The Life and Times of Alida Lew

To Alida...From Granddad

2010-06-15T22:16:00.001-04:00

Alida, Granddad, and Baby Robins
Early in June 2010, the 3rd, specifically, the day after Alida became three years old, a very spring-like day was occurring at our home near East Greenville, PA. Alida and I, around 10 am, were headed toward our vegetable garden to take tour of the popular strawberry patch. The berries were plentiful that year, needing picking every day or so.
Our little saltbox-shaped barn was an allurement to Alida, so as I crossed the lawn heading toward the garden gate, Alida detoured and took the path less traveled, through the barn and down another path which also led to the garden. The garden was gated, as a certain Peter Rabbit all too often frequented “Mr. McGregor’s” Garden.
(Mr. McGregor is the Beatrix Potter gardener who put up with a naughty bunny named Peter. Alida loved to play “Mr. McGregor” in our home: She and I would take turns being the rabbit; we’d ‘find’ each other in the garden—the family room—and get chased out of the ‘garden’ with a make-believe rake made of simple Styrofoam. Great fun, it was. Mimi would get involved once in a while too, playing the part of Peter’s mommy, to whom the shooed rabbit would be sent at the end of Mr. McGregor’s rake. ‘Home’, and safety, for Peter Rabbit would be the plaid, reclining lounger in the living room.)
This day, however, wasn’t to be about rabbits. All of a sudden, I heard coming from the inside of the barn, “Grandad! Grandad! There’s a bird in here!” Quickly, I hurried to see what was the matter. Sure enough, Alida had come upon a baby robin, frantically flapping its wings in futile attempt to exit the barn through a paned window glass. Suddenly, from another direction, a second baby flew by our feet, past us both, at an altitude of only about two feet off the floor of the barn. Out the open doorway facing the garden went baby bird #2— experiencing flight and taking in its first view of the world outside the barn’s wooden walls.
What Alida had stumbled upon and witnessed was the very first flight of two of three baby robins that had just launched from their childhood nest, carefully fabricated by Mother Robin, just above that same door of the barn.

For weeks prior, Mother Robin would tend that nest, whether I entered the barn or not. Several times I can remember inadvertently surprising Mom by my unannounced sudden appearance (to get a rake, hoe, or something for use in the garden). Alarmed, she’d fly from the nest, but quickly to return when she got her motherly bearings! She’d at once perch just outside the door, making a squawking fuss in reprimand of me invading her family’s home. I got the message and would leave in short order.
Meanwhile, as baby-bird #2 flew the coop, baby-bird #1 was still frantic at the window. Not a good situation! Alida stepped back as I approached the flurry of wings and feathers in attempt to hand-catch the youngin’ to help solve the exit dilemma. Just as I made my reach, the youngster got his bearings and, as well as his kin, made low altitude exit out the doorway of the barn.
We’d both witnessed what most people never see. The babies couldn’t have been out of the nest (about eight feet above the floor) for more than a minute or two, if that.
The thought then dawned on me— what had become of the third-bird, that other little fellow of three I’d seen clamoring for food in the nest, incessantly, for the last several weeks?
Alida and I, both standing quietly for a moment, heard a faint “peep-peep-peep, peep-peep” sounding from the floor area in a far corner of the barn. I quickly motioned to Alida to come with me, and we both, slowly, approached baby-bird #3. This little peeper, as its siblings, had “flown the nest” as well, but somehow wound up in a dark corner, not at a window or the daylight visible at the barn’s doorway. With haste and two hands, I snatched up the now squawking, shrill-sounding, little one! Realizing the poor thing’s sense of peril and wanting to liberate it as quickly as possible, yet wanting Alida to experience a close-up touch, I quickly got her to touch this little one of God’s creation before it took flight, ne’re to return. She did! And smiled.
But at the same time, there was an unhappy, highly exasperated “Mother Robin”, looking me in the eye, from her vantage point about five feet away, on the floor, in the barn door opening. One unhappy, hair-standing-up, cackling, blusterous exhibition of anger was coming forth! I can remember wondering who was more noisy and upset; baby or mother! Turning to Alida, I quickly said, “We must let baby go!” As she watched, I gently tossed baby into the morning air, a foot or so above the floor. And

as the rest of kin, off baby flew, on first flight, about fifty feet or so in total distance, finally landing in the nearby garden area.
All three would be off to experience that ‘first time’ thrill of newness of life, if birds can sense such things. . . Food would be their-own-for-the-getting now; Mother Robin’s nurture had passed into yesterday. So with their freedom came much responsibility.
Alida and I went on to the garden and picked strawberries. Mimi had been in town and, sadly, missed the whole event. Upon arriving home, we relayed the exciting story, all wondering if we’d see the three young-ones again.
Maybe we did; there were so many robins in the yard that year, at a distance they seemed to all blend together. The babies, even as early on as their day of first flight were, close up, distinguishable from Mother Robin— somewhat smaller. But possessing, even then, the same robin-red-breast as adults, at a distance differentiating between the two generations proved difficult. Instead of darker adult feathered wings, the youngsters yet possessed a muted black & white speckle; that, too, would quickly fade from youthful to adult plumage.
I wished them all well; frolic in freedom, little ones, in our square of God’s green earth here in Pennsylvania.
And so happened a special time; a time when the simplest things of life display the grandeur found in all of Creation, to the hearts of God’s children, big and small. In the life of the smaller child, as she matures, may a remembrance of Granddad and granddaughter, and baby birds, be precious and enduring.
A loving grandfather,
Granddad
June 8, 2010

If this doesn't make you smile.....

2009-12-16T21:27:00.002-05:00

then you are a true grinch!!!

Summer Recap

2009-09-28T22:49:00.004-04:00

Oh geez! Is it really almost October??! Alida hasn't had the busiest summer but her parent's sure have! I think I misunderstood what it meant to be two years old. For some reason I thought I was waiting for this moment so that I could once again resume cleaning the house, cooking meals and running errands. My excuse for the last two years for a dirty house, an empty fridge and the ability to accomplish little or nothing at all is still going strong!!!

Alida is still into everything...no exceptions. She has most recently painted her face with butt paste, painted her toys/stool/play room carpet with purple paint, "washed" out a poopy diaper in the bathroom sink, soaped up her baby dolls because they looked dirty, emptied a brand new bottle of perfume onto her Mom-Mom's bed, etc, etc, etc. You just gotta love her! Oh...and I swear that I never leave this child alone for more than a few seconds. She's like lightning!! If she's quiet you know she's into something she shouldn't be. The only thing that keeps her attention and gets her to remain still for more than a second is "The Fresh Beat Band" (on Nick...The Backyardigans have taken a back seat to this hip hop band!).

She is still making us the proudest parent's that ever existed. Since her stroke diagnosis several months back she has been receiving OT and PT through Early Intervention. She has been improving a great deal!! She's motivated to use that left hand no matter the challenge. She's constantly reminding us to use both hands or to "try the other hand". She has been singing songs all summer long including "God Bless America" (a song I sang at the top of my lungs as a kid!). She enjoys singing "Happy Birthday" to whomever she is able to and if it's not currently someones birthday one of her dolls will be a fill-in. She has named each of her dolls....I constantly ask her their names, it's just so freakin' cute! There's baby Tara, baby Regan, baby Doll, baby Riley, baby Baby, baby Maddox and baby Beth. Of course some of the dolls came with names...but she remembers them without needing reminders.

The little lady is currently passed out in her big girl bed. We had to switch over due to new climbing skills that daddy convinced Alida to start using to her advantage. So far...so good. She has not gotten out of the bed to date and still yells for mommy when she wakes. The only problem is that now mommy has to get up right away for fear the the first solo exit won't be the last! She's still cuddling with George (her favorite stuffed animal courtesy of Fran and Amy that she never lets out of her site) and her favorite blanket (a yellow and white star blanket that's fuzzy on one side and silky on the other). Sometimes we forget George and her blanket when we visit friends or family but she usually agrees that it's important for George to get a night out once in a while. I also figured out how to get the girl to brush her teeth without a fight!!! Did anyone ever hear of the cavity monster?! Works like a charm!

I had plans to do something fun and exciting several times this summer....my plan didn't work out so well. Alida was able to visit the beach once and she got to check out Sesame Place as well. She spent most of the summer swimming in Aunt Joan's pool so she was able to show us her swimming abilities by the end of the summer. I refrained from tossing her into the pool as I am told my mother once did when I was a small child. The excitement of watching her swim around the pool on her own (with the help of the arm floaties) would have been tainted had I forced her to suck water up her nose and fear for her life to get her to do it!! I still love you mom!! HAHA!

Alida has been spending some extra QT with daddy recently. I've been accepted to a weekend nursing program and have been spending Saturdays and Sundays in class so Alida has finally gotten the chance to bond with her pops. I know that she will one day appreciate this chance even though when I call during break time she always says "mommy, come over. I'm crying for you mommy!" She surely knows how to pull on my heartstrings!!!

Enjoying the boardwalk with her beau Noah!

Digging in OC, NJ for the day.

Sharing her lolly with Mason and Livvy at Sesame....she does share it eventually, I promise!

Attempting to get away from Bert and Ernie...she still regrets not giving them a high five and hasn't forgiven herself for causing them to cry.

June and Beyond

2009-07-06T21:09:00.006-04:00

Alida is now officially 2 years old!! So sad...and so happy at the same time. She has been keeping us more than busy this past month. The girl does not sit still, well, except for the occasional Backyardigans episode. She is talking up a storm and has reached the point where she says some pretty funny things. She has been reading some of her book so well that it amazes me...she opened "oh the places you'll go" the other night and turned to this page saying "look mommy..lurch, bump and slump" and it was the right page! She can read 'Hungry Caterpillar' from front to back leaving out all the insignificant words of course. She currently takes her stuffed monkey, Curious George, with her everywhere (thanks Fran and Amy!!). She loves him. There's a monkey at Mom-Mom's house too and he wears a Hawaiian shirt so we named him Charlie and unlike George who lives in the jungle Charlie lives on the beach (lucky Charlie!!). She loves her baby dolls too but not as much as her Backyardigans buddies. She's always propping one of them up and singing "happy birthday" at the top of her lungs to one of them. She also sends her stuffed friends to time out when they are naughty which seems to be quite a lot! She'll sit them on a stool in front of the fireplace and yell 'sit there, naughty, don't move, don't touch toys, don't talk, don't fall'. The poor things just can't seem to stop themselves from falling over so they have to be fixed and yelled at again and again. It makes me wonder...do we really act like that?!

The other day Matt, Alida and I met my mom for breakfast at a diner. The waitress had left money on the table from a previous customer. I gave the money to Alida and told her to give it to the waitress. She hands it over and as the waitress walks aways she yells "put it in your piggy bank"!! TOO freaking cute!!!

Happy Birthday Lil' Lida Lew Love!!!

I Love my mommy....

2009-05-30T13:55:00.002-04:00

I remember the days when Alida wanted nothing to do with me. I could simply hand her over to a complete stranger and she could have cared less. I imagined the day that she would cry when I left for work....when she would run to me with crocodile tears not wanting me to leave her....when I would hear her sweet little voice cry out "I want mommy". What in the world was I thinking??!!! Well....that day is sort of here. And by sort of I mean at bedtime and morning time. UGH! The only two times of the day where I liked to take turns with Matt....the only times of the day when I can really sit back and relax or get a little extra shuteye. Be careful what you wish for!!! HAHA!!!

Some of our Favorite People

2009-04-10T15:20:00.007-04:00

We would love more than anything to have more time in our lives to visit with family and friends. Luckily we had some opportunities to visit with some of our favorite people!

Alida loves Baby the Bunny. My girlfriend's mom owns this bunny and it's just like a dog! Roams around the house and takes naps on the couch!!

Baby Maddox and his momma! My girlfriend Jen does not know what she's in for!! Alida is dying to have a little friend that she can play with in the area and it looks like Baby Maddox might have to fill that spot! Alida talks about him constantly...everything is Baby Maddox. She even calls him on the phone!!

Even though Alida went binky-less as an infant she LOVES other kid's binkys. If it's missing Alida has it!

Enjoying a view that she used to love herself! Ahh, the baby days!!!

A visit to Ginny brings some of us closer together. Alida had a great time hanging with her cousins. She loves to run around them and play with their toys as they watch her. Look out Alida....they are mobile and they are boys....only time will tell!!!

Enjoying some pool time with Carter!

Chowing on some puffs!

It's Norah! Alida's favorite neighbor! They both like to shop at Target!!!! HEHE!

Too far behind...time to post-date!

2009-04-03T21:08:00.004-04:00

OK, there are a million things that I would like to post about. Alida has been so stinking cute lately and I have so many little stories to tell. I am way too far behind at this point and rather than post-dating all the bits and pieces I'm just going to shove them all together! Of course...I only have time to post this little ditty below as I need to get back to studying..UGH! Stay tuned....

Alida LOVES her ball pit! We've had the balls since Christmas but we had no pit. We gave up searching for something that would fit all the balls and wouldn't take up too much room in her playroom. We settled for a LARGE plastic bin...it works!

Visit to CHOP

2009-03-09T21:10:00.002-04:00

Well...I finally got an appointment with Dr. Finkel down at CHOP. Mom-Mom joined me for the visit. Alida did quite well I must say. It was the morning of the snow storm so driving was not ideal but I didn't want to risk rescheduling and having to wait another month or more. We got to the office on time and then had to wait over an hour to see the Doc. Dr. Finkel was very thorough in his examination and once he weighed all the factors and checked Alida upside and down he gave us his opinion. Alida does not have a Brachial Plexus Injury as we had thought. The Doc said that her problem is one of two things...A. She has a developmental anomaly of the right lobe of her brain which controls the left arm OR B. She suffered a motor stroke while in utero or during delivery that was very mild. So....further investigation is needed to see if we can figure this out and Alida will be going back to CHOP for an MRI....yippee! UGH! I am not looking forward to it! Dr. Finkel reassured me that her condition is VERY mild and on a scale of 1 to 10 it is definitely a 1. The MRI results might not tell us anything since it is so mild. The best Dx would be a stroke....there is 100% recovery and the likely hood of it happening again is rare. So....we shall see.......

NO Cheesy Smile!!

2009-02-20T21:53:00.002-05:00

This morning Alida tried on her summertime gear! As soon as I showed her the swimsuits I had gotten she wanted to put them on. We played a little game of peek-a-boo and I got some GREAT pictures. It's so rare that I can capture a real smile!!!! I was ecstatic to get more than one!
Here's to warm weather!!

"Scared...Pablo"

2009-02-17T21:04:00.002-05:00

Matt and I recently took Alida to see her favorite cartoon character at The Crayola Factory...Pablo from The Backyardigans. I was so excited to see how she would react. She absolutely LOVES this guy! Well....sure enough she was scared. BOOHOO!! She wouldn't even stand with him to get a picture! From a distance she loved him but up close and personal was way different. Despite my disappointment I was still glad that she got to experience the visit, even if it wasn't ideal. The entire ride home (and for the next few weeks) she chanted the words "Scared Pablo" over and over. She still loves him though!!

By the way...I am crossing my fingers that one of these days...when I ask Alida to 'smile' she won't give me the cheesy toddler grin that she just hasn't been able to shake yet. One of these days!

Waiting for Pablo...

He's here.....

Scared Pablo!!

The world's largest crayon and the world's cheesiest toddler grin...

Another cheesy grin! Man, I gotta stop asking her to smile!!!

OK....so, it's my fault. I know what she does when I ask but I still do it!!!!

Erb's Palsy

2009-02-12T19:45:00.002-05:00

Long story short....I had Early Intervention out to see Alida recently...I was still concerned about her left hand. As soon as they got here and engaged her in some play they told me that they think she has Brachial Plexus Palsy. The Brachial Plexus is nerve that runs from your spinal cord into the neck that controls sensations and movement in the arm, hand and fingers. A lot of times when babies are assisted deliveries (forceps or vacuum) the neck can be stretched too far from the shoulder pulling on this muscle causing damage. The damage is usually severe and in Alida's case it is very mild...thank goodness. So...Miss Alida now has her own Occupational Therapist that visits weekly to strengthen the muscles and the nerve signals in that arm, hand and fingers. She enjoys the playtime!! I plan to take her down to CHOP to see a specialist...if I can ever get an appointment!!

Jabber-Jaw

2009-01-25T21:01:00.002-05:00

Alida is talking up a storm!!! I am amazed at the words she knows and remembers to use in context! At least...once I figure out what the word is that she's actually saying!! In all seriousness though she is doing incredibly well with talking. She labels everything she sees and repeats anything that you could think of saying....time to watch our mouths!! She loves to do puzzles and go through flashcards....and she's even started helping me when I read to her!! She downright amazes me!!

Current Top Ten

2008-12-26T01:04:00.008-05:00

In no particular order....

1. The Backyardigans...especially Pablo (the little blue guy in the stroller).

2. Mommy...poor Daddy is always last in line for Alida's affection. Sorry Matt! Your time will come...no doubt when she's 15 and "hates" her mama!

3. Bath time! She sometimes asks for one...and she always says "hi" (see below) when asked if she'd like one. She pronounces it BAAAhhh and sticks her tongue out for the "th".

4. Noodles....gotta love those Carbs!! She now asks for them at meals...odles...it took me a while to figure out what she was asking for!

5. Saying "hi" when answering "yes". I have tried over and over and over to correct her when saying yes but she insists on saying hi....I just don't get it!

6. Pictures of family and friends....she loves to point people out! She may not always be able to say the names but if you put her in front of a picture of some people and tell her who they are she can then point to each person when asked. The girl has got a great memory!

7. Labeling objects as to who they belong to or who they came from. If it belongs to mommy it is called "mommy's", if it's daddy's then we call it "daddy's", if it's Alida's then we call it "aye-aye's" (not sure why she pronounces her name so strangely!). At bedtime I cover her up with a blanket that Mimi made so her last words at night are "Mimi's" and when I put her coat on that Aunt Nine and Uncle Dave bought her it always "Nine's". She brought some lipstick to me the other day and said "Mimi's"....it was my lipstick but I don't really wear it, Mimi wears lipstick a lot though!!

8. Her phone (and anyone else's phone for that matter) aka Doan!! She loves, loves, loves to talk on the phone. She will use a remote (which we call Daddy's), or a calculator or anything that resembles a phone if her baby cell isn't handy. She has gotten the "hi" and "bye-bye" down pat.

9. Cheese. She Loves, Loves, Loves cheese! She will ask for it while driving and for snack. Anytime we open the fridge she tries to open the top drawer and yells CHEESE!

10. Baby dolls. We weren't aware of this intense interest until Christmas where she received her first real baby doll and a baby stroller, pack 'n' play, baby swing/high chair and shopping cart. She will spend hours putting the baby to bed or pushing the baby through the house. It's so cute to watch!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-24T16:57:00.002-05:00

I have so many things that I want to share but absolutely no time to do it in!!! Boo!!! I had to post a Christmas Blog with Alida on Santa's lap. She ABSOLUTELY adored him!!!!!

Until next time.....Merry Christmas to Everyone!!!!

Is it snowing yet?

2008-11-22T13:37:00.001-05:00

Getting ready for cold weather! I am sooo excited to see what Alida thinks of the snow this year. Time to build a snowman!! YAY!!

Overdue Halloween Shots

2008-11-22T13:32:00.002-05:00

Olivia, Alida and Mason...Alida HATED Mason's mask. She screamed and grabbed Gina faster than you can imagine!!

The cutest little fairy princess and lady bug EVER!!

Alida with Mason...what a scary skeleton!

Proud Papa with his little bug!

Rear view of the most precious little wings you could ever see!

Fun at the Park

2008-11-02T21:56:00.002-05:00

Fun at the park with Mommy and Daddy! This girl does not stop...she is the Energizer Bunny!! She loves the swing and the slides...it's so fun to watch her in action!

Growing Vocabulary....

2008-10-31T22:26:00.004-04:00

Alida is starting to really talk! SOOOO much fun!! I took a short video of some of the words she's been saying....check it out!

Inappropriate Behavior...

2008-10-12T20:18:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago...maybe it's been a month or even more...anyway, us college gals got together to reminisce about the old days. We decided it was time to teach our daughter's what college was all about. Some people spend all their time boozin' (Alida) and some people work their butts off (Ashley). HA! I'm sure that letting children play with beer cans is somewhat inappropriate...it's pretty funny though.

NOTE: No children drank or even tasted beer in the making of these photos.

4 posts in 1!!

2008-10-04T20:25:00.005-04:00

Changes...
Like usual, time is flying by and the things that should be done get passed by and neglected...like cleaning, sleeping, laundry, the list goes on and on! Recently, I left my job at THP to become a TSS worker. For the most part I will be working with autistic children. I am excited for the change of pace....the work will be similar to what I have done in the past...back to my roots. The new job will allow for more flexibility with school which I will need when I eventually start the Nursing Program. It will also allow me more time to study and to be with Alida....Matt is hoping that it will also allow for more cleaning and cooking!! Leaving THP was bittersweet....after almost 5 years it becomes more than a job....it's like a second home. I already miss the people I worked with...I hope we keep in touch!!

15 Months Stats...

Alida had her 15 month doctor's appointment the other night. She now weighs in at 20 lbs and 10 oz (a little less than I thought - only 10th percentile). She was about 30 1/2 inches tall (50th percentile). And her head still measured on the large end...I forget the measurement but it was 75th percentile. The doctor was very happy with Alida's growth and progress. Even though she isn't talking much she was happy that she could do some sign language. I recently taught her to say "please", "thank you" and "cold". I have heard that teaching signs can delay them in speech...I hope that's not the case. I can't wait for her to start talking.....it's so frustrating to not be able to understand her sometimes!!

Down on the farm....

As most of you may know (or not)...Matt's parent's are planning an organic garden for next year. It sounds amazing! Everything you can think of will be planted! We are going to be eating healthy next summer for sure!!! Alida is enjoying the "farm" already.....

Family Time...

It's always nice to spend some relaxing QT with family. A few weeks ago we visited for the day. Alida was thrilled to hang with her cousin's for a short time. It's fun to watch them interact (even if it is just a little bit)! Some day soon they will be off playing with each other and want nothing to do with the rest of us!

The Beach...

We just spent a few days at the beach with Mom-Mom. It was nice to get away for a little while. Alida loved the sand and enjoyed feeding the birds. We took some old cereal and bread to the beach for the gulls....she was holding a piece in her hand and a bird came up and snatched it! Alida didn't seem to mind but it scared Mommy!! She ate the sand a lot less than last time...but she still puts everything in her mouth....pebbles, sea shells, trash!! When does it end?!

Smart Cookie

2008-09-14T14:05:00.003-04:00

OK…so, this may not be amazing to some of you...I am not entirely unaware of the phenomenon known as "my baby is an amazing genius" aka "parent pride".....but Matt and I were in utter disbelief when the following scenario occurred. First...here is some quick background info…..I just bought the Wii Fit (a gift from my mom for my 30th - it's a little early but I was never taught patience when I was little! HA!) and it came with 4 additional “feet” to put on the bottom of the board in case you have a thick carpet. They are these little, round plastic discs. Anyway, Alida liked them so much that she decided to take them and put them in the playroom and add them to her toy collection (along with the cinnamon from the spice rack and the Pam Spray from the pantry!!). I found them two nights ago but couldn’t find the fourth one to complete the set. I placed the three that I found in the living room….Alida discovered them again the other night and brought them to me as I was relaxing on the couch watching TV with Matt. This is what happened next:

“Onny mama monmon nah bop.” (Alida hands the three discs to me)
“Thank you Alida. There’s one more and mommy can’t find it. Can you go into your playroom and find it for mommy?” (Me)
“Unh– huhh.” (Alida)
She proceeds to go into her playroom as Matt and I stay in the living room.
“There’s no way she’s going to find it and bring it to you.” (Matt)
“I know…I’m just playing around.” (Me)
Alida re-enters the room with the fourth disc in hand. Looks of disbelief appear on the faces of mommy and daddy.
“Did that just happen?” (Me)
“I think it did…” (Matt)
“I feel like I should call someone to tell them what just happened.” (Me)
“Go ahead….call your mom” (Matt)

This was one of the craziest things that Alida has done. How the heck did she understand what I was saying?! And how the heck did she know where that disc was amongst all her other toys when I couldn’t find it for the life of me!!!!!! OMG!!

Smile for the camera!!

2008-09-14T14:03:00.003-04:00

When asked to "smile" for the camera these are the expressions that I got! At least she was trying!!!! HAHA!!

Purses Galore

2008-09-09T19:53:00.007-04:00

Alida might just be a girly girl after all! Look out Daddy!! If you are wondering what's around her neck in the one pic it's a furry headband from a Halloween costume...for some reason she likes to wear it around her neck!

Introducing the next American Idol....

2008-09-09T19:35:00.006-04:00

Alida LOVES to sing (and dance)! It is the cutest thing. Often times when we take walks or when we are driving in the car you will hear this little hum in all different pitches coming from her. She tends to like the higher pitches the best and sometimes the song ends with her little screams…which Daddy is not too fond of. HA! Alida will also sing when asked….well, usually! Her current favorites are: Itsy Bitsy Spider – where she puts her hands in the air simulating the spider crawling up the web, You are my Sunshine, If you’re happy and you know it – where she stomps her left foot and claps her hands on command, and Jesus loves the little children. She may just take after her mother and perform a wonderful rendition of “God Bless America” at the top of her lungs while standing on a dining room chair during a family get together someday!! :-) Let’s just hope she doesn’t get her father’s tone deafness!!!

BEDTIME??

2008-08-25T22:15:00.003-04:00

The dreaded "I don't wanna go to bed" stage is fast approaching. The past few nights Alida has been difficult to put down. She is like the Energizer Bunny when it comes to bedtime. It's hard to know when it's really time for her to go down...she's so happy and plays so nicely! We keep trying for the 7:30 or 8:00 bedtime but the way things are ending up these past few nights we are lucky to get her down by 10 or 10:30!!! We are hoping this is a phase! It has to be!! How can anyone get anything accomplished with a one year old running around?? Did you ever try to clean a toilet with your baby at your heels? It ain't happenin'!

10 of Alida's favorite things...

2008-08-19T20:14:00.004-04:00

The following is a short but descriptive list of Alida's top 10 favorite things (order is completely random):

1. Shoes....wearing them, carrying them and taking them off. Again and again and again....

2. Blowing raspberries on mommy's belly.....she is sooooo good at this! This makes daddy laugh every time! Poor Mommy can't lay down on the floor without being attacked these days!!

3. The "I'm gonna get you" game....it throws her into fits of giggles and makes her run somewhat lopsided since she keeps trying to look back to see how close you are to actually getting her.

4. Going outside....once you say it you better do it or else.....

5. Giving kisses....just ask and you shall receive! And sometimes there's no need to ask!!

6. Mom-Mom.....poor mommy is a second rate citizen when Mom-Mom is around!!

7. BLUEBERRIES....still her favorite and a staple at the Lewandoski household.

8. Grabbing things she isn't supposed to have then running away with them as quickly as possible, she looks back to see if you are about to grab it...realizing she can't get away fast enough she throws the item across the room before you can get it!! This drives me CRAZY...but it's so darn cute (and smart!)!

9. Dogs, cats, cows, etc, etc......she always has a smile for them even through her tears.

10. Carrying a purse.....so adorable. She'll load her arm with bags bending her elbow to keep them on and walk around the house with a look of triumph.

She melts our hearts and pushes our buttons ever day!!!

All better!

2008-08-01T22:09:00.007-04:00

Alida’s neck is 100% better!! Thank God! I felt as if it was never going to heal. The doctor ordered an X-Ray and we put it off until the end of last week. On Friday morning Alida’s neck seemed so much better! So, we skipped the X-Ray. It looks as if she has made a full recovery. It was seriously starting to scare me! A doctor that works with my mom pulled up some information on torticollis (aka wry neck)…it is caused by an underlying illness. It doesn’t make much sense to me but we administered some Benadryl (relaxes the smooth muscles) and continued with the Motrin. Not sure what did it…time, medicine, prayer…maybe all three! We’re just glad it’s better!!

Poor little stiff neck :(

She will be going for an X-Ray of her hand in the coming weeks. The hand therapist didn’t think it was trigger thumb which is good to hear. She seems to think that over time it will get stronger…that we need to encourage Alida to use it more and correct her when she holds things awkwardly. I do notice that she sometimes uses it the right way…more often than not she tucks it in and makes a fist though. So…we’ll see what the X-Ray says and we will work on some play therapy!

Let's play peek-a-boo.....

Alida has started carrying a purse around. It is the cutest thing! I guess she is so used to seeing me carrying different bags on my shoulder that she wants to do it too! It all started will her small cooler bag…she has been dragging that thing around for a few months now. I pulled out an old purse of mine and ever since she loves to carry it around swinging from her elbow. SO cute! She has also become obsessed with shoes…she tramps around the house with one shoe on a good amount of the time. She will come to me bringing one shoe with her and point to her foot; she will then sit down waiting for me to put it on. She rarely brings both shoes so being the lazy mom that I am…I put one on and don’t worry about the other!

Look how long her hair is getting! Time for pigtails!!

We are still waiting for the little lady to start yapping away!! We thought she’d be spitting out all kinds of stuff by now….but it’s still just ‘mama’, ‘dada’, the occasional ‘ball’ and lots of whining! Last night during a thunderstorm she sat on the floor with me staring out the sliding door at the rain coming down. She was very still and quiet….when the thunder would crash she would look at me very serious in her expression and say a different nonsense word each time….”bauble”, “daba”, etc….it was adorable! I wish I had it on tape!!! She has also started singing! SOOOO adorable! Words cannot describe how cute it is to listen to a little baby try and sing a tune! HAHA!!

Alida is always reading...she even babbles as she turns the pages! :)

No more searching the NET!

2008-07-22T18:16:00.000-04:00

Poor Miss Alida. We start off addressing her hand problem and make a few appointments to deal with that. Then this past week she starts to act a little funny. On Thursday I was home with her…I worked Wednesday instead…and she was refusing to sleep for me. Not very unusual but she was so tired it wasn't even funny. It was late afternoon and I decided to put her brand new shoes on so she could walk around and try them out. She was clunking around the hall and I thought she was walking funny due to the shoes – much bigger and heavier than she is used to. I looked a little closer and noticed that she was holding her neck funny, her shoulders were hunched up and she couldn't turn her head very far in either direction. The poor baby could not look up at all! So…I ran next door to get the opinion of my nurse neighbor…she agreed that a phone call to the doc was needed. Well….apparently it was a pulled muscle because she had no other symptoms. I talked my mom into asking one of the doc’s at her work this weekend to take a look and she noticed that Alida’s lymph nodes were a bit swollen…which could cause the neck stiffness. Nothing too serious…we should wait it out and it should improve. One bottle of Motrin and 5 days later and here we are with a neck that is still stiff. She will be going to see the doctor this evening. I have been driving myself crazy by looking online to see what it could be….not a good idea! Meningitis, Cerebral Palsy…a bunch of other things I can’t pronounce or spell! No more Internet searching for me! I hope this neck problem isn't anything to worry about…. I know that God is watching over her and I pray that he will keep her healthy!

A Quick Recap...

2008-07-10T20:04:00.000-04:00

I took Alida to see the hand doctor the other day. He wasn't entirely sure what was wrong with Alida's hand so we have to go and get an X-ray and then make another appointment to see a Certified Hand Specialist. He doesn't think it looks all that serious....he mentioned "trigger thumb" but expressed that if that's what it is then it's a very slight case of it as there was no "clicking" when her thumb was moved and there was a wide range of motion.

On another note...we just got back from the beach! A mini gal's vacation. Alida did wonderfully! She ate lots of sand and drank lots of ocean water.....isn't that what all 13 month old's do? She was a handful though....she wanted to walk EVERYWHERE!!! She was so sick of the stroller! We tried to let her walk as much as we could but with the crowds it was somewhat difficult. Being the independent little girl that she is every time she was returned to her stroller she would play the "stiff as a board" game. So much fun!! On vacation she seemed to babble more than ever and now that we are home she seems to be saying "ball" (or some form of that word) and "dog" or "down". It's so cute to watch! I have also been teaching her some more sign language....she knows milk and all done. I am currently working on "please", "thank you", "more" and "drink". Either she'll say it or sign it! That's what I figure!

Lounging on one of our MANY walks.

Not sure if she likes her hands to be sandy!

Enjoying her beach toys!

She LOVED the birds! AMAZING!

All tuckered out after one of her MANY rides/walks!

PARTY TIME!

2008-06-18T14:20:00.000-04:00

First of all I would like to send out a HUGE thank you to all of you that helped me with Alida's party!! Matt and I are so incredibly lucky to have friends and family like all of you!!

The party was a success! The balloons were deflated when I arrived in the morning....who knew that helium wouldn't last over night??!! i was tempted to run out and get more balloons but there just wasn't enough time! The day started off with some family pictures (the Lewandoski side) taken by my friend, Suzanne Collier. The picture process reminded me just how hot it was outside! UGH! It was pretty humid which made matters worse. Alida was quite clingy and not her usual self throughout the pictures but she didn't meltdown, which was good! The rest of the day is quite a blur. I'm not sure if I sat down or even got to talk to anyone. I felt like I was running around with my head cut off before the party even started. This is apparently common at first birthdays! Thank goodness it only happens once for each child :-) I think (at least I hope!) everyone enjoyed themselves, the food and was able to keep at least somewhat cool. The kids kept themselves busy in the baby pools....thank goodness we had them! We only forgot two things all day...the ice cream and the DVD. Considering the cake was huge and my wonderful sis-in-law, September, baked some absolutely delicious desserts I don't think the ice cream was missed. As for the DVD...since no one really knew it existed it wasn't a big deal. But we really wanted to show off our hard work in creating a slide show for her first year. I am hoping to figure out a way to download it to the blog....haven't been able to do it yet. But...all in all the party went quite well.

Alida held herself together quite well. She didn't nap as perfectly in the morning as I had hoped...I knew that would happen. But, she pulled through.....I don't remember any tantrums!

The little bubble blower

2008-06-12T19:54:00.000-04:00

12 month stats

2008-06-12T19:47:00.000-04:00

Alida had her 12 month well check-up this past Wednesday. She was a handful in the office! Waiting for the doctor to come in never felt so incredibly long before! This girl does not sit still these days! The past couple of nights have been a struggle getting her to bed….she just wants to stay up and play! We try to get her down at 8 pm or so but it’s been more like 9 or 10 pm these days!

Without further ado:
Weight: 18 lbs 10 oz (10th percentile)
Length: 28 inches (also 10th percentile)
Head: 18 ¾ (90th percentile! this girl's got brains!)
Teeth: 4 total

There is one thing that is a bit of a concern though. Alida does not use her left hand as efficiently as her right. At her age it is a cause for concern because handedness shouldn't be as apparent until babies are at least 3 years old. We have been referred to an Occupational Therapist who specializes in fine motor skills. Hopefully we are making a mountain out of a mole hill…but the doctor thought it best to get things checked out in case we can do something to increase her ability to use her left hand and avoid future problems. Besides that she has gotten a clean bill of health. She will have to go and get blood work done for the first time though....not looking forward to that!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALIDA!!

2008-06-02T22:08:00.001-04:00

It has come and gone....just like that. A whole year before our eyes. Alida has grown from a tiny (surprisingly! wasn't my belly huge??!) baby to a petite toddler. WOW! I thought by now I would certainly feel like a 'mom'. But....I am still amazed that she's mine. Matt and I thank God every day for allowing us the gift of bringing such a beautiful, little angel into this world! To watch her grow is the most indescribably amazing thing I have ever witnessed. God's little miracle! I still look at her tiny features, play with her little fingers and toes, smooth her silky hair and just revel in HIS masterpiece. AMAZING! That's all I can say!! I am sure that Matt would agree....she has changed us (inside and out!) FOREVER!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our miracle....we love you Alida Marie...more than words will ever say!

Check out Alida enjoying her first cake! She LOVED it!!! Not too sure what to do with the candle but she loved the singing (imagine that - Matt and I are NOT singers!) and the cake!

It can't be true!?!

2008-05-29T20:10:00.001-04:00

Next week....on Monday....only 3 days from now...Alida will be 1 year old!!!! I am in disbelief about it!! I cannot believe that a whole year has passed us by. It has been so exciting!!! To watch her grow and blossom into the little person she is has been such a blessing. She melts my heart every day (and Daddy's too!!)! In fact, she just started blowing kisses the other day....how precious!! Every time she does something new it amazes me. Matt and I are the luckiest parents in the world!!!

Daddy, they lost!!!!

Matt's favorite hair accessory! He wants one for himself!

Time to take a walk mommy! There's no excuse for that baby weight now!!

Mommy, are you gonna let this guy push me alone? Get over here!!

We took Alida to the Harleysville Fair the other day. It wasn't as baby friendly as I anticipated. Matt wouldn't allow Alida to go on any of the rides by herself. He did manage to win her a stuffed
whale though :-)

I guess the excitement of the crowds and the kids still wore her out.

2008-05-25T23:31:00.000-04:00

I have to get better at this! I keep thinking of the most interesting things to write about but then I never get to it! It’s very frustrating!!! Not just for those checking to see the latest and greatest (sorry Aunt Kris!) but for myself as well. I plan to have this blog converted into a hard bound book once a year. I am stealing the idea from another blog that I keep up with. Apparently, blurb.com offers this at a great price!!

Anywho….without further ado, here is Miss Alida Marie Lewandoski performing the newest dance craze of 2008.

She loves to dance these days….her movements remind me of hip-hop. It’s hilarious. The “flow” has gotten much smoother….she was much “jerkier” when she first started dancing. She will now perform whenever she is asked and tends to dance whenever there is music. She can now groove to the beat while sitting as well as standing.

All Dried Up!!

2008-05-01T20:17:00.001-04:00

Well....almost. Alida is 100% weaned! No more pumping...YAY!! She did incredibly well with the transition. I think it's because I took it pretty slow. I stopped one feeding per week until the last two were left - morning and night. I waited two weeks and then took the morning feeding away...then Matt could get up with her!!! HEHE! I waited another two weeks and stopped the night feeding. She really didn't seem to mind at all. She has been doing exceptionally well with the sippy cup these days and seems to really like whole milk. Thank goodness it went so seamlessly...I really was dreading it! Now I just can't wait to "dry up". I am quite uncomfortable right now. It's already been about a week and I am still full! I read online that it could take months!! I hope that's not the case! Although it is nice to have these things!!!! HA!

Alida has had a fever for the past few days...the poor thing. It's her first fever and I just feel so awful for her. She has handled it quite well though. Not nearly as grumpy/cranky as I would have thought. Hopefully tomorrow it will be gone. As sad as it is to see her not feeling well I have to admit that I really do enjoy the cuddling that she wants to do! Sooo sweet!

OH, and how could I forget!!! She is finally saying MA-MA!!!!! YAY!!! I knew it was coming but it felt like an eternity!!! So, she says two words, DA-DA and MA-MA. Wonder what will be next??!! We are working on animal noises and pointing to parts of our face. She knows where mommy's nose, teeth and eye are but not where they are on her face.

Let's see...what else is she doing? Oh, the cutest (and naughtiest) thing! She always finds something to play with that she's not supposed to have....she'll be playing nice and quiet with it until I notice...once I say something to her she takes one look at me, grabs the item and tries to run away! She looks back over her should as she tries to escape my grasp. It is sooo funny! She also knows when she shouldn't touch something...if I say 'no' and make like I am going to smack her hand she pulls it back really quick and flinches quite dramatically! You would think I beat her or something!! HAHA!!

The Verdict Is In!!!

2008-04-21T21:10:00.000-04:00

For quite some time now (probably since the day she was born) I have been told by many......friends, family, strangers....that Alida looks just like her daddy. I didn't want to believe it....I still don't. Of course I love that she resembles him...but couldn't she look a little like me too?? Unfortunately, it has been confirmed this evening that Alida resembles her father 100%!!! I hate to admit it but it's true. Here is the proof.....you be the judge!

Matt around 1 year old.

Alida at 10 1/2 months.

Erin at 13 months.

Alida's Play Room

2008-04-20T16:21:00.000-04:00

Alida’s 1st birthday is fast approaching and like any first time mom I am soooo excited!!! We are going to celebrate her birthday with a themed party at her grandparent’s house. The theme will be “the very hungry caterpillar”!! I am really excited about it!! HEEHEE!! I have yet to find any decorations that go along with the theme….I guess Eric Carle’s book hasn’t been all that popular for creating a birthday party. Alida absolutely loves the book though and I think the whole analogy is very fitting….she is emerging from a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly more and more every day (I know I am very korny!! I can’t help it!)!!

Matt and I are going to turn the office into a playroom as her gift. I don’t have a completely baby-proofed room yet so I plan to make the play room just that. The poor girl is always finding something that she can’t have and I am tired of hindering her curiosity!! So….I plan to paint the room a vibrant 'granny smith apple green' and I found a “recipe” for chalk board paint that I am going to use on the bottom half of one of the walls. We are thinking of covering the top half of the same wall with cork. All in all I think Alida will LOVE it!

Alida has been a bundle of FUN lately! She always seems to be smiling, giggling, babbling....such a happy girl! She is a pro at saying "DaDa" but has yet to attempt the more important "MaMa". I work on it each and every day!! She toddles around the house with precision usually carrying her "shoes" chanting "da-da-DA-Da-da-Da-da". She can now get to a standing position right from the floor! She almost has three teeth....two on the bottom and one is popping in up top. I have to say that her eating and sleeping habits leave much to be desired. Predictability is not Alida's middle name. One day she could take 2 long naps and eat all her meals with vigor. The next day she could sleep 10 minutes and pick at her food like it was foreign to her. I still don't get it! She really is a lot of fun these days and if all we have to deal with is a picky eater and a non-sleeper then I'll take it! Even without sleep she's a pleasant little angel...well, most of the time. I can't complain much about her nighttime sleep habits though. She is a stupendous sleeper at night!! At 6:30 (without fail) she is ready for her bed...she sometimes "jumps" into bed and even occassionally lets out a happy giggle! She rarely wakes up before 6 am anymore. I still have this idea that it would be nice if she slept until 7 am but I will certainly take what I can get.

Party Time

2008-04-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago we attended a B-Day Party for Alida's best friend....Olivia aka Livvy! Livvy turned 1 on March 12th! How quickly that flew!!! Alida got a little practice in by trying on a birthday hat and taste testing the cake. The hat didn't last but she loved the cake!!! She was a good little girl the entire time...not much of a peep from her! Party goers commented on Alida's ability to walk....whispering things like 'she's too little to walk. look at her legs, they are only a few inches long!' Matt was proud to hear someone comments on her cute little features....calling her a perfect little doll. Geez, I hope Alida's head doesn't get any bigger!! It's already in the 95th percentile!! HA! Here is a picture of Olivia one year ago....the day she was born (Alida is in my belly!!).

I love my cousins!!

2008-03-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

Easter weekend was fun...very busy but fun! We spent most of the weekend visiting with Aunt Kwree and her boys, Carter and Cole. They came up from VA for the weekend which was very nice!!! Alida was taken by them...she gave them zillions of kisses and held their hands for pictures. So much fun!!!! On Easter we went to church with Mom-Mom and had dinner at Matt's parent's. It was nice to spend time with everyone!! We ended the afternoon at my Aunt Joan's for a quick visit. By the time Alida was home she was ready for bed!!! Next year we will probably go all out with the Easter festivities!!! :-)

It's amazing that we were able to get them all to sit still without crying and all looking in the same direction (even if it wasn't at the camera!)!!!!

The Lewandoski Siblings and their babies!!

In her Easter Dress!! We didn't visit the Easter Bunny and we didn't do an egg hunt....and sadly, Matt and I didn't even get her an Easter Basket. Somehow I think I was more upset about it than she was!

One of many, many, many kisses that Alida gave to her cousins while we they were visiting for Easter weekend!! She LOVES them!!! I think it's her way of telling me that she wouldn't mind having a little brother of her own soon!!! HAHA!

9 Month Stats!!

2008-03-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

The 9 month stats....a little late but nevertheless……17 pounds 8 ounces (25th percentile), 27 inches (25th percentile) and for the first time ever her head was in the 95th percentile!! I forget what the measurement was exactly (bad mommy!) but I was surprised to hear that it was so big! Looking at Alida I don’t consider her to have a big head. I hope things even out….she’s so petite and probably won’t be happy with me if she has a huge head her whole life (I'll just blame it on her dada!).

From sleeping to playing!!

2008-03-19T13:09:00.000-04:00

My first bruises!!

2008-03-19T13:07:00.000-04:00

A Rare Moment Caught on Film!!!

2008-03-19T13:06:00.001-04:00

Well, not rare in the sense that it doesn't happen.....rare in the sense that no one sees it happen!!! HAHA!!!

NO! NO! NO!

2008-03-19T10:52:00.001-04:00

Alida has decided to take her first steps!!! Well....she took her very first steps about 3 weeks ago but she is now cruising around the room like a pro (well, almost!). It's so much fun to watch her walk! The look of determination and concentration on her little face is so adorable!!! I love it!

I do find myself saying the word "NO" a lot more these days. I hate that! I know that babies are naturally curious and to hinder that curiosity is not my intention. I even read an article that talked about how telling a child "NO" too often when they are young can lead to lack of interest in several activities....since they are always held back I guess they figure why even try! But, I do also know that children need limits as well. It will be a difficult process for me to learn the ropes....I know Matt will be a total pushover no matter what he says!! The other night I had to tell Alida 'no' while she was eating (it was not the best time to blow raspberries!!) and her bottom lip popped out and started to quiver. The saddest and funniest thing ever! Well...consistency id key and I plan to make sure I am consistent!

My next task is to baby proof as much of this house as I possibly can. I want Alida to be able to roam and explore as much as possible without her momma yelling "NO" every two minutes!

Check out Alida and her new trick!!

PLAY TIME!!!

2008-03-09T08:17:00.000-04:00

This past week my friend Steph came over and brought her daughter Olivia. It's fun to watch Alida interact with other children. She gets very excited! She tends to "hit" and "push" the other child, oh and "pull" hair too. Obviously she doesn't really know what she's doing. It's actually quite humorous. They had a great time together. They both chose one toy to play with and it just so happened to be the same one....so, they grabbed it from each other again and again....go figure! When Olivia left, Alida was inclined to give her kisses, open-mouthed of course. Olivia was a good sport and gave her kisses right back....although, Olivia has mastered the close-mouthed kiss so hopefully she didn't mind the slobber Alida planted on her!

Doesn't Alida look like a little boy??? HAHA!! I can't get over it!!

It's snowing!!!

2008-02-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

Look Mommy...it's snowing!

Learning new tricks!

2008-02-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

Alida has recently learned (Matt claims he taught her and I claim that it was me!) how to put balls into the mouth of her lion toy (courtesy of Mike and Gina – thanks guys!). She loves the noise it makes when the ball initially enters his mouth so she doesn’t always let go of the ball but she’s certainly got the concept down. Today she decided to try and shove a different object into his mouth….it didn’t quite work out!

My FAVORITE Day!

2008-02-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

Today is Wednesday! My day off from work!! I love Wednesdays!!!! Alida is in a mood today...not sure why. It could be the tooth that is popping up (I am able to feel the sharpness of it just today) or the fact that she has reached a milestone today...or it could be something else entirely. One can never tell!!! Well, I guess this post will be short....she just toppled over and bumped her head. I guess I'll have to stay right by her side until she masters pulling herself up!!

Look at me! I can pull myself up!!!!

I love your home cooking mom!!!!

2008-02-06T12:54:00.000-05:00

After a delicious home-cooked meal of carrots and squash, followed by blueberries and apples. YUMMY!!! The messier the better!!! It keeps her interested!!! HAHA!!

I usually don't post more than once a day, heck, I hardly post more than once a week but she's being extra cute today and I just wanted to share it with everyone (if anyone is looking!). OK...now I promise to go and clean the house (thank goodness Matt doesn't read these!)!!!!

Pics with Daddy

2008-02-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

Alida loves her Daddy!!!

Pumping

2008-02-06T08:47:00.000-05:00

UGH! Just the mention of that word brings a tear to my eye! HA! Well, it’s not that bad but I have been dreading it more so lately. I guess it’s the whole idea of sitting in the bathroom on a fold out chair, staring at myself in the mirror while two cups attached to my chest “suck” milk from my body with great force…listening to the motor drone on and on as I wait for let down to commence. It may only be like 10 minutes or so for the whole process from start to finish but it seems like an eternity! I try to picture myself on a beach (the noise of the motor comparable to the ocean) with a….ok that’s where I get stuck. What’s comparable to the sensation I am feeling?? Nothing seems to come to mind. So, there I sit watching the bottles fill up slowly but surely. One more meal for Alida (woohoo!)….one more work break spent in the women’s restroom hoping I remembered to lock the door (I have forgotten on occasion) and counting down the days until I can pack the breast pump away!

Don’t get me wrong…I love nursing. I am thankful that I have the ability to provide sustenance for my daughter….for 8 whole months! I have also been impressed with my ability to keep the “pump and dump” sessions to a vey low minimum! And most of all….I am so proud that I have a way to gross out my coworkers (and friends/family) on a daily basis. Anyone need some creamer????! Hilarious!

So glad I don't have to pump on Wednesdays!!!!!!!! I am home with Alida today. She is playing with some "new" toys that Matt and I got for her. She plays sooo well by herself as long as what she is playing with interests her.

Here is my first try at posting a video....I hope it works.

Homemade....with love!

2008-02-05T17:51:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been spending hours upon hours making food for Alida. I thought it would be so simple to puree some fruit and some veggies for her. And…for the most part it is but there are a few recipes that seem to require a little more time than I bargained for. I spent the evening “cooking” on Saturday night….it was actually quite productive. I made 6 different meals and they all tasted delish…if I do say so myself. There was this one in particular…tomato, cauliflower, carrots and cheese…YUMMY! Alida seems to like it too! At one point I attempted to make some veggies that sounded like a good idea but ended up tasting pretty nasty…parsnip, rutabaga, leeks….well, they tasted gross to me so I can only guess what Alida thought. She didn’t seem to take to them that well…I should have figured. But, for the most part it’s pretty fun cooking for her. The next few recipes will be chicken dishes…I made some “baby broth” for her instead of just adding water to puree the chicken. I think she’s gonna love it! By the way, the book I use is called “Top 100 Baby Purees” by Annabel Karmel…I love it! And I use the Magic Bullet (thanks Aunt Kris) to make the purees…works incredibly well…makes great frozen libations too!

Still not sleeping through the night. I tried letting her cry (as you all know) but I just can't do it...not when I think she may just be hungry. So...I am going to keep praying that she starts to sleep real soon!

Check out the tongue! She plays with it hanging out all the time!!!

A good day for Alida!

2008-01-30T14:49:00.000-05:00

Well...today she has been most impressive (except for going down for her naps)! She slept the night through and didn't wake to eat until 5 am. She has been doing pretty well at night. There was one incident in which she woke at 2 am...I tried to let her cry. After 45 minutes of a mixture of crying and fussing I had to go and get her. I warmed up 3 ounces of milk thinking that if she was truly hungry she would take it whether I nursed her or gave her milk in a cup. Well...she sucked it down in minutes and went back to bed. I guess she only woke because she was hungry! That's a bit of a relief!! So, anyway...back to today. She woke up for the day at 7 am (I think- you never can tell if she's awake before you actually hear her) and ate a very good breakfast at 8 am. She napped for almost 2 1/2 hours in the morning (after 30 minutes of fussing before she fell asleep) and then ate an AWESOME lunch! She had broccoli and cauliflower with apples for dessert. She ate it all!!! I have been giving her a spoon to play with as I feed her...it seems to help to keep her entertained a bit. I just put her down for her afternoon nap....so far she's still awake....I hear her talking in there. Here are some photos of her from this morning....she was in such a good mood!

She can read my mind....

2008-01-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

I swear! Last night was the first night in a long time that she actually slept!!!! She didn't wake until close to 5 am after going down at 8 pm. Almost a full 9 hours!!!! Before I put her down I told her that I was going to have to let her cry if she woke during the night.....I thought it best to give her a heads up! I can't explain it...maybe I slept straight through her crying earlier on. I can't imagine that was what happened. The whole thing was just a fluke I guess. We'll see how she does tonight!

CIO

2008-01-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

I finally made the decision (early this morning at 4 am when Matt and I were arguing) to start the CIO method. (Cry it out.) I am so nervous about it! I am such a softy when it comes to letting Alida cry. I absolutely hate it!! She has been waking in the night for the past 2 months now to eat (or to be with her mama - not sure which) and I am really starting to feel the effects of not getting solid sleep. Ugh! I was hoping that it was just something that she was going to grow out of....a growth spurt or a teething phase....no such luck! So, tonight will be the first semi CIO night. I say semi because I won't let her cry longer than 15 minutes or so. Fussing is one thing but flat out screaming is something I cannot handle! My plan is to let her cry if she wakes before 8 full hours of sleep. If she has slept 8 hours and she wakes I will feed her. That's the way I plan to do it for the next week and then I will increase it to 8 1/2, then to 9 and so on. I really feel as though I can't expect her to sleep 10 - 1 2 hours off the bat and since she has been getting the night feedings her body will need to adjust to eating a little more during the day. At least that's where my "thinking" has led me. She won't be able to sleep longer than 10 hours anyway....since I have to wake her by 6 am to feed her and get her ready to drop off. I just checked out some message boards and read about 10 - 15 different posts on June babies, all Alida's age and all of them are sleeping through the night! Insanity! Alida really spoiled me with that sleeping through the night thing at 3 months old! I was too confident that she would just keep it up forever! I hope tonight goes well......poor Alida. I feel bad for her already!!

Predictability out the window!

2008-01-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

I can't say that I have it bad.....Alida is by far an excellent little baby! But let me tell you how unpredictable she is! There are days when all goes well....she eats good, sleeps good, goes to bed well, etc. Then there are days where all she wants to do is nurse and screams every time I try (or anyone) tries to feed her. She won't go down for her nap well and when she finally does she will only sleep for 30 minutes or so. She'll fight going to bed with all that she has left!! It amazes me....just when I think I know her "schedule" and how things are going to work out she changes it up! I thought babies liked predictability!! I thought that they thrived on routine! Well...this little girl is surely her own person....even at the young age of 7 1/2 months. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it!! I just hope that this isn't a snapshot of what's to come!

Feeling Better!!

2008-01-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

Alida with her best friends, Mason and Olivia!

Sleeping with Da-da, AGAIN!

Proud in her Eagles sweats (she doesn't know they are out of the running!!).

Rockin' Adidas!

In the exercauser...."snacking" on her book.

Alida is getting over her first illness. It is so sad to watch a little baby with a stuffy nose and a horrible cough...there is nothing you can do to make it go away any faster. I feel so badly for her. She has definitely been a trooper though....not as cranky as I expected and still sleeping through the night pretty well. I just hope that she doesn't get sick again for a very long time!! Hope everyone is well!!!!

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-29T15:35:00.000-05:00

Well....Alida's first Christmas has come and gone :-( Too quickly as usual. She did an awesome job ripping the paper from her gifts and was, of course, more interested in the wrapping then the gift itself!! Hope you enjoyed pictures of Alida's first Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2007-12-24T16:46:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

We love you all!!!!

Some recent pics....

2007-12-19T16:17:00.000-05:00

Asleep after a car ride.

Playing in the dryer (I swear it wasn't hot or anything!!).

Before bed with Daddy.

In the exersaucer with rosy cheeks.

Asleep after another car ride....the car is like a drug for her! She falls asleep every time!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!! :-)

6 months old!!!!

2007-12-13T14:10:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness!! I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last posting!!!!! WOW! Time is flying! Alida is now 6 months old....that happened over night it seems! She is smiling and giggling all the time. People constantly comment on how happy and calm she seems to be. She impresses me day after day! There are days that go by that she doesn't even cry at all!!!!! It amazes me how she can be so happy and content so much of the time at this age. I certainly expected to have to cater to her more than I do. She is now sitting up and standing all the time. She will not sit still though. Even while holding her she will arch her back and try to scoot down....I don't know where she thinks she is going!!! She obviously can't walk yet! It's very funny!!!

Let's see....she just had her 6 month check up and now weighs 15 lbs 7 ounces and measures 25 1/2 inches. She is at 50th percentile for both weight and length. For a while there she was at 75th percentile for length and I was rooting for her hoping that she wouldn't be stuck as shorty like her mommy for the rest of her life. Well, there is still time!!

We have been down to visit Matt's sister and the twin boys a few times. Wow! They are a lot of work! Props to Christie....she is doing an EXCELLENT job! I am so proud of her, as we all are!! I only wish I could help her out more! With Alida being there I find myself not being able to help as much as I would like to. Can't expect much from a baby though, things are never "predictable". She is much 'easier' to take care of at home, that's for sure!

We are getting ready for Christmas and of course haven't even completed half of our shopping yet!!! No surprise there! I can't wait to celebrate Alida's first Christmas!! SOOOOO EXCITING!!!! :-)

Hope all is well with everyone!! I promise to get better with posting. I am going to try and post at least one picture a week - it's much more interesting to see pics rather than read postings! Maybe I will shoot for Wednesdays since that is my day off.

Here is a picture that my favorite photographer, Suzanne Collier, took recently. Visit her website - listed on my main blog page, if you are ever in need of an exceptional photographer!!!!!

I got Elfed

2007-11-20T08:18:00.001-05:00

This is so cute!! A friend of mine sent it over and I just had to do it!!!! ENJOY!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9556397538

Any suggestions????

2007-11-12T08:33:00.000-05:00

I am in search of some Parenting books to help me through the next year :-) I need some piece of mind and some good solid advice that I can reference when it comes to several things...the major one being sleep habits. I have talked to a lot of people and have gotten a lot of good advice....now I am looking for a good book or two so that I can have a reference on hand. Does anyone have any suggestions??? There are soooo many books on the market and I really don't want to blow money on a "bad" book. Please share any of your suggestions with me!!!! Thanks everyone!!!!

Halloween

2007-11-11T20:22:00.001-05:00

Even though Alida can't enjoy Halloween it was so much fun dressing her up!!! She made the most adorable butterfly ever!!!!

Alida's Beach Trip

2007-10-27T23:14:00.000-04:00

Alida's first run with cereal

At the beach.

Feeling the sand for the first time with her friend Devyn.

With Aunt Kris.

All bundled up on a windy day.

Hi all!! Alida had her first beach experience this past week. She loved it!! The ocean waves captivated her and the feel of the sand on her little toes made her squeal!! It was adorable! We spent 3 days in LBI with Mom-Mom and a few of her friends. Alida adapted so easily to her new surroundings. She took her regular naps and slept the nights through without incident (well, except for one 3 am feeding). I have to say that time and again she impresses me!!

She is still growing like a weed! She was at the docs about 2 weeks ago....she weighed 13 lbs 13 oz and was 25 inches long. We started cereal (oatmeal and rice), she seems to be ok with it....not too excited but she eats it pretty well.

Alida has apparently decided that she doesn't really want to take the bottle anymore, which has been an issue for some time but after getting better has gotten worse again. We've tried different nipples and different bottles but she just seems to really like nursing more than anything. It's a really hard thing to deal with....the guilt is not easily dismissed :-( All I can do is hope that God finds a way for me to be with her more and more each day.

4 months have come and gone!!

2007-10-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

Alida as a Scarecrow!!

In the corn maize.

Alida with Mason and Olivia :-)

In the pumpkin patch.

On the hayride with Daddy.

Can you believe it??!! 4 months have come and gone!!! I am still in shock at how quickly my little itty bitty baby is growing up! I want to have another little one!! Did I just say that?! HA!! I guess Matt’s in for more trouble than he expected. Recently we discussed how many children we would like to have…Matt is happy with just Alida but I am dying to have at least 3 children! He says that 2 is the limit!! :-( I guess I will have to give it some time and see where God leads us!
This past Sunday we met up with friends at Freddy Hill Farms for some Fall Fun!! Alida couldn’t enjoy it but she sure got some visual stimulation!! I had a great time! We went on a hayride, through a corn maize, picked pumpkins in the pumpkin patch, and watched the pig races!! It was so much fun! I think that Matt even enjoyed it. It will be even better when Alida can run around and take it all in!!

Her Old Navy Romper....

2007-10-01T12:28:00.000-04:00

I had to post these pics real quick. I just think they turned out so good!! Her outfit is sooo cute! ENJOY!

It's been a while....

2007-09-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

Alida staring at her fingers....

In my favorite little outfit! It has flowers on the rear too!! :)

Blowing bubbles!!

Alida and her favorite person :) (until she turns 16!!)

Smiling at Mom-Mom!

I absolutely cannot believe how fast Alida is growing!!! Matt and I measured her the other night because she seems to be outgrowing her PJ's already!!! (they are 3 - 6 month size) She is 25 inches long already!!! We go back to the doctor in about 2 weeks - I'll bet that she weighs a good 13 pounds! She has been doing all kinds of cute things these days....she picks up some of her toys, she brings her hands together and clasps them and then brings them to her mouth, she blows lots of bubbles and even makes a cute noise when doing it, she giggles at all kinds of stuff (and then usually gets the hiccups if she laughs hard enough), she smiles constantly at everything and everyone, she lets out playful little screams on occasion, she babbles a lot more than she used to, she is inches from rolling over from her back to her belly, she does 180's when she is lying on her back, the list goes on and on.....can you tell that I am a proud momma or what??!!

Well, work has been ok...I miss Alida terribly and pray for a miracle so that I can spend more time with her. Matt has started his new job and seems to really love it!!! I hope it works out well for us. Soon we will be putting our home on the market so that I can go back to school...hopefully it all works out. Hope everyone is doing well!!!!

My little Dutch baby!!

2007-08-24T18:09:00.000-04:00

Every time I go to post a picture I can never decide which ones to put in!! I take about 5 - 10 pictures every day ( I have been told that I NEED to stop doing that). It's just so hard not to!!

Well, I had to share the most recent....I LOVE the last one. My granny (Alida's great-granny and namesake) knitted the hat, sweater and booties before she passed away. I just love how cute they look on her - just like a little Dutch baby!!!

Not much is new - Alida is still sleeping through the night - 10 hours like a champ and growing like crazy - 11 lbs 12 oz last time we checked. I head to work this Monday (I'm trying not to think about it too much). I will miss Alida terribly but I know she will be in good hands!! I will probably be posting a lot more once work starts - I get a little bored there sometimes :-)

Back to work :-(

2007-08-13T22:38:00.000-04:00

This is Alida at her first picnic in VA!

This is Alida and her best friend Olivia!!

Daddy burping Alida...she always looks so much older when she sits up :-)

A smile actually caught on camera!!!

I cannot believe how time has flown!!! In two weeks I have to return to work :-( Something that I am not looking forward to! I absolutely love being a mom and spending time with my little angel!!! I don't necessarily hate my job but who wouldn't rather spend time with this beautiful little baby?! Every day she changes a little bit more. I remember thinking that I couldn't wait until she could smile at me.....now I can't wait till she laughs!
She went to the doc the other day...she already weighs 11 lbs and 6 oz!! She is growing so fast - she measured 22 1/2 inches long. Almost 4 lbs and 3 inches since birth!!
She is still sleeping through the night....every single night!! Anywhere between 8 and 10 hours! I am not looking forward to the nights where she wakes at 3 am and won't go back to sleep. I pray to God every night that she keeps sleeping like a champ. I am sure that she will be up all night the night before I go back to work.
So, for motherhood....I love it! I feel as though I could join my sister and have 7 more!!! Matt would never ever agree to it though :-)

Growing and Changing!

2007-08-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics of her in recent days. It's so hard to pick which ones to post....I love them all!! The last one was taken by a photographer frined of mine - http://collierimages.com/ - I just love it!!!!

The days seem to be flying by!! I keep trying to post something and then something else pops up and I don't get a chance. I sure thought that I would be keeping up with this a lot better than I have!! Alida is growing and changing soooo much every single day. Sometimes I look at her and still can't believe that she's my little girl. She "talks" all the time and seems to be quite full of smiles these days :-) I find myself spending most of the time having "conversations" with her. It's just so freaking cute!! Her favorite word right now is "Hu-ka" - I love it!! It sounds so adorable when she says it over and over. WE spent the weekend in VA and she did wonderfully!! She still sleeps all the time and rarely cries. She still fusses a good bit in the evenings but it has gotten considerably better. She now sleeps between 8 and 10 hours every night!!!! I still don't understand what it's like to be up all hours of the night....I am hoping that I never will!! :-)

Holy Cow!

2007-07-19T11:23:00.001-04:00

I couldn't believe it when she did it.....she rolled over!!! From her belly to her back. I didn't expect it to happen this early! I thought she would be more like 3 or 4 months old! She has done it a total of 4 times. 3 times in a row and then once the day after. My girlfriends from college, Lisa and Michelle, were over for dinner and they got to witness it!! How exciting!

Alida is all smiles these days....except when she is tired, cranky, hungry or has a dirty diaper :-) I love when she gets up in the morning, that's when she smiles the most!

6 weeks old!

2007-07-16T16:24:00.000-04:00

She keeps on changing!!! Every day she seems a little more alert and a little more mature. She holds her head up pretty well these days - when she is tired she doesn't do that great of a job but she still tries. She has started smiling a lot more too! This morning she gave me several "full " smiles. She has been giving "half" smiles where it seems only one side of her mouth curls up. This morning both sides curled up and her little eyes got squinty and she wrinkled her nose up a little bit. Soooooo adorable. I tried to get it on video then but she stopped as soon as I grabbed the camera - go figure!!
Thought I'd share a few more pics of her.....I have a million pictures, I think I might need to scale them down before I get them developed.

There goes the Friday posts.....

2007-07-10T14:26:00.000-04:00

Doesn't she look hilarious in this pic?? She looks so much older than she really is!! Even though Matt is holding her up she is really holding her own head!! She is doing really well that these days! She has better control when she is in an upright position rather than lying on the floor - she still needs a little help from gravity!!I think I might end up with 100's of pics of the two of them sleeping together! It's not hard to get them since they both love to sleep so much!!!!

Well, I tried to post something every Friday but it was much easier to keep up with when I was sitting in front of a computer every Friday for 9 hours!!!
Alida took her first out of state trip to her Aunt and Uncle's house this past week. It was a long ride but she did excellently!! She is so adaptable....Matt and I are lucky!!!
Last week she had a doc appt., she now weighs 9 lbs and 4 oz. She is growing so quickly!! She measured 20 1/4 inches. She received her first shot and I ended up crying with her. I didn't think it would affect me but it really did!!! Poor little girl. At her next appointment she gets 4 shots.....I won't be taking her to that appointment alone!
Last night she slept for 8 hours!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it! And what's even better is that when she woke up in the morning and I picked her up she gave me a big smile!!!!! She must have been starving but instead of crying she smiled. She keeps on amazing me!!
Yesterday, mom-mom and I took her to my aunt's pool. She took a little dip and was surprisingly ok with it. She looked so cute in her little bikini and her bonnet. She didn't spend much time in the pool....maybe 5 minutes or so, then she took a nap so mommy could relax in the pool :-)
Well, time to go and feed the princess. I hear her stirring.....

She's Already One Month Old!!!!

2007-07-02T22:36:00.000-04:00

WOW! Can you believe that Alida is already one month old today?? I have no idea how this happened so quickly!! The days seem to be flying by! She is changing so much every day. She has already outgrown some of her clothing and I just changed her from Newborn diapers to size 1 :-( She brings so much joy to our lives.....the day she starts to laugh and starts to really smile will be amazing!! I have seen her smile a few times....here and there, and it was not in her sleep and it was not gas!! I know they were genuine :-) She started sleeping between 4 and 6 hours at night. Thank the Lord! As many of you know, I treasure my sleep!!! We are so lucky to have such a good baby!! She has her moments but they are few and far between. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer......

Pics of little Alida!!

2007-06-25T21:13:00.000-04:00

Some pics of Alida in recent days.....she just loves to have her picture taken!! :-) I have so many cute little clothes and dresses that I can't wait till she fits in them and I can take pictures of her in each one!!!! She is getting so big already!! She sent to the doctor's for her 2 week checkup and she looked great! She has already gained a half a pound since birth and I am sure she has gained at least another half a pound since her appt. She is starting to show her little personality a bit....she has some very alert moments and loves to listen to people talk to her. I swear that she is already smiling....it is very rare but I swear that she has done it once or twice already. Last night I transferred her to her own room. It was very difficult for me to do, I loved having her right near me, but she is one of the loudest babies I have ever been around. She grunts and groans and stretches for up to an hour when she is falling asleep and/or waking up and although she might sleep through it (and Daddy!) Mommy hears all of it!!! I slept much better with her down the hall!! I sent out her birth announcements this week....if I have your address you will certainly be getting one :-) Hope all is well with everybody!!!!!

2007-06-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

Pics with Mommy and Daddy and her little BLUE (Matt is already sick of pink :-) dress!! Happy Father's Day to Matt!!!!!!!!!

WOW!

2007-06-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

Here we are...home at last. What an amazing journey this has been!!!!! I NEVER expected labor and delivery to be as much of a challenge as it was. Man, I thought I was going to have it so easy (you know, with the epidural and all) but now I know how unpredictable it really is! In a nutshell I am going to share the birth story....I don't want to scare anyone, especially those that are currently pregnant or are thinking about doing so very soon :-)

Friday (June 1st) seemed like any other day this past week. I hadn't been able to sleep much the night before and I ended up going in to work later than I had planned. I felt a little worse at work than I had during the beginning of the week but didn't think much of it. As the day wore on I began to feel a bit better. Matt had Fran and Amy's rehearsal dinner that evening so my mom came over and made me dinner and then we ran out for some Rita's Gelati's. I felt great that evening...even made a comment to my mom about how good I felt! Matt returned home around midnight at which point I was feeling quite hungry (unusual for me at this time of night). So, I made some mac and cheese and sat on the couch watching some TV. I ended up going to sleep around 1:30 am or 2:00 am......I woke at 4:20 (on the dot) from a contraction. It was quite strong.....strong enough to wake me but not strong enough to make me think anything was going on. In fact, I think I was having a dream about contractions so I might have had several before I actually woke up. So, I got up to pee and then got a glass of water. After I drank the water I got comfy on the couch again ready to go back to sleep. Then....POP...my water broke. GUSH, it went everywhere!!!! I rolled off onto the floor and began yelling for Matt. He came downstairs pretty out of it but quickly realized what was happening. We called the doc and they said to come right in. The whole way in to the hospital I got on the phone and made some phone calls....didn't expect to be this comfortable heading to the hospital!!! We got there around 5 am and they admitted me. I didn't have any contractions until close to 6 am or so and they weren't very strong either. The nurse on duty gave the doctor a call to see how they wanted to proceed...once they got wind of Matt's wedding they decided to put me on a Pitocin drip to see if we could move things along so he would still be able to make it for the ceremony and pictures. It definitely got my contractions going!!! At around 8 or 9 am I asked for some Nubane (painkiller)...they administered it right away and I immediately felt groggy and maybe even a little drunk. But...like I was warned by friends it didn't do all that much for my pain. After about another hour or so I asked for the epidural....the contractions were getting stronger and more regular and they were mostly in my back - OUCH!! Those tennis balls actually came in very handy!!! Luckily the anesthesiologist was in the hospital so the epidural was administered within 30 minutes or less from the time I asked for it. Smooth sailing from this point forward!! Once the epidural kicked in I felt great! I could still move my legs and I still had a little bit of feeling in the lower half of my body but with each contraction I only felt a little bit of pressure....if that. I watched the computer screen to see when I was having them....boy, some of them looked they would hurt A LOT! :-) Around 3 pm they checked my progress....I was around 8 cm at this point and they thought I would be 10 cm in no time. About 30 minutes later they had me do a practice push to see how things would go....then they decided to let me labor down for while (let the contractions do the work of bringing the baby down - she was still pretty high up). Then around 4:45 they had me start pushing. My nurse was excellent and I was really blessed to have her assigned to me....I could have never done as well as I did without her. We even got to practice the towel trick (the nurse holds a towel and I pull on it while pushing and having a contraction). The pain started getting a lot worse almost as soon as I started pushing....the epidural was not working like it had been. At this point they would not turn it up!! :-( I ended up pushing for almost 3 hours...only took two breaks - breathing through contractions. The pain was too intense not to push. The baby was in the wrong position - face up and was hitting my spine over and over....no amount of pushing was going to get her out. Unfortunately, she was too high up to tell that her position was wrong (we found this out after she actually came out)....the doctor was wary to use any procedures to help bring her down because she wasn't exactly sure what the hold-up was. At the 3 hour mark I had just about given up....I asked for a C-section - even though it was the last thing I wanted. They prepped the Operating Room but my doctor, who is also incredible, offered to make an attempt with the vacuum....I agreed. So, with the next two contractions I pushed and she pulled......here she came. When the doctor announced it was a girl I couldn't believe my ears!!! For the past 4 months I had believed that it was a boy for sure!!!!! Although the pain was intense and basically indescribable (my screaming could attest to that) the feelings that overcame me when they placed her on my chest were even more intense!!! I took one look at Matt and I knew that this was the moment that would change both of us FOREVER!!

The entire day I had the best supporters/cheerleaders EVER! I couldn't have done what I did and I wouldn't have been able to go on as long as had without them! Matt, I freakin' love you - you were incredible!!!!! A HUGE thanks to my mom, Matt's mom, my sister.....I made it through. Oddly enough.....I plan to do it again :-)

I will do my best to continue posting every Friday.....I have been pretty bad with getting things done lately - as you can imagine. I am still healing......Alida tore me up pretty badly. But, it was all worth it!!

What a beauty!

2007-06-04T14:34:00.000-04:00

Here she is!!! Beautiful baby girl Alida!!!!! More to come in the next few days.....time for me to get some sleep!!!!! :-)

She's Here

2007-06-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

Well she is here. Alida Marie was born June 2nd at 7:48pm and weighs in at 7 pounds 8 ounces and is 19 in. long. Words cannot express how proud I am of Erin doing the amazing job she did getting this baby out. As for myself, I always said I wanted a boy, but it all changed once I saw her beautiful head come out followed by her body. I just completly lost it and couldn't stop crying. Erin pushed for 2 hours and 58 minutes. Doctor Hamilton, by the way has got to be the best doctor out there, told us that if she didn't deliver by 3 hours then Erin would have had to have a c-section. The doc applied the vacum and on the second try little Alida came out into the world. I would have some pictures but left the camera at the hospital. When Erin comes home, she will write some more and have some pics for you all to see our beautiful daughter.

When does labor actually start?

2007-06-01T18:41:00.000-04:00

That's a question that I have been thinking about for quite some time. In my opinion it started at least a week ago, if not two weeks ago!! HAHA!!!

I always pictured "the end" being the most exciting time. The baby is almost here, the baby stuff is all set up and ready to go, family and friends checking in to find out the latest on the ETA. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited but more than anything I am anxious!!! I hate that feeling. Not knowing when or where, not knowing what the pain will actually be like, not knowing if Matt will be there when it happens. I dream of being able to sleep in my bed again (actually laying on my back or even my stomach!!)....of being able to tie my shoes or shave my legs.....of not waking up to go to the bathroom for the zillionth time!! The rumor is (abundantly) that first pregnancies are usually overdue. I am still hoping that this happens before my due date or even on my due date. No one tells you about the aches and pains that creep up on you in the last few days/weeks of pregnancy. Sure, you hear about some of the horror stories, which I can honestly say isn't me (not at this point). But, I don't remember anyone telling me that I might end up sleeping on the couch in an upright position for the last week (or even two at the rate I am going). OR that my stomach would be harder than it's ever been and even painful to the touch. OR that the baby could choose positions that would make your back throb and ache long before you went into actual "labor". Or that the pressure from the baby would make you feel as though something were ripping inside of you. Ahhhh....the joys of pregnancy. Well, if I had known all 0f these wonderful facts I would still be here where I am at today and all of you would still be "listening" to my daily complaints. My mom always said that I liked to complain....she was right. I just never shut up!! Anyway, I need to remind myself that this journey hasn't been that bad....that what I have had to deal with does not even compare to what others have had to endure. God has been quite good to me and I know that he will continue to give me the strength I need to bring this little bugger into the world.

Well, at my last Dr. appointment the baby was doing great. The heart rate was around 123 again. I am now a "full" 2 cm (the doc said there was wiggle room) and 70% effaced instead of 50%. That doesn't seem like much progress to me but the doc was very happy with it. We talked about my options if I don't go into labor by my due date. Their practice is to induce 1 week after the actual due date. So, come June 12th we will have a baby one way or the other!! There is finally an end in sight!!!!

I guess that's about all for now.......the next posting should be from Matt! At least I hope it plays out that way!!!!

Please keep us in your prayers!!!!!!!

SO CLOSE!!!!

2007-05-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

I know it's not Friday but I wanted to post this before I forgot the details (can't imagine I would but my mom tells me it will fade with time:-). I want to make sure that little baby knows what his/her momma went through!!! :-)

It was about 1 am on Sunday night/Monday morning and I just couldn't get comfortable in bed so I went to go sleep on the couch. My back had been bothering me throughout the day in spurts, but only the left side....very strange. I tried to get comfortable but all I could really do was sit up with pillows propped around me. I slept for about an hour and a half and then I was woken up but contractions and severe back pain (again only on the left side). Finally, I knew what real contractions felt like. I had to breathe through these suckers, big time!! For me they were a mixture of extreme gas pain and horrible menstrual cramps and of course excruciating back pain!! They were coming every ten minutes or so but seemed to be lasting more than the standard 30 - 90 seconds. I started timing them and they were lasting up to 7 minutes!!!

After an hour of dealing with this I yelled up for Matt. He came down a little disoriented but made the call to the doctor. They said to come in....even though the contractions were not 5 minutes apart yet. So, we grabbed our stuff and headed in around 4 am. First thing that the nurses said, "geez you sure are all baby....this one is gonna weigh over 8 lbs for sure!!" I hope Dr. Hamilton is right about my pelvis....this baby has gotta fit!!!! They put me on the monitor right away and noticed that I was having several contractions in a row (that's why they felt like they lasted a lifetime!!!). One big one, then a small one right after, followed by two medium ones, then another small one....then a tiny break then another big one. And, little did I know....the baby was moving during some of the contractions making them more painful than they had to be!!! I just assumed that the baby couldn't move while they were happening....wrong! LOTS OF FUN!!!

So, there we sat and waited. The contractions (the big ones) were about 5 minutes apart and consistently strong but not increasing at this point. They checked my cervix....still 2 cm and 50% effaced and the baby hadn't dropped at all. All this for nothing!!! So, I walked the halls a bit hoping to get something going....Matt was a trooper and joined me for most of the walking. There was another little baby boy in the nursery named Caleb....I thought for sure it was a sign, guess not:-(

After about an hour of walking they put me back on the monitor to see how things were going. Same as before...contractions were 5 minutes apart....less of the little guys in between thanks to the 10+ cups of water they had me drink. At this point I didn't feel like things were going to be happening quickly so Matt spoke with the nurse to see if I could go home. They checked my cervix one last time.....nothing had changed. Since I was having regular contractions I had to sign a form in order to leave. They told me to come back when the pain got worse and the contractions got closer together OR when I felt like I needed something to take the edge off.

Home we went. I spent most of the morning on all 4's with an ice pack on the left side of my back. We practiced a little of the tennis ball technique on my back that we had learned in labor and delivery - it does work well. In between the ice pack/tennis ball sessions I got about 10 - 15 minutes of sleep at a time. I was seriously thinking that there was no way that I was going to make it through this. At this point (God knew I was starting to fall apart) the contractions seemed to slow down and decrease in intensity. They were happening about every 15 minutes and weren't nearly as strong as they had been. By 4 pm they were gone....along with all the back pain I was having.

There you have it - False Labor! What I want to know is how they can call it "false" if it hurts like the real thing???!! Now that I have gotten a taste of what I can expect I am making a list of medications that I would like to try throughout the process:-) You know, getting referrals from others that have been there, done that.

Hopefully, the next post you will be reading will be written by Matt and will include pictures of our little one!!!!

Day 11

2007-05-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

Still here!!! With everything I have been experiencing lately I thought for sure that I would go sometime this week!! At Tuesday's appointment Dr. Hamilton stripped my membranes (sounds great, huh?) and I experienced some real bleeding/spotting (which is normal) for the first time!! I thought it might help to set things in motion but nothing came of it. Since Tuesday I have been having contractions on a "regular" basis, although they have been irregular in length, distance between and intensity. I would say that I have anywhere between 40 - 60 during the day and then another 30 - 40 from the time I get home until I hit the sack. The past two nights I have been woken up by a contraction or two. They aren't all strong, they tend to vary in intensity and I probably only experience a handful a day that stop me in my tracks. So, here we go....another week on the books and only 11 days until my "due date".

Matt has a bachelor party in AC on Saturday so I have asked my mom to "watch over" me. I hope and pray that Saturday is not the day!!!! We are planning ahead to make sure he can get home at a moment's notice. It probably won't come down to that but you never know.

Let's see.....the bags (Matt's and mine) are completely packed and the baby's room is completely ready as well. There isn't much left to do except......wait.

Matt is really starting to think it's a boy for sure!! The past two appointments Dr. Hamilton has been referring to the baby as such. The heart rate was 124 this past visit and 122 the visit before. I can't imagine that's something that can be relied upon but the doc seems to think so. Can't wait to find out and share the news with you all!!!! Keep checking your email....Matt will be sending out an "arrival" email any day now :-)

Take care and pray for a quick (in the next few days and short in length) and pain free (well, as little pain as possible) labor and delivery!!

Week 38

2007-05-18T21:32:00.000-04:00

Still no baby...but I've gotta be closer!! No changes when I went to the doctor last. The baby seems to be doing fine and isn't growing too big, like they had originally thought. The doc keeps saying that the baby will end up around 7 1/2 - 8 pounds, which sounds good to me!!
My rash is almost gone, thanks to 'Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap' (Thank You Adrianne!!!). The itching was so intense at times that I thought I was gonna go crazy!!!! Thank goodness I was able to find something to help! Surprisingly enough Matt did not break out in a rash himself (he has been having a lot of sympathy pains throughout this pregnancy:-).
The baby's heart rate was the lowest it's been thus far - only 122!!! He/she must have been taking a nap when the doc was listening in. Amazingly enough the baby's activity level is the same as always - moving all the time. I thought for sure that once he/she ran out of room I wouldn't feel as many movements, I was wrong!!
Well, I went for a bumpy ride this week (my sister, Candice, recommended it), nothing happened except for a few Braxton Hicks. I am sure that this baby will come as soon as he/she is ready.....I just wish it were now!!! Can't wait to hold the babe!!! This weekend I am scheduled for a pedicure - I have heard there are pressure points in the feet......if nothing else it will be a great relaxer!!
Until next time..........have a good one!!!!!!!!

The Countdown

2007-05-11T12:27:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks!!!! They consider that Full Term.....so I have decided to pull out all the "natural" inducers that I can find out about!! I have been eating pineapple every day, doing squats and lunges each time I visit the restroom (and that's a lot these days), mulching, vacuuming and begging Matt to help me out (if you know what I mean). Soon, it will all start to come together!! I have been having anywhere between 20 - 40 contractions a day (sometimes more). Sometimes they are painful and sometimes they are just an annoyance. I get waves of nausea and flu like symptoms followed by contractions with back pain but the baby is still inside!!
This past week I broke out with a rash on my abdomen - they are pretty sure it is PUPPP...some people call it PUPS. It is not harmful, but the itching is pretty intense and it can spread to other extremities. If it gets bad they normally induce labor. There is no known cause but it is said to be common for women in their first pregnancy and in their third trimester. I have a blood test tomorrow to make sure that it isn't associated with another problem that stems from the liver. I did some research on PUPPP and it sounds exactly like what I have.....AND while reading several different articles this kept popping up: "One study has shown that male fetal DNA can be found in skin biopsies of the rash. Since 70% of women with PUPPP give birth to boys, a new hypothesis is that male fetal DNA acts as a skin irritant. " The only other person I know that has had the same rash did end up having a boy!!! Thought that was quite interesting!!

I went to the doctor's yesterday (to have them check my rash)....I am a full 2 cm now!! Woohoo!!! I have my next appointment this coming Tuesday...I am hoping she will say that I am even more dilated - 3 cm is all I ask for!! Maybe my weekend of natural inducers will do the trick :-) That's about all that is new. I still have to pack my bag!!! I don't know why I keep putting it off....maybe if I pack it the baby will come! I am packing tonight!!!!!
Talk to you all soon!!!!!!

Is it time yet???!!

2007-05-04T07:42:00.000-04:00

Another week gone by....several more pounds on the scale :-( I will be 36 weeks tomorrow!! I can't believe I am now in the home stretch! On Tuesday I got some good news...of course it's not much but to me it seems better than nothing. The doctor checked me out and I am almost 2 cm (she could only chart that I was 1 cm but said I was super close to 2 cm) dilated, 50% effaced and the baby has dropped into my pelvis and is at -2 station (most scales start at -4, meaning that the baby is floating and has not dropped at all, at 0 station the baby will be fully engaged). How exciting?!! Even though I am aware I could walk around like this for 4 more weeks it is nice to know that I don't have to start from scratch, right?
Matt and I officially graduated from Labor and Delivery 101 on Tuesday evening!! I really think that the class was very helpful. I am sure that most everything I learned will go out the window when I am in labor so I am hoping Matt can stay calm and be my rock!
Last night we had a bit of a scare!! I was having regular contractions for about an hour and a half. They were about 7 minutes apart (they advise going to the hospital when they are 5 minutes apart). I was really getting nervous. As much as I want to have this baby now.....I feel like I am so not ready! Thank goodness they started to taper off and ended up spreading further apart than what they started out as. Phew!!! I don't even have a bag packed! That's what I will be doing this weekend!!
Well....that's about all that has been happening lately. Now it's just a matter of time!
Take care everyone!!!!

34 weeks down!!

2007-04-27T07:59:00.000-04:00

Well...here we are, at the end of week 34! Every week I can't imagine making it through another one...I just feel like I have no more room for this baby to grow!!! But, I guess I do :-) Here are some pics that my girlfriend, Suzanne, took the other night. She is the greatest photographer ever!! In fact she may even start her own business some day soon (info@collierimages.com) and I can't wait till the baby is here and she can take pics of him/her.

This week I took a breastfeeding class...it wasn't very helpful - only basic information. There was about 25 - 30 pregnant women in the class and I have to say that I think I had the biggest belly out of all of them!! And...the majority of their due dates were before mine!!!! I hope this baby doesn't weight 10 pounds when it's all said and done. I'll never get it out!! HAHA!!

The baby shower was this past weekend. It went perfectly!! Thank you so much to all of you that were able to come and thank you again to my family for putting it together! I feel so much more prepared now that I have what I need to bring this baby home. Thank you all for your generosity!!!! It means so much to me and to Matt!

I have my next doc appointment on Tuesday....I hope to get some good news!!!!

See you next Friday:-)

My Big Belly!!!

2007-04-21T18:06:00.000-04:00

Well....here it is...my belly!! I forced Matt to take this pic with me!! :-) I thought it would be a funny pic to share with the baby someday. Of course, Matt is definitely pushing his gut out....I hope.

Have a great week everyone!! I will be adding to the blog again next Friday. Take care!!!

Baby's Room

2007-04-21T17:59:00.000-04:00

Some pics of the Baby's room....compliments of Matt. He did most of the work (very little help from me). He painted the room with his Mama and put the chair rail up with Mike. He put the closet organizer in and put the furniture together. The only thing I did was decorate the one wall!! Notice the beautiful yellow curtains (made from a chenille fabric) - handmade by Grammy Lew!! Aren't they great?! Hope the little baby likes blue.....whether it's a boy or a girl :-)

Another week gone by.....

2007-04-20T07:07:00.000-04:00

I am getting soooooo impatient. I can't believe that I am only at the end of my 33rd week and I am more than ready to have this baby!!!! I have had a slight cold this whole week that has been keeping me (and Matt ) up throughout the night. This is the first time that I actually have to admit I have been snoring like crazy - sorry Matt!!!
I have been told by a few people this week that the baby looks as if it has dropped a bit. It certainly feels that way! My belly is now resting on my lap when I sit down!! It is increasingly difficult to bend over and I have to pee every hour it seems. Ahh, the joys of pregnancy that I was looking forward to :-)
Our labor and delivery class went well this week. We went over several positions for labor and I am really looking forward to trying the towel trick (I am told they do this at GVH). Apparently, if someone holds one end of a towel and the laboring mother pulls on the other end of it she is effectively pushing her baby out without actually having to push. The action requires the use of the stomach muscles.....I'd rather do this the whole time instead of pushing :-)
I think we are planning on packing our hospital bags this weekend. I know it's rather early but with how I have been feeling, you just never know. I am still hoping for Mid-May. Matt seems to think that May 18th will be the big day. That is fine with me!!! I really want to be able to make it to Fran and Amy's wedding....and I'd rather be there without a watermelon in my belly!!
Hope all is well with everyone!! Just to let you know...I plan on posting some pics of the nursery this weekend and possibly some of my growing belly - if you haven't seen me in a while you will be amazed at the growth that I have experienced! Take care!!!!

This past week....

2007-04-13T07:16:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday night, Matt and I had our second labor and delivery class. I love watching some of the men squirm when our teacher talks about the "forbidden" things!! There is one other guy in the class that is more miserable being there than Matt, so that makes me feel a lot better:) Actually, Matt seems to be enjoying it (and paying attention!). We practiced some breathing techniques and Matt actually joined in!!! I think he's ready to be a DaDa!!!
Last night I had my biweekly checkup with Dr. Adibi (man of very few words). Things seem to be moving along quite well! If you are squeamish don't read the next sentence!!!! I lost my mucus plug on Tuesday and thought that maybe this was a sign that labor might begin soon!! Apparently it can happen at anytime in pregnancy and even as early as 20 weeks. I did some research online (you know me!!) and I found a lot of conflicting explanations. I told the doc about it and he seemed to think that it was possible that labor could start any day. I am shooting for mid May. I think that will work out just fine!! :) Anyway, the baby is head down (woohoo!!). I still don't know how they can tell. He touched my abdominal area and with a few seconds (literally) of poking around he located all the body parts!! The baby is in the same position as it was when I had the 27 week ultra sound - it must be a comfy one. Regardless, it's a good sign at this point - in case I should go into labor sometime soon. The baby's heart rate was 137 and he/she performed some acrobatics for the doc while he was poking around. The heart rate has been all over the place....as low as 130 and as high as 170. It tends to hang out around 130 - 140 most of the time though. Wonder if this means anything???!!! Possibly a little boy???
The baby is on the move constantly. When I am at work it is on the move all day long. Matt always seems to miss it when the baby does the extra special moves that make my stomach move in ripples and waves. For some reason the baby tends to relax more and calm down when I am at home. Maybe it's the sound of his Daddy's voice. One of these days he'll see it! It is absolutely amazing - nothing I could have ever imagined!!
Time to get some work done:) Take care and I hope to hear from each of you sometime soon!!!!

Baby Lew is almost here!!!

2007-04-06T14:37:00.000-04:00

Well, here goes. My first attempt at creating a blog so that everyone can find out the latest on the baby's arrival. Pregnancy has been far from fun for me....as most of you already know. The latest scare (for me - because I love candy!!) was that there was a possibility that I might have gestational diabetes. Thank the Lord!!! After 3 hours of testing God has answered my prayers and I can continue to have my cake!!! Matt and I have been working on the room, trying to get things in order. It's coming along and it's really starting to look good. I will include some pics of the baby's room on my next entry. Hope all is well with everyone!!! I have included the latest pic of our precious angel!! If you look closely you can see the outline of Matt's face (definitely Matt's nose!!). Take care!!!!!