31 Weeks Old

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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...

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!