3 Months

Gracie is now 3 months old!

Hard to believe that 12 weeks have come & gone already. SO much is happening with Gracie and has happened in that period of time - it's quite a task trying to keep up with documenting each and every precious moment! Month two Gracie spent quite a bit of time getting to know her hands. It was so much fun to watch her catch them out of the corner of her eye. Then with everything she had, she'd work so hard to study them and then of course maneuver them to her mouth. She has moving her hands to her mouth down pat now and therefore spends much of her time snacking on them.

Just recently she started pulling her legs up and reaching her hands out to them - hard work but she practices everyday and soon enough she'll master it I'm sure. We do lots of talking now and there are some new noises to be heard.

She even likes to chat when she's cranky-pants. :) She is still very curious about her surroundings and gets mighty upset if being held in a position that doesn't allow her to look out at everything. Here she is checking herself out in the mirror:

This curiosity also prevents napping as she doesn't do much of that for fear maybe that she'll miss something...who knows. I can get her to snooze occasionally - and when I do - I'm quick to snap a pic.

Mommy just wants to know where all the sleeping that babies are supposed to do during the day is....?? Speaking of sleeping - Gracie is doing lots more of it at night thankfully! She gave us several 6 hour stretches last week and I thought maybe that sleeping through the night switch that I hear people speak of had finally been flipped but maybe not. The last couple of nights she's been waking more frequently. Could be a growth spurt though and hopefully she'll be back to blessing us with those 6 hour stretches again!

Her hair seems to be growing by the day...it is not growing in as dark as it was when she first arrived. Not quite sure what color yet but thinking light brown or dirty blond maybe...it's awful cute right now though - fuzzy and soft. Her eyes still seem blue-ish. I say "ish" because right in the middle they look more hazel. SO many differing opinions as to when the eye color is set but that's what they look like for now. One thing's for sure her smiles are still captivating and her eyes bright & bubbly. She's been lots of fun so far and undoubtedly the days will just get better as she grows a little more and is able to interact more.

Movin & Shakin :)

Daddy and I did manage to get out for an evening. Steve's birthday was February 1st and we went to dinner. It was lovely to get out and spend some time together just the two of us but we did find ourselves missing our little lady...she did great though and the babysitter said she'd watch her anytime...whew! Success.

As I'm sure most of you are aware - we just got hit with what 2 huge snow events in Baltimore - snow events that evidently made history! We saved the front page for her memory box...

We're trying to make the most of being "stuck". We've spent a fair amount of time shoveling but we are taking time out to see friends and enjoy the time together. Here are a few pictures of our snow event:
Helping our neighbor Stacy play cards...

I have been in my house for 6 consecutive days and I'm starting to feel the not so gentle effects of cabin fever! Steve has made it out to work a couple of days this week but I have not. = (

I'm actually starting to miss work! UGH. It has been beautiful but I am VERY ready for spring and all that spring brings. It will be so nice to be able to get out of the house with Gracie so she can finally see the outside!

That's about all we have to report for now. Next month Gracie gets her passport and Uncle Greg and family come to visit! WooHoo! Lots to look forward to. Until then - Love to all!

Rolling Over

And we're hitting yet another milestone! Here's our big girl rolling over from her belly to her back! WooHoo!

2 Month Stats

She is growing and everything looks great!
Ms. Gracie is now a whopping 9lb 13 oz, 22 inches long with a head diameter of 15cm!

Grow little girl grow!!

Shots went as well as can be expected. She got 3 shots total and cried for a hot second and then she was fine. She will get her next set of shots at 4 months.

That's it for now. See you next month.
Love to all!

2 Months!!

It's pretty crazy to think that already 8 weeks have come & gone. What a busy beautiful 8 weeks it's been! Lots of firsts and so much fun! Let's see - where to begin!

It has been fun watching Ms. Gracie discover her surroundings and herself...she's finding her hands and starting to reach for and grab things...oh that's what those are for! :)

We had our first Christmas together as a family.

This also involved us making our first road trip! Everything went really well - packing with a newborn is lots of fun! haha. Needless to say it requires A LOT of "stuff" and that in turn requires a lot of car room...add Tabi in there & the Jetta was at capacity! Little snug but we made it and she travels VERY well. Just like Mom - soon as you get comfy and the car starts moving - OUT. This is awesome since Steve and I do a fair amount of travel by car. So great that she likes the car - I have heard horror stories about some children and car rides...whew!

Here are a few other pics from Christmas

Candy Cane - thanks Grandpa!

Gracie's first pair o' sunglasses - Thanks Mel & Greg!

How is Gracie changing physically - well, a little everyday it seems! She lost a good bit of the hair she was born with but she hasn't gone completely bald and it seems to be starting to grow back again - and it's dark! Who knows though - could fall out again...we shall see. Her eyes are still blue but with a hint of brown in the middle...so maybe hazel?? I've heard differing opinions on when a baby's eyes are really set...some say 2 months and if that's the case then we have a blue-eyed girl. They are open a lot more and she's certainly curious about her surroundings. Squiggly little thing! Cranes her neck to see everything and funny enough seems to be completely infatuated with the surround sound speakers on the ceiling in our living room. She stares & stares at them. Hysterical. She coos & gurgles & we coo & gurgle right back...our greatest talks happen in the morning. She's at her best in the morning & definitely got that part of her from Daddy! :) She likes to talk to her stuffed animal friends, Elmo especially!

We now get full face smiles that just melt you. Smiles like these:
Sleeping is going a bit better. She will give us a good 3 hour stretch followed by 2 hours - usually. We are down to 1 feeding a night which is awesome! Definitely makes getting through the day a little easier. Although getting up & being up at 5:30/6am is still an adjustment for me! I am NOT a morning person though I am trying very hard to be for her sake! I am now back to work full time which I noted on my last blog. It's going really well and she enjoys being with me...I think :)

Here's Gracie at work talking to her "friends"

Best part is I don't have to miss out on anything nor do I have to worry about where she is - who she is with or what's going on. I would be a disaster I am sure and a total menace to whoevers poor soul we had watching her if we had to do so. Thankfully we don't!

Gracie is still not a huge fan of tummy time which is funny since she hates being on her back! She has started lifting her leg while on her tummy and teetering...this marks the beginning stages of her learning to roll over. Unbelievable how quickly they progress! She likes to blow bubbles and loves to snuggle. So do Mommy & Daddy :)


Life since Gracie arrived has been hectic for sure. In a matter of hours our whole world changed, got flipped upside down and all around and it's been a whirlwind for sure. Wouldn't change it for anything though. Steve and I are finding little moments to spend together and in those moments what do we do?? Talk about Gracie of course! :) She truly has become our entire world but we are enjoying everyday with her and both feel closer to each other than ever before. Having the right partner makes all the difference in the world...

So what's next? This past weekend we had our annual ski/snowboarding trip with our fabulous friends. We had such a great time with our friends. Traveling with Gracie is different but do-able. She does really well out & about and everyone seems to enjoy her company. :)
Here are a few pics/videos from our weekend away.

Tummy time on the boppy is much more successful!

Steve took a video of me boarding down the mountain - SO much fun!

And here's a video of us riding the ski lift back up

Today is her 2 month visit with the doctor and along with that comes her 2 month shots! Thankfully Daddy is coming along for this...I may need him to hold my hand. I will do a quickie update on here with her new 2 month stats later today or tomorrow

:)

All in all, Life is good - and we are blessed. Love you all!

BACK TO WORK!

So...today was my first day back to work after 6 blissful weeks of maternity leave.
OK - so blissful might be a bit of a stretch but it was awesome to be home with Gracie one on one for awhile. We've gotten to know each other pretty well and now we're ready to greet the rest of the world. Or so Mommy says. :)
The day went well! Gracie slept fairly well last night and our morning was pretty relaxed. We actually wound up going in a tad early since we found ourselves ready to go with time to spare. Amazingly enough...
While we didn't accomplish a ton of "work" - as we spent a majority of the day catching up on the latest office gossip - it was great to be back. It's an amazing thing that I can bring Ms. Gracie with me - I cannot imagine leaving her with anyone at this stage in her life. I feel super blessed and I am so thankful that I don't have to miss out on anything with her.
Starting tomorrow we are back to full days. I think she likes the outing and Mommy most certainly does!
Plus it's always nice to hear people ooh & aah over your little one - lets be honest!
I'll have more pictures & news next week. Weekly updates at this point are a bit much for me to keep up with but rest assured I will be doing Monthly updates. And that means next week there will be a new post since she will be 2 months old next Thursday!!
Holy my goodness I cannot believe it! :)
Love to all!

Happy One Month!!

So...it's been a month! 4 weeks, 28 days, 672 hours...you get the drift. :)

Here are some pictures highlighting the adventure of Gracie's first month.

Mom and Dad are surviving and enjoying every single second of every single beautiful day with this little monkey. She's a total joy and seems to be growing a little more everyday. Those of you who are already parents understand exactly what we are feeling and for those of you who have yet to take the plunge - you are in for the most incredible ride of your life!

I'm now a believer and for those of you who know me...it took a long time for this life changing event to come to life but now that it has - well, life is just that much sweeter.

And for Steve, well...about time! He's waited a long, long time for this.

He's in love with being a Daddy as we all knew he would be and I'm amazed everyday I see him interact with Gracie. She's as lucky a gal as I am.

Now as for what we are up to. Daddy is back to work and I luckily have been able to be home with Ms. Gracie. We start our day saying good morning to the world as we walk through the house opening up the blinds to let in the sun. Then the rest of the day is playtime, eating, changing, tummy time (which we are learning to love - ha) and just gazing. Her vision is definitely improving - we have noticed her noticing things farther & farther away. Her startle reflex is starting to diminish and her movements are becoming more fluid. So much fun to watch her develop right before our very eyes. Speaking of eyes - they are still a slate blue around the edges but the very center looks like it may be a tad darker...not sure if that means blue eyes or hazel. We still have some time before they are supposed to really set color wise so we'll fill ya in as they change.

Gracie was 7lb-6oz when she was born and as of her one month visit was 7lb-14oz. She is gaining but gaining very slowly. We are hoping she speeds up the weight gain over the next month but she's definitely one to do things at her own pace. She's grown an inch so far and is now 20 & 1/4inches long. I think she's grown more since that last visit though! We have already outgrown an outfit and I've got a stack of clothing that will never even be worn.

Tabi is adjusting well to having Gracie in the house...better than Steve or I really expected actually. She is still as spastic as ever and of course a little too hyper for Gracie right now...but they'll be playing together soon enough. Or more like Gracie will be chasing Tabi around soon enough! :)

In the interim, Tabi has found a new love...the portable heater. ha

Cannot believe Christmas is here already next week! Before we know it 2010 will be here and Gracie will be 2 months old! I am looking forward to sharing her developments with you at that time! Love you all & hope you have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! xoxo

Week 39 & Beyond!

WOW - so as most of you already know - we are home with our beautiful baby GIRL!
Ms. Gracie Anne Michelle Miller made her appearance November 19th

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Labor & Delivery was quite the adventure. It all started Tuesday night when we thought we might be onto something only to make the trek to the hospital to be told - nope, not today. At my appointment the following day my doctor tells me she may let me go as far out as the 29th and THEN induce me. NOT what I was expecting nor what I was wanting to hear! We were ready for our little one but the doctor didn't seem to think it was time. Wednesday night as we are getting ready for bed around 10, I began to feel a little "off". My back started bothering me more than usual and I kept feeling like I needed to pee...3rd time's the charm I guess because suddenly there was a gush! "Steve...." I think he was more in shock than I was. Could this really be it?? Off we went - and there we stayed! And a mere 16 and a half hours later (!) we were kissing the beautiful face of our little baby girl. There truly are no words to describe how incredibly blessed Steve and I feel to have our little one here. It's definitely not easy, but it's the most rewarding job we've ever had.

Little Gracie is pure joy and we both find it difficult not to sit and stare. The facial expressions and little quirks of hers are so fun to watch. We are so excited to watch her grow each day and get to know her as her personality starts to really develop.

I am working on pics but things as you can all imagine are pretty hectic around the house. Just trying to get into a "routine" - haha - and working on getting Gracie from nights to days...so fun. :)

Special thanks to each & every one of our friends and family for their love & support on this wild ride. You all made our journey that much easier & that much more fun. We love you all!

Ally, Steve & Gracie!

and Tabi too! :)

Week 38

11 days to go & feeling pretty good still! :)

I have to admit I have definitely slowed down significantly in the last few days which is interesting. I have been experiencing more contractions (I think that's what I'm having) though still nothing consistent enough to put us into action. That being said Steve and I made a very impromptu decision to sneak away for a night - probably the last one for awhile! We skipped town with our friends & neighbors Kristin & Vanessa & headed up to Atlantic City for the night. While we didn't win millions we did enjoy our time away.

Steve and I are both pretty anxious about this weeks appointment. Last Thursday we had a sonogram which the doc wanted us to do in an effort to determine how big LM was. As of last Thursday LM was measuring with a weight of 6lbs 14oz! That being said - I'm not sure what that means as far as how my doctor will decide to proceed. We'll find out Wednesday! Here's the best pic the technician could get of LM:

Between the lack of space in there and the little one keeping his/her hands up around the face we couldn't get a great shot though the tech did make several attempts. Ahh well - we'll be seeing your beautiful face soon enough! So this week - what's going on? Little one is chunkin up! According to my weekly source of info - the LM should be weighing around 6.8lbs but we know he/she is weighing 6lbs14oz already! Crazy.

My source also claims that LM should be measuring over 19 & 1/2 inches long like a leek:
These veggie analogies are getting interesting. :)
As far as eye color we may not know for several months following birth though from what I've read if LM comes with brown eyes they will likely stay that color. My eyes are blue and Steve's are hazel/green (depending on his mood) so we'll see. Can't wait!

We are definitely playing the waiting game now. We still have yet to pack the bag for the hospital (I know, I know...) but since the "contractions" are being felt a little more we figure we might try to tackle that this evening. We'll know a little more Wednesday - hopefully - about when we might be able to expect our little one and we will certainly let you all know.

Pretty wild to know that within the next couple of weeks we will have our lives changed forever -pretty wild and pretty much the most wonderful thing we could ever hope for.

Love to all - have a great week!

Week 37

18 days to go! We have officially entered the BIRTH MONTH of our little one. Steve came in Sunday morning and wished me a Happy November and I about fell out of bed! November! Already! I truly cannot believe we are here already and with only 18 more days to the due date. It has gone SO incredibly fast and honestly been such a joyful experience.

This past week while a slightly busy one was a very fun one. Steve got to dress up twice for Halloween. For his work event - his team decided to become Food Network characters - he chose Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes...and made a cake to bring along. He looked great & had a lot of fun with it - here he is as Duff with his cake creation:

We also had our annual Greenhill Halloween party and had a fantastic time as usual! Everyone looked amazing and we all had a great time! Steve was Robert Downey Jr's character from Tropic Thunder - Kirk Lazarus...hysterical! And I was as creative as I could be and went as a Magic 8 Ball...Steve made my shirt & did an incredible job! We had a really great time!

Here are a few pics from the party:

And now onto what's going on with LM

37 weeks = FULL TERM BABY!

Yes, that's right! Should LM decide to come now the lungs should be fully mature and ready for the world! Weight should be around 6 & 1/3 lb & from head to heel LM should be measuring over 19 inches long!

That's about as tall as a stalk of Swiss Chard

Braxton Hicks contractions have been present for a couple weeks now I believe. I confirmed with the doctor last week that the sensations I've been feeling are indeed BH contractions. Although I am having those - LM has not dropped down quite yet so this week when we see our doc, if there's still no progress she will do a sonogram to see what's going on in there. :) LM is still quite active even with the limited space which just means that with each movement I FEEL it! Other than that things are pretty quiet in our house. We went to dinner and the movies this weekend. We wanted to take some time to just enjoy being with each other.

Soon enough our household of 2 will be a 3! We'll keep you posted on any progress...until then...

We hope you all enjoy the rest of your week! Love to all!