The Pumpkin Farm

This past weekend we had a great time with the Ziesemer family.  Grandpa and Grandma Z, Greg and Christopher, Vivian, Kevin and I, and Amelia all went to the pumpkin farm.  It was also the first time all of the Ziesemer cousins were together!  They had so much fun!  Especially Christopher and Vivian, she chased him around all day long. 

Amelia also hit another milestone over the weekend.  They say that 90% of babies should be able to sleep 6-8 hours a night by 3 months without waking up.  Kevin and I can only laugh at that statistic.  Amelia has been lucky to get three uninterrupted hours of sleep.  On the night of her three month birthday, she went down around 7:00 pm.  She was up again at 8:30 pm, but she then ended up sleeping until 3:17 am!  I could hardly believe it, and still didn't get any sleep because I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.  So, the question was, would she do it again?  And she did!  She slept from 9:00 pm to 3:30 am last night.  We're hoping for the same tonight, so cross your fingers! 

Lots of pumpkins

Grandpa wheeling the kiddos in

Little Amelia was a bit tired when we arrived

Hugging the pumpkin or trying to pick it up???

Grandpa and Viv

Checking out the piglets

Posing with the Watusi, yes a Watusi, looks like a cow to me.

This was at the pumpkin farm, pretty fancy to have a giraffe there!

Getting tired after a fun day

Kisses for Amelia

Everybody excited to carve the pumpkin

The final product, courtesy of Grandpa and his artistic talent

Top 5 Things

Top 5 Things to NOT say to the parent of a fussy baby.  This is not aimed at anybody!  It is only supposed to be a funny post.

5.  Is Amelia still fussy?  Yes.  She is.  Stop asking.

4.  Is it colic??  What difference does it make?  There isn't a cure for it and there is nothing to be done for it.  I don't care what you call it - my baby is fussy. 

3.  My child "insert something awesome your child has done".  Why do you want to rub in my face how quickly your child slept through the night, or how quickly he/she was already sitting up.  Guess what - I don't care.  I just want my baby to stop crying 24/7.

2.  Have you tried "insert something you think may help to make my child not cry"?  This is actually extremely insulting to me as a mother.  Of course I've tried it - in 3 months, I've tried everything.  So yes, I've tried the swing, tried driving her around in the car, tried putting her on her stomach, tried the noise machine, tried changing my diet, tried holding her in different positions, tried homeopathic remedies, tried swaddling, tried everything. 

1.  It will get better.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!  This one is the worst.  Everytime somebody says this to me I want to pull my hair out.  It has not gotten better in three months and everytime I hear this sentence, seems to get worse.  Stop jinxing me! 

So you wonder, what would I like to hear?  Just a "that sucks" or a "I am so sorry she's been a hard baby" will suffice.  :)

3 Months Old!

Our little girl is three months old today!  What a crazy, hard, fun, unbelievable three months it has been!  Although Amelia is still pretty darn fussy, she is easily hitting her developmental milestones.  She is already rolling over from her back to stomach and stomach to back.  She only does this when she is fussing/sleeping though.  She is reaching out and grabbing for toys to put in her mouth.  She can definitely see far distances and takes in everything around her.  She knows her name and is starting to smile more freely. 

Because her fussiness seemed to get worse instead of better this month, the doctor put her on some acid reflux medication.  I do think that it has helped, she is at least not screaming/shrieking as much anymore.  I also took in a dirty diaper for the pediatrician to check for blood.  If they had found blood (which they did not), it may have meant she had a dairy allergy.  We also had an infant specialist from the Erickson Institute (Fussy Baby Network) at the University of Chicago come visit Amelia for a couple hours.  Next week she is also bringing an occupational specialist to see if we can get to the bottom of her fussiness.

Although the past three months have been anything but easy, Kevin and I couldn't be happier.  We love her more than anything and are so thankful for her health and the little personality she is already forming.  Now that she is here, we couldn't imagine life without her.  Amelia is our everything. 

3 months!

She is always chewing on her hand and fingers.

Our best conversations are on the changing table.

Yum, tastes good!

The token Amelia face.

Michelle at 3 months, do we look alike????

Look at my rattle!

Everybody comfy on the couch.

Amelia wonders what her dad is doing.....

My pretty girl!

Grabbing at toys!

Checking out dad.....

Life in the Bumbo.

Grandma Olthoff

You may have noticed that there haven't been too many posts about my mom on here so far.  She has yet to meet Amelia because of her health problems.  I wanted to put a note about only her on here for a few reasons:

1) I want Amelia to know how much her Grandma Olthoff loves her and even though she hasn't been able to visit yet, it's not because she doesn't want to.

2)  Everybody else seem to have received a lot of "air time", while my mom has not.

3)  She could really use all of the prayers and well wishes that she can get right now, her health is questionable and her pain/side effects are increasing. 

My mom finished her chemotherapy for her colon cancer in late August.  She was supposed to visit us over Labor Day and my birthday, but doctor visits and health concerns got in the way.  Her radiation treatment was set to start one month after chemo ended, but a CT scan showed three new spots that are most likely cancerous.  So, they started radiation ASAP, and that prolonged the next visit she had planned in mid-September.  She is now in her fourth week of radiation and is quite depressed.  As you can imagine, all of the treatment, doctor visits, tests, side effects, and pain are taking a toll on her, both physically and emotionally.  My mom actually stopped going to radiation this week because she feels like she's had enough.  She wants to visit Amelia and I and my Aunt Fe and her family in San Diego, then go back to the Philippines.  She feels like she will never get better.  I just hope that the radiation works and she won't have to go through another six months of chemotherapy.  That would not be good. 

I was able to convince her to return to radiation, but am still deeply worried about her.  Hopefully she will be able to travel to Chicago in mid-October and Kevin and I have booked tickets to California for the week before Thanksgiving.

She has a lot to live for and a little granddaughter that can't wait to meet her.

Aunt Mara's Bottle Boot Camp!

Amelia attended Bottle Boot Camp last Wednesday through Friday, hosted by Aunt Mara.  I must say, I had a lot of anxiety built up, but all ended up being just fine.  Amelia did great starting with the very first day.  Mara was able to get her to take down all of the milk I brought and even had to come back to Sharon and Dave's early because she ran out!  We have realized she is more of a snacker, usually only taking 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce at a time.  Kevin and I have continued working with her on the bottle through the weekend and it's going great.  She is taking the bottle from Kevin in the middle of the night and from both of us during the day.  I wouldn't say she is eating at much as she should per feeding, but at least she is preventing herself from starving.  Mara did a fabulous job with her and was just what the doctor ordered (literally).  We'll see if I need repay the favor (or really any favor) when her baby comes next March. 

While Amelia was with her Aunt Mara, I was able to spend one-on-one time with Vivian.  We had so much fun as you'll see in the below pictures.  I already miss her and can't say I didn't get a little teary-eyed leaving her on Friday when BBC ended. 

Day 1 - Amelia is wondering what all the bottles are for, and what her Aunt Mara is up to!

Vivian at the library

Vivian checking out the turtle with Grandma Z

Viv doing everything but reading books at the library

What does Vivian think of feeding the ducks???

Not too sure about those ducks.......

She did warm up to all the ducks, geese, and birds quickly!

Vivian decided the phone call was for Amelia

 Some serious sucking going on here.

Day 3 - Success!  No milk left in that bottle! Hooray!!



Dad working that bottle



Mom proud of her little girl



Family and Friends Galore!

The past week has been full of fun!  Last Sunday we went up to Kenosha, WI for Sam's "Going Back to Abu Dhabi" party.  Amelia also met her Great Grandpa Don Ziesemer.  He was extremely happy to meet her and did not want us to leave.  :(   Amelia didn't cry the entire way up there, but the way back was a different story.  She's going at about 50/50 on if we have a good road trip or not. 

She was also able to meet new friends.  Curt and Lauren were in town from NYC, Kelly and Lilla were in from San Francisco, and John came to visit all the way from Wrigleyville (wink, wink).

Amelia and Great Great Grandpa Don

See you next year, Sam! Amelia will miss you!

Aunt Pauline cuddling AZ and Uncle Kev cuddling Christopher

Christopher saying "hi" to the Fredster

Our Prince

Freddie absolutely LOVES his cousin Kelly, jumps on her lap like it's nobody's business!

Kevin was able to get Amelia to enjoy the Baby Bjorn (finally!)

Enjoying being outside with Aunt Kris

So cute!

Curt and Lauren loving our two kids

Freddie forcing Lauren to warm up to him! 

Thanks Curt and Lauren for the Tiffany's bunny bank, "Hoppy"!

Amelia and Kelly's baby, Lilla, less than 2 weeks apart!

Utah and Amelia, thanks to him and Nicole for the doll and owl!