Wear a Helmet...

A week ago today, Justin, Avery and I set off for Indianapolis for a day full of baseball. Justin was going to play, Avery and I were going to watch. Justin plays on a 'Vintage Baseball' team - The teams wear uniforms, use equipment, and play by the rules/regulations of 1863 baseball. It's considered a 'gentleman's game' and is fun to play - and watch!

We arrived at the park and a friend of mine and I set up 'camp' for our babies on the side of the field. Right before the game started, we decided to move to the opposite side of the field where there was more shade and there was a tree to 'protect' us. (These games are just played in wide open -and often uneven- grassy areas, not traditional baseball fields) Justin met us when we made it to the other side and I handed Avery to him so I could spread out the blanket on the ground. 

I laid out the blanket and as I was opening the shade umbrella, *BAM* - the second hit of the game went foul right into my face. I just remember lots of pain to the face and lots of commotion all around. Avery started crying (I found out later it was because Justin laid him on the blanket to come to me) and I looked down at my hands and saw lots of blood everywhere, pouring from my face. Super scary! 

I had no idea if it was my head or my cheek or my eye... it was just a mess of blood and pain. Thank God for my friend Amy (who is a nurse) for a putting ice (wrapped in a burp rag, of course!) to my face right away, for Justin for rubbing my back and getting me a piece of gum to get the taste of blood out of my mouth, and for the woman who picked up Avery and comforted him during the whole ordeal. 

Justin called 911, the EMTs came (really quickly!) and flushed out my eye to make sure there were no pieces of my sunglasses in there. I had no vision out of the eye and was somewhat in shock, I think. They bandaged it up and after a quick snack for Avery (he stared at the white bandage on my face with a pretty confused look while I fed him in the backseat of the car before we took off!) we found our way to the ER. 

They were such troopers!

After a super long day (10 hours...) with an infant in a tiny ER room, two different doctors attempted to stitch up my face (come to find out, there was actually a hole gouged out by my broken glasses, so there really wasn't any skin to pull together), my vision slowly came back (the blood that was in my eye was what was blocking the view) and I've been visiting the doctor's office pretty much every day since. 

Putting lots of trust in Amy,
who took my stitches out -at home!

My Ophthalmologist put me on bed rest all week (quite the feat with a 3 month old in the house!) for fear of dislodging the clots that had formed inside my eye, which could cause permanent vision problems and/or blindness. After visiting a plastic surgeon, he determined that since the cuts were already scabbing over, it wouldn't do any good to cut into it and disturb the healing so I will just have to accept the scars and hope they aren't too noticeable and fade quickly! The human body is an amazing thing, though, and I'm so happy with how much better my face looks just one week later after the swelling has gone down and the stitches have been removed ...

 

Although I would've rather this just not happened at all, I am so incredibly lucky because it could've turned out so much worse than it was. 

I'm so thankful that I was wearing my big sunglasses, as they took the blow of the ball and miraculously saved any of the bones in my face from being broken. 

I'm so thankful I happened to hand Avery over to Justin less than a minute before the ball came our way. It hurts me to think of what that ball could've done to his little body.

I'm so thankful for the kindness and prayers from friends and family.

I'm so thankful that our insurance deductible was already met for the year after having Avery. :)

I've been thinking so much about fate and God, how precious life really is and how things can change so drastically in an instant. So hug a little tighter, don't hesitate to say 'I love you', and for heaven's sake, don't attend a baseball game without wearing protective gear - including a helmet.

A Fun Avery Moment...

Avery loves mirrors. Whenever we walk past the one above our fireplace, we have to stop and have a giggle. (Avery giggles at himself...I giggle at him, giggling at himself :) So during tummy time the other day, I pulled out a mirror to see if he would enjoy it. 

I'll let you be the judge on whether he did or not... 

 

 Best. Faces. EVER.  How can you not giggle (or laugh 'till you cry like Justin and I do) at that sweet face?! This child just gets cuter by the day, I tell ya. My cup runneth over.

...And to top off this overload of cuteness, later that evening, we found Bella making herself at home on the Boppy pillow, gazing at herself in the mirror, too!  

Who knew a mirror I found for 25 cents at a garage sale could bring this much enjoyment?!

3 Month Photos!

Yesterday morning, I snapped some photos of Avery on his 3 month birthday! He's so sweet and smiley in the morning - I just want to kiss him all over!  (which is probably how he and I ended up with colds today... boo.) But - we did get to spend some time as a family yesterday checking out the 'Tippecanoe Battlefield' near our house and got some good exercise at Happy Hollow Park! 

 

Avery @ 3 Months!

This month has been full of visitors and adventures! 
Avery got snuggled by lots of family, got in a couple of bike rides, took a trip to the beach (for the second time!), grew out of his 3 month clothes (and some of his 6 months already...), ate lots (growth spurt again?), drooled all over the place,  sat up in his bumbo seat and jumped around in his exersaucer, and can hold his head up all on his own!

We've introduced Avery to a couple new things this month - his Bumbo seat and his Exersaucer.
He's still trying to figure them both out but is enjoying them so far! 

Now that Avery is 3 months old, I'm SO grateful that I'm able to continue to stay home with him and not go back to work.  Although I often miss teaching (especially now that it's back-to-school time), It's been a dream of mine to stay home to raise my babies and since moving to Indiana, that dream became a reality.  Avery's getting to a point developmentally where he enjoys looking and batting at toys and I'm looking forward to more 'play time' with him in the months to come. I'm glad to be here with him as he's learning new tricks, which happens all the time these days :)

That said, we've definitely had to make some adjustments to living on one income. We're trying to find ways to cut back and conserve money the best we can so we have enough in our account for the basics (mortgage, student loans, groceries, etc.).  It's going to be a challenge and we're going to have to get better at budgeting, but we think it's definitely worth it to be able to be home with Avery.


Avery's 'Milestones' This Month:

• He sits up in his Bumbo seat and likes to bat toys around on the tray
• He spends some time in his exersaucer and loves listening/staring at the toys
• Tummy time is becoming more fun now that he can hold his head up! He enjoys staring at toys and mirrors set up in front of him (especially the ones that make noise)
• He chews his right fist all day - we think he's working on fitting the entire thing in his mouth! (the chewing leads to lots of drooling!)
• He's getting good at lifting his feet up when laying on his back - he's so close to rolling right over!
• He greets us every morning with a smile and has the cutest laugh/giggle!
• He 'talks', squeals and 'coughs' at his toys when laying on his play mats
• He met his first GREAT grandpa and took part in a 4 generation Olive men photo! :)

Fun Fact:  The blanket that I took Avery's 11 week photo on was the very same one that my mom took a photo of me on in back in the day. I was about 8 months old in this photo!

And since we're cracking out the baby photos, here's one of Justin at 3 months! :) I can definitely see some Avery in that sweet face!

Recipe Round-Up: Our Favorite Meals

The Quick, The Easy, The Delicious!

After having many visitors over the last couple of months and having a newborn in the house, I am so grateful that we've had so many frozen meals ready to cook with little to no preparation at all. They've been great to feed our visitors, but many of them have been frozen in single-serve portions so they're perfect to pull out just what Justin and I need to feed the two of us without having leftovers for days! 

I've gotten so many positive comments about our meals out of the freezer and the crock pot - how delicious AND how easy they are - that I thought I'd share a few of our tried-and-true favorites. Many of these came from Pinterest (seriously the greatest website of all time!), others came from friends or from me browsing the internet. Many of the recipes also have a Mexican theme...I guess we just love it so much, we can't get enough!  Just click on the name of the recipe and it will take you to its source! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Hits

Chef Mommy

Salsa Chicken

This is probably Justin's favorite meal  of all time. I love it too, so it gets made pretty often at our house. It's SUPER easy to make and all the ingredients are things I have on hand all the time. It makes quite a bit so it's good to feed 4-5 people, but we don't mind eating this for 2 days in a row. It is also great rolled up in tortillas on day 2!

I add black beans in toward the end of the cooking time with the sour cream and cheese (so they don't get mushy) and skipped the cilantro.

Chocolate Therapy

Chicken Tacos

"Three ingredients and almost zero work" Exactly. These are way too good to be this easy. They are great to feed a crowd or to make and freeze for future meals.

The last time I made these, I had crunchy shells for the first time in years - and forgot how awesome they are! (But this chicken would be good wrapped in pretty much anything  :) They were also a hit with the kids we had over for dinner!

   

Freezer Favorites 

Annie's Eats

Cheesy Chicken "Benchiladas'

These aren't traditional enchiladas at all, but we think they're way better. Ranch dressing + Chicken + lots of cheese. What's not to love?! I'm not a huge fan of traditional enchilada sauce so this is a delicious alternative. 

As is, they're very mild (kids would probably love them) but I think the next time I make them, I'll add some green chilies for a little more 'kick'.

Taste of Home

 

Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-Ups

I got the idea for this recipe from a friend - and it gets a '10' for taste AND ease. Instead of making only 3 noodles like the recipe calls for I use whole box, quintupling the recipe. It's SO easy to freeze them and just pull out just what we need instead of having leftovers for a week! 

I just use shredded mozzarella cheese instead of swiss because it's what I usually have on hand. I also wait to add the spaghetti sauce until right before I bake the rolls.

Picky Palate

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

This recipe is great because it makes a LOT of food. I freeze it in 4 separate containers because it's enough for 4 meals for us. It also worked out great to serve when we had visitors because there was so much of it! Also -the website it's listed on is called 'Picky Palate', so this is a great one for kids or picky eaters!

When I thawed this one out and baked it I thought it was a little dry, so I added an extra can of chicken broth before baking.

All Recipes

Stuffed Green Peppers

I usually double this recipe to freeze. If you have leftovers (we usually don't because I only pull out what we'll eat) they're great reheated, cut up and served on tortillas for a new twist on day 2!

I use ground turkey instead of beef and I use different types of tomatoes - sometimes fresh, sometimes diced in the can - they all cook down equally well.

Freezer Staples

 I like to have these things ready to go in the freezer to help throw together a meal in a hurry! 

Cooked Shredded Chicken 

I fill my crock pot up with chicken breasts (usually frozen) and let it cook on low all day. In the evening, I shred it up, bag it, and throw it in the freezer. It's much easier to pull out and add to a dish rather than taking the time to cook the chicken before each meal.

Chopped Fajita Veggies

When I find peppers and onions on sale at the farmers market or the grocery store, I stock up, wash and chop them, and freeze them in bags to pull out for an easy meal. All I have to do is throw a couple of pieces of chicken on the grill and lightly cook the veggies, and fajitas are ready to go! I even use these veggies if I'm making a pasta or something - they're really easy to just throw into anything!

Hamburger Patties

If we're grilling for just the two of us, we obviously don't need an entire pound of hamburger, so I buy a few pounds at a time when it's on sale, season and patty it and freeze. This way, all we have to do is pull out 2 patties to thaw instead of messing with a whole pound of meat every time.

Cookie Dough

We often get a craving for some cookies after dinner so instead of baking a whole batch at once, we just pull a few pre-made dough balls out of the freezer and bake them as we need (ok, WANT) them.

**An important tip to remember: when freezing single-serve items (the 'benchilladas', lasagna rolls, hamburger patties, cookie dough, etc. lay them out on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for a few hours to harden them up. THEN put them in a freezer bag. This way, they're individually frozen and therefore easier to pull just a few out at a time (instead of them all freezing together in one big clump. Like most things, I learned this the hard way!)

Simple Organized Living

Delicious Baked Sandwiches

These sandwiches can't really be frozen or thrown in a crock pot, but they are so delicious I would be cheating you if I didn't share. (another Pinterest find!) They take a little more preparation but they are great because they are easy and can be made ahead of time. I usually make them when people come to visit because they're always a hit, but sometimes I just make a smaller batch for just Justin and I. (He wouldn't mind if I made them every day he loves them so much!) 
I skip the poppyseeds (because I never have any...) and cut down on the butter a bit.


There are many other meals that I have pinned on Pinterest that I haven't yet tried yet but I'm sure are equally as delicious - follow my 'Recipe' board for more ideas. If you haven't browsed Pinterest yet for new recipes, I HIGHLY recommend it - it's changed our life! :)  

Avery at 2 Months!

(Click pictures to see them larger)

Avery is already 2 months old! His weekly photo shoots have been so much fun and we love comparing these photos to the ones taken his first four weeks!

This month...
We went to Michigan City and introduced Avery to Lake Michigan,

Avery took in his first baseball game (dad's vintage baseball game in Frankfort!)

Avery sleeps 4-6 hour stretches every night (woo hoo!)

Avery has gotten to meet all of his grandparents (except Grandpa Richard!) 

Justin & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and we all spent the beautiful day enjoying Whyte Horse winery,

Avery has so much more personality and character - he smiles, coos, giggles, and wiggles so much more - and is getting so strong!

Avery went on his first bike ride with mom and dad! He slept through the whole thing!

Avery does take a pacifier every once in a while  (it comes in super handy in the car or at the store)


Avery LOVES:
bath time
eating
being able to lay flat on his back to punch and kick at the air
going to sleep when he's all balled up on daddy's chest 
music
his play mats
when mom and dad get in his face and do goofy things to make him smile
being in motion 
being swaddled and held tight

Avery is not so fond of:
Getting out of the bath
taking naps (he gets over-tired sometimes and fights sleep!)
being in the car seat for too long
the swing (I thought all babies loved swings?!)
having mom suck out his boogers
allowing mom and dad to have dinner together... at the same time
middle-of-the-night diaper changes
tummy time (it usually only lasts 10 minutes or so...)

The Top 10 Things That Helped Me Survive The First Month of Motherhood (and beyond!)

Avery is almost 7 weeks old and I've been doing a lot of counting my blessings and looking back on the first weeks of his life. In doing so, I realized there are so many things/people that helped me through this vital time that I had to share the 'Top 10'...
10. Lanolin
Breastfeeding has been wonderful, but has only become comfortable in the last couple of weeks. Before that, lanolin brought sweet relief from the often excruciating pain that accompanied every feeding. 
9. Gaucho Pants
My maternity clothes have become too big, my pre-pregnany clothes are still a bit too small.  Gaucho pants are a comfortable, COOL happy medium! :)

Avery at bedtime, all swaddled up
listening to his womb-sounds box

8. Swaddles 
During a meltdown, swaddling is often the only sure-thing that will calm him - and it is immediate! At night, we LOVE the type that velcro closed (not unlike a straight jacket...) because our little 'Houdini' can break his way out of the tightest blanket swaddle and wake himself up but with the velcro, he stays snug all night!
7. 'Slumber Bear' by Prince Lionheart 

Or, more importantly, the noisebox inside that makes womb sounds. We received this as a gift and started using it shortly after we were home from the hospital. Avery loves it and if he wakes himself up, the white noise will lull him back to sleep. (unless he's hungry of course... there's no delaying that!) He's already sleeping 5-6 hour stretches every night!
6. Music
When we want to sit down to eat or throw in a load of laundry or when Avery needs a break from us and his toys, we put him in his pack-and-play and turn on the music box that vibrates and he'll just entertain himself kicking and punching to the music for a few minutes to give us some hands-free time. Music calms him and gets him excited to dance all at the same time! (Singing works too - he doesn't even mind that his mommy is tone-deaf!)
5. Baby Sling

Avery snoozin' in the sling,
reminiscing about his
womb days!!

When all else fails to get Avery to sleep during the day, I strap him into the sling and walk around the house (or take a walk outside, if its cool enough!) and he's out in 5 minutes flat. It gives me a chance to do things around the house that require using TWO hands while Avery peacefully snoozes.
4. Frozen Meals
In the final days of my pregnancy, my nesting instinct turned to the kitchen and I prepared a bunch of meals to throw in the freezer for easy dinners once baby arrived. 6 weeks later, we're still enjoying them! It's so much easier to thaw out food, put it in a dish and bake it than to make it from scratch at the end of the day - I think I may make this a regular routine!
3. My Cell Phone
To help pass the many hours spent feeding Avery every day, my phone (and its internet capabilities) has been my trusty sidekick. From playing Wordfued to browsing Facebook and reading baby articles, my phone is exactly what I need most days to make hibernation in the house more tolerable.
2. Justin
What can I say... the guy is amazing! My wonderful husband has been so supportive, helpful and loving, I KNOW I wouldn't have survived the first few weeks without his calm, reassuring demeanor keeping me sane. He always seems to know when I need a few extra hours of sleep or pizza delivery for dinner and watching how awesome he is with Avery is one of the greatest joys of my life.
1. Mommy friends!
I've been blown away by how invaluable the mommies in my life have been since Avery has been born. Phone calls, Facebook messages, a million texts, dropping in with resources and encouragement; the many lovely -and experienced- ladies in my life have been my knights in shining armor and I'm convinced having them in my life is an ESSENTIAL part of motherhood and a simple THANK YOU doesn't quite seem to cover it. It really does take a village!

Here's a short video of Avery enjoying his 'downstairs' play mat (especially the parrot/toucan/bird!) It's so fun to see him becoming more aware and interactive, and his smiles melt his mommy's heart!

Avery at One Month!

Avery is already one month old! It's a surreal feeling having him here with us - it seems like he was born only yesterday, yet it's hard to imagine life without him! He's pretty much taken over our lives and we're loving every minute of it. (Even at 2 am :)

Here's some of the highlights of the last month:
Avery has grown considerably (probably due to all the quality feeding time he and I share... for most of the day!) It's so fun to see him becoming more and more aware of the world around him. His big eyes take in so much!

We started using cloth diapers during the day, and we've been loving them so far! (at least I have... daddy hasn't quite come around to the cloth diapering way of life yet) Avery has had a diaper rash that we've been battling for quite a while, so we've switched to cloth diapers and cloth wipes (along with plenty of diaper cream) and the changes seem to be helping!

We've had lots of visitors that have come to see Avery. We're so lucky to have such amazing family and friends that spoil Avery like crazy already!

Avery started smiling... on purpose! He especially loves his tummy time/play mat and playing on it in the mornings is his happiest time!

On the flip-side, Avery has gotten much LOUDER in the last couple of weeks - he's got a good set of lungs, that one! :) 

We got in a little photo shoot at my office when Janessa and Jenna came to visit - I'll be sharing them soon! (Thanks for all the help aunties!)

Since his umbilical cord fell off, Avery's been able to have tub baths in his infant tub with a hammock. He loves bath time!!
It's such a welcome change from the screaming days of sponge baths! (Please excuse the baby nudity... I couldn't resist!) 

Here's a video of Avery enjoying his first 'Jungle Safari' - he loves his play mat!! (and any type of music- He likes to 'dance' with his arms and legs!)

**FYI, the laughing child sound is NOT Avery, but his 'super-happy invisible friend' in the music box :)

Avery Michael Olive... A Birth Story!

Avery is 2 weeks old already! He was born the day before his due date and was a big boy from the start! He's changing a little bit every day and has completely won over the hearts of both his mommy and daddy. The last 2 weeks have flown by as we've been settling in at home and getting used to life with our new bundle of joy. Here's the abbreviated story of his entry into the world:
Tuesday, June 5
The entire day on Tuesday, I experienced Braxton Hicks contractions, which to me was a sign that labor could be starting because I hadn't felt any throughout the rest of my pregnancy. They weren't painful, so I was able to go about my day as normal - resting, watching 'Prison Break' with Justin and even weed whacking the lawn (you know, so the lawn was ready for baby to come :)
Wednesday, June 6 -around 3:00 am
I woke up to use the bathroom and realized I was having some cramping (pretty much like menstrual cramps) but they were very tolerable and when I went back to bed, I was so excited I didn't really sleep the rest of the morning knowing that progress was being made!
8:30 am
Justin and I woke up and had breakfast, anticipating what the day would bring. After breakfast, the contractions became more intense so I went back to bed and started timing them with an app on my phone. To my surprise, contractions were already 4-5 minutes apart at this point and over the next 2 hours, they intensified even more until they were about 3 minutes apart lasting a little over a minute each. At this point, I had Justin call our midwife to see what she thought we should do.
11:00 am
The nurse at the hospital decided to have us come in and our midwife would meet us there. I quickly showered and got some last minute things packed in our bag and we were off! 
11:55 am
We were admitted to the hospital and strapped to the monitor to make sure baby was handling labor OK and when my midwife, Ann, got there she checked and I was dilated to 4 cm. Contractions were getting more intense and I got very nauseous and started vomiting after really bad contractions. Bless my midwife for being skilled in aromatherapy because she whipped up a concoction of mint and lemon oils and from that point on, whenever I felt nauseous all I needed was a sniff of the oils and no more vomiting! It was awesome!
1:55 pm
At this point, the birth tub was filled and I was dilated to 6 cm so in the tub I went. I was in the tub for 2 hours total and it was EXTREMELY helpful during this intense part of labor. Being in the warm water made it much easier to relax between contractions, which gave me the strength to focus through them when they came. I found a good position to work through the pain and was even able to fall asleep between some contractions, I was so relaxed! Choosing to labor in the tub was definitely one of the best decisions I've made!
 4:00 pm
At this point, my contractions were becoming very uncomfortable but my water still hadn't broken so my midwife had me get out so she could break it manually to hopefully move things along. When she did, she found that there was a little meconium staining in the fluid, which basically means that baby had already had a bowel movement inside. This wasn't a huge issue, but it did introduce the risk that he could inhale some of the meconium during delivery, and that could be dangerous. Because of this, I could no longer deliver baby in the tub and a NICU team had to be called in for the delivery. NICU being there made it a little more scary, but I knew it was just a formality and hoped that everything would continue to go smoothly. I was 8 cm dilated and the next hour was VERY uncomfortable having to labor in the bed (it wasn't NEARLY as manageable as being in the tub!) Avery was handling labor like a champ, and his heart rate was strong and steady the whole time and my midwife let me start pushing through contractions when I felt the urge.
5:00 pm
I was finally 10 cm dilated and started pushing!  I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the hardest physical thing I've ever had to do, but I had such amazing support from Justin, Ann, and our nurse, Shelly that I was able to stay focused and 46 minutes later, Avery Michael was here! As soon as he was out, Justin was able to cut the cord really quickly and then Avery was whisked to the other side of the room to allow NICU to suction out his lungs (to ensure he wasn't inhaling any of the meconium-stained fluid.) It was so hard to not be able to hold him right away, but I knew it had to be done and I was able to see him and hear him crying the whole time. After what seemed like forever (although Justin says it was only 10 minutes...), Justin carried him over to me and we were able to love on him for the next couple of hours. --> The experience of delivery is indescribable... I went from the most intense pain ever to the most unbelievable euphoria ever - all in a matter of seconds. I was blown away by how amazing I felt afterwards - I was so fully immersed in my beautiful baby that everything else just faded away. 

I definitely wouldn't have made it through the day without Justin's calm, reassuring demeanor and support. I know he felt really helpless at times but he never left my side - he even helped hold the vomit bag a few times :) I have a new respect for him and how he handles situations under pressure... he really rocks my socks off and I'm so lucky to have him.

Avery was even larger than we expected, all 9 pounds 6 ounces of him and was 21 1/4 inches long. He had a head of reddish curls like me and 10 very long fingers and very long toes like daddy. :) 
I was given a small amount of Pitocin in my IV block after delivery to get my uterus to contract and stop bleeding – but besides that, I was able to deliver Avery naturally and totally drug-free. And best of all, my midwife decided that I didn't have any tearing and didn't need any stitches! (I attribute this to soaking in a warm tub for 2 hours before pushing... I believe it gave my body time to stretch, soften and expand to make room for Avery!)

-->

Due to his large size, Avery had to have his glucose tested before each of his first 3 feedings to rule out diabetes. All 3 turned out just fine, and he has taken to breastfeeding like a champ so far! He did get a bit of a 'newborn rash' on his skin the day before we left the hospital, but it disappeared a few days later.

Avery had his 2 week appointment today and now weighs 9 pounds, 14 ounces (SO close to 10 pounds!) and passed all his newborn tests with flying colors. He grows bigger every day, and I find myself just staring at him for most of the day... in awe :) We are so blessed!

The Final Days

As I sit in waiting these last few days (hopefully!) of my pregnancy, I have lots of bittersweet emotions. I am so excited to have him out in the world I can barely stand it, but I also think it's going to be very strange to not have him squirming around inside. I know life as we know it around here is going to be drastically different, but I know that it will be so wonderful.

As I've said before, I've had the most uneventful (in a good way!) and easy pregnancy I could've ever asked for. I still feel great -almost TOO great- at 39 weeks and have been able to stay very active (and get good sleep!) without being too uncomfortable in my much larger state.

Bella and I are still walking our 1.2 mile loop every day (I credit Bella for helping me stay active and in in shape throughout my pregnancy - it's hard to take a 'lazy day' with her pushing that sweet little face in my lap as the afternoon approaches!) I am a little concerned about how she will react to our attention shift once baby comes and she is no longer the center of our universe, but I hope to still take time to walk with her every day after we get all settled in at home. She really is the sweetest pooch of all time, and I know she'll make a good little protector and lover of Baby O. (as long as he doesn't mind lots of doggy kisses!)

At my 39 week appointment last Friday, baby is still measuring right on target and has a very strong, regular heartbeat. Our midwife tells us that he's NOT going to be a 10 pound baby which is a relief, knowing Justin weighed about 10 1/2 pounds at birth. He has moved down to -2 station and I am 2 centimeters dilated! She even stripped my membranes slightly to hopefully get things moving a little more. I've been walking, squatting, and even bouncing on an exercise ball to get things moving along, but I have yet to feel any real contractions. We will go in next Thursday morning (his actual due date!) for more membrane stripping and hopefully some news that we've made progress!

Our house is ready, our bag is packed, my nesting complex (yes, it has officially turned into a complex...) continues, and we're as prepared as we can be for labor and delivery. For now, I'll be vacuuming, reading, gardening and resting as much as I can until Baby 'Pimento', as a friend describes him :), decides it's time!

Mommy Moment - Full Term!

Since it's taken me a week to upload this last 'baby page', I am now over 37 weeks and am therefore, full-term! We've made it! Baby is getting bigger by the day and is very active... so much so that I think sometimes he's trying to work his way out on his own! My hospital bag is packed (well, almost) and we're ready whenever he decides it's time! Although I think I'm going to miss having him squirming around inside my belly all day, I'm getting so ready to meet this little guy... to see what he looks like, what his personality will be like, how BIG he is :) It's exciting that we've come so far and any day now he will be out in the world!

I'm excited to say that once baby gets here, I'm going to transition into being a stay-at-home-mommy! I won't be going back to work - at least for the first year. The company I work for has been so generous as to allow me a job back whenever I want - on a full or part-time basis, which I think is really awesome. This will allow me to stay home as long as we can make it work - or I can go back for a few days a week here and there if I want. It really gives me a lot of options. I'm excited to spend time with my baby and not feel like I was cheated out of time with him when he's so little. 

I've transitioned from reading about labor and delivery stories (I'm not going to say I'm an 'expert' on the topic or anything, but I'm as prepared as I think I can possibly be... I'm keeping an open mind) to taking in as much information about breastfeeding as I can. I'm determined to make it work - I know it's going to be a challenge, but I'm ready to face it. Like labor and delivery, breastfeeding is one of those things I can't really practice... which kills me, but I'm trying to get as much information as I can so there are no surprises and again - I'm keeping an open mind. I know the benefits will far outweigh any struggles I face, so I know it will be worth it in the end. 

Since I'm going to be staying at home with the little Olive, I've also chosen to use cloth diapers-

I chose to go with Bum Genius Elementals - they got great reviews and they are an All-In-One diaper (meaning I won't have to use any 'pocket inserts' or anything, just throw the whole thing in the washer) and are One Size, which means they have multiple snaps that will grow with baby and we won't have to invest as much in buying new sizes. We are probably going to start off with disposables for the first few weeks until we get the hang of parenting (and the All In One diapers I chose seem really big for such a little bum!) but then we'll transition to cloth - If you have used cloth diapers and have any words of wisdom, I'd love to hear it! Wish us luck!


...and just for fun, I wanted to document what's happening inside my belly at this point in time - here's a little video of baby's dance party yesterday afternoon! 

Showered with Love!

Since my mom and step-dad came to visit last weekend, I finally have some photos to post of my baby shower in Wisconsin! It was such an amazing day spent with family and friends - who SHOWERED us with love and gifts! Baby Olive is going to be the best-dressed guy on the block! :) There was so much time and thought put into the day by my mom and sisters - how blessed I am to have them!

 The decorations were based on Eric Carle (the same theme as the nursery!) and my sister, Janessa, even made a caterpillar out of cupcakes! So sweet! (and those caterpillar balloons were my favorite!)

One of the most special keepsakes from the day are the 'wishes for baby' cards that every guest filled out. They are a series of writing prompts that turned out to be so unique and fun to read. I think it's so fun to be able to show baby boy someday the hopes and wishes that the people who care about him most had- before he was even born!
Janessa was also up until the wee hours of the night the night before the shower baking mini chocolate chip cookies to fill these sweet little 'carry out boxes' for favors!

The other activity that guests participated in at the shower was the 'Onesie decorating' project. (I'm really not into the traditional 'shower games', so this was a perfect alternative) Every guest was given a onesie (or a bib) and using Heat-and-Bond created a design of their own out of fabric pieces. We had some templates available, but so many people came up with very creative ideas on their own, too! Baby boy now has a ton of onesies - each one very unique and special! (Seriously, they're SO CUTE!) Both activities were so fun because the kids and adults alike could participate - and were so good at it! I can't wait to see baby boy dressed up in his adorable onesies!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone that was there to celebrate - and a HUGE THANK YOU to my mom and sisters for putting in so much time to make it perfect! I love you guys!

And because somehow my mom and I didn't get a photo together on the day of the shower, here are a couple of shots from Easter the next day with my family :)

THEN...
After we returned to Indiana, it was my turn to host 'Bunco night' at my house (yes, believe it or not, I joined a ladies Bunco group... and LOVE it!) When the ladies showed up at my house, they surprised me with another impromptu baby shower!! They brought everything from the food, to the cake, to the gifts (more adorable outifts!!), to the balloons, to the confetti! It was amazing!! (Needless to say, not much Bunco was actually played... :)

Not only did Mary make the DELICIOUS cake from SCRATCH, but Katie crafted up a little stroller fruit bowl! What amazing, creative friends I have!! (and are those little socks not the CUTEST thing you've ever seen?!) It was such a fun night, and I'm truly grateful to have found such a great friends in this group of women!