The Development of Festus Foo

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-02T14:54:00.004-06:00

We had a GREAT Halloween! This was Riley first time going trick-or-treating so we all were very excited. We started out by going to the shops at Brookside for their big trick-or-treat event. It was PACKED. Riley got lots of candy, and Connor got lots of "oohs" and "ahhs". Riley was very overwhelmed by all the people and pretty much shut down after a little while. We will skip that event next year. We took a break to re-energize at a Mexican restaurant in Brookside, where Riley got to eat one of her favorite foods...SALSA! She basically just used her chip as a spoon for the salsa. After that we headed home, took a potty break, fed Connor, and then headed out into the neighborhood. Riley definitely preferred this method of trick-or-treating! She was demanding, while polite at the same time, saying "treat" followed by a "thank you". What was funny was that she kept trying to go into people's houses! When they opened up the door she would try to casually step in. I didn't predict that would be an issue with our outing! We made our way to the neighborhood "treat stop" that some of her neighborhood friends were hosting completed with apple cider, hot chocolate, cookies, a fire in the fire pit, and beer for Steve. Riley enjoyed sitting by the fire and Connor got lots of attention.

This Halloween was GREAT fun and I am excited for next year when both kids are old enough to enjoy it. I think we will try tackling carving pumpkins next year too!

Growing Up

2009-10-24T16:41:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that it is time for Connor to start solid foods already! I was going to wait a couple more weeks to start him on them, but decided to give it a try today and see if he liked it and was ready. He was very unsure of this new substance in his mouth, but by the end of the feeding he was doing great and was swallowing the cereal with no problems. Although you can't tell from the pictures I did get several smiles during the event. I'm sure the blandness of rice cereal didn't help the experience too much, so I plan to get a few sweet potatoes tomorrow, so I can make those for him to try. I would think that would taste MUCH better.

Louisburg, KS Cider Mills

2009-10-24T16:25:00.004-05:00

We took Riley (and Connor) to the pumpkin patch last weekend. It was very windy and busy, but we still had fun! Riley's favorite part was the goats. She thought is was pretty cool that she could pet them and she tried to feed them some dried corn she found on the ground. She was kind of disappointed when they wouldn't eat it from her hand. They also had a very large corn maze that we were concerned we wouldn't make it out of. And boy did it STINK!! Nothing like the smell of rotting corn to welcome in the Fall season. Riley also got a chance to pick out a pumpkin that she wanted and we had apple cider and cider donuts for snack. Riley isn't a big juice drinker, so she wasn't interested in the cider. She thought the donut was pretty goo though!

A Good Start to Fall

2009-10-07T16:13:00.003-05:00

Connor's is now 4 months old and he had his 4 month check today. He is doing great and he was smiling and laughing at the doctor the entire time during the exam! It was so cute! He only cried for about 10 seconds with his shots too. Such a trooper!! He is a little small, but that was to be expected since he was only 5 lbs. 11 oz at birth. He weighs 12 lbs. 2 oz (5th percentile) and is a more "normal" 24.25 inches (25th percentile). Doc is very pleased with his growth (2.75 lbs. and 3 inches in two months) he is just going to be small for awhile.

He is a VERY smiley baby and I love it! He is also laughing more often and talks/coos almost constantly when he is awake. He is also a thumb-sucker, which I am actually OK with since he is able to self-soothe. He enjoys sitting up with help and holds his head up really well. He normally sleeps 10 hours straight at night, which is nice since Riley has sleeping issues. Riley and Connor have been sharing a room for a couple weeks now and it is going pretty well.

Riley is now almost 23 months old! It's hard to believe that she is going to be 2 soon. She is doing fantastic with potty training and is accident-free most days. She also wakes up dry most mornings. She is talking in two word phrases consistently and says some three and even four word phrases sometimes. She is big into "pretend play" and will use "trash" and pretend that it is something of value. Her latest find was a cardboard piece that was rolled kind of like binoculars. Riley decided that it was a camera and ran around telling people to "cheese" and would then take their picture. I am trying to work with her on her colors and numbers, but it is going slow...I know it will come soon enough though! We are also working on jumping. Riley's biggest struggling is sleeping, and just when we think we have solved the problem, we have another breakdown in her sleeping.

Here are some recent pictures.

3 Months Old

2009-09-12T18:12:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that 3 months have already passed since Connor was born. In the last month he has developed a definitely personality! He is a VERY smiley boy, and smiles at me almost constantly. He also enjoys his playmat, specifically watching the light-up star and batting/kicking the dangling toys. In the last two weeks he also also become a thumb sucker! I am actually VERY excited about this because Riley never learned to self-soothe for some reason and it has always caused us problems with her sleeping. I realize that I may definitely be "in for it" when he gets older, but I can hope that he will be a perfect thumb-sucker and stop and the appropriate time : ) And the best part....HE SLEEPS ALL NIGHT!!! It is so nice to put him down when I go to bed and then not have to get up with him at all. Some nights he even goes to bed before I do. He even sleeps later in the morning than his sister (although that's not really tough to do since she wakes at 5:30 AM).

At 3 months he weighs about 11 lbs. 2 oz and is about 23.25 inches long. His growth has slowed down some this month, but he certainly eats plenty!

I started back to work two days per week almost three weeks ago and it is going fine. Grandma O'Neill comes down to stay with the kids those two days, and she is greatly appreciated for this. This plan will not work forever so something else will need to be worked out.

Victory!!!

2009-09-01T20:03:00.004-05:00

I am very proud to announce that Riley is potty trained!!!! In the daytime at least : ) I started with her only two weeks ago, and a week and a half later she wasn't having any accidents! She got some new big girl "panties" (cloth trainers, of course) yesterday so we are having fun with those. She isn't able to pull them up and down by herself yet, but she consistently tells us that she needs to potty and then we help her get them down and she goes....both pee and poop! I will admit we had a few messes in the beginning, but she picked it up very fast and at only 21 months of age! I am very proud of her!!

"Look Mommy I'm Peeing!"

"YEY!!"

Some of her new trainers around her ankles

Summer Fun

2009-08-08T20:33:00.005-05:00

Riley has been having a blast this summer, doing all sorts of fun things including visits both sets of grandparents, going to the park, going to the Lincoln Children's Museum and Kansas City Children's Museum, going to the Kansas City Zoo (twice), going swimming (three times), doing a Gym class (twice so far), and of course playing at home. Here are some pictures from all of her fun!

Visiting her favorite animal at the zoo. She even touched it!

Playing the piano at the Lincoln Children's Museum

Catching bubbles at gym class

Sitting on the potty, eating snack, and watching Elmo...all at the same time

Feeding her baby her leftover cheese from lunch

Bubble fun with Grandma O'Neill

2 Months Old!

2009-08-08T20:19:00.004-05:00

Time is sure flying by...I can't believe that Connor is already two months old! The past two months have been great, but have passed by SO quickly. In the last month Connor started smiling and even gave me a giggle once! He isn't a super smiley baby, but he has smiled at us about 5 times. Riley was also a very serious baby and she smiled even less than that but we all know she is ALL smiles now! He is doing a great job with "tummy time" and holds his head up like a pro. Riley definitely loves him and she enjoys giving him hugs and kisses and tries to share her toys with him.

Connor had his two month doctor appointment a little early (just 4 days). At that appointment he weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz and was 21.25 inches long (although at home I measured him at 22 inches, so he's somewhat in between there). He has been gaining a steady .5 lb per week so he is about 10 lbs now. That's pretty good for a boy that started out so teeny! At birth has was at the 2nd percentile for weight (so 98% of newborn boys in the world were bigger than him) and not even on the charts or length! He is now between the 10th and 25th percentiles in both!

Here are some pictures from the past month:

Swimming Fun

2009-07-18T13:04:00.003-05:00

I took Riley swimming in a "big pool" for the first time and she had a BLAST! She got a brand new swimming vest, which she thought was very cool, and she took off like a fish when she got in the water. My friend,Crystal, and I had to be careful because Riley would try to take off on her own! She did great through and paddled her arms and legs like a pro, and thought it was so fun to put her face in the water. Poor Connor just had to chill out under the umbrella.

Connor is One Month Old!

2009-07-07T08:54:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that Connor is one month old already!! Since he was born 4 weeks early we haven't hit any of the one month milstones yet (smiling and cooing), but we will get there!! Here are some pics I took yesterday...notice he has NO problem with the smiling reflex. He wouldn't stop smiling as he was falling asleep during pictures, LOL! At birth he was 5 lbs. 11 oz and 18 inches long. At one month he is now 7 lbs. 10 oz and 21.5 inches long!!

Happy July 4th!

2009-07-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

Connor's 3 Week Appointment

2009-06-30T12:58:00.001-05:00

Today we had Connor's 3 week appointment. The doctor was VERY impressed with Connor's growth today. When he saw him 3 weeks ago he was 5 lbs. 7 oz and 18 inches long, and today he is almost 2 lbs. heavier and 2.5 inches longer, weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz and measuring 20.5 inches long!! He is definitely a GREAT eater! Everything else looks great with him and we will go back at 2 months! It's hard to believe that he is already over 3 weeks old and tomorrow was supposed to be his due date!

My Beautiful "Big Girl"

2009-06-25T09:11:00.002-05:00

Riley had a great time at the park running around and getting pictures taken!
Her favorite part was "washing her face" in the fountain, and least favorite was definitely the angel wings (notice that there is only one of those, LOL).

Our First Two Weeks

2009-06-23T08:29:00.007-05:00

Well two weeks down, countless more to go! Things are going pretty well at the O'Neill home, but we are all still adjusting.

Connor is an AWESOME baby! He eats well, sleeps well, and rarely cries. He usually has one time during the day where he is a bit gassy, so he is fussy for a little while but nothing that I can't handle. He definitely looks like he has grown to me, so I am excited to see how big he is now when we go back to the doctor on the 30th. He is also wearing his cloth diapers now, so that is fun!

Riley is having to adjust to not only being a big sister, but to also being at home during the day. I think the latter is the most difficult for her. She is so used to have friends to play with, that she doesn't really want to play by herself at all. She really loves playing outside, but unfortunately it has been SO hot here lately we have had to cut the outside play very short. Yesterday we played outside with chalk and then it was so hot I just sprayed her with the hose, LOL. She of course loved it and didn't want me to stop! She loves Connor, though, and wants to help mommy out sometimes by holding him (definitely have to watch for this!). She enjoys giving him kisses, rubbing his head, and pointing out his different body parts.

I am adjusting pretty well. The hardest part is leaving the house! It's not bad if you are going on an "extended" shopping trip, but it's almost pointless to run quick errands because getting them in and out of the car takes longer than the actual errand! I am very glad that Connor is so easy right now because Riley is definitely testing the waters and requires a lot of attention.

We got very lucky and I found a local photographer on Craigslist who was looking to build up her portfolio. She was searching for newborns to do a free photosession for so I quickly took advantage! The pictures are AMAZING and she actually did a second session with Connor yesterday AND is doing an outdoor session with Riley on Wednesday evening! I feel so fortunate to have found this opportunity!

Here are lots of pictures to enjoy!

Introducing Connor Ross!

2009-06-09T15:51:00.004-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, 6/6/2009, I was outside watching Riley play for a few minutes. We came in about 3:15 PM and when I put Riley down on the floor, and crouched slightly, I felt a “trickle”. It didn’t feel like I peed, but I wasn’t sure. I knew that if it was that my water had broken, it would happen again, so I waited. It didn’t really happen again, so I was confused. At 4:00 PM, though, I had had NO doubt that my water had indeed broken! My pants were soaked and the fluid wasn’t stopping. Steve was at work and wasn’t answering his cell phone, so I had to track down the phone number for his work so I could get a hold of him. We arranged for my friend Crystal to come over and spend time with Riley until my mom could get down to Kansas City from Lincoln. At about 6:00 PM, we headed to the hospital to have a baby!

As soon as I arrived at the hospital the doctor confirmed that my water had indeed broken and got me into a room. She did not check to see if I had dilated anymore because she wanted to decrease the chance of infection, so assumed I was still at 3 cm dilated and between 25% and 50% effaced (thinned out). I started to have some contraction on my own, but nothing close to regular or enough that would make it be called “labor”. So, at 7:15 PM (4 hours after my water had broken), we decided to start some Pitocin to help labor along. My labor was really slow to start, but the contractions were getting uncomfortable. At 1:00 AM I got the epidural. It was a horrible experience for me this time because they were having trouble getting the catheter inserted, so it took FOUR tries! OUCH! The nurse checked me at 2:00 AM, and I was only 4 cm and hadn’t effaced any additional amount! I was very frustrated and could tell I was in for the long haul again (this labor story is starting to sound VERY similar to Riley’s….). The contracts started coming VERY regularly every two minutes after that and at 4:30 AM the nurse checked me and I had progressed to 5.5 cm and 80% effaced, and the baby was at 0 station, meaning that as he was as low as he could get without me being dilated more. YEY! Only one hour later, at 5:30 AM I had progressed to 7 cm dilated. Things were finally moving along! The next two hours were HORRIBLE. Even though I had the epidural and had no pain, the “transition” part of labor brought on nausea and SEVERE shaking. I didn’t experience any of those symptoms with Riley, so this was new and very unpleasant. At 7:30 AM, I was fully dilated and effaced, but the nurse wanted me to wait a little longer to push to see if the last slightest “lip” of cervix would disappear to make pushing easier. At 8:45 AM, I called the nurse back, basically insisting that I was ready, the doctor said that it was time, so they got everything ready. At 8:55 AM I started pushing and at 9:11 AM Connor Ross O’Neill was born!! I once again was lucky and didn’t tear at all. My body sucks at getting into a good labor pattern, but it’s GREAT at the actual delivery, LOL! He weighed 5 lbs. 11.8 oz, and was 18 inches long. He did AMAZING for being slightly premature and scored an 8 and then 9 on his APGARs.

This labor was FULL of every possible medication intervention, like Riley’s labor. Connor’s heart rate would decelerate with some of the contractions, so in addition to the IV fluids, Pitocin, and epidural, I also had an oxygen mask, internal monitors placed, and at the end an amnioinfusion (saline fluid pumped back into my uterus). I started to develop a fever at the end of my labor from my water being broken so long and at that point Connor’s heart would INCREASE with every contraction instead of decreased. I also struggled with very low blood pressure after I got the epidural and that lasted several hours after delivery so my transition over to the mother/baby unit was delayed to stabilize me (which was nice because then we were able to get a bigger room on the mother/baby unit).

Connor is doing well and has taken to breastfeeding pretty well. The nurses were all amazed at just how well he did with everything for being a “36 weeker”. It crazy all of the extra stuff that they have to do when your baby is just a few days short of being “term”. Riley just adores him! She constantly is asking for the baby and is able to say his name. At the hospital she even tried to share her toys and books with him and got upset when she couldn’t sit next to him anymore. She has done well with him coming home and entering her “space” as well. I couldn’t have asked for a better transition! I hope that it continues….

It's Not Over Yet...

2009-06-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

The rollercoaster ride continued over the last couple of days. As I was getting ready to leave the house on Wendesday to take Riley to daycare and go to my doctor appointment, I all of a sudden had a GUSH of blood . In both of my pregnancies, I have never experienced any bleeding. So we immediately went to the hospital to see what was going on. They did an initial examination and couldn't figure out what it happened, but we were all glad to see/hear that baby Connor was doing well. As a result of the unexplained bleeding I again had to be admitted to the hospital.

They did an ultrasound and still couldn't figure out why the bleeding happened. They did determine that I will likely have another small baby though. Right now at 36 weeks Connor is measuring only 5 lbs. 3 oz! The bleeding stopped over the course of the day and my doctor and the perinatologist (who by the why suggested I just make an appointment to come in to the hospital next Wednesday, haha) suspect that my placenta possibly started to separate from the wall of the uterus but then the blood clotted and the separation did not continue.

So, I was released from the hospital yesterday (Thursday) at 5:30 PM after 24 hours of no bleeding. My doctor has put me on some more strict "modified bedrest" until I deliver to prevent any unnecessary stress on my body that would cause additional bleeding. Thankfully Steve's mom is coming to stay next week to help with Riley because today is her last day of daycare!

Here is a picture from the hospital showing my belly at 36 weeks (under the gown, of course).

Rollercoaster...

2009-05-29T11:42:00.002-05:00

The past few days have been an absolute rollercoaster!!!!

Wednesday morning I go to my regular doctor appointment. I had been struggling with a lot of painful contractions, and I progressed from 0-2cm in one week. I also mentioned that I was afraid that I might be leaking a small amount of fluid, but wasn't sure. Doc had me lay down for awhile so she could test the fluid and while I was laying there, contractions started again. She comes back, tests the fluid, and one test says negative, but another says positive. Since I was having contractions again and the tests were inconclusive, she sends me over to Labor and Delivery.

So at L&D I get hooked up to the monitors and I am contracting regularly every 3 minutes and they are getting more painful. All believe I am in labor. Doc comes over and does a more reliable test for amniotic fluid and it comes back with a faint positive! Doc admits me to hospital to "labor" and says that she will come back tonight to likely start pitocin if I have not progressed much on my own.

During the course of the afternoon my contractions stop. Doc comes, says that she expected that I would still be contracting and says since the test was a faint positive she wanted to test the fluid again to make sure before she induced me since I was only 35 weeks. So she repeats the test and it is negative!!!! So, no induction! ARRGG! My mom is already on her way down to spend time with Riley.

But, it's still not over! Doc thinks that my water really did break but it is just a small leak so we keep getting differing test results. So, I stay in the hospital. That night I start contracting again and this time they are severe. Coming every 3 minutes again and reach a pain scale of 8 out of 10. I hit 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced, but since they don't know for sure if I am in labor, no epidural yet . So, I get two doses of Stadol for the pain because I also hadn't slept in a LONG time (side note...that stadol is CRAZY stuff. I didn't really like it and it didn't let me sleep. It did take away most of the pain though). Not to mention my contractions were all back labor. So, after 11 hours of painful, regular contractions, they STOP again!!! OMG...SO frustrated at this point and SO sleep deprived.

So Thursday morning....doc knows how frustrated I am and stays at the hospital with me in the morning even though it's her day off (love her!). She has the perinatologist(high risk OB) come to see me to figure out what to do. We decide to do the "smurf" test. So, I had an amniocentesis (needle inserted into uterus) done, they drew fluid to test for infection, and then injected blue dye into the amniotic fluid and had me put a tampon in for two hours to see if any leaked onto it. I had NEVER heard of this test before, but was told that if baby was delivered in the next 48 hours he may come out with a slight blue tinge, LOL! Still having contractions off and on throughout the day and some of them reach a pain scale of about 6 out of 10. Given Morphine, but it doesn't really help...just makes me feel funny.

Thursday night....no blue on tampon, so leak likely relsealed itself, no infection in uterus (THAT is GOOD!), and it's obvious that the contractions that I am having are not putting me into full blown labor . So, I am sent home.

Currently, I am an emotional wreck. EVERYONE at the hospital thought that I was going to be having my baby while I was there, and I go home still pregnant. My emotions are way out of wack and I can't stop crying. I've lost 6 lbs. because of all this stress and can't take being pregnant much longer. I'm really counting on a baby being born at 37 weeks....I think my doc is too.

I never thought that this experience would happen to me and I am totally miserable and stressed out. I am having a hard time not crying. On the plus side, I will be working from home next week to finish up some loose ends and then I am DONE. My mom and dad have Riley for the weekend in Lincoln to give me some time to recover, which is GREATLY appreciated. She will have her last week of daycare next week.

A Day at the Park!

2009-05-24T16:23:00.002-05:00

Riley absolutely LOVES going to the park! The slides are her favorite part... The only problem is: when it's time to leave she is MAD!

Potty Time!

2009-05-22T18:40:00.003-05:00

Although I am in NO rush to start potty training Riley, I figured I may as well get her used to sitting on the potty. So, today I bought her a little gift...her first potty chair (pink of course). She thought it was pretty funny sitting on it and sat for a good 3-5 minutes. Of course nothing in it this first time. I plan to just put her on it occasionally to get her used to the idea and I'm sure sometime I will catch her at the right time.

Bedrest!

2009-05-20T18:14:00.003-05:00

I will start from the beginning... Sunday Connor dropped. So, not only does my belly look totally different (and smaller), but he's also causing some "problems". Ever since he dropped I have been having a lot of pressure and cramping when standing and have been contracting a lot more...including some painful, "real", ones. Thankfully, generally as long as I am sitting down or laying down, I usually only have about 3 contractions per hour (which is considered "normal"). Unfortunately if I just sit all day long, without putting my feet up, my ankles become as big as softballs (seriously)! So at my appointment today, my doc decided that some "rest" may be in order. Having delivered Riley, she knew that complete bedrest would be out of the question for me, and probably wasn't really needed since I have made it to 34 weeks (which means a lot to OBs). So until my appointment next Wednesday I am on "modified bedrest", meaning that I am working from home with my feet up and taking breaks to lay down. I am NOT strapped to a bed, thankfully.

Everything else with Connor seems to be great. My uterus is now measuring just 1 week ahead of my due date and at an ultrasound today all anatomy looked great. He is head down and ready to go in good birthing position! We also saw that he had A LOT of hair. You could see all of the fuzz surrounding his little head.

So we are just waiting patiently and hoping that he stays put for 2-3 more weeks!

So you can see the difference in my belly...

31 weeks

Monday

Riley Roo is 18 Months!!

2009-05-17T18:51:00.002-05:00

Mommy is stealing the blogging rights away from me...with two children she is afriad it will get too confusing : )

It's hard to believe that my little baby is officially 1.5 years old! It seems like I was holding her tiny little peanut of a head in my hand just yesterday! I'm not an overly sentimental person or anything, but it's hard to believe that my tiny baby is now this beautiful big girl standing next to me repeatedly demonstrating how a sheep says "baa" (with the throat shake and all, haha).

Between 12 and 18 months Riley has made HUGE strides in her development. She runs all over the place, loves to go up and down the stairs, says over 50 words regularly (and will repeat other ones after her dad or I say them), eats well with a spoon, and amazes me EVERY DAY with the directives and instructions that she understands. One of Riley's favorite things is to play outside...she is actually obsessed with it and gets up sets if she isn't able to go out. Riley is also a terrific eater and will eat almost anything you put in front of her including "stranger" things like asparagus, cabbage, and some pickles. Her favorite foods of all times are probably hot dogs, strawberries, and bread, though. She is still doing fantastic with sleeping in her big girl bed and STILL won't get out of it unless I tell her she can (well, except for one occassion this weekend and gramma and grandpa Bryant's house). One of her new favorite "tricks" is picking people she knows out of pictures. She especially like identifying her mommy, daddy, and self in pictures. She has also gotten more teeth. She now has her four front ones on top, three front ones on bottom, and her top two one-year molars. Her fourth bottom tooth and one of her bottom one-year molars also just broke through her gums. So, that 11 teeth so far! I'm sure I am forgetting MANY of the other fabulous things that she is doing, but it's so hard to think of them all when you are blessed enough to experience the joy of the Roo every day!

Here is a new list of things that Riley is able to say, sign, and identify for keepsake purposes:

Words By 18 Months:
Dog
Bye, Bye
Milk
More
Thank You
All Done
Mama
Dada
Grandpa
Wally
Water
Night, Night
Bird
Elephant
Diaper
Eye
Shoe
Up
Book
Open
Apple
Hot Dog
Lion
Duck
Mouse
Mouth
Uhoh
Baby
Flower
Please
Riley
Heidi
Lola
Ryla
Outside
No
Bus (as in "Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round...")
Wow
Whee
Frog
Bottle
Ball
Turtle
Hot
Help
Bear
Banana
Bath
Baa (like what a sheep says)
Moo
Hello
Hi
Rock (if she is rocking in a chair or on a horse)
Bread

Can Sign:
Milk
Please
Thank You
Help
More
All Done
Eat

Can Identify:
Eye
Hand
Head
Tum-Tum
Foot
Nose
Ear
Tongue
Toe
Teeth

Some pictures are to come probably next week with the posting of her 18 month stats from her doctor appointment.

One Smart Girl

2009-04-27T20:28:00.002-05:00

Since I'm getting close to being 18 months old, mommy thought it would be a good idea to write down all of the words that I regularly say. Mommy didn't realize just how many there were until she wrote them all down!

Can say:
Dog
Bye, Bye
Milk
More
Thank You
All Done
Mama
Dada
Grandpa
Wally
Water
Night, Night
Bird
Elephant
Diaper
Eye
Shoe
Up
Book
Open
Apple
Hot Dog
Lion
Duck
Mouse
Mouth
Uhoh
Baby
Flower
Please
Riley

Can Identify on herself and/or other people:
Eye
Hand
Head
Tum-Tum
Foot
Nose
Ear

More Pictures

2009-04-20T07:49:00.002-05:00

Oops! Mommy forgot to post these yesterday. These nice pictures are also thanks to Grandpa Bryant.

Easter 2009

2009-04-19T16:57:00.001-05:00

Baby Shower for Connor

2009-04-19T16:43:00.002-05:00

Aunt Christine did a GREAT job hosting a baby shower for mommy to celebrate Connor's impending arrival. There were many people in attendance and too many pictures to count. Mommy selected just a few of the pictures to post for everyone to enjoy. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE WONDERFUL GIFTS!

An update on Mommy and Connor

2009-04-19T16:39:00.003-05:00

Although mommy is almost 30 weeks now, she had my Grandpa Bryant take some nice pictures of her at 28.5 weeks so she could remember her belly with Connor. Mommy also had an ultrasound at 29 weeks because she has been measuring "large". Luckily (for mommy) she is NOT having a giant baby. Connor is just about perfectly average, weighing just under 3 lbs. at the ultrasound.

Update on Mommy and Fun Picture of Riley

2009-04-02T17:45:00.003-06:00

First off, I am getting more and more used to the nebulizer. Mommy had daddy take a picture yesterday morning so that all could experience the "joy" : )

Mommy is also now officially in her third trimester!! She is having quite a bit of trouble with pain and pressure in her back and belly, but after many tests everything looks "normal". Today she also started to lose her mucus plug! This is very early so she had to go BACK to the doctor (she was just there yesterday) and although her cervix is making some slight changes, nothing that is significant or worrysome at this point. So, she was told that she needs to "take it easy", but isn't on bedrest or anything. Like this is easy with a crazy 16 month old : ) She goes back to the doctor on Tuesday to check things. At this poing though the doctor is not concernced and said that mommy and daddy do not need to be either. So, as daddy says..."stop squatting mommy!" Baby Connor seems to be doing well though!

My First Surgery

2009-03-27T13:32:00.005-06:00

Today was a very big day. I'll give you the play-by-play:

5:00 AM-Mommy woke up
5:20 AM-Daddy woke up
5:40 AM-I was woken up and my diaper was changed. I did NOT get any milk this morning : (
6:00 AM-Arrived at the surgery center. Mommy was told by the doctor to be there at 6 AM, but we get there and they don't even OPEN until 6:30 AM! Luckily one of the people inside was nice enough to let us in to stay warm. I was in a GREAT mood while we were waiting! I was running around, laughing, rearranging the magazines, and playing with my stuffed dog.

6:45 AM-We were all taken back to the surgical prep area. I met the nurse, anesthesiologist, and two nurse anesthetists. The anesthesiologist examined me to make sure that I was fit to be put under since I have been sick. Luckily my lungs were perfectly clear. I got changed into a gown and received my very own blood pressure cuff and mask. I knew exactly what to do with the mask from using my inhaler three times per days for the past several days. When I got the mask I immediately put it up to my face and started breathing through it! The doctor was running pretty late (my surgery was supposed to start at 7 AM and he didn't show up until 7:35 AM) so I got pretty bored and restless and had fun tearing apart kleenex.

7:40 AM-Was taken back for surgery. I did pretty well separating from mommy. I took my blanket and stuffed dog back with me.
7:50 AM-Doctor came out and told mommy and daddy that I was done already!! He told them that my ears were really, really bad. I had a lot of fluid in them and the fluid was THICK. The thick fluid also irritated the lining of my inner ears a lot, so they were pretty swollen and inflamed. He gave them a prescription for ear drops that will help with the swelling. He also told mommy and daddy that they gave me a Tylenol suppository (YUCK... who ever heard of Tylenol up your butt?!).
7:55 AM-Mommy and Daddy were able to come back to comfort me. I was VERY glad that mommy was there and calmed down a lot right away. The milk helped too : ) I was still pretty upset, though, and randomly screamed through drinking it.
8:05 AM-We were on the road and on our way home!!

I have been pretty irritable all day and haven't been too willing to nap. Mommy had really hoped that I would be extra sleepy from my big day, but unfortunately for her I don't seem to be.

Fun with Grandma O'Neill!

2009-03-27T09:22:00.002-06:00

Grandma O'Neill came and stayed with me during the day on Wednesday and Thursday of this week so that I didn't have to go to daycare, and could hopefully get healthy for my surgery. We had a blast reading books, making cards, and even doing hair!!

"Asthma Action Plan"

2009-03-23T18:36:00.002-06:00

I went to my follow up appointment with my pediatrician today, following my "hospitalization". Mommy was expecting a quick check, but she got a WHOLE lot more! I now have an "asthma action plan", with three different levels, a nebulizer with two different medications, a "stock" of oral steroids, and of course the Albuteral inhaler I got at the hospital. This action plan was a new thing for mommy and daddy, so in case others are confused:

GREEN Zone-This what is considered a "normal" day. On these days I am only to use my Albuteral inahler or the Albuteral in the nebulizer if I have breathing issues.

YELLOW Zone-I am considered in the yellow zone if I sm starting to get a cold, or have a cold. At the EARLIEST sign of a cold (runny nose, slight cough) I am to start using a preventative steroid in my nebulizer two times per day, for two weeks. I also will continue to use the Albuteral on an as needed basis.

RED Zone-This is bad. This is where I am if my tummy starts retracting or I am having a significantly difficult time breathing. This is what has landed me in the hospital the past two times. If I get in the RED zone, I am to continue the steroid in my nebulizer, use the Albuteral, AND take one dose of the oral steroid and then call the doctor to figure out how to proceed. Hopefully I won't reach this point with doing the preventative steroid when I have a cold.

Oh, and did I mention that the mask of my nebulizer is shaped like a fish face? : )

Another "Basketball Baby"!

2009-03-23T11:01:00.001-06:00

These were taken the end of last week, about 25 weeks.

A BIG Move!

2009-03-22T16:02:00.005-06:00

Since we didn't make it to Lincoln this weekend, mommy and daddy were able to move furniture around between the two bedrooms. I even helped! So, we have completely redecorated, AND I am sleeping in a BIG GIRL BED!!!!! I took my nap in it today and did great! I love being able to show how I can climb on and off by myself. There are still some major finishing touches to be done with the room (including new chair cover, bedding for me, an additional dresser, and wall art/pictures)but here it is so far!

And the BIG girl!

Another Unexpected, Undesirable, Adventure

2009-03-22T15:56:00.002-06:00

The plan for this weekend was to go to Lincoln to celebrate my Grandpa O'Neill's birthday. Well, that didn't happen. When I woke up in the morning mommy noticed that I was again struggling to breathe. So we got everything packed up and went off again to the hospital. We started in Urgent Care and they gave me two breathing treatments, two deep suctionings, a chest xray, and oral steroids, and unfortunately the doctor determined that my oxygen levels when I slept were too low for them to send me home : ( So, I was again admitted to the hospital (much to mommy and daddy's disagreement, but hey...what can you do?). I recovered VERY quickly once we got upstairs and was running all over the room. The doctor was actually amazed that I was doing so well. So, it was decided that I could go home!! So, this time I luckily didn't have to stay the night in the hospital.

I definitely have a respiratory virus and (of course) ear infections, but the doctor thinks that I may have some asthma which is being aggravated by the viruses I get. So, they sent me home with an Albuteral inhaler this time, so that we can use that first, instead of having to rush to urgent care. I am doing well today. I am of course very mucusy, but I am not having problems breathing.

Another "Disappointing" First

2009-03-12T16:54:00.002-06:00

Mommy took me to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor today. After 4 ear infections in the past two months we were told we just shouldn't wait any longer....it's time for TUBES! So, my first surgery will be on March 27. We are told that it's a VERY simple surgery and I won't even need an IV this time (Mommy is SO happy about this). We are all hoping that after this we can all lay low for a little while medically....at least until the NEXT baby comes!

On the plus side mommy reached 24 weeks with Connor yesterday. This is a pretty big deal because at 24 weeks the baby is consider officially "viable" outside of the uterus and if he was to be born the hospital would have to use EVERY possible live saving effort to keep him alive. We defeinitely dont want him to be born now, and there is no reason to think that he would be in the near future, but it is still comforting to know! Mommy and Daddy are looking forward to getting our new room ready and hope to paint maybe Sunday! My big move will happen next month....the move to a BIG GIRL BED!

Photo Fun

2009-03-03T20:13:00.003-06:00

Mommy had fun playing with her photo....

23 Weeks

2009-03-03T18:53:00.002-06:00

Here's mommy's belly at 23 weeks

Riley's 15 Months and Connor's Over Half-Way "Done"!

2009-02-28T09:09:00.006-06:00

Mommy's a little delayed in getting this posted, but on Feb. 16 I was officially 15 months! I went to the doctor that day and got some new shots I had received before and of course got weighed and measured. I was 22 lbs. 4 oz and about 30 inches long-just slightly below "average" in both areas. I am doing well otherwise, expect was diagnosed with another ear infection.

At 15 months I am movin' and groovin'! I am getting very fast and getting around and often disappear when mommy or daddy turn their back for just a second. I am also LOVING stairs-going both up and down by myself. I will also hold mommy or daddy's hand and walk down the stairs. In terms of my cognitive development things are going well. I am able to understand most of what mommy and daddy tell me and usually follow the directions. Mommy can tell me to go get my babies, put something away, sit down, etc. and I will follow....well unless I'm feeling stubborn and just don't want to sit down. Verbally I can say "mama", "dada", "dog", "all done", "uhoh", "milk", "eat" (sounds the same as milk), "up", "no", and "byebye". I might be saying "thank you" too, but it's hard for mommy to tell. I can also use sign language to say "milk", "eat", and "all done". I can wave byebye, idetify my tum-tum and my head, and I am just starting to learn to blow kisses (but I love giving open-mouthed ones). I eat basically everything that mommy and daddy eat and insist on always feeding myself.

Mommy's also had a doctor appointment yesterday to check on Connor's development. She had another ultrasound and everything looks perfect. Everything is the way it is supposed to be with the heart and I am still getting a little brother. Mommy is tracking exactly how she should with the pregnancy. Her next visit is in 4 weeks and they will do the routine gestational diabetes test.

A Crazy Week

2009-02-15T12:11:00.002-06:00

Last week was definitely a crazy one. I woke up from nap last Sunday and I just wasn't myself. I screamed through drinking my milk and mommy noticed that I wasn't breathing right at all. I was wheezing and grunting, and my stomach was retracting in when I breathed. Not good! So mom decided a trip to Urgent Care was necessary just to be safe. After deep suctioning, two breathing treatments, and a chest Xray, it was determined that I did not have RSV or pneumonia, but I still wasn't well. It seems that I had one of the many other severe respiratory viruses that they couldn't test for. So, the doctor decided that I needed to be admitted to the hospital. So scary! Midway through my first night it was decided that I needed an IV to stay hydrated. WORST. EXPERIENCE. OF. MY. LIFE. My breathing gradually got better and on Tuesday it was good enough that I should have been able to go home. Unfortunately I was NOT happy in the hospital and refused to drink ANYTHING. No milk, no water, no juice, nothing. So I had to stay again, even though I really wasn't that sickly anymore (at least nothing that some good 'ol TLC at home couldn't fix). A new IV had to be put in that night because my vein blew on the other one (OUCH again!). I still wouldn't drink that next morning, but the doctor decided to take a chance and send me home, hoping that once I got home I'd feel more comfortable and drink. We were discharged about 12 PM on Wednesday and as soon as I got home I drank a full sippy of milk! See, I tried to tell them I just wanted to be home! I am feeling much better, but still have a nasty cough and runny nose. Nothing that mommy and daddy can't handle. THANK YOU TO GRAMMA BRYANT AND GRANDMA AND GRANDPA O'NEILL FOR COMING DOWN AND HELPING MOMMY AND DADDY OUT AT THE END OF THE WEEK!

Don't Embroider Anything Yet!!

2009-02-07T13:26:00.002-06:00

Don't smack a permanent name on anything quite yet....daddy has decided that we can use the name that mommy originally wanted to name me-Connor. Like Riley, Connor is also an Irish name. Daddy also said that he's not 100% sure about the middle name yet either now. MEN! (note from mommy) So it sounds like Connor it is, but still not 100% sure on the middle name. This indecisiveness bugs mommy....but she's glad that it sounds like she is getting her way on the name : )

And the Verdict Is......

2009-02-01T18:16:00.004-06:00

IT'S A BOY!!!! Mommy and daddy went to the doctor on Friday and found out the news that they've been waiting the past 14 weeks to hear....I'm a little boy!! Daddy is THRILLED to be having a son! Mommy and Daddy have decided that my name will be Colin Ross O'Neill. Ross is my daddy's middle name, so he is excited to be carrying that on.

18 Weeks!

2009-01-26T20:26:00.002-06:00

The belly is getting bigger and I should be here in less than 5 months now!

Snow Fun!

2009-01-18T16:44:00.002-06:00

Mommy and I had a GREAT time playing out in the snow on Saturday! It was the first time I had been able to use my snowsuit and sled that I got for Christmas and boy was it fun! It was a good thing we went out in the morning because the snow was completely melted by the afternoon!

The Before and After Haircut Pictures...

2009-01-18T16:37:00.003-06:00

The trim was definitely needed!

Before:

After:

I'm a Big Girl Now!

2009-01-10T08:34:00.001-06:00

I have had an adverturous past week during my transition into the pre-toddler room. I'm becoming an "expert" at new things, including sitting in a big girl chair and eating at the table and sleep on a cot!! My first day on the cot was great! I went right to sleep and didn't try to get back up. My teachers were very impressed. Mommy was told that I need to work on being quiet when I wake up, but all of the kids need to work on that :) I am also really enjoying all the new toys in the room and like playing with my new friends.

I also got my first haircut yesterday!! Mommy finally admitted that my bangs were getting out of control and I needed to be able to see. So my teacher, Julie, in the Crawlers room, gave them a good trim yesterday. My new "style" looks great and mommy said that she even thinks that it makes me look older.

Another Appointment for Uhoh

2009-01-10T08:28:00.003-06:00

Mommy had another regular appointment this past Tuesday. She also happened to be sick, so that was the main reason for the appointment (her appointment wasn't supposed to be until the 15th). The appointment went great, though, and my heart beat was 161. Mommy also had her blood drawn for the "Quad Screen" which tests for some genetic defects including Down's Syndrom and Spina Bifida.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T14:59:00.001-06:00

The whole O'Neill family had a great Christmas this year. Thank you to everyone who helped make it memorable!

Riley is 13 Months Old Already!

2008-12-16T16:57:00.004-06:00

I've entered into my second year with a bang!! In the past two weeks I've started standing up on my own and taking steps, and I'm up to being able to walk 7-8 feet at a time if I feel like it! I seem to be taking after the Bryant women and their love to shop! I like to put my bucket in the crook of my arm like a purse and walk around with it like I am shopping. I also am able to say a new word-"byebye". To me it means that I am going somewhere, not that anyone is leaving me, so I love to wave to myself and say byebye.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of my family in less than a week!!

UhOh is 12 Weeks Along

2008-12-16T14:45:00.003-06:00

This is my first post on the blog : ) Hello, my name is "Uhoh". I am excited to be joining this family at the end of June. At mommy's appointment yesterday her doctor told her that she would be induced on either June 23, 24, or 25 if I don't come before that. Mommy's doctor is going out of town on June 27 so this assures that her own doctor can deliver me. Mommy was able to hear my heart beat on the doppler for the first time yesterday-a fast 170 beat per minute. This is much faster than the 140 that the ultrasound showed just 4 weeks ago! In addition to discussing the induction date, mommy also scheduled the ultrasound to find out my gender! It will be on February 9, 2009. She is very excited, although impatient. She is thinking that I am a boy because the pregnancy is so different from my big sister's, but she's just going to have to wait 8 more weeks to find out....

Here's mommy's belly at only 12 weeks!! If you look back to big sister Riley's belly pictures, you will see that mommy wasn't this big with her until MUCH later!

A BIG Girl!

2008-11-17T18:18:00.002-06:00

I had my one year pictures taken today! I wore a pretty new outfit and stood up big and tall like a big girl!

A Birthday Surprise.....

2008-11-17T15:12:00.002-06:00

Mommy and Daddy's big birthday present to me is.......A SIBLING!!! That's right, I'm going to be a big sister! Mommy had her first doctor appointment today and everything is looking good so far. The heartbeat was a strong 140 beats per minute and mommy is due July 1, 2009! She will likely have a June baby, though, because mommy and the doctor are already "planning" an induction 1 week before the due date. Silly mommy is just so impatient.....

Riley's First Birthday!

2008-11-16T14:53:00.002-06:00

I'm ONE!! I had a great birthday party yesterday and thank you to everyone who came. I am continuing to enjoy playing with all the toys that I got (right down to the mini flyswatter)and had so much fun smashing and eating the cake! Thanks!!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T16:02:00.003-06:00

I had a great first Halloween! I sported a custom t-shirt made by ThreeCsCustomDesigns (http://threecscustomdesigns.etsy.com) during the day and then switched of to a "spooky cat" costume for my Halloween party at school. I had a great time! Mommy even got a picture of my with my teachers at daycare! I made mommy some "treats" at daycare too.

11 Months!

2008-10-23T18:54:00.003-05:00

In less than one month I will be a year old!! The past few weeks have brought increased independence and some new "words". My first word was dog, although when you hear me say it, it sounds more like a very forced "dah". My next one was mimicing mommy says "uhoh". I can't say it at the appropriate time, but I love repeating mommy when she says it! My top two teeth popped through at 10.5 months, so mommy is curious whether I will get a more in a couple weeks.

At daycare I am known as the child with the biggest and best appetite. I LOVE food and eat lots of it! My favorites are spaghetti, ravioli, macaroni and cheese, diced carrots, and hot dogs. My teachers can't believe how much I can eat! I also started drinking some whole milk two weeks ago. I love the taste of it and sometimes prefer it to formula. I only have a couple more weeks of formula left and then I will move to whole milk full time. I will be moving up to the next room at daycare in a little over a month and will be with the "big kids" (1-2 year olds).

The biggest excitement happened last night-I took my first steps!!! Mommy was very disappointed because she was in class so didn't get to see them, but I walked four steps all by myself to daddy. Mommy is hoping for a repeat appearance very soon!

I once again celebrated my monthly "birthday" sick. This time a single ear infection in my left ear. The infection also spread to my eye and it was very swollen as well. Mommy said I looked like an ogre-in a loving way of course : )

Mommy's been pretty good about posting pictures lately, but here are a couple more to enjoy of me cuddling and kissing "Little Woo", sleeping in my high chair, and riding my bike:

Spaghetti Fun!

2008-10-15T21:20:00.002-05:00

Fun in the Park!

2008-10-11T11:24:00.003-05:00

I went to the park for the first time today. I enjoyed swinging, going down the slide, and walking around with mommy and daddy. Here's some "proof" of my adventures:

10 (and a half) Months!

2008-10-05T20:53:00.004-05:00

Mommy's a little behind on updating the blog. It's been a very busy and exciting past couple of weeks. Right around my 10 month "birthday" I again came down with some horrible disease. This time it was a nasty stomach virus! I couldn't eat anything with nutrition for four days and it took me several more days to work back up to normal eating patterns. Mommy was just glad that it all started on a Friday so I only missed three days of daycare, instead of five. Almost all of the other kids in my class got sick as well and one of them ended up in the hospital for a day because he got so dehydrate. Mommy and I are so glad that it's all over!!!

I'm still doing a lot of the same, but adding some additional things to my list of skills. I am LOVING my push walker and am experimenting with using only one hand to walk with it. I'm also starting to let go occaionally and try standing not holding onto anything. The past week has been HUGE for "new things". My two top teeth broke through, I learned to wave, I said my first word: DOG (sounds more like a very foced "dah"), and I'm very close to clapping. I am also eating almost everything that mommy and daddy eat, or some other sort of table food of my own. I started eating the daycare lunch last week and mommy has also cut my afternoon sippy in half and added in a solid snack. Mommy says I'm going to start the transition to whole milk in less than two weeks, around my 11 month "birthday".

Here are some pictures to enjoy. Some are a month old, but they are in order from oldest to newest.

Pigtails, Teeth, and Ear Infections, Oh My!

2008-09-03T21:18:00.002-05:00

The title says it all!! This past weekend my first two teeth broke through! They are the two middle teeth on the bottom. It will still be a little while before they are out enough to be caught on camera, though. After a night of screaming and no sleep (for me or mommy) on Sunday, I spent the morning of Labor Day in Urgent Care at the local Children's Hospital. Sure enough, I had double ear infections. The teeth combined with the ear infections sure made for a crabby baby (according to mommy)! Mommy also experience with my hair by putting it in pigtails. I didn't mind it too much, but it wasn't a ton of fun sitting still while she did it. I also got a new toy from Grandma and Grandpa O'Neill that I can sit in front of and play with, or walk behind. I'm getting so big!

9 Month Stats

2008-08-21T17:44:00.003-05:00

I went to the doctor today and all is well. I am no longer a little peanut!! Prior to this appointment I had been floating around the 25th percentile for both height and weight. Today I was at the 50th percentile in both, weighing 19 lbs. 5 oz and measuring 28 inches long! I still have a tiny head though (like mommy). The doctor said that I looked good and it sounded like mommy was doing everything right!

Here is my 9 month "teaser" picture as well from my session last Thursday!

9 Months!!

2008-08-19T19:47:00.005-05:00

Can you believe that I am already 9 months old!! Mommy can't believe that in just three short months I will be one year! My 9th month brough exciting new things: 100% ability to pull up on ANYTHING, cruising along furniture, cruising between furniture, people, toys, and anything else that is within my reach, more army crawling, some knee crawling if I'm in the mood, a general dislike for pureed vegetables, formula, new clothes, and a new haircut for mommy! It has been a great month with lots of fun, including visits from family and friends. I go to the doctor on Thursday and will a length/weight amount for you then!

Silly Tales from the Land of Roo

2008-08-14T20:25:00.003-05:00

1) On Monday mommy gets the following report from daycare: A boy my age was laying on his back on the floor. I crawl over to him, climb half-way on top of him, and give him a giant open-mouth kiss!! Of course the daycare people thought it was hilarious, but I was just trying to ask him if he would be my friend!

2) On Tuesday night mommy had an interesting experience....3 times: Mommy wakes up to me crying, which happens about half of the nights but usually I got right back to sleep on my own. This time the crying isn't stopping though. So she comes downstairs to check on me and there I am sitting up in my crib....still asleep!! My only problem was that since I was still asleep I couldn't get back to the laying down position. As soon as mom layed me back on my tummy I was silent and slept great! Of course, I repeated this behavior two other times that night. Not sure what my problem was that night....guess I was dreaming about sitting up.

And although this picture has NOTHING to do with either of these stories, mommy wanted to share it anyway: me taking a break from playing to synchronized diving at the Olympics.

New Foods

2008-08-12T19:06:00.003-05:00

Now that I am older I am getting more adventurous with foods. I always enjoy eating toast, applesauce, and yogurt, but mommy is trying to expand my meals a little bit. Tonight's order....Cheeseburger Macaroni!!! Here's how it went....

And WHAT is this?!

I don't think I'm going to like this!!

Hmmm....it's fun to squish in my hands...

I'm not sure what I think of this...

Hey, this is pretty good!!

Bath Fun!

2008-08-12T19:00:00.002-05:00

Mommy and I decided that I was big enough for the big bathtub now. I really enjoy swimming around in it and standing up on the side of the tub (which I'm not supposed to do). I also surprised mommy last night by picking up the cup that she uses to rinse my hair and drinking out of it! It was the first time I had every drank out of a cup.

My Big Girl Seat!

2008-08-03T21:12:00.003-05:00

I got a new big girl seat today! It's so comfy, and I think Aunt Christine would approve of the coloring!

I'm 8 Months Old!

2008-07-16T19:26:00.003-05:00

The 8th month brought "army crawling", standing holding onto things, pulling up on some things, combining consonant sounds, eating finger foods, and feeding self. No teeth yet, though!

Independence Day!!

2008-07-16T19:18:00.002-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa O'Neill came down to celebrate the 4th of July with me, Mommy, and Daddy. Gramma and Grampa Bryant provided my attire : ) I had fun at the neighborhood picnic and even slept through the fireworks that night! The following day mommy and I went with Grandma and Grandpa to Powell Gardens. It was fun, but HOT! We all had a good time.

7 Months

2008-06-22T08:29:00.002-05:00

I am now 7 months old! Mommy can't believe how fast I am growing. To celebrate my "birthday" and mommy and daddy's anniversary we went to the zoo. I loved being outside and walking around, but wasn't too interested in the animals yet. I gave mommy and daddy a great anniversary present...I started talking! So far, I'm just saying "dada" and "dodo".

I once again am sick around my monthly "birthday". This time the doctor thinks it's rotovirus, even though I have been vaccinated for it. The vaccine likely lessened the severity of the virus, though. I am still working on getting over it.

Here are some pictures from the past week!

Pool Fun!

2008-06-07T13:21:00.003-05:00

My first time "swimming" (and hanging out in my cover up)!

Professional Picture and Weekend Pictures

2008-06-02T12:36:00.002-05:00

Mommy got the "teaser" picture that I had taken last week. Tomorrow she will go and view them all and then pick out what she wants. I personally think I look great ; )

Here are some other pictures from the "wedding weekend" as well. Silly mommy forgot to take pictures, so there aren't very many, and most of them came from Gramma.

With Aunt Christine and Uncle Ben the day after their wedding

With Great Uncle Kurt

Playing with Delia

With Grampa

With my new uncle, Ben

Eating the wrapping paper from my present at the Bridesmaids Lunch

I'm Sitting Up!

2008-05-26T12:08:00.004-05:00

Yep, that's right, I'm sitting all by myself!!! I've found that it's a lot more fun to play with toys now that I don't have to be laying on my back all the time.

Now I just have to figure out this crawling thing....

Oh, and I lost a little weight from being sick with Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease. Yuck! Those sores in my throat sure hurt! Oh well, I'm back to eating normal again so I should gain the weight back quickly!

Woo Hoo...I'm 6 Months Old!!

2008-05-17T20:45:00.002-05:00

Well, I made it half a year so far out in this big world! Of course, I got to celebrate my 6 month birthday with a 102.5 degree fever and have been dripping buckets of saliva and seem to have the the beginning of a mood disorder....hmmmm....maybe teething? I went to the doctor on Friday for my fever and I was 15 lbs. 12 oz, but I will have my "official" weigh in, length check and shots on Monday. Here's some recent pictures of me (notice my new sleep position)!

Playing Outside

2008-04-26T16:20:00.003-05:00

Today was such a nice day, mommy and I played outside while daddy was at work! Oh....Wally and Heidi came too.

I'm 5 Months Old!

2008-04-23T21:16:00.003-05:00

Mom's a little late in posting this, but I am 5 months old now! I no longer lay around on the floor like a blob. I LOVE to roll around and am even experimenting with pushing with my knees. I am also recovering from my first ear infection. I am feeling much better with the delicious pink bubblegum medicine! Here are some recent pictures!

Mom's baptism dress!!

My favorite toy "Mr. Critter"

Playing with Daddy

2008-04-07T19:24:00.001-05:00

Playing with my Toys

2008-04-05T19:22:00.000-06:00

Easter Fun

2008-03-29T20:17:00.005-06:00

I had a great first Easter!! The Easter bunny visited both grandparents' houses and I got lots of fun new things, including a suitcase to travel back and forth for visits.

My Easter dress from Grandma O'Neill

Me with Daddy, Grandma Bryant, and Great-Grandma Olsson

Grandma O'Neill as the "Easter Bunny"

And although this has nothing to do with Easter, me and mommy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T09:17:00.002-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! My friend Delia was down for the weekend and she just happened to have the same St. Patrick's Day dress as me, so of course the mommies had to take pictures!

First Foods!!!!

2008-03-15T14:12:00.002-06:00

Mommy should have known better than to try solids last night when I was screaming in pain from my shots, but she gave it a go anyways. I wasn't very compliant, but I manage to eat some (evidenced by the difference in my poop today....YUCK!). I also slept from 8 PM-6 AM, which hasn't happened in a couple of weeks. Today I was feeling better, so mommy gave rice cereal a try. I LOVED it and did much better than last night. Most of it actually ended up in my mouth instead of my face. I also enjoyed playing with the spoon, eating the bib, and I even managed to knock over the bowl...oops! This solid food thing is pretty cool!!

4 Month Appointment

2008-03-14T17:45:00.002-06:00

I had my 4 month appointment today. I am growing well! I am 12 lbs. 3 oz (25th percentile), 24.25 inches long (50th percentile), and my head is 15.75 inches around (25th percentile). I am right where I should be. I also had to get 4 shots today :(. That part was NOT fun. We also got the go ahead to try some solid foods, so I'm going to try avocado tonight!! Mommy is very excited and I'm sure will have the camera ready.

A Crazy Week at Daycare!

2008-03-08T21:04:00.002-06:00

My school had a theme week last week to celebrate their anniversary. On Monday it was sports team day and I wore my Mizzou Tigers onesie. Tuesday was "decade day", but all I had to wear was my BabyLegs like the "leg warmers" of the 80s. Wednesday was the day that everyone in the room wore the same color, and the teachers chose blue. Thursday was "crazy day" and we had to wear mismatched clothing. Mom had a hard time with this one because she really didn't want me to wear clothes that didn't match! Friday was the best day...pj day!!

2008-03-05T21:25:00.001-06:00

Just kicking back, relaxing, and watching daddy play football on the PS3!

My First "Modeling" Gig!

2008-02-27T21:05:00.002-06:00

Today mommy took me to get the first picture of the "baby plan", which is my 3 month picture. The photographer, Lea Murphy, was very nice and even got me to smile some! I was very well behaved the entire session and didn't cry or fuss once. Mom was so proud! Mom will go next week to view all the pictures and pick a couple out to order, but here is one sample that she got to see today!

I'm Moving....Kinda

2008-02-17T19:08:00.003-06:00

I rolled over all by myself for the very first time on my 3 month birthday (yesterday)!!! Mommy was so excited! I was doing tummy time (which I also smiled at her during tummy time for the first time yesterday too) and I decided to be on my back. Mommy was afraid I was going to start crying because I would be so surprised, but I didn't : ) This picture was taken right before I decided to roll...

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T20:27:00.003-06:00

Thank you to Grandma Bryant for the Valentines Day jammies and Grandma O'Neill for the Valentines Day outfit!

Crazy Hair!

2008-02-13T19:42:00.002-06:00

My hair keeps getting crazier! The "fan" on the back of my head is now 2 inches long (yes, mommy measured it). There is just no taming it!

2008-02-09T16:11:00.000-06:00

Mommy's friend Julie pointed out that it had been awhile since she had posted some new pictures of me! Mommy has been so busy lately with work and school that she has barely had any time to even take pictures. Here are a few new ones though. One of my new favorite things to do is watch TV in my Bumbo seat!

More Smiles

2008-01-20T09:49:00.000-06:00

I'm 2 Months Old!

2008-01-16T17:35:00.000-06:00

I had my 2 month appointment today. I'm still a "little peanut" as mom calls me. I'm continuing to grow at around the 25th percentile. I am 9 lbs. 10 oz and 21.5 inches long, so that's 3 lbs. and 3 inches more than I was at birth. The doctor was pleased with my growth. She said everything looked great with me : )

I really enjoy smiling at and talking to the musical/light up star on my play gym. Mom's a little jealous because I smile more at it than I do at her! I'm also growing into more of my diapers. The one I'm wearing in the picture above was given to me by mom's friend Julie before I was even born! I'm just excited that I finally get to wear it. Mom has also put me in the Bumbo seat a few times just for fun.

Otherwise things are going well around here. Mom goes back to work on Tuesday, Jan. 22, so I will have to go to daycare : ( I've already been there a couple of times for trial periods and will go tomorrow for half the day while mom is at class.

2008-01-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

Mommy's been trying so hard to get a picture of me smiling for the past week and was being so stubborn and wouldn't let her! I finally let her get a picture of the "end" of a smile. It's not a great picture, but mommy really wanted something! I'm getting to be such a big girl too...look at me sitting up already, well not really sitting, but I guess being "propped" up is one step closer to sitting on my own! I'm modeling a pair of my Baby Legs, which are still very big, but they are so cute Mommy couldn't resist : )

2008-01-02T12:32:00.000-06:00

I had a WONDERFUL first Christmas! I got tons of toys, books, and clothes. Mom says I'm pretty much set in all of those categories until I'm one year old. Thanks to everyone for their generosity. I had a great time seeing grandma and grandpa Bryant and grandma and grandpa O'Neill again and loved meeing all of my 2nd cousins, great grandparents, and great aunts and uncles. It was also fun to meet the other puppy dogs in my life-Winston, Sophie, Robbie, and Annie. Winston was my "protector" while I stayed at grandma and grandpa Bryant's house and he didn't want to leave me alone for one second...he always had to check and see why I was crying too. I also got to meet my new friend Delia, who is only 11 days younger than me. Her Mommy and Daddy, Dave and Dawn Thompson, are friends with my Mommy and Daddy.

Mommy and Daddy got lots of great gifts too, but they say that their favorite one was the one I gave them-my first smile on Christmas Even morning. Now that I am older I also love to lay on the floor and "play" with Mommy and Daddy and they always talk about how much more interactive I am now. My wakeful periods are more frequent now and I'm sleeping great at night too. I only get Mommy up one time per night now to eat, and boy is she thankful! I have my two month appointment with the pediatrician on January 16, so it will be exciting to see how much I've grown in the past month.

I'm One Month Old!

2007-12-17T19:23:00.000-06:00

I was officially one month old yesterday. I had my one month check up today and everything is good. I now weight 8 lbs. 8.6 oz. and am 20.5 inches long. Although I'm only measuring at the 30th percentile, that's a whole 2 lbs. and 2 inches more than I weighed at birth! I also likely have GERD (acid reflux) so I'm taking medication for that now so that I'm not in so much pain. Mommy hates it when I just scream in pain and she can't do anything about it to make me feel better!

2007-12-12T13:09:00.000-06:00

Pictures!

2007-12-03T12:30:00.000-06:00

What a face!

2007-11-27T18:26:00.001-06:00

You can only guess what I'm trying to tell mommy with this face!

Our Family

2007-11-25T13:35:00.001-06:00

A "Big" Day...

2007-11-21T05:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a pretty big day, in the life of a newborn. I am starting to eat on more of a regular basis, I got my first bath (which I peed and pooped in, by the way), and I slept in my crib! I started out by taking a two hour "nap" in my crib after our excursion out to the grocery store, and then last night (really tonight, still) slept in it for the night. Mommy was also able to sleep upstairs in bed with daddy for the first time in 3 weeks! I gotta go rest up for my first pediatrician appointment today....

More Pictures

2007-11-19T17:43:00.000-06:00

Mommy's camera has become a permanent appendage to her body! Look at me doing my "tummy time" already. I didn't cry or make any sort of peep in opposition!!

I'm Home!

2007-11-18T14:27:00.000-06:00

I made my arrival into the world on 11/16/2007 at 10:43 PM, weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. and measuring 18.5 inches long. I am doing well and "met" Heidi and Wally today (that was interesting)! The ride home went well (after the initial shock of being placed in the car seat) and mommy is curious to see how long it will take to set a "routine"...she is thinking it will take longer than she would hope!

I have a Birthday (Kinda of)!!!

2007-11-12T16:37:00.000-06:00

Well, mommy got her wish! She will be going into the hospital on Friday, 11/16/2007, at 7:00 AM to be induced. She is SO excited to meet me! So, it's pretty safe to say that my birthday will be 11/16/2007, or 11/17/2007 at the latest. Of course, I could still decide to surprise mommy and show up in the next couple of days!

38 Weeks!

2007-11-05T21:59:00.001-06:00

Mommy thinks she looks like a giant eggplant (which by the way supposedly induces labor), but I think that's just the hormones talking! She is definitely ready for me to come out!!

The Nursery is All Ready for Me!!!

2007-10-28T12:23:00.000-06:00

My room is ready...complete with the wall art made by Grandpa and Granpda O'Neill, with the help of Uncle Scott.