BabyK is on the Move.....

Just yesterday... well, actually 18 short days ago.... the little one started exploring her world at knee level.  What started out as a "stiff-armed inch-worm action" is now full blown speed-crawling!  She's a fast little girl.  It's so exciting, yet at the same time so sad- Jason and I are forced to acknowledge the fact that she is growing up so very quickly.  First, is was holding her own bottle and now it's a one-handed hand-pass thing.... and even standing- yep, I said standing.  Mommy made the mistake of showing her how to stand by propping her up against one of her toys last Wednesday, and now she is doing her best to stand with the limited furniture that we have for her to push herself up on.... which means that the stairs are now her favorite 'toy.'  As is he cat.... and I have video to prove it.  (Thank you to both my honey's for the new FlipCam for Mother's Day.... we finally picked one out and here is the debut video...... enjoy!)

Growing Like a Little Weed

It's been nine months since our little girl has blessed our lives- everyday has been a mixture of joy, fear (of the unknown, of what am I doing wrong, of what if's period...), learning, laughs and most of all love.  It's funny that when you have dreams of having a family that you seem to imagine the larger milestones like walking, the first day of school, a first date, etc. and not so much everyday life with your new little person.  I know that my heart will swell with pride when we do experience the "big firsts" but it's the little daily activities that I truly relish.  An average trip to the grocery store is always interesting, especially now that Kiera is so interactive.  She always seems to draw attention from at least one person when she flashes that little four-toothed smile;  Mommy is biased and knows that she is cute but the positive reinforcement helps!  ( :   I like to spend the time in the store showing her things- a bumpy, round orange; bright purple flowers with the crinkly wrapping; soft, warm bread....  sometimes I get strange looks- both from her and passers-by, but I don't really care.  Part of my job is to enrich her world and let her experience 'things' and learn in a fun, easy way.  I've been trying to also integrate the baby sign language that I know if appropriate.  I imagine that someday she's going to stand up in the cart and ask for a warm crinkly orange..... 

Kiera likes to go shopping!  YAY!  (Daddy says, "Boo!")  I let her experience the world upright from the seat of a shopping cart (as opposed to her car seat attached to it) a few weeks ago (love, love the shopping cart/high chair cover by Eddie Bauer) and she was so funny to watch.  She was totally excited about this really cute baby that she met... who just happened to be herself in the mirror at Old Navy!  She's a 'people person,' I tell ya- tries to engage with anyone that she comes across.... this is great for making new friends but a bit frustrating when you are trying to feed her and she just wants to chat with a new friend! Between Old Navy/ Target, Grandma BB and her and I were out for a few hours and she didn't make one protest- I'm sure that she felt like such a big girl hanging out doing Mommy stuff! ( :

Kiera is right on par with her development; I sometimes think that she's grown just from the time I dropped her off for daycare at Grandma's to when I pick her up to go home!  She's not yet crawling- pretty close- but rolls everywhere like a little speed demon.  (We're set to baby-proof- I mean parent-proof- the house within the next week or so.) She's been sitting up unaided for a few weeks, but only sits up from lying down every so often....ya- why work the abs on your own when one of your peeps will prop you up!?! 

I love to hand her a new toy and watch her turn and investigate it from all angles- her favorite, of course is to taste it. Now that she has sprouted four teeth (she waited until eight months and got them all within about 10 days...) everything is going in her mouth, which means we have to be diligent in watching her.

No matter what we are doing, the three of us just have a blast together.  She's mostly a happy baby girl- a few rough days here and there when her "teefs" are bothering her (bless you Hyland's teething tablets!) or she's ultra-tired and doesn't want to go to sleep in fear of missing out (Mommy much?) on something good!  Little Kiera is our little sunshine- we both beam when we see her, but the way that her Daddy melts in her presence is just amazing- we're some lucky people!  But is it going by so fast- she's growing like a weed, the time is flying by;  everyone tells you to enjoy it while you can and I think I'm finally realizing why!

All I Need is a Lemonade and a Rocking Chair.....

I'm sitting here with the Lakers/ Kings basketball game playing in the background (and despite being a King's fan...hoping secretly that the Laker's actually win so that I don't have to hear my dear husband curse up a blue streak....) also doing one of my new favorite past times: Kiera- watching.  She has noticably gone through a huge developmental stage since February.  At about six months, within just a week she was holding her own bottle and discovering that she could play 'bongo' on every surface imaginable and even sit up unsupported and quite wobbly!  Now, at nearly eight months, she is even more fun to play with- one of her new favorite things is to roll around.. all over.  From front to back, back to front and even left and right, she rolls around all over the place (note to self: get the carpets cleaned and fast!) exploring things that she encounters in her small little world- like spots on the carpet or the many toys that we place around her.    And she's fast.... like a little Tasmanian devil rolling all over the place.  Her first few attempts to roll over unaided were a slow and frustrating process; but once she figured out to fling the arm up she's now a champion flipper!  She has also found her voice within just the last week and obviously has something to say!

I love to listen to her tell us all about her day in her gravelly baby voice,  'dadaaa daaaaa da'  she says and looks up so proud.  Of course we know that she is telling us about her fantastic day at either Nanny Barbara's or Gwamma's.... and we pretend that we completely understand.  I'm thoroughly entranced by watching life thorugh my daughter's eyes.  I love to watch her get so excited when she sees one of us for the first time in the evening; or how her BFF- Gyaffgyaff pacifies her; how she makes a funny face at the first bite of her solid foods or the wide-eyed wonder of watching Dusty cat stroll on by.  The simple things... pure innocence.  I hope that she gets to stay that way for a long time- innocent, happy, gentle and sweet.  I also hope that I can protect her from the big, bad world out there and that she keeps happily rolling through her day.........

An Open Letter to Our Daughter: Welcome to Half a Year!

Dear Kiera Mckenzie;

    You, my heart, are already six months old…. You’ve blessed our lives for a whole 26 weeks now- it feels like so long ago, yet just like yesterday that you decided to ‘pop’ into our lives. I do know that I can’t imagine NOT having you in my life; or how I, we, ever existed without you.
    You were Mommy and Daddy’s dream for so long; we endured five years of hoping, trying and heartbreak before we found out about you and then for the next 37 weeks we could hardly contain our excitement. We wondered what you would look like (Daddy was hoping for a little red-haired angel; I was just hoping for hair, period- not bald as an eagle like Mommy was, but a cute little curly red-head, blue eyed doll would have been my order), prayed that you would be healthy and strong; how you’ve exceeded- already- all of our wonder, prayers and expectations.
     When they first meet you, everyone remarks how adorable you are; we are the first to agree although we are certainly biased. With big blue-gray eyes framed by long wispy eyelashes; chubby, rosy little cheeks; a cute little button nose and a 5,000 watt smile that lights up any room and melts any heart, you, my sweet girl, makes anyone fall in love with you at first site. But that’s just the beginning- as you will soon find out that looks aren’t everything (but they do help!)- you are ‘the total package.’

     You are a very happy, content little baby and have the sweetest disposition. You have just three cries- one when you are hungry and nothing else will do; one when you are fighting going nite-nite; and then the third is the one that breaks my heart- when something is really, really wrong. We’ve only heard that a handful of times so far, but that’s been enough (remember your three-month shots? Probably not, but we sure do!) So when you aren’t hungry or tired, you are my smiley-bug. And how that smile after a long day of work just makes everything I do for you count. It also makes me want to hold you tight and never let you go. When we do hold you close, you like to give us slobbery but welcomed and cherished kisses. And then you look at us and smile because you are so proud of giving loves! You are just learning how to give hugs, and until then, we’ll take the kisses.
     We’ve only been away from you for one night since you were born- we left you in Grandma K’s very capable hands while we had an overnight escape to Reno. We missed you to pieces while we were gone and thought about you every second! In fact, Mommy is having the hardest time letting you sleep in your big girl crib- you do fine- she doesn’t. I promise that by the time that you are 16; you will be very comfy in your own room!

     We’ve watched you sprout like a little weed right before our eyes- you’re a healthy growing girl- you’re now over 17 pounds and 26” long- but Mommy is in denial that you no longer fit into those petite little NB clothes. Although you haven’t really mastered rolling over yet (tummy time is too stressful!) you are nearly sitting up on your own unaided. You held your bottle all by yourself just the other day, and you smiled so proud- Mommy was proud too. You’ve also been enjoying big-girl cereal and food for a few weeks; almost as much as we enjoy watching you eat it. You sit in your Bumbo anxiously awaiting the yummy delights that we are going to spoon into your little mouth. Your first food was sweet potatoes and you weren’t too sure, but then loved it. That was followed by carrots, green beans, peas, prunes and apple sauce. You aren’t very fond of the peas (can’t blame you there!) but you love the prunes and apple sauce. When you know it’s dinner time, you chatter, chatter and then nearly knock the spoon and bowl out of our hands because you can’t wait to see what is in store for your tummy! Such a big girl!

      There are very few things that you dislike- one of them is getting cleaned up after above said big girl food and the other is well, despite a closet packed to the gills with every darling outfit imaginable, just getting dressed is your worst nightmare. You are our resident nudist and love to show off your baby-supermodel physique. If you are grumpy and we let you play on a fuzzy mat in your birfday suit, you are sooooo happy. It’s magic! You also work up quite the appetite kicking and playing. Speaking of kicking, you love taking a bath, especially if it is in the big yellow duck. The first time we put you in it, you kicked up a little tidal wave and all of the water was on Daddy and the floor. It was fun for us all- we took video to prove it.. and someday we’ll even show your boyfriends! ( :
    It’s no surprise that you have a toy box that rivals current inventory at ToysRUs, however we’ve been careful to not overwhelm you with too many. You seem to especially like the ones that have smiles as big as your own. Your most fave so far is Jaff Jaff- the colorful giraffe that smiles at you even as you put the death squeeze around his neck and chew on his ear. He doesn’t mind, he’ll always keep you company and tell you good jokes. As for jokes, your ladybug friend on your bouncy chair must tell you the best jokes because you have been smiling at her for weeks and weeks. We figure that you two have shared some good stories during Waggoner-spa time (that’s when we put you in the bathroom to steam you if you’re congested- you also like the sound of the water- that was a secret trick that Mommy figured out about two weeks into life with Baby Kiera). And despite Mommy’s best attempt at trying to get you to love her favorite Eeyore, you LOVE Winnie the Pooh. Perhaps its his bald little head that sort of matches Grampa’s or that nose that you like to chew on, I mean kiss. We often prop you up on the bed with various Winnie’s and watch you hold a press conference with them and they are certainly entertained by all that you have to tell them; you are already so wise beyond your short six months. (Is it the Judge Judy, Law and Order or football that makes you so?)

     You have quite the fan club already: several sets of grandparents, all of whom claim to love you the ‘most;’ your Aunties (aka: all of Mommy’s friends); your Nanny-Auntie Barbara, and even Daddy’s bachelor friend, Todd, thinks you’re pretty cool. We haven’t met a soul yet who doesn’t marvel over our little miracle. And as for Mommy and Daddy, we love you with every fiber of our beings- you are the pride and joy of our little family. Everyone fights for your attention, and we’re so happy that you’re so popular (yes, your social life is so much busier than ours already!) We are honored to have you in our life and happy to share you with anyone that loves you- meaning pretty much anyone who is lucky enough to meet you!
    You are our partner in crime and we love to include you in all of our adventures- from ordinary trips to the grocery store or Saturday morning ‘treasure’ hunting to feeding the ducks and family road trips. You happily go along for the ride watching with wonder from your comfy car seat the world outside. We can’t imagine not having you there with us (ask Mommy about the time that she wanted to sneak you up to Reno…) and are so excited to expand your horizons with whatever other adventures life has in store for us.
   We will always be here for you- we’ll always love you and support you. I know that you will grow up to be something special- you will change your little part of the world (heck, at just six months, you’ve already done that!). You will be successful at whatever it is that you want to do- be a mom, cure the world as a doctor, make Grandma H proud and race cars, run a Fortune 500 company- or maybe even the country! Do whatever makes you happy. All that we ask is just that you are always kind, fair, and empathetic and forgiving; let your self be a kid, laugh loudly and often and don’t forget to be fun-loving and lastly it’s important that you are always true to yourself. We love you sweet little girl.


Love and Kisses,


Mommy and Daddy

Terrific Tuesday: Rollin, Rollin, Rollin....

Yes... it's finally happened!!!  Kiera has rolled over from her stomach to her back for the very first time! (Well, that WE saw- we asked the grandparents and our caregiver to not tell us if she did it there first!!)  Just one day shy of her 26-week 'Birfday' and after some 'show and tell' by her BFF Kennadie (that really was a coincidence, no?), she just went right along and flipped over like she was an ol' pro and has been doing it forever!  Then she looked at us as we were cheering and clapping like, "what the heck??" and then put her back on her tummy to see if she would do it again.... and she did although a bit slower this time.  And then she was done......... D-O-N-E, done.  She doesn't get ticked off very often (we're spoiled like that, remember?) but her crying definately let us know that "silly human baby tricks" time was over. 

Yes, six months might be a bit late for the 'rolling' milestone... I haven't been a big fan of 'Tummy Time' so far... so call me a bad Mommy for letting her dictate what we want her to do.... whatever.  She just doesn't like 'Tummy Time,' and since I am a working mom, and my quality time with her Monday through Friday is limited, I prefer to spend happy time with her.  So, the pediatrician did say that putting her on her cute little belly would give her incentive to flop over... well soon enough the rolling over trick will be a daily occurance and not just another fleeting Mommarazzi moment.  At least when she goes to her six-month appointment next week, we will be honestly saying that she is rolling over... and her rolling means that she's just a short time from crawling and having to baby-proof the house.... it's been nice knowing that she stays in one place; AND not having to worry about peeing myself while fumbling with the baby-proof lock on the toilet at night!

Worth 1,000 Words....

Aside from being Kiera’s 11 week birthday, today was what you could call an ordinary day. Nothing monumental happened; but it certainly wasn’t ordinary. (Wait, I take that back- I was looking for the last possible place that I thought my wedding ring might have disappeared to- behind or under the couch- and I found it! It was tucked under the arm and cushion of the couch… I knew it was somewhere in the house… I’m so relieved!) Nothing about life in our house has been ordinary since August 18th- technically since December 27th- since we brought our little miracle home from the hospital. We’ll say ordinary just for lack of a better word at this point. I’m trying to spend the last few weeks of maternity leave relishing every second that I get to spend with Kie. And I must say that every second is becoming more and more fun…. Especially since my days are filled with baby smiles.



The first few weeks of her life, the most exciting part of the day was when she had her eyes open…. As you well know, newborns sleep a ton and when they’re awake, it’s likely that they are eating and that’s about it. The relationship is extremely one-sided; not much give and pretty much all take. You wait impatiently for waking moments- make that daylight waking moments for your sole reward of getting to gaze into the little ones eyes for just a bit, or to listen to her “purr” during feedings as a small gesture of gratitude. The hope of seeing a smile was rare- unless of course, she was sleeping! The waking periods were unpredictable- she was eight weeks old before Jason’s mom actually got to see her awake; and the waiting can also be exhausting. I was certainly looking forward to when there would be much more joy in this particular bundle! And I haven’t been disappointed.

In stage two, we went from waiting for her to be awake to looking for that slightest hint of a smile….when she wasn’t sleeping! Here’s my joy- the first waking smiles were priceless, although elusive to catch on film! I would patiently hover over the poor child with camera in hand shooting picture after picture hoping to record one for posterity-- unfortunately she would also stare back wondering what the heck I was doing and not smile.  Jason thinks I'm wacky since I always have a camera at the ready to capture priceless moments.  I'm quite fanatical about capturing a perfect moment and I've been dubbed the "mom-arazzi."  (At least now Kiera is quite a ham for the camera and breaks into full-blown smile!)

Coincidentally, Kiera’s regular smiles began around the same time that she began holding her head up on her own at nearly eight weeks. Within the past week, she has started showering us with smiles so frequently that it doesn’t feel quite so much like an Easter Egg hunt- but it is still exciting and contagious. My particular favorite smile is during feeding time when she spits out the nipple and then smiles up at you- it’s just too darn cute for words and makes me laugh every time. You can’t help but also smile right on back when she flashes that ear-to-ear toothless grin! She has this adorable Elvis-esque smile- she squints an eye and lifts up one side of her lip and then breaks into a full-blown grin, usually with her whole body as she excitedly circles her arms in the air and kicks her feet. I can now tell when she is going to smile because the eyes smile first- she gets that from her Daddy! I hope that she also has her Daddy’s infectious laugh; waiting for that is going to be stage three and even more priceless than Kiera’s miles of smiles. These wonderful baby smiles… they’re so rewarding.

Life is Sweeter

Wow- what a difference a few weeks make! (Or maybe it’s the happy pills or finding new mom friends- LOL!) Life as a new mom is becoming more enjoyable and rewarding these days. I don’t feel like a complete alien anymore- not that being a new parent makes you feel inhuman, but the first few weeks are just so unfamiliar, challenging and demanding that you have no idea who you are, or which way is up or down. I’m feeling more ‘normal’ now and am really beginning to enjoy my daughter! We both have done some growing in the past few weeks….. Kiera is nine weeks old and she is already becoming such a little lady. Her beautiful blue eyes are filled with wonder and delight and so much promise; and when she smiles- yes- she is smiling constantly- they sparkle. She bats those baby blues at me and it just melts my heart, along with that toothless ear-to-ear grin that makes her eyes crinkle at the corners…. Makes me laugh every time!

She started to blossom and develop a little personality about two weeks ago- I think that she is going to be a big flirt and the class clown and she is not camera shy (which is a good thing considering that I am constantly waving a camera in her face!). Her waking periods are much longer (sometimes as much as five hours!) and she is starting to discover the world around her. She is fascinated by faces and especially her own reflection in the mirror- she will lay on her play mat so content for hours (at least until she gets hungry) and tell herself how cute she is! The other day she discovered her hand and stared at it for about 10 minutes and the decided to taste test it and suckled on it- yummy! And what a chatterbox she is- she is a talker- this, she gets from me! More about little Kiera according to Mommy’s observations so far:

Sleeping: When she falls asleep she does so grunting, squeaking and humming. I’ve nicknamed her my “little mouse” because of this. She also does this when she is just beginning to wake up and that is usually accompanied by at least one leg kicking and/or her arms flailing about. This also means that Mommy is lucky enough to wake up to this instead of crying- lucky me! Speaking of sleep, she is a great sleeper and is almost making it through the night perhaps only waking up once for a feeding between 3 and 4 a.m. Studies show that bottle-fed babies feel full longer therefore sleep a bit more. Her sleep schedule is fairly regular through the early afternoon.  She is pretty easy to put to bed although she does have a few episodes where she fights it (must think she is going to miss out on something fun) and we resort to rocking her or on a rare occassion, the vaccum!

Eating: Kiera likes the bottle. Not a candidate for a 12-step program anytime soon, but she loves her feedings- me too, it’s the one time in my life that I’m a real hero to her! Fortunately she hasn’t developed a digestive preference for a certain brand of formula and we can feed her my favorite and it’s called “any-one-that’s-on-sale-and-gives-us-valuable-coupons!” And believe me, as much as I like Similac (hint, hint nice formula company) I’m not picky right now either, especially since she is powering through a can in record time. Oh, she also doesn’t mind her bottles at room temp (warming them actually makes her gag and spit up more) so, lucky us! I do have to say that she takes after Daddy in the, um, burping, department. It’s amazing how such a powerful little sound comes out of that itty body! Solid.  We let her set her own schedule for feedings and have learned that she smacks her lips and sticks out her tongue as an early sign of hunger..... catching this before she cries has made for very pleasant meal times and a very happy baby!

Playing: She loves, loves, loves her Soothe & Glow Seahorse (this is one of the very first toys that we got for her- it was new in the box at a yard sale!) I think that the wave sounds and the glowing belly fascinates her, but whatever it is, continue on! Personally, it always makes me have to pee. The play mats also score high marks- one has a musical toy on it that she likes to talk to. It plays three types of sounds that aren’t terribly annoying (I’m learning fast that noisy stuff might go to the grandparent’s houses!)

I can’t wait to start to introduce more toys to her, it’s not like we are lacking in that department! Although her pediatrician recommended a new toy - Sophie the Giraffe- so now I am on a mad hunt for that! We also just found her a cool Baby Einstein talking caterpillar that lights up and will teach her very important stuff- for now though I think that Mommy is much more amused by it than baby.

One of her (ah hem, Mommy's) favorite activities is to play "Baby Fashion Model."  When she is sporting a particularly fashionable outfit, we have a little photo shoot.  She's a total ham... and trust me, she is a budding fashionista- a clothes-hound and that’s definitely a genetic transference from Mommy. Jason laughs and calls her my little dress-up doll but she is the one who really picks out the outfit. I hold some choices in front of her one at a time and she chooses by smiling- and she definitely has a preference one way or another! I am addicted to adding to her wardrobe but I have no problem hunting for baby clothes bargains at yard sales! My only problem is trying to claim “this old thing” for her outfits (I have a feeling that it might be hard for me to let most of these clothes find new homes once she outgrows them since “Kiera” has so many favorites!)

As you can see, we’ve begun to settle into a comfy and happy life! We are learning and growing more each day. And loving…. That, of course is without saying- every day I fall more in love with this child. Life is so much better sharing it with her.

Can She Hear Me?

There is much controversy in the medical world over what (and when) babies in utereo can hear- or even see for that matter. Studies have found that fetal hearing is clearly developed by 24 weeks- and my own experience with BabyW would have to agree. I think that she began to recognize sounds right about that time, and coincidence or not, was active whenever we were in the pr essence of another baby. I've tested this theory again over the past few weeks while visiting my girlyfriends and allowing BabyW to have playdates with Baby Aaliyah, Baby Penelope and Baby Grayson! (She's a busy little girl already!) Every time we are around a baby, and it isn't her normal 'awake' time, she reacts with movement. My biggest conclusion as to her sensitivity was over the 4th of July.




I grew up in a a very Podunk, Norman Rockwell-esque town in the middle of California. Very small, and complete with the down-home 4th of July celebration every year. My mom still lives there (how much longer after BabyW arrives! LOL) This is the one time of year that I also get completely homesick- my extended family also comes and this is one holiday that we all get to see each other and catch up. This year was no exception, and despite the 660 mile/ 13-hour + round trip, we made the journey- plus it was school reunion time, a weekend, and the baby shower. Although the drive itself was uneventful, it required a few more stops than normal due to my bitty bladder syndrome. I also discovered that it takes twice as long to load up a car for the road trip and 20 minutes in, I was completely exhausted and began just tossing crap in the rental car- thank goodness for an SUV with room! BabyW was on her best behaviour during the travels- of course!

Saturday the 4th was a BUSY day! It started with shower preparations, then the parade (it runs down Main Street twice!) honoring our nation's military, a arts and crafts fair, visiting with family, the baby shower and on to the fireworks- usually my favorite part! Due to traffic LOL- if you could see the town, you'd be laughing too!- we hoofed it in on brand new sidewalks and joined friends to enjoy the fireworks. GrandmaH bought a sponsorship in BabyW's name- so very cool- but we didn't make it much longer than that. At the detonation of every firework, BabyW 'jumped'- again and again. After about 10 minutes, we were both exhausted and left. There is no other explanation to her reacting like that except for the sounds of the fireworks. Needless to say by the time we got back to my mom's, I was very tired and trying to ward off Braxton-Hicks and some minor swelling. It was quite an adventure!







So, I think BabyW can hear- will she have Mommy's cat-like ears is the question???




From the parade: 'Uncle' Dave & 'Aunt' Betty's old firetruck- we are normally riding on it!

Smokey the Bear!





BabyW's Fireworks that Grandma bought for her!

Fetal Hearing Research:

http://tinyurl.com/kjuwy3

http://tinyurl.com/djmlw

Congratulations, It's A Puppy!

Or maybe a cute little piggie! LOL.


We just got back from having the 3D/4D ultrasound done at Sonotech (for any of you local in Sacramento- this place rocks! They are inexpensive compared to similar services and will refund your money if they can't give you photos/ good results.... ask me if you want to know more!) and it was a very, very cool experience.


The tech let us know right off of the bat that BabyW is head down into my pelvis and the left side of her face is right smack against the placenta. So much for symmetrical photos.....


As far as the puppy and the piggie- there are a few photos where she is moving and they snapped a photo so that the image resembles a puppy; and then her face is smooshed into the placenta therefore giving a pig nose. It's funny- I can't wait to show those to a future boyfriend much, much later down the road (like when she's 30). Isn't that what we parents are meant to do when we have grown children- embarrass them? RIGHT MOM?????




So, back to the ultrasound- we've been looking forward to this since we booked the appointment a few weeks ago and it's part of Jason's first Father's Day present! The place is busy, and luckily the two mommies before us (who took their entire families with them!) had uncooperative little babies so we didn't have to wait too long nor have to try to get BabyW to turn over. She was in about as good of position that she could be, but again, no full on shots... but there are some awesome ones! There is actually a 16-minute video of the whole process- I'm going to see if my Dad can edit it to post here- there are some amazing parts! She is a very active little girl and loves to have her hands around her face. And even though she is so photogenic (how can you not be with such adorable parents like us! HA!) she doesn't care to have photos taken and would turn away from the wand. Quite the little personality already. A good sign for a healthy baby!
I loved watching the movement and being able to actually feel it at the same time!




I also had the triple-check done that BabyW is still a girl (and she is) and not very shy about showing us so! Oh, and the last development? She is measuring, um, about 3 weeks larger than I'm supposed to be. The screen shots give an EDD of 8/16/09- which is- HOLY CRAP- over 3 weeks sooner than we are originally expecting her! I know, I know- first babies never come on time! But 8 weeks is a bit overwhelming compared to 11! Yikes.




(I know, the suspense over the new photos is going to kill you but try waiting 17 weeks to find out if it's a boy or girl! HA)

(And now that you've seen the cute ones.... here's the "puppy" picture- she is moving as the tech snapped the picture thus resulting in blurring of the image. C'mon- you know it's kind of funny!)

BabyW's First Friends!

So my child is going to be the smartest baby ever. HA! Well, with Daddy's looks, and Mommy's brains.... a little Friday funny for you! No, really. My friend Paige came to my office the other day and brought her 4-month old precious daughter Penelope to come say hi. Paige (along with the rest of our family and friends, of course!) is so excited for us and we know that BabyW and Penelope will grow up to be good friends! (Along with Stella and Aaliyah too, and then we'll have Grayson to stick up for all of us!) Paige came before lunch when BabyW is usually napping; but I swear as soon as she heard Penelope 'talking' she knew she had company, she got all excited and was moving and kicking! I'm serious.... she loved the company! And then yesterday, I met up with BFF "Auntie Leah" and Baby Grayson and the kid started moving around again when Grayson's was chattering to us! And in the morning when Daddy wakes up all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (not my trait...) at the crack of dawn and starts talking, BabyW gets excited and starts moving! (I can tell already that she's going to be a morning person......) I on the otherhand can barely manage a descernable 'uh-huh' or 'ugh' prior to 7 a.m.!


There's talk that babies can start recognizing voices and sounds as early as 30 weeks- but I think BabyW is already doing it! And she definately doesn't like the vacuum either! ( : I just thought this little Fun with BabyW was neat and worth sharing!




Also, it's a great chance to show off my BFF's little peanut- Grayson. Grayson debuted last year on August 26th and he's a doll (see for yourself!!) He also loves Auntie Pregnant Chick (maybe it's the preggers-sized tata's?) so how can I not love him back? I took this picture yesterday. No autographs please! ( :

Happy Friday Everyone- have a great weekend. It's only supposed to hit 100 degrees here this weekend.....

All's Well in BabyW Land!

Today’s OB appointment was without incident- despite my fear of the scale! This one was with my OB (every other appointment is with a Nurse Practitioner)- both of which I love. I have to admit that I was not so pleased with his lack of concern of our fertility issues, but he’s a ‘by the book’ kind of doc; however with our last and thank goodness, final miscarriage, he went out and talked to Jason and personally called to check on me the next day. I was impressed by that. Other than his insistence that I was to not gain any weight with the pregnancy, we like his personality and bedside manner very much.




Because everything is progressing smoothly, I’m relieved to have avoided the dreaded stirrups or lab tests this visit! I will have to go and do a glucose test in a few weeks and hope that my sugar levels are still good.
The fear of the scale was moot- doc even added that I’ve lost about four pounds since my last visit. That was a shock since I’ve nearly single-handedly polished off a whole lemon meringue pie within the last week, and dinner last night was very diet friendly (ha!) Mizithra Cheese and Butter from the Spaghetti Factory. Well, how can we resist their 40% off anniversary prices on Tuesday’s???




BabyW was in a feisty mood today; especially active after the doctor’s appointment- showoff! Her heartbeat was 149- good and normal and her average for each time we’ve gotten to hear it. They gave me a card to start recording her movements beginning at 28 weeks. I think that we could start that now! I’m happy to say (knock on wood!) that the pregnancy is so far uneventful and healthy- the only downside to that is we won’t get to see anymore ‘medically necessary’ pictures of BabyW. We are going to do the 3D ultrasound after 28 weeks (mid-June) so don’t fret, she will still make at least one more appearance before her arrival in early September!
The next regular appointment is another 3 weeks, and then we have classes. Oh, do we have classes! We had to take a few to get pregnant during fertility; and then an early pregnancy class; and at least three more before the end of July. I have to take more classes to have this little baby girl than I did to get my degree! I like to make the best of every situation, so they will probably be interesting; and they’re mostly free. Actually most of the prenatal appointments have been (thank you health insurance!) free….




We rounded out the evening by finishing the registry at Target (more free schwag at Target- an itty bitty diaper; samples and such. Love FREE(, book shopping- I love book stores; and starting to put a dent in the pile ‘o stuff that is in my former ‘walk-in closet” now the baby’s room! Oh, yes, this is where we got to try out SpaceBags- and the jury is still out. If they have still not expanded in the a.m., I’ll be satisfied…..




I’ll sign off with updated information about Shyner dog- she had a visit to the vet yesterday (and got a bit spoiled with a picnic in the park with mom and dad!) and was given a clean bill of health. As clean as our little old and stinky girl can get! She will remain on medicine for the rest of her little life; but if not for the coughing and wheezing that brought her into the vet, she wouldn’t have the medicine to help her stay healthy for whatever time she’ll be here! Your positive thoughts worked! ( :

My "First" Mother's Day and Shopping Fun with BabyW

I’m pregnant! No sh!@? Last week, I woke up and looked in the mirror and I suddenly “look” pregnant. I guess at six months, that’s a good thing developmental wise, but a bit harder to take as far as the more pronounced girth is concerned. (I’m amazed to find that I'm still fitting into a lot of my former clothes; however those are the ones that are from my fluffier days!) Oh, did I mention that I’ve had four people comment on my “belly” in the last two days. Um, do you know that telling a pregnant woman- no matter how politely you try to word it- that she’s beginning to look like a manatee is just not cool? As long as you aren’t in legs’ length so I can kick you, you might be okay, but I can’t promise that I won’t comment on your badonkadonk when you walk away.



So, about that “belly”- it’s obvious that BabyW is developing quite nicely. At 24 weeks, she is likely around 1.3 lbs and about 12 inches long and has a fully developed body. She’s forming taste buds (actually I believe that she’s had those since day one and passed the good fortune on to me!); and is practicing breathing. And she already has quite the personality; oh and she’s a shopper already! Today at Bath and Body Works, it seemed like she squirmed when I was sniffing the scents, she really moved at one in particular. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, so I moved right along… kinda funny! Every purchase of late has been chosen by BabyW- I have to say that she is as bargain minded as her mommy (two Coach purses for under $200 <yes, they’re real, the Coach Outlet has an “As Is” bin that rocks!>, six maternity tanks and a pair of capris for under $1 and a new source for my Cricut cartridges for under $30!) Score! Retail therapy definately helps alleviate pregnancy symptoms! ( :



So, Sunday was “sortof” my first Mother’s Day- and BabyW and Daddy ensured that I had a pretty relaxing day- the farmer’s market, chillin’ in the sun, and food…. Except I did have to hear ranting and raving due to both the Dodgers and the Lakers both losing (a present in disguise? LOL) The gifts? The new Patterson book and the most adorable card and a $50 Tar-shay gift card with a note especially from BabyW that said she was sorry for all of the kicking and dancing and that she would give me the day off and knew I would spend part of the g/c on her! ( : Smart kid- she must take after me in that respect! I can’t wait until next year when we get to take official Mommy's Day pictures with three generations! ( :



Actually, I can’t wait to meet her period. I never thought I would enjoy being pregnant, but I can say that the past few weeks have been great- I think until I start getting bigger, it won’t be so bad. The first 15 weeks definitely sucked, and I’m assuming that the last month or so will be uncomfortable, but the end result will be so wonderful. I washed the first load of baby clothes last night; Jason came in and I had to explain why doing the laundry was making me cry! The baby detergent stung my eyes- wink! No, it felt very surreal, after so long of waiting for this baby, it seems like just another milestone. Although, I’m sure in two years, I’ll be crying in frustration at the endless load of her clothes, but oh well! Oh yeah- she’s not even here yet and she has a better wardrobe than me! ( ;
Speaking of laundry… it beckons…. I’ll report back tomorrow after our next OB appointment! Cheers- Preggers Chick

Dear Blog: Even Mommy Author Pregnant Chicks Can Have a Vacation!

I believe this is a first- I've been called out by my 'anonymous' blog because I've been missed... somehow I think that the blog's initials might be KL... but that's just a hunch.... I decided to take a little vacation from writing; not for lack of material but GrammaH (aka "Mom") was visiting for two weeks. We were busy, ahem.... she, was busy cleaning and organizing and of course, cooking (my dear hubby was so excited to taste home cooked food again- I've been averaging cooking about once every three weeks! ) ( : My otherwise free time was spent as quality time with Mom- much needed! And now without further delay, I'm back!

The last few weeks have been without 'suffering' pregnancy symptoms- I feel great in fact. I've been told by a few people that pregnancy becomes me- um, okay, thanks-I think? I have a bit more energy, headaches are far and few between, and my appetite is slowly returning.... although BabyW really tends to lean towards the carbs! BabyW is actually developing quite the personality and is extraordinarily active- and thank goodness, not just at 3 a.m. anymore! This past week she has tried out for the Rockettes, won a wrestling match with my kidneys, has perfected a gold medal trampoline act performed on my bladder and decided that she likes soccer. I think she might be going through a little growth spurt as it seems thats when I get tired. I officially am beginning to look pregnant and at 5-1/2 months I guess I shouldn't be complaining! Although I'm still in my regular clothes, that hasn't prevented me from buying some cute maternity clothes! I'm still relatively comfortable but am losing my full range of motion when it comes to bending; sometimes I do have a hard time getting comfortable sleeping though. We're over the half-way mark! ( :

I know that all of you BabyW fans have been waiting for updated pictures, and I'm happy to oblige! Here are a few choice shots from our ultrasound on April 23rd. Again, they confirmed that she's a girl! If not, the crib bedding choice and all of the adorable clothes are going to cause a little problem! Nitey nite blog world- it's past my bedtime (10 p.m. on a Saturday... and to think all of those spring chickens are just going out.... like me in a former life- LOL!)