Olivia's Birthday Videos

I'm sure Jacquelinne will post some of the pictures we took tonight but until then, here are a couple of videos we took while Olivia was opening her birthday presents.  The reason there are two was I didn't know there was more in the last box.  However, I'm glad we got the second video because Olivia ran to her room and was so cute.  We hope you enjoy.

Video #1:

Video #2:

While looking through our camera, we also found a video we took last year and thought we'd share it with you.  It's amazing for us to see how much she has grown up in just the past 12 months.  

Olivia's 1st Birthday (Last Year)

Our New Bundle of Joy!

We are so excited to be able to say that our sweet Emery Cloe is finally here!  She was born on Tuesday, May 17 at 4:01 p.m.  She is a tiny little one, weighing in at a mere 5 lbs. 11 oz. and measuring 17.5 inches long.  I really can't say I have ever held a baby as fragile and precious as her!  Oh, I just can't get enough of her!

 Dad + Emery

 Dad + Olivia + Emery

 Emery Cloe

Mom + Emery + Olivia

Emery was born three weeks and two days early.  Her early delivery was so unexpected--just Monday, I explained to my mom that I thought I would go full term because of my lack of steady contractions.  Isn't it amazing how much things can change in such a short amount of time?

We are so blessed that she is here with us now and that she is a happy, healthy girl!  We had a doctor's appointment, yesterday, and she is already back up to her birth weight + half an ounce!  The doctor says that she is quite a fighter, and warned us to watch out when she turns about fifteen!

Our Little Beauty

I am so excited to share pictures from Olivia's photo shoot we did on Friday.  The pictures turned out so lovely.  I really couldn't be happier!

This was Olivia's little spring outfit she got for Valentines' Day.

This pictures completely captures Olivia's personality at

fifteen months.  

 I brought one of Olivia's hot air balloons that hangs

above her crib in her nursery.  That personal touch

ended up being WAY cuter than anticipated.

My Wish List

I'm finding myself wishing I had all the money in the world this morning..mostly so that I can buy these for the girls.. 

Yes, this is what I am doing while the baby is sleeping, instead of 1) Teaching at school because Olivia and I are very sick and 2) working on my many blogging clients.  I guess I deserve a break after being on a conference call with one of them until almost 11 o'clock last night.

P.S. Please let me know when Old Navy is having a 50% off sale so that I can buy all of these things.  Thank you, in advance. ;)

One Excited Girl About Her Pigtails

 ..Olivia told me to tell you all this..

Hey, Guys!  Today my mom finally decided to do my hair and we found out that my hair finally can be put in pigtails.  I think it's pretty cute and I ran around the house flaunting my new do.

 {This is my excited face.  Aren't I the cutest?}

{From the top.  Mom did a pretty good job.}

Girls, girls, girls

Yes, it's a miracle that I have actually blogged as much as I have this week.  And, yes, baby #2 in the Altom household is another girl.  I am THRILLED!  I love my baby girl more than anything, and even though she's a total diva sometimes {well, most of the time}, I secretly love it and can't wait for two little divas to be running around here!

I can't wait to have another girl to doll up, terrorize with headbands until she's old enough to do bows; and, thank goodness someone else will get to wear that closet full of adorable newborn shoes.  I feel completely justified, now.

But, really, we couldn't be more excited about having another baby girl join our family.  She is perfectly healthy thus far and already loved more than she'll ever know.  You'll also be relieved to know that we have decided on two names: Emery or Lucy.  We love both names and think it may be a little hard to decide, so opinions, please!?

If Liv and I are going to fight over anything..

It's going to be a clothing catalog.  Seriously?  Yes.

Fifteen minutes ago Olivia fell and hit her head on the coffee table and immediately I grabbed for a clothing catalog that just came in the mail and flipped it open.  I ran to the feet of my hysterical child and excitedly exclaimed, "Clothes!"  Olivia sat straight up, stopped crying and grabbed the catalog out of my hand. 

A few minutes later I picked up the catalog and began flipping through the pages.  Out of no where Olivia looks up from across the room, gasps, and runs across the room toward me.  She grabs the catalog out of my hand, runs to the other side of the room and puts her blanket over herself.

I walk over to her and try to trade her a toy for the catalog and she just sticks her nose up in the air at me.  What a little stink.  So I try and pry the catalog out of her hands and before we know it the magazine is being tossed all about as we both try to claim what we rightfully think is ours.  It only took me probably about thirty seconds until I stopped and thought to myself, "What am I doing?  Yes, I am fighting over a catalog with my one year old."  And so I decided that it is my moral obligation to be the bigger person and let her look through the catalog first.

What a girl.  Girl, with a capital "G."

A much needed update..

So many wonderful things have been happening lately that I almost feel overwhelmed at where to start a blog post.  As Craig so eloquently announced a few weeks ago on our blog, we are expecting another baby in June.  We couldn't be more excited--I'm already finding myself nesting.  I have been organizing and cleaning out our apartment ever since we got back from the long Christmas break to make room for the new baby.  I even got a beauty of a dresser for our bedroom--a purchase way overdue.

We find out next Wednesday the gender of our baby.  Yes, I am already 20 weeks pregnant--I can hardly believe I'm half way through.  May the next half be just as fast and painless (without the morning sickness, though, please).  I truly think we are having another girl, but hate the fact that if we are, Craig and I will probably continue to debate about the name up until the day she is born.  Blah!

Craig and I both started school, again.  Yes, Craig is still attending and I am teaching.  Kind of funny to think of it that way.  As far as I know Craig is really enjoying his new classes and has already come home with great reports about his last semester of classes!  Wahoo!  So proud of you, honey!!

I am loving my classes this semester.  I have to just sit back in awe at these kids--what a blessing these young, brilliant minds are.  I love watching them grow and learn.  This experience has literally been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life--and they probably have no idea how much they have impacted my life for the better.  Thank you, kiddos!  Even you eight rowdy 7-9 years old's in my Creative Writing class.  At the time you seem a bit overwhelming and chaotic, but as soon as I get home and tell the Mr. about my school day, I find myself already laughing at your behavior.

Olivia is still my cutest, best girl!  She is learning so much, lately, and I couldn't be more proud of her.  She had the time of her life at Grandma and Grandpa Evans' last weekend while Dad and I got away for the weekend (what a wonderful break that was, by the way).   When we walked through the door after being away from her for the night, she didn't even flinch or crack a smile.  She just looked at me like, "Man, Mom, I was havin' a good time before you got here."  haha  She knows she can't live without me, though.  Take today {for instance}  I drop her off at the babysitter and she cries the whole time and wouldn't eat or nap.  The only thing that would fix it is curling up with a tube of M&M Mini's and me on the couch before bed.  Yes, you can't live without me, girl!  And the truth is, I can't even begin to think about living without you, either!

The other day I took a break from my hectic blogging work to spend the morning with Olivia.  Just girl time.  We both cut our finger nails and toes, put on lotion and did our hair.  It sounds like the dumbest thing, but being a Mom isn't as glamorous as you think, and having those few moments to pause from the world and have "Me" time with my daughter made my whole world.  And she loved every girly minute of it.  I love that you are just as girly as me, Olivia.  You have loved shoes, great outfits, and chocolate since day one.

So life is good in the Altom household.  We feel so blessed to have each other and couldn't be happier just being together, enjoying each other, and watching our love grow more and more everyday.  Everything isn't always perfect and we probably should do the dishes more often and keep things tidier, but things seem pretty perfect to me right now.  I love you Craigo and Liv.  You are my whole world!

My Baby Girl Is One Tomorrow

I have a lot to be grateful for today.  My heart is absolutely full!  Tomorrow is the first birthday of my little girl, Olivia.  What a joy this first year has been.

As I sat, reminiscing [if you will], about where I was at at this exact moment one year ago, I couldn't help but remember what was going through my mind.  Excitement, fear, anticipation.  I was in the beginning stages of labor.  My contractions had started around 7:30 pm while I was on my way home from work.  I had made a trip into the hospital the night before, only to be sent home, so tonight I was going to wait it out at home as long as I could.  I didn't want to be sent home twice.  There's nothing worse than seeing a janitor cleaning the hallway in the hospital on the way in and being told, "Oh, that stinks!"  As you pass him on the way back out a few hours later.

I sat at home until around midnight and, as soon as I began to feel so nauseous that I began to throw up, I knew it was time to leave.  I remember getting in the car and driving off into the dark night.  We were going to have our baby!

When we got to the hospital I remember going up the elevator and feeling my heart beating really well, now.  Adrenaline rush!  I remember dressing into my gown and getting into bed.  Oh, how uncomfortable that bed was.  I don't remember the times as well as Craig, but I think it was about one o'clock when the doctor came in and broke my water and gave me an epidural.  The epidural was painless and not half as bad as I thought it would be.  In fact, I think the worst part was just having my IV put in my hand.  It might as well have been the first day on duty for the first nurse that tried to put the IV in my hand.  My vein kept jumping and she couldn't get the needle in.  It hurt surprisingly A LOT and I tried to play it all tough, but tears were running down my face.

My mom used to joke about how weird the epidural was and having to holler at my dad to help her slide her legs back on the table.  I had no idea how funny this actually was until I lived it.  Maybe our legs really aren't sliding at all, it's just a combination of the drugs and the fact that we can't feel or control anything at all from our waste down.

After several hours of having the epidural I was very ready to be done.  I was nauseous, uncomfortable, and tired.  I don't know how people can sleep in a hospital bed or even relax enough to fall asleep while you're in labor for that matter.  My attempt at obeying my doctor and sleeping was not very successful.

I must have fallen asleep, because my doctor woke me up at nine o'clock and told me that I was fully dilated and ready to go.  I panicked and my initial reaction was, "I'm too tired."  I was scared out of my mind.

The next few minutes were not half as bad as I thought they would be, though.  My doctor joked with me that I couldn't tell anyone in Relief Society about how easy the actual delivery was.  Phew! 

There's nothing more magical than the first moment with your baby, though.  I will never forget when all of the doctors had left and it was just our little family.  The spirit testified to me so powerfully that my baby was truly a daughter of God.  Her spirit was so strong and beautiful.

She's finally here!

One of my favorite things of this day was watching the proud dad show off his little girl.  I think I have never heard of a prouder Dad, flaunting and showing off his little girl in the nursery after she had taken her first bath.  My family couldn't get over how much they loved Craig holding Olivia up like a scene out of Lion King while they all stood, ecstatic, behind the glass wall of the nursery.

 

Olivia and Daddy right before we left the hospital.  Bundled up in the quilt her great Aunt made her.

 

Craig loved the cafe' in the hospital.  He was one happy boy at this moment.

Over the next few hours and days I can't express enough gratitude to the friends and family who came to visit our new family in the hospital and showered us with your love, support, and beautiful gifts for Olivia.  It truly meant the world that you all sacrificed time out of your busy lives to celebrate the birth of our baby girl.  What a special moment that we will never forget.

My new baby and me!

So little!