Photomontage -- Part Duex

Sleepy Violet, hugging her moose
Hanging out with Maytal, her newest cuz-buz

Taking a walk on a sunny afternoon

Waking up from a nap

Chillin' with Charlie

Watching Dora with her scuz

Playing with her favorite stuffed animal

My purple plaid dress

Poor Violet. I think I put her in this cute, little dress my friend bought her at least once a week (please excuse the oversized bib covering 60% of it. V has what you would call a major drooling problem). I just think she looks so cute in it, I can't help myself. I fear she won't fit in it much longer though!

Violet is getting so big. It's hard to believe the doctor once described her as 'long and lean'. Now we are convinced she must be big boned. ;)

Violet has experienced many milestones in the past few weeks; first batting at and now playing with her toys, pulling with all of her might on her rings hanging from the big stuffed giraffe on her play mat , rolling from her belly to her back and trying so hard to do it in reverse, and belly laughing when we tickle her sides. It's amazing to watch her become more baby like.

Now if we could just get the little booger to go to sleep at night...

Tummy Time

Violet just started enjoying tummy time and she's also started carrying on extended conversations with herself and those around her.

Tummy time and chat with Daddy...

A little bubble...

Father's Day

From the moment she was born, I could see that Rich and Violet had a special bond. It's strange, sometimes throughout the day Violet will look at me and then look over my shoulder as if to say, "'Where's Daddy?" She won't sit quietly and play with me like she does with Daddy. They love watching hours of golf together (shhh..don't tell Dr. Spears), working on their laptop together and dancing across the kitchen counter (well, that's when Daddy's makes Violet's little legs skip along the counter and makes her smile). ;)

Unfortunately, Rich had to travel on Father's Day, but Violet was sure to give him a load of smiles before he left.

We love you daddy. Thanks for being a protector, provider, funny guy and best bud.

Violet's first 'camping' trip!

Okay, we stayed in our own little cabin (shown above) that had electricity, a baby monitor and it's own bathroom...can you consider that camping? One of my college roomates asked us to come up and enjoy her family's camp near Alex Bay. We had a wonderful time boating, fishing, sitting on the dock, eating s'mores and belly laughing about old times. Oh, Violet had fun too, between her 6 naps and almost 10 straight hours of sleep Saturday night! Must be all that fresh air. I think we need to move to the mountains.

There is nothing like returning home though. Here she is resting for a spell in her second favorite spot (yes, the changing table has been replaced by her furry, pepdo-bismol hued boucy seat).

Our Little Lady

Violet is 12 weeks old today. Every day I look at her and think of what a blessing she is and can't imagine my life without her. Last week she laughed for the first time. It is truly a magical thing when you hear your baby laugh for the first time! Luckily, she laughed for Rich a few days later - so he actually believed that it had happened. ;)

Violet is very smiley lately. I love to come in and get her in the morning - she always gives me a big, bright smile and wiggles her legs to greet me. Her continuous smiling throughout the day only confirms what I've know my whole life - I am the funniest woman alive! ;)

She's gained 4 lbs and grown 2 inches since she was born and her elbows and knuckles are beginning to sport the quintessential baby dimples!

I can't wait for the next 12 weeks to see how much she grows and learns.

Photomontage :)

Acting in her future? Look at the range!

Mother's Day & Violet's first Lilac Festival

Pain in the bootie...

Violet received this cute little outfit from a long time friend of the family. After 11 attempts to get a snap shot of her feet with BOTH booties on, I figured the picture was blog worthy if only for my efforts. ;) Not sure why, but she looks very frightened to be sporting her little hat and shawl. Ah well. Beauty is pain (or at least a mild annoyance) at times.

Rainy Saturday afternoon...

Me & Shellie

Violet's cousin Shellie had fun holding her on Easter Sunday. Who can believe that Shellie was this little at our wedding? Where does the time go?

See Abel, you can have your name in lights too if you hold your cuzz-buzz. :)

Snug as a bug...

Me & my Daddy

Violet was invited to Aunt Tracey, Uncle Scott & Abel's house for dinner and she enjoyed her first dinner party very much.

She had fun hanging out with Daddy, watching Aunt T make dinner and listening to Johnny Cash as Uncle Scott rocked her to sleep.

She is growing everyday - weighing in at almost 10lbs! She started smiling about 2 weeks ago. A little crooked smile that is of course the cutest thing we've ever seen. ;) I'm thinking that little smile is going to get her out of some major mischief in the future.

Happy Easter!

Chillin' on the changing table (again). Not really sure why Violet loves her changing table so much, but I'm very close to going out and buying some bars to put around it to convert it into a nap table/play pen for her. ;) She is so content to just lay there and entertain herself. She'll stare tirelessly at the shadows her 'crazy' legs make on the wall or strain her neck to peek out the window. I think she's longing for the weather to turn so she can actually go outside and enjoy nature. When I walk across the room she'll watch me as if to say, "You can go over there mommy, but don't go too far."

Happy first Easter and 1 month birthday V. We love you. ;)

I'm 3 Weeks Old!

Violet turned 3 weeks old on Thursday. Everyone asks if the time is going quickly. Honestly, it seems like we came home from the hospital 3 months ago. ;) We are enjoying everyday with Violet (whether they are filled with crying or 'quiet awake' time). We are so blessed and happy she is doing well. The doctor said that she is very healthy and has great head control. For a Giannoni, that is a great thing to hear.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Big V is home!

Daddy calls her MINI-V, but I think she looks bigger every day. We are having fun playing, reading, eating and visiting with friends and fam. Sleep is still something we hope Violet comes to love as the days go by!

Thank you for all the words of love and congratulations. Feel free to stop by for a visit - Violet is really enjoying meeting her new friends. ;)

Baby Downie goes extra innings

Well, Lora has made it to 40 weeks...full term! We went to the doc's today with high hopes but received some rather discouraging news...looks like Baby Downie is taking us into extra innings.

It's been a very long road and even though common sense tells you to not have your heart set on the due date - you can't help but use it as a timeline. We know that God has seen us through the last nine (ten) months, and he's not going to leave us now.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 4:6-7

Baby not yet included

Only a few weeks to go and we are anxious and excited to meet our little girl. We have been so blessed by friends and family and we want to thank you all for making this time so special. We appreciate your prayers, well-wishes and generosity more than you know. Baby D has a very special group of family and friends to meet. I'm hoping the next post will include a pic of a red & wrinkly newborn - who has her daddy's good looks and her mommy's love of sleeping...

Only time will tell.

Baby D at 34 Weeks (in her room!)

The room and furniture have been been painted (thanks to Grandma, Popop, Aunt Shawnie, Uncle Scott, Aunt T, Scuzzin' Abel and Daddy)! Only have to add some final touches (actually, quite a few) and Baby Girl can move in. ;) Well, not just yet - she needs to grow a bit more first.

Oh - and Rich has already packed my bag (it's in the crib ready to go). I guess you can never be too prepared!

My Husband...Richardo

If your not up for some sappy stuff - no need to read on. I feel compelled to talk about my husband for a bit.

I guess cliches are repeated for one reason - they're usually true. Looking back over the challenges we've faced over the past 5 months, I now feel comfortable saying 'all things happen for a reason'.

Rich and I were married in September 2000 and I've known him for almost 13 years now. We've seen each other mature and change over time but it's amazing how much you find out about a person when the tough times really get tough.

I never REALLY appreciated my husband (or my family and friends) until a few months ago - late afternoon on August 27th, 2006. It was a beautiful day and Rich and I had just gone for a walk. We finished making dinner when we got home and once we sat down to eat I wasn't feeling particularly hungry. Kind of nauseous actually. So I told him I was going to lie down for a bit upstairs. The next thing I remember, I was yelling for Rich to call an ambulance and I was lying on the bathroom floor in severe pain.

What happens next isn't important except for the moment when I really saw my husband - for the first time. He was standing next to my hospital bed holding my hand and telling me he loved me with tears in his eyes. I couldn't imagine living in that moment without him there. And he hasn't left my side since that night.

Over the past few months I've watched him exemplify what a husband or wife should be. A companion, a comfort and a friend. Sleeping at the hospital (when he and Tracey were alternating shifts), running tirelessly between our house and the hospital when the nurses didn't allow him to stay the night, singing to me (yup, can you believe it?) during the toughtest nights to comfort me, holding my hand through the 6am arterial blood draws (not your average blood work!), and making me laugh as often as possible . It's been amazing watching him - it's so easy for him to show me that he loves me and cares for me (something I haven't always been good at expressing).

It give me so much joy now to watch his face when he feels our baby girl kick, how he talks to her and tells her that he loves her and how much he can't wait to meet her. I can't imagine my life with anyone else.

Rich is what you would call the stong-silent type. He isn't known for striking up conversations at random or needing to be the center of attention. He would prefer to sit back and watch the crowd and chime in with quips or comments from time to time. I've come to realize that he truly means what he says and he is passionate about many things but only vocal about a few.

All this to say that I feel so blessed that God gave me someone like Rich (or Richardo as I like to call him!). Now I know that ONE of the reasons all of these things happened is because I needed to fall in love with him all over again.

Baby D - I can't wait for you to meet your papa...and when you grow up, I pray that you find a man just like him.

P.S. Writing this was very emotional for me...I have to muster more strength to even begin to tell you about family and friends who have helped us through this time. That's for another day and another box of tissues! ;)
Love you all!
(new pic coming soon with a preview of baby Downie's room ;)

Only 10 Weeks to Go

The snow is falling softly outside and the pine needles have started to fall from the tree. I find myself constantly wondering what Baby Downie will look like and what milestones she'll be overcoming by next Christmas. She is growing fast now - almost 3lbs. Considering the rate I've been consuming Christmas cookies - this will probably continue to increases rapidly. ;)

Choosing a name has become a more difficult task than I imagined. I never had a wishlist of girl's names so it's been a challenge trying to formulate one over the past few months. If a clear winner rises to the top I'll be sure to let you all know.

These last weeks will be filled with painting her room, trying to prepare mentally for what lay ahead and snatching a nap as often as possible. I also return to work on Jan. 3rd.

Rich and I would like to thank you for all of the prayers. They are invaluable - please keep 'em coming. ;)

Baby Downie can't wait to meet the people who make our lives so special.