Friday, December 31, 2010

3 weeks old = growth spurt

Our baby girl is 3 weeks old today! We can't believe how fast the time has flown by. She is such a good baby and we are so lucky that she is an amazing sleeper (knock on wood!). These past two days we've noticed a growth spurt where she's been feeding every 2 hours during the day and is sleeping a lot. Otherwise, here's what she's been up to these first 21 days of life:

Drinking 4-oz bottles every 4-5 hours
Likes Avent and Tommee Tippee bottles best
Usually falls asleep right after a feeding, sometimes stays awake for 30 minutes first, then sleeps until the next feeding
Doesn't like the paci very much, only takes it occasionally between feedings
Sleeps in the co-sleeper beside our bed, but prefers to be in her carseat inside of the co-sleeper
Starting to like the swing more and more but prefers to be held more than anything
Screamed during her first bath, but now loves them
Getting better at tummy time
LOVES being swaddled (especially in receiving blankets) and promptly falls asleep within 10 minutes of being wrapped up
Still fits into her newborn outfits
Wears newborn size diapers

This has been an incredible year and we're so happy to be a family of four now. Looking forward to watching our kids grow in 2011! :)

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Loves his baby sister


Owen loves his baby sister. He just won't hold her so that we can take a picture. We've tried numerous times, but this is the best we got. Ben was right there in case he dropped her. :)


Monday, December 27, 2010

Tummy time and hiccups

Vivian had the hiccups constantly while in my belly. I would feel them at least 6-8 times a day in the last trimester. She still gets them pretty frequently, although not quite as much as when she was in my tummy. Here she had them when we tried doing tummy time for the very first time. (You can hear me try to manage Owen while encouraging Vivi to keep lifting her head. Not sure how I expected him to "help" her, but it seemed to work in diverting his attention.) :)


Saturday, December 25, 2010

Vivian's Birth Announcement / family holiday card

Initially Baby Sage Birth Announcement
Turn your favorite photo into a birth announcement.
View the entire collection of cards.

Merry Christmas 2010!!!



We were so excited to see the look on Owen's face this Christmas morning when he saw all his presents from Santa. One big gift captured his attention right away and kept it all day long. Santa knew just what he wanted this year. :)



We opened most of our presents (there were some we had forgotten about in the upstairs room which we're going to save for Vivi next year ~ Owen certainly won't miss them with all the other goodies he got this year) and then had our first Christmas breakfast as a family of four. Ben spent about an hour in the kitchen making yummy French toast, breakfast sausage, and hash browns. We plan on making it a tradition. It was amazing we were able to tear Owen away from the train table long enough to eat, but he had worked up an appetite! :)

After cleaning up, we had a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Marshall and Aunt Hillary. They had fun checking out Owen's new toys and he loved showing them how his trains worked. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around and playing with toys.

In the late afternoon we jumped online to Skype with my family down in FL. Poppy and Grandma Killi, Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Mike, and cousin Max were all online and they had waited to open the gifts from us. We had fun getting to spend time together and see each other on this special holiday.

Next year Owen will have just turned 3 and Vivi will be a year old ~ crazy. We cannot wait to see them enjoy every Christmas to come. Ben and I feel so incredibly blessed with such wonderful family and friends and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve


We spent Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa Marshall and Aunt Hillary at their house where Santa came early!

First we had a delicious ham dinner with all the trimmings. Owen devoured his ham and sat so nicely at the table while we all ate (including Vivi who had a 3-oz bottle). After dinner we made our way over to the family room to start on the gifts. Santa was so good to everyone! We had fun opening presents. Owen LOVED his bulldozer and wouldn't let it out of his sight the rest of the night after opening it. He also loved his Lightning McQueen bedspread from Aunt Hillary which will be so perfect for his big boy room.



We finished up around 9pm and headed home to get the kids to bed and finish up the rest of our preparations (a.k.a. putting together of complex toys!) before we could hit the hay. Vivi had a bottle with Daddy while Mommy put Owen to bed and then the fun began. Ben had put together Owen's kitchen a few days before which was a good move on his part since the big gift (from Santa Gma and Gpa Marshall) had a way to go even though Ben had started it already. He brought it up from the basement and we spent the next hour and 1/2 finishing it up. Then we made sure the camcorder and DSLR were charged.

We climbed into bed at midnight so excited to see Owen enjoy his 3rd Christmas (and Vivi her first which we knew she'd probably sleep through!). :)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Vivi's 2-week check-up


Mommy had fun this afternoon playing around with the camera on self-timer. We didn't get to take many pictures though because Vivi got hungry and then we had to run out to her 2-week check-up. I'm happy to report that she was an awesome sleeper last night! We went to bed at 9pm, she had a bottle at 9:15pm and then slept for 4 hour stretches the entire night! She was up at 1:15am, 5am, and then again at 9am. Lucky for me she woke up right at 9am because when Ben and Owen left at 8am, I forgot to set my alarm for my 10am OB-GYN check-up appointment. We had just enough time for a bottle, burp, diaper change and Mommy had a quick shower and believe it or not - we made it there right on time! :)

Vivian's check-up was in the afternoon and she had a great appointment. Here are her stats:

Weight: 7 pounds, 15.4 oz
Height: 20 inches
Both are the 50%

Her 2-month check-up is on my 32nd birthday, so I definitely won't forget that appointment. After she has all her shots, we'll be set to head down to FL to meet her cousin Max for the first time! Max is exactly 3 weeks older. Can't wait to see all 3 cousins together!!!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Getting to know each other

One of Owen's favorite books lately is a book about how snowmen celebrate Christmas. After school today he decided to read it to his baby sister.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Gift for Mommy & Daddy from Owen!

Owen came home from school today with a gift for Mommy and Daddy! We put it in Daddy's stocking and will open it on Christmas day.


Before bedtime, we took some pictures of the kiddos together. Now that Owen is over his sickness and his nose isn't running non-stop, we're letting him get a closer look at his baby sister. It's so cute to see them together.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Not a fan of diaper changes

Miss Vivi takes after her big brother in this department. Owen didn't like them much either. She's not a fan of diaper changes, but as soon as she is all changed and swaddled, she's a happy camper again.



Poppy and Grandma Killi left today. They were such a big help during this past week, especially with night-time feedings. Grandma caught Mommy's cold so we wish her a speedy recovery in time for Christmas back in FL. Both Owen and Vivian enjoyed spending the week with their grandparents. It was a very special time.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Vivi's newborn photo shoot

Our friend Ryan came over to take Vivi's newborn shots for us. He is super talented and is so easy to work with. Here are a few snapshots my dad took while Ryan and I were positioning Vivi for one of the shots:


You can view some of the finished images on Ryan's website: www.ryanzook.com

We are so happy with how the pictures turned out ~ thank you so much Ryan!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!


We got the whole family together to celebrate Curt's birthday. We had Ledo pizza and Hillary baked a "chocoflan" cake (recipe from the show 'Mexican Made Easy' on the Food Network. It was delicious and Owen even helped his Grandpa blow out the candles.

Poppy & Grandma Killi


It's almost impossible to get Owen to sit still for a picture these days, but I was able to snap this one of him and Vivi with their grandparents.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

First snow!!!

It snowed today! Grandma and Owen baked Christmas spritz cookies and then Daddy took Owen out in the snow. He loved helping with the shoveling.


If you're wondering about Owen's pink snow pants....they were actually a hand-me-down from Kayla for Vivi, but since I had yet to buy Owen snow gear this year, and they were the right size.....he wore pink snow pants. He didn't seem to mind.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Owen's first haircut

Owen was due for his first haircut. I guess 2 & 1/4 years old is a good time. :) Plus, Mommy thought it might make things a little easier for her in the mornings since his long hair gets very knotty at night and it's more and more of a struggle to get it combed through in the mornings. I was very sad to say goodbye to his adorable curls, but we made it into a special day with Mommy and Daddy for Owen. Who knows? Maybe his baby sister will have beautiful curls too one day.

We went to Ben's barber instead of taking him to a kiddie cut place, and I'm so glad we went that route. When we walked in, there was another little boy about Owen's age getting his hair cut and Owen got to watch him. We sat Owen on Ben's lap to watch Ben get a trim and then Owen got to sit on a booster and get his done. He did really well, but wasn't too fond of the clipper she used to trim around his ears. All in all, it was a good experience and I think his big boy haircut is cute. Plus, he still has cute waves on top. :)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Snuggling with baby girl

Big brother meets little sister for the first time


Grandma Marshall was there to help us with the big moment. She brought us another gift for Vivi to give Owen ~ a Frosty the Snowman (his favorite!) stuffed toy. Ben picked him up from daycare and we had Vivian upstairs with Grandma while I waited in the family room. I hadn't seen Owen in four days and wanted so much just to hug and kiss him.

I heard the front door open and I called out to Owen. He came running in and said, "Mommy!", but when I asked for a hug he said, "No, I don't want a hug". :( Made me sad, but I knew I'd get one eventually.

Ben went upstairs to get Vivi and Grandma took the camera to capture the moment for us. Owen was excited to meet her, but he wasn't interested for long. I think Ben and I thought it would be more of a big deal than it actually turned out to be. But that is a good thing, because Owen still has a runny nose and we don't want him getting his sister sick. The rest of the day he just played with Daddy and Mommy and didn't really notice Vivian that much at all. He went to bed early and we'll see what happens tomorrow...


Going home

On the day she was supposed to be born, we were discharged from the hospital. Couldn't wait to get home to finally have Owen meet his little sister. Aunt Molly came to visit for a little and helped get us ready for the big moment by wrapping up a gift from Vivi to Owen.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Brother and sister


Pictures of Owen's first day on top and Vivian's first day on bottom.

Can you tell them apart???

Vivian ~ more birthday pictures

Vivi was born first thing in the morning, and even though we were exhausted from not sleeping almost the entire night, we couldn't wait to spend time getting to know our daughter. I was wheeled up to our room from recovery around 5am and it took another hour before I was transferred to the bed and set up with my nurse for the day.

They finally brought Vivi to us around 7:30am and we got to feed her for the first time. She was such a good eater! Then we just hung out for the rest of the day. Kelly came to visit in the afternoon, and Grandma Marshall and Aunt Hillary stopped by in the early evening with a gorgeous arrangement of pink roses, so sweet. It was a very busy day and by 9pm we were all so sleepy.

Happy Birthday Vivi!!!

Introducing...
Vivian Marion Marshall
Born Friday, December 10, 2010 @ 3:31am
7 pounds, 11 ounces and 19 & 3/4 inches



Our baby girl arrived 10 days early! Our original due date was December 20th, but since she was a repeat C-section, my OB scheduled us for Monday, December 13th. But baby Vivi had other plans!

On Thursday evening, I started having contractions which were painful, but not very consistent. This was after Owen was sent home at 3:45pm from daycare with a fever. :( I took him straight over to the pediatrician who diagnosed him with strep. Poor little man, he had just gotten over pink eye and an ear infection. We were sent home with a new prescription and played together until Ben got home (from his last happy hour with co-workers for awhile, little did he know).

We called Aunt Hillary to come over after Owen went to bed, just in case I went into labor during the night. She got to our house by 8:30 and Ben and I went to bed at 8:45pm to try to get some sleep in the event that we had to get up in the middle of the night. At 9pm my contractions were somewhat regular for 45 minutes, so I called Molly to get her opinion on whether I should call my doctor. She said to take a bath and continue to keep track of the contractions and by the time I get out, an hour would have gone by and I can give the doctor the update. Well I never ended up calling the doctor because the bath made my contractions fizzle. We went back to bed and were able to get a little bit of sleep...

I woke up to painful contractions at midnight which were about 5 minutes apart. By 1am I was ready to call the doctor who told us to head on in. We woke Hillary up and let her know we'd call as soon as we knew the news. The hospital admitted us around 1am and I was hooked up to the monitors. Within 45 minutes, my doctor was there telling us we'd be having a baby tonight! (We were only 3 days away from our scheduled date anyway.)

Our nurse was wonderful, as was the anesthesiologist - both talked me through everything that was going to happen (since Owen's c-section was an emergency and seemed to happen in such a blur). Around 3am, we walked back to the OR (so weird walking into an operating room, let me tell you) and I sat down on the table to get my spinal/epidural. Ben had to wait outside until they were ready to start, so I had to do this part by myself with the help of my nurse. It only took him about 15 minutes to get the line into my back, and before I knew it my legs were getting tingly. Pretty soon after, I was numb from the chest down, Ben was walking in to sit by my head, and the blue sheet was being pulled up. We were about to meet our daughter!

I felt a ton of pressure, and my mouth was so dry from the oxygen and pain meds, but I'll never forget the moment she was born. As the anesthesiologist was giving the play-by-play to keep me calm, I told my doctor how I wanted to hear the baby screaming. She replied in a joking tone, "Well if you'd stop talking, then you'd hear her scream!" :) So I shut up and listened and sure enough, Ben and I heard Vivi take her first breaths from the other side of the blue curtain. Music to our ears.

Ben didn't want to see me cut open. We both watched as the nurses took her to the warming bassinet to clean her off and do all the initial tests and measurements. We were a little surprised that she was bigger than her big brother at birth! She had a full belly when she came out, so that contributed to her overall weight, but the nurses were able to get her to expel some of it so she felt better. I got to see her up close and give her some kisses before she and Ben went to the nursery and I was wheeled into recovery.

I tried my best to rest during the hour and thirty minutes I was monitored but it was pretty tough since I was hooked up to an IV, blood pressure cuff, cathedar, and had a warming pillow over my body to bring up my temperature. I was able to call my parents with the news, Ben called his, and we texted Mike, Lindsey, Hillary and a handful of friends before we were making our way up to the maternity floor.

Once we got settled into our room, Vivian was wheeled in and we were able to spend time getting to know her. I swore she looked so much like Owen did at birth. But she definitely has a different personality. Once she drank some formula, she was ready to take a long snooze. It was tiring being born! We spent the day snuggling and cuddling with her and can't wait for her to meet everyone. Thank you for all of the sweet welcome wishes!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

38-weeks!

I think I'm ready to have this baby. Today we hit 38-weeks and we'll be meeting our little girl in 6 days. Unreal. I had my last ultrasound today and the tech estimated the baby to weigh 7 pounds, 8 ounces which was my birth weight. They can be off by as much as a pound either way, and my guess is that she'll come out just a little over seven. We'll have to wait and see.

I've been having contractions all day today, but there is no pattern. We have my pre-op appointment on Friday afternoon, where we'll get to speak with the anesthesiologist about the spinal/epidural and how everything will go on Monday. I have a few more things to get done around the house this week while I'm not working, so once those are done I'd be fine with her coming over the weekend. If I go into labor on my own or my water breaks my doctor will just go ahead with the c-section at this point.

Here are a few pics we took tonight. Not much longer and we'll be a family of 4!