A Special Thank You

Olivia is now 9 weeks old. I feel like I'm living in some fantastic dream. She's a wonderful baby! She continues to enjoy bathtime, stroller rides along the trails with the dogs, listening to music, her baby swing and of course, time with mommy and daddy. I've had a lot of support since she arrived.

We'd like to thank the following family members for their love and support:

Grandma - Thank you for spending time with us, checking in regularly, arranging Olivia's baby shower and being a good support to me when I've been tired and weepy. We love you very much!

Grandpa - Thank you for your letters, financial support and coming back into our lives. We love you very much!

Auntie Mary/Uncle Adi - Thank you for the beautiful card and money for Olivia. The phone calls are helpful too. I can't wait for you to meet baby Olivia. We love you very much!

Uncle Gerald - Thank you for visiting us in the hospital, it was so nice to have you there. Our Sunday visits have been terrific! We love you very much!

Luke, Sumie, Marie and Alyssa - Thank you for the wonderful shower gifts and the special times you've spent babysitting. We love you very much!

Auntie Rachel - Thank you for your kindness and support throughout the pregnancy. You're very sweet. We love you very much!

Learning So Much About Our Little One

It has been a very busy week. Olivia is changing everyday. She's awake for most of the day with a couple short naps. In the evening from about 7pm-11pm she has been very colicky, crying inconsolably for hours and pulling her little legs up to her chest. This evening I gave her some gripe water which helped considerably. After about 11om or midnight, Olivia has been sleeping throughout the night, with a few short wake ups for feeding. I have started taking baths with her, she seems to find this soothing. One of her toys emits the sound of running water which she finds very calming as well. Finally, my friend Dawn told me that making a shhhhh'ing sound will sooth an upset baby. It works like a charm!

As for me, I'm grateful to be getting some sleep at night. I also try to catch a nap during the day. This week I started taking Olivia out in the stroller along with my two little dogs. We've been going down to the local trails. It's very relaxing. The cool air is refreshing and it's a great way for me to lose the remaining baby weight.

Weight Gain

Baby Olivia is doing really well this week. She spends a good part of the day awake and is sleeping a lot throughout the night:) She had a check up on Wednesday and has gained half a pound since birth, bringing her upto exactly 8 lbs at 5 weeks. I'm going to make a trip to Babies R Us this weekend to get her a cover for her stroller (to keep out the rain) a pad for her change table, a Christmas dress (family photos are coming up) and a little comb (her hair is growing like crazy). I plan to take more photos of her this weekend, which I will post in a few days.

Home at Last

Here is a photo of our little darling the day we brought her home. We couldn't resist taking this photo, she's just so ridiculously cute!

Welcome to the world, little one.

Olivia was born at 3:38am October 1, 2009. The delivery was managable with the help of an epidural. I was in labour for about 22 hours, and less than 45 minutes was spent pushing. When she arrived, she looked quite alert, with big, dark eyes and lots of hair. She was very quiet at first. I held her first, then Daddy who also gave her her first bottle which she gobbled down very quickly.

6 Months Pregnant with Olivia

My pregnancy with Olivia went quite well. I stayed very active throughout. I have two little dogs, Daisy and Laddy who kept me in shape with at least an hour of walking every day right till the very end. I also lifted light free weights until 28 weeks. I did simple bicep curls and shoulder/chest press. For the most part, I enjoyed my pregnancy; long naps, feeling Olivia kicking and the anticipation of meeting our little angel.

3-D Ultrasound -24 Weeks

Here is a photo of Olivia in utero at 24 weeks. I was amazed at how detailed the 3-D Ultrasound was. In this photo she is resting her tiny hand under her chin. We have noticed, since she has arrived, that she loves this pose, she does it constantly. Sometimes we joke that it looks like she's talking on a cell phone.