Fourth of July at "The Lot"

Lions and Tigers and Naomi "oh my!"

We went to the cabin to celebrate the Fourth of July sans fireworks. We've had so many visitors come to see Naomi that it was nice to escape the city and just be with our little family.

Happy Birthday To You-Cha, Cha, Cha

Happy 19th Chardo!

A Name For Our Baby Girl

Naomi Grace Tallerico

Born 10 June, 2010 at 9:09 p.m.
7 pounds 3 ounces, 20 inches long

BABY IS HERE!!!

Nesting

My mottto/sanity is defined by the saying: Everything has a place, and there's a place for everything.

I don't know how old I was when I started nesting. Experts say it happens a few months to several hours before you give birth, but I have been nesting for years. When we bought this house we were sure there was enough storage space. In reality, there is. We just have too much stuff. Between duffles full of Army gear, camping gear, and snowboarding gear we could fill a whole wall of our garage. Not to mention the impressive collection of tools that Dustin has acquired since we got married, a bike, a huge snow blower (it's on tank treads), a lawnmower, gardening tools, a freezer, bricks and lumber. There is more, but if I think about it too much I become a grouchy nester. It will take some ingenuity, engineering, and luck to organize our garage so that everything fits, including a car. Luckily, I am married to a hard worker who enjoys home improvement and is excited to build an area where his tools will reside. In the meantime I remind myself that the baby won't care if the car fits in the garage and she certainly does not care that everything has a place, and there's a place for everything.

Seventeen Days and Counting

37.4 weeks pregnant

Home Improvement

Since buying this house a little over a year ago, Dustin has really enjoyed doing home improvement projects. Last summer he built a deck off the kitchen and this summer he built beautiful retaining walls/planters across the front of our house. Here is a before and after.

Before

After

What's in a Name?

My Mom promised my great aunt Martha that she would name her first girl Martha. As my mom was flying from Utah to Oregon to pick me up, she was certain that I was going to be a Martha. As soon as my Mom looked at me she knew I was an Elizabeth. This served as a cautionary tale to me that a name is more significant than something to be known by, or a word on a birth certificate. That in short, is why our baby still remains nameless, mostly. Since week four, when we discovered we were pregnant we have called her "Baby". Really creative, I know. Dustin and I decided that we would wait until we meet Baby before giving her a name. Here is the short list:

Elizabeth, Naomi, Grettle,

Annie, Jane,

Madeline,

Evelyn, Eva.

Graduation

On Friday I finally graduated with a masters degree in special education from the University of Utah. I started the program in 2005, but had to stop when I was diagnosed with MS. I returned to the program this past fall and have been student teaching and going to school to finish up. Many thanks to a wonderful advisor, parents, friends, family, and most of all my dear husband.

Our Baby Girl

Most women describe the feeling of a baby inside them as having butterflies fluttering around in their stomach. Libby relates to having an over-sized goldfish swimming around inside. This process of the quickening has intensified and only a few nights ago I felt my baby girl for the first time.

She seems strong to me though I don't know how strong babies should be halfway through a pregnancy. I felt the sharp jab beneath the skin as the baby's foot collided with the uterus. Thoughts of a professional athlete, perhaps a soccer player, popped into my head. I could see a young athletic version of my daughter sprinting down a soccer pitch about to give flight to a black and white ball. My thoughts were interrupted by more temporary protrusions on Libby's stomach. Not only is she strong, my little girl has some endurance. She consistently kicked hard for a half hour before stopping her tirade.

These episodes have started to follow a routine now as our little girl has decided that the best time to kick mommy is right before she goes to sleep. Of course Libby has started to endure the daily thrashing with ease, but it still keeps her up until baby is satisfied with the beating.

A few weeks ago, Libby and I were worried about the baby getting enough nutrients. As the baby continues to grow Libby has actually been losing weight. However, our worries were laid to rest with our monthly visit to the doctor's office.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but your baby is kind of like a ..... parasite. You see, babies have a way of getting all the nutrition they need by leaching off the mother's body even though the mother might not be getting the nutrients that she needs."

While I think the doctor's description is accurate, I would prefer to think of my baby in a different light. Instead of a parasite, I believe she is simply the priority by design. As such she has grown strong and healthy despite Libby's sometimes constant aversion to food. Our heavenly father is taking care of our baby for which we are eternally grateful.