First time in the Bumbo!

When I got home last night my neighbor was walking with her 6 month old, Nanette, and came in to visit for a minute.  We were talking about when she put Nanette in her Bumbo because I couldn't wait for Gigi to sit in her orange one and she said around 3 months.  I was so excited to hear this exciting news.  She and her little girl left and I rushed to Gigi's room to break out her Bumbo.  She has been holding her head up really well the last couple of days and getting stronger every minute, so I am so excited to get to use some new toy!  She LOVED it!!!  She was laughing and looking all around.  Every once in a while she would have a little "whiplash" moment, but she never seemed to mind.  LeAnn came over after work and I had Gigi all propped up for her when she walked in the door and Aunt LeLe's jaw hit the floor!  She said, "Is she driving already, too?"  hahaha!  Needless to say, this was so exciting to see her first progression into sitting up.  Yay, Gigi!  You will be doing it all by yourself in NO time. 

I also took some close-ups of her "large and in charge" cheeks and triple chins.  I think she may pop if she doesn't grow an inch or two longer soon.



It's been a hectic three months...but I'm back!

I have had so much to blog about and so little time...parenthood hit sooner than I had anticipated.  I won't bore you with details of the past 92 days, but I will hit the important events:

11/21/2010- I joined my church and went into labor (3 weeks and 3 days early).
11/22/2010- Georgiann Elizabeth Halla was born at 9:28 a.m.  She was 6 pounds, 3 ounces and 18 inches long with a head full if dark brown hair! 

That about sums up the most important events since I blogged last!  LOL! 

She is quite perfect if I do say so myself!  All and all we have made wonderful adjustments and I am so proud to be this child's mother.  I am taking a vow that I am going to be a good blogging mother like I intended when I started this journey.

Let the journey begin, again...

35 weeks...and counting

This has been a week and a half...with only five more weeks to go!  I went to the doctor on Monday for my weekly check up and GiGi had dropped and I had begun dilating. I was so excited that I stayed up way too late and probably over did it.  Then on Wednesday morning I thought my water broke, but it turned out to be a false alarm.  Thanks goodness, because she does need to stay for two more weeks...at least. On Monday night, I ate so many jalapenos and have started to take the stairs every day at work to get this labor rollin', though.  I can't help it that I am DYING for her to get here.   

When I went to the doctor on Wednesday morning to see if my water had broken, I had gained FOUR pounds since MONDAY!  I told my mother on Monday night that I thought I was looking puffy and sure enough by Wednesday it was four extra pounds of fluid!  This was the largest weight gain I have had the entire time.  As of Monday I had gained a total of eleven pounds...now making it a total of fifteen!  I am not so crazy after all.  It is interesting to see how well I know my body. 

Everything went went well at the doctor's office and she gave me some medication and told me to take it easy.  We will see how much more weight will be added next Monday.  Scary!


Since I was not feeling well last night, Big Terry came over to bring GiGi her first ornament and take me to dinner.  We went to my favorite place, Olive Street Bistro, and then I took him for Strawn's Coconut Cream Pie.  He likes that type of pie more than I do, if you can imagine.  They were closing, so they gave us the remains of a pie they were going to throw out, so now I have 1/3 of a fresh pie lurking in my refrigerator.  Maybe I can see where the extra pounds are coming from now...

Work...
One of the ladies at the office has started a supper list of people that will provide dinner for us when the baby arrives for two weeks.  This was so touching!  It is so nice to be surrounded by so many giving people.  And, I can't wait to see/eat all of the recipes!!!  I know Cheryl will be waiting for some boudin to show up!

Also, they are starting an office pool to see when GiGi will arrive, how much she will weigh and how long she will be!  It is called, "Hallawood Squares."  Isn't that precious!?! It will be interesting to see who will be the lucky winner(s).  Stay tuned...

Day 239...41 days to go

This has been a pretty eventful week as far as growth is concerned.  I am noticeably bigger on Friday than I was on Monday!  Even a fellow co-worker commented about the difference.  I have not weighed all week because I am afraid of what the scale will say!  GiGi is definitely running out of room and only kicks me in the ribs ten times a day instead of one hundred!  And she has had the hiccups for the past two nights.  Maybe this is a sign that she is long and lean like a supermodel!  I do hope she gets here soon to find out.

I have already decorated for the holidays.  I wanted to get the most out of this holiday season and I wanted to make sure that everything was up in case I went into labor early.  On Wednesday night I decorated my front door and Thursday night began decorating my tree.  I am still debating whether to decorate the second tree in my dining room.  I want it to look like a winter wonderland when she comes home.  My mother and I decorated a small tree with pink lights for her nursery and LeAnn got her cupcake ornaments for it....how perfect is that!?!  I love decorating for the holiday season, but it is especially meaningful this year since we will have the most precious gift of all to share it with.  Also, mom got her the cutest Rudolph the red nosed reindeer beenie for her new born picutures.  I can't wait to put it on her! 

My mother helped me sort and put up the rest of the clothes, blankets, burp clothes, etc. this past weekend.  Everything is in its place and ready for her arrival.  There is literally not one thing left to do.  I am so thankful that I started to prepare everything early and have not procrastinated all of the organizing so I could enjoy the last weeks before she arrives...and rest.  She really is one very lucky little girl and I feel so blessed to have had so much help from my family and friends. 

I am going to a baby shower for a girl I went to high school with this weekend.  She is due on November 20th.  I have been fascinated with other women and their growing bellies since the beginning.  None of my really close friends have been pregnant, except for Laura who has quadruplets, and I never experienced my mother being pregnant since I was the youngest, so this has been a whole new experience for me.   Lindsay says there will be several expenctant mothers at the shower, so this should really be fun to see.  I don't know why I am so interested in other people's pregnancies since I am not normally a very curious person, but it is very intriguing to me how each person’s body responds differently to this process.  I have been extremely healthy and feel very fortunate for that.  I always thought I was going to be a miserable pregnant person who gains fifty pounds, but that has proven to be farthest from the truth.  Thank goodness! 

I have a doctor's appointment on Monday and then begin going every week after that to see if I have begun to dilate.  I am so anxious to hear if this process has begun because this will tell if she may come early or not.  All I want is for her to be healthy, but I am definitely ready for this part to be over and the fun to begin...and for life to be about her! 

More pictures to follow...

Day 231...49 days to go

Those who know me well will know a blog is really not my "thing."  But when someone told me that you could publish these blogs for your child to see when they get older, I decided that GiGi would definitely want to know what life was like while awaiting her arrival.  And, how life changed and she changed in the blink of an eye.  So, "The Journey of GiGi" was created...

The past 8 months have gone so quickly, but I am defintiely ready to meet my little girl.  Since technology is so advanced these days, I know she is healthy, has a strong heart and has all ten fingers and ten toes.  The only thing I am anxious about it what color her hair will be!  I have a strong feeling she is going to look just like her Daddy; I guess there could be worse things.

As of Monday, October 25th, she weighed 4 pounds, 10 ounces and was nestled down exactly how she is supposed to be to prepare for birth.  She has rapidly gained weight over the past month and is on track to be a little bit bigger than I had anticipated!  I was 6 pounds, 8 ounces and Michael was over 10 pounds, so she will probably be somewhere in the 8 pound range...we hope.  And, red hair, of course. 

There is so much I want to say, and not enough time in the day, so I will leave you for now.

I will definitely have to start thinking like a blogger...like I have had to start thinking like a mother.