Isabella

Isabella is growing very fast. I am saddened to think that I have less than three weeks before I have to return to work. I know my first day back at work will be difficult.

Isabella is growing fast and getting very strong. She can lift her head for longer periods of time. She has more awake and aware time now. She likes to stare and things for long periods of time. She is especially fascinated with lights. But she will stare at people too. She is beginning to make her first attempts at cooing. She hums different sounds to herself. Then she looks around, amazed that they sound came from her. It's adorable. Soon she will be making different cooing noises. It's amazing how fast they develop.

Yesterday Isabella and I went for a ride. I decided to stop by Babies R' Us. A sales lady approached me and asked if I would like a free sitting at the Kiddie Kandid's center. They didn't have any appointments at the time. Anyone who knows me, knows that I had to jump at the opportunity. So we took several pictures. Then I had the daunting task of picking my favorite. I got to select one free picture to take home. The gimick is that there are several cute pictures, and they hope you will buy more. Of course I may have to break down and buy one of the other pictures that I really liked. Blast!

This weekend, we will be attended my dad's 61st birthday. I am sure there will be plenty of pictures to post from that event. That's about it for now. Take Care.

Melanie

Isabella At Home

So it's been three weeks now since Isabella has been born. We are trying to get into some sort of routine with her. Nights are difficult and daddy does most of the night duty so mom can recover. We had our first outting to the park. She also went to Blockbuster Video and the grocery store. Other than that it has been only doctor visits and home.

Auntie Lynne came by last Saturday to allow Luigi and I to have a date night. It was nice to get out and have some us time. We went out to dinner and a movie. The four hours went by fast. Luigi was a lot more nervous about leaving Isabella at home. It was sweet! While Auntie Lynne was over she brought her camera and shot the most beautiful pictures of Isabella. Luigi and I both loved how they turned out.

Isabella is growing fast and getting very strong. She has more awake time now and loves to look at things all around her. She is very curious and wants to be held all the time. She is such a joy! That is about it for now. Hope all are happy and healthy.

Melanie

Extreme Joy

So our little bundle has finally arrived! On Monday March 17th I woke up to signs that it was the day. My water had broken. We quickly drove to the hospital, excited and anxious. I was surprised that I was going into labor on my actual due date. That rarely ever happens. The statistics are very low that you will actually deliver on your due date.

They started me on Pitocin immediately and labor began. After about 5 hours of labor, they decided to do an ultrasound. The labor was uncomfortable at best, but not unmanageable. After the ultrasound they guessed that my baby might weigh up to 10 lbs. Doctors were concerned about her size. My doctor recommended that I have a c-section. It was scarry to think of going into surgery. It was especially scarry since I have never been in the hospital as an adult, and

have never had surgery before.

The c-section was quick, at least the first part of it. It was a matter of minutes before the baby was delivered. They brought her around so that I could see her. Then they took her to a table to assess her and clean her up. I could see the whole process as I looked over my shoulder. She was pink and had chubby little cheeks. Upon weighing her, they found that she wasn't 10 lbs., but 8 lbs. 12 oz. So their original assessment was incorrect. It didn't matter at the time though. She was there and healthy and that's all that counts.

Luigi got to hold our Isabella for the first time. He brought her up to me so that I could see her. I stroked her cheek and told her I loved her. Then he was allowed to take the baby out in the hall to greet her Papa, Mae Mae, Auntie Lynne, and Uncle Jonathan who were all waiting in the hall. Luigi got to take some pictures while they cleaned her up and while everyone got to hold her in the hall.

I can't believe how amazing motherhood is. It is exciting and fullfilling yet at the same time scarry. I can't believe I am a mom. I can't believe that I have such an amazing and beautiful child. I can't believe the feeling that I have when I look at my husband and realize that we are now a family. No longer just the two of us, but now it is three.

So that is my baby story. Isabella and mommy are doing well. We were able to come home on Thursday and are so happy to be home. Isabella is a wonderful child. So far she is very quiet and happy. I can't help but stare at her in awe. That's it for now, hope everyone is happy and healthy.

Melanie

1 Week?

So I am about 1 week away from my due date. The waiting and anticipation is the hardest part. It is much harder to get around with each day. I know the aches and pains will be worth it in the end. However, I am going stir crazy and can't really do anything while I wait. So I read, watch a lot of television, go on the Internet, and wait. Luigi has been really good about taking care of me. He makes sure I am eating and comfortable. What a sweet guy! The doctor says I am doing very well for a first time mom. I have already started to dilate, so it is just a matter of time. We will see. That's it for this week. Hope all is well.

Melanie

Two Weeks Left

After the completion of this week I will have two more weeks until my due date. I am growing much more uncomfortable each day. Walking and standing bring on a pressure that make it difficult to get around. The baby has dropped and is pushing on my pelvis, which hurts quite a bit. I am ok if I am sitting or laying down. So needless to say I have been staying home quite a bit and resting a lot. The doctor says that I am at a good point for a first time mom.

We had another ultrasound this week. The doctor wanted to get an accurate baby weight. I was so sick the week before I lost a bit of weight. But the baby weight seems fine. While we were there we asked the technician if she could tell if it was a boy or girl. She said that her guess was a girl. So now we are debating baby names. We have three names in mind: Isabella Viola, Sophia Viola, or Mia Viola. Hopefully by D day we will have our minds made up.

That's about it for now. Hope eveyone is happy and healthy.

Melanie

Three Weeks?!

Well we are about three weeks from our due date now. I am fighting a really bad cold right now and I am miserable at night since I can't breathe. But physically I am feeling much better. Being off of work has really helped me feel a lot better.

Last weekend Lynne threw me a baby shower. We had a few fun games that we played and lots of good food. I am going to post a few pictures from the shower. Lynne made a cute present for me made out of diapers. It was put together to look like a cake. We received all sorts of cute baby presents. I just love looking at all of the cute baby clothes.

This weekend we have our last baby care class. We also have appointments to get our car seat checked for safety. Then I think we are going to be ready. Or at least we think we are going to be ready. I am sure there is probably about a million things we didn't think of that will come up later, but for now we think we are ready.

That's about it for this week. Hope everyone is doing well.

Melanie

Four Weeks To Go!

Well last week I finally started to feel some of the aches and pains of being closer to delivery day. It has become difficult to stand for long periods of time. So this week my doctor told me that I should probably not go back to work for my last four weeks. Although I am very relieved that the I will feel better physically, I have to learn to let go of my worries about work for a while. It's difficult to just let go and let someone else take over. I just have to hope for the best and know that this is what's the best for me.

Lynne emailed me some of the prego pictures that she took a couple of weeks ago. I would have to say that my favorite picture is the picture of my belly with our hands across them. It may not be immediately clear to people that it is a pregnant belly, but it is still one of my favorites. The pictures turned out really nice. I wish I had some of the talent that Lynne does when it comes to photography. I am all about the click and shoot.

Last week we attended our last "Great Expectations" class. We have one more class to go in baby care. We will attend that next weekend. I think we have a little more information now and feel a little more comfortable about delivery day and after. I know that nothing can really prepare someone for how it will be. But at least we are a little more informed and hopefully won't panic at every little thing that comes up.

Well that's about it for now. Hope everyone is happy and healthy.

Melanie