeks! Yea. I also finally start my childbirth classes this week on Thurs. I am really looking forward to that.

Yesterday David put the crib together and its totally cute. Its the only thing in the nursery so far but I think it looks great! Once I get sheets and stuff I will take a picture to post here.

If only I could type more...my brain is less than sharp right now. ;)

Love to all,

xxoxoxoxo

Burn baby burn...disco inferno

2008-09-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here I am, this was taken at 30.5 weeks so I need to take another one soon. I am rounding the corner to 32 weeks and that feels amazing. I am so happy to be in the "30's". To say I have 8 weeks left seems a lot shorter than saying 2 months, so I stick to thinking about the few weeks that are in the "30's"

I have raging heartburn! Its no fun! I have it everyday at some point. Today I woke up with it, so its been around for hours. Tums really help but I am going through them so fast :)

The heartburn makes me wonder about the myth that says heartburn= a hairy baby. I wouldn't mind a lot of hair on my baby as long as it was all on her head. I am scared of uni-brow babies...they are creepy. I think everyone must get some heartburn since our stomachs get squashed up to the lungs...not a big distance between stomach acid and esophagus.

I have started moving stuff out of the spare bedroom/office to make room for nursery! Its very exciting. I think I will drag David to get some paint soon. My friend gave me a bumper and skirt she barely used so I am going with those colors: yellow, brown, white and blue. I will play down the blue though ;) Yellow walls? Probably. I figure if I paint first as furniture and stuff comes in I can just add it to the room instead of waiting until I get it all and moving it out to paint.

I am not so hungry these days so I have to force myself to eat. I have not gained any weight since my last appointment, according to my scale. Strange since I look bigger... So I am going to go eat now.

xoxoxoxo

10 weeks left!

2008-09-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

Today I am celebrating 30 weeks! I feel like its a milestone moment. So far I have just done laundry and vacuumed which is not so celebratory but I will do something fun later.

I had that darn shot this week. It was just as awful as I thought it would be. I did get David to come but we were late so he dropped me off to go park. So I was in the room alone....waiting....I told the midwife I needed my husband before I could do this....waiting....waiting...I sent her to look for him and he was in the front office, just sitting there! Such a typical man thing. He just figured since we were late I was just going right in and out. Apparently I did not make it clear enough that I was terrified! Anyway he gets in and the nurse comes in to shoot me up. I thought it would be a shot in the arm but she told me to roll over and pull down my pants!! It was a hip shot with a 5 inch needle. She said she has been doing this for 30 years and she is really good at it....LIAR. OMG it hurt so so bad I wanted to cry. I was woozy, David was woozy, we have a long way to go before we will be ready for labor. :)

The worse part about it is I am still paying for that shot. Apparently I am allergic to an additive or something in the medication and I have a rash on my legs and arms. Itchy itchy.

I am not taking the classes at the hospital. My feeling was right. I started asking around more and there were not a lot of great reviews. So I am starting with a private lady (who I am also interviewing to be my doula) she takes 6 couples and the next session starts Oct 9th. She has been doing this 35 years and is really an advocate for teaching about getting past the fear of labor as well as all the normal stuff. She did come recommended so we will see. David and I are meeting her on Wed of this week about her doula services so I should get a vibe about the classes too.

I am off to do yoga....xoxoxox

Two down, One to Go!

2008-09-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

I am pumped to be in my third trimester. Everything seems to be going well still with baby, we tested free of gestational diabetes this week! When I was younger I was diagnosed hypo-glycemic so I was pretty nervous for this test. I do have to get a shot at my next doctors appointment, I am RH negative, which means my blood is incompatible with baby's blood. So, I get a shot of Rhogam to block my immune system from seeing the fetal cells. I hate shots, I would rather have my blood taken any day over a shot! I am totally making David go with me so I don't cry.

I started nesting, when I read about it early in my pregnancy I did not take it serious at all. I sort of thought it was not a real "symptom" of pregnancy. I was so wrong, it is SUPER powerful and intense! I want to get everything for the baby and organize and clean. Its really too bad that our "nesting" is not as inexpensive as other animal's nesting. I would love to just go collect some sticks outside and call it good! Instead I have to have all these urges and not be able to act on them (unless I got another credit card) ;) God should have made the human nesting hormones come gradually in consideration of our financial needs!

What a headache it is to pick things out too. Completely overwhelming...this I did know so I started my registry early on but now I find myself revisiting it everyday and questioning my decisions. Whats worse is when it comes to actually buying something, I freak out at the commitment of it all. LOL...I am a wreck.

I am sure you are all wondering about my child birth classes and how they are going...Well, they are not going at all. Only two couples signed up for the class so they cancelled it. The next session starts September 11. In the spirit of second guessing all of my decisions I am wondering if these are the right classes for me because they are put on by the hospital. I heard these classes are basically teaching you how to be a good patient and I do not want my birthing plans (no not planned yet) or personal needs compromised. I am thinking of talking to a Doula about my concerns and maybe she can help me.

David started a new business working with telecommunications. He reps for a third party company that sells Direct TV, Internet, home phone, digital phone service and wireless phones/contracts. If you need any services check out his site, you can sign up there, or call if you have any questions. http://davidr.acnrep.com

Don't forget to be checking out my site too ;) http://www.thedressingrooomonline.com I am very excited about it! New stuff is going up next week and tomorrow a huge sale starts.

Hope you are all doing well. That's it for now!

xoxoxoxo

Babies are blooming!

2008-08-16T14:49:00.001-07:00

Here is my best friend Sarah and I in Colorado 2 weeks ago. She is due Oct 7th and my other friend Leigh, my college roommate is due in just one week! Its so crazy that babies are coming in every which direction in my life...and no we did NOT plan this!

I am feeling pretty well. The baby must be doing great because she is beating me up constantly. She can kick, twist and shake so much, it will wake me up out of a dead sleep! Training for when she is out I suppose, but I would like to enjoy my last months of sleep freedom.

I joke but it has been amazing to have her moving around in there. Sometimes its annoying but at other times, it brings me such joy. I feel like we have moments together when its just "us"...she is dancing and I am singing. I laugh and laugh, its so much fun. You can see her move from the outside of my belly which is super strange but she kicks so hard I can also share that with my loved ones. What a gift!

My love for this little girl gets stronger everyday, I really am so excited for her to come on out. Not even close to ready for her, but VERY excited! I start birthing classes next Tuesday and they continue for 8 weeks. 6 classes are for giving birth then one is for infant care and the other for breast feeding. I wish there were more infant care classes! I am thinking one is not enough!

Here I am a few days ago, I am 25.5 weeks here. I have started prenatal yoga and everyday I mean to start lifting weights for my arms ;) Maybe today I will do it. I also try to walk daily, it makes me feel a lot better. I only go 20-30 minutes but it does me good still.

Fun fact: I started to do diaper math which turns out to be very scary! I am not sure if this is common sense to the rest of the world but a baby going about 10 times a day and an average diaper costing .30 cents is over $1000 a year! Thats not even counting wipes which are more expensive! Can you believe that?

xoxoxo

...

2008-08-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

I am a bit behind, this was me at 22.5 weeks. I have more pictures to come...stand by.

So cute already! ;)

2008-07-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

I had my official sonogram on Tuesday! It amazed Dave and I to no end! Not only did we get great pictures of her profile and feet, but we saw the different parts of her brain, four chambers of the heart, kidneys and her little girl parts!

I am constantly told our daughter is more active than "normal". I think it is so funny that since she was 10 weeks, she was moving all around. She does not want to sit still for a picture or to hear her heartbeat (it just takes a while to get it through all the swishing). Makes me nervous for diaper and clothing changes!!

On that note, I can defiantly feel her moving around. Mostly at night when I am not moving myself but everyday, I feel her more and more at all times of the day. They say the baby should sleep like 14 hours a day but I think she has things she has to do or something because I think she is awake a lot.

She weighs 14 oz (when I was 20 weeks 4 days) and she is measuring for Nov 23rd! I did not find out exactly how long she is but the average at this point is 10.5 inches. People still love to tell me how big I am for my due date (grrr) and I am starting to put on the chubbiness. I have been all baby bump to this point, so I should be thankful. It is making me want to exercise more to stay as taught as possible :) Its time for prenatal yoga!

Thats about all for now! Till next time....xoxoox

6 weeks to 19 weeks

2008-06-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

The pictures say it all...Its hard to see myself grow. I know its supposed to be a beautiful thing but to have by body change so much is sort of depressing. Today I was looking down thinking "what the hell happend?" And my husband captured it!

I am only half way there (ooohh oooh, I'm livin on a prayer)

Its a girl!!!!

2008-06-19T10:29:00.001-07:00

Surprise! We found out early what we are having and its a little girl! We went to Colorado for a long weekend and my doctor out there wanted me to come by to see me and do an ultrasound for fun. So my parents, Dave, myself and the doctor all squished in a little room and saw so much of the baby! We saw 10 toes, legs, spine and then...she asked if we were going to find out what we were having and I said yes. She then said "do you want me to tell you?" so I said yes again :) I am so excited!

You would not believe how active she is in me! She would not sit still for a picture at all. I think it is so funny that she has been moving since her first ultrasound. Must have an athlete on our hands. David was a very active baby in the womb and he came out with the cord 4 times around his neck! We did see our baby's cord and it wasn't tangled as of now.

I am ready to dive into baby "stuff" now that I know to look at girl things! I am going to make an online registry and I cant wait!

If you haven't voted for a girls name, do it now! (scroll down) Or if you have an original idea, email me.

Baby can hear now, hiccup, make faces and her eyes are open. She has regular sleep patterns and is 5.5 inches long from butt to head (have no idea how long those legs are).

I will still go in for my July 8th ultrasound since it was not a full one I got in Colorado, they need to measure everything and look closer. I also have a doctors appointment between now and then but I am not sure what happens at this one.

I need to log off for now...huuunnngggrryy! ;)

xoxoxox

I am afraid I'm going to be gigantic!

2008-06-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

16 weeks! 4 more and I will be half way! A lot of people are telling me they think I am really big for how far along I am. I asked the doc and she says no...but...I am scared. If half way means I am going to double in size in the remaining half, its going to look like I am having sextuplets.

Report from the doctors: The baby's heartbeat was 146. The baby was also moving around a lot! You could hear the beat which sounds like a horse running, then loud swishes that meant baby moving! It was awesome.

I will find out the gender July 8th which seems like an eternity away! I can't wait. Its so funny to get everyones opinions. Most of my friends here think its a boy and my "moms" think its a girl. Someone has to be right!

Until next time... xoxoxo

Welcome to the Second Trimester.

2008-05-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Are you surprised? I hope not, I knew this would happen eventually. Sorry about the HUGE gap in blogging. I am going to try to stay on track now.

The baby is growing so fast now which means I will be growing at a comparable rate. I am supposed to gain a pound a week now! I gained a total of 4 in the first trimester which is so low for how big I already feel.

My next doctors appointment is on Tuesday and we will hear the heartbeat, last time we just saw it. I am so excited for that! Then I hope at the next appointment that I will be finding out if baby is a boy or girl!

I am totally out of the sick phase and feel a lot better. I get dizzy and have headaches but I count my lucky stars I have been blessed so far to have an "easy" pregnancy.

I do need to share that the pickle rumor with pregnant women is true! I love pickles with Oreos. I have read that with most women its pickles and ice cream but I could care less for ice cream, Oreos are the best!

Till next time...xoxoxo

I have a squirmy baby!!

2008-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

I had my first ultrasound! It was truly incredible! I did not have to have it internally, a sign that my doctor rocks! No, she is really nice, matter or fact but I like it. Anyway, so when the doc put the "thingy" on my belly the baby showed up right away and he/she was kicking their arms and legs all around! I was shocked to see it looking so much like a baby. I expected just a peanut. The doctor froze the picture to measure and she said the baby looks perfect. I am not so excited about baby's first photo...It could have been captured in a more flattering way ;) But regardless its cute...the head is on the right and the feet on the left up in the air. I have been told my baby looks like a penguin but I assure you I saw two separate flailing feet. I cried, David wore a giant smile and it was best experience of our lives so far.

My due date is Nov 25 although this ultrasound pic says Nov 23rd and I have been told Nov 24th by my first doctors office. Any of those days sound good to me! Baby is 2 inches now which is still small but I drew a 2 inch line on a piece of paper and it looks SO big :) The growth is remarkable. I need more food comparisons to understand how big the baby is. I love thinking of the baby the size of something I eat but I cant think of a 2 inch anything. Anyone? I can tell you my uterus is the size of a grapefruit but, that is not nearly as exciting.

The flood gates are open... I am ready to tell anyone and everyone I am preggo. I saw the heartbeat fluttering and my baby is not going anywhere! I could not be happier. I am completely blessed. Thanks for everyones support. Until next time...

xoxoxoxox

At first I thought it was a good quality that my doctor was fluent in Spanish...

2008-04-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have switched doctors before I even met the first one. I found out that in this office of two doctors, the other one, not mine, has 4 lawsuits pending against her. The third woman I am at risk of seeing a lot at this office is the NP. This is the lady I saw at my first appointment when I was just 4 weeks. I had to get my annual since it had been over a year. The NP was just sweet as pie, but, BUT...she has shaky hands!!! It was a seriously uncomfortable exam but I thought I could over look this un-fun fact if the doctor was good.

My esthetician who is a Santa Rosa local and who has an aunt who works at the court house, was the one who told me about my doctors office partner...so I called in to ask who would deliver my baby if my doctor was not on when I went into labor, the answer obviously was "the other doctor". I then asked who would I see in office if I needed to come in and my doctor was off, I was told the NP would see me. They also told me her hands always shake. That was all the info I needed to know this was all wrong.

My same lovely esthetician (too bad she can't deliver my baby), recommended me a doctor that she goes to and who apparently has a wonderful reputation. So...I have a new appointment this Friday at 10:00 am with Dr. Logan! I think I have dodged my first nightmare...prayers and crossed fingers that Dr. L is great! Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, my first doc got her medical degree in Mexico. Ey caramba!!

4:45am craving for a BLT .

2008-04-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Is time crawling or is it just me? I'm 8 1/2 weeks but I feel like I should be 4 months! I sure hope it doesn't keep up like this or its going to be a loooooong 40 weeks. I think time should pick back up to its normal pace when I am feeling good.

My sickness is a mystery. I have good days and bad ones and days when I am only sick in the evening and days when the mornings only suck. Sometimes I have cravings and sometimes I hate food. The other night I was able to make a gourmet meal (well almost, I cannot handle cooking meat) complete with cooked summer berries for desert and tonight I am making frozen food. Ya, FROZEN food...who is this chick? David is not home yet and I threw away the evidence so keep your fingers crossed he doesn't notice.

What makes me feel better is always changing too. Today it is crackers with applesauce on top of it. Cheese has previously been my BFF and today made me gag. What gives? I am seriously jealous of the woman who have a staple food savior. I have to figure it out every day.

I'm fat, although I have only gained 1.5-2 lbs. My stomach area is just bigger in every direction...eww. I think I will be an early "shower" but I will keep you posted.

So, my husband finally gets his chance at "big bad baseball star"...Dave got signed to the Chico Outlaws which is a professional team, but is not affiliated with the MLB, its an independent league. Chico is the closest team to home which is really great so we can see each other pretty often. Its 3 hrs north east of Santa Rosa and he will live there with a host family. These families volunteer to take a pro player in for the experience and for season tickets. He will travel to Canada, Utah, AZ, Nevada and other places in California. He heads off May 11th. It will be me and the kitties...bachlorette style (scary..please come mow my lawn)

I better go see about my "homemade" orange chicken on the stove. Thanks for listening.

Love to all!! XOXOX

The Name Game!

2008-04-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

Vote On Your Favorite Name!!

Sweet AND Salty= Brilliant!

2008-04-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Today I ate a frosty and I dipped french fries in it. It was delicious... but when did Wendy's start salting their fries? I was pretty outraged. And they still serve them with a little packet of extra salt!! Yuck. I really try not to eat this way, in fact I never do, but today I needed a reward for going into to Costco to find a body pillow. If you have been pregnant before, you know most tasks like this just seem impossible and unbearable. So, I got myself to Costco, no body pillow but I bought a regular pillow, a jumbo pack of cliff bars and flowers I figured that if I have beautiful flowers in my kitchen it might help me to do the dishes and cook!? (nope, I didn't make it through even a third of the store).

Anyway, small food slip up but the baby doesn't have taste buds yet so there is no risk of a junk addicted kid right out of the womb ;) I am 7 and a half weeks now and the last two days I have felt A LOT less sick so I am going to try to keep that pattern going.

Baby got hands and feet this week, but they are like paddles right now. Also he/she has doubled in size since last week!

Blueberry baby

2008-04-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

I am 6 weeks now and the baby is the size of a blueberry...about a quarter inch. It seems so small still, but he/she is 10,000 times bigger than 5 1/2 weeks ago! The baby is getting a nose, mouth and ear buds this week. Also the heart is beating 100-160 times a minute. Very exciting!

I am starting to get sick, just a bit though. I almost always feel it at night so I keep saltines by the bed and periodically during the day. I'm also really tiered but am not sleeping well. I think I need a new mattress.

David has a lot of new jobs that he was not previously used to such as: emptying kitty litter, dishes, cleaning and grocery shopping (seeing all the food at the store is NOT a good idea for me). He is being more than wonderful at taking all these tasks on...he only forgot the bread and cottage cheese today. His best trip so far!

Thats all for now! xoxoxox

Life is Good

2008-03-26T13:44:00.001-07:00

Being married rocks. David and I have living together down. We have been at it coming up on 4 years. So in this state of close perfection, it is a little nerve racking to throw a baby in the mix. Two's company, three's a crowd? I know, I know its going to be great... blah blah. Its just becoming real that it will never be just us two ever again! Or at least for 18+ years. Crazy!

I'm a blogger!

2008-03-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would blog. The idea of it seemed way too geeky for me. Who has time for crap like this? :) Here I am!

I decided to bring myself to this because there are so many of you out there that I love and cannot be near and now is a really important time to be in touch...I'm having a baby!

Honestly though, I want to share all the details of everything going on with me, Dave and the baby without having to repeat it 15 times, so stayed tuned for updates!

Love to all...Xoxoxoxox