Catching up on the last month

We've been moved out from Rexburg for a month and are in the delightful Iona, Ben is still doing great at his IT job at Melaleuca, and Lydia is going to be 2 months old on Sunday. She is doing so good, she's starting to smile at us and not just in her sleep. :) She's sleeping a little more in the night, thanks to the swing the Grandma's bought her.
We have been saving and looking for a house! There's some we like, but still looking. I love house shopping, it is fun.
This Sunday is Lydia's blessing and Monday is her 2 month check up. It'll be fun to see how much she has gained.

Oh Fun! Before & Afters While Moving in to Our New Apartment:

Lydie was so tired from helping unpack...

Oh yeah, Ben and I had a 2 year anniversary! He took me to a little cabin in Island Park. We were nice and brought our little buddy along to :)

Ready for our Yellowstone outing in her little overalls and tennies

We saw a lot of buffalo calves, so cute.


And then we saw a black bear!
This guys was about 15 feet way from the bear!
My dad gave his thoughts, "I wouldn't usually even come this close to a bear, but that guy will get eaten first..."
Dwight- "Fact, bears eat beats" ...and stupid tourists.


This was Ben's second time, in his whole life, going to Yellowstone!


And then we saw a Raven ...and fed it jelly beans.

Happy one week birthday to Lydia & 1st week for Ben's Salary Job!

Momma made a goal to make a pie last week for Ben & Lydia
...and then didn't do much of anything for the rest of the day. :o)

Look at those long
feet and toes! (They look longer in real life)

Lydia has been gaining real good.
She started at 7lb 1 oz, and last time she
was weighed she was 7 lb 11oz

Getting our naps on.

This must have been a
sneak picture that Ben took.

My sister Talia made this wrap for Me and Lydia

No hands!

And little Lydi seemed to like it too. How cute.

Starting the new routine

Last night Lydia stayed sound asleep for a good 4 hours, and I, (who made a goal to not be so paranoid when she slept for more than 2 hours) let her sleep and I feel so rested today!
One of the times I was up with her last night, after I fed her, I held her on my legs holding her little head in my hands watching her sleep. I've been wondering, do baby's dream? I am sure they do, but then what about? Lydia has to be a dreamer, the way she twitches and makes sad faces.
And she smiles... this is what I was watching her do last night.
Mom always says that a newborn baby doesn't really smile, it's just the gas. I have always been a believer of the gas smile and made fun of all the moms who claimed to have a smiling newborn, until, of course, I saw our baby "smile."
I took an infants and toddlers class last semester and we learned that an infant's Social smile starts at 8 weeks, this is when they can read your face expressions, mimic your funny faces, and smile back at you. Maybe... it is that newborns can't Socially smile yet, but whatever is in their dreams makes them smile, along with gas. :o)
(Here's a video of Lydia doing her "dream smile." I edited it so that you don't have to see all 5 minutes I recorded :) so it is a little choppy, but precious:
*Turn your sound on, she kind of chuckles at the very beginning.



Ben's off to his new job, starting yesterday, and he already loves it.
We got spoiled by having Dad around all last week and now we're on our own, but doing just fine. I haven't got too stressed out yet, but I have been pooped on.
Yesterday I brought Lydia to her second check up. She is so healthy, most everything in her little body is working the way it should. She had a clogged tear ducted, but that's mostly cleared now, and the little bit of orange that was showing up in her skin is all cleared up, and isn't a jaundice baby. She was born at 7lb 1oz, on Wednesday check up she was 6lb 10oz (normal for newborns to loose that weight), and yesterday her weight showed as being 7lb 4oz! I and the doctor were amazed... A little later I went home and changed her diaper, it was SOOO full and heavy, I wonder of that added to her weight...? Oops.

Lydia lovin her ride in the swing her Grandma DeGiulio and Grandma (Serena) Davidson gave her

Grandma and Grandpa DeGiulio came yesterday to visit!

Just hangin out

"OOoOoooh My!"

Just the 3 of us...

Lydia Jannie; born April 5th at 10:23 am just after 5 hours of labor. 7lb 1oz, 20 inches and healthy as can be. How unreal it feels to Ben and I to have a baby apart of our lives. She completes our little family and makes us so happy, no matter the hour of the night. :o)







Ben is SO good with her, what a lovely daddy.

Past Due

April 1st came and went and what a jokester Lydia already is for playing an April fools joke on us saying she was due that day.
And so she's past due, if she was milk she would be spoiled. Nevertheless, because pregnancy is a little different then a food product, instead of saying she'll be a rotten baby she will probably be plump and healthy being fully cooked!
I was thinking that I was 2 weeks late when I was born, but my mom corrected me tonight saying that I was 3 WEEKS late. Thank goodness the Doctors claim that babies get stressed after 41 weeks now, because I know if Lydia wasn't stressed I definitely would be. She'll be here oh so soon, though.
I officially walk like a duck.
My appetite is at the most it's ever been, (along with my weight). I've always thought if I had cravings that it would just be in my head, but if I have one, it's peanut butter. (Sorry Rach) :o)
I'm excited to be able to see my feet and it's going to be really cool to be able to tie my own shoes again, (kudos to Ben for all the shoe tying help he's gave me).
We've heard all the reasons why we won't be getting any sleep now that our baby will be here, but we are ready and are more excited then we nervous or scared.
And so, until Lydia comes this is all the update I have, all is still well. Next blog, we will probably have a baby!

A fat baby's a healthy baby!

Alright, here is a new vote Grandma Terry suggested. I will take responsibility for supplying the prize for this one.

Take a vote on how much Lydia will weigh. No doubling up on the same weights (because there is only one prize you know).

P.S. Funny thing, we went to the Doctor yesterday, (March 30th), and got an ultrasound to measure her growth; we know about how much she'll weigh. :o)


Em's Mom~ 7lb 8oz
Rachael~ 7lbs 6oz
Steve & Jaimee~ 8lbs 3 oz

Ryan~ 8 LBS 5 Oz
‎Anita~ 7 LBS 7 OZ

Talia~ 9lb (?!)
Angie~ 8lb



"A fat baby's a healthy baby!" ... but not TOO fat- for her delivery please. :)

BABY'S DUE THIS FRIDAY!

Can you believe that a woman is pregnant for 3 months less then a year?? I can't, and I have almost finished the journey minus 4 days + how ever many days I stay pregnant after the due date.
9 months... Yikes.
Did you know that, on average, goats are only pregnant for 5 month, beavers 3 months, cats and dogs for 9 weeks, and mice for only 21 days? I guess if I settled for only 5 months or 21 days our baby would come out either looking like a hairy kid who eats all the garbage or a bald rodent. Elephants are pregnant for 2 years, so maybe 9 months is a good happy-medium...
I am ready to have our baby, to meet her, and to get my body back :o)
I'm sure you've heard of them, but have you guys ever really looked up the natural ways to induce labor early? (I'm sure you have if you've been pregnant before!).

• In parts of Asia, acupuncture has been used for centuries to jump-start labor. (No thanks)
• Long walks (however "they" say long walks are good exercise to prepare for labor, not to start it)
• Pineapple
  
• Spicy foods
• Castor oil (Interesting and logical thing I read about food, " There's no direct connection between the stomach and the uterus. So, there's no reason to think a particular type of food will stimulate contractions
  

And the best ones:

• Blowing up balloons: the theory is that the build up of abdominal pressure encourages labor to start.
• Rent a sad movie and cry like crazy
  
• Glass of wine - Consult your doctor! (What?!)
• A really bumpy car ride
• Watch a really funny movie and laugh until you pee
• Get down on all fours and shake that booty
• Talk to your baby and tell him/her it’s OK to come out now (...Hahaha!)

Now, even though I am making fun of them, it doesn't mean I haven't tried some... :o)
(Not counting having a drink of wine, oh brother.)

So, four more days until the due date (April 1st). Wednesday I have an appointment to get an ultrasound of the baby's growth. Until then, we will just practice our patience and see how things play out.