Daddy is outnumbered!

Dear Liv,

2010-08-22T23:40:00.009-04:00

If you'd like to hear about Liv's birthday party, or see all the photos from her special day today, click HERE!

Dear Liv,

I am completely and totally in love with you. I've never met a baby quite like you- you're so easy going and fun to be around. While you make your desire to be with me above other people known, you've never really had any 'stranger anxiety'. You'll let pretty much anyone hold you, and you're pretty generous with your smile too. Ever since you were a tiny baby, you have been this way- it melts my heart and you make me so proud.

I feel like because of your easy going attitude, you don't have a really a strong desire to get up and go. You're crawling now, but it's still more of a 'hand-hand-scoot' technique rather than moving one knee at a time. Twice, you've pulled up to stand on things, but you can't get yourself sitting again after that. If we help you to stand up next to something (like the couch) you can hold yourself there for a long time. To be honest, even though you consistently roll over to sleep on your belly now, you never seem to roll over from your back to your belly during the day. If I lay you on a blanket, you stay on your back and kick your legs in the air, chew on your toes, or suck your thumb. I'd say you're a lazy baby, but that sounds rude. You're perfectly wonderful, and totally content. And, I love it.

When I sit you down places, you pop right over to your hands and knees, lay on your belly to play, and then move yourself back to a sitting position without any problem. You do scoot around to explore, but mostly you're pleased as punch to wait for your big sister to bring you a toy or entertain you in some way.

Your thumb. Oh geez, Liv. Don't you want to stop sucking your thumb? You're an addict. I have a hard time deciding if it's something we should be more aggressive about stopping, or let it run it's course. For now, I'm leaving you alone about it. Hopefully you'll get bored of it once you're moving around a little more, and busy exploring.

You're not quite as vocal as your sister was at this age. You say Ma Ma Ma all day long, but other than that, not much. You can say "Hi & Da Da" too. Maybe a few more things, but nothing very consistent.

While I've tried like heck not to neglect you for being second born, we have been slackers with you as far as teaching you sign language is concerned. We've barely done it. Sorry baby. I'll try to do a little more. You can clap on command, wave, and high five (softly) though. :) Also, if I hold out my pointer finger you will hold out yours and touch tip to tip. I really like that.

When you make eye contact with anyone in our family, you light up like a firework and we do the same in return. You've got all of us wrapped around your little finger, and we're loving every minute of it. Today your sister told me- "Mommy- you're the birthday Mommy, I'm the birthday sister, and Liv is the birthday girl!!!" She was so excited for you, and had so much fun celebrating your birthday with our family and friends. Daddy had fun too- I know his heart swelled with happiness when you offered him some of your birthday cake just like your sister did on her first birthday. Thanks for sharing sweet girl!

I almost forgot to add my most favorite thing about you! How you snuggle! Often, you'll just rest your little head on my shoulder and make sweet little "Mhmmm, Mhmmm" noises while you rest on me. With Jillian, I had to wait for her to have a fever before she would snuggle like this! It's such a treat to have a healthy happy baby who's willing to hug me like that! Even if you don't want to snuggle, if I push your head onto me and ask you to, you'll oblige for a few seconds before popping your head up and looking at me as if you're asking, "was that enough, Mommy?"

I love you baby. I can't tell you enough how proud I am to be your Mom. You are our sweet little cupcake. Happy Birthday.

Love,

Mom

P.S. This is IT for Liv's baby blog. I can't believe it. Thursday is going to feel a little vacant now. Don't worry though... If you need your Kules baby fix, just visit us at www.kulesfamily.blogspot.com where I'll continue to keep you updated about the latest happenings in MD!

52 Weeks Old

2010-08-19T23:49:00.005-04:00

I promise, there will be a more mushy post when I close this blog with her birthday photos. So, for now, I'll choke back my emotions about our baby turning one already, and just post the pics for this week.

This week we've been busy! My cousin Heidi has been in town for a visit with her fiance Matt, and little girl Savannah- it's been so much fun letting the girls spend time together. There are only a few pictures of them together, but it's no indication of how much fun/time they have had!

In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link), you'll see Liv wearing an adorable yellow headband my Mom made for her, beach photos from a trip we took to Ocean City last weekend, posing with Heidi and family, playing at the park, hangin' out in a baby sling (and eating her toes while doing it), and riding a carousel!

Tomorrow morning we will wake up and wish our little Liv a happy birthday- wow, how time flies!

Thanks for following the journey of her first year with us! If you've enjoyed seeing photos/hearing about her half as much as I have enjoyed sharing them, it's been worth the effort. I'll post once more about her birthday party and the 'birthday photo shoot' I'll do of her, and then we will call this blog a wrap! Wow. If you want to follow the latest on her, and the rest of our family, hop on over to www.kulesfamily.blogspot.co m!

Nancy

51 Weeks Old

2010-08-12T22:44:00.005-04:00

Doesn't she look sassy in this photo? It's like she is thinking- yeah... I could crawl away from you now if I wanted to Mom! Haha! Gotta love new found independence!

Something exciting happened today- Liv pulled up to stand all by herself! She was playing on the ground and I cleaned up a toy she was apparently not done with yet. So, she crawled right over to the toy box, grabbed it, and stood up. I tried to get her to recreate this feat (I even 'bribed her' with my laptop on the couch) but so far it's a one time occurrence. More to follow, I'm sure! ;)

If you check out the PICTURES FROM THIS WEEK (link), you'll see our notorious messy eater, opening an early birthday present from Kathy (thanks Kathy!), playing at an awesome dramatic play center in Baltimore, posing outside in a cute Hawaiian dress, Sweet girl with a soccer ball, crawling around accessorized -smile-, playing with Daddy and Jillian, and a very unhappy Liv while I tried to recreate a picture I had taken of Jillian wearing the same cute tank top. Oh well.

Only a little more than a week before our baby turns one- I can't believe it!

Until next week!!!!

Nancy

Crawling Video...

2010-08-06T14:28:00.001-04:00

I heard the video from Liv's post this week did not come through via email. If you'd like to see it, you can click HERE to visit the actual blog, and then you should be able to click play on there!

Hope it works!

I just took that video 3 days ago, and she's already gotten better/faster... Sweet girl- she's determined now!!! :)

Nancy

50 Weeks Old

2010-08-05T16:58:00.002-04:00

50. Weeks. Old.

Wow.

This week Liv finally learned how to scoot/crawl!!! Every once in awhile, she will get her knees under her for a good push, but mostly it's an interesting hip pivot technique which is featured in the video I added at the bottom of this post. She's such a sweet girl- now she will "crawl" over to me, put her arms up and say. "Mammmamamam" Aww...

In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link) you'll see a few photos of Liv's famous disastrous eating style, and typical after meal rinse in the sink, Liv modeling the back of an adorable outfit, our friend Ashley who was back for another visit, so we enjoyed hanging out with her around the house, and with some local friends. We hosted a play date for our MOMS Club about community helpers (firemen, police...) and a friend brought along her husbands fireman hat- SO Cool! Liv looks SO little under it!!! Despite the heat and humidity, we managed to get some cute photos of Ashley with the girls, and of Liv in the grass. Don't miss my favorite new photo of the girls- a black and white of Jillian kissing Liv and a cute one of sisters in matching pajamas too.

Have a wonderful week!

Nancy

VIDEO:

49 Weeks Old!

2010-07-29T19:39:00.003-04:00

Another week already?

I suspect Liv is working on her top two teeth now. The drooling and mid day thumb sucking had stopped, and now we're full steam ahead again. I guess maybe she will have a toothy grin for her first birthday photos! The bottoms two are looking great and don't seem to be giving her any trouble now... She's happily using them for new things- like eating an entire piece of pizza WHOLE! I handed her a slice while we were at a party, (expecting her to gnaw on it a little) and when I turned around a few minutes later, it was gone. I looked on the floor. I asked Jillian about it. Then, the Dad across the table said, "um... yeah, she ate that whole thing". I could not believe it!

This week Liv did something new- sat up in her crib. I laugh because I know this is WAY later than most kids sit up in the crib, but up until just the other day, our sweet content little girl was always just laying there in the same place I had left her. Imagine my surprise when I went in at nap time, and both her legs were hanging through the bars, and her arms were draped over the top of the rail. She was just sitting there chillin', smiling at me. Time to finally lower her crib- at 11 months... hehe! Sweet baby.

To clarify, she's been able to go from her belly to sitting by herself for some time, but this is just the first time she did it in her crib. :)

This week in the photos (link) you'll see the girls sharing a cinnamon roll on Saturday morning (we've been doing "Cinnamon Roll Saturday" as a weekly tradition for nearly a year now, and sweet cupcake is finally old enough to taste our breakfast treat too!), showing off "I'm getting married rings" with Natalie, Liv patiently playing the patient in Jillian's favorite Dr. game, some naked crawling and bare feet comparing, Liv showing her flexibility on the white background, Liv's friend Leah 'encouraging her' to stand up, -smile- the girls having fun at Chuck-e-cheese (and Liv with that pizza I mentioned), sweet sleepy baby crawling, posing in a cute outfit (thanks Cindy!), and fun at the pool.

Have a great week!

Nancy

48 Weeks Old

2010-07-22T22:16:00.005-04:00

Well folks, she's officially 11 months old! And, we could not be happier with our sweet little cupcake!

Sure, she's still only crawling (scooting) backwards, and sure, she's been a little more clingy/needy lately, but man oh man, she's still the sweetest, smiliest, most snuggly baby I've ever met.

It seems like every time Ryan makes eye contact with Liv, she lights up and claps her little hands. She loves her Daddy so much! She's pretty fond of her Mommy too- my favorite time is in the morning when both girls have just gotten up and we spend about 30 minutes just hanging out, reading, and snuggling in our big bed. We sure are lucky people, being the parents of these two lovely ladies!

In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link) you'll see: Fun with local friends, Liv hanging out with her friend Charlie, Jillian and Liv at the golf course playing on a chair, both girls in the cart at Costco, pictures with our friend Ashley, Liv inspired by Ashley to wear her heel-arious shoes (thanks Maggie!), COVERED in Mangos (have I mentioned what a MESSY eater this kid is???), nearly too big for her car seat, hanging out with Daddy and Jillian, Jillian and Liv meet our new friend baby John (he is PERFECT, like a little doll!!), fun in the bath- a close up of the birthmarks along her left arm, and more of her lashes (maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline...), posing outside, and fun at the *swimming pool!

* I should note- the bathing suit Liv is wearing in these photos, Jillian wore last week. It still fits Jillian just fine (it's 12 month size) and was just right for Liv too. I said to Jillian, "You're still wearing that bathing suit, are you sure you want to pick it for Liv today?" she responded, "oh... yeah... it will be fine for her. I'm just longer-ish, so it's different on me." true, true... :)

Have a great week! Only 4 more posts left on Liv's first year blog- can you believe it?!?

Nancy

47 Weeks Old!

2010-07-15T21:25:00.002-04:00

What a week! Liv is finally really making an effort to crawl- depending on just how desirable something is (usually the most intriguing items are disgusting things like shoes or off limit things like cell phones, but oh well!) she will scoot and lunge until she gets it. Watch out Jillian- your world is about to change!

This week my Mom came to visit and we had a wonderful time- so wonderful in fact, that I barely took out my camera! I did get a couple pics, so be sure to check them out in the PHOTOS THIS WEEK!

In the pics, you'll see: Liv's second tooth, (I TRIED my hardest to get a good photo, but MAN! This kid is keeping her teeth under wraps!), fun with Mommy, fun with Natalie, Picking flowers for Grandma, Eating lunch with my Mom, Grandma and her girls, a family pic, pretty in blue (long lashes!), bath time with our friend Ashley who is visiting right now (SO great!), reading with Ash, and practicing crawling naked (good grip on the carpet!)

That's all for this week!

Nancy

46 Weeks Old

2010-07-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

If Liv were being a little more cooperative about the whole thing, I'd have a nice photo of her brand new first tooth to share with you! As it is, you'll have to take my word for it! It's in there, and cute as can be. It's the bottom left tooth, and we can see the bottom right one just below the surface, so I'm sure next week I'll be reporting that both her bottom teeth have arrived. Aw!

As cute as those little teeth may be, they are causing a bit of a ruckus in our house. Liv has been waking up in the morning at 7am (about an hour early), and her afternoon nap is a little harder too (I can hear her talking in her crib right now, and it's only been about 1.5 hours- darn!) She's moody, wants to he held all the time, and is much less patient about Jillian taking toys from her, or touching her. I'm sure it will pass, and really, she's still being pretty darn good, just fussy on a 'Liv scale'...

Other exciting news- Liv is drinking out of a regular straw now, and can slurp in slippery noodles too! Let me tell you, the infatuation with drinking straws sure does make going out to eat a lot more fun (sarcastic!) She's a little obsessed, but at least we know she is well hydrated!

If you have a spare 15 minutes, check out all THE PHOTOS FROM THIS WEEK. There are a lot of great ones- it's been a fun 7 days. A 4th of July play date/early photo shoot, fun at a beach about 30 minutes away from the house, messy eater, photos from 4th of July (Jillian is being a STINKER in these pics... if you want proof that she's not always a ham for the camera, you've got it!) posing on a beach chair, and sister photos in adorable orange outfits from my cousin Heidi (thanks Heidi!) Whew! What a week!

Hope all is well, and wish us luck keeping cool in this record breaking East Coast heat! It's pool weather, that's for sure!!!

Nancy

45 Weeks Old

2010-07-01T13:26:00.005-04:00

She said Ma Ma! Hooray! In all fairness, she didn't look at me or say it TO me or anything, but she can VERY distinctly make the MaMaMaMa sound now :) Makes my day to hear it.

Crawling update: At this point, I'm confident Liv has the strength to be crawling, and based on how she climbs all over me when we snuggle in bed, or lunges when she sees something she wants, (ie, the computer right now!!!) I'd say she has the motor skills too. The desire? Still nill. Oh well. She does put one foot behind her so she can lean Waaaaay over to reach things, and 'walk' hand over hand to lower herself down, or go back to a sitting position... :)

One big thing of note this week is Liv is finally drinking out of a sippy cup without a problem. She still needs an assist to get it tipped, but she sucks down water like nobody's business!

It's been a busy week, and we're having lots of fun this summer! Check out all the PHOTOS from this week (link)! You'll notice we were able to meet up with our friend Kathy in DC... up until this week, we were only 'online friends' so it was a huge treat to meet her in person! You'll also see Liv at the pool, helping Jillian and I make lemonade (by sitting in the sink!), lots of time outside, and a very familiar highchair pose with one foot up on the tray... Hmmm... I suppose these girls are siblings after all! Oh, and a collection of Liv munching on a leaf outside. High fiber diet ;)

More updates in 7 days!

Nancy

44 Weeks Old

2010-06-24T21:08:00.004-04:00

Well, she's officially 10 months old now. Whew. And yes, if you know me, this means the serious planning for her first birthday party has begun ;) It's going to be fabulous! Hehehe... I have gone back and forth with possible 'themes' for the party, and finally settled on basing it around the color yellow instead of a character or something. We're going to ask everyone who comes to her party to wear yellow for the event too- I can't wait for the photos! It's going to be so cheery and fun! So, if you're local, start checking your wardrobe for yellow, and mark off the Sat or Sun (not sure which yet) after her b-day (Aug. 20th). :)

It's funny when I think of her birthday getting closer... she seems like so much more of a baby at this age than Jillian did. I know this is in large part because she is still not crawling, but there's other things too. She's just such a content/mellow little girl so far (I'll be eating my words when she's 12, I know!) We are really enjoying her so much- she makes being a Mom as easy as it could possibly be!

This week we kept busy with friends- In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link ) you'll see a play date where we learned about gardening and Liv was passed around by some of the adorable kids in our MOMS Club, bath time in the sink with big sister Jillian, photos from Father's Day, a "yellow themed" play date (the inspiration for her party!!!), and some sister & individual photos on our black background.

Hope all is well!

Nancy

43 Weeks Old

2010-06-17T21:03:00.002-04:00

Liv is staring to learn the power of accessorizing ;) Thanks for the cute hat, Traci!

It seems like it's been a long week since I last posted! In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link) you'll see sweet Liv's naked bum getting into the bath, lots of fun self feeding fruits (like blackberries!) and the rinse in the sink which follows said feedings... :) some time outside with Jillian, a tub full of girls after swimming (fun!), Jillian & Liv playing dress up with cute new hats, Jillian's method to entice Liv to crawl on the rug in her room, some photos with me on a train at a local park and on the carousel with Jillian, enjoying a baby picnic with Liv's friend Laney, a not-too-super family pic (this was the best one out of about 8 that were taken... oh well...), Liv posing in the grass & Jillian offering Liv a rose from our garden.

WHEW! No wonder it seems like the last 7 days have been a lot- all these outside activities are exhausting!

Changes of note: For the past few days, Liv has not eaten any baby food! Only finger foods and things that are typically spoon fed (ie, yogurt, apple sauce, beans, hummus...) it's pretty cool to have a baby that can eat 'normal' food! She likes pretty much everything she tries, but right now I'd say her favorite thing is yogurt or hummus. Yum.

Aside from graduating baby food, Liv also learned to clap on command this week, but as a result, seems to have forgotten how to wave on command. haha. Oh well. We're really starting to work on some of the baby sign language, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she's saying "please" with her cute pudgy little hand!

Hope all is well,

Nancy

42 Weeks Old

2010-06-10T15:03:00.005-04:00

How could you not want to kiss that face? Goodness little cupcake, you certainly are sweet!

I hope you LOVE the video below as much as we do- Liv is doing something new... waving! It's SO stinkin' cute! If you get these updates via email, you may have to click this link to see the video on the blog (www.kulesfamily2.blogspot.com) And, if it makes you smile, throw me some love and leave a comment on this blog! Is there anybody out there?!? :)

Aside from waving, the other remarkable thing Liv did this week was eat 2 whole stage 2 baby foods, and a bunch of veggie straws and hummus all in one sitting. This girl sure does like hummus! I'm so glad- It's a favorite snack for us girls to share in the afternoon!

In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link) you'll see mini golfing with Daddy, lots of cowgirl/farm fun, flirting with our friend Leighton, snack time, and fun in a baby pool!

Until next week!

Nancy

41 Weeks Old

2010-06-03T23:57:00.005-04:00

Has it really been another week already?! In case you were wondering, in the world of Jillian, Liv's nickname (cupcake) has now evolved into any treat food item she can think of. So, when they are playing in the other room I overhear, "Hello there my little cupcake muffin brownie potato chip!" Haha. These girls are so darn sweet and play so nicely together!

I know I usually only post one pic per week on here, and leave you to see the rest on the Shutterfly link if you're interested, but I had to share the photo below too. I can't get enough! There's a few more from this little photo shoot on the LINK FOR THIS WEEK, so check 'em out if you'd like!

Ryan's home from his trip overseas, so we're just settling back into our routine with Daddy. It's been a busy week and we're looking forward to the weekend since after Ryan was gone for 10 days he had to jump right into work... we're ready for some quality family time!!!

Today we finally found time to go to story time and Liv loved it... especially playing peek-a-boo with the little scarfs.

In the photos you'll see the tail end of Grandma and Marilyn's visit, a pack and play full of babies on 'orange day' at our house, Liv laying on the pillow I talked about last week, the rest of the black background pics, a couple of when we met Ryan at Andrews Air Force Base, fun outside, bath time, library and fun with friends!

Until next week,

Nancy

40 Weeks Old

2010-05-27T13:08:00.004-04:00

WHAT?!?! 9 months old? Awww.... little cupcake, we love you so much!

This week has been crazy fun! Ryan went out of town (to Iraq!) so MY grandma and sister Marilyn came into town for a visit. Grandma Mary turned 70 on May 25th, and we though it would be cool for her to spend this milestone birthday with her two granddaughters AND two GREAT-granddaughters! That makes for a great photo, huh? I'll be sure to get at least one great group shot before they leave on Saturday. I've got to say: Marilyn and Grandma are officially smitten with baby Liv. I should also add, they have been sharing very nicely ;) Good job girls. Good thing we have sweet Jillian to steal some (lots!) of their attention too.

We've been hanging out at the house, (I've been getting some things done sans children since I've got willing live in babysitters here! haha!) meeting up with local friends, and playing tourist in the DC area a little. It's been great.

Click HERE to see all the photos from this week!

Liv updates: she's turning a corner on her tummy time!!! The other night I was sitting in the living room with Grandma and Marilyn and we thought Liv might like being on her belly more with a little pillow under there for support. Sure enough! Then, we made the pillow prop smaller and smaller and now she is not putting up much of a fuss at all about being on just her belly for short periods of time. It's progress! Also, Liv has been impressing Grandma with her hand eye coordination- there's a little loop on a ball toy we have and Liv will focus, and then poke her little finger right through the loop to grab it. Cute, cute...

Also, for the record, I believe Liv's official nickname has stuck: It's CUPCAKE. :)

Until next week,

Nancy

39 Weeks Old

2010-05-20T23:28:00.003-04:00

Even though it was Jillian's birthday week, Liv sure wasn't neglected in the photo taking! My Dad came from Nevada for a visit, and the girls had a wonderful time with Grandpa (thanks for coming, Dad!)

This week, Liv was a trooper with our busy schedule... It seems there was maybe one day of the week where she got to be on her normal routine. She's sweet none the less though. She's still not a huge fan of tummy time however (although I've yet to get a picture!) she can keep a little space between her belly and the floor if you prop her up in crawling position! Hey! It's a start!!!

CLICK HERE for the photos this week: you'll see Jillian's birthday get together this past weekend, lots of fun with Grandpa (at the Science Center, at home, and bike riding), some shots of her eating, and a little photo shoot outside.

Until next week!

38 Weeks Old

2010-05-16T17:26:00.002-04:00

For the record, I know this post is late (Sorry Mom, and Marilyn) but after 37 weeks of posting on time, I hope you'll cut me some slack this once! ;)

This week was very busy. On Thursday we were in NYC for a work event for Ryan, and Friday late afternoon we returned home and rushed around to prepare for a small birthday party we had for Jillian on Saturday. We had a wonderful time, but that event kept me from posting until now. Plus, my Dad came into town on Thursday night and our friend Neil is visiting too! It's been crazy, but lots of fun!
Another reason I didn't post until now is because I can't find the cord for my small point and shoot camera and it's making me CRAZY!!! I usually don't have too many photos on that camera, but this week I happen to know there were one or two keepers! :( Oh well, I'll add them to the shutterfly link for this week when I find it!

Liv news for the week: She's consistently sitting in a high chair when we go out to eat, and she is the sweetest baby in the whole world. Period. Sorry other Moms out there, I'm sure your kid is very sweet too. Haha...

Have a wonderful week- I'll be back with more pictures on Thursday!

LINK FOR THIS WEEK'S PHOTOS

:) Nancy

37 Weeks Old

2010-05-06T20:11:00.002-04:00

'Lollipop Lollipop oh lolli, lolli, lolli. Lollipop Lollipop oh lolli, lolli, lolli.... LolliPOP!'

8 months old, and guess who got their first lollipop today? LIV! No, I would have never done this on my own, and no, I did not get a picture. It all just happened SO fast, and only lasted a few seconds... We went to the dry cleaner and Jillian was acting shy. The nice lady there bribed her to be friendly with a lollipop. It worked. Moments later, the lady had unwrapped another one and given it to MY BABY! Goodness! I must have looked shocked when I glanced down into her car seat because the lady quickly assured me that, "she likes it!" Um. Yeah. I'm sure she does!

In the end, Jillian ended up with 2 lollipops, and I ended up with one very jealous and sticky baby.

Another first for Liv this week was 'swimming' in our little pool in the yard. The girls loved this, and Liv was not bothered at all by the cold water or being splashed. They had a great time playing, I had a great time taking photos. :)

Liv is also starting to try some new foods. She got ahold of some Ritz crackers the other day, and was pretty darn happy about that. She also is getting the hang of some finger veggies and other regular items cut up really small. She still does not have any teeth, but she's workin' those gums on her food very well!

Aside from those things, in the PHOTOS THIS WEEK you'll see a picture of Liv sitting in her diaper and none too pleased about it. It's rare, but this was taken on an afternoon where she was crabby, crabby, crabby! I'm glad she's not a grouch like that very often, but also more than happy to take a moment to document it when she is. Haha!

Take care!

Nancy

36 Weeks Old

2010-04-29T15:21:00.004-04:00

Liv is 8 months old, and while we were at the pediatrician for Jillian, I plopped her on a scale- 18.4lbs! I actually thought she would weigh more than that... maybe she's starting to slow down a little...

This week in the PHOTOS (LINK) you'll see that we celebrated Ryan's birthday! Also, Liv had fun outside, ate lunch at Sonic (she got to eat a french fry!), and enjoyed hanging out with her baby friend Laney at the Go Cart Raceway. We also enjoyed lots of sister bath time, snacking on new things like cheese puffs (now that Liv is proficient at self feeding!), and playing with lots of toys! Whew!

I can also happily report that Liv seems to be turning over a new leaf on her attempt to be more mobile. She is doing this really funny worm wiggle crawl thing when she lays on her back. She still FAR prefers being on her back than belly, so unfortunately when we try to give her some time to practice crawling, she just flips right over. Oh well!

Until next week!

Nancy

35 Weeks Old

2010-04-22T13:21:00.003-04:00

Da Da Daaa DAAaa Da Da! Big news for this week is Liv turned 8 months old, and is doing LOTS and LOTS of talking including saying Da Da all the time! It's so cute and despite the fact that I'm (more than) a little jealous that he gets to be first, I'm trying to focus on the fact that it means Ma Ma is probably just around the corner... :)

Oh man, I could just gobble this kid up. Her little personality is just so lovable! She always has a big smile for anyone willing to make eye contact with her, and she's just such a joy to be around. Ryan and I were pretty sure we wanted to have another baby before we had Liv, but if we weren't convinced this is the type of baby that would convince to go ahead and try for #3- she's just so amazing- I can't say it enough.

This week Ryan's Dad traveled to see us and although I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked, that's only because we were SO busy while he was here. It was a great visit- thanks for taking your time to come see us, Jay!

In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (LINK) you'll see Go Cart racing, Grandpa Jay, out to lunch, fun in the yard, and a VERY unhappy baby being forced to try to crawl. It's still a no go, folks. ;)

Until next week,

Nancy

34 Weeks Old

2010-04-15T23:14:00.003-04:00

Each week I like to pick my favorite photo of Liv's face for this blog. For this "main photo" it's always one of her looking right at the camera. Even though this one isn't my absolute favorite (when I saw the choices I had to work with I just about grabbed her out of bed at 11:15pm for a quick photo shoot) (I'm only a little kidding) but it will do. She's a cutie even if the photo is a tad out of focus on her face!

Anyway- as usual, Liv has been a peach this week. The new thing to report is over the past few weeks, she's been getting better and better at feeding herself little things, and sitting in the high chair. She's getting so big! She really likes eating yogurt drops, and these little veggie straw things (that are basically potato chips). It's cute, and although she does make a huge mess and drop most of it on the floor, it's progress. Let's just say that she and Peanut are getting to be better and better friends... ;)

Today I was telling Ryan about what a great day I had with the girls. It was fabulous. We went out to a garden in Baltimore that plants 80K tulips each year!!! 80K!!! There were all sorts of flower beds, and lots of variety in bloom colors and such. Most of the PHOTOS FROM THIS WEEK are from the garden. I took Liv's Easter dress with us, and got a few extra of her in that!

Enjoy!

Until next week.....

Nancy

33 Weeks Old

2010-04-08T15:42:00.002-04:00

Although there are a good number of photos this week (LINK), there's not as much variety as usual. This is because over Easter weekend, we traveled to NYC, and I left my camera on the train when we got off. I could not believe it! We assumed there was no chance we'd get it back, but believe it or not, after a series of phone calls, (I'm making this sound easy!) it was found and shipped back to me! Amazing!

This week Liv enjoyed her second trip to New York, lots of fun family Easter time, and time outside enjoying our great Spring weather!

Busy day... that's all for now-

Nancy

32 Weeks Old

2010-04-01T21:22:00.003-04:00

Do you know what I love the most about being a Mom? That these babies, are ours. I can do whatever I want with them, whenever I want. I have always loved babies. I remember looking at moms with their cute little ones at restaurants and such and thinking- 'I'd like to pick that baby up' or 'I bet that baby would laugh if I ticked her'. And now? I can pick them up, tickle them, kiss them, love them.... all on my own terms. I. LOVE. THESE. KIDS. And, I love being a Mom. When I get Liv out of her crib in the morning, or after a nap I always say, "Hi Goo-dee Girl" ("Goo-dee girl" explanation: My friend Marlyn speaks Spanish, and calls Liv "Gorda" which means fat. haha. Since I don't speak Spanish, I found myself changing this nickname into Gouda (my love of cheese, and her milky squishy texture explains this) Gouda somehow, evolved to Goo-Dee (with Jillian's help) and that explains that.)

Anyway- Goo-dee girl has been in the habit of waking at 5:30am for a snack and a snuggle and this week we decided no more. If I try to let her put herself back to sleep, she talks/whines/sings for OVER an hour before going back to bed. Since her room and ours shares a wall, this means I'm awake the whole time. The solution? Liv has slept the last 4 nights in a pack and play in the laundry room. And me, I've slept great. Ha! I think she's getting over waking up at 5ish now that she's not getting any attention, so I'm sure she'll be back in her pretty room soon. haha!

In the PHOTOS THIS WEEK (link), you'll see Liv on her beautiful Easter quilt (thank you Shere!), Jillian "helping me" feed Liv, our Easter bunny in a basket, face painting, tummy time with her friend Laney, cute VANS from Aunt Marilyn, out to dinner, after the bath, pretty face, checking email with Jillian, story time at the library, & us on a tour of the local baseball field. Whew! What a week!

Take care,

Nancy

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31 Weeks Old

2010-03-25T17:09:00.003-04:00

My only complaint this week would have to be that for a little while now, Liv has decided waking up around 5:30am would be a good idea. No thanks. But, look at this face... how mad could I really be?! Lately, Liv has been getting much more 'grabby'. She's constantly putting things in her mouth, grabbing my shirt, pulling on my necklace... It's fun to see her really interacting with her environment. She still loves to lay on her back on a blanket and look at the ceiling fans, and is pretty content just being there- no scooting, purposeful rolling, trying to crawl just yet.

In the PHOTOS this week (link), you'll see a pic of two double strollers at the mall (it's an impressive amount of kids/cargo!), Jillian and Liv in Jilli's 'reading corner', family snuggle on Jillian's new full size big girl bed, happy Liv/sleepy Liv, outside eating leaves, lunch on the patio, snuggle time, chewing time, and fun at/outside of the Baltimore Science Museum with good friends. What a week!

Hope all is well...

Nancy

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30 Weeks Old

2010-03-18T20:46:00.004-04:00

Over 6 months old? Nearly 7 months old? Who? Our baby? No. Way. Oh sweet Liv, we are having so much fun with you!

The big news to report this week, is that Liv has turned over a new leaf in regards to baby food! She's eating about 1/2 a jar in the afternoon, and the other half in the evening. And she does not even act like we are trying to poison her anymore! AND it only takes a few minutes for her to eat her whole serving! Woo Hoo!

Aside from that, in the PHOTOS this week (LINK), you'll notice some evidence of thumb sucking (NOOOooooo!), sister time, bath time, an entirely consumed jar of baby food, time outside, St. Patty's Day fun, swinging at the park (first time!), playing at the park, 'sampling' a stick, and zonked out after a long day of running around!

Till next week,

Nancy!

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29 Weeks Old

2010-03-11T12:42:00.003-05:00

Since we've been home so much for the past few weeks, I've really had a chance to watch Liv, and analyze her development. It's interesting, because her laid back attitude really shows in the things she is doing. Yes, she loves to chew on things, but no, she won't go out of her way to reach them. Yes, she can sit up on her own, but hey, isn't it just easier to lay down? haha! Anyway... I'm not concerned about her by any means, I just think her behavior is a little unusual for a 2nd born... shouldn't she be trying like heck to keep up with Jillian?! And then, I think about their relationship, and realize Jillian enables Liv to be a "baby" most of the time... She brings her toys, she moves things closer for her, she plays right next to Liv so, "she can see". It's very sweet. One of the things I am enjoying most right now is watching this sister relationship develop. They certainly do like each other a lot!

In regards to the RSV, things are still a little yucky around here. Thank goodness for the awesome weather we have been having that has allowed for LOTS of outside time (even some naked outside time! See the photos....) It's been great. Liv loves being in the swing outside as much as Jillian did, so that makes it easy for me. Liv still hates tummy time (unless she is naked!) and still shows zero interest in trying to crawl/creep/scoot.

In the PHOTOS (LINK) this week, you'll see Liv getting a breathing treatment, snuggling with Daddy, lots of fun in the yard, sister kisses, standing up outside, swinging, & examining a tag (to determine its chew-a-bility I assume).

Have a great week, and send positive energy our way that we FINALLY kick this nasty virus and can get out of the house again!!!!!

Nancy

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28 Weeks Old

2010-03-04T14:50:00.002-05:00

You know, it seems thus far, whatever life throws her way, Liv takes it in stride (can you say 'in stride' before someone can walk?!) and is happy, happy, happy. I hope that's a lifelong trait for her...

This week, life (aka: a skating rink full of snotty kids) threw RSV her way. For those of you that don't know, RSV is a respiratory virus that is quite infectious, lasts for longer than an average cold, and can be quite serious for small infants, or people in high risk categories (such as anyone with a compromised immune system, asthma, or lung disease). Fortunately, our kids do not have any of those risks so although they both have it right now, it's presenting in them as a standard cold... The problem is, as a responsible parent, you really need to quarantine your kid if they are coughing/runny at all to prevent spreading the infection to other people/kids who may be high risk, and could seriously be in danger if they caught it! So, we're homebound.

And, even though I knew our girls are not in a high risk category, when a doctor says, "Yup, Liv tested positive" it makes your heart jump. Poor little thing.

So, we now own another humidifier for each of the girls rooms, have lots of baby vicks on hand for soothing stuffy noses, and we're ridin' it out. We suspect they caught it last Monday at the skating rink, so if that's the case, we're already 10 days into the virus. Hopefully we'll be all clear after the weekend...

And, as you can see (I took the above photo of Liv today) despite not feeling well, she's still pretty darn happy. :)

Also this week Aunt Marilyn headed home to California (the girls and I miss her!), Liv is turning a corner on eating baby food (she's made it very clear that she (like her sister) HATES rice cereal and would prefer just fruit or veggies), and (as pictured) can stay standing by herself if you place her next to something for her to hold onto! I'm glad she did this so I could get a good photo of her hilarious naked butt! ;)

Till next week, click HERE to see the PHOTOS!

Nancy

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27 Weeks Old

2010-02-25T17:49:00.004-05:00

Hi there sunshine! What a great week we have had!

Maybe it was the extra attention she got during the week we spent in Las Vegas with my parents, or maybe she's decided her Mommy was right and there was no need for that whiney behavior! Either way, we've got our happy go lucky little Liv back!

The funny thing is that on each plane ride, she decided to FREAK OUT for about 5 minutes. Unexplained, uncontrollable crying. It was like she was in pain or something... terrible. I don't think it was her ears, but that may have contributed. Oh well. It was just a few minutes of crying (but enough to scare the people around us... lol)

She was an absolute peach in NV, and loved visiting with my Mom and Dad, as well as a quick visit from my Grandma Mary, & Uncle Mark. At the end of the trip, my sister Marilyn and her fiance Neal drove in from California to meet Liv. Marilyn then flew home with me and the girls (Ryan had headed back home earlier in the week) and is hanging out with us here on the East coast until Friday. It's been great to have her here- she is SUPER helpful with the girls, and it's fun to have some sister time for me too! We went today and had a photo taken of the four of us, one of her with the girls, and two of Liv for her 6 month birthday!

You can check them out HERE, or on the slideshow below!

Have a great week!!!

Nancy

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26 Weeks Old

2010-02-18T17:49:00.004-05:00

This weekend, Liv will officially turn 6 months old! Does that seem awfully fast to anyone else?!? She's such a fun baby- we traveled to Vegas this week to visit my parents, and she's been a doll. She babbles and coos all the time, and still does lots of smiling for her family. She's starting to get a little more wary of strangers though- she definitly prefers familiar faces at this point...

We have been trying to encourage Liv to spend more time on her tummy, but for now, she has no interest in scooting/trying to crawl at all! Oh well! Maybe next week, she'll turn over a new leaf in regards to crawling since she'll be 1/2 a year old!!!!

Till next week, click HERE to see all the photos, or view the slideshow below!

Also, you can click HERE to see Valentine photos I took of both girls...

Take care-

Nancy

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25 Weeks Old

2010-02-11T15:07:00.003-05:00

This week there are lots of new PHOTOS!

Liv is starting to get so much personality- we're having such a good time getting to know this little girl!

I know I usually talk about what a wonderful easy going baby Liv is, but this week has been a bit of a challenge. Maybe it's the weather (we've been stuck inside for awhile because of snow) or, maybe it's something else? I've been checking for teeth, giving her extra naps... not sure :( I hope this is just a quick phase because I'm not sure I can carry her around all day anymore! She's always been a little snuggle bug, but now she's starting to be more vocal about wanting to be with me all the time!

In the slideshow below you'll see our sweet happy girl smiling, some sister hugs, Liv's different hairstyles (SHE HATED THIS!), fun with Mommy, snow baby in a basket, peek-a-boo, bath time, fun with Daddy, family Rock Band time, making lemonade, Liv puts in her own pacifier, and snuggling in a blanket! Whew! Enjoy your week!

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24 Weeks Old

2010-02-04T16:33:00.005-05:00

Hi there silly face Liv! We sure do love to kiss you, hug you, and make you laugh!

Now that Liv is 5 months old, she is really starting to show off her personality. She really loves when people talk to/smile at her and is always good for a grin back! She warms your heart with those smiles! Liv LOVES her family and has really started looking around when she hears Daddy's voice- 'where is that guy?!' :)

Although Liv has rolled from her back to her belly, and belly to back, it's only been a handful of times. She really likes to lounge most of all! Haha! We've started 'baby boot camp' around here though, (using toys that make her sit/stand vs. lay) and that seems to be helping to develop her leg/ab muscles more. Not that there's anything wrong with being a delicious blob baby when you are 5 months old!!!!

Aside from more time sitting, Liv tried carrots this week (no thanks) and had a few friends over (see photos in the slideshow of her friends ganging up on her!!!) If you click HERE to see the photos from this week, you'll also see some tummy time, a happy girl, laying in the sink, playing with toys, sucking on fingers, sitting, smiling, and a photo mid-sneeze... ahhhh CHoo!

Have a great week!

Nancy

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23 Weeks Old

2010-01-28T16:27:00.003-05:00

Sweet little Liv, despite not feeling 100% this week, you're still a happy-go-lucky little baby... we are so lucky to call you ours!

Thursday sure does creep up quickly around here! This week Liv has started to get more comfortable with her rolling. You'll notice in some of the photos I had a little bit of a hard time keeping her on her belly to take a picture! :) She also is still drooling quite a bit, still loves her bouncy chair or snuggling, and is totally, TOTALLY smitten with her big sister. Jillian can make her laugh at the drop of a hat!

We've been dealing with a stuffy nose and cough for about 4 days now. Sweet little thing! It's hard to eat when your nose is plugged up, but she's figuring it out. We've pulled out all the tricks for infant colds since they can't take any meds... propping up her mattress to a slight angle, humidifier, warm room, baby vicks, saline drops, booger sucker... It seems to be helping. Luckily, the rest of our family is in good health so hopefully this has almost run its course.

Click HERE to see this weeks photos! You'll see a happy girl hanging out in the swing outside, a sad girl because Mommy stopped the swing to take a photo, lots of her rolling around/posing in the cute CUTE personalized bloomers our friend got for her (thanks Karen!), posing pretty on the couch, playing with big sister on the floor (this takes place in our house for hours each day!), and two cute black and white photos.

Hope all is well with you!

Until next week,

Nancy

P.S.- I know I usually only feature one photo per week, but I had to include this one too in case you don't check out the slideshow. Mmmm! I could eat her!!!

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22 Weeks Old

2010-01-21T15:53:00.002-05:00

Liv- you are 5 months old already? We are so crazy about you! This time has flown by and every day we fall more and more in love with you! It's so fun to watch you try new things...
This week, Liv got her first taste of rice cereal! I'm pretty sure Jillian and I were more excited than she was, but she warmed up to the idea. She's not the most efficient eater just yet (ie: I made about 4 tablespoons of food, and I'd estimate she actually swallowed less than a teaspoon!) but we're getting there. I'm trying to give her some practice at least once a day. There are lots of cute photos this week of her eating. You can click HERE to see them!

Also in the photos, you'll see Liv in a pretty white outfit, some bath time fun/snuggles, a picture of Liv posing with a bunch of stuffed animals (I'm calling this one, "Where's Liv?!"), a baby who loves her pacifier, and some sister time.

Until next week!

Nancy

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21 Weeks Old

2010-01-14T16:00:00.003-05:00

Oh sweet girl, we just can't get enough of you!

Despite the fact that we had a busy week, I don't have as many new photos as I'd expect. I was thinking about it, and I'm certain the cold weather has something to do with it. When we're out and about, I'm less likely to drag my big camera along (since we already have jackets/blankets to deal with) and taking pictures indoors provides far less variety. Oh well- there are more portrait type shots this week, but she's documented none the less!

The big news this week is that Liv officially rolled over from her belly to her back. Twice in a row. No extra squishy surface, or other variable that may have contributed... She did it all by herself! She's yet to repeat her trick for Ryan to see, but it's just a matter of time I'm sure.

Another change- the drool factor. My friend Marlyn noticed at the beginning of the week that Liv had "a ton of drool going on" and it has gotten nothing but worse as the week progressed. Teeth?

Liv's vocalizing is also continuing to develop... I was on the phone this morning talking to my parents and she kept interrupting to tell a Loooooong story! "AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaAaaAA"

In the Photos: Liv crashed out under her new floor toy (thanks Ali!), Liv all dressed up on our way to a baptism for our friend baby Charlie, Ryan getting some big smiles/love from Liv, Liv watching Jillian "build dinosaur houses", baby headband model photos (Ryan can't stand headbands on the girls, but I think it's cute every once in awhile!), hand sucking/drooling, a birthday party, more sleeping/smiling/yawning... You can check them out in the slideshow below, or click HERE!

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20 Weeks Old

2010-01-07T16:31:00.005-05:00

Dear Liv: I am so glad you are a healthy, thriving baby. You bring an incredible amount of joy into our home... smiling all the time, your sweet little giggle... You're amazing.

That being said, want to slow down just a TOUCH on the growing?

At Liv's 4 month appointment yesterday she was:

24 3/4 inches tall (70th %)

weighed 15lbs, 9.5oz (90th %)

and had a head circumference of 41.5cm (70th %)

I know she seems huge (especially considering Jillian is currently 2 years, 7 months old and weighed in yesterday at only 26lbs!) but I think it is worth noting that when Jillian was 18 weeks old, she weighed 14lbs, 8oz and was 24.5 inches tall...

This week was a lot of fun. Liv continues to be adored by her sister (and Mom and Dad!) and smiles on cue almost 100% of the time. If you nibble on her neck and make grunting noises (grunts mandatory) she will always giggle, and if you bite her toes she will look at you like you are absolutely insane. Haha...

Thanks to Liv's nice round belly, we can prop her into a sitting position for long enough to take a photo. She's not really a huge fan of that though... She has warmed up a little to the Bumbo chair now, but still really prefers the bouncy chair to anything else.

Liv had to get 4 shots yesterday at her well baby visit. She did just fine... minimal screaming, and she does not seem too sore today. Jillian on the other hand, TOTALLY wigged out about the shots. She was hysterically crying and yelled to the nurse- "I don't want you to give my sister shots!" and, "Don't touch her!" If I was not already trying to console one crying child, it may have been a little cute and heartwarming the way she was defending her little sis. In retrospect, it really was sweet. At the time, total headache. :)

Last topic: Liv's hair. It seems the falling out may be done, and we're left with no hair on the sides (although that is already growing back somewhat quickly) and a long mohawk on the top. It's hilarious. She really rocks the look, I think. Today I put her little spike into a pony tail, and got some cute photos...

In the slideshow below (or at this LINK), you'll see Liv practicing her hand eye coordination, some 'sitting' on our bed, a few shots of her band aids, lots of bath time fun, a play date with Abby (she's 3 weeks younger than Liv) and the ponytail shots.

Have a great week!

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19 Weeks Old

2009-12-31T22:33:00.003-05:00

I was just talking to my Mom, yawning, and trying to muster the energy to post about Liv tonight, New Years Eve 2009. (Yawn again)... why, am I so tired?

Oh. Well, looking at the photos from the past 7 days, maybe it's because we celebrated Christmas, my 27th birthday (on the 26th) and I just got home from a wonderful "kid New Years" (the 'ball' dropped at 8pm) with our friend Heather. Also, Ryan is super busy this time of year with work. In fact, Liv is looking forward to watching Daddy on TV tomorrow afternoon! He's going to be in a commercial during the Rose Bowl during half time! It's been quite the 7 days!

As far as Liv is concerned, I don't have her 4 month stats to share just yet... next week. Her appointment was supposed to be when we had our big snow storm, but I decided it was not worth risking our lives on the road for a well baby appointment! I'm betting she's 15 pounds, though!

What I can tell you, is there's a lot more yelling/screaming/talking going on in our house, and our youngest family member is (for the most part!) responsible for all of it! She's gotten quite vocal over the past few days, and is also really enjoying sucking on her fist. I also decided to go cold turkey on swaddling her at bed time... She was making a habit of waking up around 4am due to an escaping arm, so we decided it was time to move on. She's doing really well with that- waking up a little earlier in the morning, but is happy to eat and go back to bed...

That's it for this week. Lots, and lots of photos. Check them out at this LINK, or on the slideshow below!

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18 Weeks Old

2009-12-24T23:28:00.005-05:00

This was a week of a few new 'first's' for Liv... Our family went on the Amtrak train to NYC yesterday for a quick trip to see the big Christmas tree, and visit Ryan's co-workers. We had a great time! It was chilly, but a lot of fun. Liv also got to visit the NY Office for Sesame Street. Check out all our photos at this LINK, or on the slideshow below.

Liv made lots of friends during our quick get away. If we could sell her smiles for a dollar each, we'd be millionaires. All you have to so is say hello to her, and she's all grins. She's such a good baby. I thought Jillian was an easy going baby until I met Liv! She's laughing more now too (I'll upload video soon- promise!) and is very predictable with her routine. We love this kid so much!

Off to bed- we're looking forward to waking up tomorrow and celebrating Christmas with our two gorgeous girls!

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17 Weeks Old

2009-12-17T15:35:00.006-05:00

With the holidays approaching, things have been very busy around our house. For the first time, I'll say I'm not surprised a week has passed! We've done so much!

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE or check out the slideshow at the bottom of this post!

Our MOMS Club Holiday events were this week, so Liv had lots of fun being passed around at different events and watching all the kids running around and having fun. One gathering was a pajama party/breakfast so the girls and I took a couple cute photos in front of a Christmas tree. It's so fun to wear snuggly clothes out of the house!

Even though it's rather cool outside, Liv wanted to make sure she got a photo in the tiny bathing suit Grandpa Randall brought home from Europe for Jillian when she was a baby. Please check out the photo below in the slideshow to see Liv's leg rolls in their full glory- baby chub is so fabulous! ;)

A couple other photos to note in the slideshow... Liv in The Bumbo (she HATES it, and it was Jillian's FAVORITE... go figure...) Liv all bundled up in her car seat for the cold weather (I love that warm wrap for around her seat!) and finally, my favorite pic of the week- a measurement of each of the girls bellies. Yup. Jillian's waist is bigger... by ONE inch. lol

Have a great week!

Nancy

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Middle of the week bonus post- video

2009-12-14T21:43:00.002-05:00

This video is from awhile ago... back when I talked about how much Liv hated diaper changes. I just had to share it now that I edited it down a little...

16 Weeks Old

2009-12-10T22:02:00.005-05:00

Click HERE for all the photos from this week, or check out the new embedded slideshow at the bottom of this post...

Boy oh boy, time is flying by! It's 10pm here, and my Mom just had to call me to remind me it was Thursday-Liv-post-day! It's already been a week? Really?

This little girl makes us smile so much. She's honestly 99.9% of the time a breeze. She swats at her toys all the time now, and makes so much noise when she sucks on her hands that sometimes I come in from the other room to see what's going on!

Jillian loves Liv. She loves to give her hugs, hold her, give her a pacifier, pat her, bathe her, sing to her. Liv is one lucky lady to have such a great big sister. (Girls, read this 10 years from now... you DO love each other, I promise!) haha.

Liv is still swaddled up TIGHT at night to go to bed. She loves being a baby burrito as much as Jillian hated it. When she gets tired at night, you can see the relief on her face when I pull out the special swaddle blanket. Seriously.

Okay- that's it for this week... I have 1000 things to get done before bed, 999 of which will have to wait until tomorrow...

:) Nancy

Oh- two photos in the slideshow I'd like to 'point out'. One, me biting her cheek. That's for everyone out there that would like to be doing that. How could you see those cheeks and not want to eat them?!?

And two, Liv in her bouncy chair with a pacifier in her mouth, and one in each hand. When you love something, go all out... haha!

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15 Weeks Old

2009-12-03T13:13:00.005-05:00

Here's a LINK for all the photos this week!
I love to go back to Jillian's babysite and read about what she was doing at Liv's current age. Last week I told Liv she had better laugh this week if she wanted to keep up with her sister. Well, sibling competition seems to work in our house because mere hours before I posted for this week, Liv let out a tiny giggle. We were visiting with some of our local MOMS Club friends, and I told Heather that Liv was going to let Jillian beat her on this particular milestone. Heather leaned down to tickle Liv and said, "You've got nothing to laugh about little girl?" Liv smiled and smiled at her and after a few more tickles and encouragement, let out a tiny little laugh. So sweet. So, not quite the big belly laugh Jillian did at 15 weeks, but regardless- it counts! lol. I'm sure Liv will be happy to read this when she is a little older!

Also this week, Liv continues to explore her hands and how to control her arms. She is constantly batting at toys, grabbing things (hair! -ouch- ) and wiggling.

On November 29th, Liv helped our family celebrate Ryan's 4th Alive Day. Awhile back Ryan casually mentioned that he had always wanted a bonsai tree, so we go him one this year and the girls 'helped' him set it up...

In the photos from the week you'll also see Liv wearing the dress Jillian had on for her first Christmas photo. I'd say the dress fits the girls about the same, but remember, Liv is 3 months younger than Jilli was when she wore it! :)

'till next week...

Nancy

14 Weeks Old

2009-11-27T17:45:00.004-05:00

Here's a LINK for the rest of the photos from this week, including our Thanksgiving feast!

A few fun details about Liv this week... Her eyes are still a dark, dark blue, but I think there is brown behind them. For now, she has a really pretty dark ring around the outside, deep blue in the middle, and a slightly lighter blue around her pupil. She's so pretty. :)

Liv rolled over once (early on) but has yet to repeat this feat. As of now, the most distance she travels is in the bath tub when she has the whole thing to herself with about two inches of water. She LOVES to splash around and is happy as a clam until she travels all the way to the end of the tub and knocks her head against the wall. When I move her all the way back near the drain, it's only a few minutes before she's back to the top. :)

Liv loves to snuggle. Always has. The hardest part about her right now is after she eats when it's supposed to be 'awake time' she'd really rather snuggle into me for a nice warm nap. Aww... me too.

Liv has started batting at toys hung above her, and is on the verge of laughing... next week maybe?! She makes these cute, cute little grunting noises when something is funny and smiles so BIG.

We can't say enough about how much we are enjoying this little girl... Until next week, enjoy the PHOTOS!

Nancy

13 Weeks Old

2009-11-19T15:50:00.004-05:00

PHOTOS FROM THIS WEEK...

Officially 3 months old tomorrow...

She's making more coo-ing noises, holding her head up like a champ, storing up her um.... 'messy' diapers for a day or two to be sure when she does go, it's EVERYWHERE, loves to listen to her sister sing songs, and really likes being on her belly. She's still eating every three hours during the day like clockwork (seriously, 10 minutes past feeding time, and she lets me know it!) and sleeps from 9:30pm-11 & then 11pm-8am regularly. This is one fantastic little lady we've got!

She smiles SOooo much now (whenever we try to get a smile, we're always successful) and really adds so much to our happy house. WE LOVE LIV!

Have a great week- there's not as many photos this week, but I'd like to think quality makes up for quantity. The other baby sitting on the couch with her is our friend Leah... she was born a week after Liv.

Have a great day!

Nancy

12 Weeks Old

2009-11-12T18:31:00.002-05:00

Click HERE to see all Liv's photos from this week!
Could it be? 12 weeks we've had the pleasure of knowing sweet Liv!? Thursday sure rolls around quickly! What a bundle of joy she is. I thought Jillian was an easy baby, but Livs even better. In light of some recent effort, she's going through the night without a feeding (sometimes she wakes up, but a little reassurance, and she's back to sleep...). I'm feeding her at 11pm before I go to bed (Ryan and I are night owls, and have always stayed up late so this is no problem) and she makes it through until around 7am.... anytime after 6am, I'm willing to feed her, but I sure won't argue with days like today when I had to go in at 8am to wake her up for breakfast!!!

I'm trying to be a little more diligent about tummy time, and as a result, Liv's bobble head is really improving. She can hold her head up quite high (see this week's photos) and she seems to like it.

Also this week, Liv learned how to blow bubbles with her spit, played dress up with Jillian, posed for some naked photos to show off all her wonderful baby rolls, & met Vice President Biden & Dr. Jill Biden. No photos of the Liv meeting the VP- before I could get a picture, she was kind enough to have a poop-tastrophy all over her patriotic outfit, and my shirt. Sweet Ryan- pointed to my shirt and said, "Uh oh- position the baby over that mustard you got on your shirt!" That's. Not. Mustard. Ryan. haha...

When Jillian was a baby, we went to storytime at the Library every week. Today Liv got to go to the storytime for kids under 1, and we had a great time. I can't wait to watch her progress through this great program the way Jillian has. Jilli LOVES the Library.

That's it for this week- enjoy the PHOTOS, and check in on us again next Thursday!

11 Weeks Old

2009-11-05T13:59:00.002-05:00

Up until this week, I would say Liv still slept the majority of the time. But now, she's really starting to enjoy being awake, and looking around more. She cracks me up. Often, when I'm feeding her she will look at me and crack a huge grin. It's adorable except for the fact that she always seems to do it with a mouthful of milk, and forgets to swallow first. Haha- messy baby.

I took a video this week that I'll have to post- remember me telling you about the cranky baby on her changing pad? Well, I decided to do something for Liv that I had done for Jillian: cut out a photo of Daddy and put it on the bottom of the shelf that hangs above her changing area. I would say that since the addition of this photo, Liv cries at least 50% less. When she notices it, she always smiles and sticks out her tongue. Livi loves her Daddy!

Developmentally, Liv is doing great- holding her head much better, starting to really put weight on her legs if you hold her standing up, and can lift her head really high when she is on her belly. Much more cooing going on now too... so sweet.

One of the photos on the Shutterfly site this week is Liv with an old yellow bear. That was my bear growing up, and his name is Boo-Boo. I had to dig him out when I put Liv in that fuzzy yellow sleeper thing, because she reminded me so much of him!

Until next week- there's LOTS more photos on the Shutterfly site- check 'em out!

Nancy

10 Weeks Old

2009-10-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

It seems one of the only things that gets Liv in a funk is a diaper change. We're in trouble with winter approaching I'm afraid, because when a cool breeze hits her big 'ol belly, she screams. I've documented the face she makes HERE. Interesting however, that as long as her bottom is in nice warm water (in the bath) a cold tummy is not offending at all. This little baby l o v e s bath time.

Honestly, writing about cranky Liv during diaper changes is only of note because most of the time, she's a peach. She smiles a lot (especially in the evening before bed- I think she's already trying to manipulate me into keeping her up a little longer) enjoys tummy time (by enjoys, I mean promptly falls asleep) and loves to snuggle.

We're keeping busy around here, getting ready for Halloween, and trying our hardest not to contract a nasty flu virus... lots of hand washing and avoiding stuffy crowded places going on since Liv can't get a shot...

Double digits already for Liv's weeks... 10!? That's practically 1/5 of her first year! Better start planning her first birthday party now! ;)

Till next week- enjoy all the new photos on our SHUTTERFLY SITE.

Nancy

9 Weeks Old

2009-10-22T15:43:00.003-04:00

What a busy week! Click HERE for all the photos from the past 7 days- There are lots from our trip to Arizona!

This week was one of many firsts! Liv went on her first plane ride to Arizona, and had a wonderful time! She was able to meet her Uncle Travis for the first time, and many of my extended family and close friends too! It was a wonderful trip (a little warm for these MD girls) and Liv was a perfect baby the entire time. On the plane rides there and back she slept about 90% of the time, waking pretty much only to eat. I could not ask for better than that!

While we were in Arizona, Liv also got to go to the zoo for the first time. To be honest, she seemed less than impressed ;)

Developmentally, our little cutie seems right on track. She is smiling, tracking things with her eyes, definitely recognizes her Mommy by sight and voice, moves her arms and legs a lot, makes plenty of cute noises, and is sleeping like a champ. She loves to nap and snuggle, and is learning to fall asleep at night without her pacifier pretty well. It's really rare at this point if she wakes more than once in the night to eat. We'll be working on dropping that feeding soon too- wish us luck! ;) Tomorrow she will have her 2 month pediatrics appointment, so we'll see where she falls on weight and height. I think she is about the same as Jillian was at this age, but we'll see! That would be pretty amazing considering she was more than a pound less than her sister at birth! She sure is growing fast!

Mushy moment: Liv woke up around 5 am this morning to eat. I usually bring her into bed with me to do this, and then return her to her crib. Today however, we had a whole king size bed to ourselves (Ryan left early for a speech in NJ) so I let her stay and snuggle. I almost got out of bed to get my camera because watching her lay there next to me on the bed was just so darn sweet. Realizing I could not even hope to capture the sweetness of the moment on film, I soaked in a mental picture instead. I love to lay there with my face right next to her and feel her breathing. I love when our noses touch and I'm actually inhaling the same air she exhales. There's nothing that smells or feels quite like that- it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how special moments like that are. Knowing this little person was created by Ryan and I... surreal.

I suppose that's why I take so many photos. A tiny chance to capture these moments that pass so quickly. From one week to the next, it's like we've got a whole new baby in the house- always growing and changing. As much as I miss 8 week old Liv, I'm also looking forward to weeks 9, 10, 11... Being a Mom is the best job in the whole world. Ryan and I are so lucky, SO blessed to have these two beautiful girls to call our own.

Until next week! Adios, and don't forget to check out all the PHOTOS!

8 Weeks Old

2009-10-14T21:24:00.003-04:00

Click HERE to see all the photos from our week! Liv sure is getting big!

I can't believe our little girl is already almost 2 months old. Time flies! This week I got lots of photos of Liv enjoying a bath with her sister, and hanging out at home. More about the week later- I'm in AZ with the girls introducing Liv to friends and family!

7 Weeks Old

2009-10-08T09:44:00.002-04:00

What a cutie pie! For more photos from this week, click HERE!

This week we've had a lot of fun! We went to a pumpkin patch near our house and had a great time. I even got Liv balanced on top of a huge pumpkin for a photo! Good thing she's such an agreeable baby!!!

I was also able to save up some milk so Ryan could give Liv a bottle! This is pretty cool, because Ryan was never able to feed Jillian- (the little stinker would never take a bottle!) but Liv took it like a champ! It feels so good to know she would not have a problem taking a meal this way- gives me so much more flexibility!

Liv smiles all the time, and is a wonderful baby! We're trying to get her adjusted to sleeping without her pacifier...sometimes she wakes up when it falls out, so I decided to just do way with it for sleeping time. This has produced some nap time/bed time tears, but she gets through it, and sleeps well. The other night I fed her at 11pm, and she slept until 6am! Woo Hoo!

Hope all is well out there- leave us a comment so we know you're checking in on us! Weekly posts/photos are a lot of work and I love to read what you think!

:) Nancy

TO CHECK OUT ALL THE WEEK SEVEN PHOTOS, CLICK HERE!

6 Weeks Old

2009-10-01T18:02:00.003-04:00

Hey Mom- Trying to get a good photo of me for this week? Yeah? Well... this is what I think about you and that camera you're always flashing in my face!

Love,

Liv

Liv's such a great baby! She's getting stronger and stronger (not quite as much of a bobble head these days!) and has quite an appetite. She even accidentally rolled over while playing on our bed the other day. (It was just once though, and she was kinda propped to the side so it does not really count!) She loves to make eye contact with me while she is eating, and I love it right back. This is my favorite FAVORITE thing about nursing... it's just so darn sweet!

Ryan's parents came in to visit this past week and we enjoyed spending time with them, and introducing them to Liv- if you didn't see the post about our apple picking trip, check out the family blog- it was so much fun! (www.kulesfamily.blogspot.com)

As always, the photos from this week can be found on our Shutterfly site- at this LINK!

Have a great week!

Nancy

5 Weeks Old

2009-09-24T13:48:00.003-04:00

Link: Week 5 Photos!

Sweeter and Sweeter every week! Liv is really starting to get such a nice little personality. She smiles and coos, and really tracks people and noises with her eyes. At her 1 month appointment, she weighed in at a 1/2 ounce shy of 9lbs! That's nearly 2 pounds of weight gain in a month! I guess my, "special Mommy milk" (as Jillian would call it) is really doing the trick!

Funny nursing story... While my cousin Heidi was here visiting, Jillian asked me, "Does Heidi have special Mommy milk too?" I explained how you only have Mommy milk if you had a baby in your belly.... to which Jillian replied: "Oh. Well... Hmm.... does Heidi have water?!" Lol... I love kids.

Anyway- back to Liv. Last night, she slept from 8-11pm, ate at 11, and went back to sleep. From 12:30-1:30 she was a little fussy so I fed her again at 2am. Then, after that feeding she slept until 8:30am! 6.5 hours!

Liv enjoyed having my parents in town for a week, and we were sad to see them go on Tuesday. Ryan's parents will be arriving for a visit this weekend though, so the girls will be happy to have extra attention again!

Be sure to check out all the PHOTOS from this week, and see if you can guess which shot I've titled, "One good reason to have a sibling".

The biggest milestone for this week: I put Liv's hair in a teeny-tiny ponytail for the first time! Then I was able to use that to attach a clip. Finally accessorizing! ;)

:) Nancy

4 Weeks Old!

2009-09-17T18:34:00.003-04:00

What a week!

First of all, a description of what's going on in all the photos I posted:

Liv got to hang out with her baby friend Sarah, go to a fancy lobster dinner with Mommy, Daddy and Jillian (including an amazing dessert bar!), pose for Mommy in her room, open her first piece of official mail (her social security card arrived!), play at the kids gymnastics place near our house (she was GREAT at climbing the rock wall), AND meet my parents for the first time! Woo Hoo! We have had so much fun!

It's been great having my parents around for the last couple of days, and they have really enjoyed spending time with the girls. They can vouch for the fact that Jillian really loves her little sister, and that Liv is even more adorable in person than in her photos ;)

Last night Liv slept for almost 5 hours between feedings, so it was a pretty fantastic night. She usually goes about 3-3.5 hours... She is getting stronger and stronger every day. She can easily pick up her head and turn it from side to side, she's tracking people and noises with her eyes, she is starting to look amused (has almost really smiled!) and she has more gas than any person I've ever met. Seriously. She's the gassiest baby I've ever met. I'm sure she will love me documenting that!!!

Better run- My Dad ran electrical for two new ceiling fans in the house, and he and Ryan are busy installing them right now. I suppose I should be helping rather than blogging...

Have a great week, and don't forget to look at all the new PHOTOS!

Nancy

3 Weeks Old!

2009-09-10T15:39:00.002-04:00

Click HERE for Liv's 3 week old photo slide show!

Another week? Is it fair to say that I might start every post talking about how I can't believe another week has passed? Probably. Definitely.

Time passes so quickly with an infant- it's amazing to watch this little girl growing and changing. Right now she's wide awake and laying in my lap as I type. Totally happy just sucking on her pacifier and staring at me. So sweet.

The pacifier is one big difference between our girls. Jillian did not use one at all (HATED it) but Liv really likes it. I think it's because I introduced it much earlier this time. Last time the lactation consultants scared me into not introducing anything for the first 6 weeks, and as a result, Jillian never took a bottle. Good thing I didn't have anything better to do than be with Jillian every 3 hours for the first year... haha... Hoping things will be different on that front this time around.

This week Liv got to spend a lot of time with my cousin Heidi. Heidi came from Omaha to help out for a week, and we had a wonderful time. She's the best! Thanks for taking the time to come hang out with us Heidi! Liv also got to go check out Ryan's golf club, go to her 2 week well baby appointment (7.5lbs!), take her first shower with Mommy, visit Severna Park MD (where we plan to move before the girls start school), help Daddy out at work, meet more friends from our MOMS Club, and relax at home. Whew! It was a great week. Enjoy all the PHOTOS, and be sure to check in on us again next week!

Nancy

2 Weeks Old!

2009-09-03T15:56:00.004-04:00

Has it been a week already?!

It's amazing to think my due date was actually today... I feel kinda sneaky having gotten to spend the last 14 days with sweet Liv in our house! What a wonderful baby she is!

Check out all the photos from this week... Liv has had a lot of fun!

We got to meet a new friend from our MOMS Club- baby Leah. In the photos you can see Liv introducing herself via an attempt to feed off of Leah's nose! haha!

Also this week, Liv's umbilical cord fell off, so we were able to give her a real bath. Jillian helped (of course!) and Liv was pretty okay with the whole ordeal... She's not a big fan of being cold though, so there were some serious Daddy snuggles needed when she had to get out. After the snuggles Mommy fed her and prepared to get her dressed again, when Liv decided she would help me by pooping all over the clean sheets on our bed. We had JUST put the bed back together after a thorough AM washing caused by a similar issue. This time though, she hit the comforter, top sheet, fitted sheet, & mattress pad... Oh joy!

Liv's first metro ride into DC was this week too. My cousin Heidi is in town helping out with the girls, so we decided to head into the city to have a birthday lunch with my good friend Natalie. The girls were both great, and we enjoyed strolling around (trying to get a good view of the Washington Monument for Jillian) in the great weather.

On Sunday, Liv joined our family for our traditional morning bowling event. It was nice to introduce her to some of the people we see there every week.

Liv also met some of our military friends- the Decker's, & Heather, went to the park, strolled in Annapolis, and posed for plenty of photos on some of the cute quilts we've gotten from family and friends!

What a busy week for a 14 day old person!!!

Other than that, she's doing a great job eating and sleeping... She eats about every 3 hours, and still sleeps a lot. The last few days we've been getting to see her dark blue eyes more and more so that is nice. When she's laying on her belly, she can pick up her head and turn it from side to side... she loves being in her swing, and seems to enjoy car rides... Overall, just one fantastic baby! We're so darn lucky!

Enjoy the photos, and I'll update again next week!

Nancy

TO SEE LIV'S 2 WEEK PHOTOS, CLICK HERE!

1 Week Old!

2009-08-27T21:31:00.005-04:00

Okay, in addition to the 100 or so photos I've posted of Liv so far, you can:
CLICK HERE for more new photos!
I also have a few more from this first week (like the one below) I'll share later, but they are from the batch of photos I took for her birth announcements, so I don't want to reveal them all just yet ;)
During Jillian's first year, I updated about her progress once a week. My intention is to do the same for sweet Liv. Already this week so many things have changed, so I welcome this opportunity to sit down, and reflect on what we've experienced so far with her.

In general, having a newborn in the house is one of the most amazing things... It's exhausting, wonderful, overwhelming, and simply amazing. To be honest, I've always loved newborns. The little puzzle of figuring out what makes them happy, reading their cues and responding to their needs... Breathing in the very essence of them. They are unlike anything else in the world. Such a tiny package of promise and potential. I love them. I love Liv. I can sit and stare at her for such long periods of time, and she can bring a lump to my throat by just laying there making her sweet tiny baby noises. It's magical.

So far Livy sleeps like a champ. We had one rough night when all she wanted was to eat and snuggle, but overall it's been great. Waking up every 3 hours or so to eat, and then right back down. We've been keeping her in our room so far, but I think the crib will come next week... She's doing well in there for some of her naps during the day so I think she can handle it- (assuming I can!) haha...

Eating is going well too- I'm getting used to the whole thing again, and she's slowly learning. I forgot how much coaching they need in the beginning! We brought her to her first pediatrics appointment yesterday, and she was only down a little from her birth weight, so that's good.

Even though this blog is about Liv, I think it's important to add that Jillian simply loves her. She is adjusting SO well, and looks for Liv in the morning to say, "Good morning baby Liv!" It's very sweet. She wants to hold her often (and then after about 5 seconds always says, "She wants her Mommy" and nudges her back to me). Lots of kisses, lots of helping Mommy and Daddy, and lots of saying, "Ew! Baby Liv pooped!" ;)

This week Liv got to meet quite a few of our friends from MOMS Club as they have coordinated bringing meals for our family. I feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful group of parents and children to call our friends. Thanks for all your support ladies!

Ryan's also been a great support. Jillian sure loves that guy! ;) He took this whole week off of work, so there's been lots of quality family time and extra attention for Jillian. It's been really nice.

Okay- that's it for this week. Tune in next Thursday for another batch of photos and an update on Liv!

Photos and the rest of the story...

2009-08-23T15:45:00.003-04:00

Wowzer! Okay- in case you subscribe to the theory, "A picture is worth a thousand words", here is a link for all the photos I've taken from the time we left for the hospital, until now. Warning, there are LOTS!!! :)

www.kulesfamily.shutterfly.com

And, for documentation sake, here's the whole story:

On Wednesday, August 19th we had an OB appointment around 10am. While we were there, I got an exam and found out we were 2cm dilated. By 6:15pm that evening, I was having regular contractions and called the hospital to decide our course of action. They told me if I was the same, (or worse!) by 9pm to head in to check things out.

Jillian was already in bed, so we called our friends Natalie and Rene to come baby/dog/house sit while we drove to Bethesda.

We leisurely got out the door (my contractions were every 4 min or so, but not that awful) so we made sure to pack everything (just in case this was the real deal!) and got on the road.

Upon arrival at the hospital, my contractions had lessened (wouldn't you know?!) so I was sure we were going to be sent home. However, my exam showed I was 4cm, and progressing, so they checked us in!

Once we got in our room, I got my epidural, pitocen, water broken, and was told to get some rest. (Okay- I made that whole part sound pretty quick and painless, but I'm saving you the labor details!)

I could not fall asleep no matter how hard I tried, but Ryan crashed out for a little bit. At about 4:30am I started having a weird pain in my side. When the doc checked me out, it was determined this was probably because Liv had quickly transitioned to a +2 station, I was 100% thinned, and dilated 10cm. In summary: It was go time!

I called across the room to Ryan to wake him up: "Babe! Wake up... wanna have a baby?" (Groggy Ryan) "Hm? Huh? Oh.... now? Sure!" Haha!

It took him a minute to get the pull out bed put away, and stand by me. While he was doing this, the staff was setting up our room for delivery. My nurse was talking to me about how she counts contractions and suggested we do a "practice push" to make sure we were on the same page. Count 3 of the practice push she quickly said, "Okay... um... please stop!" She suggested the doctor quickly finish the prep. Guess we were ready!!!

The first contraction where I was told to push, I gave it my all and I guess it was enough! By count 7 or so, her head was out, and after a quick deep breath and another push, Liv was born!

4:46am, cord around her neck, covered with white goo, and screaming, Liv had arrived. The cord was quickly dealt with, and she was just fine. They were able to deliver her onto my belly and Ryan and I were completely consumed by this magical moment we had been blessed with for a second time. In minutes, seconds even, we had gone from a family of three to a family of four. It is amazing.

Enjoy the photos!

She's HERE!

2009-08-21T16:13:00.005-04:00

Liv Madeline Kules

Thursday August 20th

7.1lbs, 20.5in, 4:46am!

More details/photos soon!

Appointment today...

2009-08-19T14:15:00.002-04:00

Okay- so we've got progress...

I went to the doctor today, and apparently I'm 2cm dilated, 50% thinned, and the baby is low. That's good news considering when I was checked 10 days ago I was none of those things!

So... We'll see!

Keep your fingers crossed Liv decides to come soon- I'M SO READY!!!

Liv's Baby Shower!

2009-08-09T21:27:00.004-04:00

Today I had a wonderful time celebrating at Liv's baby shower! My sweet friend Karen was kind enough to host a gathering at her house, and it was simply wonderful!

Here's the cute cupcakes and all the yummy food:

Sweet personalized favors:

Me opening lots of wonderful, generous gifts:

An ADORABLE diaper cake/basket my friend Mariana MADE for me! She's so talented!

Yolanda, Me and Kelsey. All expecting within a few days of each other!

All five expecting women at the party. Karen (our hostess) to my left, and Heather:

The whole wonderful group:

Thanks so much ladies for being a part of this celebration! I feel so lucky to have all of you in our lives, and can't wait for you all to meet Liv!

Here is a link for some other photos we took, but didn't post: LINK

Oh- and if you get these updates via email, you'll have to visit the site directly (www.kulesfamily2.blogspot.com) to see it, but there is a link on the right hand side of the page now where you can put in your guess for Liv's arrival date, weight, & length! Happy Guessing!

Liv's Room is DONE!

2009-08-03T17:48:00.002-04:00

Here's a LINK for all the photos of Liv's completed bedroom!!!!

Here's the whole story of how the room came to be, and all the things we did:

* Ryan and I shopped and shopped to find bedding we loved. We found a collection from Kids Line called Birdsong which was being discontinued. A store near us still had one in stock, so we were lucky to get the quilt, dust ruffle, 1 valence, diaper stacker, sheet and bumper.

* A few months ago, our sweet friends Sarah and Chris were visiting from Arizona and watched Jillian while Ryan and I went out of town. As if they had not done enough, I convinced them to help me paint into the wee hours of the night. We did a robin egg blue on the ceiling and top 18 inches of the wall, and a lavender on the bottom.

* Next, Ryan and I measured/cut/painted half round molding to put between the two colors.

* We searched high and low for the perfect furniture for the room- we wanted the finish to be white, to have a nice sized dresser and crib that converts to a full size bed.

* We knew we wanted to incorporate a large wall unit we could fill with baskets and use to store toys for the girls. We purchased this and Ryan and I assembled it and were glad to have it while we organized the room! We also purchased a large brown rug for in front of this unit.

* Our furniture order arrived, and Ryan and I set it up together in the room. It's amazing quality, and weighs a ton. Very nice.

* Next up were the curtains. I made sheer panels for privacy, and long white curtains which are pulled to the side with pink ribbon. Then, since our bedding set only came with one valance, I decided to cut apart the crib skirt that had come with the set, to sew tops for both windows. Then, I added white tabs to those so we could hang them. I also added a strip of solid purple fabric to the valence to jazz them up a little bit.

* Since I had cut up the crib skirt, I made a new one... Out of the solid purple.

* I purchased a few lights to go on the top of the large bookshelf to provide ambient light in the room- I love the way this looks!!!

* After MUCH searching we found the perfect rocker/glider for the room. It's white wood, with the perfect color purple cushions. Thanks for your help with this, Karen! ;)

* I had purchased a few different baskets/containers to organize books on the large shelf. It was actually hard to find the perfect ones that looked good and were functional, but after what felt like 1 million different purchases and returns, I settled on a nice wicker set with pink liners. They're so cute and my Mom and I found them for a great deal!

My Mom came into town and helped SO much with all the finishing touches in the room.

Together, we:

* Made floor pillows for the rug area by the bookshelf and a little pillow for on the chair. A while ago I found a great stripe fabric that picks up all the colors in the bedding, so we used a lot of that, and cut up and used the fabric that was supposed to be the valance. Cute, cute...

* Finished an art project... I made 8x8 scrapbook pages online using Heritage Makers, featuring a tree, flower, and dragonfly. I customized them a little more by using the words Liv, Madeline, and Kules over and over as the background of the images. Then, I cut wood so it would have about a 1 inch border around the pictures, routed the edges, painted them white, and then used Mod Podge to adhere the pictures to the wood. I also put Mod Podge right over a ribbon border so the whole square has a nice sealed finish. They turned out great.

* Made a butterfly mobile for above the crib... This was a labor of love for sure, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. We found a template for an intricate butterfly online, and used a copy machine to make 3 different butterfly sizes. Then, we cut a bunch out of card stock, searched the neighborhood for the perfect branch, and hung the butterflies at different heights with pink string.

* Found 9 white frames we could use to display pictures of Liv with her extended family once she arrives. We did this in Jillian's room too, and she says "goodnight" to each person often. This means despite our distance in miles, our most important family members are familiar to her. For now, we quickly drew fun little pictures with marker so the frames would not be empty!

* Added a green polka dot ribbon (the same one that is on the pillows and the artwork) to the bottom of the sheer panels for the windows.

* And finally: Hung a floating shelf for the diaper baskets, accessorized those baskets with alternating green/pink ribbon, hung hooks for towels, found the perfect hamper, hung Liv's name above the closet bordered by two large flowers on pink ribbon AND put a cute, "Shhh... Baby Dreaming" decal above the crib.

WHEW! If you think that was a lot to type/read, imagine doing it all!!!! I'm so glad it's done, so appreciative of all the help I had, and SO ready to meet Liv and see what she thinks of it all! :)

The finished product!

2009-07-14T13:23:00.002-04:00

I could NOT be more pleased with how Liv's quilt turned out! It is fun, colorful, cheery, and coordinates with the colors in her room very nicely without really matching... It's perfect!

As you can see, I'm getting quite the belly these days! We're almost 33 weeks along now...
This heart detail is along the top and bottom of the border...
Check out that perfect edge AND the adorable green polka dot fabric!
This striped material is solid on the back of the quilt, and the quilting detail is this ADORABLE hearts and hands stitch. The hands are almost the exact size of Jillian's hands right now... Aww...
I'm not sure if you can tell in the photos, but the stitching all the quilting was done in is a beautiful multi-colored thread. It's so perfect!

I feel like I can say (without stretching the truth too much!) that I made this quilt, but I have to give a HUGE shout out to Shere and her friend Bobbie in CA. I mailed my pieced front off to them, and they added the teal border to the front for me, the green edging, and did the heart & hand quilting. The attention to detail and love that went into this blanket is obvious! Thank you so much ladies for being such a huge part of creating this blanket- I love it, and I'm sure Liv will feel the same way! :)

30 Weeks this Thursday!

2009-06-22T20:29:00.002-04:00

Things are really flying now... hard to believe it is only about 9 weeks until we meet Liv! We're working on getting things in place for her- the furniture is in route, and we got a large bookshelf purchased and assembled already... Once the crib comes, I'm sure her room will come along quickly- I'm feeling anxious about it! (and, judging from the solid kick to the ribs I just got while typing this, Liv wants us to get on it as well! haha!)

The other day, Ryan and I took Liv's bedroom set with us to the fabric store, and picked out some materials that featured all the different colors in her room. I've been working hard for the past few days- cutting, ironing, sewing...

Liv's quilt:

I think it turned out pretty darn cute so far, and now I just need to have it quilted and edged. My girlfriend Heather said she has just paid someone with a quilting machine to do this in the past (rather than hand quilting) and I think I'm going to follow suit. Shere, are you reading this??? ;)

Hope everyone is doing well. We're great, and aside from an aching back by the end of the day (compounded by sewing!) I don't have any big complaints!

Take care,

Nancy

Decorating for Liv...

2009-05-30T16:01:00.003-04:00

I love to plan, and be organized. Please know however, that does not mean those things actually come naturally to me. I am often fighting my inner clutter bug and procrastinator in order to get things labeled and designated to a particular space! It's a lot of work. That being said, I can truly say that I love organization because once it's all done and there's, "a place for everything, and everything in it's place" it makes me happy to the core. Honestly. I think I was 100% sure of my decision to be a Kindergarten teacher early on when I saw those labeled cubbies and play kitchens with a photo/label for everything. Pure bliss. :)

Anyway. Perhaps it's that desire to have things in place, or perhaps it's the fact that I look like this:
But Ryan and I went out today and ordered the furniture for Liv's room. The photo below shows it in a dark brown, but we picked white. And, the actual dresser we chose is slightly different than the one pictured (it has 6 large drawers instead of having a door in the middle) but you get the idea. The crib, dresser (which we will use as the changing table) and a large mirror are the three pieces we purchased.

Aside from that, when our dear friends Sarah and Chris were in town (they were SO sweet to fly in from AZ to watch Jillian while Ryan and I were having fun at Indy 500 earlier this month) we got the room painted! I'm holding off on the paint reveal (until we get everything in place) but I will share a stock photo of the sweet bedding we picked out:

So that's all the update for now! Just had to share our purchases with you! Babies are so fun!

And her name is...

2009-05-19T14:21:00.002-04:00

Okay, we're decided. 100%, no more changing our minds!

Our little girl's name is going to be:

Liv Madeline Kules

Jillian loves saying- "baby Liv!" and kissing my belly. She has also already changed it to "Livvy" which I'm sure is going to be a popular nickname...

I'm feeling fine- starting to have quite an aching back by the end of the day- seems about on par with what I dealt with while carrying Jillian.

Hope all is well!

Nancy

She's growing!

2009-04-22T21:33:00.004-04:00

As you can see, I've got a little belly going on! :) We had our comprehensive ultrasound today (where they take a long time and check the baby for any abnormalities) and it went great. Our little girl (confirmed gender again) was swimming around, and everything looked as it should for this stage of development!

First Belly Shot:

Over the past few days, Ryan and I traveled to Arizona and Las Vegas with Jillian. I have a funny baby story to share: Over the week of being in Arizona, I didn't feel the baby moving at all. It concerned me (since I had been feeling little flutters consistently for a short while) but I tried not to worry about it too much. As we arrived in Vegas, I was happy to feel a quick kick of reassurance letting me know she was okay. After that, she was pretty quiet again UNTIL Ryan and I went to the Beatles LOVE show... For the first 5 minutes or so (when the music started) the baby had a dance party in my stomach! It was hilarious! I have never felt her that active before- it was really cool. I think she's a Beatles fan! ;)

We just could not wait...

2009-03-21T15:48:00.009-04:00

When we went to our 16 week ultrasound appointment, we thought there was a very good chance we would find out if baby #2 was a boy or a girl. So, when the ultrasound ended up not answering our question, we were disappointed.

So- we decided to go to an ultrasound technician in our area and pay out of pocket for a gender check.

The result: IT'S A GIRL!!!

16 Week Ultrasound!

2009-03-19T20:50:00.006-04:00

I see a few more people have cast a vote on the girl/boy poll. I'm sure you'll be happy to know if you've thus far missed your chance to weigh in on the gender of baby #2, you've still got time.

However, if I put in a vote for the doctor who did our ultrasound today, it would be:

"Um...Uh...Boy. As a percentage? 51% boy to 49% girl"

So, as you can see, she is ULTRA confident about her guess. (Please read extreme

sarcasm here!) We are putting off the purchase of linens and paint until someone gives us a little better indication than that! The machine she used was not of the highest quality, and we only had a few minutes to peek as she was just doing the ultrasound as a favor to us. Also, baby was squirming around and not too revealing...

In about a month (I think the end of April) we're setting up the "big ultrasound" where they take the time to check for LOTS of detail, and are sure to get a picture of the genital region if you are interested.

Anyway, here is our favorite shot we got of baby today. I was online with my sister and proudly shared this "really clear picture" of the baby. She responded that, "I obviously could see more than her in the photo" so, at the risk that Ryan and I are filling in the fuzzy gaps of an ultrasound with our visions of chubby cheeks and wrinkled thighs, I'll try my best to "point out" a few features for those of you less imaginative than we are. Haha!

Anyway- I'm posting the same photo twice. Once with explanation, once without.

Enjoy!

#1- Right knee

#2- Big Belly

#3- Right eye

#4- Left eye

#5- Chin

Hope that helps, Marilyn! Haha!!

Oh, and here is one more... you can sorta see the profile and spine on this one:

16 Weeks... appointment today!

2009-03-19T12:50:00.003-04:00

I got a call this morning, and they tried to cancel our appointment for 3pm today because the Dr. I was supposed to see is out sick. No way! After a little bit of a conversation with a supervisor, I'm seeing someone else instead, still 3:00.

So... the reason for this update prior to the appointment (rather than after) is assuming we get an ultrasound, there is a good chance at 16 weeks we will be able to see if our little one is a boy, or a girl!!! I think it is hilarious that the poll is currently 50/50... I didn't need the input of over 60 people in order to know it's 50/50 between boy and girl! LOL!!

So, if you have not voted yet, there's a good chance today will be your last day to get your input in... Happy guessing!

15 Weeks Along- 2nd Trimester!

2009-03-12T17:45:00.004-04:00

Well, we're officially in our 2nd trimester now!

I can't say I feel much different- I'm definitely much less tired now than I was at the very beginning of the pregnancy. We're anxious to have another appointment/ultrasound... just over a week before we get to do that...

March 20th is our appointment so I'll update again then!

I found the picture below of a fetus at 15 weeks on one of my favorite baby websites... pretty cool!

13 Weeks Along...

2009-02-26T18:44:00.004-05:00

It's been a week since we went 'public' with our news. It's so nice to hear from so many people wishing us (and baby!) well. Thanks to everyone for the comments, emails, and votes! Looks like more than 60% of you think (so far) that's we'll have a boy this time around. We'll see!

I found this really cool image of a baby at 13 weeks- WOW! We can't wait until our next appointment (late March) and hope to get another peek at our little one in there!

So far, I've been feeling pretty good. I am still a little tired in the afternoons, but I was lucky to (almost) completely miss dealing with morning sickness at all. This was the same with Jillian's pregnancy... I know, I'm very lucky! (For so many reasons!!!!) I also caved and pulled out the maternity pants already (MUCH earlier than I did for Jillian!) I'm not really 'showing' yet so I can't post a belly pic, but it is SOoooo much more comfortable to wear things that don't restrict me at all when I sit down.

Anyway- Just wanted to give a quick update with how things are going!

Take care,

Nancy, Ryan and Jillian too!

Nervous, anxious, & excited!

2009-02-18T14:34:00.005-05:00

We're officially 12 weeks along tomorrow so it seems like the time to share our news has come!

I feel totally anxious about making our pregnancy public, and ended up calling Bethesda this morning (where our OB appointments are) and begging them to double check our baby's heartbeat with a doppler. It was loud and clear, beating in the 160's, so that's good news!

Although every pregnancy is filled with unknowns, Ryan and I feel a lot better knowing that we have safely gotten to this point. Wish us luck as we work toward becoming a family of four!

Check out this cool photo I found online of a baby at 12 weeks- I guess he/she is already about 2.5 inches long!!

Another Ultrasound

2009-02-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

You would think that the nauseous feeling I've been dealing with in the mornings, or the increasing discomfort I'm dealing with in some of my jeans would be enough to comfort my stress in regards to this baby... but no. The image of a heartbeat on an ultrasound however, ahh..... it does wonders...

Ryan and I are feeling pretty darn great after our appointment this morning, and the new snap shot we got of the baby!

Relief with one photo:

First Ultrasound

2009-02-02T20:27:00.001-05:00

Because of our miscarriage recently, we were able to get an ultrasound appointment at 6 weeks. We are very happy to report, that even that early on, our tiny baby had a nice strong and visible heartbeat! This was great news as the odds of a miscarriage drop to something like 4% after seeing a heartbeat...

The day we found out...

2009-02-02T20:14:00.000-05:00

We found out we were expecting on Dec. 23rd, 2009. What a wonderful early Christmas present! That morning, Ryan had gone out early, and came home with Chick-fil-a for breakfast. (A personal favorite of mine.) My oh-so-romantic husband came into our room where I was still sleeping, and set my delicious box of Chick-a-mini's on my pillow next to me. The delicious smell of chicken woke me, and I enjoyed breakfast in bed. After eating, I got up and decided to take a pregnancy test. We were hopeful it would be positive, but planned to wait until after my birthday on the 26th to try to avoid a false negative. I couldn't wait. So, when the test came back with a shining plus sign, I quickly stashed it inside my discarded chicken box, and set it on Ryan's nightstand. When I called him in to, "look in the box!" he said- "oh, no thanks baby... I'm pretty full" (Thinking I had saved him one of my mini sandwiches... yeah right! lol) Anyway, after another tiny prompt, he opened it and lit up like a kid on Christmas. We are so excited! We shared our news with Jillian, and then waited a few more days before spreading the info to immediate family. We're being a little cautiously optimistic about the situation because a few months ago, we had a miscarriage at 12 weeks. It was difficult to deal with, but we knew at the time- should we be blessed with another child in the future, we would not be able to picture our lives without that exact little person. And so, we anxiously await the arrival of our newest family member, on September 3rd. Wish us luck, and please use this website to follow along with our pregnancy, and the first year of our new baby's life!