a growth spurt weekend

So we are pretty confident in saying that Miss O went through a growth spurt this weekend.  She ate, ate, ate and she slept, slept, slept.   We did not mind the sleeping part.  Saturday she slept in until 8:40am and then Sunday she slept in until 9:20am.  Of course when she sleeps in, we sleep in!  Our weekend was very low key and we do enjoy having plenty of time together as a family. Of course I snapped some pictures of Miss O from the last few days to share.

love waking up to this face & love her lady bug pajamas

sitting up is all she wants to do (with help)

starting to like tummy time ... at least for a little while.

plotting her escape

maybe this plan will work again...  sadly she was still stuck in the chair. 

mommy + baby pool party with our bath tub serving as the pool.

Enough of the sitting

This little girl is going to take off running... if she could.  Right now her head is too big for her body and she is still learning to work with that (the circumference of her head was in the 70th percentile at her 4 month check up).  She is going through a little phase of not wanting to be put down or not wanting to be in the seated position (like in her bumbo chair).   If she is in a seated position she wants to just put her feet down and stand, with the assistance of a big person to hold her hands.  She has changed so much in 4 sweet months.  I will also mention that we have started putting her on the potty before bath time.  When we get her ready for her bath every night I noticed a pattern of her peeing either on the Mr or peeing in the bath.  So I decided to hold her over the big girl potty and see if she peed... and she has... 4 different times.   I'm not trying to get her potty trained unrealistically but I do want to encourage her to use the potty and get her comfortable with it.  Anyway... Miss O is fabulous as always.  Here are a few pictures from the past week... the many faces and expressions of Miss O continued.  xo



some tummy time



lifting her big head is exhausting



probably looking at her daddy

a side view with her feet. probably my favorite thing to see.

learning about body parts from her puppy & frog friends. Ipads are genious & fabulous!!

some exercise time with our kitty sophie jr watching on



just a little too short to reach the ground so she jumps on a pillow



so much to entertain babies



more tummy time

this is her pouty face... she has a tough life obviously.

hair coming in nice and thick!!

latest trend: does not want to sit. get her out of this chair!

she is trying hard to get out of this chair. put her feet down and straighten her back

hanging in her high chair- strapped in so she can't go anywhere.

Water Baby

Today Miss O is 4 months old (which is ridiculous and crazy!).  We had a very eventful day for our little family.  We spent the morning at the farmers market, the afternoon at a graduation party & then a reunion dinner for my old churches anniversary ( a church my sisters and I grew up in).  Miss O was a trooper through it all.  The graduation party was so fun & we had the chance to get Miss O in the pool for the first time.  I believe she is a natural water baby.  I have always been a water baby myself- on a swim team, at the beach, at the pool.  We spent summers at a community pool or in Puerto Rico with my grandparents going to the beach everyday so it is kind of important that Olivia love water (pools and beaches) like I do.  Plus, she has a few bathing suits she needs to get in. I have to add that the Mr was SO concerned with the thought of his baby daughter in a large body of water that has chlorine. He spent 30 minutes researching online different things that could happen to babies and pools. While we were in the pool, he spent time checking the temperature of the water and watching to make sure she was enjoying herself.  Here are some fun pictures we captured today of her first time in a pool.

testing out the water



the Mr checking the duck thermometer



sunblock: check
shaded part of the pool: check
big brim hat: check



taking it all in

she enjoyed the pool time

water baby

Family shot

good shot to see some of her baby rolls.... they are everywhere!

4 Month Appointment

Today was Miss O's 4 month appointment at the doctor's office.  How is it time already for MORE shot?! She did much better for this appointment.  Last time she had a hard time calming down.  This time, however, she was slightly  hungry so after she shots I gave her the bottle and she stopped crying so she could eat.  It also helped her take the oral medication they gave her.. because she was hungry.  The nurse appreciated that Miss O took it without being forced.  Miss O is an even 14 pounds and is measuring 23 3/4 inches.  She is in the 75th percentile for her weight and the 58th percentile for her length.  The doctor also notified me that we do have a teething baby- her bottom left tooth is coming in! We figured as much after a little tantrum last night. The cry was not one we have heard before and she was refusing to eat.   Poor kiddo.  Also, she has clogged tear ducts.  I had them as a baby and so does she.  We just have to massage her eyes (close to her nose) and hope they open up naturally.  By 9 months if it is not better we will be referred to an eye doctor.  So let's hope they open naturally.  She is such a sweet girl.  She is talking so much, rolling over (she rolled over for the doctor twice), giggling, and smiling a ton. She had her first trip away from the Mr and myself over the weekend.  We went to Atlanta and she went to NC to stay with Grandma and Grandpa!  We missed her terribly but I have to admit I enjoyed the rest I was able to get.  Here are some pictures from the doctor's visit and from over the weekend. xo

Rolling from side to side. She likes to hang out on her side.

She had 2 sets of shots today- one in each leg.  She was a trooper!

showing her clogged tear duct goop.  She constantly has eye goop.  People are always telling me ways to clean it because it appears as if I don't but I clean her eyes a billion times a day- promise. 

Twice last night she turned like this and was kicking the monitor.  She has been sleeping on her side a lot more at home.

Waiting for Dr. Brook to come check her out.  14 lbs & Healthy!

She has fun with the crinkle paper at the Dr's office.  She was tearing it up.

Just hanging out

teething baby- waiting on that tooth to come in!

A Birthday Treat

In one week Hils & I will be celebrating another birthday.  A bittersweet blessing.  I love having birthday celebrations because of all the fun that comes along with them.  However, I don't like getting older and all the fun that comes with it... wrinkles, age spots, tendinitis, etc. So this year Hils and I decided not to give each other gifts but she did take family photos for us.  She is a fabulous photographer and I admire her skills.  I have to take over 100 photos to get about 5 good ones and Hils can just take a few shots and it's like gold! Here are some shots she took of us yesterday.  Thanks again to my darling sister!  Enjoy! xo

The Mr adores his daughter

Love kisses! We can't kiss her enough!

she is not quite sitting up on her own yet

nibbling on her hand

This is where she likes to hang.. always looking around at what's going on

May Days

Nothing much to report for Miss O... we are living life to the fullest and we are enjoying these great May days.  May seems so busy just because of everything going on... my graduation, mother's day, my birthday.  We are planning a trip [minus Miss O] to Atlanta for Memorial Day/ Hils & my birthday so that is exciting.  We will see how it goes to have Miss O away from us for an entire weekend... this will be our first time away from her like that.  She is going to Grandma's house and will have a fabulous time for sure.  Miss O is fabulous as always! xo

please ignore the eye gook everywhere.

getting the hang of teething rings. it's like a puzzle

mama & baby at my hodding.

everyday before we go to daycare we send the Mr a picture... this is one of those pictures.

mommy & baby feet.

Mother's Day Weekend

With this being the weekend of Mother's Day I have taken a new perspective on the whole thing, naturally.  I am honored to be Miss O's mother.  I still can't believe the Mr. & I created such a beautiful baby girl.  I really can't get enough of her! I take a million photos in one sitting, I check on her while she is sleeping to just watch her angelic face and I kiss her as much as I can when she's in my arms.  I have been blessed for sure. I just pray that I will always be the kind of mother Miss O needs- for whatever situation she may encounter in her life.  I do not want a big celebration for what I am doing... that is just not how I am.  I like to celebrate things but, believe it or not, it is difficult for all the focus just to be on me. It makes me uncomfortable. I like sharing the spotlight- probably because I am a twin and we shared everything.  Instead of focusing on myself, I am challenging myself to focus on God and the blessings he has given us.  After all, it was God who gave us our mothers and our mothers mothers.  He has given us blessings that we could never repay and hardships that formed us to be the people we are today.  There are many mothers in our family- between the Mr & myself.  We love each of them so much and each one has played a different, yet very important, part in our lives.  We can't wait for Miss O to grow up and really get to KNOW all the mothers in this family. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers in our family. 

Here are some pictures of Miss O taken at 14 weeks old.  This post can't be all words... have to throw in some pictures of our obsession (she is not just our obsession after all).  xoxo

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.  James 1:17-18