Happy 3 Months Savannah!

Yay, my baby girl is 3 months old tomorrow! I can't believe how fast the time has gone, and how big she's getting! She's my world, I love her to no end! Sadly, I will have to go back to work after Christmas, but she'll be in good hands. My mom is choosing to take early retirement from her job, and stay home to babysit her granddaughter, how cool is that?!

And now, some recent pictures :)

Happy 2 months, Savannah!

Happy 2 month birthday to our beautiful baby girl! She's very loved :)

New milestones/developments so far...

• She's got the smiling thing down! She loves to smile, especially when naked or in response to our smiles.
• Cooing...absolutely adorable! I love having "conversations" with her. She loves it when you mimic back to her the noises that she makes.
• She's started to giggle...though mostly in her sleep so far.
• Thanks to the sleep positioner we finally broke down and bought (after much skeptecism on my part), she's now sleeping in her basinnett by our bed, instead of in the swing every night (not that I'm not guilty of letting her sleep in bed with us once in a while still after a feeding. It's easier, and I like to cuddle with her!
• She's definitely got even more head control, not surprising since she had a pretty early start on that one!

My two favorite people in the whole world!

Waving to daddy! (Probably not on purpose, but hey, you take what you can get!)

The sleep positioner that has saved our sanity!

Such a happy girl!

Life

Maybe it's still the extra hormones running through my system, or maybe Savannah's presence in my life is making me look at things a little differently than I once did. I'm assuming the latter is true. My whole world changed when she came along, and it's worth every change, every sacrifice...both the good and the not-so-good. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's amazing how much I love this little girl. I know everyone says that you can't possibly imagine just how much you'll love your child until you hold them in your arms...and I can't believe how true that is. I didn't know I was capable of loving someone as much as I love her. I love Peter with all my heart, he's my best friend, my partner, and my soul mate...but this is a different kind of love, a kind that I can't explain.

I've read this before, in countless email forwards, and it usually makes me smile and tear up a little. For some reason, today it really hit home for me. With everything that has happened in my life the last few months (the good and the bad), it really made me think, and helped me put a couple of things into perspective. Funny what a simple e-mail forward that normally gets glanced over and deleted can make you feel, when you take the time to really read and think about it.

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
And most of all, enjoy every moment of every day.

A few new pictures...

I can't believe she's nearly a month old!!!

Welcome Baby Savannah!!!

Just a quick update, we just got home from the hospital.

Baby Savannah Charlene was born Sunday 9/14/08 at 9:54 PM! She weighed 7lbs, 11oz and is 19.5 inches long.

She came almost exactly a week before her due date.
She's absolutely adorable :)

Then & Now...

Nearly 9 months ago...

I thought it would take forever for my first prenatal appointment to get here!

Now...

My next one is tomorrow, and they will continue ever week until I deliver.

Nearly 9 months ago...

I thought it would take forever to be able to hear the baby's heartbeat on the doppler.

Now...

I get to hear it at every appointment, and it's so exciting!

Nearly 9 months ago...

I never thought the day would get here that we would find out if we were having a boy or a girl!

Now...

I can't wait to meet my little girl...less than a month to go!

Nearly 9 months ago...

I thought it would be an eternity before I could feel her moving around.

Now...

I can't help but wonder if she'll be a good soccer player, kickboxer, or maybe a gymnast judging by the many forms of kicks/blows to my tummy and other organs...some of which can be seen from the outside.

Nearly 9 months ago...

I didn't think the day would ever come when Peter would get to feel her moving around from the outside.

Now...

I love to see his face light up when he feels/sees his little girl tumbling around in there! Especially when he talks to my tummy and she responds to his voice!

Nearly 9 months ago...

I wondered when would be the right time to start buying baby things.

Now...

We have pretty much everything we need, and it's so strange to see baby things all over our house!

Nearly 9 months ago...

I thought it would be impossible to find a new place to live that would comfortably accomodate us, the cats, and the new baby.

Now...

We're settled into a great house in a quiet, beautiful area, and the baby has her own room with all of her own things.

Nearly 9 months ago...

I didn't think September would ever get here. It seemed *so* far away!

Now...

We're already two days into the month, and my due date is 20 days away. We'll be meeting our little girl in less than a month (unless I go way over my due date).

Nearly 9 months ago...

I wondered if I would be able to handle pregnancy and everything that goes along with it, because it was all unchartered territory for me.

Now...

I'm mostly done, and I know that some things will probably get harder from here on out, but I've made it 9 months without major incident so far, and I'm honestly doing pretty well. Aside from the expected aches and pains, and some trouble sleeping, I've been able to handle things pretty well, and I'm proud of myself for that. I'm dealing with things better than I thought I would!

Nearly 9 months ago...

I wondered if we'd ever get to the point where we'll be "ready" for the baby to come.

Now...

I wonder if we'll get to the point where we'll be "ready" for the baby to come. I don't think we will. If it's a matter of "stuff", we're all set. We have everything we need...crib, dresser, clothes, bottles, diapers, you name it.

It is, however, my belief that we will never be completely ready for her to get here...and while I'm nervous and scared, I'm okay with that. I don't think anyone who is becoming a first-time parent is ever really "ready", and any who think they are are likely kidding themselves. It's a whole new world we're entering into, and it's going to be a rough ride at times. I'm definitely excited to see how things go.

Things are changing more and more each day...I'm hanging on tight!

I'm done dwelling on the negative things that have happened in the past...they're in the past and no longer matter, and I have moved on. I know what's important in my life, and my priorities are in order.

A big thank you to everyone who has been and still is a positive influence in my life, and everyone who has been supportive of everything that has changed in my life over the last 9 months. You've all stuck with me through the good and the bad, and I can't tell you how much it's appreciated...

It's been a heck of a ride, and it's about to get even more interesting! I appreciate everyone's unconditional love and support, more than words can express. (((HUGS))) to all of you, you know who you are!

Wow...pretty soon, I'm going to be a mom...

The results are in!

We're having a GIRL!!!

Quick Update

...and hopefully more to follow later.

Happy news!

Today I had my latest pregnancy appointment. We got to hear the heartbeat, and we could hear the baby moving around like crazy! I also got to schedule my big ultrasound to find out if we're having a boy or a girl! Woohoo!

The date is Thursday, May 8th, 2:15 PM. Anyone want to weigh in on what they think it will be??

Some background to possibly help you in making your guess: I'm an only child. My dad has 4 sisters, my mom has a sister and two brothers. Peter is one of 7...with one older brother and 5 younger sisters (4 of them are biological, two of those are half sisters).

I think it could go either way...I think it's about time there's a boy in this family, so that's what I'm hoping for/guessing. Peter thinks it will be a girl because they are already so common in his family especially. Don't get me wrong...we'll both be happy either way, it's just fun to guess! We're taking a poll among our friends to see who thinks we're having what...please let me know what you think! I'm so excited to find out!

Anyhow, we're off to the beach for the remainder of our vacation...we'll be back sometime Sunday. Just wanted to put up a quick update! I'll try and post more Sunday when we get home, if I'm not too tired :)

Cheers!

Ultrasound Pictures!

Tonight I'm exhausted, so here are the pictures for now. I'll do an update on the appointment this weekend hopefully!

Gummi Bears...

...Bouncing here and there and everywhere!

I've come to the conclusion that I'm having a Gummi Bear. That's what the ultrasound picture looks like anyways. Sorry it's so blurry, the actual photos are a little more clear :)

I had my first official appointment today, and the next is in three weeks. It was so cool, we got to see the hearbeat (couldn't hear it...I've got a bit too much padding to be able to hear it at this stage...maybe next time), and our little gummi bear was moving around like crazy! Typical me, I cried, hehe. It was the most wonderful feeling to see the little baby moving around in my tummy! Peter was really excited too...it really was the best experience! Aside from feeling like I've been hit by a truck, and peeing on a stick, I've had no real proof until now that I really am pregnant...this helped put my mind at ease...a LOT! Yay!

Peter asks me just about every other day when we'll get to find out if it's a boy or a girl. He's disappointed every time to learn that it's not for at least 8-10 more weeks! We're both really excited, and looking forward to seeing where this new adventure will take us!

That's all for now!

Cheers!

Happy News!

A quick note before I head to bed...

So, for those who don't know already...I found out recently that I'm pregnant! We're both very excited, and getting in gear to make some big changes, the biggest being moving (hopefully in the next couple of months, depending on how things go).

It's a bit scary to think about the fact that I'll be a mom, and about all the different ways our lives will be changing, but at the same time, I couldn't be happier!

My first official doctor's appointment is 2/21. They prefer to wait until you're at least 8-12 weeks along before the first appointment, which is fine. Hopefully they'll do an ultrasound as well. I also have an orientation at the clinic next week.

Our parents are very excited for us, which is great. All of our friends and family are behind us 100%, and it's a wonderful feeling. It's an exciting new chapter in our lives, and we have a lot of love and support coming from all directions.

That's all for now! Cheers!