Happy 2nd Birthday!!

Dear Quinn -

Here we are again - once again it is your Birthday!  This has been a very busy year for us.  You started walking on 4th of July - and you have been on the go ever since.

You continue to love all things water - the ocean, the pool, the tub - - if it is wet you are cannot wait to get into it!  You started taking swim lessons when you were about 4 months old.  In September your teacher kicked me out of the pool and it didn't bother you even a little - you are happy to just walk in with or without me!

You are also quite the thrill-seeker.  Last summer your cousin Kate sent you down the big kid slide at the playground and since that day you have had no interest the "baby" side of playgrounds.  While it scares me - I am thrilled at your confidence.  You love to run and climb - you are always on the move (even in your sleep).

This was a year of big changes for us.  In September, we moved to a new house.  You immediately felt comfortable in your new surroundings and couldn't wait to explore the house and yard.  There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood and your cousins are nearby.  I am so eager to see you grow up and make your own friends here. 

You also started day care in January - again it barely phased you.  You only go 2 days a week, but it didn't seem to take you long to adjust to the change in your routine - you are comfortable there and love your teachers.  Now when Daddy or I drop you off, you drop our hand and don't look back at us...you are off and playing.  Of course your favorite part is playing outside and in the gym!  My favorite part is getting to see the art work you bring home - I am a complete mush for anything that has your hand or foot print on it.  And (one of) the best parts is that you don't fight your naps there.  With the changes we have made this year, I am amazed by how flexible and easy going you are.
 

You are still a great sleeper - and you are even getting into a better habit of taking naps in your crib.  Mommy's rule is that you go up after lunch and you have to stay there for 2 hours.  Most days you will fall asleep pretty fast.  Then there are also days you will talk for the full 2 hours. 

You also have the most addictive laugh.  I love making you giggle - either with tickles or by chasing you - It brings the biggest smile to both of our faces. 

On the day you were born, the nurses told us you were feisty and determined - you prove them right EVERY SINGLE DAY.  You like to figure things out on your own and have your own way of doing things - and don't let anyone try to show you any differently.

At night when I am putting you to bed, I tell you that I am the luckiest mommy in the whole world  because I get to have you as my little girl (even on the days when I don't think you are so little anymore).

I love you so much!
Mommy

Happy Birthday Quinn!!

Dear Quinn - 

It is SO hard for me to believe, but tomorrow we will be celebrating your 1st Birthday.   I really have no idea where the past year has gone.  

A year ago Daddy and I were in the hospital waiting for you to make your entrance into the world.  Tonight I am sitting on the couch watching Daddy put together your birthday present.  A year ago we were so unsure of what to expect from having a baby.  Tonight I can tell you that this adventure has been so much more than I ever could have expected.  

You must have made me laugh out loud at least once a day - every day.  You have the best personality - and are such a friendly girl  You are happy to go to people and will smile at everyone (especially boys).  You find happiness in the simple things...reading your books, playing with your toys and taking things out of baskets.

You have always been a good eater and sleeper - spoiling us by sleeping through the night at 1 month.  Right now you are mastering taking naps in your crib (whew!) and you are eating a solid diet of people food.  Your favorites are broccoli, cheese, and pretty much any meats we are cooking.  You are also drinking out of a straw cup....which makes you think you can share my drinks too :)

You are all over the place.  You are not walking yet (which shows how much I know since I thought you would be walking by 10 months) - but you are not far off.  I think you are such a speed crawler that you can't imagine getting there faster on your feet.  You love to be chased - and you laugh the whole way!  You've said Mama and Dada and you say LOTS of other words, we just haven't figured out what they mean yet.  

Quinn - to say that you are the best thing we've ever done would be the biggest understatement of all time.  You've made me smile bigger, laugh harder and probably cry a little more than ever (though they are almost always "happy tears").  Though it is hard for me to believe that you are already one year old, part of me feels like you've always been here.  I am so proud to be your mommy.  Love you! 

1 Month!

Dear Quinn -
I'm really far behind so these next few entries are going to be spent playing catch up :)

Here you are at 1 month...6/10/11


Gramma went with me to your DR appointment-I think she was afraid I would cry more than you during your shots.

You had a great appointment;
You weighed in at 9lb 12.5oz (65th percentile)
Length 21.5in (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 37.5cm (50th percentile)

and we both handled your shot like superstars!

At the appointment they told me that Daddy could no longer wake you up in the middle of the night to feed you. This was probably harder for him since he looked forward to his nightly visits with you. That night you slept through the night. You are an amazing sleeper at 1 month - taking 2-3 hour naps and sleeping through the night (as long as we don't wake you up).

During your first month you were eating right on schedule (generally every 3 hours) and sleeping like a champ. You were very happy - smiling at people (I don't believe it is gas!)

You had lots of visits with family and friends and you were very comfortable with different people holding, feeding, playing with you. You aren't a great shopper, but Gramma and I are sure we can change that - much to your Daddy and Pa's dismay :)

We were honestly blessed with such an amazingly flexible happy baby!

In The Hospital

Dear Quinn,

We had an amazing experience in the hospital - the doctors and nurses were so nice and took great care of both of us. You seemed to charm all of them! One of your nurses described you as feisty and determined...and you have proven her right!


We had some hospital photos taken of you. I didn't have a lot of hope that they would turn out well, but when the photographer came and showed me the pictures in a slide show with a song called "Sweet Sweet Baby"playing - I cried like a baby - Daddy told me I was a sucker :)

We later bought the whole CD, so maybe he was right :)

Our favorite time in the hospital was after the visitors went home and we got to spend our own time getting to know you, snuggle you, and stare at you in amazement!


Love, Mommy

Headed Home

Dear Quinn,

On Friday, we were ready to take you home! Though we were excited, we were also nervous at the idea of not having the nurses there to make sure we did things the right way - we couldn't believe that they just let us just bring you home!

Getting ready...



We made it...


After we got home Gramma & Pa brought Harley home to meet you. He was rather indifferent to you and was just happy to be home and see us. They were also nice enough to bring us dinner for our first night home.

It was a quiet first day, which is good, because the first night was not quiet at all!
Love, Mommy

Friends and Family

Dear Quinn,

This is a good time for me to tell you that your mom and dad are not good with their cameras. We almost always have them, but we have a really hard time remembering to use them. But we are getting a lot better!

Anyway, after 26 hours of not eating anything and all the pain medicines I got for surgery, my recovery time is a little fuzzy - but I know that first afternoon/night that you got visits from Gramma & Pa, Grandma, and Aunt Kristin.

We were in the hospital for several days and had visits from lots of people who were excited to meet you.

Here you are with Uncle Steve, Aunt Amy, Uncle Deke, John & Chrissy, Jess, and Rich & Julie...













































We were so happy to be able to show you off!

Love, Mommy

Your Birth Story

Dear Quinn,

Your due date was May 8, 2011, but when we went to the DR the week before, he thought you were nice and comfy and that we would be setting up a day to evict you. So I went to work on Monday, May 9th to tie up my loose ends at the office. It was a beautiful day, so on my way home, I stopped and bought some flowers to pot, I figured I had plenty of time to get some flower pots done before you made your arrival. You had other plans though.

I got home that afternoon and swept the back patio before getting started. As I sat down to plant my flowers, it felt like I had wet my pants. I quickly grabbed your puppy Harley and went inside where I called Daddy at work and the doctors. Daddy worked an hour away, so when the DR wanted to see me, I called your Gramma & Pa. It just so happened that they had been out running errands and were not that far away. Gramma & Pa came over and we decided that Pa would take me to the hospital where we would meet Daddy and Gramma would stay with Harley.

Pa got a little nervous on the road when we hit lots of traffic, but I was in a great mood - and the good news traveled fast because your Aunt Kristin started texting me immediately - which kept me busy! When we got to the hospital I was examined and they determined that my water had broken, but I was having no contractions. When Daddy got there, we sent Pa on his way and we were sent upstairs to Labor & Delivery to see if my body would start having contractions on it's own.

It didn't. And your Daddy was a champ that night. Every time I got up to use the bathroom (which was a lot) your Daddy had to follow behind me with towels, because I kept leaking (this is one of those things no one tells you about)...

So, at 5am, we started Pitocin. The doctors came in periodically through the morning to check my progress (there wasn't much) and they kept mentioning how your head was becoming pointed and that they were concerned about how big you were going to be. Finally at 11am I was at 4cms and feeling no pain. Then the doctors decided to insert a catheter to measure the effectiveness of the contractions. After that procedure, I decided I needed an epidural. Sometime around 1pm, I had not progressed any further and we started discussing the possibility of a c-section. Seeing we were heading toward 24 hours after my water breaking, I started to get anxious and asked what we were waiting for, when could we go get this baby! It was just before 2pm when we decided surgery was the way to go!

Then things started happening fast and before I knew it, I was being wheeled down to the Operating Room. Before we left Labor and Delivery, I took a minute and asked your Daddy what he thought - Boy or Girl. I was convinced you were going to be a boy, but Daddy said girl. And at 3:02pm on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 he was proven correct and you were born!



Weighing in at 7lb 11 oz and 21in., you were hardly the big baby everyone thought you were going to be!


At that moment, our lives changed completely and we experienced complete happiness!

Love, Mommy