My little "SUV"

So, I've nicknamed Amelia the SUV because she guzzles milk like no tomorrow. This morning I weighed her on our scale (I weighed myself, then weighed her and I together). She's weighs approximately 8 pounds! Holy cow! But that's a normal and average weight gain. As for me, I only have 2-4 pounds to lose before I am back to the prepregnancy weight. But I am NOT trying to lose weight. It is just coming off because I am breast feeding. I am happy at the weight I am at right now... so don't worry!

A Trip to see Daddy

On Thursday, Amelia took a trip to see Daddy at his work. She had a good time there, sleeping in Daddy's arms, meeting everyone there, playing with a LIME stress ball and farting in Steve's hands!

Tyson, Daddy, Amelia & Steve

Steve and his girlfriend just bought a house... see what comes next? (He's a natural, by the way!)

Here's a picture of Amelia in her sling... she's somewhere in there!:

Here's a picture of Amelia hanging out with the 3 foot teddy bear (ear to toe):

Here's how Amelia is developing this week: Babies love and need to suck, so don't discourage it. In fact, you may have discovered that a pacifier works wonders in helping your baby calm down. When the binky or your finger isn't around, your baby may even be able to find her thumb or fingers to soothe herself. Be sure you're continuing to put your baby down on her stomach for "tummy time" when she's awake. Babies should sleep on their back, but they also need to spend time on their belly every day to strengthen their neck muscles, which help them push up, roll over, sit up, and crawl. Tummy time will also help your baby avoid developing a flat spot on her head from being on her back. By the end of this week, your baby may lift her head briefly and possibly move it from side to side when she's lying on her stomach. (Amelia is already doing that!) Soon, her nervous system and muscle control will mature and her jerky movements will become more fluid.

Oh yes... forgot to mention that Amelia got her social security card in the mail. It's official.. she's a number in the U.S. Government! Woo hoo!

Oh and yesterday, Saturday, Amelia had her first shopping trip at the mall with Grandma and Grandpa Rake. She did fantastic. She woke up only once to get some food, which mommy was happy to oblige (BBs were filling up fast!).

And a happy shout out to my cousin, Amy, who just found out she's going to be a MOMMY! Whoo hoo Ames! Her baby will be coming to her sometime at the end of November/beginning of December. The actual EDD is Dec. 3! Wouldn't it be a hoot if the baby was born on Dec. 2? Congrats Amy and Tyler! You're going to love parenthood. Also another shout out to my cousin (Amy's little sis), who is going to have a baby in January/February! And another shout out to my cousin in The Netherlands who is expecting around the same time.

An afternoon out

Nothing really new to report. Today Amelia and I took a drive to Lake O to see our friend, Jen. We had a good time in the great outdoors talking, sleeping and tooting (the last two are what Amelia liked to do). Tomorrow, we'll go on another trip to Lake O to visit Daddy's work. Should be a fun time!




Here's a picture I caught of Amelia sleeping on the couch. I thought it was so cute because this is probably how she was situated inside my tummy for half of the pregnancy. I used to poke her left foot (which was near my belly button) and she'd push right back. I could also feel her moving her arms and hands lower down on my belly. So that's why I think this is the position she assumed while waiting to come out.




And this picture I couldn't resist! I gave her a bath and her hair was all spikey... and she was mad at me for not feeding her on time. I think this is one of her best pics so far. Shows her personality. :) (she's sitting in her rocking chair) Click on the photo to make it bigger! It's well worth it.

Another Visit (slideshow)

Grammy and Papa, my dad and his wife, came and stayed with us this past weekend. It was a jam packed weekend because they had to get their Amelia fix in less than 36 and 48 hours! But they saw their second granddaughter and spent lots of time together. Here's a slideshow of their visit, plus some more. (If you can't see the slideshow, click on "view all images" and the slideshow will show up in a new browser window.)

Here's what's happening to baby this week:
Your womb was a warm and cozy environment, and it'll take time for your baby to adjust to the various sights, sounds, and sensations of life outside your body. You may not be able to detect much of a personality just yet, as your baby spends his time moving in and out of several different states of sleepiness, quiet alertness, and active alertness.
The only way your baby knows to communicate is by crying, but you can communicate with him through your voice and your touch. (Your baby can now recognize your voice and pick it out among others.)
Your baby probably loves to be held, caressed, kissed, stroked, massaged, and carried. He may even make an "ah" sound when he hears your voice or sees your face, and he'll be eager to find you in a crowd.

So far, Amelia has been all around town. She has seen the airport several times. She likes shopping at Target, Kohls and Fred Meyer. She likes to toil outside in the garden too. We'll see how much she likes being outside later on this week, as it's supposed to get uber hot outside.

Mommy is doing well. She seems to be walking and getting around better until yesterday. However, she thinks that the area is healing and that's why it's a little stiff and sore. So, she's having Daddy take Emmy for walks and doing the household chores. Other than that... she's been laying low.

Oh, and a big shout out for my g-friend... who just got her BFP and is due in February! Woo hoo! :) Told you we'd be pg at the same time... even if it was just for two days!

Two Week check up (video)

Amelia had her two week check up today. She's a very healthy baby. She weighed in at 7lbs 2oz! Mommy is doing a great job of feeding her! Her head grew to 14" in circumference... as it was 13 1/4" at birth. Her length is still at 19". Everything is going well with her. She got her PKU test (metabolic ailments and such) done and was such a trooper! Our next visit is her two month visit at the beginning of August.

Here are a few pictures I took of her today out in the garden. She's wearing her little summer jumper that g-ma Margo bought for her. (Don't forget, you can click on the picture to make it bigger!)

I love my summer jumper, Grandma!

Amelia by Grandma's Blessing Rose

Mommy & Amelia in the garden

Here's a :48 video of Amelia having some tummy time. She's starting to lift her head up and turn it in either direction. She did it a couple of times, but I think she finally pooped out when I grabbed the camera to grab the video. Right now she's napping on my lap, oblivious to the world.

It's quiet!

Sure is quiet around here! The company is all gone and mommy and daddy are left to fend for themselves! Grandma Margo and Grandpa Vern left for AZ this morning. Grandma spent 12 days with Amelia cooking, cleaning and weeding! Now she's gone and the house looks amazing! Next up... Grammy Karen and Grampa Bruce!

Here are a few more photos...

Today's the day!

Did you know... today is the day that Amelia was supposed to be born? Instead, she was born 11 days early! Just thought you'd like to know that. I am happy that she came when she did, though. I just love her birth date! And I just love her to pieces!

And as promised... here's a picture of her innie! (click on pic to make it larger) She wasn't too happy with me at the time because she doesn't like getting her diaper changed.

An Innie!

Ladies & Gents... and now news you've been waiting for... Amelia has an innie belly button! Sometime in the middle of the night, Amelia's last tie to mommy fell off showing that she will have an innie belly button. And what a cute little belly button it is, too! I'll have to take a picture and post it. Now Amelia can get a real bath in the tub. Last Friday she had a sponge bath and hated it!

Mommy is doing well. She's still recovering. Her "area" is healing, but it's not as uncomfy as it was when she was discharged from the hospital. Mommy just needs more sleep! Heh heh heh!

Pictures and Updates! (slideshow)

We had a fabulous first Father's Day! We had four father's out on the special day... Brad, Chris (Brad's bro), Bill (Brad's dad) and Vern, one of my dads. They spent the day chasing a little ball around on a very hilly golf course. Nevertheless, they had fun. After four and a half hours of golf, they came home, opened up cards and gifts and then we went out for dinner.

Amelia is doing well. We are getting into a routine of eating sleeping and pooping (in no particular order!).

And as promised... here are a few new pictures of Amelia! Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

Just as I thought... Brad would be celebrating Father's Day this year! What an exciting experience. I'll be back with more regarding Dad's Day when it concludes.

Thought you'd like to know what baby is doing this week:
Your baby's eyesight is still pretty fuzzy. Babies are born nearsighted and can see things best when they're about 8 to 10 inches away, so she can see your face clearly only when you're holding her close.Don't worry if your baby doesn't look you right in the eye from the start: Newborns tend to look at your eyebrows, your hairline, or your moving mouth. As she gets to know you in the first month, she'll be more interested in having eye-to-eye exchanges. Studies show that newborns prefer human faces to all other patterns or colors. (High-contrast items, like a checkerboard, are next in line.)

Amelia is doing a lot better with the jaundice. Slowly she's turning from yellow to pink. :) She's feeding a lot. Sometimes I feel like I can't keep up. But the nights are getting better. I think we're on a rhythm. She hardly cries at night now. At the current moment, she's sleeping in her bassinet in the pack and play... quite content. I promise I'll get pics up on the blog soon.

Grandpa Vern came in last night and got to hold Amelia. It was quite a site as Grandpa V's hands are huge and she was dwarfed in his hold. (I'll get pics up soon!)

That's it for now!

Oh... and Happy Father's Day!

I'm such a pig!

Well, Mommy is happy to report that she's doing great in feeding Amelia. We went in for a weight check at the pediatrician today. She weighs a whopping 6lbs 3oz! If you remember, at birth she was at 6-8, then at discharge she was at 6-4 and then three days later she was at 5-13. Now a week later, she's back up to near her discharge weight! While we were there, Dr. E was writing in a chart and came over to see little Amelia. He was happy that she didn't have that orange glow anymore! He was also happy to see that she gained 6oz over the course of 3 days. He thought that was good. He said no more supplements of formula if we didn't want to.

That's it for now... sorry no pictures. Mommy forgot to bring the camera upstairs to upload them.

Everything's Okay!

After waiting and waiting for the doctor to call, we called the doctor for the results of Amelia's blood test for bilirubin (at least the second draw). It was excellent... her number went from 16.0 on Tuesday which is high to 13.7 on Wednesday which is low and not considered a threat anymore. So that means that we don't have to do anymore phototherapy! Yea! Tomorrow we go in for a weight gain check up. I am sure she gained a few ounces, as my milk definitely came in. Plus, she's been taking in about 3 ounces of formula. But we don't have to do that anymore because her bili levels went down. This feels like a weight just came off of our shoulders. Brad and I weren't worried or concerned that something might happen to her... but we just wanted our daughter healthy!

More pictures to come!

It's a bird, it's a plane... no it's jaundice girl!

So our first few days with Amelia have been spectacular. The latest... Amelia has a case of jaundice. Her skin was a little yellow and her eyes were turning yellow, too. Thank goodness we took her to the pediatrician. Her bilirubin level came back at 16.0 which was high. So now we have to do light therapy. She's wrapped in UV lights practically 24/7. Here are a couple of pictures. You can see the apparatus she's attached to in the background.




Brad also got to give Amelia her first bottle feeding which will help her gain back the weight she lost. She weighed in on Tuesday at 5lb 13oz which is a 10% loss in body weight. But now mommy is making excellent breast milk, so hopefully she'll bulk back up. But we're told to supplement with a bottle three times a day. She seems to be taking it in stride, too and Brad likes that he can feed her.



Amelia also got to take a nap in her crib the other day. I think she likes it.



And Emmy slowed down long enough for us to snap this photo. I think they'll get along great. So far so good! Emmy seems to be taking to Amelia fabulously. She isn't barking when Amelia cries anymore. If she's in our bedroom, she'll try and get away from the noise by burrowing under the sheets.



Mom is doing well. She actually got about 8 hours (broken, tho) sleep last night and Brad slept through it all. It must be the hum of the bili light motor that's soothing. Other than that, we're plugging and chugging away.

Here's a pic of one of the grandmas changing Amelia. Enjoy!

Amelia Gerda (slideshow)

Well, she's here! I am sure many of you heard it through the grapevine. But our dear daughter, Amelia Gerda entered this world on June 7, 2008 (or 6-7-8)at 12:36am. She weighed in a 6 pounds 8 ounces and measured 19". It was a hard labor, but a short one at that. Here are the particulars... I was on the phone talking to my mom at 3pm on Friday 6-6... assuring her that I am doing well and that she need not come to Oregon until at least after my next OB appt. Then about 3:07 (yes, I was looking at the clock), I felt a major contraction radiating from my back to my front and lasting about 90 seconds. I thought, oh that was a contraction. I did need to do some breathing through it... luckily my mom was talking about something so I didn't need to reply to her story. Then after the call, I got up to go put something away and felt like I needed to pee. Hurridly, I ran to the bathroom and then I felt a gush of water. After that I called Brad to tell him my water broke and to come home. I then called the doctor's office. They called me back after consulting with the doctor and said to come on in to Labor and Delivery and I was all set there. Jack and Nancy arrived and picked up Emmy. Brad arrive home at about 4:30pm. We dawdled a bit as Brad cleaned out his lunch stuff and loaded the car. He was more in a panic than I. I hadn't felt anymore contractions sine the 3:07 one... and the only thing I felt was water dripping out of me. We made it to the hospital shortly after 5pm. I was checked at about 5:30p and was told I was 95% effaced and almost 3cm dialated. Brad and I dawdled in the room and just talked for awhile. At 7pm, he went to get dinner and I had a fruit platter while I watched Jeopardy. At 7:30pm, is when the contractions got stronger. That's when my night nurse came in and visited with me. By 9pm, I was 6 cm dialated. I had extreme back pain with labor. I told Brad I needed to go pee. I was in pain!!!! The nurse offered me fentinol. I said yes... Brad said are you sure? (good coach, eh) While I was in the bathroom, I felt like I had to make a BM. While I was still in there, I told him I needed to push. Brad said no, don't push. The nurse said let me check you again. At 9:30pm I was 9cm dialated. The nurse called the oncall doctor who was Karen, the nurse midwife... yes, my doc was supposed to be on call but because of some other obligations, she asked Karen to take the Friday night shift. At 10:30pm, I started pushing. But dear little Amelia refused to turn. She was born sunnyside up... facing the ceiling instead of the floor. I pushed lying on my back, on my side, with a squat bar, but the only thing that seemed to help was to push lying on my back. Karen tried to turn Amelia, but she was stubborn and refused to turn. Finally around midnight or close to it, I got to feel her head as I got really close to her being born. And then she finally popped out. It was a great feeling to get the head out. The shoulders and the rest of the body was easy. In all, from the time my water broke to when Amelia made her grand appearance was about 9 hours. From active labor til she made her appearance, it was 5 1/2 hours. Karen had said that if Amelia was face down, she would have been born within a 1/2 hour! But we're all doing good. The family of three is now resting comfortably at home after staying at the hospital for just over 24 hours. Woo hoo! The Bradley Method was a great experience, but I hope next time the baby will be face down during delivery! Ah... yes... just wanted to let you know... I was hitting double peak contractions from 730 on. One would start, go down a little and then another one would come right after that. Anyway... here are some pictures of Amelia. More to come on how things are progressing...



click here to see the slide show.

or just copy & paste the address in a new browser: http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/holls2u/Amelia/?action=view¤t=5d7d9ba8.pbw

Labor & Delivery

Hello everyone! Just wanted to let you know that as I sit here waiting for Brad to come home... my water has broken. So once Brad gets here... we're off to Labor and Delivery. Oooh exciting times have arrived!

Chat with you later!

Stretch Marks...

Yes... they've finally arrived... those stretch marks. For weeks on end, I didn't have any and then all of sudden, they appeared. However, I have only seen them right around my belly button, as that is where my skin feels the most taught. That's where the Munchkin's butt likes to hang out. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted!

One of my friends is in labor now. Her estimated due date is June 18... which means that my turn is fast approaching. Lemme just say, I can't wait to meet this darling sweet little thing that keeps sitting on my pelvic bone, keeps me only yards away from the nearest bathroom and kicks me constantly. Trust me... when she's out of her little hideaway, there will be no more kicking mommy! I'll put an end to that! :)

So, I've posted my 38w belly picture. Enjoy it! Maybe it will be my last belly pic... who knows. I've been getting lots of contractions lately, but they feel like the practice ones as they don't really hurt, but they're strong enough where I can feel them. When I take Emmy for a walk, I can really feel them. The other day, it was strong enough for me to stop walking and bend down to just rest for a moment. It suited Emmy fine because she could stop and sniff the grass.

Tomorrow is my last day at work for awhile! I go on maternity leave. It's a nice feeling to know that I won't have to be saying "Thank you for calling Sprint. My name is Holly" and blah blah blah. I worry that the Munchkin will come out saying that since she's heard it so many times by now. I am finished reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Jen, that book is ear marked for you! I am now on to "What to Expect in the First Year."

Here's what's happening to me and baby this week:
Baby - Your baby probably weighs just over 7 pounds (3250g) by now and measures about 14.4 inches (36cm) from crown to rump and has a total length of about 21.5 inches (48cm). Your baby's lungs are the last part to develop before birth. Once the lungs are developed, your baby is ready for life outside the womb. By now your baby has almost run out of space to move in your uterus. Your baby has shed most of her lanugo, though she may still have some on her shoulders and in the creases of her body. Her toenails reach the end of her toes. The umbilical cord, which still is supplying your baby with nutrition as she gains more weight, may be knotted or wrapped around her. Some of your antibodies have crossed the placental barrier and give your baby's immune system a boost to get her started until hers is fully functioning. Your baby could be born any day now. (DUH!) <--- my comment
Mommy - You surely feel very large and uncomfortable but you're almost at the end of your pregnancy! You can expect your weight to remain stable now. Your cervix will soften and begin to partially open. You may be having strong Braxton Hicks contractions as your uterus prepares to give birth to your baby! You're almost there! (thank goodness!) <--- my comment.

Special shout out to Monty - Hoping for a BF0... Yo - Yea for a good NT scan... Jen - For a super duper looking chart this month! Woo hoo ladies!

The End is Near!

Hello everyone! And now for the news you've been waiting for... no, I'm not in labor - yet. But I just got back from my OB appointment. Had my first internal done. Not something I really want to repeat too many times, by the way. But things are moving and grooving down there. Dr. Bley said that the baby is at zero station (how far down the baby is. It goes from -5 to +5 station and that would be crowning of the head). and she can feel the head. My cervix is soft and very thin (effacement). She said I only had a little ways to go! She didn't check to see how much I was dialated because that would have been a little too uncomfortable for me as my cervix was still far back. But she said that things are progressing and she's guessing that I'll deliver before my estimated due date! I actually didn't have to have an internal done... but I was curious as to what my "status" was. :)

Other than that, I'm feeling fine. Measurements, blood pressure and weight are measuring perfect. Now the wait begins! I am so estatic! Woo hoo!

Brad's Gift to the Munchkin

Our Daddy-to-Be bought the little munchkin something to wear. He's so proud of his purchase, too! I told him that when the Munchkin wears it, I'll stick a bow on her head so everyone will know the baby is a girl! (click on picture to enlarge it)