Adjusting to life with a new baby

Olivia will be two weeks old tomorrow and Michael and I are adjusting to limited sleep and life with a newborn. We tried something new last night (music on the CD player in Olivia's room, lights off all night- which makes feeding a little challenging, and the dreaded paci) and it seemed to work. We'll see.

A couple of days ago Olivia found her thumb. That would be nice if she could soothe herself without having to reach for the pacifier, but as you know, newborns cannot control their limbs! As soon as she was content with that thumb, whoosh, the arm flailed away! We'll work on that.

On a side and extremely exciting note, I can wear shoes again!! I haven't been able to get shoes on since the first of June because of swelling.

Mommy can wear shoes again!

Week One

We made it! We all survived one week! After a few mommy tears and baby tears and daddy tears, we made it! Olivia is perfect in every way. I can't believe how much she's changed in the last week.

Olivia is here!!

After waiting for several long months, Olivia Quinn is finally here! Olivia was born July 13th at 10:52 pm. She barely made it. She was 8 lbs, 2oz and 21 inches long.

On Monday morning I woke up at about 4 am with pain in my back. Worried about the pain accompanied by bleeding, Michael and I headed to Labor and Delivery. When we got there I was dilated only 1 cm and the bleeding was just part of the process and we were sent home. I took a nap when we got home but was awakened about an hour later with real contractions.

About 4 pm we headed back to the hospital because the contractions were about 5 minutes apart. Imagine my surprise when the labor nurse said I was still 1 cm!! Are you kidding me?!? (Let me interject that at this point I was ready for an epidural. I was on the fence about that before, taking a wait and see attitude to natural childbirth. All it took was about 2 hours of constant 5 minute apart contractions to change my whole outlook.)

They decided to go ahead and admit me. By 6pm I was 4 cm dilated and finally approved for that blessed epidural. I never knew you could love another human so greatly as I did for the anesthesiologist. He was a godsend! Once I got the epidural about 8 pm, I relaxed and in no time at all, I was dilated to 10 cm and ready to go.

After about one hour of pushing, my Olivia Quinn was born. She was so pink! Her APGAR scores were 8 and 9. She was perfect! Apparently when they whisked her away to the nursery to get cleaned up, she was not happy! So starts the trend of Cranky Olivia!

Michael thinks that she was born on Monday because on Sunday night, after hearing me complain that this baby was never coming out, he told Olivia that if she came out, he would buy her a pony. Now look at the mess we're in, and where are we going to put a pony!?

13 days and "patiently" counting

Well, here we are in July. I was sure that Olivia would make an early appearance but she has proven me wrong. Apparently, she likes it in there and wants to stay the duration. I'm trying very hard to be patient. With school out and not much to do but wait, I am kind of bored.

I'm hoping for a full moon baby because that's next Tuesday ;) Michael jokes that something big is coming and we should be prepared because of all the "signs".

First, there has been several earthquakes in the area over the last few months. No big deal if we lived in California. We're in Texas! There hasn't been earthquakes in Texas for as long as I've been here!

Second, the plague of fleas. We battled and battled and then spent $$$ to get rid of the pests. Let me tell you, my feet are just now healing from all the bites. I think the dogs lost weight from all the stress! (Oddly enough, fleas were one of the biblical plagues in Egypt; I didn't know that!)

Third, the floods. Our street flooded, like it always does when it rains hard, but still...

This is what I've been reduced to: sitting at the computer looking up biblical plagues. I know that Olivia will come when she's good and ready but that doesn't make it easier to wait.

Michael's 1st Show!

I guess I should have posted this earlier in the month...

Michael just finished up a gallery showing called "Faceless Saints" at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center (FWCAC). He's going to pick up his work today (I'm hoping that some of his work sold!). He's got another show coming up in November called "Old Friends, New Beginnings" also at the FWCAC. Our good friend, Leslie, set up a website for Michael. It has pictures of his most recent work.

Visit both sites:

Fort Worth Community Arts Center

Michael's Website

Baby Shower Today

Today was the shower. It was fun. We had it at a local tea room thats in an antique store. It was small and cozy. When we first arrived there was another shower going on in the dining room. It was a bachelorette party. I wanted to go over to the girls and show them what happens when they use all those fancy panties they were flaunting around (hee-hee).

Anyways, it was fun. My little girl will be better dressed than me! My mother in law got me two Cirque du Soleil dolls that will go PERFECTLY in the nursery. I can't decide if these will be for decoration or for Olivia to play with.

Well, it's not the snappiest car on the lot, but it has 4 doors!

After our harrowing adventure on Wednesday and Thursday to get a car,

it finally worked out.

We got into a Ford Focus on Friday evening.

It's not my first choice in cars

(I would have preferred a BMW)

but its what we can afford at this point.

Introducing,

the Hocus Pocus Focus!