Sunday, August 31, 2008
Happy Baby
I have had some definite crying spells the past few weeks here, but this is the cure-all! I'm so thankful for my healthy, happy baby.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Talking to the Ladybug
Oliver just loves his little gym. There is a mirror in the middle and he just started to find himself in it. At the end of the video when he is looking straight up, that is what he is seeing.
Boy he's getting big!
Oliver's new changing station. He loves the lamb and coos at it when I first lay him down.
This is what Oliver did a lot last night. I'm tired.
His favorite place to sleep is in the high chair. Last night even that didn't work! He stopped crying but he just alertly watched me make Paul's lunch and didn't get any closer to sleep.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Preliminary apartment pictures
Finally an update! We had a great trip and a record fast move-in: 5 days!! It definitely was because we were trying to stay focused on something other than how far away this place is from home. We got our keys on Friday at 10am, unloaded all three pods that day except for our pull-out couch (there was no room and dad and Paul were beat from hauling up everything else). We had everything in place by Wednesday and spent that morning hanging our big pictures. There is still some decorating and reorganizing to do, but it definitely feels homey. Take a look!
Our new home.
Dining room
Kitchen
Master bedroom
Oliver's room/Guest room
On Wednesday night Oliver would be sound asleep and then when I put him in the bassinet, he would start crying. After sleeping in the Lay-Z-Boy with him for half the night I finally realized that he needed a bigger bed because he would stretch when I laid him down, knocking the sides of the bassinet, waking himself up. I tried the crib, and it worked right away. Doesn't he look like tiny!? I am really not ready for him to be in his own room, but it is going well.
He had a lot of coos and smiles for Grandma during his bath. He has even been giggling. Oliver especially likes to reward those who put him in the water.
#5 on my thankful list is our new Lay-Z-Boy.
Our new home.
Dining room
Kitchen
Master bedroom
Oliver's room/Guest room
On Wednesday night Oliver would be sound asleep and then when I put him in the bassinet, he would start crying. After sleeping in the Lay-Z-Boy with him for half the night I finally realized that he needed a bigger bed because he would stretch when I laid him down, knocking the sides of the bassinet, waking himself up. I tried the crib, and it worked right away. Doesn't he look like tiny!? I am really not ready for him to be in his own room, but it is going well.
He had a lot of coos and smiles for Grandma during his bath. He has even been giggling. Oliver especially likes to reward those who put him in the water.
#5 on my thankful list is our new Lay-Z-Boy.
Giving thanks
So in the midst of these new challenges I am facing in being a new mother, getting to know a new area (where people are constantly smiling at my accent and asking if I'm from Wisconsin!), and starting from scratch with putting down roots, I have been practicing intentional thankfulness. Here are some things at the top of my list:
1. Oliver eats and sleeps so well. I never have to worry about his growth, and I have lots of opportunities to sleep (if I could just learn to actually take the naps when he is sleeping!)
2. Paul has a really nice big office with a window facing the woods. Yesterday when I picked him up, there was a fawn strolling by - PA is a really beautiful state!
3. Our kind neighbor Fran. Today we had a conversation that made me really thankful:
Fran: How is Oliver doing.
Alyssa: Really well - he is such an easy baby.
Fran: And how are you doing?
Alyssa: (smiling) I'm doing well.
Fran: I know your parents left the other day.
Alyssa: (tears welling up) Yea, that was hard...is hard.
Fran: I'm sure it is.
What struck me about this conversation is that she didn't let me off the hook with a generic answer, yet she didn't tell me how I must be feeling in her initial question or in her follow up comment. I need to learn how to do that.
4. A washer and dryer in our apartment. Mom was the laundry fairy while she was here and kept it running steady as we freshened up the linens, and now I am appreciating keeping up with everything that is affected by huge spit-ups and blow outs!!
I'm sure there are more things, but these are at the top of my list today.
1. Oliver eats and sleeps so well. I never have to worry about his growth, and I have lots of opportunities to sleep (if I could just learn to actually take the naps when he is sleeping!)
2. Paul has a really nice big office with a window facing the woods. Yesterday when I picked him up, there was a fawn strolling by - PA is a really beautiful state!
3. Our kind neighbor Fran. Today we had a conversation that made me really thankful:
Fran: How is Oliver doing.
Alyssa: Really well - he is such an easy baby.
Fran: And how are you doing?
Alyssa: (smiling) I'm doing well.
Fran: I know your parents left the other day.
Alyssa: (tears welling up) Yea, that was hard...is hard.
Fran: I'm sure it is.
What struck me about this conversation is that she didn't let me off the hook with a generic answer, yet she didn't tell me how I must be feeling in her initial question or in her follow up comment. I need to learn how to do that.
4. A washer and dryer in our apartment. Mom was the laundry fairy while she was here and kept it running steady as we freshened up the linens, and now I am appreciating keeping up with everything that is affected by huge spit-ups and blow outs!!
I'm sure there are more things, but these are at the top of my list today.
Family
I got my hands on some pictures I really like from Mom's camera. I am SO glad other people were taking pictures this past month because I missed some special moments.
A family picture at the Fredman Farm.
It doesn't get much better than matching OshKosh!
Old man Oliver hanging with the cousins, Titus and Asher. Oliver is 6 days old here, and kept falling over so Andy said we could lean him against Asher - it worked!
So comfy with Auntie Amy.
Sleeping on Uncle Peter
A family picture at the Fredman Farm.
It doesn't get much better than matching OshKosh!
Old man Oliver hanging with the cousins, Titus and Asher. Oliver is 6 days old here, and kept falling over so Andy said we could lean him against Asher - it worked!
So comfy with Auntie Amy.
Sleeping on Uncle Peter
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Moving Status
This has been quite a week! We started packing the rest of our stuff on Sunday evening (b/c mom & I packed a bunch before Oliver was born) and didn't stop until Thurs. We fit everything into 3 relocubes thanks to my dad the master packer. That saved us enough money to buy recliners when we get to PA! Now we relax and wait, enjoying others beds til Tues. When we close and head East!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
My baby!
We weighed baby Ollie at Andy and Sarah's on Saturday and he is 11 lbs now!! I can't believe how much he's grown. His double chin is growing every day and now he has two little rolls on each leg. He is such a content baby, except when he is going through a growth spurt - then he is more cranky and it seems like he wants to eat all the time!!
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