Category: Olivia
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DIY High Contrast Books for Babies
During our first visit with the Parents as Teachers program, our coordinator emphasized how fascinating black and white images were to infants. She recommended this popular board book to help stimulate Olivia’s brain development. It features a total of 10 large and familiar shapes for babies to study. I loved the concept of this simple…
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Creative Ideas for Documenting Your Pregnancy
Thanks to Pinterest, there are SO many inspiring ways of documenting your pregnancy. James and I decided to set up a chalkboard sign, similar to these pins (HERE & HERE) to watch my belly grow! I just love seeing how others have chosen to capture this special moment of time. I’m especially liking how this…
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“Posting” Our First Father’s Day Memories
I might be a bit biased, but this beautiful baby girl has the most amazing Dad. To celebrate Father’s Day this year, I was inspired by Paige’s “Post-It Pictures” idea on The Dating Divas. Instead of leaving general fun captions, however, I tailored each message to be a specific reason explaining why James is a…
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Father’s Day Card Ideas
Last year, I was newly pregnant when Father’s Day rolled around. I wanted to do something special for James to mark the day so I created this card inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest: I was thrilled that one of the talented graphic designers working with The Dating Divas agreed to translate this…
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First Mother’s Day
I love you so much, Olivia. I can’t wait to meet the beautiful, confident, caring, and intelligent woman you become. In the meantime, I’m cherishing your sweet smiles and little gurgles, as well as sneak peaks into your blossoming personality. You are already so independent! We spent our first Mother’s Day at my parent’s lake…
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A Typical Day in the Early Weeks
We were blessed in countless ways during the first couple weeks after my early delivery and Olivia’s release from the hospital. That being said, the beginning weeks were hard, especially since I was attempting to balance a pumping schedule with Olivia’s care. To establish my milk supply, I diligently tried to pump between 8 and…
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10 Ways to Help a New Mom of a Preemie
I was overwhelmed by the love and support given to us after Olivia’s early arrival. So many people wanted to know how to help our family during this difficult transition. Asking and receiving help, especially when you are still processing so many raw emotions and your mind feels scattered, is complicated. On the one hand,…
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Preemie 101
With Olivia’s early arrival, we were welcomed into a brand new exclusive club: the world of preemies. We didn’t ask for this entrance pass and I wouldn’t wish our experience on my worst enemy. There were endless hours of waiting, grieving, worrying, and coordinating arrangements. As a mama-to-be, I had heard countless stories of women…
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Olivia’s Birth Story: Part 2
This post is a follow-up to Olivia’s Birth Story: Part 1. After arriving at the hospital and facing the reality that we were going to meet our baby almost 7 weeks early, here is how our story unfolded: The doctor checked me at 1:30am and reported that I was already at 3cm, -2 station, and…
