A Very Merry Christmas

Santa brought Finley some babies! I can't wait to watch her stroll them around the house.

Finley with her cousins: Nate & Jake

Ashley is such a good big cousin! Rocking Finley in her new chair.

One of the best gifts ever! My dad refinished my rocking chair that I had when I was a little girl. I have a similar picture with me sitting in the same chair feeding my babies. I need to pull it out!

Grammy's snow village. Such a holiday tradition. As tedious and detailed as she gets with it, it will always bring such great memories when I look back.

The Happiest 9 Months Ever!

Today is Finley's 9 month birthday! We spent it sleeping in, having some breakfast, watching a little Eebee, taking a nap, having some snacks, taking a bath, and then heading to Granpy's house to visit. Finley absolutely loves my Dad and he gets such a kick out of her wanting him as soon as he walks into the room. The best is when he tries to give her back to me and she turns her back to me and puts a death grip around his neck. Finley LOVES her Granpy...but then again, Ashley and Brett adore him too! And really, what's not there to love?

We're looking forward to spending Christmas time together. On Thursday, we're spending it with my family and then on Friday, we're going to Jeff's parents house for dinner and then his Grandma's for dessert. I'm looking forward to a little rest & relaxation and just spending time with my lil munchkin.

Yesterday, Finley had her 9 month check-up. She had to get the H1N1 vaccine (swine flu) and now we don't go back until her 12 month check-up. I can hardly believe it's almost been a year! Finley measured in at 2 feet 4.5 inches, 20.5 lbs, and her head is 45.5 cm. That makes her in the 95+ percentile in height and head and she dropped to the 75th percentile in weight. I think all of her crawling is starting to pay off. She's definitely slimmed down in the past few months. However, she has outgrown every item of clothing in her closet and is now wearing 18-24 months gear.

I sent out some Christmas cards and they may be a little late to hit a few of the mailboxes, in the meantime, here are some photos of the past couple weeks.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holidays!

Bye Bye!

Finley waves good-bye for the first time!

Evil Laughter!

Check out Finley's evil laugh! She developed it a couple days ago and it's quite entertaining. She gets so excited when we offer her a veggie puff or yogurt drop!

Spotted: Another Chord!

Watch Fin spot another chord to tug on.

Meet the Fin-Monster!

I've always referred to Fin's big brother Simon as the Simonster but after spending the last 5 days straight with Fin she's definitely taken on the nickname. As you can see below, even Simon is scared of her. Girlfriend is CRAZY! She's a little fiesty and definitely has a mind of her own. For the past 8 months, we've been SO lucky and taken her everywhere with us. We've enjoyed all of our dinners out, trips to the market, and running errands together. However, after this past weekend, we may need to rethink our strategy a bit. In my book, she is still so precious and the sweetest lil muffin you'll ever meet but MAN, she's becoming a bit high maintenance in her old age ;)

Last weekend, we took her to our friends' daughter's second birthday party. This little girl, Ashlyn (16 months or so), was sitting on the floor minding her own business and Finley made one quick move towards her, pulled the binky out of her mouth, and proceeded to put it in HER mouth. Luckily I intercepted, returned the binky to the little girl, and told Fin 'no-no'. She just looked at me like I was CRAZY MOM and pushed herself off me to put her back down.

Next Monday, Finley moves to a new classroom at her school. She's graduating from a Guppy and moving over to the Polliwogs where she'll start to explore new people, foods, schedules, and activities.

It's so fun watching her grow and seeing a little personality develop within this miraculous individual. I'm so lucky to have such a healthy little girl but I can definitely tell the next few months will be INTERESTING!

Recent Photos!

Child Proofing

Our place is not kid-friendly. We've tried for a few weeks to make the most of it, but it all finally came to a head last week. Fin is into absolutely everything. Chords, dog food, chords, Simon's toys, chords, the tv, the computer, chords, remote controls, and more chords. She is obsessed. If she can't have it, she wants it. It's quite entertaining to watch her go from one area to the next of things we don't want her to get into...but it's also exhausting!

Jeff finally took our dining room table and wine rack to storage and we made room for Finley to have some room to roam. It feels a lot roomier in our condo and it's nice to know that Fin can move as she pleases...however, mommy does miss her wine collection!

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. I was so excited to spend 5 whole days with Fin! I couldn't be happier. I picked her up from daycare around 2 on Wednesday and we did a little shopping, went to see Grandpy & Grandmy, and then met daddy for dinner. On Thursday (turkey day) we went over to Grandpy & Grandmy's and had so much fun with cousin Brett and Ashley and Auntie Teresa & Uncle Timmy and Chad. Finley chased Sophie around and refused to take a nap the entire day! Psycho Kid.

On Friday we hung out during the day and had dinner with Grandpa and Grandma Nadeau at El Toro's. It was fun to see them since we missed them on Thanksgiving.

Saturday, Fin and I went up to Seattle so that Grandmy and I could get our hairs done. Another fabulous morning with Sean and some afternoon shopping. By the way, Finley met Mr. and Mrs. Claus at Nordstrom after an hour and half wait to see them! Daddy spent the day child proofing the house. Taking down the dinning room table and my beloved wine rack to storage until we move into our home in April. I will miss my beloved vino the most! I guess this is one way to ensure I won't drink it all in the next few months.

Sunday, Jeff and I made breakfast and enjoyed watching Finley in her new play area. We made a trek out to South Center Mall so I could take my phone to the Apple store for help. It's been broken for quite some time and even the Associate wasn't quite sure how to help me so he traded me in for a brand new phone. NICE!

Tomorrow it's back to work. Leslie (my boss) is back from maternity leave so it should be a little less hectic for awhile now that the holidays are here and I'll have some help for the time being. I'm looking forward to a little relief as it's been ABSOLUTELY insane for the past few months. Back to work with an 8 month old has been quite the adjustment.

I'm looking forward to the holidays. Having a little one makes it so much more enjoyable. I love seeing the look on her face when she explores so many new places and things. It's the best feeling in the whole world.

On a final note, I don't typically get too weird about things going on outside my bubble but I must say the tragedy that occured today in Lakewood hits a bit too close to home. Why on earth would anyone walk into a coffee shop and murder 4 random people let alone police officers? I have never felt "home" since I moved down South but this really makes me want to get the F out of this town. I know it can happen anywhere and I'm sure bad things will happen around me as I move through life but this incident is just ridiculous and senseless. I hope the best for the families and friends of those affected by the craziness of today and only wish that they can find peace and happiness in the chaos that surrounds them.

So on this post Thanksgiving weekend, I'm very thankful for my lil munchkin, her daddy (my fiance), my family, and my friends and I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Here's to an amazing 2010!

Home Sweet Home

We bought a house! I never thought I'd say the words but after a year and a half of looking, we finally made a decision. Jeff's work is moving to Seattle by the end of next years so we wanted to find a spot that was a little more centrally located. It's still in the south end but it has easy access to 167 and I-5. It's located in Edgewood in a development that's up and coming so now we have to wait for it to be built! The permit process should be complete by the first part of January and then they will start the building process which takes about 100 days...so we're looking at mid-to-end April for a move-in date.

Finley is super active now and she's getting into everything so next weekend Jeff and I are going to take the dinning room table and bar chairs down to storage. In the empty space we're going to make a play room of sorts for Finley to hang out in. As of now, every time she ventures off her blanket I have to pick her up and turn her around because she starts to get into everything around her. Hopefully when we move this furniture out; she'll have some room to roam. We've definitely outgrown our space and I'm really looking forward to our new home.

I know every parent probably thinks the same but Fin is the funniest little girl around (I think I know where she gets it too!) j/k...But seriously, she has such a little personality. We play horsey rides and then I sit her on the carpet next to me and she continues to bounce until I do it again. When her 'puffs' are gone she screams at the top of her lungs (not a cry but a yell) to let me know she needs some more. The last two mornings, Jeff and I have woken to her yelling at us. And, finally she knows how to motorboat which is really funy because once she starts she doesn't stop.

These are seriously THE best moments of my life. I love just watching her explore and react to every situation. She's such a ham and loves attention.

Look Mom, I'm Crawling

Finley turned 7 months recently and she's crawling up a storm. Here's video of her debating whether she should come to mama or play with the electric socket. Time to get some plastic covers for those suckers!

She Reads!

While Daddy watches Lil People / Big World (in case you're wondering about the weird tv conversation about Christian school in the background).

Lil Miss Fin Fin

Wow, it’s been six of the best months of my life and they have absolutely flown by. This little thing has entered our lives and absolutely turned it upside down. She’s amazing and often times I just sit and stare at amazement. Last weekend, we went down to Phoenix to visit granny, grammy, and grandpy. We hung out, swam in the pool, rode the golf cart, and purchased a new auntie all in a four day span. Our new auntie is my mom’s new dog, Sophie. Such a cool little pup. Over a couple glasses of wine, granny (my grandma Pederson) and I were able to convince grammy (my mom) to make a donation at the local Chandler pet store to help ‘save’ the puppy. She obliged and a large contribution later, we were on our way home w/ little Sophie. Finley has pretty much been a dream child in the first six months of her life but the last week has been a bit challenging to say the least. She’s got her first two bottom teeth and she’s been chewing up a storm. You can sense the pressure of these two teeth coming in because she’s a tad “violent” in her actions. Constantly chewing, grabbing, pulling, and forceful with each action. I feel so bad for her and can’t wait for this phase to pass by.

Her six month check up was yesterday. The doc says that typically they start a descent when they are climbing the charts at this age. Not Fin Fin. She’s still in the 90-95 percentile in head, weight, and height. Pushing 20 lbs and outgrowing every outfit, car seat, and contraption that we purchased while awaiting her arrival.

Fav foods? This kid loves to eat! She’s onto her 2nd stage foods and absolutely loves Chicken Noodle. After each bite she lets out a strong, “hmmm”. When she’s finished she starts spitting her food back at me. I love getting Chicken Noodle in my hair, on my clothes, and in my face.

The plane ride….Let’s just say, Finney (as Ashley likes to call her), was a dream child on the way down to Phoenix. Grandpy held her and she laid there fast asleep for the two hour ride. I enjoyed a vodka soda, while grandpy and grammy enjoyed a fresh cold beer. They way home, was a bit of a different situation. It was just Finley and I and the remaining 155 passengers who were lucky enough to witness a complete meltdown by my six month old who was irritable, teething, and not in the mood to be confined for 3 hours on a flight that was at maximum capacity. I was THAT girl. My child reached for the disgusting, germ-ridden safety cards in the back of the seat the entire trip. The thought of her touching them completely freaked me out. The thought of her putting them in her mouth made me want to crawl under the seat. Taking them away from her made her scream REAL LOUD. Therefore, my child sat there for about 20 minutes perfectly content to have the cards IN HER MOUTH. YUCK….When she was done she proceeded to tear every page out of the skymall catalog and then put each page inside her mouth! Upon completion, she took a 40 minute cat nap that I prayed to the airplane Gods would NEVER end. She awoke feistier than ever….screaming bloody murder until she had another bottle. Finally, the Captain came over the loud speaker and announced that our plane would be landing 25 mins AHEAD of SCHEDULE. Have you ever heard of such a thing??? SEE…Airplane Gods really do exist! We landed, and my child returned to her dream self. Smiling, laughing, happy and calm. Such a relief to have her back.

Cannon Beach

We headed to Cannon Beach this past weekend on a whim! It started out as a plan to go to the wineries, and then became a night stay in Portland, and finally evolved into a trip to the beach. Who would have thought that Portland would completely dry up of a descent hotel room for a nights stay? Anyways, our trip to Cannon Beach was a lot of fun. We got there around 5pm on Saturday, had a nice dinner at Warren's Pub House, and then met up with Gigi and her boy. The next day, we had brunch at a local breakfast place and then headed out. We drove across the Astoria bridge on the way home (the long route back) and experienced one of the coolest drives up the coast. Such cute little towns along the way and some really great scenery (The signs pointed out that we were on the Lewis & Clark expedition trails). Finley was such a little champ, she didn't make a peep the entire road trip until we hit Olympia on the way back and her Dad 'missed' the exit for hot water. She screamed bloody murder until we made it 7 miles to the next exit. Once she had her bottle, she was good to go and happy the rest of the trip.

Here are some pics from our fabulous trip!

keeping warm in my baby bjorn!

hanging w/Daddy on the beach

Waiting for mom to finish packing.

Look What My Daddy Bought My Mommy!

Green Beens!

The doc suggested that Miss Fin may be ready for some solids. He told us if we wanted to start giving her a couple ounces of vegetables for 2 weeks, we could. I was super excited to use my new baby food maker so last weekend Jeff and I ventured out to the Metro Market and purchased some fresh green beens. That night, I made my first batch of baby food for Finley. At first, she didn't know what to think. She tasted, and then shook her head and squinted her face, but then she came back for more...and then some more...and then some more. She's been eating green beans and peas now for about a week and she's starting to really like them. We're going to continue with veggies for a couple more weeks before we introduce bananas, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

Here's some pics of Finley enjoying her green beans:

eebee's Girl

I have to say I’m a bit embarrassed to say that Finley already has a favorite program on TV. No, it’s not the Hills, Dateline, or 20/20 (mom's favorites). And it’s not the Mariners, Golf, or anything on HGTV (daddy's favorites). It’s a little 8 minute program on Comcast's On Demand called, "eebee". It started as a ploy to distract her while I hopped in the shower and it has quickly developed into a small love affair. Finley absolutely goes nuts at the site of eebee on her daddy’s big screen. To fuel the fire, I hopped online last weekend and bought the entire dvd collection followed by the 21 inch eebee doll. In hindsight I wish I would have opted for the hand puppet as it would have traveled much lighter. I have a feeling eebee will be following us around for the next few years.

Finley napping as eebee looks on:

How Big is Finley?

Sooooo Big!

Finley turned 4 months last Wednesday. She now weighs 15 pounds 4 ounces and she’s 26 ¼ inches long! In weight, she fits in right around the 80 percentile and in length she is off the charts! This means she is above the 95 percentile. Needless to say, Finley is a BIG girl. I knew something was up when we pretty much blew through all her size 6 months clothes in just a couple weeks and moved right into 6-9 months. And, once I wash an outfit, it seems to never really fit the same either.

Finley has been attending daycare for the past 5 weeks and I think she really enjoys it there. She gets to play and interact with a bunch of kids in her age range and whenever she sees the teacher she gets a big grin on her face. Of course, she gets the same big grin when daddy comes to pick her up too.

The best thing is that she is now laughing! It’s so cool to see what and how I can make her laugh. Whenever I ask her whose girl she is, she lets out a loud shriek and starts laughing as I go through a long list of her friends. “Are you mama’s girl?” “Are you Eebee’s girl?” “Are you Simon’s girl? “Are you daddy’s girl?” and the list goes on and on and on and so does the laughter.

Here are some recent photos of the little munchkin.

Yes, I'll be your flower girl auntie Jen!

Bath Time = Pee Pee Time

Bath times is one of my favorite times to share with Finley. She absolutely loves it! However, without fail, everytime I put her in the warm bath water she gets this look of sheer pleasure on her face while she pees in the fresh, bubble bath I've just drawn for her. Then I have to take her out. Dump out the bath water. And refill the water so I can give her a bath without pee pee in it. I've tried a couple times to trick her by running water in the sink and letting it run on her, filling the bath just a wee bit, and giving her a bath after she wets her diaper in the morning but none of it seems to work! Once we get the second bath drawn, Finley kicks and kicks and kicks until it's time to get out. I can't wait to take her to a swimming pool so that we can play together real soon.

Recent Photos!

on the airplane to Phoenix!

Celebrating Ashley's birthday at Chuck E Cheese (aka Hell on Earth)


Hanging out with Grandma, Grandpa and my cousins

In my cute dress with Grandpa

Wearing my shoes from Mexico

The Baby Mill Adventure

If you can believe it, Finley is about to turn three months! We’ve been busy having fun before I have to go back to work next Monday. First, we spent a week in Phoenix with my mom and had such a fun and relaxing time. Then, we came home for a couple weeks before we went back. On our second trip, my Grandma Pederson came down to meet us and play for a few days and my dad, Chad, and Jeff came down as well. The guys spent their time golfing and the girls spent time taking walks through the community, playing scrabble, getting some sun, and partaking in a little bit of shopping. It was nice to get out of Tacoma and spend some time with the family. One evening, Granny Pederson and I even had a little too much red zinfandel (granny’s with ice cubes in it) but that’s what happens when you spend the afternoon shopping with Grandma Debbie (my mom).

The last few weeks have been busy as we were nailing down which day care center we were going to take Finley to. WHAT AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE. Every good day care in the area is very competitive and if I would have been smarter, I would have gotten on a list the moment I found out I was pregnant. I’ve been to so many daycares in the last couple weeks and have only found 2 that I would actually bring Finley to. One has a waiting list until January 2010 and the other is so far away it’s going to add a nice little commute on top of my already dreadful commute to Seattle each day.

Let me share a few of the stories from our adventures in daycare experience:

First place we went to was an in home daycare: When I spoke to the lady on the phone my initial thought was, “Jackpot”. The lady seemed so nice, full of energy and happy. However, when Jeff and I pulled up to the house and walked in, I thought I’d walked into a puppy mill but rather than an abundance of puppies there was an abundance of children. When we walked in, there were four pack in plays in the entry way, all with kids in them. Then she opened a door under her stairs (meant for storage) and there was a boy in there playing video games. The next stop was a back bedroom that had about 4 cribs with more kids. Then her living room where she had a baby sleeping in a swing and then her kitchen which had monitors for the upstairs where there were kids crying through the speakers. The kicker was when she showed me the laundry area and she opened the door and there was a little boy lying on a matt on the floor. It literally freaked me out. The lady even called me a couple days later to see if I had made a decision. I had no problem letting her know that Finley would not be an addition to her litter.

I also visited a multi-cultural center on hilltop, called a couple places and when the lady on the other end answered, I just hung up (this happened a couple times actually), and made a couple appointments that when I navigated my way on the GPS, decided not even to waste my time and show up for. Needless to say, it’s been a very frustrating experience and I have no desire to go through again.

I did find a place which is not convenient in the slightest that I will be taking little Finley to starting next Monday. It’s such an emotional decision but I know it will be good for both of us in the long run. The place is class room based and she’ll be with a few other babies her age. The staff has all been at the center for a long time and the director was very nice and professional. We’re on a waiting list for a place that’s a little closer and run through the hospital which I’m hoping will happen before January. In the meantime, I’m really hoping that Jeff’s job moves to Seattle so that we can get Finley in a center that’s convenient and close for me to see her throughout the day.

Mother's Day 2009

What a great Sunday! My mom and Teresa came and picked Finley and I up and we went for a walk at Chambers Bay Golf Course. Then we met up with my mom's friend, Judi, and her daughter for lunch at the new Nordstrom Grill at the Tacoma mall. It's not a cafe, it's a grill so apparently they don't serve my favorite salad, blue cheese dressing, and tomato soup...but whatever. I guess I'll just have to venture to Seattle for the good stuff in life. After lunch, I dropped Finley off with her dad and they went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Nadeau while Teresa, mom and I got pedicures and manicures. The day ended with a bbq at my parents house. For mother's day, Finley bought me the new iphone so I'm anxiously awaiting it's delivery! Hope all you mom's out there had a fabulous day as well.

An update on the reflux issue, the rice cereal has been a miracle cure. We averaged 10-12 burp rags, 2-3 outfits for Fin, and 2-3 shirts for me before the cereal and I literally have not had to change our clothes and do a daily burp rag was since we started. I'm very happy and Finley seems like a whole new baby.

As Mom Would Say, "Her Belly is Full"

So we went back to the doctor yesterday to talk about Finley's reflux. The medicine that we received just didn't seem to be working. I was starting to get a bit worried because she was throwing up even more than she was before we started the Zantac. The doctor said our next move was to try and thicken her feedings and by this he meant that we'd add a tablespoon of rice cereal to her bottle. Typically babies don't start cereal until about 3-4 months but he wanted us to try this and see if it worked. I have to admit, I was a bit excited to give her some food! As I've stated before this kid loves to eat and it can be a bit overwhelming at times. The thought of giving her something to coat her stomach a bit more gives me hope that she'll actually get full and slow down on the milk source (aka: my breast). 

I don't want to get too excited but ever since we started the rice cereal (which has been about 24 hours) she has yet to throw up. I keep waiting for a large amount of rice cereal to come up out of her mouth and down my shirt but so far we're looking good. (knocking on wood)

The thing that now intrigues me is why our doctor didn't recommend the rice cereal prior to the medication. Not that I'm a doctor but it seems a little more wise to thicken a child's feed prior to putting them on a medication. I'll ask the question at my next appointment but I just wanted to throw the question out there. 

In the meantime, I finally uploaded a couple more pics of Finley to our computer. She's starting to become a little butterball and I love it! When we went to the doctor yesterday he did make a comment when he picked her up that reflux aside she didn't appear to have missed too many meals. She weighed in at 10lbs 6 ounces! 

Six Weeks!

If you ask me, time is flying by! My maternity leave is half way over with and I can start to tell that Finley is changing quickly. She’s got the chubbiest little cheeks and I love them!

On a whim, we flew down to Phoenix last week and stayed with my mom. Finley was such a great little passenger and slept the entire way down and back. It was such a great week, I’m kind of sad to be back (although we missed Daddy and Simon). Our days consisted of lounging around, sitting on the back porch which is the 9th hole of Johnson Ranch Golf Course, taking walks, having Grandma cook some wonderful meals for us, and best of all hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa. We tried to dangle Finley’s toes in the pool but she let out a loud screech when her toes hit the 70 degree water!

We’ve been battling a bit of reflux. Ok, so it’s not a bit, it’s a major bout! Finley loves to eat. Then she burps. And as soon as I set her down she gets a really big smile on her face and then she opens her mouth and out it all comes. The doctor gave us a prescription for Zantac but after a week of trying to get her to keep her food down we’re still experiencing the same issues. Tomorrow we’re going back to the doc to see what else he recommends.

We’re going back to Phoenix in a couple weeks. Until then just looking forward to celebrating our first mother’s day together!

A One Month Old Princess

Today is Finley’s official 1 month birthday and time definitely seems to be flying by. It’s hard to believe I only have 2 more months until I go back to work. I just got back from her 1 month check-up this morning (9lbs 8 oz & 21 3/4 inches) and she screamed the entire time and she didn’t even get any shots yet! Now she’s on the floor in our living room in her car seat sleeping as I don’t want to wake crabby until she's ready to wake!

We’ve been very lucky to have such a good baby on our hands. She really only cries when she’s hungry and then once I feed her she either falls asleep or she's very alert and happy as a clam. She does however, LOVE to eat! So much so that it can be a little overwhelming at times. However, I feel very grateful at how easy she is and how lucky we are to have such a beautiful little girl who is now 1 month old.

In addition to eating, I thought it would be fun to note some other things that Finley loves:

She loves her binky!

She loves to sleep (I think this comes from Daddy).
She loves her car seat and always falls asleep when we put her in it.
She loves to be in the baby bjorn and falls asleep everytime I put her in it and start walking around. Such a great feeling when she snuggles up to you and falls asleep!
She likes it when I put her in the warm bath water and she loves to have her hair washed (getting her in and out of the bath isn't as much fun).
She LOVES all of her aunties and is so lucky to have so many of them!
She loves her mom, dad, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and her puppy!
So far, she thinks her stroller is just ok but her mom is hoping she'll love it as much as she does soon.

Some things she isn't so fond of:
Getting her diaper changed.
Getting undressed or dressed.
And apparently now she doesn’t like the doctor’s office!

On a final note, in my last post I talked about some of the photos we had taken of Finley at two weeks. I received the gallery yesterday and think they are so precious. I’ve cut and pasted some of the images for you all to see. An amazing photographer and if any of you know any expectant mom's in the area, I recommend her! Her site can be viewed via this link: http://www.theportraitplaceweb.com/

Three Weeks

Yesterday marked 3 weeks since Finley’s arrival and things have been pretty smooth. She likes to sleep and loves to eat! I can’t believe how much this little girl can put down. When we left the hospital the nurses advised not to give her a binkie until she was at least one month old. Apparently it can cause confusion. I was certain that she would be able to handle it so I asked her pediatrician and he said that it was really up to us. So, a week into it, Finley had a binkie. And it’s an absolute life saver!

Last Sunday, I took Finley to a photo shoot. A friend of mine from high school (Jenny Patch) mentioned that she knew a photographer who was looking for newborn girls to do a photo shoot with so I thought I’d check it out. I think Finley was a bit too old for the photo shoot (there were two other babies there one was 6 days and the other was 11) and the purpose of the photo shoot was to capture sleepy babies that the photographer could mold and curl into poses. Finley was 14 days which was the oldest the photographer would accept for the shoot and she kept waking when the photographer was posing her. If it would have been a couple days earlier, I’m convinced she would have done a better job and slept through the poses as the photographer would have wanted. In any event, here’s a sneak peek of the photographers blog featuring Finley: http://www.theportraitplaceweb.com/blog/3-baby-girls/ (Finley’s the one on top below the first article 3 baby girls). If anyone is interested, I definitely recommend her and if you say that I referred you, I get a $30 credit towards our next shoot. I think I’ll take Finley back when she gets a little older…I was really impressed with her work. And if you're expecting anytime soon, I recommend a new born photo shoot with her within the first week of your arrival.

It’s hard to believe that three weeks have already gone by. Although Finley is still very small, I can tell that things are going to go by very fast. We have our 1 month apt next week and it will be fun to see how much she has grown. We’ve been pretty lucky because she seems to be a pretty mellow baby. I took her shopping in Seattle last weekend with my mom and she was such a trooper. We managed to get our eyebrows done, pedicures and manicures, some shopping in, and lunch at the Nordstrom Café and she still slept the entire car ride home. I’m sure as she gets older, our luck won’t last that long but it was nice to get out of the house and utilize our stroller that we spent a fortune on.

Here's a photo in her Easter dress:

She Finally Arrives!

Two day late but our little princess finally arrived. I'll save you all the gory details but let's just say that on Saturday the 21st I went into labor around midnight (contractions were about 7 minutes apart) and around 5:30 am on Sunday morning we finally made it to the emergency room (my contractions were still 7 minutes apart). I thought for sure the nurse was going to send me home but after she checked me out she found that I was dialated to a 6. So they took me back and we prepared for her arrival. Just as I was not a fan of being pregnant, I quickly discovered that I wasn't a fan of the whole labor process either. As such, I'll save you all the details of that experience. At 3:38 pm, Finley Rose Nadeau was born and we couldn't have been happier! She weighed 7lbs 15ozs and was 191/2 inches long. She has the longest fingers and toes and a head full of hair. 

Being a mom has been an amazing experience. I just look at her and she puts a huge smile on my face. She's been a really sleepy baby and we've been lucky enough to get some much needed rest during this first week.