First week back

Well, I had to go back to work this week. I cried when I left Livy on Monday morning and cried when I got to work...it was 7am and there was no one to talk to and I couldn't log on to my computer. Without any distractions, I just cried from missing Boo. Monday was definately the worst. Mom is in town watching her and said Monday was the worst for Boo, too. Monday and Tuesday night, Boo was soooo happy to see me. After that, I think she had gotten more used to grandma and my return didn't seem like such a big deal, though she was still happy to have the milk factory back. Monday morning she starts daycare. While we are happy with our choice of daycare, knowing that she's not being cared for by someone who loves her (at least not yet) is hard. I'm hopeful she'll come to enjoy it.

So here are some pics of her from this week. I loooove the pic of her and her grandma.

Olivia needs your vote

We're doing a cutest baby photo contest. Most votes each month wins $2,500. Voters can win $100,000. If she even gets 50 votes, we get a $25 Visa gift card. I've uploaded six pictures. Each unique voter can cast one vote per day per photo (so you can cast one for each photo every day, if you like). Of course, like every mother, I think mine is the cutest baby. I've included a link that allows you to vote and the pictures (we're allowed 6) that you're voting for. Again, if you want, you can vote for each one of my pictures, but only once per day. If the feeling strikes you, pass on to your friends.

You'll be asked to register and you may have to review at least one offer (like a magazine subscription), but you don't have to buy anything. It appears you have to navigate through alot of offers, so I understand if you don't wish to participate. I got annoyed just trying to vote myself! (as Anthony, who I *assume* would vote for her ).

Thanks to all who vote!

https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index.aspx?referid=EmailFriends&p=314939&x=.jpg

Livy's first day trip

Grandma, mommy, daddy and Livy went to Catalina on Thursday. It was Livy's first outing that last more than 3 hours. She was great, and slept most of the time, allowing us to enjoying Catalina and her. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Chocolate waterfall

Well, the Boo was very talkative tonight and spitting up quite a bit...more than usual, actually, and it worried me. Tony had taken her temp orally after the third spitup, and it was okay, but after number five, I busted out the anal probe. Mind you, her attitude was great. Between shouting at us (not crying, and not cooing, but very strong "aaaahhhh" and "errrrrrhhh"), she'd laugh and smile. Even while I stuck the vaseline-coated thermometer in her bottom, she smiled. Then came the poo.....Wonder poo struck right as I was taking her temp. At first I didn't think it was Wonder poo....a fist-sized pool formed in her diaper. Thirty seconds later, more goo came out. And the thermometer was still in place. And mommy was holding it. Daddy was holding her legs to keep them clean. And Boo just thought it was funny. The thermometer registered a temp of 99.4...but after I cleaned it off and reinserted it, it read 99.1, sans poo. And then she fell asleep.

Guess she was full o' something that had her busted at both ends. Fun night.

Funny face

She makes *me* laugh, anyway.

Videos

Usually, whenever the Boo is smiling at me, I get out the camcorder...and she promptly replaces the smile with a fascinated stare. This time I was able to keep her attention and keep the smiles coming.

It finally happened....

Olivia and I went to the Kingdom Hall today to watch a special presentation. A couple was visiting from New York and they shared a beautiful slideshow of their five years in Suriname. Olivia was napping just before the show started so I thought I'd take the opportunity to clip her overgrown nails. Tony won't do it because he's afraid of hurting her. Well, mommy did just that today. I thought I had a good bead on her thumbnail, but as soon as I heard "click", her eyes popped open and she yelled at me. I immediately stopped and she went back to a doze. Five minutes later I was holding her in my lap and I noticed three little pink dots on her dress...I wondered what they were until I saw the end of her thumb. Talk about guilt. She was perfectly fine with it and it stopped bleeding after a while (helped along by her sucking her thumb and index finger).

On a completely unrelated note, there's a lady in my office who used to send us daily trivia questions. Well, this year she's switched to the jeopardy format. This week's answers were from the categoria of south american geography. I don't need to see the questions to know I got them wrong, but as soon as the slideshow started this afternoon with a map of South America, I knew the answer to the Jeopardy question, "This country has had border disputes with French Guiana to its east and Guyana to its west."...that would be "What is Suriname", Alex.

A few new pictures. I'll be editing video this weekend.

More random pictures

Great-grandma and Olivia

"Gas is HOW MUCH?"

No, my child is not in a perpetual state of shock...I just discovered that, when she's smiling and mommy pulls out the camera, the multiple flashes from the red-eye setting result in a wide-eyed expression by the time the last flash goes off and the picture is taken. I could NOT get a picture of her smiling without that look.

Special Assembly Day

Today Tony, Olivia and I travelled to the Norco Assembly Hall for our annual Special Assembly day. Her diaper habits have changed in that she used to give me little poops with every diaper, now she saves them up for one BIG boop every other day (we call it Wonder poop). I was worried Wonder poop would hit while we were away from home and she was all dressed up, but she gave it to us the night before. Nonetheless, I'd be foolish to go without backup clothes. Thankfully, we didn't need them and she looked faaaabulous. Here's pics of us at the Hall and of her at home, showing off her clothes.

Deep thoughts

Tony and I have a game we play where we try to think of what's on Olivia's mind when she gets these serious looks on her face. We're certain she's contemplating how to achieve that delicate balance between environmental and business needs in the logging industry in Oregon or perhaps how to properly adjust the ignition timing on a '67 Chevy Bel Air. I think we may have captured some less stressful thoughts in the following.

"Hmmm. My cuticles are a mess"


"Yeah, I definately need a manicure"

Lot's and lots of pictures

Tony and I took Livy over to see Nona at work and let Nona introduce her to several friends and co-workers. I took the opportunity to catch some bonding on film.


Livy isn't as easily swaddled as she was when she was first born, so we bought a blanket specifically for swaddling that also allows us, through a slit in the back of it, to swaddle her while in her swing or carseat. I thought these pics came out waaaaay too cute.



And then there's bath time. She enjoys her baths, but often fusses after getting out. Here she is wrapped in her ducky towel. She had just smiled at me before I pulled out the camera...then she started screaming.




And, lastly, a sight often seen around the house these days...Tony holding Livy, asleep in his chair.

Sad news to report...

Tony and I are splitting up. I realize it may seem strange to announce it on Olivia's blog, but the truth about Olivia's paternity has come out.

Olivia is Willy Wonka's love child.