Family Photos

A coworker of mine has a sister/sister-in-law starting a photography business. She's got a pretty good start going, but she's not very well known. She held a portrait party where we were able to go and have our photos taken without a sitting fee. She also has this great deal where she puts all of the photos onto a CD-ROM and you can buy that and the rights (she signs off on them) for a small fee. We did that. We tried to have Christmas cards made, but the photo shop's printer at Wal-mart kept crashing. They kept promising to redo the cards, but by the time their printers were working again, it was too late to send them out to everyone. You'all will have to settle for belated birth announcements...or the blog! Thanks to Moonlighting Photography for the beautiful photos! There's 90 total...if you want copies, let us know!

Pink Everything!

I was afraid that the last post would be the end of Alora's sweetness, but we have truly been blessed! She eats every three hours and sometimes goes six hours with her naps. Unfortunately for me, I can never tell when that's going to happen...it's usually during the day when Cole is running around screaming, so I have yet to sleep more than four hours a night with the exception of one or two nights, since we brought her home from the hospital! I have adjusted, I think. Even if she doesn't wake me up after four hours, I seem to startle myself awake to check on her...plus, I'm nursing, so I have to deal with the aches of that.

Alora doesn't cry much and when she does, it's not the piercing sound that you normally hear that makes you do anything to stop it. Her cry is progressive and could almost be described as singing. When she gets hungry, she starts out squirming and grunting. When she finally wakes herself up, she'll make a sound like she's calling you, Hello? After a few of those, she starts to sound like a baby crocodile. It's actually pleasant unless she continues to be ignored.

She smiles a lot. She even tries to talk to us. "Ah-oo...ah-oo..." especially after her diaper changes or feedings when she hasn't fallen back asleep.

We have also been blessed with an adorable supply of baby girl clothes...hand-me-downs from my friend/co-worker who had a little girl in April. Her baby grew so quickly, much of the clothes she didn't even get to wear! We have a generous supply for Alora's first year. Some of the newborn clothes are for the summer and we're in the winter, but I don't know if Alora will even get to wear it all. There's just so much! Thanks to Sarah and Paige! I am embracing the pink!

When we found out I was pregnant again, we were sure it was a boy. I held out on buying anything pink even after the first ultrasound when the said it was a girl. Afterall, doctors make mistakes sometimes. After the second ultrasound, all the pink stuff from Sarah, and the baby shower, I definitely embrace the pink! I have never really been and girly-girl, but that is changing! I want everything pink now, for Alora and I'm thinking about replacing my wardrobe! I love Alora! She is so sweet, an angel! If you think I'm crazy, you'll see...when you hold her, talk to her, or hear her cry! You'll be hooked, too!

Precious Gift

Alora...she's very sweet! Even when she cries, it's like she's an angel singing. I've never heard a baby cry the way she does. She eats every three hours or so, and it takes her three hours to eat, so we get to enjoy her company during that time while she is taking in everything. Heath especially likes to talk to her during this time. She'll look around and even smile...

Alora Autumne

She's finally here and, maybe I'm partial, but she's beautiful! Born Nov. 4th. She was 8 lbs 1oz and 20 inches. I'm going to have to finish this later...I'm feeling a little stingy with the photos! ;)

Halloween 2008

This Halloween was not as eventful as last year's. We had some errands to run and went ahead and put Cole in his costume for that. It turned out well; the stores we needed to visit were handing out candy, so he was able to get the feel for that even though he's not really eating candy at this point. We just like to get him out to see things. We took some photos before we left and a bit of video. Surprisingly, he caught on to the idea of his character and the video shows him running back and forth through the house with his arms up fists clenched! If you can see the video, you'll love it. I have only posted the photos. Enjoy! and Happy Holloween!

Mount Charleston

Boys will be boys. This is where I realized that having another boy meant twice the mess. Cole followed the dirt. At one point, he was actually digging in the rocks for who knows what or what reason! He even got a cut and kept digging...

The boys kept climbing higher and higher also. I was not in the mood for a hike. I was there to enjoy the cool, fresh air away from the city. At this point, I was wishing for a girl...someone who could appreciate my idea for a picnic under a nearby tree. The boys just wanted to go...walk...play with the dirt...needless to say, we didn't spend all day there. Maybe next time.

Baby Girl

So if you hadn't heard, we're having a little girl next week. I would have scanned the ultrasound photos into the computer months ago, but alas, I've been so lucky to be going through a second round of whole-term morning sickness. You can ask Heath why he didn't scan them earlier...

Let's see if I can remember correctly the events leading up until now. Heath and I, the both of us thought for sure we would be having another boy. The pregnancy did start out a little bit differently, though; different cravings, different symptoms...then the all-day vomiting came. It brought along with it severe migraines. Then it all went away (aside from the morning vomiting) sometime after the fourth month. Fatigue set in. Now I'm on a sanitizing rampage between trying to rest and reduce the swelling in my legs. I have also lost my appetite in the last few weeks. Prior to that, I was eating ice cream every night and not gaining any weight. I'm still not gaining any weight, but I've lost my taste for ice cream, and I go to bed nauseous.

Amongst all the cleaning, I've prepared the basinette and accoutrement drawers with everything pink and fluffy and/or covered with cupcakes or hearts that I have inherited from my coworker (who had a little girl in April) or received in the past few weeks as gifts.

I am thoroughly exhausted...from all this and having to show up at work, professional, aching everywhere, and drowsy from my hourly night-time potty breaks. My coworkers have gone as far as to offer me some of their days off...if only. One more week and we'll be rid of this tireless nonsense and have our beautiful baby girl; all of our family together at last.