See my cute belly button??

On Tuesday, Evalee finally lost that umbilical cord! We are so excited we don't have to worry about it anymore! (And Daddy is excited that she doesn't have a crazy looking belly button as well).

Savoring the quiet moments...

As most can see, I haven't been able to blog much since Eva has been born. We spend most of our days singing and bouncing up and down the halls of our house, as she is going through a bit of an adjustment period during these last couple weeks. It has been truly frustrating and challenging for me, both as a mother and a person, to have such an upset baby on my hands for sometimes 8 or 9 hours at a time. We have discovered a few things that help her calm down -- singing (but only certain songs, a couple of the Jack Johnson variety and then the classic Too Ra Loo Ra Ral that my own mother spent countless hours singing to me), bouncing upright, and being in the car seat. So, I have tried to look at this optimistically, as her love for her car seat has forced me to take 2-4 walks with the stroller a day, averaging about 1.5-2 miles of walking each day. Today is the first day we can't take a walk all week, as the wind is blowing pretty ferociously. So, as the amount of sleep I get each night fluctuates, so does my confidence that things are going well. Being a mother is truly much harder (but more amazing) than I ever could imagine or prepare for.
It has been a challenge on a personal level because I have had to make a mental adjustment to what it means to have a "productive" day. For the first few days alone I was really frustrated by literally not having two minutes to get any of the basic things I did each day done (meals, phone calls, etc.) Now, if I can wash AND dry a load of laundry, get my contacts in and out, fit a shower in, and eat two meals and still have a happy baby at the end of the day, I'm content.
But each day is getting easier and I am doing my best to breath it all in and savor the quiet moments.
Here a few of those very same moments captured...

Visitors galore!

We have had lots and lots of visitors come meet Eva, both at the hospital and at home. In fact, there haven't been many days where we haven't had at least one person drop by to see the little munchkin!

One week old and our first trip to the doctor

Before we knew it, Eva was one week old and ready to go visit the pediatrician. I was a little nervous about taking her out in public for the first time to anywhere for more than 20 minutes or so and the appointment had to be made while Daddy was at work, so Grandma came with us. We made a quick stop into Target for a few items (her first of many trips to one of Mommy's favorite places!) and then it was off to the doctor. We were so thrilled and relieved when we found out she had gained an entire pound since she left the hospital -- up to 7 lbs 2 oz! We got a lot of questions answered and left feeling pretty good, so we decided to take her to WQAD so Daddy could show her off at work. She was beign so good we pressed our luck and went to Babies R Us to get a few things I didn't realize I would need several duplicates of such as boppy covers (2? what was I thinking?!) and changing pad covers (again - 2?? Sometimes they're both dirty in an hour's time!). We made it all the way home without any major meltdowns or catastrophes!

First Outing and Mommy's birthday

Our first outing once we got home from the hospital was the following Monday, Mommy's birthday. We were all feeling pretty good and well rested after a nice night of sleep, so we ventured out to visit Mommy's work at OHS and to visit the bank. Eva did so well -- she slept the whole time!

She's here!

Evalee Ann Kershaw born April 8 at 1:56 p.m. She weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and was 19.5 inches long. The last week has been a crazy ride, and hopefully I'll be able to post some new pics and info soon!

The big red circle day

Today is that day we've been counting down to for the last nine months: April 5, the due date. We went in to see Dr. Maurus this morning and after the usuals (normal blood pressure, 18 pounds weight gain, nice strong heart beat at 150 bpm) he checked to see if we have made any progress. After the experience, I must say I'm a little more pleased he decided to wait until today to check because it was just a tad bit "uncomfortable" (I'm sure Travis would tell you my face said otherwise). He said the baby was a nice ways into the pelvis, we had started effacing a nice amount, but not much dilation yet at this point. He also stripped my membranes a bit, which is supposed to help things along. He said he is confident that labor will start naturally, which was nice to hear, and he expects that I will go this week. If I don't, I have an appointment to see him again on Friday and a non-stress test set up for Monday at labor and delivery (what every girl wants to do on her birthday, right? :) ). Ever since the appointment, I have definitely been feeling more pressure and muscle soreness. So hopefully things will start moving in the next couple days!

Not your typical spring break

Well, we're just about 3 days away from the due date and we still have no baby. I know it's common for people to go over with their first babies, but when there seem to be so many signs of an early baby over and over again I guess you just start believing it's going to happen! I'm honestly not getting bummed about it or letting it ruin these beautiful days we have been having. We have been getting phone calls, texts, emails, and facebook messages non-stop though, at least 8 a day I would say. It's very touching to see how excited our friends and family are about her arrival, but the repetitive "nope, still no baby" conversation starts to wear on you day after day.

I've kept busy this week giving the house a good thorough cleaning -- I don't think "nesting" as much as just realizing I probably won't have the time or energy to do it again for quite a bit coming up. I got a lot done Monday and Tuesday, but mom came over today and we really tackled the rest (she was pretty crucial in doing all the things I was avoiding out of necessity). I know we will be having lots of visitors after she's born, and I feel so much better knowing the house won't look like a disaster when they come.

I have noticed a shift in my energy and hormones this week. I've been a lot more edgy, weepy, and overly-excited about small things. I've also noticed that the smallest things -- like walking up and down the aisles at the grocery store -- are becoming a challenge. I feel like the longer I stand up, the more pressure builds on my bladder and pelvic floor.

So, I've decided to spend the next couple days attempting something new: scrapbooking. I'm not an artsy person and I have never been known for being visually-minded, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. I am not going to go too crazy, as I know you can end up spending hundreds of dollars pretty fast if you don't watch it. But I've put together some pictures and memories from the last nine months (including some blog entries!) and we will see what I can come up with!