2 Months!

The past month since my last update has passed SO quickly! Our little peanut is already 2 months old! In the last month we have had some great milestones:

So many Smiles!

Evelyn has been sleeping between 7-9 hours for her long stretch...

this was the first 8 hour night.  I felt like a new woman!

We began putting her in the Bumbo Chair.  She LOVES it!  She thinks she is so fancy looking all around all on her own.  

Seriously, isn't she darling?!

Happy 2 Month Birthday!

(Feather is always so interested in what we are doing...hence the paw above the 'm')

 Such a big girl...

Evelyn is a wonderful baby.  She has her fussy moments, but she is easily calmed. She loves to smile, talk and coo!  Her Papa can always get a big smile out of her.  

Evelyn loves to be held, talked to and LOVES to be sung to.  She also seems to enjoy her baths! She seems to be noticing the dogs more and more...it's fun to see her look at them and track them!  She still hates to be wet, or hot, but also doesn't like to sit in her swing and not be the center of attention.  Even when we just want to eat, she likes to be talked to the entire time!  Lately she has been refusing the bottle.  We will have to work on this before I go back to work! eek!

She loves when you sing to her and use her arms to act out the song.  Wheels on the Bus and If You're Happy and You Know It are big hits around here.  

We do a lot of singing at ECFE, she is the youngest by a couple months, but she seems to like the interaction with others.  She is notorious for falling asleep before it is over!    

I go back to work in just a few short weeks.  I can't believe that my leave is almost over, however I am lucky she will be taken care of by family...I will miss my little stinker!

Her big two month appointment, shots and all, is tomorrow morning.  I am a little nervous, but just because I don't want to see her in pain!  

Last week we celebrated my 29, yes 29th birthday and tomorrow John and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary.  I can't believe how fast time has gone.   It will also be Evie's first Valentines Day!  She is really excited and has a couple of festive outfits she can't wait to wear.  Also, at the end of the week we will be welcoming another cousin into the family.  Tacjana and Matt (Tyler and Dylan, too) will welcome Baby Boy #3 on Friday! Evie can't wait to have a munchkin her size!

February is such a fun filled month!!!

Love to all
xoxo,
Andrea

It's Already Been a Month!

Here is what we have been up to for the last few weeks...

It's hard to imagine that just one short month ago I looked like this:

Ya, I know HUGE!

Then we got to meet our little Peanut! 

Isn't she Beautiful?!

Can she stay this little forever?

Meeting Santa!

Sleeping Beauty...can't take enough pics of her sleeping..

Ruffle Booty!

New Year's Eve!

Meeting Mama's Co Workers for the first Time!

Loves the Baby K'tan

Wide Awake

Happy One Month Birthday!

These are only the photos from my phone...!  We have taken more photos and video in the past month than in the past year!

Evelyn is still a good eater, and is even a pretty good sleeper. She sleeps for about 4-6 hours for her long stretch, then after a feeding will go back down for another 3-4 hours.  

She is wide awake in the morning, and has even started SMILING!  She loves to be held, carried in the Baby K'Tan, smooched, talked to, and her nook.  She does not like to be wet (who would!) or hot (she is a little heater!).  

We have had lots of adventures so far.  Shopping, visitors...you name it!  We visited her Great Grandma in Wisconsin before Christmas, and we also went out to Red Wing to visit her Nana's side for Christmas.  We stayed close to home and went to the next door neighbors for New Years Eve.  This Mom even had some wine! Oh how I miss wine :)

 We start ECFE (early childhood family education) class next week in Minnetonka (our school district) with other babes 0-6 months.  Should be fun to meet other families with young ones in our area!

We hope you are also recovering from the holidays!  

xoxo, 

Andrea

Welcome Evelyn Krystyna Kalligher!

 She is FINALLY here!

On Monday, December 10, 2012 John and I welcomed Evelyn Krystyna Kalligher into the world at 8:37am weighing 8 lbs 3 oz, and was 21" long.  John and I have truly been blessed.  She is perfect with 10 fingers, 10 toes a full head of dark brown hair and even a little birthmark on her right shoulder.

First Family Photo!

Smooches...don't mind my double chin :)

Getting to know eachother

Papa holding his baby Girl for the first time

Nana and Baby Evelyn

My rockin photographer Katie and Evelyn...

I had a fabulous Birth Team of John, Kiki and Katie....They were encouraging, caring and also kept me going through the 26 hours (VERY start to finish)...and the 2, yes 2 hours of pushing.  

Wide awake

One Day Old...loving the pink

 Dr had us put her in the sunlight to help with the mild jaundice, apparently it was too bright!

Sleeping Beauty...

Maternity Pics

Big Name Reveal!

It's already been a week!  We had a Dr appt on Friday, and she was back up to 8 lbs, 5 oz...two oz. over birth weight!  As of today on her One Week Birthday we had a visit from the Home Care Nurse, Evelyn is up to 8lbs 13 oz!!  Needless to say, feeding is going well, and as of today, sleeping is going well, too...even at night!  

John has taken to his new role as 'Papa' VERY well.  Doing Laundry, cooking, being the 'Water Warden' (making sure I stay hydrated!)...all in all he is making my job of feeding much easier as I don't have to worry about the house or the pups.  By the way, Brooklyn and Feather are adjusting well.  They love to sit in the nursery while I feed Evelyn, and they come running when she cries.  They are interested in her, but not overly, so she can have her space.  

We have had lots of visitors, and are adjusting to our Family of 3 quite nicely.  

Thanks for all the love and happy thoughts:)

xoxo,
Andrea

Happy Due Date, Baby Girl!

Well, we have  made it.  Not to the birth, but to 40 weeks!  I truthfully never imagined that I would ever be THIS pregnant.  As of yesterday, there is still no progress of Baby Girl's prepardness of entry into this world.  However the Doctor, and what feels like everyone who has had a baby, has reassured me that 'things can change overnight' and 'she will come when she is ready'.  I am growing to hate that last phrase, but probably because it is the truth!

Christmas decorations are up, even Nana (Kiki) has Baby Girl's Christmas Stocking in hand...secret name on it and all.  We are anxiously awaiting her arrival.  I said we are not to put up her stocking until she is here.  We do not want to reward the negative behavior of her not arriving.... :)

p.s. Props to the Hubbs for dealing with me and the moods/meltdowns over the past few weeks.  He is a good man.

Let me take you on a the journey that is my changing bump over what feels like forever the last 40 weeks...

We will keep you all posted of when she decides to make her appearance!

xoxo,
Andrea

37 Weeks of Fun

The last few weeks have been fun filled.  Anticipating Baby Girl, Halloween, prepping for Thanksgiving (yes, we are hosting...figured with or without Baby it would be nice to be at home!), John's 30th..yes 30th Birthday and even attended a book signing.

On Halloween we had our annual work chili cook-off.  Last year I apparently made some good chili, because I WON!  I have had the honor of displaying the 'GREAT EP PEPPER' above my desk for the last year.  So, I attempted to make more great chili.  Either I am losing my touch, or others just got better.  I won 3rd, so overall not bad!  I did have to give up this great trophy...I am sure my co-workers are happy not to have to see it everyday!

The pups and I did kinda dress up for Halloween...

 Brooks...the getaway driver for the Headless Horseman

Feather the protective Sheriff

Baby Girl and I...Thing 1 and Thing 2

The pumpkins that greeted our 5 trick or treaters!

We did celebrate John's 30th Birthday yesterday with lots of food (it's the way to a man's heart, right?)...including Peanut Butter Brownies with a '30'!

Brooks loves to snuggle the bump that is Baby Girl.  Maybe this is just a glimpse into our future...

A great friend, Anna and I went to a book signing for the fabulous DIY/Decorating/Life blog called Young House Love.  Anna and I were totally geeked out..you would have thought we were meeting the President or even Brad Pitt.  Even after waiting for almost 2 hours we were still smitten kittens. Sherry (our new BFF below) loves ceramic animals, so we bought some darling owls from West Elm, where the book signing was, and had them sign our book and owls. Good thing a portion of the purchase price of the owls go to St. Jude...made us feel better about the purchase!

Check out their Blog...you may become addicted!

After last week's doctors appointment left me discouraged (really was hoping they would say, Oh! you are dilated enough...just head over to the hospital) when the dr told me I had ZERO indication this Baby Girl was ready to leave the nice comfy space I am renting her...we are hoping todays appointment will at least show some progress! Mind you I have been ready since the day before I hit 36 weeks and put my fully packed suitcase in the trunk!  p.s. yes the car is back fixed and has the carseat base in it.  I am a little weirded out driving with an empty infant carrier in the car.  The carseat is on the list of things of 'Things to Grab Before Leaving For the Hospital' that is by the door!  If I happen to be at work, Justin, John's Brother that lives with us will be responsible for the list...good thing I have written the last known wearabouts of each item :)

I really have enjoyed being pregnant as I have had it pretty easy.  But the fact I have resorted to purchasing this one pair of shoes that fit, I am over this whole being swollen thing...I am officially sporting FUZZY CROCS.  This pretty much goes against all of my previous beliefs for adult shoe wear.  However, at almost 38 weeks preggo and +50 lbs...I don't know why I didn't invest in these earlier.  They are pretty much the most comfortable shoes EVER.

With that I will leave you with my 37 week pic...and one request.  Positive vibes towards Baby Girl...we want to meet this fully cooked tiny human!!

xoxo,
Andrea

34 Weeks and READY!

As I have bragged to most, I have had a very easy pregnancy.  Nothing has changed other than I sure know how to cook 'em!  This baby girl was estimated a week and a half ago to be about 5lbs 6oz!  Yes, they can be wrong (supposedly only a pound either way), but still, she is in the 89th percentile!  The doctor so reassuringly (and humorously) told us "well someone needs to be in the 89th percentile, and it looks like it is you!"  I would be more than ok if Baby Girl makes her appearance after the next couple of weeks.  She will be for the most part fully cooked at 36 weeks, and just putting on more weight! 

She and my belly are getting bigger and bigger, and with that comes discomfort and pressure.  Without going into the nitty gritty details, she is big, and running out of room...fast!

John and I feel we are all prepped and ready to go.  The first week of October we attended a full weekend of baby classes at Amma Parenting Center.  We had Newborn Care, Breastfeeding and a full day of Preparing for Childbirth.  I think we feel we will make a good team throughout this process!  Nothing came as a shock (phew!) during the classes so that was good!  They gave a lot of great information, resources and offer support before and after labor.

On Sunday, October 13, Kiki and my Aunt Teresa, with the help of Katie and my cousins Tacjana and Krystyna they threw me a wonderful baby shower.  They did a ladybug theme of red and black to match Baby Girl's room.  So many friends and family came and were SO generous!  They asked everyone to bring a favorite book to help start Baby Girl's library- so many fun books!  It was great to see everyone at my house, and show everyone my big growing belly :)  When John came home to all of the wonderful gifts and stories of the afternoon we both felt humbled and thankful that this baby is so loved and we have so many fabulous people in our lives that support us. 

In another attempt to prepare, Kiki and I made freezer meals on Monday!  With the help of Pinterest and our other recent experience with Let's Dish we found recipes, shopped, cooked and froze lots of meals.  We figure it will be much easier to throw something in the crock pot or in the oven pre-made instead of cook when we are in the haze that this baby girl will bring to our lives.  More to come on how the meals actually taste :)

So now that we are educated, will be fed and were showered with gifts for Baby Girl, we had a tour of the birthplace last night!  I will be delivering at Fairview Riverside.  They have a brand new beautiful Amplantz Children's Hospital.  We feel that if for some reason, something goes wrong, we are in the best hands possible.  That, and Kiki works at Riverside so she will make sure we get the best! With that, we feel like we are really ready to bring this baby into the world!

The last couple items on the checklist are:
1. Install the carseat next week (I have rental car through the end of this week as a few weeks ago wonderful person side swiped us on the highway, and kept driving, - yes we are all ok, just the drivers side of my car was damaged)
2.  I need to finish packing my hospital bag.  This has been a little overwhelming because I am an overpacker by trade.  You just never know what you will need!  So I complied a few lists from the trusty internet, consulted with some friends who have recently had babes and I think I am on the right track.  It's not like I will be in a foreign country or can't send John home to get me something, but I also like to be prepared for all situations and not feel scattered! 

Of course there are many things we cannot prepare for, but such as life.  We do not know when she is coming, how she will make her grand appearance, what we will act like with little sleep and having a newborn, and many, many other things!

Now that you are caught up on all of our baby prep...here is the latest bump pic...getting big!

When I get the shower pics from Kiki, I will post all of the fun.  Hope all is well.  xoxo, Andrea