Mommy and Baby - March '10

This is a picture just like my mom has of her when I was born.

This is us waiting for our "vallet" leaving the hospital.

4 days old, full, cute and sleeping.

We've had fun getting dressed everyday... with a bow ; )

1st day out and about. Playgroup with Gavin 3/31.

Daddy and his Little Girl - March '10

Already giving her what we now know she likes, to be held by her Daddy. (she succors him all the time)

Getting ready to take us girls home.

They're so sweet together.

1st Sunday Snuggle.

Gavin and his Baby Sister - March '10

The 1st time Gavin saw Linnaea, he went straight to the bassinet, patted her and said "It's ok baby sister. I'm right here". He is such a wonderful helpful brother.
When we woke up Friday, our first day home, we all played in Gavin's room the whole morning. He wanted to read letters to her. He's excited to have her around.

Gavin comforts her when she's crying. You'll hear "I'm coming baby sister!", or "Oh, I'll get her pacifier (or silky blankey)". Or sometimes, he covers his ears with both hands and says "Feed her".

I think he has much more fun riding on the stroller this way, now that I let him.

Our New Baby Girl !!! - 3/22/10

Dale Lee Berg III + Vanessa Mae George =

* Linnaea Mae Berg *

7lbs 10oz. , 20 3/4 in. long
March 22, 2010
1:32 pm
Shenandoah, TX

Linnaea

We officially named her Linnaea on 3/23 @ 5pm.
Around Thanksgiving time, I thought to browse through nature names and names of flowers and came across "Linnaea". I thought it was so pretty I added it to the 3 other names I liked. I also thought "I know when Dale reads this name he's really going to like it and get stuck on it, so if I want him to keep browsing, maybe I should just leave it off my official list for now". But, I don't like keeping things from him, so I stuck it in the middle of my long list of names from over the years and suggested when he got a chance, he could take a look at my names if he'd like. I watched as he quietly sounded out the names... and then stopped. "I really like this name. I really feel this is the one". (I knew it, I knew exactly which he was talking about). I still asked "What, which one?" and of course, it was Linnaea. We didn't actively search the next couple of months, but we kept it open and reffered to it as "that name". And so after 3 1/2 months, we still didn't tire of it, and talked about other names we liked in the hospital, but the next day Dale said he was sure he liked it for real, not just being nice because it was on my list and not his, and we couldn't picture calling her anything else. So she officially became our little pink flower: Linnaea
Mae
I did a complete review of all my genealogy I have access to for an inspiration for a middle name for her. In December, Dale suggested I think about "Mae" as her middle name. He's always thought it was pretty. That hadn't even occurred to me before, but I was very happy with that.
Mae is my middle name, from my Dad's grandma (his mother's mom) whom he was very close to his whole life, and I've always loved being named after her. He told me when I was little that everything great about him, and everything good that's happened to him was because of her and what she taught him.
Berg
Dale's last name, obviously, that derived from his ancestors from Sweden, which was even more fitting that Linnaea is a Swedish named flower, and a popular emblem in Sweden.

Link to view ALL hospital/newborn pictures

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Professional Hospital Photo Shoot :
http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=48628359-7f5b-4a17-b442-dc32f5fa5375
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My Snapfish photo album (the photo company Costco uses) :
http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4105946014/a=106896036_106896036/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
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My last Dr. Gavin checkup - 3/21

We've been practicing Dr. check ups for a while. Gavin would ask "Can I check your belly please?", and he'd check my belly and insist I call him "Dr. Gavin", and he'd call me "Patient Mommy". The key chain lanyard he found and fashioned just like a stethoscope all by himself. I would only get slightly nervous when he wanted to fix me with a screw driver. I prefer the airplane method.


Gavin was even wonderful for a great belly lube. We had some great belly times.

Spring Break Weekend - 3/13

Before we were glad the baby hadn't come yet because we were sick for the whole Spring Break, we were able to have some fun atleast...

He wants to be just like Daddy, because Daddy has cooler toys!

He got up by himself, but wasn't sure about the getting down part.

When Daddy is in charge of ice cream, He gets the big bowl.

And this is Sundays at our house. Dale baking something, under any circumstance.

My Belly Ball

While I was at the park with Gavin last week, I decided to occupy myself with the camera, and took pictures of my belly. I showed them to Dale and couldn't believe how completely round it looked. He said that's why he's always saying it looks fake, like I strapped on a fake belly at Motherhood Maternity or something, because from the back I look completely normal. That would explain the "Oh, congratulations" sort of comments I seem to get a lot in public.
In any matter, I'm going to miss my little belly when its gone. I now only have less than 5 days with her so close, and my pregnancy cuteness will be all over. Bitter Sweet.

I'm getting Induced..... again

My babies must like being well done. I had my 40 week OB appointment on Monday. I'm doing great, but just like before, I've been scheduled to be induced a week late, if nothing happens before then. So I expect to have a baby by March 22nd or 23rd.

Girlying It Up!

My lampshade I made to coordinate the "Rose Cottage" fabric Dale made her quilt out of and other crib coordinates my mom is making. When she has a room, it'll be very cute.
I get to use the lamp sooner though.
Hopefully next week when I wake up to feed a baby.

I've begun Bowing, thanks to my fabulous friends and our "Bow nights" that usually last till midnight. In the two hours I learned to make them, I managed to complete 1, the yellow, white & green one. Thankfully Julie had me over to her house and whipped out the others for me. I completed her little white headband with sheer pink roses and bows to match her outfit for the hospital.
I always learn such wonderful things from my friends.
Can I just take them with me if I go?

"Arizonan beats Texans with Chili" - Feb. 26

[Although it was CREATED in Texas, and could still be considered Texas chili]

- Dale had been working on a recipe all of his own since August. By November, his critic (guess who), had nothing but "It's Good!" to say, and CHILI #5 had been born.
- We tried it out on the missionaries, and deemed it worthy of entry in the Ward Chili Cook Off.
- Despite me being in charge of compiling it while Dale was at work, and fearing I would cause his downfall, Dale's chili was the first to be gone and successful in winning the
1st Place blue ribbon. Yay!!Gavin is such a cool dancer. His moves could teach a teenager a thing or two, and I want to record every minute.

Gavin adorning the centerpiece (without the flowers in it) that Dale got to take home with his 1st place ribbon. We are so proud.

Baby Shower - Feb. 20

37 wks, +23.5 lbs, 37" around.










Thanks to Kelly who hosted and all my wonderful friends who came to my Girly Baby Shower. I loved the pink, the strawberries, and the little girl clothes that were just as cute and sweet.

I actually tasted the baby food, all for Kelly. I couldn't believe it, and I failed miserably at guessing. But, I got great advise about little girls, and such wonderful encouragement. I'm now so excited to have little girl clothes hanging in the closet. I feel so loved.

Love, Love, lovelovelovelove

I made these cute hearts of us and put them as our background Valentines weekend as a fun surprise when Dale got on the computer. I still have one up. I'm so proud of my creativity. And this year, Dale's the one that got Godiva chocolates.

So Dale never ceases to amaze me. I never expect anything specific on Valentine's Day because he's always doing different things. This year Vday came early due to a mail delivered "refrigeration required" package. As you can see, I was a little hasty to sample, so I quickly took a picture while I could when Dale was at a meeting. I shared the rest later with Dale and Gavin. Yes, they were really yummy.

Gavin + Mommy's Day of Fun - Feb.9

Tuesday was FREE Breakfast at Denny's, and since I'm all about free, and inside when it's freezing cold, I thought we'd venture out of the house. So we enjoyed a great breakfast at the restaurant, just the two of us. That was fun.
And since it was 40 degrees with wind, and we hadn't been out to play for a few days, we went to the playplace at the mall.

We went to Godiva and got Daddy's Valentines present, and my free monthly gift. Gavin was happy too because I shared "Mommy's expensive chocolates" with him, as he calls them.
Gavin is very good at jumping from the log to the mushrooms, and he learned to climb up and in to the big tree stumps there, just like he always sees the big kids do. He finally learned to do it himself, and was so happy.

He even got a hold of the camera and got me and my belly on the bench (missed my head a bit), and went down the row of candy machines and took a picture of almost everyone. You can tell what he likes when you flip through ________________________ the pictures on the camera.
So few days left of just me and him. I'm trying to make the most of it, and enjoy every minute.

34 1/2 wks, Feb 1

another Gavin photography photo. He's learned the focus feature, so pictures come out much more clear more often now.
I'm 36" around, have gained 22lbs total and am 34cm curvature. (2lbs away from when i delivered Gavin, and 1cm shy). I still don't feel very big, and I like this little belly. She can stay in as long as she'd like, as long as it's not till April.

Today, Fri. Feb. 4th, I'm actually 35 wks, according to how she's been measuring all along, and I just wrote on facebook that I was thinking this morning that I'm now on an "expected shipment time" where my baby should arrive in 4-6 wks. 5wks from tomorrow would be perfect, when Dale starts his spring break. We'll see.

And this is Gavin on Wed., helping to organize Walmart. The next row you don't see was red and green race cars. I wonder where he gets this from! [Dale & I both, really]. He makes me smile ; )