It's been awhile.......

Mom and dad have been keeping me busy since my last post but I finally timed this right, just when they have their back turned. I'm sure they don't want me to get too good at doing this, hehe. Anyway let me get to it before they become aware. I want to give a baby sized shot out to my auntie Kathy, uncle Jeff and my cousin AK. I want to thank them for coming to visit even though I was kind of sleeping it off while they were here.  I did over-hear something about some History homework but I don't think they were talking to/about me. I had already made history several days before so I think it was directed at someone else.  I can't wait to see the Pennsylvania contingent again, especially the rest of the cousins. That all happened 2 Sundays ago. The day before there was a multitude of people, all from daddy's side of the family.  There was so many people that I had to resort to counting with my toes as well.  I'm happy people are excited to see me but unfortunately I'm not always awake to meet them. I want to give a hearty shot out to Mimi and grandma Isabel to whom I felt their love and warmth when they look at me and hold me close....and thanks for taking care of mommy and daddy.  Anyway, I gotta go. Need to get some rest so that daddy could (later) recite more words for me to learn. He is bent on me taking over his "words with friends" games and he doesn't want to give them away.  I learned 'contingent' 3 days ago but I don't think I'll be using that anytime soon.  'Til the next time......

Happy Birthday to me......

Today I turn 7 days old (@11:21pm) and I want to keep this post pretty simple. My mommy and daddy brought me into this world with all their heart and I want to express to them what they have been playing in the background through the Baby Bella website for the last couple of days: I love you to the moon and back.

- Olivia

My turn, no big feet!!!!!

It was one week ago when mommy's water broke and I have to say we were all waiting with great anticipation for the "event".  I mean it's not like everyday you meet your parents for the first time. Unfortunately we had to be ever more patient for our eventual meeting. It was like being stuck at the airport waiting for a storm to blow over.  Although the accommodations were comfortable enough, I couldn't wait to meet mommy and daddy.  I traveled a long way and nothing was going to stop me but I had to wait out the storm.  I learned something that day, good things happen to those who wait and now that I'm here, I know that now.  So here I am, turning out my first post.  It's not as hard as I thought it might be being that I've only been here for about 6 days.  Hopefully my imagination is not peaking and I'll be able to wax somewhat poetic in the coming days, weeks, etc.  For now I'll just be posting pics of my feet as that is all I can see at the moment but I might be able to get the parents to snap a few other candid shots.  Unfortunately, for reasons that deal with child labor acts, somewhere in the post my daddy or mommy will have to comment to protect themselves.  I'm starting to learn that this new world is not so cut and dry. 

This is Daddy's post (boring!!!)

Eat your heart out most of America, $2.51/gallon for regular octane at our regional gasoline depot.

Our Pride and joy....

Weighing in at 7 lbs 15 ozs. and stretching out to 20 3/4", Olivia Grace Velez. Welcome to the World!!!!!

Now all we need is some fog.....

What a day to go into labor. In the hospital now and ordered some breakfast. We'll soon be in the thick of it, like this fog.

One week until our due date - week 39

Your baby is the size of a Mini Watermelon

Your baby now measures approximately 20 inches long (50.8 cm) long from head to heel and weighs about 7.25 pounds (3.3 kg).

Most of the vernix and the lanugo that has covered your baby has disappeared. Your baby will swallow its lanugo along with shed dead skin cells and shed intestinal cells and store them in its bowels. These will be part of your baby’s first bowel movement.

Your baby also has a steady supply of antibodies from the placenta that you provided that will help it fight off infections for the first few months after birth. Your colostrum is also rich in antibodies and breastfeeding will continue to boost your baby’s immunity as well as provide it with essential nutrients.

Your baby will also continue to gain weight, although at a slower pace. Movements will begin to slow as it doesn’t have much room to move around.

Pregnancy hormones produced by your body may cause your baby’s genitalia to appear enlarged after birth. This will return to normal shortly after birth when your baby is not longer attached to your blood supply. These same hormones may even cause your baby — whether it is a girl or boy — to excrete milk through its nipples. This is also completely normal and will go away within a few days of birth.

Week 38 - counting down now

Your baby is the size of a Celery Bunch

Your baby measures approximately 19.6 inches (49.8 cm) long from head to heel (about the size of a leek). Your baby has really plumped up. At this point your baby weighs 6.5 to 7.0 pounds (2.9 to 3.2 kg).

She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Believe it or not, your baby may have taken its first bowel movement. The waste is a greenish-black substance called meconium and either passed in the womb or is stored in his or her intestines and will be excreted after birth.

Your baby is practicing breathing and urinating, and can use his or her fingers to grasp very tightly.

Our nursery mural

We had a mural painted in the nursery with a nighttime celestial scene. See the pics below for how it looked step by step. We hired an art student named Rebecca Schwartzstein. She did an amazing job!!

Then she added clouds to the sky.

First she created the background nighttime sky.

And my favorite sliver moon

And a few stars...they glow in the dark, as does the moon.

Final touch was to add a small character to look down over the baby in the crib.

Final product isn't it lovely!!