Vivienne's finally here!!!

Our darling girl has finally arrived and we couldn't be happier!  Our first week at home has consisted of lots of snuggling and kisses intermixed with feeding the baby, changing diapers, admiring just how cute Vivienne is in her various outfits (and taking photos), and trying to sleep when we can.  My mother, Rachel, was with us for the first few days at home and was a great help with cooking, cleaning and taking turns holding Vivienne - it was a blessing to have her with us and a time we'll always treasure.  Steve's mom, Marylee, arrives tomorrow and we anticipate a wonderful visit with her as well.  I'll be posting more pics soon but I've gotta run, its time to feed this lil angel : )

The waiting is the hardest part

So, Vivi's estimated due date has come and gone and we're just playing the waiting game now.  I can hear this voice in my head that sounds like Bob Barker from The Price Is Right saying "Vivienne Harris, come on down!!" but apparently she is not listening.  I've joked all along throughout my pregnancy though that since this child is mine, she'll be late!  We saw the doctor yesterday and they performed an ultrasound to ensure that Vivienne is still doing well and that my body is still providing a good environment for her and found that she's doing just fine and can hang out happily in "Hotel Mom" for a while longer without any trouble.  So, we're waiting - somewhat impatiently, but with no major complaints. We'll keep you all posted on any big news!

We're in the single digits now

Well, as of last Sunday, we're 9 weeks out from Vivienne's due date and I can hardly believe she'll be arriving so soon. Steve and I managed to get the nursery furniture assembled and in place during the holidays and its starting to come together now. I'll post photos once the bedding arrives and its all "prettied up." Steve and I went on a babymoon just before Christmas (google it if you've not heard of the term before) to Charleston, S.C. and had a wonderful time just being together, exploring the city and eating some fantastic low-country cuisine. We spent Christmas Day in Gainesville with Steve's family and it was great fun to watch our niece, Julia, open her presents. She's not quite old enough to grasp the whole concept of Christmas just yet (she's only turned one at the end of November) but she did like opening her presents. Eliora, my sister Helene's daughter, experienced her first Hannukah and you can see a photo on their family blog at: http://teamsinger.blogspot.com/ - no posts just yet, but I am sure they are forthcoming soon. Vivienne's other cousin, Skyler, (my older sister Pam's son) was up for a visit just before Steve and I left for S.C. and Pam, Skyler and I spent a fantastic day together at the Jacksonville Zoo. Skyler is 7 years old now and he is quite the accomplished motorcross rider! He rode his bike at the Ocala motorcross track and even "caught some air" - as much as I know he's enjoying himself, it does make me glad to be having a girl because I am sure my hair would all turn gray from worry if I had a little boy who was as adventurous as Skyler is!

I wrote a while back that the consulting work I had been doing had "dried up" but its back on again and I am working part-time through the end of January so I am feeling stretched thin for time again these days, but am managing thus far and keep reminding myself that (as long as Vivienne doesn't arrive early like her cousin, Eliora, did) I'll have all of February and a week into March to wrap up any loose ends of household projects I want to accomplish pre-baby. Wish me luck!

Hope you all have a wonderful 2009 and I'll keep you posted on our family as things happen!

Happy Thanksgiving and hello to our (new) niece, Eliora Ruth Singer

Our niece, Eliora, is just adorable and I've really enjoyed my visit with Helene and Adam this past week.  I have learned a tremendous amount about caring for a newborn and breast feeding just by watching and being present during this first week of Eliora's life.  I'm hoping it'll make my first week with Vivienne a little easier, knowing what I can expect and what the challenges may be.

My mom made a 19-pound turkey yesterday, with Kashi & apple stuffing, and a sugar-free apple pie for a belated - but nonetheless special - Thanksgiving dinner.  Helene and Adam will have lots of turkey to eat during the next week (as well as some other dishes my mom made extra of, so they'll have leftovers).  Steve went to my parents house for Thanksgiving and had a good time spending the day with everyone there and eating all the good food they had (especially the sweet potato side dish my mom had made ahead of time).  He also took a road trip with his long-time friend, Alan Bishop, to Tallahassee to watch the Florida-FSU game (so glad the Gators won!) and I am glad he's had some down-time and had fun since he's been working so much leading up to this long holiday weekend.

My mom and I are headed back to Florida tomorrow and while it will be nice to be back home and I have tons of errands and work (CPE coursework) to do when I get back, I'll miss being able spend so much time with family.  I look forward to seeing Helene, Adam and Eliora again in the spring when they come to visit for Vivienne's baptism!  I don't have a date for that yet, but will post it as soon as I can coordinate it with our church.  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! : )

Oh Baby!

I'm off to Chapel Hill, N.C. to see my sister and her husband who have just had a baby girl and I can't wait to meet this new little girl and find out her name! They've kept it a secret and I'm glad the big reveal day is finally here!!  My mom and I are driving up from Florida so we should get there sometime this evening and will be spending Thanksgiving up in N.C. which will be bittersweet because I'll be glad to spend time with my mom and sister, but I'll be away from Steve and the rest of our family for the holiday.

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to visit with Steve's family last weekend and celebrate little Julia's first birthday in Gainesville, FL at Coffrin Nature Park.  Steve and I got to spend some time by ourselves yesterday when we attended the Jaguars / Vikings game  - the Jags lost but the day was so beautiful (classic Florida winter weather) and the company so nice (yes, I adore my husband to the point of ridiculousness!) that it was a perfect day nonetheless.  We went out for a turkey dinner last night at Ted's Montana Grille since we wouldn't be sharing the Thanksgiving holiday together and that topped off the day nicely.  I can't recall the last time that I was away from Steve for as many days as I will be on this trip to N.C. so it feels a little funny to be heading off for 6 days, but - hey, I'll survive, right?? ; )

I'll write again and post pics of my new niece when I get them - maybe next week!

Whoa, life is crazy and the baby is not even here yet!

Well, the consulting gig I was doing has dried up and I don't know that I'll get any more work because I had planned on stopping in mid-December anyway and its hard to sell my services to a client if I'll only be available for a month.  But, if the work comes my way, I'll definitely take it - I'm just in a wait and see mode now.  I'm not too worried about it though, because my life is crazy busy these days even without working!  In fact, it gets a little overwhelming when I start writing it all down, but there is no sense sticking my head in the sand and avoiding the sight of my "to-do" list in all its glory. : )

Steve is continuing to put in a lot of hours at work and tells me he will remain very busy for some time. He's doing well despite the long hours and is thinking ahead to March and is planning with senior management to ensure that when he takes time off from work when Vivienne arrives that it will go smoothly.  I love that he's a planner!!  It's funny the things that make you all warm and fuzzy. Yes, I know, that sounds so unromantic, but I'm a practical kind of gal (but, no that does not mean I'd appreciate a household appliance as a birthday or holiday gift).

We were at the doctor earlier today and saw more ultrasound images of Vivienne - she's doing great by the way.  This was our last visit to the "hisk risk" doctors group (only reason we've had to go is because I'm 35 - which is considered "advanced maternal age") and although I've enjoyed that we've had more ultrasounds by having seen this group, I'm glad we don't have a reason to continue to go.  We're just shy of 23 weeks along and Vivienne weighs 1 lb, 3 oz and is 8 inches long.  It just doesn't seem like my belly is big enough for her to be that size, but I am definitely not complaining about that!

Well, dinner doesn't cook itself so I'm off to the kitchen to see what I can whip up for some vittles!