I've been tagged

Just driving with dad. . . (Wii were having such a good time.)

I’ve been blessed, and I’ve been tagged. Julie tagged me today. Here are the rules:

*Link to the person who tagged you.
*Post the rules on your blog .
*Write six random things about yourself
*Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
*Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog
*Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Secretly, I've been hoping that someone would tag me. I feel so special. Here are the six random things about me. Honestly, I'm running out of things to tell all of you. I think you pretty much know everything there is to know, but I'll give it a shot.

1. I have the most amazing friends and family. During the last 8 months, I have also had the chance to meet the most wonderful people, make additional friends and become re-acquainted with old ones. I cannot believe the outpouring of love and support towards me and my family. There are too many examples to count, but I'll give you one from today. Olivia and I go on our walk and we stop by to get the mail. There is a package in the mail (which is always exciting to receive.) I get home and open it and there in the package are two Maybelline lipsticks in Coffee Glaze!! I cried. Thank you to the Hopkins family. I'm ashamed to say that I am not even sure if I know who you are (okay, now I do. . .I was so excited about the lipstick, I didn't read the note) but I am blown away by your thoughtfulness. Yesterday, I found a bag in my door with gifts for Olivia. I'm pretty sure who they are from because I know this one family with the uncanny ability to find all things giraffe. Thank you everybody for all that you do.

2. Of course, you know that I have 6 guinea pigs and 2 rats. I love naming my pets. I always tried to find names that I like, but probably wouldn't use for my children. My guinea pigs' names are: Bailey, Harrison, Penelope, Morgan, Taryn and Persephone. Sadly, my plan didn't quite work. It's been 8 months and it's time I fessed up. My rats' names are: Lucy and Olivia. Yes, there is Olivia the giraffe and Olivia the rat. I never considered the name Olivia for a daughter, but I fell in love with the name after I named my rat. I have tried to change my rat's name, but she is very smart and had already learned her name. I tried calling her Lily, but she just ignored me. So. . .there you go. I've been trying to cleverly disguise that bit of information. Olivia the rat is the one with the eye problems and has a lump on her back.

3. I actually enjoy paying bills. Okay, I can't really say that I enjoy watching my money disappear, but I like to know where we are at any given moment. It's somewhat satisfying to make sure everything gets paid. I know. . .kinda weird.

4. In high school, I played the bassoon. I played the flute as well, which is the instrument that I began playing in 5th grade. My flute was stolen out of the band room in 9th grade. I didn't have an instrument for awhile, but my band teacher had an old bassoon and asked me if I wanted to try it. I did until I bought a new flute. The next year, they purchased a brand new bassoon for me to play, so I stuck with it. I played flute, however, in marching band. I actually really enjoyed the bassoon.

5. My husband washes all the dishes. When we first got married, he learned that I hated washing dishes and I learned that he hated doing laundry. So, we took each other's most hated jobs and it's been that way for 5 years.

6. I have the most amazing, miraculous, adorable daughter. . .oh, I guess you already know that.

Here are the 6 lucky people that I'm tagging: Kerry, Kim, Heather, Stacy, Crystal, Angie

Monday, April 28, 2008 - Update

Olivia and I went on our first car ride today. . .just the two of us. Ever since Olivia failed her car seat test without oxygen, I've been nervous to take her in the car without being right beside her. I know. . .that was over 4 months ago and she is a much different baby now, but I'm still nervous. Usually, Ryan drives with his two girls in the backseat. Today, I felt like getting out of the house, so we went to the bank and the Dog N Shake drive-thru. Little by little, I'm gaining confidence and feeling more like a normal mother.

Last week, we decided to buy a baby scale. I don't like being surprised once a month at the doctor's office. I'd rather have an ongoing idea of how she's doing. She now weighs about 12 lbs 8 oz. I'll try to give weekly weight updates on her. Yesterday, she started on barley. She seems pretty indifferent to rice, oatmeal and barley. I don't think she hates any of it, but she's not exactly thrilled with it either. She has decided that she no longer wants to take afternoon naps, which makes her pretty cranky in the evening and doesn't let me get a whole lot done. So, I'd better go. . .

***On a not so good note, Olivia's vomiting is back with a vengeance and I'm not quite sure why. We're almost back to a once a day occurrence. I just can't figure it out. Although she usually tends to smile afterwards, it seems that it's bothering her more when she does it. It scares me a bit because she really chokes and turns red while it's happening. Usually, we can pinpoint some sort of reason as to why it happens, but today it caught me by complete surprise. Just when I thought things were improving. . .

March for Babies continued. . .

Marching for Babies

Olivia's cousin, Rebekah

Aunt Laura and Grandma Sailing getting some love from Thunder Dog.
Cousin Julia warming up.



Olivia was a trooper, but towards the end she was hungry, tired and ready to go home.

Saturday, April 26, 2008 - March for Babies

The star of the day. . .my precious Olivia

Olivia's friend, Ella

We had to wake Olivia up this morning. She wasn't too excited about that.

Olivia's cousin, Izzy

Some of our team

Olivia got her own streamer

Me and Olivia

Marilee, Kerry, Me and Olivia

More team members

Thank you to everyone who participated and/or donated money for the March for Babies today. We had an amazing time. I'm sure that we were one of the largest teams there. Thanks to Gina, Savannah and the Brownie Troop for bringing our wonderful banner. Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Sailing for the giraffe cookies and to Shelley and her mom for the bracelets. Thanks to Laura, Joel, Julia and Rebekah for making the streamers and to Kerry for the hand sanitizers and labels. Those footprints are the actual size of Olivia's feet at birth. Everybody be sure to save your buttons and bracelets for next year. We'll try to make t-shirts next year as well. Thanks also to everyone who took pictures (Can you believe that Ryan and I forgot our camera?) Please email me your pictures so I'll have something to post with this update. We got off to a late start as Olivia didn't want to get out of bed this morning. We actually had to wake her up. The weather was a bit chilly in the morning, but it turned into a wonderful day. Everybody did so much to make this day extra special and I appreciate all of you so much. Thank you again!

Friday, April 25, 2008 - Update

I'm walking to say thank you for saving Olivia's life.

I'm walking in memory of Logan William 08-27-07 to 09-28-07

Tomorrow is the March for Babies. We have raised over $2,000 and from what I understand, we are going to be one of the largest teams there. Yesterday, when I went to the March of Dimes office, I was even asked to consider being a local ambassador family sometime in the years to come. I believe Olivia would be a wonderful ambassador for I believe that she embodies everything that is miraculous in this world. (I would just have to get over my fear of public speaking. . I'm a writer, not a speaker.) Thank you to everyone for your support. This cause is very important to me. Many days I am haunted by the reality of everything that has happened over the last 8 months. I often wonder, "What if I would have asked different questions or described my symptoms differently?" Maybe they would have done different tests and caught something that could have prevented my preterm labor. . .maybe Logan's life would have been saved and maybe Olivia would have been able to grow up with her twin brother. But, I just didn't know. I was under the false assumption that my pregnancy was going great. How could they have been so wrong? After being sent home from the hospital, I began to question my own instincts. They were safe and happy one second and the next they were fighting for their lives. If I could have just postponed their delivery for a few more weeks. . .Logan might still be here. I will forever question why they had to be born so extremely premature. I couldn't save my son's life, but maybe I could help save other babies, like my precious Olivia, in the future.

The March of Dimes not only helps save the lives of babies born prematurely, but they are funding research that helps predict and prevent preterm labor. In the future, I hope no one will have to go through what many of us have gone through.

I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow morning! Let's continue to pray for nice weather. If the weather is nice, we plan on bringing Olivia. It's not too late to come or to donate money to our team. I am looking forward to showing everyone how many lives Olivia and Logan have touched!

Thursday Thirteen

I used to only be about this tall. . .
Now I'm in size two diapers. See how small my first diaper was? And, it was huge on me.

How did I get so big? I don't really know.

I think it's a secret.

Heather's site started doing a Thursday Thirteen theme that I thought I might try on occasion.

Thirteen things you may not know about me:

1. I hate getting my hands messy. I've learned that I also hate for Olivia to be messy. . .probably not the best quality in a mom.

2. I need 9-10 hours of sleep to feel rested. . .again, not the best quality in a mom.

3. I am a big baby when I'm sick.

4. Ryan and I watch reruns of That 70s Show every night before bed. For some reason, it's the only thing that we could watch on tv throughout Olivia's NICU stay.

5. I am a great speller.

6. I own a pink Nintendo DS (being married to Ryan, how could I not?)

7. I don't like chili, lima beans, spicy food, olives or cucumbers.

8. I was a huge fan of New Kids on the Block in junior high and I'm a little ashamed to say that I was ecstatic to hear of their reunion.

9. I can't swim.

10. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life.

11. I am terrified of wasps.

12. I have never broken a bone in my body.

13. I love Love LOVE being a mom.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - Update

Me and Sheepy. . .friends forever.

Aunt Kimmy and Mommy

I had been looking forward to getting my hair cut for about a month. We still have to be careful about avoiding people who have been exposed to or have an illness, etc. I didn't think that I was going to get any one to watch Olivia this afternoon so that I could get my haircut. . .Aunt Kimmy to the rescue. I just feel bad because Olivia slept most of the time (she doesn't even know that I was gone.) In fact, she is still asleep right now. . . 3 hours later. She took a long nap yesterday as well. A few days ago, we switched her to size 2 diapers. She's getting bigger every day!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - Update

Just two mommies with our Olivias

My sister-in-law, Laura, and niece, Rebekah, came over to visit me today. It was really nice to get outside and visit with them. I've needed a pick-me-up lately. . .actually, Ryan and I both have. It's like we were on auto-pilot for so long and everything is gradually catching up to us more and more each day. I think we've exceeded our lifetime stress limit.

Anyway, Rebekah brought her stroller with her baby also named Olivia. I need to get some York peppermint patties, however, to put in my stroller storage basket as well. (That's what Rebekah had in hers.) She is so adorable. . .I have the greatest nieces and nephews. I'm trying to get Olivia used to her mosquito net that I plan on using during the March for Babies walk. It comes in handy during our evening walks when the bugs are out and has the added benefit of preventing people from reaching in and touching her.

Olivia just seems to do more grown up things everyday. Because of her expressions, I feel she knows exactly what I'm saying to her. And the love. . .sometimes she looks at me with such love in her eyes. My heart just melts. (Sorry, I don't know why the spaces between my paragraphs are not showing up.)

Monday, April 21, 2008 - Update

It's another beautiful day here in Kansas. I grabbed my iPod, put on some shorts and headed out to take a walk with Olivia. That was not in Olivia's plans and she cried the entire time. We made it down the street and back. She had other ideas of how she wanted to spend the afternoon.


Ryan spent his afternoon at the dentist where he got some not so good news. Our family really needs some good dental insurance if Olivia is going to take after her parents. I actually thought of a story that I don't believe I have yet shared. It's a good story. Soon after I had met Ryan, I was unsure about pursuing another relationship. . .I was tired of getting hurt. So, I prayed for God to let me know whether Ryan was "the one" or not. A few short weeks later, Ryan and I were at my parents house one evening. My parents were up in the bedroom and we were out on my parents' deck in the backyard. We were talking about all of those early relationship things and we came upon the topic of dentists and learned an interesting thing about one another. . .so interesting that I ran inside and hollered at my parents. This may sound silly, but it was at that moment that I knew Ryan and I were meant to be. We both have a fake tooth. . .in the same exact spot. Ryan originally had a tooth there, but I never had a permanent tooth in this spot and neither did my dad. So, if Olivia has a permanent tooth there. . .most likely Logan would not have. To this day, I believe that our teeth (or lack thereof) brought us closer together and that God does indeed have a sense of humor.

Sunday, April 20, 2008 - Update

I was shocked when I went to the grocery store this morning and found that my bodywash was nowhere to be found. We've used Tone moisturizing bodywash with cocoa butter for years and it's always in the same spot on the shelf. It wasn't there. I bet I spent 20 minutes deciphering the different kinds of body wash and trying to figure out what to buy. I don't have that kind of time. I'm still frantically looking for my lipstick shade that was discontinued. . .Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Coffee Glaze (330.) I've almost run out. I know, change is good. . . blah, blah, blah. I think I've had enough changes in my life lately. Is it too much to ask for my bodywash and lipstick?

Anyway, Olivia is doing well. She's been taking a little bit of rice cereal twice a day plus about 23-24 oz of formula daily. This is a huge improvement for us. We may have a vomiting episode about once a week instead of once a day. We never feed her over 3 oz after 5 pm. . . I don't know why, but that works. Yes, it kind of sounds like she's a little gremlin. So, she eats about every hour and a half in the evenings. Her tummy just can't take that much volume at once. She is almost rolling over. . .I predict that she will be by the time the month is over. I am excited to try her on oatmeal this week. We are working with a nutritionist from Rainbows who will come out to visit Olivia once a month and monitor her progress. I am so grateful to all of the people (including all of you blog readers) who care so much about Olivia.

Saturday, April 19, 2008 - Update Part II

After the fun of the zoo was over, we had various problems to deal with around the house including our missing shingles (gotta love that Kansas wind.) I was so proud of my husband who is not at all fond of heights.

I really should have made him wear sunscreen.

While daddy was getting scorched on the rooftop, Olivia had it made in the shade.

Saturday, April 19, 2008 - Update

Today, we had our first family outing to a public place. We went to the zoo. We were extra vigilant and avoided all enclosed or crowded places. That limited the amount of animals that we were able to see, but the trip was good for our mental (and physical) health. It was a beautiful afternoon.
Even the giraffes were basking in the warm sunshine.The giraffes, of course, were our first stop.

We even got to see Olivia, the giraffe.

Next, we visited the rhinos. . .

and the elephants!

By we, I mean Ryan and I. . .Olivia slept through most of it.

We stopped by for a short visit with the zebras

and the adorable penguins.

It was nice to feel like a normal family

and it was a wonderful visit. . .until I dropped the camera. I couldn't live without my camera and I hope I didn't do any damage to it. I could kick myself.

Friday, April 18, 2008 - Update

My friend, Kerry, came over today to help me get some things ready for the March for Babies walk. Her help and dedication has just been amazing! It's still not too late to sign up. Because I don't have email addresses for all of the walkers, I thought I'd better post some information here.

We are meeting at 9:00 am at the Horseshoe Shelter (closest shelter off 21st St.) We will then have team photos taken. They will have a kids zone that has moonwalks, March of Dimes tatoos, face painting, etc. There will be a mission zone tent where you can find out what March of Dimes does to give every baby a healthy start. The walk begins at 10:00 am and we will be doing the one mile walk. We are asking everyone to wear yellow or orange if they would like. Brown would also be fine. . .can you tell we're going for a giraffe theme?

If possible, I would like everyone to get me their donations by next week. I'm going to go by the March of Dimes office next Thursday to turn everything in beforehand. If you need my address, please email me. Thank you to everyone who has helped us raise an amazing $1751.00.

Thursday, April 17, 2008 - Update

Over the past couple of days, I've realized how much Olivia enjoys music. Olivia has always enjoyed music (it was only Logan that disliked being sung to.) She will sometimes only calm down when I sing my riveting rendition of Hush Little Baby. . .ha, ha. We listen to my old records on CDs quite often. She especially enjoys it when I let her drift off to sleep to music, although I don't want her to rely on music to fall asleep. She listens to Bullfrogs and Butterflies, and The Music Machine, but her favorite is Sir Oliver's Song. She gets frustrated when there is a lot of talking and this album has very little. Plus, the songs and their messages are very good. I love sharing this part of my childhood with her. I know that there are many great children's CDs out today and I'm sure we'll delve into those at a later date.

I hope you all enjoyed her laughing video. It was especially funny because Ryan always plays these little games with her. Sometimes he'll get a little smile from her and sometimes he'll just get a blank stare. He always responds with, "Someday, you'll find that hilarious!" And. . .she finally did.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 - Update

I don't have much to say in an update today (I mean, how do I follow that video?) Plus, the video is probably good enough for 2 days worth of updates, right? We've been trying to get Olivia to recreate that laugh all day, but no success yet. At least we got it on video so we can watch it over and over. . . .

Tax day is no laughing matter, Olivia

Today, Olivia laughed for us for the first time. Wow, it just made our day. To hear her laugh, you may want to scroll down to the bottom of the page and mute the music player. Then, you can play the video. She is just adorable.

After all she's been through, to hear her laugh (and my husband laugh) was one of the best moments ever. To share a moment like this with my family was indescribable.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - Update

Still fresh as a daisy. . .

With Olivia sleeping mostly through the night, one might wonder why I still have these dark circles under my eyes. I'm having a bad case of insomnia and can't seem to get to sleep before 2 am. Last week I took Tylenol PM in order to get to sleep, but this week I'm determined not to take anything. It makes me too restless and groggy in the middle of the night and I find it hard to get out of bed to check on Olivia. I think of all those nights when I was up with Olivia and would have given anything to sleep. Now, she's in her crib fast asleep and I lay staring at the ceiling. . .it's gotta be some kind of cruel joke.

Monday, April 14, 2008 - Update

Animals? Where are you?
There you are!

You're all so funny!

Olivia is becoming increasingly aware of everything around her. So much so, that it's often hard to get her to take her bottle. She wants to look around and smile and talk to everything she sees. She's realizing that she can hit some of her toys and make them play music. It's very rewarding to watch her make these discoveries. She also has developed a newfound appreciation for her mobile. Who knew that little animals dancing around in a circle could be so entertaining.

Sunday, April 13, 2008 - Happy Birthday Julia!

Happy Birthday, Julia!

When I met Julia in 2001, she had just turned a year old. I went over to Ryan's parents' house to be introduced to everyone for the first time. She held her arms out to me and grabbed my finger and led me around the house. I was so nervous and she made me feel much more relaxed. Babies are good judges of character, so I figured if she liked me then maybe everyone else would too. She always knew that I was her Aunt Jodi.

Last year on April 13th, I gave her a dozen roses. This year, she gave me a dozen roses.

Julia was my flower girl in 2003.

Here we are at Alex's 2nd birthday party in 2002.

Ryan and I left Olivia with my parents today and went out to lunch for the first time in. . .I don't know how long. We then headed over to Julia's birthday party. It was good for us to get out and spend some time together. We were anxious, however, to get back home to our little girl. Oh, and before I forget. . .be sure look here or check out the local section of today's paper. My dad was interviewed about the Joe Cocker/Mike Finnigan concert last night.