3 months old

Our little girl is 3 months old!!   We started daycare last week *tears*. Her first day of daycare was Frankie's first day gone on a month long deployment.....it was a rough day for sure!! We are slowly adjusting.....I guess I should say I'm adjusting because other than being tired at the end of the day I think Olivia is doing just fine......it's mommy that is having a hard time. I miss spending everyday with her, and we both miss daddy.

 



I'm 3 months old!



The time goes so fast and it's amazing how fast they grow and learn!! Here's just some of the new things going on with her lately........

~Weighs 13.6 lbs and is 22 1/4 inches long!!

~ Bats at her toys and grabs for them...... She can reach for and hold her orange ball and her "Ellie" and  her binky (although the binky doesn't quite make it into her mouth, we're getting closer though!)

~Sitting up better and better. She can sit up with her back against something and hold herself upright for  a long period of time. She actually prefers to be sitting up now and when we’re are in the car she is constantly lifting her head off the back of car seat and grunting trying to sit up.......pretty hilarious to watch.

~Tummy time is getting a little easier and she enjoys it for short periods of time as long as something is propped under her chest.....and if she's in a good mood.

~Tries to mimic sounds and faces we make.

~Has started "yelling" if she notices I'm not paying attention to her.

~Has started giving kisses back (or her version at least) by open her mouth when I go to give kisses on the lips.

~Laughed out loud for the first time on 4-24-12 when I was tickling her, so cute!










 









There's a new baby in town.......

Before Olivia (4 years and 14 days before Olivia) we had another baby. She wasn't our biological baby, which explains the blond hair......but it didn't matter, we loved her so so much. The day she came home with us I put her to bed with a pink polka dot baby blanket, and she still sleeps with it every night to this day. She got tucked in every night with her polka dot blanket favorite stuffed animal. Her favorite time of the day was cuddling with daddy on the couch at night before bed. Unlike Olivia, who broke her mommy's heart and already graduated to her own bedroom, she still sleeps in our room every night. We'd brag to anyone who'd listen about how adorable she was. We jumped at the oppurtunity to get out our phone and show someone a picture of her.  Almost every picture on my phone was of some "adorable" thing she had done or cute way she had slept.

When I got pregnant she was the very first one I hugged and squealed in joy to that there was "going to be a baby!!"

I promised her when Olivia arrived that we would still love her just as much and she would still get her nightly cuddles on the couch with daddy and Sunday mornings with us in bed.........



BUT......






.......Now when Wrigley jumps on the bed, sadly I confess, I'm usually screaming "Wrigley get off the bed you STINK and you’re getting hair on the baby!!"

Oh Wrigley, I promise we still love you.  

And it's clear you and Olivia are great friends in the making. I'm glad you love "your baby" as much as we do.

Working momma

Yesterday I went back to work.

It was something I was dreading and very anxious about. After literally being attached physically to Olivia for the better part of a year, it was a horribly uncomfortable feeling that I was going to have to leave her. .

.....truth be told I think I took it much harder than her, which is a sort of heartbreaking reality that most mommy's probably have to face.....whether it be now, the first day of school or the day they leave the nest.

She's spending this first week that I'm back at work with daddy and I'm both happy and sad that I don't think she even noticed I was gone.  I know next week will be much harder since she will be in daycare during the day instead of with Frankie......and the same day she starts childcare Frankie will be having to go out to sea for 3 weeks. That will be a rough day for sure. Having her spend all day with daddy, and sending her to daycare all day are very different. Daycare makes me feel like I'm abandoning her. I know that she'll probably end up loving it. It's a very nice place, and not just a "daycare" it's an actual development center that has excellent reviews and a curriculum schedule starting as newborns. The caregivers there are very friendly, warm, and more than competent from what I've seen.....but it's not mommy.  I'm going to be working 3 days a week......3 long 10 hour days a week.....but that leaves 4 wonderful days with my baby girl. It was very important to me to be WITH Olivia more than I was away from her and I feel pretty good about me work schedule....other than the longer than desirable days.

I'd be lying if I said part of going back to work wasn't for some Holly time......with Frankie having to leave so much and not having that end of day adult conversation, I think it will be important for me to have a identity other than "mommy" and conversation with someone that talks back. I think that's hard for most moms to admit, I know it's hard for me to admit. However it's not out of selfishness.....it's from knowing that with that time and self-worth I get from doing something for me, I know it will make me a better mommy. I also think it will be good for Olivia, it will be good social interaction with babies her age and make school much easier down the road, and she will also probably learn things she won't otherwise there.

My daily desk reminders of what a very lucky mom, wife, and women I am.

2 months.....already?

Olivia is 2 months old. I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone, and at the same time impossible to think that only 2 1/2 months ago we hadn't met her yet. She is growing so incredibly fast and everyday I am shocked to see how much she's learning.

Olivia’s recent milestones
~She greats us with smiles every morning and lots more throughout the day.
~She kicks and moves her arms like crazy and looks like she's running in place when she's on her back
~She is starting to talk to us more and more (and her toys, Wrigley....the picture on the wall and anything else she likes) and gets a little louder everyday.
~She has laughed out load a few times......so adorable.
~She can easily hold her head up by herself
~She loves to push up with her legs to stand when we’re holding her on our lap
~Sleeping 8-10 hours at night
~Mimics our facial expressions
~Holds her head up when she’s on her tummy……we’re still working on getting her to be on her tummy for more than a minute or two though since she really does not like it!

 We finally got some decent weather this last weekend and got to get outside with Olivia a few times and went to the local park on Saturday. She loved the fresh air and enjoyed the changing scenery as we walked around the nature trail. Really hoping for more sunny days soon!!

　

Olivia Lin Concini

Our lives forever changed in the most wonderful way on January 19th, 2012 at 10:45am.

Olivia Lin Concini was born in the middle of a snow storm after over 24 hours of labor. She was the most beautiful little girl I have ever laid eyes on. She made the first few days of her life a little scary for us by developing a infection and we had to spend 5 days in the NICU but she left a very healthy baby with no problems at all.

Life has been so busy since then but I have never been happier! Since I can't even begin to blog the last 6 1/2 weeks I'll do my best to recap them in pictures.....and hopefully I'll keep up my blogging more in the future.


Hospital:

So in love with this little girl

He was wrapped around her finger from the first moment.









First day home:

                    

One week old:

 First doctor appointment.

                                                                                                       

Two weeks old:

Playing in her gym 

Snuggling with daddy

Three weeks old:

 Four weeks old:

Five weeks old:

6 weeks old:

The last couple weeks have been really fun, Olivia is learning so much already. Her personality is shining through and I get greeted with smiles in the morning now.....nothing could possibly start my day off better than that. She is starting to have a lot of head control and loves sitting in her Bumbo for short periods of time. Everyday she makes me smile and I cannot imagine our lives without her.

No one has ever been pregnant forever....

.......right??  Because I'm starting to lose my sanity.......a week of painful and regular contractions with no baby will do that to you!! My sanity is quickly being replaced with frustration and impatience......which as we all know just makes waiting that much more painful. 

So the current situation with my cervix is as follows: (because who dares to not be interested in my cervix?!?!)

36 week appointment: (12-18-11) 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced !!! Pretty damn good for a first timer I thought....I was very optimistic after that news and it made the previous couple days of contractions and cramping all worth it.

37 week appointment: (12-28-11) Saw a midwife that was not interested in feeling around in my cervix....I admit I was a little insulted by her lack of enthusiasm in slapping on the rubber glove and KY but since I had been mostly contraction free and feeling pretty good that week, I decided to let it slide (no pun intended).  

So before I give you the current stats.....at this point I can honestly say that I have been pregnant since last year. I have been having painful, patterned, and regular contractions for the better part of the week. There was even one occasion where I was "sure" that we would be ending up in labor and delivery within the next 24 hours and Frankie and me made sure we were packed and ready.....that didn't happen. 

38 week appointment: YESTERDAY (1-4-12)  3 1/2 cm dilated and 90% effaced and had my membranes stripped to get things going.......my doctor said I'm "on the launching pad", "1/2 a cm from active labor" and finished with "could be tonight, could be tomorrow, but I would be surprised if you made it to next week". I almost cried I was so happy to hear that news!! I know this little one is comfy and warm, and protected in my uterus......but my body just hurts, and the contractions are keeping me up at night and teasing me like crazy and I'm not good at waiting and we are both so so so ready to meet her!!!

So here we are the next day.....I got maybe 2 hours of sleep last night due to frequent contractions and cramping and it was broken up into 20 min increments. Yesterday after my appointment I walked, I bounced on my yoga ball, I walked some more..........yes we did "that" too......and today I'M STILL PREGNANT.  Still pregnant and still working. I had more than one (more than 2, 3 or 4 actually) co-workers tell me they are surprised to see me here today.

"I did NOT expect to see YOU today!"

"Wow, you're STILL here???"

"You haven't had that baby yet?!?!"

......listen b**ches, I'm none to pleased to see any of you either!! And you all have to put up with me as long as I have to walk around with my 40 pound uterus (because that's where every gained pound is,  the fact that my ass looks twice it's pre-pregnancy size is a optical illusion!!)

I'm trying to keep busy. I'm trying to concentrate on things other than labor, but the truth is I'm finding it next to impossible.  The diaper bag is in the car, our bag is in the car, the laundry is all caught up, the house has been cleaned and cleaned again....and again. I think maybe if I do something drastic, like leave a expired milk jug on the counter, un-rinsed (gasp!), or maybe take the camera out of the bag, that is when it will probably finally happen but the "Holly" in me just won't let me do it because not being prepared will make me even more crazy than waiting. So I guess I have no choice to keep waiting.

Whenever you're ready Olivia..........

Where have I been??

......honestly who knows!!  I can't believe what a slacker I have been when it comes to my blog. Last post was October!!.....and here we are a week away from December! Unbelievable!  I am 32 weeks today!! Time is starting to really fly by now and as much as I am ready to have my body back and be able to bend and move like I used to and see my little girl and hold her, a part of me is starting to feel sad that soon this pregnancy will be over. It took us awhile to get pregnant and although our plan is to have 2 children, I also know that with fertility treatment costs and stress that our priorities may change when we have a little one to care for and this may be the first and last time I get to feel a growing baby in my belly. As much as I have been moaning and groaning about pregnancy lately (oh and believe me it's a lot!!), I feel so so lucky and blessed to get to experience being pregnant and I love snuggling on the couch with Frankie at night and having him rest his hand on my belly to feel Olivia moving around....I'll miss that. She has already proven to be a daddy's girl, kicking every time he puts his hand on my belly and not giving anyone else the privilege of feeling her. I am 100% sure that she knows when it's his hand and the other night as he was lightly massaging my belly she would curl up wherever his hand was and push herself against his hand....truly amazing and adorable.

The second weekend of November my mom through me a amazing baby shower at my house. She went above and beyond and did such a great job! My little living room was packed with 24 friends and family and we had a great time and ate yummy food.......Olivia was spoiled by everyone and according to my hubby may quite possibly be the best dressed baby in the world.  My mother-in-law got to fly out for the shower and it was very special having her get to be a part of it.

Our nursery is coming together and almost finished at this point. I promise to get some pictures of it up soon. Ellen, my mother-in-law, got us the crib bed set we wanted and I love it even more in person then I did online!

Obviously not our nursery but here's what the online picture looks like

This last Sunday we went and had some maternity photos done and we got to look at a couple as a sneak peak last night......and although my face obviously is now pregnant with the rest of me, I am very happy with how they turned out and excited to see the rest soon. Here's the little sample we got to view. 

Tonight marks the last night of our birthing classes, it has been a lot of fun and I'm so glad we decided to do them. I feel better preparded for labor after the 7 weeks of class.

And speaking of labor....it has never been something that has made me nervous at all......until now!! I find myself getting more and more anxious as the time approaches and starting to doubt myself when it comes to how tough I really am. My "plan" is a natural birth but I am also allowing myself to keep a very open mind and I am fully aware that the plan could change at any moment based on a number of variables....some of which I can't control. I have thought, until recently, that my plan would be a pretty easy goal to achieve but in the last few weeks (and after some midnight tummy cramps and discomforts) I am really questioning my ability to "tough it out".  I know that the pain is temporary and that there is a purpose to it all and that no one actually dies from the pain of labor, and that many years ago there was no option of pain medication or epidurals ........but it still scares me a little (or maybe even more than a little).  Hopefully my 3rd trimester jitters fade away in the weeks to come.