Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - Update

Olivia has been sleeping in until almost 10 am in lieu of a nap. She has discovered the joy of morning sleep. . .ahhh. . .it's the best. I actually had to wake her up this morning for her Rainbows appt at 9 am. There's something inherently wrong about waking a sleeping baby or anyone enjoying a restful slumber, really. Maybe I'm a bit biased towards sleep, but it sure helps a tired mommy. Once Olivia is up. . .she is up for the rest of the day and doesn't slow down. Who knows how long it will be until she starts napping again. She has been going to bed a bit later because she can't seem to fall asleep until the sun goes down. I'm sure she'll be waking back up at 7:30 am just when I start enjoying this new schedule.

Fun In The Sun

Today, I went over and played outside with Izzy.

Two crazy girls!

Uncle Donnie spraying Izzy with the hose.

I couldn't decide if I wanted in on the action.

Izzy got soaked!

Do I or don't I. . .

My cousin Izzy sure knows how to have fun in the sun!

Comfort

All children have ways to comfort themselves. . .whether it's a blanket, a thumb, a pacifier, or a stuffed animal. I forget that those who have never been around Olivia, don't know this side of her. She sucks on her hand to calm herself and has done so since the NICU. She has such a strong gag reflex, her thumb would probably be too much. She especially likes to lay down on a soft, fuzzy blanket and suck on her hand. It's really cute and is just one of the many special things about her.

Sunday, July 5, 2009 - Update

Our fourth of July festivities were cut short after hearing the devastating news that Ryan's aunt Peggy passed away. She has been fighting cancer for some time. My heart goes out to her husband, children and all who knew and loved her. It's been a tough week for our families. Earlier this week, Ryan's uncle fell from a combine and broke his back. After being airlifted to Wichita, he underwent surgery to fuse some of his vertebrae. This is the same uncle who suffered a stroke last year and is still facing challenges because of that. How much should one man have to endure? Because of his accident, harvest has been a bit more challenging for the family. Ryan's dad is still out at the farm, which left Ryan's mom without him at home when she heard the news about her sister. What a tough week for everyone. Then, I hear the news today that my uncle is in the hospital with the swine flu. Please keep our families in your prayers.

New Kids On The Block

Last night was my highly-anticipated New Kids On The Block concert. It was awesome. . .just awesome. It was so much fun and it did so much for my state of mind. I was a huge fan back in the day and went to their concert when I was in the 6th or 7th grade. This time, my mom didn't have to go with us. . .and I could drive myself. :) I have to say that I enjoyed it even more the second time around and they were just as I remembered them. Some of Angie's pictures turned out better than mine, so many of these pictures are ones that she took. Thanks ladies for such a wonderful night!! Now, I'm getting ready for fireworks. . .looks like it's going to be another late night.

Part of our crew

The rest of our crew. Special thanks to Angie for getting us such great seats!

And there they are!!!

Jon, Joey and Jordan

Ah. . .Jordan.

And there's Jordan again. (Can you tell who has always been my favorite?)

This one is for you, Kerry!

Amazing! I can't believe how good they all looked 20+ years later.

Great concert! They sang a nice mix of their old and new songs.

Almost over. . .

I didn't want it to end.

Thursday, July 2, 2009 - Update

Making our fourth of July plans

Oh, they'll be so much fun!

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I know that I shouldn't worry about Olivia's weight gain. I tell myself that over and over again, but I still do. Maybe that will lessen with time. . .ya know, when there will be something else to worry about. :) She is doing fabulous with her vocabulary. Today, she saw the squirrel at grandma's house and said, "Skirl! Woof Woof!" Okay, so squirrels don't say woof woof, but I couldn't believe she said squirrel!

I am really looking forward to this weekend. Tomorrow night I'll be hangin' tough with my girlfriends at the New Kids On The Block concert. I really really really need a night out to relax and have a good time. Then, Saturday will be the 5th (?) annual Glunt fireworks display. We always get together with Joel, Laura, Julia and Rebekah to shoot off fireworks and watch our neighbors' displays. This year, we're hoping and praying that it won't be the last as they face the prospect of moving away. It just wouldn't be the 4th without them. We have envisioned doing this for many more years. And one day the girls will invite their boyfriends and instead of watching the fireworks we'll be trying to determine whether they're worthy of our girls. This weekend will definitely be a "blast!"

A Bit Disappointing

Well, I weighed Olivia tonight and she's back down to 18.9 lbs. She had gotten up to 19.5 lbs before she got sick and I thought we were on our way to 20 lbs. I found these interactive growth charts from Rhys's mom and sadly, Olivia's not on the weight chart for her actual OR adjusted age. I just guessed on the length, so she may not actually be on that chart either. Kinda disheartening as I have felt that she has been eating really well lately. I'm just shooting for the 5th percentile to get us on the chart!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 - Update

Izzy and I at lunch

Well, it was a much better (headache-free) day. Olivia and I slept in until 10 am!! We played. Then, met Shelley and Izzy for lunch. We played some more and threw in a 2 hour nap! We are both feeling pretty good. She has been an angel lately and I was so proud of how both of the girls acted at lunch (sure, they were a bit messy, but. . ) Some days Olivia behaves so well, I just wish I knew of an extra special way to reward her.