Christmas Time

Wow, Christmas blew by this year. We were busy running around and seeing all of our families. We spent Christmas eve at the Shaffer's in Discover Bay and Justin's mom, dad and step-dad were all there. It was such a great evening and Jordyn got lots of nice gifts. We then spent Christmas day with my family and had a wonderful dinner and again Jordyn got lots of lovely gifts. The best was when her daddy and grandad put together her exersauser and put the seat in wrong so that she disappeared when we put her in it. We also got to go by and see Grandpa Arlan's family for a little while before Christmas dinner. Jordyn hadn't met any of them so it was great for everyone to see her, too bad that she was asleep for most of the time we were there. On Sunday we went over to Granny Goose's house and had a nice brunch. It was topped of by lots more gifts and a little spit up on Granny. It was so special to have Jordyn be surrounded by her amazing family. Her first Christmas was such a hit and I can't wait until next year. I'll try and post pictures in the next few days.
Until next time.........

Christmas Pictures

We were really lucky to have our friend Francis come over and take some pictures of Jordyn for Christmas. She wasn't in the best mood that day but the photo's turned out really cute. He did such a great job and took some great pictures. Here are some of them.

Growing like a weed

I sware that she gets bigger and bigger each time I look at her. I took her in for her appointment with the GI Dr. and it turns out she is allergic to milk protein and so she has to be on a special formula. The newest formula has stopped her stomach pain and the grunting which is great. She weighed in at 12lbs 8oz and is now 23.5 inches long. We are getting ready to go to Disneyland next week with Granny Goose, Arlan and the rest of the family, we will be there for Justin's birthday. Once we get back it will be Christmas which is going to be exciting. Below is a picture of her all bundled up to go onto a walk with Grandma and a picture of her with her Aunty Kay who visits her daily at lunch time.

3 Months Aready!

The past 3 months has flown by, I can't believe how much our life has changed since she has arrived. I am back to work now and Jordyn is now going to my mom's during the day. She absolutely loves her grandma and enjoyes her time there so much. As soon as I arrive in the morning Jordyn looks at her and smiles so big. She pretty much stays up all day and comes home worn out from all the fun she has had during the day. I feel so lucky to have my mom watching her while I am at work. Now that I have my own daughter I have a new found respect for my mom and all that she has done and continues to do for me. Growing up you tend to take your parents for granted but now I realize how much they have done for me and appreciate it more than ever.
She now has her first tooth coming in and she has taken to chewing on her fist. My mom snapped this picture of her chowing down today.

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday at Jeff and Tina's house out in Discover Bay. We enjoyed a lovely turkey with all the fixings. Justin and I have so much to be thankful for this year with our beautiful little girl. She is growing like a little weed and seems bigger every day. Here are some pictures from yesterdays dinner.

Jordyn and her cousin Jessica
Jordyn with Granny Goose

Jordyn with her Aunt Tina

Our first family thanksgiving

Smiley Girl

Yesterday Jordyn went to her Nanny and Grandad's house while I went shopping for some work clothes. My mom took this amazing shot of her while she was there. She looks like she is just having the best time and my dad is making her laugh. Today she got to skype with both of her great grandma's in England. It was great for them to see her and how much she is growing. She is starting to make so many noises and kick around all the time. She is a very happy girl most of the time but she lets us know when she is hungry or needs a diaper change. On Tuesday we took her to the eye Dr and he said that she hasn't lost any vision in her eyes and that he wants to see her again in 3 months. He said that she intermitenly(?) goes cross eyed but that since newborns don't have a bridge of their nose it can also give the appearence of being cross eyed too. Hopefully it is just something she will grow out of.
I am getting ready to go to Florida for work on Monday and I will be there until Thursday. I am going to miss her soooo much its crazy. Its going to be so tough to leave her but she will be in great hands while I'm gone. Her dad with lots of help from her grandma's will be taking care of her. I'm looking forward to going back to work but its also a sad that this special time is over for me. I'm hoping to work it out that I can have Friday's off so I can spend time with her but we will see what happens once I get back.

Halloween and 2 Month Appointment

We dressed Jordyn up as a pumpkin for Halloween and she looked absolutly adorable. She didn't like the costume at all but it made us laugh. We took her to her grandparents houses and everyone said she looked so cute. She stayed with Nanny Rose and Grandad and went to the door along with Ellie when the kids came for the candy.

We took Jordyn in for her 2 month check up on Monday, I was so nervous because she was going to be getting her shots. We talked to the Dr and he has referred us to a Pediactric Opthamologist for her lazy eye. Apparenty it is really important to it fixed while she is little so that she doesn't loose vision in that eye. I have made an appointment for her for next Tuesday so I will keep you updated. The Dr also wants us to go and see a dermatologist for the spots she has on her head and big toe. They are broken blood vessels that can grow and he has never seen one that is partially under the nail. We have an appointment for that Dr on December 4th. She screamed when she got the shots and Justin said it looked like I was getting the shots because I was so upset. Apart from those two things everything seems to be going well. I can't believe that she is 2 months old already.

Picnic

Today Jordyn and I went over to Katherine and Hunter's and we took a trip to Walmart and then we had a lovely picnic out at the park. It was such a perfect day for us to be outside enjoying the sun. We layed out a big sleeping bag and ate our lunch. Both of the kids enjoyed looking around and kicking their legs. They are now becoming aware of each other and when Jordyn cried Hunter looked to see what was going on. Here are some pictures we took.....

First Sleepover

Jordyn had her first night away from mommy and daddy and stayed at Granny Gooses house last night. To be honest I think I was more upset that she was, it was so hard to let her go. She had an absolute great time and did really well. Justin's mom gave her a bath and she went to bed at the same time she does at home. She woke up for her middle of the night feeding and went back to sleep. I called a few times to check in and she was having a ball. She was probably spoiled rotten while she was there and didn't want to come home. We have had James and his girlfriend staying with us so it was really nice for us to have a night out with them. I have to admit I was so excited to go and get Jordyn this morning. Its so funny that she has only been here for 7 weeks and its hard for me to remember how it was before she got here. It has been such a life change having her here and I'm so glad she is a part of our family. Everyday she makes me smile (and sometimes want to pull my hair out) and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful little girl.
Until next time.....

Pumpkin Patch

This week Justin's cousin Holly came down from Santa Rosa to meet Jordyn and we took her to the pumpkin patch. I proped her up between 3 massive pumpkins and snapped some shots of her. Holly and I were in absolute tears laughing because she looked so cute and funny. I took her into the Dr this week because we have been having some problems with the formula she gets a night. They weighed her and she now weighs a whopping 10lbs!!!! I can't believe how fast she is putting on the weight. We know she is getting more that enough food. Next appointment is her 2 month check up and she will get her first shots. She will probably weigh 20lbs by then!

Girls Luncheon

I took Jordyn to her first girls luncheon and it was fabulous. It was with my 3 best friends Melina, Chelsea and Jenna and also Melina's daughter Makayla. The big girls enjoyed a nice bottle of champagne and the little girls were very well behaved. Hopefully it will be the first of many more to come for them. Here are some pictures.

Grandparent visits

Last weekend we took Jordyn to visit her Great Grandpa Schaffer and took some pictures. He really enjoyed seeing her and our visit. We also went over to my parents house to visit my mom after her surgery, she is doing great. We went on a nice walk around the block with Grandad Sheward and Ellie, Jordyn cried the whole time because she had pooped her diaper. Once we got her back and changed she cried through dinner for us all. During the week I took her to see her Granny Goose (Justin's mom) at the office. Its great to take her out and about and have her grandparents all living so close. She is getting so big now and her cheeks seem to be leading the pack. Everyday I look at her and can't believe how much she has changed since she was born. She spends more time awake these day and is quite happy kicking her legs and stretching out. Here are some pictures from last weekend....

Nap Time

During yesterday afternoon's nap time I had Jordyn lying on my chest and Peanut on my legs and resting her head on the baby. I had to take a picture because it was just so cute. They were both out cold and were very happy. Last night Jordyn slept for 6 and 1/2 hours which was her longest stretch so far. I woke up in a panic thinking I had slept through a feeding but there she was just starting to wake up. I'm not going to get my hopes up just incase it was a one off, but let me tell you those were the best 6 hours of sleep I have had in a long time. She did however vomit all over me after her feeding but thank god it wasn't in my mouth like a few nights ago.

My growing girl

Well I took Jordyn into the Dr's today and she now weighs 8lbs 4oz. She has gained 3lbs since we bought her home from the hospital. She is getting so big now but is still smaller than Justin was when he was born! Its great that her newborn clothes are actually starting to fit her. We have been busy with birthday parties and getting out and about. She slept her way through Ryder and Makayla's 1st birthdays. Here's a picture of Melina and Makayla with Jordyn and I. I can't believe that both Melina and I are mothers now, it seems like only yesterday that we were in high school. I have also been meeting with my friend Katherine and her son Hunter which is really fun. We get together and have coffee and chat about our kids and what they are doing. It will be nice when they are older and can enjoy it as much as we do. Here are some pictures of us walking yesterday. I need to start walking more often because it was so nice to get out in the sun. Katherine let me try out her Baby Bjorn carrier and Jordyn loved it so I went and got one for her. I can plop her it in and walk around hands free but still keep her close to me. I can't wait to start using it. Jordyn is has also been getting some quaility time with her grandparents and Aunty Kay which is really important. Its so great that she gets to see all of them on such a regular basis. She is already a spoiled little one but in a good way. I have finally got her birth announcements ready to go out in the mail. They turned out really good and I'm so happy with them. I can't believe it has been 5 weeks since she was born. Time flies when your not getting much sleep.....
Until next time.

Picture Day

For our anniversary my mom got us a gift card to The Picture People in the mall. We wanted to get some newborn pictures of Jordyn taken before she got too big. They turned out so great and we are really pleased with them. I thought everyone might like to see the ones we picked out. Cindy bought us a membership to the club at the Picture People so we can get discounts on future pictures. I can't wait until her next photo shoot.

FINALLY.......

Gosh, I am officially the worst blogger in the history of blogging. I keep meaning to sit down and post all the details and pictures about Jordyn's arrival but never get around to it. Well here goes..... At around 2:15am on September 1st my water broke (over the toilet which made Justin very happy). I had been to the Dr the day before and was already dialted to 4.5cm. When my water broke we knew our baby was on the way. We made our way to the hospital and arrived around 3am. I had a few contractions but nothing to major. Once we arrived they actually stopped for a while. I got the epidural at around 6am and they started giving me something to speed up my contractions. The epidural was amazing and I couldn't feel a thing. We had a room full of visitors pretty much from 7am on and it was great. We were all laughing and having fun. Justin went to go and get food with his mom and was going to eat it outside so that I wouldn't get food envy. My sister stayed with me while he was gone. The nurse came in and told me she wasn't going to check me because I wasn't having very many contractions and my Dr would be there shortly. I told her that I felt like I had to poop and so then she changed her mind. She got this look on her face that made me think there was something wrong. Apparently I didn't have to poop I was ready to have a baby. I was fully dialated and at a station 3 (5 is out). She told me not to push because my Dr wasn't there yet but told my sister to go and get Justin. My Dr arrived a few minutes later and after 15 minutes of pushing baby Jordyn was here. She weighed in at 5lbs 11oz and was 18inches long and she arrived at 12:33pm. The labor was great and I didn't feel a thing. We were in love from the moment we met her. We stayed in the hospital for 2 days where they took amazing care of us. Since being home things have been great. Recovery was really tough for me but it is slowly getting better. There have been moments where it can get a little crazy but we are learning as we go. She is gaining weight like it is going out of fashion. Justin stayed home for almost 2 weeks and is now back to work. I spend my days with Jordyn and we are now starting to venture out and about. She is actually a really good baby. I have just ordered her birth announcements so I can get those sent out soon.

I am going to try and do a better job of updating the blog and posting pictures.

Until next time.......

2.5cm already!!

I went to my weekly Dr.'s appointment on Monday and I am already dialated to 2.5cm. I started to have really bad itching last Saturday night and there is nothing they can do for it, it will go away once the baby is born. If she doesn't come before my Dr is going to induce me at the end of next week. I am VERY excited about this. I can't wait to get this child out of me and to meet her. I'll keep you all informed when I know more :-)

3 weeks left!

Wow, so we have 3 weeks left until our due date. I am off work now which is great but its not like I can get any good sleep. I am truly large and in charge now and am ready for this baby to make her appearence at any point. We had 2 wonderful baby showers and got lots of amazing gifts, this is going to be one spoiled child. I am in the process of setting up the nursery and organizing everything. The other day I spent 7 hours doing the laundry and then putting it away. I hate doing my own laundry so spending that amount of time on someone elses was a bit rough. All of her little clothes are so cute and I can't wait to dress her in them. Justin was expecting me to have the baby on my birthday and we made it past that. He is now telling me what are good times for her to come, I'm trying to tell him I have no control. He keeps asking if my hips hurt because someone told him thats a sign its getting close. I think we both are a bit nervous but also very excited.
Until next time....

7 weeks and counting

I just got back from my bi-monthly check up with the Dr. Everything is going according to plan. My blood pressure was a little higher than normal but it is nothing to worry about. Her heart beat was a steady 150 which is normal and her head is down. I can't believe that we are going to have her here in around 7 weeks (give or take). Justin seems to think she is going to come on my birthday (August 17th) but I have told him that I won't be ready for her then. We have our coed shower on August 1st and then my girls shower on August 8th and I'm looking forward to both of them. The nursery is all finished and looks amazing, we are really happy with the final product.
Until next time.....

Nursery and Stroller Pictures

Here are the latest pictures of the nursery and our new stroller. We still have things to add to the room but I wanted to show everyone how cute the furniture and stuff looks so far. It looks so cute and we are both really happy with how things have turned out. As you can see Monkey likes the car seat and didn't mind been carried around in it. Thanks to all of our parents who pitched in to buy this stuff for us, we appreciate it more than you know. Justin finally felt Jordyn move a few weeks ago and she just gets more active every day. We are looking forward to the upcoming showers and seeing all our family and friends together. There is less than 10 weeks until the due date, its going by so fast these days. I'll post more pictures are thing progress.

Lots of Love

Gemma and Justin