3 Months!!! (so it deserves 3 exclamation points)

Olive celebrated her 3 month birthday by completing her first full week of sleeping through the night (well, we celebrated that anyway). Then she watched the inauguration a couple of days later. She is grabbing everything in sight and sucking on her fists a lot. She likes sitting up and can almost do it on her own. She loves watching everything and is getting happier and smilier and talkier every day. She weighs almost 16 pounds. Seriously. I may have to graduate to the stroller more often to save my back. =) And that means she's outgrowing clothes at an alarming rate and will start costing us a lot of money soon as we've almost run out of gifts and hand-me-downs. ;) Anyway, she's fabulous, and here's more pics and a quick little vid just to show you in case you weren't convinced.

Mellow Drama

That is to say, it's not as bad as it seemed it might be, but it still wasn't great. I'm talking about my first stretch of days alone with Olive AND her first sickness - which did in fact occur simultaneously.

It helped a lot that I have a great circle of supportive friends and had company every evening to keep up my spirits (and at least free me up to take a shower and fold some laundry and stuff). It also helped that our daughter is a total trooper and kept smiling through the whole thing. It helps that I work part time, half of the time from home, and was free to respond to Olive as she needed. And it REALLY helps when your husband returns the night before you expect him.

Happy to report we're all back together and baby and Dad seem to both be recovering from their ills (DJ was sick before he left town Tuesday). Thanks to all for your help and well wishes while I fielded this life happening! ;)

Holiday Hoopla

TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF (oh wait, that's AMPM... anyway, it works here)

So we had 2 holidays in essence. We went to DJ's family's house for normal Christmas, then down to Portland with my family for my Birthday, the New Year, and a 2nd Christmas all wrapped up in one. We're thinking this might be a new tradition. Olive handled the travel like a champ (ferry ride and short drive to Port Orchard, 3+ hour car ride to Portland). She did have a slightly hard time with the unfamiliar surroundings and routine, especially 2 weeks in a row, but that's understandable. But really the only hiccup was when my family watched her while DJ and I went to dinner alone for my Birthday, but they did a great job. It was fun that Mellie helped since she's about ready to have her own in a month or so. We got a cute pic of the cousins together that's part of the massive string of images below. It was a great time and we can't help but realize how truly blessed we are.

CHRISTMAS IN PORT ORCHARD

Uncle Shaun & Grandpa Edwards with Olive


DJ dealing with a page (yes he was on call on Christmas)


Grandma Edwards with Olive


Olive in her special holiday dress


Checking out the crazy amounts of snow


Christmas toes!

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR/BIRTHDAY IN PORTLAND

Aunt Mellie with Baby Man (the belly) and Olive


Granny Bates with Olive


Just Olive! =)


Santa (aka Grandpa Bates) and Olive


Christmas Fingers


Enjoying the glow from the tree


Uncle Paddy


And last but not least, the traditional hot chocolate reading. ;)

There you have it! The short of it anyway. We're looking forward to next year when she should be able to open her own presents. ;) Hope you all had a happy one and a great 2008!