THE SNAVLEY FAMILY

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

Another crazy holiday for the Snavley Family! We always seem to travel more than not during the holidays. We spent lunch with the Wilson-Dutt family (Sam's mom's side) for lunch and then off to Cincinnati for dinner. It is crazy having to pack everyone up and get to places on time, but it was great to be with such great friends and family during the entire day. Mary Kate was an angel in the car. She normally gets really frustrated that she can't get out and crawl around but she did awesome. We went to the Schoenhoft's (my mom's sister) for dinner and they had a huge crowd so that was fun. Mary Kate was beat by the end of the night and didn't have any trouble going to sleep. On Friday evening my dad thought of a great idea- the entire family went to Fountain Square in Cincinnati and watched them light the largest X-MAS tree of all time. It was fun because the Lachey Choir was there and Nick Lachey made an appearance so that was cool. It was a little cold but Mary Kate did a great job. She really enjoyed hanging out with her cousins Ava & Jackson. It was a fun night.

Sam had to go home because he had to work on Saturday so Mary Kate and I stayed in Cincinnati for the weekend. We have been having a blast. She is had a great visit and we can't wait for the Christmas holidays.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and we appreciate you keeping up on our blog!!!

Mary Kate's 1st Hair Cut

2008-11-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Today we decided to go and get Mary Kate's hair cut. She has had her bangs in her eyes for too long! She doesn't like to wear bows anymore and doesn't like me messing with her hair so I had no other option. We are going with the "bob" look. She was so good and really enjoyed watching Dora the Explorer on the little TV at Becky's station. We took her to Cookie Cutters- hair salon for kids. She was interested in watching the other kids next to her getting their hair cut too. It was fun. Sam had a half day and I had my last conference call at 3:00 so we went this afternoon and had a blast.

After her hair cut we stopped for dinner at Wendy's. Mary Kate had lunch one day last week with her little friend Sully and found chicken nuggets and ketchup were soooo good. So Sam wanted to see her get so excited. She loves it.

Mary Kate's 1st Birthday!

2008-10-28T11:25:00.002-07:00

Ok I know everyone is mad at us because we have not been updating our blog. Things have been crazy around the Snavley household. Mom Wilson's reopened for their 49th season and Sam and I have been working there on the weekends. Both of us still working for banks. Although sad that National City is mergering with PNC we are excited to see what the future holds for me. Sam's bank is doing really well and we hope it stays that way!

Today is Mary Kate's 1st birthday. I just can't believe it. The time just flew by. We watched the video of when she was born and I just don't remember her being so tiny! She is a blast right now. She loves life and is really a good baby. Here are some of her most favorate things to do:

* Dance (daddy plays 2pac with her and boy does she bounce)

* Reads books all day long- (loves pop ups)

* Plays with her toys (especially the hand me downs from Aunt Hannah)

* Loves taking a bath and splashing herself the whole time

* Really likes to play with Daddy!!

* Molly (our dog) is her best friend (Molly doesn't care too much for Mary but Mary loves Molly)

I could just go on and on but I promise that I am going to try to do a better job of updating the blog. I hope that you enjoy her birthday pictures so far- I am sure we will have more as she is having another party on Saturday with the family in Cincinnati.

4th of July

2008-07-27T19:17:00.001-07:00

For most the 4th of July means fireworks, parades, and a day off of work. It means the same thing for us but in addition it's also Mami's birthday. We get all the fun that you do but with CAKE!! Check out Mary Kate with Ava and her new friends at the local parade then we capped the day off with Mami's birthday party. She loved the parades but nothing beats blowing out the candles with family!

Mary Kate's 1st CAR!

2008-07-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Even though it's recommended for ages 9- 36 months we just couldn't pass on Mary's first car. We get our temps at 15 right. Besides she is advanced for her age! Nothing says summer like a pink convertible. She loves riding around Grandma and Grandpa's parking lot and honking the factory installed horn. The car has already made one drive to Cincinnati and cousin Jackson used his advanced driving skills to pop wheelies and peel out. Can you say road trip?

Visit to the Critzer's

2008-07-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

Coming home for cousin Jen's wedding gave us an opportunity to stop by our friends Gina & Andrew's. Mary Kate needed to meet their newest addition Caroline and it was good for us to catch up with friends we hadn't seen in a while. It's not everyday we get to hang out with celebrities from the Today show. Mary Kate especially enjoyed her time with world renowned Storm Defender model Maggie. She also had fun telling Caroline everything she would need to know to get the most out of her first 8 months. What's great about seeing true friends is that even if you don't talk for several months you still find a way to pick up right where left off. I look forward to our next visit with the Critzer's.

Mary Kate goes to the ZOO!

2008-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

So we got a zoo pass. In fact we are now considered donors to the zoo so if any two of you out there want to go to the zoo with us consider this your invitation. Actually it was money well spent and has already paid for itself. At first I wasn't sure if Mary was really getting it as she seemed more interested with the bamboo railing around the Monkey exhibit than the Monkey's themselves. She did seem rather interested in the Penguins and the Carousel. At the very least it's a good way to spend the afternoon or a Saturday. Look for more Zoo adventures to come.

7months and so GROWN Up!

2008-06-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

The last two posts have been written by Sam and now its my turn to give an update on how Mary Kathryn is growing up so fast. This past week there have been so many changes and she is getting to be a little girl. Here are just a few things that she has accomplished in the last few days:
*Every other word that comes out of her mouth of course is "da da".
*She is starting to crawl although right now is best going backwards.
*Wants to stand on her feet and thinks that she can just walk away.
*When we are holding her- if we are not moving she will let you know-Always on the go.
*Drank from a straw with her Aunt Sarah- Lemonade.
*Loves to eat lemons. She will just sit there and suck on a lemon for hours if we would let her.
*Pulled her self up in her crib

Just to name a few! She is so much fun! We are having such a blast!

Mary Kate's First SWIM

2008-06-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

Summer is going to be a blast. Mary Kate loves being outdoors and with the temperature in the 80's we decided to check out Mami and PaPa's pool. Mary is a natural. Kicking and splashing. We are already looking forward to the 2020 Olympics. Or at least more visits to the nati this summer. We couldn't help but be overcome with contentedness as Mary enjoyed the "fun in the sun" this past weekend. Notice the matching hat and swim suit (move over "sex in the city") Also peep the nano wire's and the "disobey," our super cool shades compliments of Uncle Mike. The paparazzi are already staking out positions for our next trip to the Cunningham Resort!

New Kittens

2008-06-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate got kittens! Every 7 month old needs not one but at least 2 kittens and who are we to deprive our daughter. Actually we thought it would be nice to have a cat to keep the mice down. When a family friend had free kittens we jumped on the opportunity. Little did we know the responsibility we signed up for. The first task was to chose names. With the help of Aunt Hannah we decided on Zoro and Jinx. So far so good except they are poop machines, we are out of litter, and not one mouse caught. We love Zoro and Jinx all the same. Welcome to the family guys!

Boys Visit

2008-05-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

Boys Visit

2008-05-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

May 16th-

The day finally arrived when our boys came into visit us and meet Mary Kate for the first time. For those of you who don't know the boys- Michael and Patrick are Jill's second cousins. They lived with us for a few months when they were seniors in high school about 3 years ago. They now live in Arizona where they attend ASU. It has been a year since we have seen them and we were so happy for them to arrive. We had packed schedule for they were only going to be with us for 4 days. We drove into Cincinnati for a night and then off to the farm for a few days. They had never been to our home so we just hung around the house and chilled. The twins are so good with Mary and she can't wait to see her Uncle Michael and Uncle Patrick again soon. We were sad to see them go but were so happy they got to spend a couple of days with us. Despite a bit of an age gap and the difference in lifestyle between college students and new parents settling down there is still an undeniable bond that we have with the boys. Hard to explain but we love them both so much!

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

What a very special day! My first Mother's Day! It was a very nice day! For most of you who know me well- Sam knows how to win my heart and is now teaching Mary Kate. I rec'd a blue box-yes Tiffany's! I love Tiffany's! Mary Kate is learning very early on what a blue box and white ribbon is. We just hung out together and had a very nice day. Unfortunately, we had to attend a funeral this afternoon. John Moore, a wonderful family friend and once a major part of Mom Wilson's died on Thursday of this past week. So we went to the funeral this afternoon and Mary Kate had her first babysitter - of course not being either of our mom's or aunts and uncles. Yes we are the luckiest people in Delaware- Mary Kate got to hang out with Nancy (our doctors wife and the most wonderful nurse ever!) and their daughter Vicky. She was pretty good.

Anyway, we had a really nice day together! Sam and I agreed that we appreciate our moms so much more now that we have a child.

Ava's 4th Birthday

2008-05-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were in Cincinnati for our niece's birthday party! I can't believe that Ava is 4 already. Mary Kate loves both of her cousins Ava and Jackson so much. It is so cute to see them together. We had a really nice time. Mary Kate met Ava and Jackson's cousin Caymen and really loved him too. They are a month apart and really took to eachother. It was fun to watch them interact.

Visit to Cincinnati

2008-05-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

We were back home in Cincinnati for the weekend this past week and enjoyed the visit. Mary Kate got to hang out with her Mami and Papa as well as all of her aunts and uncles. Although her very favorite was her cousins Ava and Jackson. She loved to play and watch their every move. It was so much fun to see them hang out. Mary Kate is really starting to form a personality and it is so much fun to see her change every day.

2008-04-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if I have an excuse for not posting till now. Things have been busy in the Snavley Household. Mary Kate turned 6 months old on Monday the 28th and she has been a busy little girl. Some major milestones to date are:

* Starting to sit up on her own!

* 1st tooth in the bottom is coming in!

* Rolling over like crazy!

* Eating Baby Food (her favorate is sweet potatoes)!

A good story for all that know us well- Grandma took Mary and I shopping on Monday for her 6 month birthday and we were at Old Navy and I was showing her some outfits that we were looking at getting for her. No kidding- she would smile real big and laugh at each outfit. People that were standing around us thought it was a great show. In more words than one- WE ARE IN TROUBLE! Not only does she like clothes (well her Mommy wants her to like them since we have tons) but she loves to be the center of attention.

She is so much fun although very busy! Loves to know what is going on around her. So much fun! We are really having a blast together. When daddy comes home from work he reads to her and she loves that time. Sleeping really well! She goes to sleep at 7:00 and wakes up at 7:00. It is like clock work. Naps are getting much better! We have graduated to 1 hour naps instead of 20 mintues. Mom can really get some work done.

Anyway, I will try to do a better job at posting. We hope that you enjoy the pictures and see how much she has grown.

Spring Break- Mary Kate 5 Months

2008-04-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

Last week we experienced our first vacation with Mary Kate. Vacation takes on a whole new meaning with a 5 month old but we had a really good time. The crew consisted of my dad (Tom), my mom (Vickie), and my sister Hannah. We rented a conversion van and left on Easter Sunday for Charleston. Of course with it being a 11 hour drive we stopped half way at a casino in Cherokee. For those of you who don't know- vacation for Sam and I prior to Mary Kate was always Vegas so we thought we would try to throw a little gambling into our trip. It was an interesting drive. Sam had to drive the van through the Smoky Mountains. At times it was a little scary but a very scenic route. Once we got there and got everyone settled- dad, Sam and I went down to the casino. Cherokee was good to us...actually my dad won the jackpot! He won $3000 on a slot machine. It made his vacation- on just the first day!

The next day we all packed back into the van and drove into Charleston. It was an easier drive then the day before. Mary Kate did really well although we still had to stop a few times. The weather was cold- of course we were a little scared of that. With Easter being really early this year it was still pretty cold. So we had to bundle everyone up. Prior to leaving we invested in a B.O.B running stroller for Mary Kate and took that with us. It was GREAT! We all loved the BOB.

The first day in Charleston we decided to drive into Kiawah Island to check it out. We all had heard great things about the resort and the Island there so we wanted to go and see what it was like. We went to the Sanctuary which is the 5 star resort there and it was so beautiful. It sits on the beach and had amazing decor. We loved it! We loved it so much that we went back to Charleston and did some site seeing for one more day and then we checked out of the hotel there and stay the last night at the Sanctuary.

At this point the weather had gotten better and we were able to take walks on the beach and lay out by the pool. Mary Kate really enjoyed being outside since she hasn't really been able to do that much this winter! She loved being able to check eveything out.

On Thursday we ended up driving through the night-actually Sam did all the driving. We made it home around 4 am but it worked out because Mary Kate slept the whole time.

Now we are home and trying to get back on routine. It is tough! She thinks that she is allowed to stay up till 9:00 pm and still wake up at 6:00am. So we are working on that.

While we were on vacation- Mary Kate turned 5 months old. She is getting so big everyday. It is amazing how fast they grow up. She really is starting to LOVE her dog- Molly. Loves to just look at her and touch her. She loves to play with her toys and is enjoying eating her hands. She talks and smiles all the time-- we are having so much fun! We are looking forward to the nice weather so we can get out and take walks and hang out.

Bumbo Chair

2008-02-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

Mary Kate loves the camera. She loves to look at the flash. Wonder where she gets this from?

She loves the little red bird. She holds it and talks to it all the time. Her new favorite thing to do is to sit in her Bumbo chair. She loves to hold her head up and play with her toys.

She goes and visits Grandma and Grandpa at the store and the chair is perfect. She sits on the counter and gets all the attention. Wonder who else got a lot of attention when he was this age?

Grandma bought her a hat the other day and she looked so cute. She is growing up so much and changing everyday. She talks more and has little laughs more and more each day. She loves to talk and watch her Mommy and Daddy talk to her. Her other favorite toys are the cow and dog that make noises and hang on her car seat. She gets a kick out of watching them. WE are having a blast with her and can't wait for the days to come.

3 months

2008-01-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Mary Kate will be three months old on Jan. 20th! We just can't believe how fast time has gone with Mary Kate in our lives. She has been a lot of fun over the last few weeks. Some of the major changes that we have seen in her:

* she already has boyfriends- the lights in the ceiling. She will stare at them for hours and talks to them but gets mad when they don't talk back.

* she has been smiling a lot more lately and really focuses on people

* very light sleeper... she wakes up to just about everything-but is sleeping through the night- Mommy loves that b/c she was missing my sleep.

* for some reason she loves trips in the car--could it be because she has already been to Cincinnati 5 times since she has been born.

* Mary Kate loves to shop.. don't be surprised- both her mom and dad love to shop but her Grandma Snavley takes her shopping on Mondays!

*She ate her first rice ceral meal and has really enjoyed it!

At the beginning of the month we went to see Dr. Schuler and got a great report. Mary Kate weighed 12 lbs. and was 22.5 inches. She had to get her first shots and did really well. She cried for a little while but her mom cried more than she did. We feel so blessed that we have a healthly little girl.

Mary Kate is 2 Months!

2007-12-29T21:07:00.001-08:00

Mary Kate was 2 months old on the 23rd of December and we went a little crazy with the camera to take all kinds of pictures of her. We got Sam this new camera for his birthday and all of our family makes fun of us because we take so many pictures. She was pretty calm when we took these but we did have to wait until she ate and burped before we could get some good ones. It was fun for us but I am not sure if Mary Kate really loved it. We plan to hold on to these shots so that we can show her them when she gets older and I am sure she will love us for it.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We have been waiting so long to have our little special one with us on Christmas and our dreams came true this year. Although Mary Kate had no idea what Christmas was all about and she slept through it all but she got some really neat things. She has really started to be more alert and she pays attention to her family so much more. We were able to spend a few days in Cincinnati with the Cunningham's b/c Sam had some time off of work. We enjoyed seeing all of the family and friends in Cincinnati. Normally Sam and I spend the entire holiday season in the car but we were able to make our visits with the Grandmas prior to X-mas this year so we were at the Cunningham's Christmas morning but then had a wonderful dinner at the Snavley's. Mary Kate was exhausted by all of the events that she attended over the 5 day period that the day after Christmas she slept all day long. Some of her activities consisted of:

Church twice

Stonecreek to eat 4 times

Visited all 3 of her Great Grandma's

She was such a good baby. We only hope that she stays this way if so we are going to be very spoiled.

So long since last post

2007-12-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

Well time has just flown and I haven't been able to take the time to update our blog. So I am going to enter a few posts so that everyone can see what we have been up to for the last month. Mary Kate is getting so big and Sam and I are enjoying every moment of being parents. She is starting to sleep much better at night and is a lot more alert. I will comment more on my next few posts. I hope that you enjoy!

GO BUCKS!

2007-12-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

GO BUCKS! Yes her shirt says "POOP on Michigan!" She wore this during the OSU vs . Michigan game. It was so adorable to watch her and Sam watch the game together. Mary Kate also got a picture taken with Robby(Jill's cousin)-2nd team quarterback with Bucks- on Thanksgiving Day. She could fit in one of his hands! We are so excited that the Bucks are going to New Orleans and can't wait to watch them beat LSU.

Baptism

2007-11-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

We had a really special day on Saturday the 24th. When I was young I was batized by Father Celius. He is the family priest that has been apart of so many special days in our lives. Father married my parents, baptized me, converted Sam to Catholicism and married Sam and I 5 years ago. When we called him to see if he would baptize Mary Kathryn he had just gotten released from the hospital and wasn't sure if he would even be around. Well- he made it and even though he was very weak he baptized Mary on Saturday. It was so neat and special for us to have him there for her very important day. Mary Kate is also very lucky because she has three great godparents. My brother Brad is the godfather and my two sisters Sarah and Hannah are her godparents. Mom and Dad had everyone back at their house after the Baptism and we just had a laid back afternoon.

Thanksgiving Holiday

2007-11-28T06:05:00.000-08:00

We had a great holiday week for Mary Kate's 1st Thanksgiving. Sam was able to take sometime off of work and we spent the week in Cincinnati. Mary Kate did a great job traveling for her 1st trip to the Cunningham's. We had a very laid back day on Thanksgiving. It was just the Cunningham's and Great Grandma Rother. We hung out all day and the men made dinner. It was great! Mary Kate loved spending time with her cousins Ava and Jackson and her aunts and uncles. My mom was a huge help allowing Sam and I to get out a few times during the week. We had lunch at Stonecreek without Mary and that was the first time Sam and I had gone anywhere without her. It was a really nice trip.

Aunt Hannah's Visit/Jill's 1st time out

2007-11-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hannah hadn't seen Mary Kathryn since she was born so she took a day off of school and her and Mom came up on Friday morning and stayed through Saturday. Mary Kate loves Aunt Hannah. She would cuddle up next to her and just sleep. Hannah did not like that she sleep all day but it was fun to hang out with them.

The most exciting part of the day was Mami watched Mary Kate while Hannah and I went out for an hour to pick up a few things. We went to Hobby Lobby and got some more scrapbooking things (I really don't need anymore) for Mary Kate's book. We had such a great time but I felt bad leaving her so I rushed back. It was nice to get a little break.

Anyway Mary had to go to the Doctor b/c she woke up yesterday with a swollen eye. She has a clogged tear duct and we had to see the DR. I guess it is normal for infants to have this problem. They weighted her again and much to our surprised Mary Kate weighes 7 lbs 11 ounces. The DR. said that they expect that the baby get back to their birth weight within 2 weeks of their birthday. Well MK is 2 weeks today and she is already reached that. She really likes the mommy milk. We joke around and my nickname is the "Milk Lady." Whenever she hears my voice she thinks its time to eat.

Things are going really well and we are having so much fun. Night times are still a little hard but that is OK with me.

The New Mom and Dad

2007-11-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

We finally had the opportunity to get some pictures of our familiy together. We are just loving our little family so much and having a blast being with Mary Kathryn. Although the night times are a little hard we enjoy every moment of being with her. Dad had to go back to work this week and is adjusting quite well. I am trying to get used to being home with her by myself. Sam is such a huge help so it took me a while to have my own routine. Mary sleeps most of the day and then is up all night. We are hoping that it gets a little better here over the next few weeks. Anyway, we are doing really well and having such a great time.

Vistors

2007-11-08T10:33:00.001-08:00

Over this past weekend- Mary Kate's aunt, uncle and cousins came to visit. Ava loved Mary Kate so much- she read to her and sang to her. It was a whole lot of fun to watch her interact with MK. Jackson just says "baby" all the time. He is very active and loves to play. The cousins, Kerri, Tim, Kimberly and Tim stopped by on Sunday after the Buckeye's game. Then Aunt Sarah and Mami Cunningham came for the night to hang out which was a nice surprise. Sam made a wonderful dinner and we just hung out which was really nice.

Grandma and Grandpa Snavley normally come everyday to see Mary Kathryn and to see how much she has changed from day 1. They love to visit with her and just hang out. Last night we got out for the first time since going to the Dr. and had dinner at their house which was really nice for Mom to get out of the house for an hour or so.

Sponge Bath

2007-11-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today we gave MK her first sponge bath and she loved it. She was so happy being naked and wrapped up in her duck towel that her Aunt Hannah bought for her. She loved being massaged and clean. We had so much fun being with her and taking pictures. Sam really has gotten good at taking great shots. We hope that everyone is enjoying them as much as we are.

Things are going well for us. Not a whole lot of sleep at night. Of course she has days and nights mixed a little. She literally sleeps all day and you would think that Sam and I would get some good rest but it is hard to sleep during the day when the world doesn't stop when you have a kid. We have been able to get a lot of household chores done this week but getting very tired. I think that going forward naps are going to be key.

Sam is planning on going back to work on Monday afternoon and so we will see how mom does on her own. With not having a whole lot of experience with a baby- Sam has adapted almost too well. He is spoiling me and for those of you who know me well know that I have been spoiled my whole relationship with Sam and too think that it would change is crazy. Actually I think that it has gotten worse. He is so involved in everything that Mary does it is so sweet. He is the one that sits with us at every feeding and tickles her little feet to make sure that she stays awake. He has already complied several nicknames for her and you should see her little face when he talks to her. She is in love with her dad. I think that after 5 days it is safe to say that Mary is a "Daddy's little girl!"

1st Halloween

2007-11-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

Mary Kathryn's first Halloween was uneventful but she did dress for the occasion. We look forward to the years to come where she can dress up in costume and trick or treat with her cousins. Check out her pics!

Mary's Home!

2007-10-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

We were released from the hospital this afternoon and are now home and so happy! My mom and brother David worked so hard to make our house beautiful for our first day home. David made a wonderful dinner for the whole family and Mary adapted really well to her new house. Molly is hanging in there thanks to Uncle David. I think that she knows now that she is no longer the little princess in our house. We are a little nervous for our first night but Mami Cunningham will be here to help.

Check out Mary Kate's outfit that she came home in today. Sam's Grandma made the entire outfit for when Sam was born (they didn't know he was going to be a boy). Sam's parents did a great job keeping it in good shape and Mary looked so adorable coming home today. We were the only patients at the hospital all day yesterday and today and the nurses just couldn't believe how cute she looked.

This evening we compared our baby pictures and Mary Kathryn looks just like her dad. I am going to try to scan his baby picture to show everyone how much she looks like him. She is such a great baby. Cries very little and just loves to cuddle- especially with her dad. We are loving every moment and so glad that time has arrived. We will continue to share our favorite pictures and hope that everyone enjoys.

New Arrival-Happy Birthday Mary-10/28

2007-10-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Mary Kathryn has arrived! We came in on Friday evening for our typical stress test and her heartbeat took a dip so they decided to go ahead and induce on Saturday afternoon. Everyone is doing great. Mom is really tired so is Dad but other than that it couldn't be more perfect! She weighed 7 lbs 2 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Once we get home and get settled we will be sure to add more posts to our blog- but for now enjoy the latest pics!

THE END IS NEAR!

2007-10-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well we have had an exciting few weeks. On the 15th we went into the hospital with contractions and found that we were 2 centimeters dilated. The contractions were not strong enough to continue in labor so they sent us home. I have been having contractions since then but I guess not strong enough to be in true labor. We saw the doctor a few days later and we have set a date to be induced- we will be going to the hospital to be induced on October 30th. So we are having a Halloween Baby! Sam and I are so excited and just can't wait until next Tuesday. I am so ready and feeling very uncomfortable and anxious. We have had our bags packed and the house is ready so we just can't wait for Mary Kate to join our family. The next time we post to our blog it will hopefully be with pictures of Mary Kate!

Getting Close!

2007-10-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all that it has been a while since I have posted anything to the blog. I have been doing as good as I can be. I have some bad days and some good days. This week we will complete our 35th week and Sam and I are so thankful that we have been able to beat the odds and make it this far. I am still fighting contractions but the doctor says it is all OK. They did another ultra sound last week and Mary Kate came in at an estimated 5 lbs and 13 ounces. We were shocked because the doctor said that one side effect of the fibroid would be a small baby and she has been really small this entire time up until the 34th week. So Sam pushing me to eat all the time has made a big difference. So Mary Kate is doing really well, her mom on the other hand is getting very uncomfortable. I am not sleeping at all at night so lucky for me being on bed rest allows me to sleep all day.
I will tell you all Sam and I are so ready for Mary Kate to arrive. We have everything ready and just can't wait. I will be posting pictures of her nursery once Sam has a chance to take them.

Baby Shower- 9/9

2007-09-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had another baby shower held at my parents home in Cincinnati. The top picture is a pic of my diaper cake. Mom started the tradition in our family of diaper cakes at baby showers. Next you will see my Mom Vickie and I,then Michele and Sarah together, Hannah and I and then Amy and I. My sisters (Michele, Sarah and Hannah) and good friend (Amy) threw the shower for Sam and I. It was a great shower. Sarah brought all the food from Stone Creek and it was all delicious. Everything looked so nice. The favors were adorable! They gave everyone a potted mum with ribbons tied on all of the pots.

We got so many great things! We have no idea where we are going to put everything but we will make it work. I think that we are all set now and ready for Mary Kate to arrive. We are still going through all of our gifts and organizing.

1st Baby Shower- 9/2/07

2007-09-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday my mother-in-law, her cousin Heidi and Allee and my best friend Colleen hosted a baby shower. The shower took place at my in-laws and it was so much more than I expected. Sue, Heidi and Colleen did an amazing job! They had my throne all placed as I had rested for days to prepare for the couple of hours that I would be there. I sat in a glider and enjoyed seeing all the good family and friends that Sam and I have in our lives. As you can see in some of the pictures the theme was designed around the colors pink, green and yellow. Sue found clothes that her and Aunt Ruth wore when they were little-ones that Grandma Wilson made. One very special outfit is the purple sweater, hat and footies that Sam wore when he came home from the hospital. Grandma Wilson made them for Sue and Denny to bring Sam home in. You can tell that there was a lot of love put into making this outfit and therefore we have decided that it will be the outfit that we bring Mary Kate home in. Heidi did a great job on all of the food- it was so delicious! I was treated like a queen, my dearest friend Colleen even brought the food to me. All together it was an amazing day and when we got home I think that it hit us both pretty hard- we are going to have a baby here really soon. All of the gifts that we got was overwhelming and just an amazing feeling that we have such great friends and family. I am glad that we could share some of our favorite pictures with everyone.

Cincinnati Visit

2007-08-23T05:13:00.001-07:00

My doctor allowed me to take a break from the Delaware bed rest and go to see my family for some Cincinnati bed rest. Of course with Sam's addiction to the new camera he took tons of pictures of our favorite kids. Our niece and nephew are so wonderful and we love them so much. Jackson is getting so big and has such a great personality. Ava is growing up to be so mature and just brings us so much joy. When Mary Kate gets here she is going to have so much fun with her cousins. Ava started school this week and she sounds as if she is having a blast. Although Michele told us all that when she asked Ava what are her favorite thing is about school she says "playing on the computers" and when you ask her what is her least favorite she says "coming home." God love her... we all knew that she would love school!

It was so nice to have a break and get out of the house. I enjoyed seeing the family and visiting with everyone. I hope that the next 6 weeks goes fast and before we know it Mary Kate will be here with us and excited to meet everyone.

Jillian's Surprise

2007-08-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

So after having a few bad days Sam knew that I needed a pick me up. He surprised me and took me to have a 4D ultra sound of the baby. It was so amazing and hard to express how emotional it was to see our little girl this way. I tell Sam that she looks just like me! Honestly it is crazy but she has Sam's mouth and Sam's grandma's nose. It is crazy that you can actually see her in this way! We wanted to share just a few photos with everyone. It was such a great experience!

Sam's 28th Birthday

2007-08-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday Sam turned 28! I believe that this is the first year that we haven't been to Vegas to celebrate Sam and Denny's birthdays in 6 years. Sue and Denny went for us and had a blast. Since being on bed rest I wasn't able to celebrate his birthday to much! Thanks to our good friends Colleen and Tom! They came over and made dinner for us and also made Sam his birthday cake. So we had a great evening with our friends. Sam got his new SLR camera and he loves it. He hasn't put it down since he got it. So everyone should have high expectations on the pictures that we post!

Bed Rest Boredom!

2007-08-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

Most of you are aware but I was put on moderate bed rest this past week due to having pre-term contractions. Little Mary Kate is so excited to be with Sam and I but we had to tell her it is not time yet. At the end of this week we will be 28 weeks so hopefully we can hold on to at least 10 more weeks.

I have watched enough TV to last me a year or so and I am now scrap booking and cross stitching (thanks to Grandma R.). Sam has been working a lot of hours as he is preparing for his new branch to open. When he comes home he has to take care of things here around the house. Of course he has been so wonderful to me and takes such care of us. I know that he is so excited to have MK here.

Tonight is the grand opening at Stone Creek so we are bummed we can't be there in Cincinnati with the family but I am sure we will get our fare share of eating at the restaurant once things calm down for us. GOOD LUCK to Dad, Mike and Sarah!

Sam's 28th birthday is tomorrow so I am excited to celebrate his birthday with him!