Is that a boogie in your nose, or are you just happy to see me?

We had a great Christmas this year and we hope all of you did too! Santa brought us lots of great presents, but he also brought a nasty cold to the Rooney house. Poor Meredith spent most of Christmas being way friendlier with the "booger sucker" than she wanted (she actually gets mad now when she sees me get it out). All three of us are on the mend, thank goodness. Meredith was definitely a good sport during all of her travelling around town, especially since she was feeling so rotten. Here are a few pictures from the holidays...

Christmas

This weekend, Meredith had her first Christmas party. Uncle Billy and Emily were in town, so we had dinner and a gift exchange at Mimi and Papa's house. Everyone had a great time! I think Meredith is a big fan of Christmas. It combines her favorite things: lights, noise, and her family! What could be better for a baby than being the center of attention for days on end?

On Sunday, Mimi came over to visit. She took some really cute pictures of Meredith. These are a few of my favorites! Meredith has definitely figured out how her voice works this past week. If she's not sleeping, she's talking (many people have told me that she gets that from her mother!). She is keeping us entertained and she's making sure we return the favor--if you're not paying attention to her, she's figured out that she can get you to talk to her if she starts making noises. Meredith has also figured out that if she talks to Mia and Philly, they'll stand and look at her for a little longer. It's pretty funny to watch.

Like everyone this time of year, we've got a busy week planned. We're heading to Grammy's for Christmas Eve and to Grandma Rooney's on Christmas Day. I think I had another one of those "yep, I'm a mom" moments the other day when I realized that I've been planning Meredith's Christmas outfits (yes, "outfits") for weeks now, but I have no idea what I'm going to wear. I had another one this morning when Mer pooped on me during an early morning diaper change and my first thought was, "Oh good, you didn't have a very good poo yesterday and this one was great!" Oh, how things have changed over the past 11 weeks! I wouldn't have it any other way! As we look back over the past few months, I know Chris and I are both so thankful for this precious baby and also for our wonderful family and friends. We hope everyone has a merry Christmas!

We're doing (more) shots

Meredith had her two month checkup today with the pediatrician. She's doing great! She is 12 lbs., 0.5 oz and 24 inches long. Those numbers translate to 75th percentile for weight and 92nd percentile for height. Her head circumference was 65th percentile (yeah, tell me about it--I delivered that head!). She also got her two month shots. She did really well. I've been sick to my stomach about it for two days, but I feel much better now that it's behind us. We'll be hanging out tonight, taking Tylenol and celebrating Mimi's birthday. All in all, it was an excellent appointment and Meredith is taking a nap as I write this to recover from her busy day!

In other news, we think we may have officially joined the "sleeping through the night" club (yes, I know I'm probably jinxing myself, but I don't care--I'm on a high from all of the sleep I've been getting this week!). Mer has slept over seven hours every night this week. It's so exciting! She's also been doing great with naps. I have a bad habit of letting her take naps while I hold her (I mean, come on, is there anything better than a sleeping baby, especially when it's your sleeping baby?). I know when I go back to work, the people taking care of her probably won't be big fans of doing the same thing, so we've been working on taking naps in the crib or the pack and play. I'm happy to report my beautiful daughter took a two-hour nap in the pack and play by herself today. This is arguably a bigger accomplishment for me than for her, but I'm excited just the same. I will admit that Mia and I spent a lot of the nap either sitting in the room with her or listening intently to the baby monitor for the slightest sound that indicated Meredith wasn't happy. Baby steps, people, baby steps!

Two months!

Meredith is two months old today. I can hardly believe it! It really is amazing how drastically life can change in eight short weeks. Meredith started the day off in style--she slept almost eight hours last night. After the last few nights of barely making it four hours between feedings, this was a very nice surprise! She has been doing really well with head control, so we decided to try out her bumbo. As you can see, she's a fan. She also loves to stand on our legs and bounce up and down while looking around the room. We just bought the Curious George Christmas book and she definitely reminds us of a certain nosy little monkey! Chris and I have been having so much fun with her. It seems like she learns something new every day. Of course, we're convinced that she's the most advanced child that ever lived! After watching this video, I'm sure everyone will agree, right? If you don't, don't tell us--it'll shatter our fragile parenting egos! :) Mia was laying next to her when I was taping, so that's why she keeps looking to the right. Apparently, greyhounds are more interesting than mommies! I'm posting a few pictures too so you can see what Meredith has been up to. She also survived her first Christmas shopping trip with Mommy and Mimi. I have a feeling she won't be so easy to shop with by next Christmas!

Kind of a goofy looking horse, don't you think?

Just exercising my muscles!

Trips in the car are sooo exhausting!

My two-month picture in the living room chair. We're doing a picture here each month so we can watch how I've grown.

Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was great! We had a very busy week, but it was amazing to see our family and friends and to celebrate Meredith's first Thanksgiving. It's funny how things change when you have a baby. Last year, Chris and I were a couple who spent the holiday with everyone. We had names, could function independently, and didn't have to make sure we packed enough diapers to make it through the day. This year, we were the people who gave Meredith a ride to all of the parties so she could greet her public! If our families could breast feed, we may not have even been invited as Meredith's dates. We spent Thursday at Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave's and got to see our cousins from Columbus and Atlanta. It's always great to have everyone together, but it made it even more special to have them there. It's like how holidays were when I was a kid and we all lived in the same town. On Friday, we had the Rooney family at our house for Thanksgiving. Chris did a deep fried turkey that was amazing. All in all, Meredith's first Thanksgiving was pretty fabulous. She seemed to enjoy everything, but she must've been tired after all of the commotion--she's been sleeping like a champ!

We're doing shots!

Why did that phrase have a much more fun meaning when I was in college? Meredith had an appointment with the pediatrician this morning for her hepatitis vaccine. This involved a shot in her left thigh. She screamed for about three seconds. I, however, was traumatized for most of the afternoon. I got a shot too (flu shot). I think I was not quite as brave as Meredith was. Our little monkey now weighs 11 lbs., 3 oz. Pretty exciting! We head back for more shots on the 12th. I'm definitely not looking forward to that!

Oh crap!

This was the phrase heard almost all day around the Rooney house yesterday. Daddy and I are trying to stop cursing, so "crap" is about as racy as it gets around here these days. Yesterday was Meredith bodily fluid-palooza. A quick rundown of our day:

1. "Oh crap" moment one: we've been working on getting Mer to take a bottle so she can eat when I go back to work in January. Daddy and Mer were just sitting down to try a bottle feeding when I headed to the nursery to pump. Two seconds later, a very exasperated Chris and a very wet and angry Mer appeared in the doorway. Apparently, the top of the bottle wasn't screwed on correctly, so when he tipped it towards her so she could start eating, she ended up covered in milk. I must say that seeing your husband and child covered in three ounces of breast milk is slightly amusing. Thankfully, I had pumped enough that we just refilled the bottle and Meredith had the rest of her feeding wearing only a diaper because her jammies were soaked.

2. "Oh crap" moment two: literally! I gave Meredith a bath and got pooped on not once, but twice. Our bathtime routine involves stripping the baby down in her nursery and then taking the naked, screaming child next door to the bathroom. On the way to the tub, she pooped on her blanket and it leaked through to the crib sheet. Those of you who have seen breast fed poop know that it is a little...squirty. Couple that with a screaming child and you can see where I'm going with this. When I took her out of the tub, she pooped on her towel and on the fluffy white rug in our bathroom. You'd think I would've learned the first time, right?

3. "Oh crap" moment three: last night, Meredith slept seven and a half hours. Let me say that again--seven and a half hours!!! She was obviously starving when she woke up, so she ate like a little piggy. Apparently, it was too much, because she threw up all over me, the nursing pillow, the rocking chair...you get the idea. All at 4:3oam. Thankfully, she didn't get herself. I put her in the crib so I could change my clothes and she finished spitting up on yet another clean crib sheet.

So, for those of you counting at home, the casualties were three pairs of jammies (another spit up episode earlier in the day), two crib sheets, a blanket, Daddy's shirt, Mommy's pajamas, a bath towel, a rug and too many burp cloths to count. Hopefully, today will be a little drier for everyone!

Six weeks

Tomorrow, the Mer-bear (as Daddy and I have nicknamed her--yeah, we've become those people) will be six weeks old. I can hardly believe it. Time really does fly! She's really starting to show us more of her personality. She has started smiling more and making all sorts of great noises when we talk to her. She has also discovered her hands. Sucking on her fist is her new favorite pasttime, as you can see in the pictures below. She makes a really loud sucking noise when she does it--priceless! Our last weight check last week has Meredith weighing in at just under 10 lbs. and just over 23 inches long. I can't believe how fast she's growing. Clothes that she was swimming in just a few weeks ago fit perfectly now. We've had lots of visitors in the last few weeks, including Aunt Erin, Uncle Mike, Aunt Veronica and Uncle Patrick all the way from Virginia. We can't wait to see them all again at Thanksgiving! Aunt Karen came to visit from Florida and Bob and Marilyn were here from Texas. You know we have great friends and family when they're willing to brave late fall in northeast Ohio instead of enjoying the warm weather they're used to at home (I think next time, maybe we'll go to Florida and Texas instead of having them come to us). We feel so lucky to have so many people who love Meredith! I know I've been overdue in posting pictures, so here are a few of my recent favorites:


Mer after bathtime, wearing her favorite pink jammies and sitting on Daddy's lap. She looks a little like Yoda, don't you think?

Mmmm, my fist is delicious!

This is from bathtime last night--it's my new favorite picture. I was washing her hair and she was washing her fist.
On Saturday before the Notre Dame game--thanks, Ron and Mary!

Meredith's one month picture in her cute moo cow jammies from John and Marcia.

We had our first big snow of the year last night, so Meredith is staying indoors, but the pups have been having lots of fun in the backyard today. It's pretty entertaining and it makes me really happy to think about Meredith back there playing with them someday. We're heading back to the pediatrician for our six week check next week and for a shot (I'm more upset about it than Meredith, but I guess it'll be a good test before she has her big day of shots at eight weeks). Hope everyone is having a great week!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Love Meredith, Mia and Philly

PS...The rest of Meredith's newborn photos are on the photographer's website. Take a look--http://www.hrphotodesign.com. Once you're there, click on "Client Proofs" and find our name in the list. The password is Meredith. They're pretty precious, if I do say so myself!

Three weeks old

Happy three week birthday to Meredith! These are a few of the pictures from her newborn photo session--they're actually our favorites. We had a great day at the lactation consultant today. Meredith is weighing in at just under 9 lbs. She has also figured out that she can follow our voices when we put her on her tummy and is now picking up her head and moving it from side to side. She also lost her cord the other day, so tonight is going to be her first bath in her blue tub. I'll make sure to take pictures!

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Meredith, Mia, Philly and I are watching Martha Stewart while it snows outside, so we thought it was a good time for a Meredith update. She had a great visit to the pediatrician on Friday. She weighs 8lbs, 4oz and is 21 3/4 inches long. That translates to 45th percentile for weight and 91st percentile for height. Guess she's going to look like her daddy! She has started figuring out the difference between day and night and is now sleeping 4-5 hours between feedings at night. I forgot what that much sleep feels like! All in all, we had a great weekend just hanging out around the house. We're heading to Mimi and Papa's this afternoon to visit because Mimi had surgery on Friday and I think some Meredith therapy might help with her recovery.

In other news, Aunt Erin ran her first marathon yesterday. We're so proud of her! She's so amazing! Congratulations, Aunt Erin!

Newborn pictures

We had Meredith's newborn pictures taken on Friday and Heather, the wonderful photographer, posted a few of them on her blog. The address is http://www.hrphotodesign.com/news/ The rest should be available on her website in about two weeks, so this is just a sneek peek. I can't stop looking at them! I know we're biased, but we think we have a pretty gorgeous girl!

8 pounds!

Meredith was weighed today and was up to 8 lbs! As I told Aunt Karen today, I really never thought I'd be so excited about how much someone eats, pees and poops. We're hoping she'll be back up to her birth weight by two weeks and it looks like she's definitely heading in the right direction. Breast feeding is going much better. Everyone told us that the first two weeks is the hardest part and I think they're right. We're definitely settling into a routine and getting to know each other much better. Chris is still posting pictures and we're going to put some more up tonight after Daddy and Meredith's nightly bathtime ritual. It's so cute to watch them together. Papa came down to spend the day with Meredith today and we're getting a visit from Mimi tomorrow and Aunt Kathy and Bekah on Thursday. We're so lucky to have so many people who want to hang out with the Mere-bear!

Meredith is one week old!

And I can hardly believe it! It's been an amazing week, to say the least. We've made some serious progress with breast feeding (thanks to our amazing lactation consultant) and I'm actually thinking this might end up working out for us. It's funny how many women say the same thing when they hear that I'm trying to breast feed--don't give up! They all say that things are rough for the first few weeks, but then everything just clicks and it's worth it. I'm really hoping I get to be one of those women some day! I'm so lucky to have such a loving and supportive husband who keeps cheering me on. I think Chris has heard more about boobs and milk in the last week than he ever wanted to know. My mom and Grammy went to the lactation consultant with me and they've been such a huge help.
We've had lots of visitors this week (and a clean house and full fridge to prove it). Everyone has wanted to come by and welcome Meredith to our family. I'm really excited to see what the next week brings. If it's anything like this one, we're in for something great. Meredith is a really good baby. She gets upset when her diaper is full, when she's cold and when she's hungry. Otherwise, she sleeps and makes the best faces and stretches her whole body out. We're having a photographer come to our house on Friday to take some newborn photos, so I'll post them as soon as we get them. Chris keeps adding pictures to his website (it seems like almost daily), so go check it out and see what's new with our beautiful baby girl! Thanks also to everyone who has been e-mailing, sending cards and calling. Your congratulations mean so much to us!

Meredith's birth story

What an amazing four days we've had! As I'm writing this, Daddy and Meredith are sitting on the couch watching the Buckeyes play and I'm sitting next to them--does it get any better than this? While the baby is sleeping, I thought I'd post a few more details about how our daughter made her entrance into the world.

On Wednesday morning, I checked into the hospital to be induced (three days overdue). Because Chris was in surgery that morning, my parents went with me. The OB broke my water around 9:15am and we settled in for a long wait (or so we thought!). I was 2-3cm dilated and 75% effaced when we started the induction. We started pitocin around 10am and the contractions got going pretty quickly. I wanted to wait until I was 4cm for an epidural, so anesthesia came in to do the initial consult and she said she'd be back in a bit. Unfortunately, she got held up with another patient, so I had 30 minutes of some pretty uncomfortable contractions before the epidural got placed. Chris got to the hospital around 12:30 (just as the CRNA was finishing up). My toes went numb right away and that's where things stopped. It turns out that the epidural placement and dosing weren't as effective as I needed it to be and it took over two hours to get the right combination to get me comfortable, which finally happened around 3pm. I learned that unmedicated childbirth is not for me! At 1:30, I was 4cm. The next time I was checked, around 4:30, I was 10cm, 100% effaced and +1 station (4cm to complete in three hours--guess that's why those contractions hurt so much!). I was totally numb, so we decided to wait for me to push and to give Meredith some time to descend further. About 10 minutes later, my blood pressure had gotten pretty low and Meredith started to show some signs of distress, so I started pushing. For the first hour and a half of pushing, I couldn't feel anything at all and it made things go pretty slowly. Once the epidural had worn off, I was able to push more effectively and Meredith was born after a total of two hours and 15 minutes of pushing. Meredith was occiput posterior (face up instead of face down), so I ended up with a third degree tear. Chris was an amazing labor coach. He really kept me from losing it when things got difficult. We had a wonderful nurse and two phenomenal OBs who did the delivery (they are also our good friends). It made such a difference to have them there--I trusted them completely and knew they would make sure Meredith and I were both taken care of. Our families and friends were in the hall waiting patiently and it was great to hear their voices when the door opened. Dr. Krew and Dr. Gill, the wonderful perinatologists who put up with me every day at work, were also outside and kept a close eye on how things were going. I felt so lucky to have them there--they worried so that I didn't have to!

So, when Meredith was born, Chris cut the cord and she went straight to the warmer. Daddy ran between the two of us, giving me details and taking lots and lots of pictures and video (make sure you check out his great video on our picture site http://gallery.me.com/christopher_rooney--there are also some new Meredith pictures and he updates them almost daily. Aunt Meghan and Mimi (my mom) have also been adding photos. Aunt Meghan has nicknamed Meredith "McMuffin"--too cute!). I finally got to hold her after about ten minutes and haven't wanted to put her down since. We were discharged from the hospital on Friday morning and have just been hanging out at home and getting to know each other. We've been having some more success with breast feeding and had a great appointment with the pediatrician this morning for a weight check (7lbs. 13oz.). We're heading back to the pediatrician on Monday for another weight check. Monday just happens to be our first anniversary. What a difference a year makes!

So, that's our story. Thanks to everyone who has sent e-mails or called to wish us well. We love hearing from everyone (even if we're not so great about answering the phone just yet!). Feel free to leave comments on the blog--we'd love to read them when we're up for those 3am feedings. We're so excited for all of you to meet our precious girl!

Meredith's here!!!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Meredith McCain Rooney was born on Wednesday evening, 10/8/08, at 6:55pm.  She was 8lbs., 3oz. and 21 inches long.  She has a head full of brown hair and the most amazing lips I've ever seen.  She has Daddy's chin and big eyes.  Chris has posted lots of pictures on the website (see link in previous post), so go take a look at our gorgeous baby!  We just got home from the hospital this afternoon and everyone is doing great.  Breast feeding is taking some work, but Mommy and Meredith are both up for the challenge.  We can't thank everyone enough for all of your prayers, support and positive thoughts.  She really is a miracle and we can't wait for all of you to meet her!

We're having a baby...

Tomorrow! I'm scheduled for an induction tomorrow morning. I'll report to the hospital at 8:30 and see what happens. We'll post updates as things progress. I can't believe we're going to be meeting our daughter tomorrow!!!

Due date!

If you're reading the blog today and look over at the rotating baby to the left, you'll see that I've got zero days left until I'm due. I can't believe today is my due date! I have to admit that it's a little bit of a let down to still be sitting here pregnant, but it also means the end is definitely in sight! We're planning for an induction on Thursday, the 9th, if Meredith still decides to stay put this week. I've had some pretty major contractions on and off all weekend, but they've been just enough to get my hopes up and obviously not enough to get me into official labor. We'll keep everyone posted!

Chris also set up a website so that everyone can see and download pictures of the baby--the link is http://gallery.me.com/christopher_rooney He added some new nursery pictures now that the curtains are up (thanks, Grandma Rooney) and we can't wait to add some pictures of the baby.

Yep, still pregnant!

We're now in week 39 and it looks like we're making some progress! My appointment went well this morning. I'm 2cm and 50% effaced. I think Mia and Philly are going to get a good walk this afternoon. Maybe it'll help speed me into labor! If I go past my due date on Sunday, we'll start talking about possibly inducing labor sometime towards the end of next week. We'll keep everyone posted!

12 Days...

I just got back from the OB. Things are still looking great! It officially hit me that we're really close to having this baby when she said that I've only got 12 days to go until my due date. Wow! Baby Rooney is still cooperating and seems to be growing, moving and doing all of those things that fetuses are supposed to do. My BP and weight were still good, so it looks like I'll be hanging out for a little while longer. Next week, they'll check to see if my cervix is making any progress and talk about plans for the next few weeks in case the baby decides she's happy to stay put past October 5th. After all of the talks we've been having with her about not doing anything until after Chris comes home on Sunday, I wonder if she'll be confused when I start making different requests? I talked to Aunt Erin a few weeks ago about drafting an eviction notice for my little tenant. Maybe I'll have to start looking at that as more of a serious option!

Week 37

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means--another visit to the OB! Baby Rooney is right on schedule. We had an ultrasound last week that showed everything looking great. It also looks like she has some hair already as well as a cute little upturned nose and big lips. I gained another pound this week and I'm definitely starting to get uncomfortable as our little girl starts working on her escape plan. All in all, I guess this is how it's supposed to feel, right? Chris leaves on Thursday for Columubus, so we're both hoping that she stays put for a little while longer.

In other news, the big storm on Sunday knocked out our power and the power company is guessing we won't have electricity until Friday around midnight. It's been interesting to live without TV, a fridge, lights, or any of those other modern conveniences we've gotten so used to having. Thankfully, Grammy had room in her freezer, so all of our post-delivery meals and the cake topper from our wedding are safe. Mia and Philly don't seem to mind not having electricity (I think they're just excited that we have nothing else to do in the evenings but play with them!). At least we have water (and I'm very thankful for our gas hot water heater!).

36 Weeks and Counting!

I had another OB appointment this morning (I'm going to start going weekly now--scary!). The baby appears to be right on schedule. My blood pressure and weight were good and the doctor said her head is very low. She also checked my cervix and it looks like I'm starting to make a little progress, but nothing major just yet. That's a good thing, because this baby needs to stay put until Daddy gets home from his conference in Columbus at 39 weeks!

Baby shower

Here are some pictures from our wonderful shower this weekend. We had such a great time and so many people helped make it an absolutely perfect day!

Mom and me getting ready for the shower. My mom was the mastermind of the entire day and I can't thank her enough!

The food in Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave's dining room. We had pasta with alfredo and marinara sauces, plus other Italian goodies. Soooo yummy! Pretty ironic that we had Italian food to celebrate our Irish baby.

The table with all of the desserts (my favorite part, of course)

The Rooney family (Chris, me, Uncle Patrick, Grandma Susan, Aunt Meghan and Aunt Veronica)

The proud parents and grandparents
Our first "family picture"!

Us with Grammy

Mom, me, Candi, Jacki and Janeen. They did so much and worked so hard! Thanks girls!

Three generations of Elzholz women (four, if you count the baby)

The nursery after the shower. Chris carried all of the gifts in the night of the shower and we just closed the door until morning. Thankfully, it looks a lot more organized now!

Mia and Philly were exhausted after their busy day!

OB appointment

I had an OB appointment this morning and everything seems to be going well. The baby is head down and is moving like crazy! My blood pressure was fine and the doctor said everything seems to be right on track. It's always reassuring to hear that!

Our shower was this weekend and I'm hoping to post some pictures tonight--stay tuned! It was even more amazing than we expected. Everyone was so generous and it was really wonderful to have our family and friends come together to celebrate this new baby. She is definitely loved!

Nursery Pictures

Welcome to our baby blog! Because of the many friends and family we have who don't live in the Greater Canton area, we decided to start this blog as a way to keep everyone up to date about what's going on with our (soon to arrive) new daughter. These are some pictures from the nursery (minus the curtains, which we're still deciding on). As you can see, it has also become Mia and Philly's new napping place.

The chandelier was "donated" by Mimi and Papa from the original dinig room at their house