My Family

Hey family and friends, it has been a minute since I last posted on here, for that I am sorry. Are Summer and I blessed or what? Wow I cannot pull myself away from my laptop long enough to accomplish anything over here because all I can do is stare at pics of Summer and Olivia. I am so amazed by all of this. On a different note, I am expecting to see you guys very soon. I say that in a way that compares it to how long I have already been gone. I am not for certain when I am coming home I just know it will be soon. And to be honest I cannot really write it on this blog or I might get in a little bit of hot water. However, I do promise you this we will make a bee line straight to Kentucky when I do. I love you all and I thank you for the awesome support that we have received the last 10 months.

Rob

2 months old today!!!

Olivia is two months old, so I thought I would post some cute new pictures of her in one of her halloween outfits today. She has some especially crazy hair today... she is working a mohawk... but I love it!

Back to School

I have completed my first week back to school. My students were all so great.. I love my job... BUT this past week has been SOOOO hard. I just wish I could take her to work with me. It was hard every morning to leave her with our sitter and yet again I dread tomorrow for that same reason. I always feel relieved in the afternoon to know that everything has gone well and I can only assume that as time passes it will get easier and easier.

Olivia has grown so much. I had to put away some of her newborn clothes this past week also. That was bittersweet. All of her little newborn pants still fit her waist, but they were starting to look like capris. Now the 3 months fit her in length, but she needs them to be drawstring.

We got to talk to Rob for a long time on webcam today and he got to see her smile and laugh alot and he noticed how squirmy she is. When she is awake, she is definitely moving. She has also started to keeps her hands open alot, which is new. It's crazy the things you notice when you have a baby. I have never paid so much attention to such things as her little clinched fists.... or going to the bathroom... or how much weight she is gaining. By the way... she is also blowing little bubbles with her mouth and starting to slobber a little, so I am guessing that sooner than later a tooth may pop out.

So 8 weeks has past and if there is one thing that I can say about the past eight weeks it is that I have developed a whole new respect for single parents. I have been pulled in so many directions and stretched beyond what I thought was possible and yet I can go to sleep (well sometimes) at night knowing that I only have to do this for a short while.... then my husband/daddy will come home to be such a huge help. And there are so many moms out there that do now have that hope for one reason or another... I cannot even imagine. Like I said, a whole new respect.

Love you all.

Her First Professional Pictures

Here are Olivia's first professional pictures. She was two weeks old when we had these made. Rob and I are so proud of them. He says he cannot stop looking at them.. which is just too sweet. Our friend Kelly Kendall, from Kentucky, took them. She is the same friend who did our wedding photography and we were very happy with her then too. For those of you in Kentucky, here is her web address in case you have any need for professional pictures done. She is good at what she does and is very sweet to. http://www.seredipityphotography4t.com/

What An Incredible Month!!!

Today Olivia is one month old and I cannot hardly believe it. It has gone by so fast and it has been amazing. She is such a good little girl and for whatever sleep I have lost.. it is so worth it. Today we went to her 1 month check up. The doctor says that she is growing and healthy. She now weighs 9.6 pounds and is 21 3/4 inches long. She has already outgrown some of her newborn pjs, but in the length. When she stretches, she was about to kick the little feet out. She has also started to coo a little and is so smiley. It just gives me such an overwhelming feeling to hear these sweet little noises.

I am been very blessed to have gotten to spend these past three weeks with my family. It has definitely helped to get adjusted to having a newborn. Rob was very relieved that I had so much help also. The thing that I am the most nervous about is heading back to school at the end of September. For anyone that knows me at all, probably knows that I am not a huge morning person. I have trouble enough getting to work on my own, so this should be interesting trying to get me and her ready for the day. So pray for that transition.

Rob has been getting to see her several times a week through our web cam. I know that is nothing like the real thing, but thank God for technology and what we do have. I CANNOT wait until he is home, but I know that these next couple of months will go back quickly and we are just hoping he is home for Christmas.

This picture was just taken on her one month birthday. I have been trying to upload video to this, but haven't quite figured that out yet... so keep on the lookout. Love you all.

Almost 1 Week

I have finally taken the minute that I wanted to blog a little about this wonderful new experience with our little girl. The one word that keeps popping in my head is ... Unbelieveable. I just feel like I cannot look at her enough, can't kiss her enough, cannot believe that God is so good, and cannot even hardly write this without tears. She is actually laying on the bed in front of me as I type making the sweetest little sleeping noises. Even now, I find it hard to put into words what is going on in my head about this past week.

I will tell you that Rob and I have had some funny times this week also. Diaper changing has been my favorite time of the day. I felt like I had changed my share of diapers before her... at least enough to know what I am doing... but you wouldn't know it. The first diaper was night one hours after she was born. We had already had an exhausting day to say the least. So, exhausted, Rob lays her at the foot of my bed and we began. We both put the new diaper on and after we were complete, I held her up to get ready to feed and just had to laugh at how ridiculous we had done. It was barely on.. sideways.

More diapers... She loves to wait until the diaper is off and that warm wipe hits her toosh to pee. (Thanks April, Olivia loves the wipe warmer.) Which means we have changed her clothes several times along with her diaper. And then yesterday was the best. We have smartened up to the open air peeing, but could never had prepared for what was about to happened. Since we are doing pretty much everything as a team at this point, we both got to experience this. As I was preparing to put the new diaper under her booty, she decides she's not done and shoots out a little mess about a foot away.... over the table and onto the floor. Rob was about to die.. and I could not stop laughing. I know that's alot of info.. but it was priceless.

So there you go. Our first week summed up in diapers. Olivia is now our little miss poopy pants. And we love her more than either of us ever thought possible. I am posting a couple cute pictures from our first week at home. I hope that you enjoy this and thank you for loving us and our new little beauty.

SUPERNATURAL CHILDBIRTH

Supernatural Childbirth.....those are the only words that I can think of to explain the wonderful blessing God has given us. Olivia was born on August 9th 2008 at 8:26 PM. She weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces and she was 20 and a quarter inches long. What an amazing event Saturday was. Summer was absoulutely amazing during the active labor and delivery. She had Olivia naturally just like she had set out to do. Summer is working on a full recovery and I am floored daily by her strength and determination.

Olivia is doing awesome. She is so beautiful. She just sleeps, eats, goes to the bathroom, and makes the cutest sounds all day. I can hardly give Olivia up to mommy. I just want to hold her all day long. Ohh and she smells so good. I put her down and I can smell Olivia on me. It is so cool. Sleep is getting better. Summer and I are working together so that we can give each other some time to get sleep in when she lets us. I cannot wait to return home from Iraq so I can resume my daddy duties. Keep us in your prayers and love on Olivia as much as you can.

Rob,