February 25 - 28, 2012

Saturday Olivia obviously didn't feel very well. She had a low-grade fever and was fairly fussy, for her at least. So I tried to distract her as best I could. We played on the changing table. Look at her cute onesie from Morgan - in case you can't read it, it says "This is how I roll". I read to her and played with finger puppets that she usually likes. Next I took her out for some errands. We went to Wal-Mart to print out some photos for Great-grandma Mulvey and to get some necessities - soy milk, Dr. Pepper. Then we met Veronica F. at Wendy's for a little lunch. Olivia slept the whole time, thank goodness. Next stop was Blueberry Baby to get some more cloth diapers. Olivia woke up on the way there and was very upset. I nursed her in the back of the store, they are very nice about that, and we bought the last three Bum Genius cloth diapers that they had. They'll call when more come in. Then I took Olivia home because she was still not a happy camper. The rest of the night was spent cuddling and consoling. Her pink puppy helped.


Sunday morning Olivia played with me in bed. We ended up staying in today instead of going to a birthday party, because my grandfather was not doing well. Olivia was also still pretty fussy, and still had a low-grade fever. On a positive note, Paula was doing spectacularly today! She wanted to play and pranced about and played with me on the floor. She even gave me a kiss! What a success story she is! We also got to Skype with Nana today! Olivia spent a long time looking right at her! I think she is definitely more aware of faces.

Olivia sure loves her pink puppy from Aunty Kari. She wants to bite him and lick him and grab him! In the evening, we started our normal bedtime routine, but tonight I put Olivia in her crib - just for a minute so that I could go let the dogs out. When I got back upstairs, she was happily playing in her crib, looking at her spotty frog & the shadows made by her nightlight from Dawn. So I let her be. Then I could hear that she was putting herself to sleep. She ended up sleeping all night in her crib! Her first night in the nursery! And it was all her 'own decision'. I spent a good hour, or two, watching the video monitor like a hawk.

Monday she was still pretty fussy. We met Jessica Abel for breakfast/lunch at Denny's - Olivia's first time there! - but she cried the whole way there and the whole way back. We spent the rest of the day at home and cuddling. She was the spit-up queen! Things finally settled down at bedtime. She was asleep by ten, like clockwork - in her crib again! I had to get her up around midnight so that we could pick Morgan up from the airport. She was sleeping so soundly that she didn't wake up when I put her in the car seat, or at the airport, or when Morgan was in the car, or the whole way home. I started to get worried that she was still alive! So when we had to wait for the train to pass at the intersection closest to our house, I put the car in park and shook the car seat. She made a little sound, so I was relieved. Once home, I nursed her and put her back to bed. She went right back to sleep.

Tuesday morning was better! Olivia finally seemed more like herself. We had a nice morning, although as soon as I sat down at the computer (as has happened each day for the past few days) she needed to be held.  We did some more errands today - we mailed off some packages and lots of cards and then we had lunch with Jessica. Olivia started to cry towards the end, and I realized I was pushing my luck, so we went home. She fell asleep cuddling Pammy on the couch. Morgan came over to watch some of our shows and we moved the pack 'n play from my room to the living room. Olivia liked this change of scenery! As the evening progressed, Olivia got sick. She spit up more milk than I thought was possible. I stopped putting clothes on her and just left her topless - it seemed to make the most sense. We went upstairs around 9 and listened to music, rocked and I sang to her. She fell asleep in the crib by 10:30 and didn't get up until  6 in the morning! Another successful night!

February 20 - 24, 2012

We've been having so much fun with Aunty Natalie that we haven't had time to blog! What a wonderful reason to be absent from the internet, though. So we're going to catch you up on all the fabulous adventures we had with her this week.

MONDAY

Monday morning we had a late breakfast with Sarah & Jessica Abel at the Airport Way Diner. It only took two seconds for Sarah to warm up to Natalie and color her a beautiful picture. We had tasty food and Olivia made the rounds around the table. Everyone got a chance to hold her, even Sarah. After our meal we went to Coldspot Feeds to get more dog food, dog treats and some sweatshirts for Eagle & Circle. Eagle & Circle are two of Sophie's & Paula's former teammates. They are looking a little frail and definitely in need of some extra warmth & tenderness. Maybe it's time they visited the Mulvey Home for Wayward Sled Dogs. Next we went to Old Navy where Aunty Natalie found some very cute things and I found things for Olivia (of course) and a dress that might work to welcome Adam home. We made a quick stop at the Commissary for ingredients because Aunty Natalie was making her own homemade spaghetti sauce for dinner. Yum! Tonight we tried out our first cloth diaper. It was a success. I think a better test will be once I get more diapers and am able to wash a whole load in the evening. But so far, so good!

TUESDAY

Tuesday we got a relatively early start. Today we got breakfast at Sunshine Bagels so that Natalie could have the Alaskan coffee hut experience. We ate in the car and then began our journey to North Pole...which is south of Fairbanks. We had intended to go to the Santa Claus House, but it is apparently only open on the weekends. But since everyone was in a good mood and it was a beautiful day, we just continued driving south. We drove through Salcha and almost all the way to Delta Junction - about 50 miles and showed Natalie some of the beautiful Alaskan scenery. It's hard to choose the best place to stop for pictures, when you're met with sweeping vistas around every corner. On our way home I stopped and mailed some packages at McPeak's and we came into Fort Wainwright via the back gate. Morgan came over in the evening with sushi from Tokyo Express. She spoiled us with a beautiful selection of rolls! What a spread! Olivia snacked on a baby doll. We watched some episodes of Supernatural and had a lot of fun gabbing. Morgan had to work Wednesday so she left by 9 and it wasn't long after that that the rest of us went to bed. But not before Olivia had some tummy time! Look at how well she's holding up her head!

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday we were planning to go to Baby & Me Yoga, however our plans took a different turn. This morning - after Olivia did her morning exercises and stared at the ceiling fan - Natalie & I did some tidying around the house and sorted out the mounds of recycling that have been gathering in the garage and took a trip to the bins next to the Commissary. As soon as we got in the car, the tire pressure indicator light came on again. It seemed clear that we had a leaky tire. I called Kendall when we got home and made the earliest appointment I could to have it looked at, which was at the same time as Baby & Me Yoga. The tire took precedence. Aunty Natalie took a quick shower, we packed the diaper bags and headed out. Before going to the car place we stopped in the Toy Quest to look for gifts for the boys. We found a few things and had lots of fun looking at all their fun merchandise. Kendall zipped the car right into the shop and since it was going to take a little while, we walked over to the Cookie Jar for lunch. The seated us in the way back room - maybe they remembered Olivia crying the other day - right next to a bubbling fountain. Perhaps it was the perfect storm of timing, fountain and luck, but Olivia slept peacefully for the whole lunch. Kendall Auto called us right as we were checking out - it was indeed a leak, so the charge for patching was only $15. Phew! Next we stopped by the dentist's office to make an appointment for my worsening tooth. They offered to do a quick evaluation of the tooth, x-rays and the like, right then! I was able to nurse Olivia in the waiting room and then they took me back. It turns out the tooth has not only worsened underneath the bad filling from the past, but it has cracked into pieces as well. A new filling won't really help, so it's a crown for me! We made the appointment and I was thankful that I've been saving money - dental work is always so expensive! But it needs to be taken care of.  We went to Value Village next and I found some things that I'd been wanting for a while - a fountain for Bertram, some silk greenery to decorate his cage, new blankets for the dogs, books, etc. We went home, ate a light supper and watched some 'guilty pleasure' movies - Step Up and Step Up 2. Aunty Natalie gave Olivia a bottle and after some more visiting, we went to bed.

THURSDAY

Thursday we had a relatively quiet day. Aunty Natalie came and snuggled in bed with us this morning. Much of the morning we were waiting to hear news about my grandfather's surgery. I worked on some family photo projects, while Aunty Natalie entertained Olivia. They visited with Bertram and listened to music. It seems that Olivia really likes hip hop! She danced with Aunty Natalie...and brought us to tears laughing. It was a nice way to ease the tension of waiting for news. After breakfast, the dance party & a quick shower we gathered our paperwork and went to the Fort Wainwright Tax Office. The army prepares our taxes gratis, so even though we have a relatively simple return, I elected to have them do it - especially because they do all sorts of quality reviews. Adam & I got a very nice return, which will help with my dental bill! (Thank goodness!) After the taxes were finished we heard that Grandpa's surgery went well. It was almost five hours long, and he has a long and worrisome recovery ahead of him, but thank goodness for today's success. Thank goodness for the skill of Dr. Sanderson and his team, the hospital staff and all the prayers and positive energy being sent to my grandfather. We were able to go to the food court at the PX with lighter hearts. We had a sandwich and then did some more shopping. We got lots of goodies for the boys and some for Natalie, too. She deserves them after all her hard work this week! We stopped by Jessica Abel's house so that Natalie could meet Remi and then we went home. Olivia had been sleeping this whole time and I needed to nurse her. At home we nursed and then it was time for Olivia's bath. We chose a pretty outfit and got ready for our Skype date with Daddy! It's so nice to see his smiling face. After our date, I brought Morgan to the airport. Natalie stayed in with Olivia and then we spent some final quality time together on the couch before it was time to go back to the airport again, this time with Aunty Natalie. We're going to miss her so much and we're so glad and grateful that she came to visit us!

 

FRIDAY

Before

After

Friday morning we had our two month check-up. Olivia is great! Super healthy! And growing like a weed!

She weighs 13 pounds (90th percentile), 23 inches + long (75th percentile) and her head is 40.7cm (75th percentile). After her exam, she had to get four vaccinations - three as shots and one taken by mouth. She was a trooper. She cried a little bit, but for less than a minute. She had the moral support of one of the Williams girls (Ashley) who was there for her 4 year old shots. After everyone had their shots, and tears were wiped, we all adjourned to the pharmacy. We got some infant Tylenol, just in case Olivia develops a low grade fever or seems fussy - there may be some injection site tenderness. Jess Abel also met us at the pharmacy and afterwards we went to get lunch at Breuggers. Olivia was fine during lunch, but by the end she was hungry and fussy - so we went home. Once home, I ran around and did some chores at super speed. Then Olivia & I went up to the nursery and spent some quiet time cuddling. Then we took a little nap, nursed and Skyped with Mimi, Pop and Kari. Olivia seemed to have some bad baby dreams and was more prone to crying, so I gave her a dose of the Tylenol. More cuddling was needed, for both of us, and now she's sleeping peacefully. I hope she isn't troubled by any more bad dreams!

February 18 & 19, 2012

Saturday morning we woke up and Olivia got have fun with Aunty Natalie. She played funny new games with Olivia's feet. She read stories. She sang new songs about zoos (Olivia's favorite kind of songs). It was the best! After we had a little breakfast and got tidied up, Aunty Natalie picked out a cute ducky outfit for Olivia to wear and we went out on an adventure. First we drove around Fort Wainwright, then we left post and got some lunch to eat up at the University of Alaska. We parked at a look-out point where there is a map of the distant peaks. It was a sunny, clear day so Natalie was able to see the Denali range very well.

After we finished eating we tried to see some musk oxen at LARS (the Large Animal Research Station), but they must have all been hiding in the woods. We'll give it a shot another day.

Next we took a trip to Blueberry Baby and got Olivia a Baltic amber teething necklace (early, but good to have) and our first cloth diaper. After looking at many styles and talking to one of the employees, we chose the Bum Genius All-in-one diaper. It's a one-size-fits-all, with snaps. We picked out a pretty blue one. Since we have so many other disposable diapers at home still, we have the luxury of trying out this brand and style to see if we like it/if it works for Olivia. If not, we haven't invested a ton of money and we can move on to the next type. We washed it when we got home, and will try it out soon!

At home we gave Olivia a bath and stayed in for the rest of the night. We watched some Downton Abbey (which seems guaranteed to put Olivia to sleep) at got to see the Northern Lights!

Sunday morning, Olivia got to spend some time with Aunty Natalie while I tended to the Blazer. It needed to be driven a little bit and I filled up the gas tank. Don't worry, Adam, it's doing fine.

When I got home, Olivia was still sleeping, so I took a shower and got dressed for today's wintry adventures! Everyone was bundled up because we were headed out to Chena Hot Springs. We had all the emergency gear, extra shovels, and a two bags of Olivia gear - we were prepared. Our travels got delayed a bit because we had to go all over town to find an air pump. A light came on the dash saying something was off with the tire pressure. I added some air to the one tire that seemed low, but the light stayed on. We'll go to Toyota tomorrow and have them look at it. AThen we tried to get McDonald's for the road, but they forgot the cheese on Morgan's quarter pounder with cheese, and it took them about 15 minutes to get her a new one.

We had a nice, slow drive out there - I'm still nervous on the hot springs road - but Natalie got to take some pictures. Olivia slept the whole way. When we got to the kennels, we added our extra snow gear and Morgan took Natalie on her first sled ride! The Japanese tourists loved Olivia in her pink snow suit, and took her picture. We looked at all the dogs. Jiff looks great! We got lots of pictures of great dogs who are still available for adoption, if anyone's interested...

After the sled ride, Morgan & I convinced Natalie to take a dip in the natural hot springs. I think she was g;ad that we did. We just sat in the warm pool room and waited - no one under 18 allowed in the springs. Too bad for Olivia!

We went home, had some soup & watched a little tv. It wasn't long until it was bedtime for Olivia & I. Once again the Northern Lights were dancing outside as Olivia & I drifted off to sleep.

February 16 & 17, 2012

Thursday we woke up feeling very refreshed! The sleeping stretches are getting longer and longer! On top of that, she put herself to sleep. I didn't have to wait until she was in a milk coma to put her in the pack 'n play. I'm so glad that she's getting the idea of 'bedtime'.

We got up & ate and spent a lot of time playing on the couch. Olivia was very alert, and no wonder when she slept for so long. I feel like she's shouting at me, "I want to sit up mom!" "I want to look around!"

We got dressed in a cute outfit and packed our bag. Today we're off to get pedicures with Miss Jessica! Olivia cooperated at the nail salon and slept in her car seat the whole time. Miss Jessica got bright green & I got coral. Olivia abstained from getting her nails done this time. She had ducky feet on instead.

After the nail place we went to Fred Meyers. It was Olivia's first time to this shopping mecca. We ate in the little food court and then did some shopping. Olivia was very upset. She did not want to be shopping. She wanted to eat! Unfortunately for her, there's no convenient place to nurse at Fred Meyers, so I held her in a sort of cradle position and once she got to put her hand in my shirt (I got felt up in the store!) she settled down. We finished all our miscellaneous errands and then went home.


Olivia played with her new puppy from Aunty Kari and we tried out the Bumbo seat. She's almost able to sit in it by herself. She was also a little fussy when we tried it, so perhaps when she's less inclined to 'arch' it might even work better.

We had a Skype date with daddy in the evening and then one with Mimi, Pop & Aunty Kari. Olivia wanted to measure her head to see if it had grown. She's still at 42cm large. After we'd seen everyone, we went upstairs. Tonight I hung up some new multicolored flower lights in Olivia's room. Maybe we will be able to take down the Christmas tree soon, now that we have another source of colored lights. Olivia appreciated them, but was more interested in eating and snuggling. We were in bed by about 10:30.

On Friday we woke up at 5:30! What a wonderful night of sleep! It was nice to cuddle in bed with her in the morning, but eventually we had to get up and take care of the puppies. We waited until around 8:00 to get up and then we saw that the ladies from DENTAC were shoveling the driveway. We got bundled in our snowsuit and went outside to help them, and now the driveway is almost done.

(Olivia loves to look at that silly baby in the mirror above her swing!)

Today Aunty Natalie arrives! So we have lots to do to make sure we're ready! First we dropped off a box at Jessica's house. Sarah was all dressed up like a princess, getting ready for a visit from Uncle Kurt. There are just visits going on all over the place! Then we went to pick up Morgan and to get our permanent license plates from Kendall Auto. Morgan entertained Olivia in the car & sang some songs for her. Then we went to the Cookie Jar restaurant because I really wanted a steak sandwich. Olivia enjoyed it there for a little bit, because they had...a ceiling fan! Unfortunately, the ceiling fan lost it's allure and Olivia got so loud that I felt we should leave - so as not to disturb everyone's lunch. We got our things put in a to-go box and booked out of there.

At home, Olivia was fine. We finished our lunch and watched the rest of Downton Abbey. Olivia was just as interested today as she was the other day.

After Morgan went home, I nursed Olivia & watched the new Star Trek movie (it was on tv). Olivia fell asleep cuddling my breast and since we were going to be getting up again to take a trip to the airport, I didn't see a point in moving her. We got ourselves bundled into our snowsuit again and headed out to get Natalie. We got to see Veronica Czepiel while we were there, she got to meet her husband who is home on his two weeks of leave.

Aunty Natalie's flight had been delayed, so she was very tired. She still managed to play with Olivia, change Olivia's diaper and give Olivia presents when we got home. Then we let her go to bed - enough torture for one day! Olivia & I spent a little while in the nursery and then went to bed around 1am. Olivia put herself to sleep again. Hooray!