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A month gone by.

Exactly 1 month ago, I was in terrible, terrible pain. I had just had my water broken and contractions were coming every 45 seconds. As most mothers will tell you though, the pain is a distant memory. What are my most vivid memories? Seeing that beautiful face for the first time and hearing her squawk so loudly that it turned my sad and worried tears into tears of joy.

And now a month has passed. Our little girl has changed so much! Of course, her main activities are still sleeping, eating, and pooping, but she's added some new ones. She will now watch faces intently. She has started smiling at a select few. She will lay on the floor and watch herself in the mirror. Her physical features are changing as well. Gone is the 5lb 4oz little waif we brought home from the hospital. I'm not quite sure how much she weighs now, but I know it's enough to have an adorable double chin! Her legs and arms are starting to get sweet little rolls and fat dimples. Her cheeks are filling out. She is beautiful.

She is SO very loved. Last weekend, her brothers were here and fell completely head over heels in love with her. Anytime there was a little whimper or cry, there was a brother shortly to her side. They wanted to hold her, feed her, and just love on her. No one is volunteering to change her yet, but I'll work on that. :) At the end of the weekend, Jacob declared that she was a good addition to the family. Andrew could not stop saying how much he loved her. Precious!

We're working hard on her sleeping and eating patterns, mostly by letting her dictate exactly what she wants to do when! I figure, there's no point in trying to get her on a schedule at this point! She's predictable enough to take shopping and we've only had one major meltdown so far. Of course, do you blame her? It was at Walmart and the checker was EVER so slow and she was HUNGRY. Nope. Not her fault at all!

We've loved listening to her little noises, watching her little expressions, and just experiencing her little life. So far, she's proving herself to be opinionated, just as she was inside of the womb. It's hard to go back to the time when she wasn't a part of our family and it hasn't been that long yet! Amazing.

For now, we'll continue to love these three little lives that God has blessed us with. What more could I ask for?

It feels like a year!

Whew! I can't believe that our daughter is nearly 2 weeks old. The time seems to be flying by on some days, then other days, it seems like it's creeping along!

Olivia is doing wonderfully. She eats, sleeps, potties, and does all the things she's supposed to do like a champ. Jason and I can't seem to get enough of her! Her brothers keep asking about her, but because Andrew's had a weird sickness that he picked up at school, they haven't been able to come love on her. Hopefully the time of contagiousness will have passed and they can come spend time with her in the next week or so.

She doesn't go back to the pediatrician for another 3 weeks or so, but I'm pretty certain she's gaining weight like she should. She eats all the time, so I don't have any doubt that she is back up to her birth weight. I have to take her for her routine newborn screen on Friday, so I might stop in at the breastfeeding center at the hospital for a weight check. The lactation consultants are really sweet and said I could drop in at any time to see how she was doing!

Today was a big day for our sweet girl. She got to meet Hannah's mom! It was such a special time and I can't wait for her to get older so she can learn all about the amazing and strong little girl she is named for. Amanda brought Olivia the most special gift! In her very first hospitalization, Hannah received 2 stuffed animals from the gift shop. One had a heart that said "Hannah", the other said "Olivia". Our sweet Olivia is now the proud owner of that second stuffed animal. Stinkin' post partum hormones almost made me lose it. I am still constantly blown away by the love people have for our little girl.

I think the next week will continue to be low key. I got a glowing report at my 2 week up doctor visit. Considering how fast my c-section went, I am very thankful that all is healing as it should. I am still pretty uncomfortable at night, but I can see gradual improvements. YAY for that! With the change in the weather to beautiful cool temperatures, I need to start walking with Miss Olivia to continue the good recovery.

Thanks for checking in on us. Please keep Andrew in your prayers as he recovers from his sickness. We can't wait to all be together as a family!