Great Grandmother Visits

Today Sophia's Great Grandmother came to visit her. Sophia was very alert and had her eyes open most of the time. I was amazed at how well the two of them interacted. It was like they were old friends. Grandmother would talk and talk to Sophia and she would just watch her very intently taking in every word she said. It was so sweet! Grandmother brought her some adorable black dress shoes with a bow, they are a big for now but Sophia has such long feet I'm sure she'll be in them before we know it. I can't believe how much Sophia is growing and changing already! Today when I was watching the two of them together I couldn't believe how she is focusing her eyes so much. We feel so blessed to have so many friends and family that love her so much :)

Lazy Sunday

This morning Jason and I had every intention of taking Sophia to church. She didn't sleep nearly as long last night and so I was up and down a little more. So when the alarm clock went off we decided to hit the snooze and try church next Sunday. It makes us a little nervous taking her somewhere like that right now. This week we are hoping to introduce her to a bottle after I pump. I think I will be more confident in our outings when I know I can satisfy her hunger in public. So instead of church we met our friends the Loflands at Bob Evans after church. We have been going to Pathway since January and after church we have a tradition to eat brunch with them afterwards. So today we had our first brunch, she did awesome! It will be very interesting in a few weeks when Renee has Bella, then we will be coordinating two feeding schedules at our brunches. I think brunch wore Sophia out, she has been sleeping so good this afternoon. Normally evening is fussy time but tonight she has been so calm. Maybe I will pay for this late tonight...hopefully not! It has been nice because I had some time to clean the house a little and Jason did some yard work. Sophia is such a blessing!

I Love My Swing!

Thursday night we put Sophia in her swing for the first time, she really liked it. Here is a picture of her on Saturday swinging away. She doesn't have just an ordinary swing, it is pretty fancy! Her Grandma and Grandpa VB got this for her at a shower. It vibrates, makes nature sounds, plays music, reclines, and of course swings. She has a mobile on it that has bears that she likes to watch. She also stares at the giraffe and zebra too. This will usually pacify her for 10-15 minutes when she is in a fussy mood. She really likes it when she can keep the soothie in her mouth and swing...life just doesn't get much better than that :)

My First Party!

Sophia had a very exciting day on Friday. She went with Jason and I to the chiropractor in the afternoon. It felt very good for the two of us to get adjusted. I had gone a few times when I was pregnant with her and so the doctors and staff were excited to meet Sophia. She did extremely well and never even opened her eyes. Later that evening we got together with some friends of ours. Sophia was passed around all night which she totally loved! This picture is of Cristi and Steve's daughter Sydney, she is 4. Syd LOVES babies! She wanted to help me change Sophia's diapers so I would let her snap and unsnap the onesies and help me get the diaper ready along with the wipes. She was so adorable, she even told me at the hospital when they visited that she would teach Sophia how to be a princess! We had a great time with our friends and Sophia was awesome, we left around 10 since she was ready to eat and then bedtime. She slept 6 hours straight that night, I think the day wore her out. It was kind of weird for Jason and I to leave a gathering that early. It seems that pre-Sophia we were always one of the last couples to leave. So we have had to make some minor adjustments in our life but we both agree she is worth every second of it!

Grandma VB and an afternoon visit

Grandma VB had a teacher in-service day at school so she was excited to get to come up and spend time with Sophia. Mommy felt she was a little more fussy today between feedings, so we weren't on our best behavior for GMa, but she didn't mind at all. Daddy arrived home a little after 6 from work and little Miss Sophia totally played the "Daddys Girl" role and laid in his arms just as sweet as can be!!!

Visiting "Aunt Rinda"

Today Mommy & Sophia went across the back yard to see Miss Lorinda's new kitchen table. Miss Lorinda is always so excited to spoil Sophia because she has 2 boys, Bryce & Brett (well technically 3, I guess you can call Jim a boy at times!!) ......so we think she loves her "girl time!"

Worn out from playing!

Mommy attempted some solo play time for Sophia today while Daddy was at work--as you can tell she had other ideas and said that she prefered to take a nap instead!!

Yoga in our Boppy!

We were getting into some awful unusual positions tonight taking a nap in our boppy! We never thought we would laugh so hard with a baby as we have with her.....her antics just crack us up!

My Eyes Are Open!

Sophia has been such a great sleeper that I we rarely see her with her eyes open for long. This afternoon I fed her and she seemed to be very alert and quite comfy in her bouncy, she was content sitting there with the vibration and music gazing at the toys. I couldn't help but post this shot I thought it was too cute!

My Neighbor Friends

My dear neighbor Sheri Kautz brought us dinner tonight. She brought some helpers to carry all the goodies in. I saw the little troops coming up the back deck. They all looked so cute. They politely asked if they could look at the baby, and I gave my permission. Sheri and I were chatting and I looked over and they were all huddling over her. Not one of them tried to touch her but they were so engrossed with watching her. I couldn't help but snag this picture. Sophia had her eyes wide open and seemed to be watching them back. I feel so blessed to have such great neighbors and their well behaved children!

Sophia's First Outing

Sophia had her first outing today with Mommy. It felt nice for me especially to get out of the house on such a nice day. We started off at the bank, the tellers were so excited to see her! There are three of them there that are all expecting girls within the next 5 months. After we stopped at the bank we were off to Pak Mail to mail some letters. I stop in there a lot so again they were all excited to see Sophia. The next place we stopped was Daddy's store. We luckily picked a great time to drop off lunch when he wasn't too busy. This picture is of her and I at the store. Our last stop of the day was at Eye Pro my previous employer. Some of the girls had been to the hospital but a couple had not seen her yet. She was very good and slept through our entire outing. I never heard a peep, she only flinched a couple of times getting in and out of the car seat base as it makes a snap noise that startled her. We walked over to our neighbor Lorinda's when we got home and said hi to her parents visiting from Florida. She likes her stroller to keep moving though and fusses a little when we stop. It was a beautiful day and I was thankful to have such a great baby to tote along with me. I did note that these errands that took me minutes before now take twice as long...but she is worth every extra minute.

Aunt Kristen & Sophia

Aunt Kristen came up to see Sophia on Day 1 & 2 at the hospital and they even planned matching outfits by the way it looks....

G-Ma VB & Sophia

Grandma VB holding Sophia on Day 2 at the hospital. We are starting to think she wants to move even closer than the 1 hour drive due to withdrawal!

Bouncy Seat

Saturday afternoon we decided to try out her Pink Boppey Bouncy Seat. I think it looks really comfortable and wouldn't mind an adult size for myself. Her Grandma Crawford bought this for her as a shower gift. I really like the Boppey products, my sister Leslie bought me the traditional Boppey pillow that I love for nursing support!

Sophia loves her bouncy! She has slept in it most of the day, it has a vibration setting and plays music too. She was quite content. All three of us took a great nap today. Jason and I were on either couch and she was snug in her bouncy seat between us. The doggies don't bother her in it, which is also a plus. The blanket she has a swaddler blanker which I am also loving. It has a diagram in it and you put in her in the middle and fold the blanket the way the picture shows and then has velcro tabs for the finish. It stays really tight and is great for dads who haven't played with babies and aren't comfortable swaddling.

It has been a nice day. We haven't had any visitors today and have screened our calls. Jason and I have enjoyed just relaxing with her and catching up on some nap time. We've also loved on our neglected chihuahuas.

Nap Time

We quickly learned that Sophia loves to sleep on your chest. She just curls up in little ball and will stay there for hours if you would let her. Jason loves this time with her! I got this photo the other day after he came home from work.

In the afternoon I enjoy doing the same with her. We are both cherishing every minute with her we know everyone says it will go so fast.

Bath Time

Jason and I gave Sophia her first at home bath on Sunday night. She was not very fond of her bath that night. It was a little tricky since we can't submerge her in her tub yet. So we did a sponge bath. I think the key to her bath is us remaining calm...I think we were a little tense.

Grandma Crawford helped give her a bath on Tuesday evening. She was much better and we learned the kitchen sink has a perfect spray for us to shampoo her hair. She loves to have her hair shampooed.

I gave her another bath Saturday morning and she did not make a peep. She loved it and I played with her "piggies". She is so cute at bath time and looks so little!

First Days Home

Sophia has just been such a joy! She has been sleeping about 4 hours at a time at night...I am so thankful for this! She has also been a great eater. Sometimes she is sleepy but I have learned a few tricks to wake her up.

Sophia loves to save her dirty diapers for her Dad. Daddy starts to change her diaper and he wipes her booty and then boom! She has poop that starts pouring out...Jason is very calm about it and is now a pro at changing diapers. I had several different diapers I had received as samples and left overs from friends. Jason quickly decided he prefers the Pampers Swaddlers. It is so funny to us that we talk about poopy and wet diapers and the colors and which diapers we prefer. We are enjoying every minute of it.

Sophia has so much hair that I am able to put some bows and clips in it already. It has been so much fun to dress her already! I know I am biased but I keep thinking how beautiful she is! She had her first pediatrician appointment on Tuesday. She had gained an ounce back already. The doctor looked her over and says she is doing great. We go back again in 2 weeks.

We have had several visitors since being home. Grandma and Grandpa Crawford stayed all day on Monday and Tuesday since they were here from Des Moines. It was really nice having them here as they got take out for us both nights and spoiled Sophia while Mommy took showers and unpacked from the hospital. We have had a few neighbors over. On Monday I looked at the front windown and saw a neighbor boy with his face pressed against the glass. I think the 8' pink stork in the yard has drawn some curiosity from the neighbor kids.

Thursday night Grandma and Grandpa VB came to visit. Grandpa VB loves to hold Sophia which is so sweet since he is such a big guy, she looks so sweet in his arms. Grandma VB made a really nice dinner for us that was so nice. Most of you know how much I like to cook!

Friday night our good friends Jeff and Cheri Smith brought carry out over for us and we ate dinner together. It was so yummy! Jeff and Cheri had a baby girl Hailey in December so we took some pics of them together. Later our friends Ed and Renee popped over to see Sophia. Renee is due in May with a baby girl Bella. We are so excited Sophia will have so many playmates.

First Night Home

As we arrived home it was such a strange feeling to be by ourselves with Sophia. We let Bentley and Lexus meet Sophia after I made over them. Dogs are so smart! It was if they fully knew we would be bringing her home with us. Bentley sniffed her over very well but did not try to "kiss" her like he normally does to everyone else. It was as if her knew to be gentle. Lexus was terrified of Sophia but has sense warmed to her slowly. She barks when Sophia cries but we think she is afraid we are hurting her. I'm sure with time she will get used to the cries. It does not bother Sophia she doesn't even flinch!

This is the outfit that Sophia wore home from the hospital. I had been on a search for this "perfect" little outfit. I think she looks so pure and innocent in this outfit. The great thing is that it was big on her and should fit her a while. Her first night home was very calm and she pretty much just ate and slept. She is such a sweet baby girl!

Our Hospital Stay

We stayed at the hospital for 48 hours after Sophia was born. The first night we didn't receive much sleep due to the nurses checking on her and I frequently throughout the night. She did very well the first night and slept well. We had to really wake her up to get her to eat when she was supposed to.

The second night was really rough for her which I hear is very common for most newborns. Sophia did not seem to want to leave my chest. I was the human pacifier to her. Every time we pulled her away she would scream and we couldn't console her. Finally we called our nurse and asked them to please take her to the nursery. We felt bad but neither one of us had had more than a couple of hours of sleep and we knew we had more visitors coming the next day. The nurse assured us that we needed to take advantage of this and we finally got a few hours of sleep that night.

I cannot say enough about the service we received at the hospital! Our nurses were wonderful and so knowledgeable. They really made us feel very comfortable and answered all of our questions.

The last evening there Jason and I received a celebration dinner. They brought in a linen covered table with flowers and a fancy dinner. We even had our own little Don Hall's cake! Shortly after we were discharged and started home with our bundle of joy!

Sophia's Visitors

Sophia had many visitors at the hospital. About an hour after she was born all of her grandparents and her Aunt Kristen came into the room to meet her for the first time. They were all so excited to meet her. Grandma and Grandpa Crawford and Grandma VB had been there most of the afternoon waiting.

We had many friends and family visit on Saturday and Sunday. This is a picture of Sophia with her Grandpa Crawford and Great-Grandpa Crawford. Her Great-Grandma Fisher was also one of her visitors.

Sophia Elle Van Buskirk

Sophia Elle Van Buskirk was born on Friday April 11, 2008 at Parkview Hospital North in Fort Wayne, IN. She weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 22" long with a full head of dark hair.

We arrived at the hospital at 6:45 am in the morning for a scheduled induction. After being hooked up to monitors we discovered I was already in early labor and 3-4 cm dilated. At 8:15 am they hooked me up to the induction drugs and we were ready to roll. There was really no action until about 1:15 pm when I felt the contractions were strong enough for me to receive the epidural. At 2:00 the nurse broke my water and by 6:00 that evening I was fully dilated. My epidural did not work very well and I felt every contraction. This did allow me to know when to push without looking at the monitor. At 6:55 her head had crowned and Jason started crying when he saw the all the dark hair! Dr. Rumsey came in at this time and a few pushes later Miss Sophia was born at 7:07 pm.

They immediately laid her on me and Jason and I both cried. It was such an emotional moment that neither of us will ever forget. It was amazing to see her and hold her after 9 months of fantasizing what she would look like! This was our first family photo.