12 weeks

I did this great 10 week post with pictures and was just waiting to add her height/weight stats. I come back and the draft is GONE. :( I'm sad because I wrote some really fun things too. 

Well, at TWELVE weeks this is Miss Olivia Rae:

Current stats: at 2 month check up you were 21.25 in tall (8th percentile), 9 lbs 3 oz (9th percentile). You are a petite little thing!

-Her personality is all girl. Very emotional, either very UP or very DOWN. It's funny because sometimes just fixing the problem (diaper, hunger, hot, etc) doesn't calm her down. Sometimes she just really needs to be comforted through it. Like I said, ALL GIRL. I kinda love her for that though.

-Loves to "talk" and interact. She smiles and has laughed a few times. Daddy got the first smile and first laugh so that was pretty special.

-Sleeps GREAT. We put her in her room on her 12 week birthday and it was a pretty seamless transition. She is about 1/2 and 1/2 on sleeping all night (8 or 9ish to 6 or 7ish) and needing one nighttime nursing (somewhere between 3 and 5). No complaints on sleep for these parents. 

-Usually naps about 3 times a day. A short 30-45 min nap (usually at the gym with me), a long 1-2 hour midday nap, and another short nap around 5 or 6. 

-Loves trees and being outside BUT hates being hot. 

-Loves her daddy so much! She smiles as soon as he walks in the door. 

-She definitely tracks with her eyes, knows who mom and dad are, can grasp stuff (by accident though not grabbing on  purpose), and loves to stand up. She is tolerating tummy time more and more. Still not her favorite. 

-We are FINALLY fully in 0-3 month clothes and out of newborn stuff. Now she has much cuter clothes! 

-This also means...we are big enough for cloth diapers! So excited about this! 

-Another biggie is that she had her first babysitters, Lita and Popi, while Mom and Dad had a nice date day! 

That's all I can think of right now. She goes for a 3 month weight check on the 11th. But she's definitely growing, happy, and being such a little personality! 

She's so fun! 

39 weeks

Nursery is done.
Laundry is done.
House is clean.
Last day of work is Thursday (tomorrow!).
Car seat is in the car.
Dog sitter is on-call.
Bags are packed.

Everything is ready for her to arrive.

This has been an interesting week for me. I have had some moments where I am Ms. Grumpy-pants. I like to be in control and to have things "just-so". Not knowing when she will get here drives me crazy and I'm getting impatient!

I've had non-grumpy moments this week too. Excited, about meeting her so soon. Thankful, that we are both so healthy, thankful, for a supportive, loving husband who is probably more excited than I am, thankful, for God's provision and feeling so "ready". Melancholy, because I have to acknowledge that the days of it just being Tommy and I are drawing to a close.

The past four years have been truly incredible. As I look back, I am so grateful for the journey Tommy and I have had as a married couple thus far. If I had to characterize our relationship right now, I might say EASY. This may sound strange, and I don't mean LAZY or that it requires no work, but that we have grown into a place where being intentional with our relationship comes naturally and doesn't feel like WORK, but a JOY. The effort we have continually placed at spending time with one another, communicating well, and learning each other fully, has created this EASE at being one in marriage. We know each other SO well. Conflicts happen but they are just easier- it is easier to be unselfish and apologize when we have wronged each other. And actually, because we know each other, conflicts are easily avoided because we know what the other needs (or doesn't need) at any particular moment. We have found that when we know each other so deeply, we are more confident to serve one another unselfishly. When we are focused on serving each other more than serving ourselves, things work right. And we are free to focus on each other because we TRUST that our needs will be met- because I know that he knows what I need, and he knows that I know what he needs.

I am so, so thankful for the time that we have had. My prayer for the next week (or however long!) is that we relish and linger in our last moments as just husband and wife. I don't want to wish the time away (although I'm so excited to meet Olivia). I have treasured the past four years with my husband and I want to treasure every moment we have together until our family grows.

By the way, things are progressing (I guess). Nothing crazy yet though. Lots of practice contractions which can be kind of annoying at times but not really painful. They are getting stronger- I've started timing them a few times but they don't continue to progress. Sleep has moved from great to just ok. I'm waking up alot more for potty breaks as she continues to move down. And sometimes her moving or contractions keep me up. But it isn't horrible. Not very hungry anymore. More tired (probably b/c I'm not sleeping as well). Haven't been to the gym since Thursday (3/21). I'm ok with it. I've lasted a long time and I just haven't felt up to it this week. She measured small at our sonogram on Friday (3/22). But not dangerously or disproportionately so. She's just little. Neither Tommy or I are huge people so that makes sense. Pics are actually 38 weeks preggers. Any day now!

Her name.

Just realized I needed to record this somewhere other than my iphone notepad :)

Olivia Rae.

Before we even knew we were having a girl, we had quite a long list of girl names. They were just easier to think of than boy names for us. Also, I was really set on naming a firstborn son after Tommy so I didn't really get into other boy names. (He still isn't sold on it)

Our one commonality for girl names was that they were (somewhat) of the Latin/Hispanic origin. We love the exotic, beautiful sound of these names and wanted a way to carry a little piece of my heritage into her name (since baby would forever be a "Byrd"). Olivia wasn't even on the list at first (and no, I'm not divulging the other names). Tommy suggested it one day though and it quickly climbed the top of our list.

When we found out the baby was officially a girl, Olivia and another name were our top 2. The other name was a little less traditional and uncommon. After mulling it over for a week or so, looking up the meaning, and finding affirming scripture, we just "felt" this baby was Olivia.

Rae is my sister's middle name. She is my only sister and we are very close. I think Rae is a beautiful middle name, loved the way it sounded with Olivia, and love that we can honor my sister with giving her a namesake. Additionally, after researching the meaning and landing on more affirming scripture, it was meant to be.

"Olivia" basically means olive. Biblically, the "olive branch" was a sign to Noah that flood waters were receding. Historically, it became a symbol of peace both in early Christianity and ancient Mediterranean culture. Tommy and I's prayer for our daughter is that she would walk in the peace and promise of God and would carry this peace before and behind her as a light to everyone around her. We pray that this peace will guard her heart and mind as she lives life here on earrth.

"And the PEACE of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 NIV

"Rae" comes from the Hebrew "Rachel" meaning sheep. Sheep/shepherd analogies are all over the Bible. Our prayer for our little one is that she would simply know and follow her Shepherd.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." John 10:14 NIV

So, little Olivia Rae, may you be a woman of God who is guarded by the peace of God, knows, and follows Him all the days of your life.

36 weeks

Looking forward to SPRING BREAK!

And some more of this sweetness.

I finally finished her dresser!! I will post some before, along-the-way, and after photos. I have to say-I'm SOLD on Annie Sloan Paint products. Totally worth the price.

Prayers for our little family:

-that baby girl stays healthy

-that I stay healthy and feeling well

-grace and energy as Tommy works hard through busy season

-grace and energy as I work hard to wrap things up in preparation for my leave

-praises for a God who has provided above and beyond- health, finances, peace, excitement. so floored by the unmerited favor of a God who cares for us more than we can fathom.

So looking forward to Friday and the coming week. My MIL and SIL are here this weekend for a wedding dress fitting (for my SIL). My sis and her family will be here this weekend as well. Excited to have my mommy come help me wash/clean/organize/decorate on our Spring Break- all the things she is good at! I'm giddy with excitement about Olivia's pending arrival!!!!!

Anticipation.

31 weeks pregnant.

Images courtesy of Jim Herndon at On Location Portraiture.