Sophia at ten weeks

Another month has passed, and Sophia is a completely different child. She has gotten so much bigger and filled out. In addition to the physical changes, her personality is really starting to develop. She is a VERY happy baby and a real morning person. She definitely recognizes her mommy and daddy now and greets us both with big, gummy grins.


I can't help it if I'm adorable...(Sophia at 7 weeks)

Sophia loves to stare at the ceiling fan and out the window. She takes in everything around her- we call it "thoughtful Sophia."


Sophia also had her 6 week check up with the pediatrician- which means her first round of shots. That lead to her first fever. Ugh. As if watching her get stuck in the thighs FOUR times wasn't enough, our poor Sophia was miserable for two days. And do you know what an infant fever means? Yup- your favorite and mine- taking a rectal temperature. I never thought I would have to stick something up someone's butt so many times...

Believe it or not, Sophia is already sleeping through the night. Starting between 6-8 weeks, the sleeping became longer and longer. She doesn't even wake for a feeding anymore. I had forgotten the luxury of sleeping long stretches. In fact, I'm still unable to sleep through the night (but I'm working very, very hard on remembering). However, as a trade off for sleeping so well at night, Princess Fussy Pants wakes to greet the day at approximately 5:50 am each day. This makes for a very long day for the Husband and I. But we're getting used to it.


Chillin' with daddy at 7 weeks

There continue to be lots of firsts and developments. Sophia's head and neck are getting stronger and stronger, and she's able to support herself more and more each day. This allows for some very cute photo opportunities.


Sitting like a little big girl in a very big chair at 8 weeks.

Sophia also received and invitation to and attended her first birthday party. Second only to the birthday girl, Sophia was just the cutest.

So pleased with herself at 9 weeks

I was lucky enough to celebrate my first mothers day. I still sort of can't get over the shock of that I was on the receiving end of mother's day, rather than merely the giving end. The Husband surprised me with a beautiful gift of Sophia's birthstone. It was so nice to receive so many phonecalls from friends and family wishing me a happy first mother's day. Thank you to all for thinking of me.

Mommy and Sophia at 9 weeks, on Mother's Day

To celebrate, we spent the day with family. Sophia met her granny and her new cousin, Zoe, who is 8 weeks younger than Sophia. Because most of my family lives far from me, it was really nice to spend the day with the Husband's family.


Sophia and Granny at 9 weeks



Sooooo tired

Since Granny is in town for a longer visit, she brought Zoe over to our house for an official play date. There wasn't much playing, more like pooping, crying and eating. But it was still nice to see Granny. I don't know if you can tell from these pictures, but Zoe is nearly as long as Sophia is! She is going to be TALL!!




Oh yes, there was sleeping, too.

Sadly, I'm going back to work soon. I will miss spending all day with Sophia, but it's just the way things have to go. Maybe when that money tree we planted starts growing, I'll quit my job.....

Sophia at six weeks

Sophia is six weeks old today. I cannot believe that she arrived into our lives and took over six weeks ago. For part of me, it feels like so much longer- like I cannot remember at time when my life didn't revolve around her wants and needs and her schedule. For another part of me, I can't believe how FAST time has flown. To think I was still pregnant less than 2 months ago...to see my "old" body (ok, it's not "quite" the same, but you get my drift) and this baby in my house...it's mind-boggling.

As for The Husband and me, life is still developing into a routine. The Husband has gone back to work. He was able to take 4 weeks off to hang out w/ Sophia and me. It was wonderful having him at home that whole time. We joked before Sophia arrived that we had never spent so much time together- four whole weeks of days and nights??!! Would we still like each other at the end? But it turns out that four weeks is a very short period of time. I was sad to see him go back to work and leave me at home all day. But I've managed not to "break the baby" as we say. Part of me thinks that going back to work was harder for him, than it was for me.

And so you know- yes, we still like each other.

I have another month and a half at home with Sophia. After that, I have to go back to work. While part of me misses work, and misses some of my cases, I cringe at the idea of leaving our Sophia with someone else all day. Are we REALLY sure that I cant' strap the kid to my body and take her with me to the office and to court??

Strangely, most people ask about the cats, and how they have handled the transition. Overall, it has gone shockingly well. None of them seem too interested in the baby. No one wants to sit in the crib- for which I am thankful. We're just busy trying to keep Ginger from killing Max. Somedays, I feel like it's a battle we're losing.

As far as Sophia goes, it has been a whirlwind of firsts. Each has been more endearing, enchanting and entertaining than the last. The first smiles were followed by the first giggles. Sophia has the best, cutest smile in the world.



Her giggles are completely infectious. She now makes eye contact more and more, and I'm pretty sure she recognizes The Husband and I when she sees us.

She experienced her first easter and her first baths. My mother bought Sophia not one, not two, but three easter outfits. One of the outfits was a little too small, so Sophia only wore two of the outfits on easter.





Her first baths have gone surprisingly well. It looks like my little Pisces has a natural affinity for the water. While many babies cry during their first baths, Sophia took right to it- in fact, it actually calmed her down. It is now part of our nighttime routine. Sophia gets a bath, she's fed and then she's rocked to sleep. It is SO HARD to be the baby!!!





Sophia has even begun to hold her head up.



Everyday she becomes stronger and stronger. Before we know it, she'll be telling us where to go and what to do, talking back and taking the car. But for now, I'm just going to wait until she can call for her momma.

They had three, it's a magic number...

Sophia's first two weeks have gone by so quickly. At first, she didn't know her days from her nights. She thought that 2am was the most ideal time to get up and fuss, and day time was the best time to catch up on her sleep. Slowly, ever so slowly, we've been convincing her that this is not the case. She's starting to sleep more and more at night. The Husband and I have even been so fortunate to sleep 3 or 4 hours at a stretch. How luxurious!!

The Husband turns out to be a natural Daddy. He is a champion swaddler. He made every nurse in the hospital who came into contact with us show us their own technique. Only he can swaddle Sophia in a manner that she cannot break free from. He is also an excellent diaper changer. In fact, he volunteers to do the poopy diaper duty- which I appreciate immensely. He just thinks it's hilarious when Sophia isn't quite done being "done" and poots or poops all over him. Getting pooted on is a funny high point of his day. He's going to be a great Daddy- making sure she has "tummy time" and has already started to spend time reading to her.



Sophia is thriving- gaining weight like a champ. I've lost all the pregancy weight already- plus a pound or two. So together, we look pretty good. Sophia has even started to smile. Mostly because of gas, or when she's happy and full from eating. We're working on getting a picture of her smile- it's amazingly cute. She'll be a poster child for something, just you wait.

Sophia has arrived

Sophia arrived on March 10, 2007 at 8:33pm, weighing 7 lbs and 8 oz. She has a head full of red hair and big blueberry blue eyes.


For those who are interested, I'm going to summarize Sophia's arrival. If you don't want to know- then skip this part and keep scrolling down for more pictures.

On March 9, I had a dr. appt., where I was basically informed that this baby would not be arriving any time soon and a date was reserved for an induction. I left the doctor's office, ran some errands, cleaned my home and then went for a walk. I "was" planning on going to the grocery store, but later decided I would do it over the weekend (this becomes more relevant later).

So I went for my 3 mile walk, came home, cleaned the house some more and eventually settled in for the evening. The Husband was at work, and following work, he was going to go to the gym. The Husband decides to stop at home to change for the gym.

Now, many of you haven't seen my house, so you don't know how small the house and garage are. In order for both of our cars to fit into the garage, I pull in on the right, and The Husband BACKS IN on the left. I know now that The Husband does not typically check my side of the garage when pulling in (because I know how to park my car, thankyouverymuch) and only checks the wall. He failed to notice that my car was parked smack dab in the middle of the garage (because I WAS going to go to the grocery store, I swear I was). So he hit my car. Big ole dent in the bumper. This upsets The Husband a great deal, and he comes into the house in somewhat of a panic- yelling, saying something about the garage and why did you...blah, blah, blah.

I just hear the panic in his voice and essentially jump off the couch and run to the back of the house to see what's the matter. Note to self: big ole preggo ladies should not be running and/or jumping under any circumstances. My actions caused me to pull an abnominal muscle- OUCH.

The Husband winds up being much more upset than I am over the car. It's a bumper, we'll get it fixed, no big deal. However, my pulled muscle really hurts, so I take a bath and fall asleep watching TV. I went to bed around 11pm. As I was drifting off to sleep, I felt the weirdest sensation in my lower abnominal area. I told The Husband: I think that was a real contraction- before I drifted off to sleep.

Oh and it was a real contraction. I felt them on and off in my sleep, and eventually got out of bed at 12:44 am to start timing. By 6:30am, the contractions were 4-6 minutes apart and 1 minute long. We left for the hospital and were admitted arount 7:30am. The Husband and I had decided to enlist the services of a doula. A doula is basically a professional labor coach. Her name is Diana. She met us at the hospital around 7:30.

Unfortunately, my labor did not progress as quickly as I or the doctors would have liked. To make a long, detailed story short- after 12 hours, I opted to ease the pain and speed things up with help from modern medicine. This allowed me to get some very badly needed sleep (ok, only about 2 hrs or so, but I had only slept 2 hours in the past 30, so this was a big deal to me). Approximately 12 hours after leaving our home for the hospital, it was time to have Sophia enter the world. In the room were the doctor and nurses, The Husband and Diana. I felt that I had wonderful support emotionally from The Husband and fantastic labor support from Diana. Overall, it was a very positive experience. I may not have been the experience I thought I wanted, but that's ok. Everyone is happy and healthy and that's all that truly matters in the end.








Uncle Sean comes to visit.

After Baby's first bath.

Please locate the nearest exit

ONE WEEK LEFT UNTIL MY DUE DATE!!!! And I am ready to be done. The question of the hour seems to be "Are you still working" and the answer is yes, I am still working. My last day is going to be Tuesday. Then its just a waiting game waiting for Miss Thing to arrive. As you can see, I'm still very high and pregnant:







So to celebrate my changing shape, I bought a belly cast kit. This is essentially a box of supplies that hospitals once used to make plaster casts before fiberglass came along. Relying on The Husband's fine arts background, I put him to work. Turns out, he's made casts before- when he was in high school. But, perfectionist and professional he is, he took his task very seriously. It was messy, it was a little uncomfortable, but I am very pleased with the results.



It's been a while since I've last "sat" for The Husband. I won't be begging to be cast in plaster again anytime soon.

Our finished project:
(well, it's not finished yet- The Huspand says he's going to paint and finish it- make it fancy and suitable for hanging in our home as "art")

She'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes

Who-Hoo! Week 38 pictures- the good news is, I really can't get much bigger-Yaaaaaaaaaaay!! Check out my roundness and no, there ins't a basketball under there, it just looks that way.






The turkey is DONE!!




Today is March 1. That means there are only 10 days to Sophia's anticipated due date. I can't believe how fast the last 7 months have flown by. I didn't think it was possible for all of this to happen- emotionally and physically- in such a short span of time that feels even shorter.
The Husband keeps asking me 'Are you ready?" How can anyone answer this question honestly? Everything is washed. The bed is made. We have a car seat. So, the house is ready. We have all the right things. But this is one of those life changes that there is no turning back from, so can anyone really say they are ready to give up the life they once knew - and enjoyed alot, don't get me wrong- for a different life with different priorities and a different center of the universe? I dont' think anyone can truly be "ready", only willing and welcome to the change. And that....that I am.
The Husband and I keep saying it- we can't wait to meet her. We can't wait to see who she looks like, what color eyes she will have, what color hair she will have. It's all just SO EXCITING!!

So what I need now is for everyone who has shared our journey with us via this blog to start sending some labor ju-ju my way. Sophia may be all warm and cozy, but she can only stay for so long before there is an eviction proceeding. Yes, she just may overstay her welcome. So let's just keep our fingers crossed that she decides to leave on her own.

Weeks 36 and 37

Holy crap, Sophie is going to be here in less than a month! It's like waiting for Christmas, but this time, we get to meet Santa! Everyone is so excited to meet Sophie. I am also looking forward to the end of being pregnant. There are lots of women out there who think pregnancy is magical, and the best time of their lives, but I am not one of those women. I realize that I have been blessed to have a happy and healthy pregnancy- and yes, I am VERY thankful for that. But I would like to see my feet again. Or get out of bed without grunting. Or be able to sit comfortably-ahh how I miss being comfortable!

But enough of my complaining!! On to how round I'm getting!

Week 36 photos:




Week 37 photos:






You can't tell from these pictures, but the belly button has offically popped out like a turkey timer. It's a little embarrassing when I'm doing something for work, and my belly button arrives in the room before I do.

So now the Husband and I have finished most of our classes and taken a tour of the hospital where Sophie will arrive (and let me tell you- it is DE-LUX). Now we're just at that point where we're picking up the last few items and getting everything washed and ready for Sophie. One of the things were "supposed" to do is pack my hospital bag. I tried. I really did. But my maternity wardrobe is not so expansive that I can put an outfit to the side for a month. I did pack some things for Sophie. And then the cats wanted a piece of the action too.



No, Ginger, you cannot come to the hospital with us. I'm sorry, but there are rules!

The Home Stretch

There are now only 5 weeks until Sophia's expected arrival. The Husband and I are pretty excited. We're still trying to get the house ready. Of course, her room is now complete. Here are some more pictures:



Her quilt and pretty crib



The rocker and her dresser/changing table



A better look at her bedding- it took me forever to find, and made me half crazy in the process- but I love it. I think it is perfect. If you don't agree, then keep your pie hole shut. I don't care what you think!!

As for me, I am round, and swollen, and tired. I am ready to be done. But alas, I am not done yet. Believe it or not, I can still get bigger. Where this kid is going to fit inside of me is completely beyond my comprehension.



One from the side. I was going to court that day- that's as cute as I get.



My belly is big, my belly is rooooooouuuund.



Once upon a time, I had a belly button. Now it is no more.

I'm going to try and be a little better with updates these last few weeks. I will post a 36 week picture and hopefully one for every last week of the pregnancy. Who knows, with some luck, maybe I can sneak a "we're leaving for the hospital" picture in. ..?

9 Weeks and Counting

I cannot believe that there are less than 9 weeks until Sophia's due date. The belly continues to get more and more round- and stick out farther and farther. Check it out:





The belly button is turning into a full time "turkey timer"- but this baby is not done cooking yet!!



That is not cute at all.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. Sophia is still very active, but running out of room to kick. So instead, I've been treated to lots of squirming, elbows, feet and stretching. Sometimes it tickles, and sometimes it hurts!! The Husband and I get to feel her move everyday.

The Husband and I are just starting to get Sophia's room and things together. We bought our first outfit this weekend- a sweater and matching hat. She will be adorable in it once it fits her...in 8 months or so. My mom bought Sophia her furniture: the crib and dresser/changing table. It is beautiful. My mother in law gave us the sheets you can see in the photos.





We've also started getting some baby gifts from family and friends. MAH BFF Deana (soon to be Auntie Des) sent Sophia her bouncy chair and my mom's friends sent Sophia her stroller.





So lots of exciting things are happening, and Sophia is starting to receive packages, which I'm sure I find way more exciting that she does ( at least right now). The Husband and I are looking forward to meeting this little person.