I'm just a girl

The school year begins

2014-07-28T13:47:00.001-04:00

Here I am, wrapping up another summer. I still can't seem to grasp the concept of summer break ending in July here in Georgia. Even though school let's out in May, it still seems the break is much too short. In June I was planning for our family Disney trip in July and no sooner then we return, it is time to prepare for school to start.

This year, Christina will be in first grade and Gwen will be in Pre-K. It may seem like fun and games since they are still so little, but let me tell you, I can feel the pressure of all that they need to be learning at this age. Reading is no easy task and we still aren't there yet with Christina (and Gwen is still learning her letters!), so yeah, I'm a little stressed. Gwen's hearing loss also adds another challenge.

Can you believe my girls are getting so big? Olivia is now 19 months old and I'm pretty sure I practically abandoned this blog since she was born. Although I love to write and I want to be able to keep track of what is going on with the kids here (so that I can always go back and re-read), it isn't always feasible for me to make time. I mean goodness, it has been a year since I even posted last! Sadly, I'm not sure how long it will be before I post again.

I have a little lull at work right now, as in just today, for like the next hour or so, but otherwise my days have been pretty busy. I've been essentially dedicated full time on two separate programs. Thank goodness, that won't last much longer and work should be less hectic. But, when I'm not at work, or I should say - when the kids are not at school/daycare - well let's just say that you can count me out of pretty much anything like writing on a blog (aka spending time doing something for myself that doesn't demand a place on my to do list). Life is busy with three kids under six!

When I'm not taking care of the kids, the house, or work, I am usually too exhausted to do anything fun just for me. But, I'd like to try! The truth is, with Olivia getting a little older, I do have more hands free time. Both Olivia and Gwen are awesome at playing and entertaining themselves, alone or together (Christina, not so much). This sometimes means that I can sit and do something on my computer while the kids play. Thank goodness for that because I have needed to spend some of that time working lately, but I've also started on our vacation photo book on Shutterfly. I'm super excited about it and fully expect to work on it for the next month or so (to get it JUST right!)

I'm enjoying myself so much that now I have a list of ten other photo books I'd like to make. But oh yes, school is starting. That changes everything! Now we get to go back to homework every night. Piano practice too. Checking everything that comes home in their book bags from events to behavior reports to school work. I'll be writing out checks every week for a class shirt, a school field trip or spirit week, etc. I'll have to stay on top of laundry for uniforms that need to be worn each week. I'll have to start getting the kids up earlier each morning and hoping that the lack of sleep doesn't cause them to get sick.

Getting sick really throws a wrench in things. When one gets sick, it is almost impossible for one or both of the other girls to get sick. In fact, usually at least one parent gets sick too. In fact, three (possibly four) of us are sick right at this very moment. I have gone into crazy Mom mode and am making everyone use hand sanitizer every two seconds, wash hands with soap and water after a sneeze to the hands or any other time I suspect germs lol, I forbid they even THINK of sharing food, and we increase our vitamin intake. And, oh yes, nap time anyone? I mean come on guys, school starts next week! No time for germs people!

Christina's Pre-K Graduation

2013-08-17T09:08:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday, Christina started Kindergarten (my big girl!). So far it is going great, more on that to come though.

In May, CC graduated from Pre-K and I finally had the chance to put some of the video up here. I have to say that she was super excited to graduate Pre-K. She loved practicing the songs that they would sing and she absolutely loved wearing her cap and gown. She had really great friends in her class and enjoyed the year. Christina's teacher says that she is a very smart little girl, but she is a little unsure of her self. She often hesitates and says "I don't know" to things that she really does in fact know. She has learned so much over the year from writing her name to sight words and so much more. Even though she was the youngest in her class, she certainly didn't show it. Oh sure, sometimes she had trouble listening or staying quiet, but she still learned everything she needed to learn while in Pre-K.

In her yearbook, under Pre-K Superlatives, Christina was listed as most talkative, loudest, shortest, and 5 going on 40, which is funny because she is only 4. She definitely is all of those things. She has a presence that you can't ignore and she is still trying to transition from having fun and running around with her friends, to sitting down, learning and listening. Her teacher thinks that she is absolutely ready for Kindergarten, which is great to know since she does techincally have the ability to stay back a year due to her age.

Unfortunately, Christina was seated all the way in the back for the actual Pre-K graduation. It was difficult to see her and most of the songs they sang, you can't see her in the video except maybe the top of her forehead. I won't post most of those. I'll start with one that is a little long, but towards the end, Christina has her own chance to shine since they go one by one through all of the kids.

After this, the kids get their cap on and come down the aisle, which is what you would expect at the beginning but for some reason they didn't do it that way. You can't really see Christina come down because of all of the people, but she gives us a nice smile and wave when she gets on stage :-)

Lastly, here is another cute song that they did. Christina's friend Angela gets things going. Other parts of the graduation that I'm not posting, include a slideshow of the kids from the year and a handful of songs including "You are my Sunshine" where they all have sunglasses on (very cute), "We've got the whole globe in our hands", "We're so Happy" to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it", "Me I am", and another cute song that goes like this:

I've been having fun at preschool, learning all year long

I can tell you all about it,

just listen to our song

We've been learning shapes and colors;

letters and numbers too

I've learned how to share with others,

and now our year is through!

And now another milestone is complete and Christina is off to Kindergarten!

Countdown

2013-07-30T14:38:00.001-04:00

Things have certainly been busy around here for my little girls. Olivia is seven months old and cute as a button. She is crawling all over the place now and nothing is safe! She's already pulling Blu-Rays off the stand, slamming the media center door over and over again for kicks, and of course trying to get ahold of every big-kid toy within sight. She certainly knows how to entertain herself, but really enjoys being around her big sisters. She is happiest when they are playing in the same room as her. Christina and Gwen love Olivia dearly except in different ways. Christina is very protective over Olivia and is such a sweet and loving big sister. She always wants to make sure Olivia is ok and happy. If Olivia fusses or cries, she feels it is her job as a big sister to comfort or entertain her. She can't go a morning without kissing her first thing and can't go to bed without a kiss goodnight. She always wants to help out with whatever baby-care is at hand and even brags about "her baby" to anyone that will listen. She loves Olivia so much that she has thanked me more than a dozen times for "making this baby". "Mommy, thank you so much for making this baby.", "Mommy, isn't Olivia the cutest baby?", "Mommy, we have the perfect baby, don't we?" Christina is just too darn cute. Now Gwen on the other hand loves rough. She also brags about "her baby", but her one on one interaction is less cuddles and kisses and more like knocking over, smothering her, bumping her in the head, jumping on top of her or over her. She reminds me of Christina when Gwen was that age. I assume she will grow out of it and in the meantime I have to be very careful when Gwen is with Olivia. There have been a handful of times where she has purposely done something that would hurt Olivia (throw a toy at her, pinch her, etc), I think just to see what Olivia will do. I guess Gwen is just curious, but that curiosity can hurt her baby sister and she doesn't quite get that yet. Christina and Gwen also fight over helping out with Olivia or even fight over who gets to kiss her first. Olivia is eating solid foods now (so far just rice cereal, oatmeal and green beans - soon to be carrots), and the girls (for awhile there) would fight over who got to feed her. I think the excitement of that wore off though because they haven't asked in awhile. They do, however, fight over helping out with everything, not just things related to Olivia. If I ask one to do something for me, the other takes it as a challenge and runs to try to do it first. Unless, of course, they both decide they are too "busy" to help. Feast or famine in this house for sure. Sometimes they drive me crazy and I have to ask over and over to get them to do the easiest things. Other times they are overwhelming me with questions about what they can do to help. I have the girls regularly doing chores around the house now so that I can take advantage of this helping stage (before they learn to hate it). I have them putting away their own laundry. Christina can do it completely on her own. I can just dump a basket of clean clothing on her bed and she will sort and put everything away in the proper drawers. Gwen needs me to do the sorting and then she needs to be told specifically where to put it. She does know what items go in which drawers though, so I only need to tell her "put this in your PJ drawer" and then she does it. Christina also makes her own bed every morning, but I haven't gotten Gwen to catch on to that one. When CC is feeling generous, she will make both beds. They love to vacuum using the shark, clean tables, and occasionally to unload the dishwasher. I also have them clear their plates from the table most of the time although I have to admit that sometimes I prefer to do it in order to avoid a mess on the way to the garbage and/or sink. I'm trying to take advantage of the little time we have left this summer. I have to admit that this has been a very lazy one. I've been letting the kids go to bed a little later and sleep a little later each morning. We've been strolling into daycare at 9 or 10am each day. Luckily, since my office is practically empty this month, I have been working from home most days. But boy oh boy are things about to change. Christina starts Kindergarten in exactly 8 days. Yikes! We are going back to the days of waking up at the crack of dawn and we will be rushing to get the kids to school on time for breakfast and me to the office at a decent time. Weekly swim lessons are over and we will spend our evenings doing homework. I have to say I'm nervous, but also excited.

Disney Magic

2013-06-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

The formatting on Blogger with pictures and text drives me insane. But, I'm not going to let that hold me back from posting this any longer. It isn't going to be perfect and may not be pretty, but oh well. Here we go . . .

We had the opportunity to take the girls to Disney for the first time in early May. We went to Magic Kingdom and also Hollywood Studios. They loved it! Nik and I enjoyed ourselves as well. My Mom and Uncle Peter joined us for Magic Kingdom. Nik's cousin Melissa, her husband and their son Dominick were able to join us for part of Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studio's.

These princess poncho's that I ordered from Macy's came in handy. When we first arrived at Magic Kingdom, it was chilly and the boat ride over to the park entrance was very windy.

The girls cozied up with the poncho's while they watched our view of the castle as we approached. They also were invaluable at the end of the night when it got cold.

The girls were very excited as we arrived and I must admit that I was as well. I have been to the Magic Kingdom about three times, but not since I was much younger (a teenager I think). Nik had never been to Magic Kingdom at all either. Cinderella's Castle (although a little smaller than Nik and I expected) was gorgeous. We also arrived just in time to see the show ending at the castle.

The first attraction we did was Enchanted Tales with Belle. Some of the audience joined in with a story-telling performance with Belle herself. Nik was one of Belle's guard's where he got to stand up in front and protect Belle the entire time. Christina and Gwen sat in front, CC was a picture frame and Gwen was a fork and spoon combo. Afterwards, they all got pictures with Belle.

My Mom and Olivia even got a picture with Belle.

We loved meeting so many characters at Disney. My only complaint is that the lighting in all of the rooms is awful for my iPhone camera. Of course Disney takes their own pictures which come out fabulous, but at $15 per picture, they aren't exactly affordable.

One of the things I loved most about the Magic Kingdom was that we could all go on almost all of the rides together, as a family. Even Olivia, at five months old, could go on the rides with us. That made the trip so much nicer because we could all stay together.

We got the chance to meet Ariel.

Olivia was such a good girl the entire time.

It was really nice to spend some time with our cousin Dominick. The girls had fun meeting their little cousin for the first time.

The girls were excited to get autographs from some of the characters.

They met Rosetta the Fairy and TinkerBelle.

TinkerBelle was quite a character and she talked almost non-stop. She went on and on about some random things that Christina really payed attention to. Apparently she said that she only liked to fly in the winter. Later that night when we watched the end of the night show at the castle, TinkerBelle flew down from the castle and onto the ground (literally, came down on a wire or something). Christina asked me why TinkerBelle was flying when she said she only likes to fly in the winter. It was cute.

Just as it was getting dark, it was time for the grown ups to have some fun. We took turns with the kids so that we could go on Space Mountain. It was just as awesome as I remembered it!

By the end of the day, the kids were tired but still behaving (suprisingly!). The end of the night show on the castle was amazing! Hundreds of people gathered together to stare at the castle. It was like a movie that was played on the castle as well as fireworks above the castle.

By the time it ended, it was pretty late and seconds afterwards, all of the kids were asleep :-)

My Mom and Uncle Peter had to leave the next morning, but we were able to go to Hollywood Studio's with the kids and our cousins.

Hollywood Studio's had some fun things to offer, but we were so exhausted that we didn't stay long. There were many character meet and greet opportunities that we didn't want to miss though.

First, we got to meet Handy Manny.

Next, we got to meet Mickey Mouse himself!

We also got to see a Disney Live show which featured stories from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. It was great (except for the part where we all had to sit on the ground - not so fun for me).

Cars were there, so we got to "meet" them as well. I was surprised by how big they were.

Last, but not least, I think we were the most excited to meet Wreck it Ralph and Venelope. We love that movie and were willing to wait on a pretty big line (and skip the last chance for the Beauty and the Beast show) just so that we could meet them. Wreck it Ralph was HUGE.

As we were getting ready to go and just walking around the park, we found this awesome little spot. The wall was made to look like the hills in San Francisco. We all took a bunch of pictures in front of it because it was such a nice backdrop.

My little dancing queen

2013-05-26T09:34:00.000-04:00

Christina had her dance recital earlier this month. This was her second recital (she had one at the end of the school year in 2012 as well). She kept a very serious face on for most of her dancing (just like she did last year) except this year, she didn't seem as concerned with getting the moves right and on time. Last year she watched her dance teacher very closely and did every move methodically. This year you will see her looking around occassionally, laughing or smiling sometimes, doing different moves, falling a little haha. It was really cute how she would go from no smile and doing her moves seriously, to laughing and almost falling over. She obviously had a very good time.

Here is one of the cutest ones. She is all excited because she loves the song (she calls it the Barbie song):

This song is one they did last year, but it is too cute to not do it again:

I missed the beginning of this one since someone was blocking my view. Here is Gummy Bear:

Let's get this party started:

You spin me right round:

I'm not familiar with this song, but it seemed really sweet:

I've also never heard of this song before:

See how excited she gets when she hears that they are about to get trophy's:

School pictures

2013-05-25T09:32:00.002-04:00

To try or not to try

2013-05-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

When Olivia was only a few weeks old, for some reason I felt the sudden need to make a final decision about whether or not we would like to try to have a fourth child eventually. When I was younger, I use to say that I wanted three children. When I met Nik, he wanted six! We compromised on four before we were married. Nik likes to say that was before he knew how expensive it was to have children. Very true.

Although the growing daycare bill is enough to keep most people from reproducing, it isn't something I heavily consider when deciding whether I want to expand our family. I loved having a big family growing up and I love the chaos of family get togethers and holiday's. I want to be surrounded by people I love and that love me. With all three of my kids, I made sure that we found a way to make it work financially. I know that parenting is a handful and that it requires a lot of self sacrifice. But, the reward is greater than the largest obstacle.

I battled with the idea of three kids or four over several weeks and then it dawned on me. While worrying about the size of my family, I was simultaneously stressing out over the transition back to work. Having three little children and a full time job is no easy task. Getting up and out of the house in the morning is probably the most difficult part of the day. Finding time to pump during working hours is stressful. Always being pulled away for one of them, when both of them are extremely important takes a toll. Trying to pick the kids up at a decent hour, then cook and get them all to bed at a reasonable time takes planning. Not having much, if any, quality time with the kids at the end of a work day is disappointing. Taking time off work for doctor's appointments, Easter egg hunts, and dance recitals is challenging but something I am not willing to miss out on.

Ultimately, it was that last point that pushed me over the edge. As much as I adore my babies and would love to try for another one, I just can't do it. I don't want to spread myself too thin that I would end up not giving my attention to the amazing girls I already have. I want to be at every recital, every game, every activity . . . and if I want to keep my job (which, yes, I definitely NEED to), then I better focus on the three children I already have and not add more to my plate, so to speak.

We have been blessed with three amazing children and we are over the moon happy with our little family. I don't feel like we are missing someone, like I did before Olivia was born. I know that I am always going to want another baby, and I am going to be sad to watch my last baby grow into a toddler, but at the same time I am excited to see our family grow together. I am excited that we will be able to do new and exciting things as each of them gets older. Once Olivia is out of diapers, there is no looking back and I will spend all of my baby cuddling time with my future nieces, nephews and cousins when the time comes :-)

The Lottery

2013-05-12T15:22:00.000-04:00

In our County there is a charter school that offers a really great education for free. The only catch is that in order to get in, you have to be picked from a lottery drawing. When there are over one hundred names thrown into that fish bowl and only thirty or so will be pulled out, the odds are not in your favor.

When Nik and I moved to here, we didn't think too much about the school system. Honestly, we probably should have, but we had been trying to get to Georgia for two years and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, we just jumped at the chance. Since we only had a few weeks to move, we had to find a house pronto and so it only made sense to reach out to the only real estate agent I had had any prior contact with. Amazingly, she had a foreclosure house available only three doors down from my cousin and his family. The house was perfect, the price was right, we loved the neighborhood, and we loved our neighbors :-) We (mostly I) decided that we would just deal with the school system, even though we knew it wasn't great. It seemed like school for the girls was so far off that we didn't need to think too much about it.

Well, the time is here and Christina starts Kindergarten in August. Last year, I started looking at schools. I quickly realized that the private schools that we might be able to afford, were not that great. The really good private schools were completely out of the question financially. So, it was time to start getting use to the idea of public school. Now don't get me wrong, I am a public school girl through and through. Nik and I both went to public school and loved it. We feel that we got a great education. However, we grew up in New Jersey where the school system is much better than Georgia, and our district in particular isn't great. That is what we were having a hard time dealing with.

Our neighborhood is very hands on though and so many of our neighbors are going to the nearby public school. I know that the community and PTA can have a big impact on the school and I was looking forward to seeing the school improve over the coming years. And then the lottery came . . .

One day in February I drove over to the Charter school to get a lottery ticket for Christina. A couple of weeks later, the drawing was held at a nearby church. Names were to be picked for every open slot in each grade. Nik had to work, which was really a shame since he always has good luck. So, I had to cart all three kids over to the church. We were running late and had to stand against the back wall since there were no seats available. Olivia was hungry and I had to sit down against the wall and nurse her in the back of the church, as the big girls tried their best to behave.

When it was finally time, they started by reading each applicants name and dropping the piece of paper into the bowl. 134 names. I recognized the names of several neighbors and several of Christina's classmates. Then, the drawing began. Each time a name was called, I crossed my fingers and said in my head "Christina Kalos, Christina Kalos, Christina Kalos". About half way through the available slots (14 or so out of 32) and here it came - Christina Kalos! Not just in my head this time, but out loud, officially chosen. Christina Kalos, on the list for Kindergarten!

I was so excited and tried to explain to the girls what was happening. "Mom's totally freaking out" Christina said later to anyone that would listen.

Not only does Christina get to go to an awesome school FOR FREE, but Gwen and Olivia automatically get enrolled as well. Once one kid is in, the siblings are in too! Since Christina is the oldest, and the school goes from K-8, that means all of my girls are totally set until high school.

And yes, I am still totally freaking out!!

Picture Post: Olivia

2013-05-11T16:15:00.000-04:00

Such a happy baby!

Beautiful outfit lovingly provided by my Aunt Holly.

Olivia's first ride. (The Carousel at Six Flags)

My three girls

Look at that happy face!

My two Valentines this year.

Close UP!

Cuddles with Grandma

Olivia loves to sit and watch her big sisters.

Just one of the girls

Bright eyed

Life with three little Princesses

2013-05-10T11:24:00.001-04:00

My little angel is now four and a half months old. Nik and I have settled into a family five very easily and our whirlwind lives have definitely not stopped just because we now have a baby in tow. Nope, in fact, baby Olivia just goes with the flow. Meet Santa at four days old . . sure!, seven hour road trip to Orlando . . no problem!, go to Disney and smile at all of the Princesses . . . sign me up! Yep, Olivia has been a wonderful baby.

In the beginning, she slept a lot as most babies do and then when she was awake more, all she wanted to do was nurse for a few weeks. She's been my biggest baby yet and even though she is only in the 25th percentile, she is growing like crazy (chunky monkey seems to have turned into long caterpillar).

At about two months old her personality really started to shine. She began smiling all of the time and giggling (now she even waves when prompted). Her sisters are a great source of entertainment and you can tell she really loves them. She rolls over all of the time and even now, at four months old, you can see that she just can't wait to get up and run around with her two older sisters. She kicks her feet out and tries to stand up and get down from your arms when she wants to join in on the fun. This little one is just a delight to have around.

We were lucky enough to join some of my family in Orlando recently for my Great Aunt's 90th surprise birthday party!! And how could we go to Orlando without taking the kids to Disney?

The trip could not have gone any better. All three girls were awesome in the car. No potty accidents from my two big girls and Olivia didn't cry at all. Only a few days prior to our trip, I introduced her to the pacifier. Although neither CC or Gwen ever took to it, Olivia seemed to really like it. With the help of the pacifier and my long reach from the front seat, Olivia was always happy. She had toys hanging from her carseat which she happily played with and then the pacifier helped her fall asleep when she was tired. She was a champ as we spent over 10 hours at Disney one day and she was happy the entire time!!

We have had the luxury of spending a lot of family time together lately and it has been wonderful. I love watching as the girls grow and change. I can't believe that Christina is starting Kindergarten in August and that Gwen is such a beautiful and smart big/little girl who always amazes me. I can't believe how most of what Christina says and does takes after me and how most of what Gwen says and does takes after Nik. I love how Christina always says "That's weird" and Gwen always says "That's cool" which is a perfect example of how Christina is more skeptical about everything and Gwen is much more open and carefree. I love how they ask questions and want to know about everything (even if it is sometimes hard to answer all of the "Why" questions). I love how Olivia fits in with all of us so perfectly and how I can just snuggle up to her and never want to let go.

Off to a good start

2013-01-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Olivia is doing wonderful. Yesterday was our first day alone together and she was perfect. In fact, somehow I managed to get my Mom to the airport, get the house ready for the cleaning people, go to Costco, go to Publix, pick up Christina and Gwen at school, put Olivia down for an early bedtime, put away groceries, make dinner, feed and bathe CC and Gwen, and then put the big girls to sleep. When Nik walked in the house at eight pm, he was thoroughly confused at the silence of the house :-) Now if only I can manage each day like this (not likely). But hey, at least we are off to a good start!

And here are some pictures I forgot to post . . .

Picture Post

2012-12-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to the mall and ended up getting pictures taken at Sears. We were able to get all three girls as well as some pictures with my nephew Cael and my cousin Evie. For an impromptu photo shoot, it really worked out nicely!

Full birth story - Olivia Alice

2012-12-29T16:03:00.001-05:00

Monday, 12/17/12 I had a drs appointment at 2pm. The ultrasound (BPP) showed baby was doing excellent and was measuring 7 lbs 4 oz. When the doctor checked me, I was 4 cm dialated and 80% effaced. I asked her to strip my membranes and she did. With Christina, I went into labor the night after my doctor stripped my membranes, so I was hoping this time it would work as well, since I was already passed my due date (December 16th). All of that worrying that Olivia would come early, it was crazy that she decided she didn't want to come out at all! By that point, although I was still pretty comfortable being pregnant, I was ready for her to come out already and meet the outside world. Christmas was fast approaching and I didn't want to end up in the hospital while I had a house full of holiday guests.

The rest of the day wasn't very eventful. I had some contractions, but nothing consistent and not any different from what I had experienced the previous week or two. After the kids were in bed, Nik headed straight to bed since he was sick with a cold. I relaxed for awhile and eventually followed him to bed at 9:30pm.

At midnight, my water broke. It was just a trickle here and there at first, but it was obvious that it was my water. I called the doctor and she told me to head to the hospital. We called my cousin John to come stay with the kids.

When we arrived at the hospital, it was 2am. By 4am I was still only 4cm dilated and not having regular contractions. At 6am I was not quite at 5cm, so they started pitocin to move things along. My contractions were still irregular and the pitocin would help with that.

Only an hour later, my contractions were getting painful and close together. I asked to have the fluids started so I could get the epidural. At 8:15am contractions were unbearable. I gritted my teeth through the epidural and thank goodness it worked right away. Turns out I was already 8cm dilated and 90% effaced at station -1.

At 9:15am I was complete aka 10cm dilated and 100% effaced but Olivia was at station 0 and still needed to come down a little. I couldn't feel anything at all from the epidural (waist down) but was still able to push moments later when it was time. Just a handful of pushes and she was out! Olivia Alice was born at 9:32am on 12/18/12. We had some wonderful skin to skin contact immediately. Olivia was alert, looking around and lifting her head up at me when I spoke to her. She nursed soon after like a champ and scored a 9/9 on the Apgar. It took a few minutes before they checked her size, but when they finally did, we were excited to find out that she weighed in at 7 lbs 7 ounces and measured 19 3/4". She is our biggest baby yet!

Olivia is not tongue-tied (like Christina was) and she doesn't have a hearing loss (like Gwen), so it seems that she passed all of her tests with flying colors. Based on her first appointment at the pediatrician, it seems like she is going to be the biggest kid overall (height and weight). Her hair is dark brown just like both of her sisters were when they were born and I expect that it will turn blonde just like Christina and Gwen. Oddly, we can't seem to figure out her eye color. They are dark, but I'm not sure what color. At times I think they are maybe dark blue like mine but other times they seem hazel. Nik thinks they will be hazel and I'm leaning towards that as well, but we will see.

We are so happy to add Olivia to our family and our "big girls" are crazy about her as well. We are all adjusting to our new life now, which has been pretty easy considering we have had so many wonderful house guests helping out. It will be interesting trying to figure out the morning and bedtime routines with an infant once the holiday's are over, but I'm sure we will get it all worked out.

Princess Olivia has arrived!

2012-12-28T19:37:00.001-05:00

Olivia Alice arrived on December 18th, 2012 at 9:32am after an extremely easy labor and delivery. She weighed in at 7 lbs 7 ounces and measured 19 3/4". She is beautiful, healthy, and a perfect addition to our little family. The full birth story will be forthcoming. In the meantime, take a look at this little angel (pictures taken in the hospital at one day old).

Picture Post: School Pictures

2012-11-30T12:24:00.001-05:00

Picture Post: Pre-Christmas Christmas Shoot

2012-11-25T12:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we got the girls and my nephew Cael dressed up in their Christmas outfits so that we could take a few pictures. It is very difficult to get three little kids to smile at the same time, not to mention my camera is awful, so they aren't very good. But, they are better then nothing. We have a matching outfit for Olivia also. Hopefully when we do this again, with her in the pictures, we can get ahold of a better camera. Take a look at what we have so far:

Guessing Game

2012-11-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant with Christina, my water broke on a Thursday night and she was born on a Friday, just one day before I was 39 weeks along. When I was pregnant with Gwen, my water broke on a Thursday morning and she was born on a Friday, just one day before I was 35 weeks along.

Getting closer to my due date, I can't help trying to guess when Olivia will arrive. Since I'm getting weekly progesterone injections, that is suppose to keep Olivia from coming too early. So far, so good, since I am now 36 weeks pregnant. My last injection is on Thanksgiving. Going solely based on the assumption that the injections are keeping her in, it seems to me that I will go into labor at some point after 11/29 when my body does not get another weekly injection. My guess all along has been that she will be born in early December.

However, since I recently discovered the odd coincidence of both of my children being born on a Friday, which was one day before I would have hit another weekly milestone in my pregnancy, I'm now using that to help fine tune my guessing.

This pregnancy, I hit my weekly milestone on Sundays, not Saturdays, like my previous pregnancies. So maybe I will still have Olivia on a Friday like the other girls, or maybe it will be on a Saturday, which would push it up one day based on having the other girls one day prior to my weekly milestone. If so, maybe my water will break on either a Thursday or Friday. Both of these scenarios would make this time somewhat consistent with my last two. But, was it all just a coincidence in the first place? Who knows! It sure is fun to guess though and I can't wait to find out if Olivia follows some sort of pattern that follows the other girls.

If I consider the possibility that this really is a pattern and not a coincidence, and also consider the possibility that stopping my weekly injections will lead to my body going into labor after the first missed injection, but not any sooner than the Friday birth/ one day before milestone, scenario, I'm looking at potentially going into labor on Thursday, December 6th and having Olivia on Friday, December 7th or going into labor on Friday, December 7th and having Olivia on Saturday, December 8th, which would be one day before my 39 week milestone.

Will I actually go that long though?? If Gwen was an entire five weeks early, maybe it is ridiculous to assume that Olivia would stay in until the week before her due date (like Christina did). Maybe a more realistic scenario would be to say that my water will break/ I will start labor, the very day after my first missed injection, which would be Friday, November 30th and then she would be born on Saturday, December 1st (one day before I would hit 38 weeks).

Of course I have absolutely no idea, but another thing that both Christina and Gwen had in common was that they both surprised me! With CC, I assumed I would go late, since it was my first pregnancy and that is usually what happens. With my second pregnancy, going into labor wasn't even on my radar yet and then BAM, Gwen was here. What will Olivia bring to the table? I have already surpassed the 35 week mark, so luckily she can't surprise me by coming even earlier than Gwen. Will she surprise me by coming on Black Friday maybe??? It would fit the "being born on a Friday" scenario and it will surely surprise me. (It will also drive Nik crazy if he can't work on Black Friday). I don't know though! But obviously, I have you all now realizing just how crazy I am since I can't stop coming up with all of these possible scenarios, lol.

My final guess - Olivia will be born on Saturday, December 1st (our cousin, Melissa Bravo's birthday!). What is your guess???

And just to throw one more thing out there - I've been having contractions for weeks. Totally different from my other two pregnancies, which started with my water breaking.

I'm having a baby! Well, not just yet . . .

2012-11-09T19:48:00.000-05:00

I'm 35 weeks pregnant now. Last time I was 35 weeks pregnant, I was giving birth to Gwen. Wow, I'm about to have another baby! Hopefully Olivia will stay in there a little longer, but no matter which way you slice it, she is coming soon! This year has been extremely eventful and we might as well squeeze one last life altering event into 2012.

I am more than excited to have this little one and am extremly anxious about not knowing when she will arrive. With Thanksgiving and Christmas fastly approaching, I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed. But, no one can say that I am not prepared, that is for sure!

I have got a ton of prepared meals in the freezer just in case at some point I have difficultly cooking, I've got Olivia's room painted and ready to go even though she won't actually be sleeping in there until she is six months old or so, I've got all of the baby clothes washed and ready, I've got all of my Christmas shopping completed (but someone help me, because it doesn't stop me from wanting to continue to shop!), and I've finally finished a forty page manual that I have been working on for months which details everything I do at work so that my covering coworkers won't have any surprises. Of course that doesn't mean that I don't still have a huge list of things that I want to do before I go into labor (haircut, car detailing, etc). Then again, the "to do" lists don't really ever stop for me. I can always think of one more thing to do . . . like Black Friday shopping!

Oh yes, I may be ready to pop out a baby by then, but that isn't going to stop me from hosting Thanksgiving at my house and shopping on Black Friday! As long as I can still get around and I'm not literally in the hospital, I don't see why I should pass up my favorite annual shopping day. And no, having my Christmas shopping complete is not a reason to skip it either :-)

At 35 weeks pregnant though, I am still doing pretty well. Although I am having mucho back pain - especially in the car (oh and I feel like a HOUSE), I really can't complain. I expect that my water will break unexpectedly like it did with both Christina and Gwen. I am on the smaller side to begin with, so I doubt I'll get to the point where I'm having trouble getting around. Although my recent fall down the stairs certainly didn't help things.

That's right, I fell down the stairs recently and oh.my.god, I am still in a ton of pain! And I thought my back was hurting before, HA HA HA, that is really funny. So, the story is that I slipped while heading down the stairs from the third to the second floor. I completely went up in the air and slammed down onto the stairs (on my back) and then slid down about five stairs. I was able to stop myself before falling down all of them, but the damage was already done. The fall was so hard that it knocked the wind out of me and I was having trouble breathing for a few minutes.

After half a day in Labor and Delivery at my hosptial, the Doctor was able to confirm that THANK GOODNESS, the baby was perfectly fine. Although my entire body still hurts with every single move I make, the important part is that Olivia wasn't hurt. I have a ridiculously gigantic bruise and a bunch of cuts to show for it, but everything will be ok. I am crossing my fingers that I am all healed up before I go into labor though. It isn't going to be fun laying in a hospital bed for hours on end while in labor, when my body is already hurting everywhere.

Ok, so, enough about my clumsy, self-damaging fall. I finally have a couple of pictures for you. Take a look at me trying to take my own picture in the bathroom mirror . . . I am 34.5 weeks here (eight months pregnant):

Hurricane Sandy

2012-11-09T11:03:00.002-05:00

While I was safe with my husband and children in Georgia, the state that I called home for much of my life was being ripped apart by Hurricane Sandy a couple of weeks ago. Thank goodness all of my family was able to remain safe during this unbelievable storm, but I know there were many that were not that lucky.

All of my family and friends were left without power and sadly, my father's home was destroyed. The damage to homes and to New Jersey (as well as many other states) in general, is so great that it is going to take a very long time before things are back to normal. There are still thousands without power. It is so awful.

I will be thinking about my family and all of those that are still and will continue to struggle through the process of restoring their lives after this storm.

Not an easy subject

2012-11-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

I keep putting this off, but it is well passed the time that I finally discuss something here. Delaying the inevitable never really works, does it?

I know many of you are already well aware that my Step Dad, Gordon, passed away in September, but some of you may not be. It is a very difficult subject to talk about. He was a big part of my life and was always there for me when I needed him. He was a best friend to so many, a caring and concerned Dad to my siblings and I, a loving husband to my Mom, and just a good person in general.

I think the hardest part about putting it down in writing is that I still say to myself almost daily, "How can he be gone?". It just doesn't seem real. Even almost two months later, it just doesn't seem real. It isn't like it was all that sudden. He was fighting brain cancer (Glioblastoma) for over two years when it finally took him from us. For almost the entire time, he seemed completely fine. He was having surgeries, doing chemo, and participating in a clinical trial but none the less, he was still himself. He was a figher to say the least. He lived his life and he enjoyed his life. He didn't let this ruin the time he had left.

It was a couple of months before the end that things started to change. It seemed sudden that he no longer was able to be completely himself. It quickly got worse and before we all knew it, it was really bad. Thank goodness, my family and I had the opportunity to be with him towards the end. It was amazing to see family flying in from all of the world, just to get one last visit. None of us wanted to let go.

I still keep "seeing" him in my head as he once was and still should be today. It just makes no sense that someone who had everything going for him, is now just gone. He is still very much alive in my memories.

I created a photo album for him, which turns out I completed only two days before he passed. I was hoping he would get the chance to see it beforehand, but it just didn't work out that way. It is still a very special album and although it doesn't even scratch the surface of his life, it is still a nice way to remember him. You can take a look at it here:

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

Pregnancy Update

2012-08-13T12:32:00.000-04:00

I’m 22 weeks pregnant now, which means that I’m more than half way through this thing. This pregnancy has been very different from my last two and not in a good way. Overall, it hasn’t been so great, but I don’t really deserve to complain considering that I’m not having any serious issues. I think the people around me (hubby and coworkers) have more reason to complain actually. I have been VERY MOODY and I snap at people very easily and/or actually YELL . . . a lot (sorry!!). Everything annoys me and everything sets me off. You didn’t take the garbage out (hubby)? Prepare for an argument. You didn’t remember which charge number to use (coworker)? Prepare for my wrath! I am telling you, no one is safe!

Besides from my raging hormones that have obviously turned me into The Hulk, I am also extremely achy everywhere, which has made me utterly aware of how awkward and uncomfortable it is carrying around this big ol’ belly (and yes, I know, it isn’t even that big); I’m starving ALL.OF.THE.TIME; and I have these huge variations of energy where one minute I’m running around the house like a mad woman trying to move furniture and the next I can’t manage to get off the couch. What is wrong with me!?!?!

Oh yeah, that’s right, I’m growing a human being inside of me. (See how snarky I am lately?? I told you!)

On the medical side of things, I suffered through roughly 10-12 weeks of morning sickness, I have varicose veins in one of my legs so bad that I need to wear a medical compression stocking EVERYDAY (goodbye shorts and dresses – good thing I don’t live somewhere hot – haha, yeah right Atlanta), and I’m getting a progesterone shot every week so that I don’t have another premature baby (and yes, the shot is in my butt thank you very much – and no, it isn’t very pleasant).

But on the bright and shiny side of things, baby Olivia (yes, we have named her already), is doing just great! Apparently she doesn’t care that Mommy is an utter mess. She’s kickin’ away and having a great time in there. My measurements are always good and each ultrasound leaves me with rave reviews of how wonderful this pregnancy is going.

See, I told you I have no reason to complain.

And so, as I write this, I sadly realize that I have not taken EVEN ONE “belly” picture this time around. Shame on me!! I’m running right home tonight and taking one so that I can document this miracle that is pregnancy :-)

Gwen's 2nd birthday party

2012-07-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

We had Gwen's official birthday party when we were visiting in NJ the weekend after she turned two. We thought it would be nice to have it there so that all of our NJ friends and family could gather together. It is always so difficult to see everyone while we are there.

I didn't do any planning for this party since it was out of state and I was feeling so awful for the two months leading up to the party (morning sickness). We were having a pool party, so I decided to just go with a very simple party. It actually turned out really well. The weather couldn't have been better (sunny, mid to high 80's) and it seemed like everyone had a great time. My Mom and Step Dad have the perfect backyard for a party like this.

June picture post

2012-07-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Goodbye June, hello 100 degree weather. It is literally expected to be 112 degrees today in Georgia. That is crazy!! I'm so glad our house has central A.C. We can just stay inside and pretty much not be affected by the heat-wave.

In June, we celebrated Gwen's second birthday with just a few cupcakes and gifts on her actual birthday. We also had a party for her in NJ while we were visiting there for a week (follow up post tomorrow). Other than the party, while in NJ we also went to the beach, boardwalk, and the girls got to go on all of the rides. I think the big attraction of the week though was the boat trip we took as a Father's Day gift for Gordon (my step dad). It was an adventure to say the least and deserves its own post to give you the full story (stay tuned).

Gwen's birthday . . . .

(there is some good camera-working here, lol)

NJ trip . . . .

Rides . . .

Beach . . .

The big reveal

2012-06-30T10:31:00.000-04:00

Normally, most pregnant women have to wait until about 20 weeks along before their anatomy scan (ultra sound), which will likely reveal if the baby is a boy or a girl. With Christina and Gwen, that is when I found out. This time, I'm seeing a high risk doctor, since Gwen came early and we want to make sure this baby does not. At my first appointment with the high risk doctor a couple of days ago, we were able to get a good look at the baby. This baby was very active, wiggling all over and even waving to us.

Although everyone has been coming out of the woodworks telling me how much they want me to have a boy, I actually didn't care either way. I can't really imagine having a boy, although I guess it would make sense to add one to our family. Whichever way it goes (Baby Olivia or Baby Nik), waiting to find out was the hardest part!

So . . . . .

I was THRILLED to be able to find out more than four weeks early this time.

We are expecting another little Princess!!

Yep, we are having another girl! It is kind of amuzing to me actually. I can only imagine what life is going to be like with a house full of girls. Luckily, we have two great ones already, so I am very much looking forward to getting to know our new little one.

Now that we know we have Baby Olivia in my belly (not just a "baby"), it is time to tell Christina and Gwen. My belly is growing faster than it ever did before and I think this is perfect timing to talk to the girls. My Mom had a great idea that we should record ourselves telling the girls. I didn't actually expect much of a reaction from them, but I was wrong. Of course Gwen didn't understand or seem to care, but Christina was adorable. I had my teenage sister, Mackenzie, record the reveal. Take a look and make sure not to miss the ending.

Happy 2nd Birthday Gwen!!

2012-06-18T08:41:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to my darling Gwendolyn Eve!! My two year old has changed so much in the last few months, but I haven't had a chance to share. My little/big girl:

-Asks where CC is dozens of times each day, although now she mostly calls her "stina" since she is working more towards pronouncing "Christina" and only occasionally calls her "CC". She loves her sister so much that she always wants to know where she is and what she is up to.

-For awhile there, she would constantly say "I want this", but we never had any idea what "this" was referring too. Now she seems to be even more verbal than before, so I haven't heard this one in awhile. She does such a great job of telling us what she wants or just talking to us about what she is interested in.

-Is always saying she has to go potty and/or convince people to take her to the potty. She has been doing this for over four months now, but the funny thing is that she isn't potty trained. Now she is in a new class at daycare though and they practice using the potty several times a day. She loves it! I can't wait until I'm 100% feeling better so that I can focus on potty training her.

-Is so polite! She says bless you when someone sneezes and she says please and thank you. We still have to remind her to say please on her own, but she says bless you and thank you completely on her own.

-Sings twinkle twinkle and says her ABCs

-Usually refuses to smile for pictures, hence the reason I haven't posted any new ones in a very long time. Although I did get a few good ones just the other day that I put up here immediately :-)

-Loves beer and alcohol unfortunately. Do you remember "the game" that we played for Christina's first birthday and then again for Gwen's? We put out a few items across the room from the birthday girl, we put her down and waited to see which one she would go to. It is suppose to signify something about her future. The items we put out were a bible (religion and/or literature), a cell phone (technology), money (success) and a small bottle of alcohol (not sure exactly what that one is for since it doesn't exactly send a positive message). Anyway . . . on Gwen's first birthday, she didn't hesitate whatsoever and went straight for the bottle of alcohol and then proceeded to try to drink it!! Then, this year in April at my nephew Cael's first birthday, Gwen completely interupted the birthday boy when it was his time for the game. As soon as she got a look at the bottle of alcohol, she started yelling "Aahhhh, mine!" She wormed her way out of my arms and ran straight over to the liquor bottle, claiming it for her own! I don't know what is up with this child, but boy oh boy are we going to have to keep our eyes on her. As it is, we've all known from a young age that we can't put down alcoholic drinks where she can reach because she has some sort of radar for it. She will immediately grab your drink the second you turn your head. I've never heard of such a thing in a baby/toddler! Totally crazy!

-Is so sweet. She loves to give hugs and kisses and even tells me randomly that she loves me (she got that one from CC).

-Gets really proud of herself when she accomplishes something. Whether it is a small or large accomplishment, you can usually hear her saying "I did it!" when she is finished. She loves to try new things, especially if she sees CC doing it first. She isn't afraid to try something that Christina does just because she is so much smaller.

-Is so curious and is always asking "why?". She also started asking "where" people or things are and the most common one I hear is "Where's Daddy?". She always has to keep tabs on him.