My First Bath

Liam's first bath was pretty traumatic for all involved including Sadie who oversees all bathtimes with her head hanging over the edge of the tub. Here are a couple of pics:

"Can you not hear me? I don't like this at ALL!"

"Daddy, thank you for saving me."

My First Walk with Sadie...

Once we got home we knew that Sadie would need a lot of attention and a little extra loving. We wanted her to accept Liam as an important part of our "pack" so what better way to do that than by taking her on a special outting to her favorite place...the park. It was a nice day so we bundled Liam up for his first walk to the park. Since we were still on oxygen and the pulse-ox monitor just getting ready to leave the house took about 30 minutes but we made it out and took several walks while Rolf was at home with us. Here are some pictures from our first walk:

Going Home...

Although we have been home for almost 2 months, I still wanted to post the pictures I took of us leaving to come home from CHOP.

Mommy getting me dressed in my new outfit from my Mimi. I am almost too big for it!

So sweet.....

My favorite nurse Keegan! She took such good care of me for a lot of the time I was in the hospital.

Daddy trying to figure out the carseat for the first time.

This going home stuff is wearing me out...

My going home blanket from my Mimi. She knit it while she was waiting on me to arrive.

Daddy double checking my monitor.

Saying goodbye to Keegan. We are all going to miss you lots!

Stopping by to say goodbye to Bridget. She took care of me the night I was born.

Goodbye CHOP! Thank you for fixing my broken heart!

We are forever grateful to the amazing staff of doctors, nurses, and social workers who took such great care of us while we were at CHOP.

100 Things

My friend Stacy did this cute post and I thought I'd play along. The only directions are to bold anything you have done. :)

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band. (in 9th grade, my parents made me)
4. Visited Hawaii. (once for work and then on my honeymoon)
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain. (Several times with my hubby in NC)
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris. (in college with my 2 best friends from high school)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. (we had to stand in line forever and I still wonder if it was worth it)
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick. (I think they call it a personal day! :-))
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise. (in high school and then again in college)
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. (Does the rock wall at camp count?)
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke. (but never by myself)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt. (I have the pieces but I haven't put it together yet.)
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. (For the first time this past September!)
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox. (When I was 4, while driving cross-country with my family)
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person. (While visiting my best friend Rebecca!)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

"Ten Things Tuesday" Happy 2 Months, Liam!

Today Liam is 2 months old and I can't believe it! This past 2 months have flown by, especially since we got home and we are truly thankful for each and every day with our little miracle. I have been wanting to do "Ten Things Tuesday" for a while and today is a great day to start. So in honor of Liam's 2 months, here are 10 things about him that Rolf and I are so very thankful for...

1. We are thankful for the miracle of your life and that God has let us be your parents.

2. We are thankful that you are continuing to grow stronger everyday.

3. We are thankful that you are a good nurser and weighed in at a whopping 11 pounds 14 ounces today.

3. We are thankful for the sweet smile that you have been showing to us ALOT recently.

4. We are thankful that you like to take really long naps and can sleep just about anywhere, especially at the movies.

5. We are thankful that you are finally starting to enjoy spending time on your activity mat and are beginning to explore this great big world a little more everyday.

6. We are thankful that you are a snuggler and love to nuzzle your little face into our necks as your fall asleep.

7. We are thankful that your hair is starting to come back in but we still don't know if it will be blond or RED??

8. We are thankful for your sweet personality that you show us more of every day but also for your short temper that for the time being is cute.

9. We are thankful that you are finally starting to enjoy bath time with daddy.

10. We are thankful for all of the lessons that you have taught us so far about being strong and courageous and faithful to the Lord.

Liam's Baptism

After talking it over and praying about it we decided that we wanted to have Liam baptized before he had his surgery. So on Sunday, November 23, Rolf and I together with our mother's had Liam baptized at his bedside in the hospital. It was a truly unique and moving experience, very different from any baptism we have ever seen before but it gave us a peace heading into the surgery on Monday knowing that our sweet little boy was in the better hands -- God's hands. We plan to have him rededicated sometime this Spring so that we can celebrate again our little miracle and the God that is so good to us!

Playing Catch-up...Liam's First Experiences at CHOP

While we were at CHOP the nurses were truly amazing! They let us be as hands on with Liam as we wanted to be, making sure we didn't miss out on any of those important first experiences being first time parents. I put together a slideshow of all the "first" we experienced while we were at CHOP.

Back to Life, Back to Reality!

As of yesterday we have been home for 6 weeks, which I really can't believe. I didn't realize it at the time but I really needed to take the first few weeks to just be with my baby and enjoy those early days at home that most moms get to have in the first couple of weeks. The holidays made things a little bit crazier than normal and just in the last couple of weeks we have finally started to get into a more normal daily routine. So enough excuses from me, after being home for 6 weeks now I can say I am ready to rejoin the rest of the world and get back to updating the blog. So for anyone who is still checking out the blog stay tuned because I have a lot of post coming your way.

Here is a little teaser of what is to come....