Rollin'

Wow - I learned how to roll over! I had no idea it was going to be THIS fun! If I had known I may have tried a little harder to learn weeks ago... and it isn't actually all that difficult. I just throw my legs in the air and then turn them to the side really fast and all of the sudden I'm on my stomach. Who knew?

I'm telling you, it really is amazing. You should try it sometime...

4 month appointment

I went for my 4 month appointment today. Dr. Kilty said that I am growing perfectly! My weight is 14 lbs 10 oz! Everything was going along just great until they poked me - 3 times! I don't know about going back to see them again...

Mommy says that it's almost Christmas. I don't know what Christmas is, but my brothers are VERY excited about it so I think I am going to be very excited too. Everyone keeps asking me what I want for Christmas, and I try to tell them my list:
1) Milk
2) An excersaucer
3) to sleep with mommy and daddy

But no one seems to understand what I am telling them. I hope that they get the message to who ever this Santa character is.

Well, I'm off to bed... those shots are making me sleepy.

xoxo,
A

Brothers

It has been so long since I have seen my brothers... I miss them! Mommy tells me I get to see them tomorrow - yippie!!!

Sorry I haven't written more lately, it has been busy with the holidays and school. I hope to write more as we have some down time near Christmas.

xoxo,
A

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow - what a day! My mom tells me that today is thanksgiving. It is a day that we spend lots of time with family and eat lots of food. It certainly has been a big day for me - I met my Great-grandmother and Great-Aunt (with Grandpa Luke and Grandma Lois). I got to be held by lots of people.

It has been a pretty exciting week too, we have been staying with Nini. She has made us lots of yummy food and her house is so nice and warm. Tomorrow we head out to meet another two Great-grandmas and to stay the night with Grandma Destia. We have been gone for a while, it will be nice to sleep in my own bed!

Hope you had a happy thanksgiving.
xoxo,
A

Its been a while

and alot has happened in the last week. We took a trip up to see Nini, Halina Emo and Auntie Suluh. Mommy and Daddy left me for a night to go someplace called Las Vegas. I don't know what the big deal was - Auntie Suluh, Nini and Halina Emo all took good care of me. I barely noticed that they were gone! Then we hung out on Sunday for a memorial.

I had pretty good week at school (daycare) but I've been really hungry! Mommy thinks that I'm growing. She thinks it is hard work to feed me, but she has no idea how much work it is to eat so much. :)

Well, I better go and take care of my brothers and daddy. They are all sick! I have been trying to stay far, far away so I don't get sick but they still need a little help getting water and food.

talk soon - xoxo,
A

School (daycare) - day 2

It was my second day of school today... it was much better than yesterday. Mommy got me some new bottles that are much easier to eat out of and I got some good naps in today. I'm almost sad not to be going back tomorrow. It will be nice to have a break and head back next week.

My First Day of School!

Today was my first day of school and I loved it! I got to meet so many nice ladies that took really good care of me. They let me play a lot more than Mommy does and there were so many new and fun toys to play with. The only thing I'm not so sure about is this eating out of a bottle. I'm fine doing it once a day, but more than that just seems a little overwhelming.

Apart from not getting much sleep and having a little trouble eating at my second feeding, things went excellent! My teachers reported back to mom and dad that I am a VERY happy baby. I didn't know that I was happier than any other babies my age, but apparently I am.

I'm ready for day two. Wish me luck!

xoxo,
A

Back to Work!

Today was Mommy's first day back at work. I decided to be extra good today so she could get lots done. She tells me that tomorrow I have to go to daycare, I guess being an angel couldn't sway her decision on that. I'm a little nervous about my first day away from Mommy and Daddy but I'm excited to tell you all about it. Wish me luck!

xoxo,
A

Home Sweet Home

After a wonderful time in Hawaii, it is nice to be home in my own crib. It is a bit cooler here and rainy, but I love it just the same. Best of all I have gotten to see my brothers! They were excited to see me too - both of them held me and gave me lots of attention.

Tonight we are going to Disney on Ice. Daddy told me we have really good seats - I hope that I can make it up that late! I can't wait to tell you all about it :) Well, I'm off to nap then baby pilates with Mommy.

Swimming!

I don't know how I could forget to tell you about going swimming! Daddy and Mommy took me into the ocean for the first time last tuesday - it was so exciting. I really loved it when Daddy held me close and we dipped down into the warm water.

Here is a picture that Daddy took of Mommy and me in the water (sorry for the orientation on the pictures - mommy can't figure out how to help me turn them)...

Then the next day (wednesday) they took me swimming in the pool at the condo. I'm not sure which I prefer - they were both wonderful experiences. I think it is safe to say that I love the water just like Daddy and my brothers. Check out the picture Mommy took of Daddy and I in the pool...

off to bed... xoxo,
A

Turtles, Lava, and Sharks (oh my!)

Mommy and Daddy have been taking me on so many great adventures this week! Yesterday we had a very long day, I started out the day with Uncle Aaron while Mom and Dad went snorkeling with some turtles across the street. My time with Uncle Aaron ended quickly though when Mom came running back with bloody knees and some scraps and cuts. She said she got washed into the rocks, but it was worth it with the turtle sightings.

Around noon, we all left to head towards Volcanoes National Park. It was a very long drive! We stopped for lunch at a wonderful restaurant in a hotel in a sleepy little town. Everyone said the food was good, and of course my milk was yummy. :) The next stop was at a black sands beach where Uncle Aaron and Daddy went swimming with many more turtles. There was one that even came up on the beach to see us. Finally, we ended up at the National Park and got to see the caldera of the volcano. We felt the steam vents and walked through a lava tube (thankfully it was cool). Then we headed on another 1.5 hour drive to see the lava flow into the sea - it was so beautiful.

After a long 3.5 hour drive home, we had a pretty good night of sleep. I woke Mom and Dad up at 5am and we headed to a beach that is suppose to have sharks! After about an hour of Uncle Aaron and Daddy looking for sharks, they gave up and we came home. I sure am glad that Daddy didn't turn into shark food!

We have been having so much fun. I can't wait to tell you all about the rest of our adventures here on the big island.

xoxo,
A

Ironman Kona

Mommy tells me that not everyone in the world look like the people that are here. She tells me that there really are other people like her and daddy that aren't in amazing shape.

We had so much fun yesterday cheering Uncle Aaron on. He finished the race, took in 1 bag of fluid through an IV, and came out to greet us with a huge smile on his face. We are all so proud of him!

It has been fun to watch all of the race activity and be a part of the celebration. Maybe the most amazing part of the Ironman culture is the manners of the athletes. After a 2.4 mile swim in rough sea water, 112 mile bike ride through intense heat and humidity, and several miles into the marathon, nearly all of the athletes said thank you to the man next to us that was spraying water and our cheering. Of all of the times in life that you are excused from using manners, I would say this is one of them. Even the pros leading the race had kind words and smiles for the spectators after several hours in the heat. What an amazing learning experience for me.

We are going to explore the island the rest of the vacation - I can't wait!

xoxo,
A

Airplanes and Heat

Wow - mommy and daddy took me on my first airplane ride, it was very comfortable. There were lots of nice people that wanted to look at me. After a nice long day of mommy and daddy holding me, we got onto another airplane (although this one didn't really seem the same). Mommy was carrying me and she seemed really nervous to get on this tiny plane. It took her a long time before she was calm enough to let me sleep. The views were beautiful over the islands and ocean, I am definitely going to try to remember those.

After trying to sleep in this hot, hot place, we left the condo in the middle of the night (it was 4am and still dark out) to take Uncle Aaron to the start of Ironman Kona. There was a lot of excitement as we dropped him off at the start. Soon after that, we saw people jumping from airplanes to land in the water and start the race (Mommy tells me they are called Navy seals). It was all very exciting until it got HOT. I mean it is HOT - it is not even 10am and it is already too hot to be outside. We waiting to cheer uncle Aaron on as he raced from the swim to the bike and through the first part of the course. He is off now for 4+ hours of riding so we are taking a rest in the wonderful air conditioning of the condo we are staying at.

I hope to write about this wonderful adventure later this week! Until then...

xoxo,
A

H1N1 & Hawaii

Mommy called the doctor's office this morning to try to get an appointment for the family to get the H1N1 vaccine, with no luck. After sitting on the phone for over an hour (the first hour the office was open) they told her all of the appointments had been booked. She tells me that she will keep trying to get everyone vaccinated so I don't get sick!

This afternoon Mommy has been packing lots of my things to go someplace called Hawaii. She tells me it is very warm and that we will have lots of fun, I only have to be good on the plane :) I am looking forward to writing you about my adventures in this place called Hawaii.

A Visit with Dr. Kilty

Yesterday Mommy and Daddy took me to the doctor's office. They weighed me (I'm 11 lbs 4.5 oz) and they measured me (I'm 23 inches long). The doctor spent most of the time talking about how important it is for my family to get the H1N1 vaccine since I am too young to get it and I'm
at the highest risk.

Other than a few horrible shots the visit wasn't all that bad. Thankfully, I don't have to go back for another few months.

We are also getting ready to head to a place called Hawaii to watch my Uncle Aaron compete in the Ironman Championships (Ironman Kona). We are all very excited to see him. Mommy also keeps talking about going to a volcano. I have no idea what that is, but it sounds like an adventure!

School Tours

Mom and Dad took me on a school tour this morning (I guess that means that I am going to school at some point)! They seemed to like the school a lot, but luckily for me there is a long wait list :) I'm hopeful that will mean more time at home with Mom and Dad.

When we got home Mom took me a long walk. I got to look at all the different trees and flowers. After all the excitement of the morning, I think it's time for a nap.

xoxo,
A

Sunny & Hot

Not much going on in my world other than it being sunny & hot at the end of September. Mom tells me that this never happens! (I don't know since this is only my first summer). So, we are trying to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible before the rain comes.

I am growing fast - Mom weighed me today and I'm over 11 pounds. I think she should measure me too, I feel like I've grown a few inches. We have a doctor's appointment next week, so we will get the "official" numbers then.

Go out and enjoy the sun!
XOXO,
Baby A

My first roadtrip!

Mom and Dad took me on my first roadtrip yesterday. We went to Seattle in the morning and they took me to their office. There were a lot of friendly people looking at me. I love the attention! :)

After the quick stop and the office and lunch with Mommy's friend Odessa, we went out to Grandma Destia's house. Uncle Aaron surprised us and was out there too. Mom and Dad had a special dinner to go to, so Grandma Destia, Poppas, and Uncle Aaron watched me. I did really well, Uncle Aaron fed me my 7 o'clock feeding and I stayed asleep until Mom and Dad made it home around midnight. Then we left really early (5:30am) to come back to Portland and take my brothers to their soccer games. We had lots of fun today, but it has been exhausting. I think I'm almost ready for bed.

A new program...

Mom has me on a new program. I'm not so sure about it, but she is going to make me try it! I guess her friend sent her and Dad a book called "Twelve hours' sleep by twelve weeks old." They have now put me on a 4 hour eating plan (step 1 in the book), which isn't so bad (at least during the day it seems to work fine). Once we have mastered that step, Mom tells me we will start to eliminate my night feedings (yikes)! This plan along with the advice in the "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" book might actually keep my Mom and Dad sane - I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Tonight my friends are coming over (Abby & Bella) as well as two new friends that I haven't met yet (Nora and Gigi). Five baby girls under the age of five weeks - it is going to be fun!

Crying and more crying

I don't think you can call it colic when I cry every moment I am awake - what do you think?

It has been a rough couple of days - I'm not sure what was wrong, but I knew I needed to cry. ALOT. Mom thinks that I was just over-stimulated and over-tired. She put me on a sleeping plan and I think I am doing lots better. Thankfully, Grandma Destia was here the last two nights and put me to bed. It gave Mom and Dad just two more hours of much needed sleep.

Yesterday after a long day of crying, I had lots of visitors. Bear-hunter (grandpa luke), Grandma Lois and Emo (Auntie Halina) came to see me. My brothers came back home too! We all had lots of fun, but then it was bedtime.

Today I have been thinking about starting to smile. Maybe tomorrow I will give Mom and Dad a big smile to make up for all of the crying!

Growing

It was true, I am growing and growing fast! I am not even to my first months birthday and I am already moving on to size 1 diapers! Some of my newborn clothing doesn't fit me anymore either. It is so exciting - and yet, I don't understand how the time is moving by so quickly. Before we know it, I'll be running wild and driving mom and dad crazy. :)

More food please

I'm not sure what has happening but I am so hungry! I eat every two hours - I must be growing. I know that Mommy must be getting tired because I know that I am!

Another Wonderful Weekend

I had such a wonderful weekend - Nini (Grandma Suni) and Emo (Auntie Halina) came to visit me. It was so nice to spend some time with them and be held so much. Nini made lots of yummy food for Mommy and Daddy to eat.

On Sunday afternoon we went to see my friends Abby and Bella - everyone had so much fun at the Tyler's last night with good food and even better company. We took lots of pictures of us three girls together. For those of you who haven't met Abby and Bella they are the only friends I know that are my age. Abby is a week younger than me and Bella is two weeks younger than me.

Dr. Kilty (and my 2 week appointment)

I finally got to meet my doctor today - his name is Dr. Kilty. He is a
very nice man that gives us lots of good information about me.

My weight is now 8 lbs, 11 oz! They expect that at two weeks I should
be back to my birth weight (I was 7 lbs, 10 oz when I was born). Since
I am doing so well eating he gave me the go ahead to try and sleep
through the night! I'm not sure if I am more excited or if mom and dad
are more excited :)

I go back for my next visit at two months. That's when I get my next
round of vaccines and my immune system will start to really work.
Until then we will just keep out hands clean and all sick people away.

We have a busy week, Grandma Destia and Poppos are coming to visit.
Then we have Grandma Suni and Auntie Halina coming over the weekend!

With Dad back as work Mom and I are adjusting to life with only two of
us during the day. It's not so bad since dad checks in on us every so
often - he's good to us.

Family!

I am having so much fun this weekend - my Auntie Suluh came from a long ways away to meet me and spend lots of time holding me. My grandpa also stopped by to see me and spend some time getting to know me.

We are finally settling in to a routine of feeding and sleeping. I am getting big and have a doctor's appointment on Monday to check my weight and get my next round of shots.

xoxo,
A

Big Morning

Wow - what a morning! Mom and Dad took me to get my picture taken. We were there for nearly 5 hours - we are all exhausted. There are going to be some great pictures from the shoot - at the least I gave everyone some good memories with the pee and poo I spread all over the studio.

I'm gaining weight!

Who would have ever thought that I would be excited about gaining weight? But I am! We got back from the doctor's office this morning and they told us that I have gained 4.5 ounces. It is a big turn around from the last time that we were there and I was still losing weight. The doctor said this is great news - going forward we shouldn't expect this much gain in such a short period. He said normal gain is about an ounce a day.

Mom tells me that in the morning we are going to see the nice lady that took pictures of us before - I'm excited to see what she comes up with.

Food... It's important

We went to the doctor's office yesterday morning. My doctor (Dr. Kilty) is out of town but we
saw a nice man named Dr. Luck. He checked to make sure that I was healthy. I haven't
started to gain weight yet so we are going to go back to see him on Friday to make sure
that I'm eating all of mom's milk.

In the afternoon mom discovered that I really should be eat lots more than I had. We spent all night getting my feeding back on track. Did you know that I am suppose to eat every 2-3 hours whether I am sleeping or not? And each feeding should be for 20-45 minutes! I think my mom was a bit tired because she didn't notice that I was only eating maybe every 4 hours and only a tiny bit. That's why I've been so sleepy. Now that we have that figured out, I am sure to do much better at my checkup tomorrow.

Hugs and Kisses,
Avangeline

My Name is Avangeline Lola Burby

Nice to meet you. It has been a long journey since we last talked - 28 hours of labor, a quick 40 minutes of pushing and I was welcomed into the world by my mom and dad. When the nurse weight me I was 7 pounds 10 ounces and 21 inches long!

It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I was so happy to meet my brothers and some of my other family. Mom and Dad kept me warm and close which made me feel loved and happy.

After eating a good meal and resting for almost a full day, I woke up and enjoyed much more food yesterday (mommy feed me almost every hour)! Things have started to fall into place today, I'm not quite so hungry all the time so I get to rest a little more. The doctors and nurses thought that mom and I were healthy enough to head home, so Dad brought us safely home this morning.

I will keep you updated as I get to know my family a little better and make new friends on my many adventures.

At the hospital!

Dad convinced mom to take us to the hospital this morning at around 6am. They observed us for a couple of hours before admitting us officially into the hospital. They say that I'm coming before we leave the hospital... so I guess that this is it! See you all soon... love Baby A

Waiting is no fun...

It's really not that fun waiting around. I'm not sure what I am suppose to be doing, but it is pretty boring to just hang out and wait for the "right time." Hope to see some action soon!

It's not so comfortable anymore

It's not so comfortable in here anymore... my head is now in between two big bones instead of my soft "nest"and I keep getting squeezed all around. It doesn't leave much time for sleeping and makes me really hungry. I mean really hungry - I need food about every two hours!

Early Labor!

I have been wondering what all of that pushing on me has been lately. Apparently (according to the nice doctor) it has been early labor. We went to see her today and she told us that I have dropped to 0 station (the stations are the number of centimeters above or below the spine my head is - they range from -3 to +3 and at +3 they tell me my head is basically out).

Now the doctor told us not to get too excited as it can take another week for me to move lower and for everything to be ready for birth. The good news is that she sees me coming before my due date which means less chance of needing some of those scary medicines!

Going to get some rest before my big entrance - talk to you again soon.

Boating

Dad took us out on the boat today - it was a lot of fun and really relaxing. I know he was trying to go over some "bumps" to help me along - but I'm not budging! Nope, I've decided that I'm good right here where I am. Who needs to come out and be cold and hungry anyway?

Pictures!

Mom got a sneak at the pictures that we took last week. You can check them out on the photographer's blog at http://photosbykimberly.com/blog/?p=307

Some sleep and food

Well, mom and I have been sleeping a whole lot lately. It seems that every few hours we need a quick catnap. I guess we are just preparing for what is coming next - food, sleep, activity - in about 20-30 minutes chunks.

On the positive side, mom has been feeding me lots of yummy food. Tonight we went to an Italian restaurant - we ate lots of pasta carbonara. Mom says it reminders her of being with dad in Italy.

Not much else has changed - we will let you know when it does!

Doctor's Visit

We went to the doctor this morning, she is a very nice lady that tells me all sorts of stuff I already know. Well, and a few things that I don't. Today she taught Daddy how to feel my different parts - they felt my bottom and where my head is. They also tried to find my heels but I think they mistook my knee for a heel!

The doctor tells us that I'm still too high so it doesn't look like I'll be finding my way out this week... I'll keep working on it though.

I'm full term!

Today is a big day - I am finally full term! I haven't yet reached my "due date" but if I could figure out how to get out of here, I would be just fine. My lungs are fully developed and they tell me that I should practice "breathing", sucking my thumb and blinking so I know how to do these things on the outside.

A couple of interesting facts about me: I'm gaining about an ounce a week (wow) and the circumference (I know a big word for me, but I'm a really smart cookie) of my head, is the same as my shoulders and hips.

Stay cool in the heat out there - Mom keeps me pretty cool in her belly!

My first swim

It was hot today and mommy got a tan! She took me for a swim in our neighbor's pool with all the other kids in the neighborhood. It was so nice to float in the nice cool water. I didn't realize how much work it would be to have all that fun - I'm pretty tired now.

I'm getting bigger too - I know this because I eat a lot and I hear mommy say that none of her clothes fit her anymore. It is so tight in here, I don't know how I can get much bigger before heading out. But, I still can't seem to figure out the right way to go - hopefully I'm getting closer to figuring it out!

Pictures, lots of pictures

Mom, Dad and I had a fun morning, we went to Saturday Market with my brothers, then to get our picture taken. It was so much fun to have a photographer focused on just me. Well, Dad's arms and hands were in the pictures too (and of course, Mom's belly)! I can't wait to see the pictures (in about two weeks) for proofing.

We went to dinner tonight with Grandma and Poppas at a yummy burger place called Five Guys. It was a little disappointing that we didn't get a milkshake but all they had was soda. It was a pretty big day and I am ready for some sleep!

Instruction Manual?

The doctor told me to give a sign when I am ready to come out. Let me tell you, she made it sound a lot easier than it really is! I have been pushing and kicking and nothing seems to give. I realize I'm in a pretty tight spot, but you'd think they could provide me with an instruction manual or something. It's not so easy to find the way "out" and it's not like the other babies can tell me how they did it.

Hmmm, I will have to spend more time thinking about this puzzle...

Watermelon, finally, some watermelon!

Well, it was a pretty boring day today. I shouldn't complain though as it was at least a nice temperature and quite comfortable. As a bonus Mama finally feed me some watermelon! I have been asking for watermelon for days now (I wonder why it took her so long to give me some).

I was really excited to see my brothers tonight. It makes me feel so loved when they give me hugs and kisses each night before bed. I really can't wait to play with both of them. I might be the luckiest girl in the world to have two great brothers.

Waiting on me

Today we had the first of our weekly doctors appointments. It sounds like we will be going to see that nice woman every week until I decide to come out. She said that we are just waiting on me to be ready and that I should pick a way to tell them when I'm ready - either by breaking the water or moving down so there are consistent contractions (for at least an hour). All those choices seem like a lot of work (the other babies tell me that after working so hard to come out, I'll have to sleep a lot).

Well, since everything is just fine in here, I think I'll just stay put for now.

Stretching - It's good for you

Yesterday I had a lot of fun - I played all day, stretching out. I'm not sure where all of that extra energy came from or the extra room, but it sure was nice! I wonder what was happening on the outside - all I could hear were mom and dad talking about someone's ribs breaking. It sounds like that would hurt!

Well, they say I only have 29 days left in here. I figure I better start enjoying my last few days of heaven.

My First Strawberry Festival

Wow - what a day! I woke mom up early and she took us up to watch dad and Uncle Aaron run in the Bill Burby 10K run today. We took a long walk around the festival, it was hot and a lot of fun. A nice african man talked to me today (it was so nice) I wonder if I will meet him next year when I'm on the outside. It was nice to hear someone talk to me rather than just speak about me as if I weren't here. I think people forget that I can hear them.

Hello, I'm in here... can you hear me out there?

Hello, my (current) name is Baby A. I have 5 weeks (really 33 days) left in here and honestly, it is getting a little boring and really quite tight. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice temperature and cozy but I'm a growing girl that needs more room!

I figured that with all of this free time, I would start to tell my stories for all of you to hear. Based on my life experiences so far, I will tell you that my life on the outside is going to be one crazy adventure... but I'm one tough and feisty girl, so I'm sure I'll be able to handle it!