Ella's First Christmas!

This Christmas we spent 4 nights in Atlanta. Half the time was spent with my parents and the other half was spent with Vinny's mom and stepdad. Our time went by quick and all the grandparents LOVED having Ella around. It is funny how once kids happen...THEY become the center of attention :)

We noticed really fast that traveling with a baby has its downfalls and can become quite stressful. We were glad to get back home when all the festivities were over. It took a few days to get Ella back on schedule!

Here are some pictures from our first Christmas with our little Ellabelle.

I Need a Break!

I have been back to work for almost 3 weeks and I feel I already need a break. I CANNOT WAIT for my two weeks off for Christmas. I am so excited for Ella's first Christmas...even though she is too little to remember any of it! :) We have so much planned and I am sure that it will fly by. We are leaving for Atlanta next week and will spend half of it with my parents and the other half with Vinny's mom and stepdad. This will be our first time traveling with Ella, so I am trying to prepare myself to "go with the flow." I know there will be TONS to pack and I am sure I will forget something. But, hey, that's what Walmart is for, right? I hope Ella stays on her schedule for the most part and sleeps well too. At least she will be with lots of people who won't mind holding her!! Vinny and I have already decided that next year we aren't going anywhere for the holidays. We will stay here and begin our Christmas traditions together in Birmingham. YOU HEAR THAT GRANDPARENTS!!! Haha! People will have to come to us :) Here is a sweet picture of Ella in one of her Christmas outfits. She is smiling and laughing so much these days!

Two Months Old

On December 6th, Ella turned 2 months old. She is growing fast and lots of new things happened this past month. Here are some highlights!

~ You talk to yourself and "coo" a lot.
~ You enjoy watching TV and sometimes it can distract you from eating.
~ Your eyes are changing from dark blue to a lighter blue.
~ You like to grab and pull on mommy's hair.
~ Your eyelashes are getting longer and darker.
~ You like to stick your tongue out.
~ You enjoy hanging out in your swing.
~ Your hair is getting longer and towards the end of the month will lay flat instead of sticking straight up :)
~ You are beginning to wear bows in your hair.
~ You LOVE bath time!
~ You do NOT like to be hot...you hate layered clothing. You are definitely your daddy's daughter.
~ You began smiling at 6-7 weeks.
~ Daddy can make you smile A LOT more than mommy. You love having your head rubbed.
~ You started sleeping through the might consistently at 7 weeks!!! Yippee!

At your 6 week check-up you had your first round of shots. You cried only when the needle poked you, but stopped right when Mommy picked you up.

At 6 Weeks:
Weight: 10.5 pounds (60th percentile)
Length: 22" (60th percentile)
Head Circumference: 14 1/2" (25th percentile)

I am thankful for...

Here are some things I am thankful for:

1. A safe and easy delivery of Ella.
2. A wonderful (and fairly easy) baby girl.
3. A patient and loving husband.
4. A great family.
5. A wonderful job that I love waking up and going to everyday. I work with the best colleagues and am blessed with a great group of students.
6. God's amazing grace and forgiveness.
7. God's provision over my family.
8. My church...I LOVE it!
9. My friends...I LOVE them!
10. A roof over my head.
11. A new car (well, new to me!)
12. Starbucks...mmm mmm good. Although Vinny says it is very overpriced!

There are so many things Vinny and I are thankful for. We do not take life for granted or the things God has blessed us with. There have been times in our marriage where we would have NEVER thought we would be where we are today spiritually, physically, mentally, or relationally. God has walked through some dark valleys with us. He has never left us and has always been right there to comfort and protect us.

We sang this song at church this morning. It has been a long time since we sang this song...I think the last time was over 4 years ago when we lived in Hilton Head.

What to say, Lord? It's
You who gave me life and I
Can't explain just how
Much You mean to me now
That You have saved me, Lord
I give all that I am to You
That everyday I could
Be a light that shines Your name

Everyday, Lord, I'll
Learn to stand upon Your word
And I pray that I
That I might come to know You more
That You would guide me in every single step I take, that
Everyday I can
Be Your light unto the world

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

This Thankgiving Vinny's dad and stepmom came to spend the holiday with us. We had some much fun with them and Ella enjoyed all the special attention. Thanks for watching her so we could have a date to the movies!! Here are a few pictures from their visit and of Ella's first Thanksgiving.

Fun at ONE MONTH!

Ella turned one month old on November 6th, so I am a little late in posting this. Oh well, better late than never! I want to post interesting and fun facts about her for each month, so here are some fun things to read about her first month "happenings."

- You follow voices with your eyes and focus on peoples’ faces.
- You can move your head from side to side.
- You can hold your head steady when held upright (for a little while).
- People always remark about how strong your head, arms, and legs are.
- You sometimes sleep with your arms stretched above your head.
- You love to have your hands up close to your face…sometimes you suck on them, especially when you are hungry.
- We love watching you smile when you are dreaming.
- You make jerky arm and leg movements that make us laugh.
- You love tummy time on mommy and daddy’s chest.
- You fart A LOT and you aren’t very discreet about it!
- Your umbilical cord fell off on October 24th…you were 18 days old.
- At your two week check-up you weighed 7.14 pounds and were 20 ½ inches long.
- By the end of the month you were eating 3-4 ounces per feeding, which was every 2-3 hours.
- By the end of the month you only wake mommy up one time a night for a feeding!

Halloween...a week late...

It has been awhile since we posted anything. Here are some pictures from Ella's first Halloween. We went over to the Benzes house. They were all dressed up, but I failed to get pictures of everyone! Zoe (10 years old) was dressed like Alice from Twilight, Addie (5 years old) was dressed like a ghost, Rachel (the mom) was dressed like she was back in the 80's, and Dave (the dad) had a shirt that read Dr. Acula...so I guess he was a vampire??? Vinny and I didn't dress up, but little Ella kind of did. She wore a onsie that said "I Love My Mummy." I couldn't find a costume that would fit her. Everything I found was still WAY TOO BIG. She is still wearing newborn size... Next year will be more fun! Ella will be just over a year old and then there will be PLENTY of little costumes to choose from. By then she will hopefully be walking!!

A close up of the outfit.

It looks like she is throwing gang signs in this picture!!

Family Picture!

Gas maybe??

I think that's gas.

A little Grabby!!

I think she likes that Rattle!

Sneeze

I love her little Sneezes!

What a Great Sleeper!

For those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE to sleep. I mean REALLY love to sleep! I am not a night owl and will usually be in bed by 9:00. So, when I was pregnant I had this fear that I would never be able to sleep again. Sleeping is one area that I like to be selfish about...just ask Vinny. He wakes up by 5:30 in the mornings (even on the weekends!) and I do NOT. If he accidently wakes me up, I am not happy. He knows to leave the room (with Dingo) and shut the door behind him. Haha! And he does a GREAT job not waking me up.

Since bringing Ella home from the hospital I have been nervous about getting an adequate amount of sleep. Well, God a has answered my prayers and given me a daughter who also loves to sleep! YAY! I hope this lasts!!!! :) Of course, I am waking up to feed her 2-3 times a night right now, but she goes right back to sleep after her feedings. She seems to be sleeping longer stretches and she is only 2 weeks old. This makes me so happy! I am able to go back to sleep and wake up with enough energy for the day. Occasionally I will take one nap, but not always.

Most people say Ella looks like her daddy, which is VERY true. But, being a good sleeper comes from me! (As do her long fingers!)

Grandma and Gramps Come to Visit

Vinny's mom and stepdad came to visit us for a few days. This was the first time they have seen Ella! Ella enjoyed cuddling and spending time with Grandma and Gramps. Here are some pictures from their visit!

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Yesterday, October 15th, was Vinny's dad's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mike. We were fortunate to have Mike drive in for the birth of Ella and stay a couple of days. Vinny was so excited to have his dad share this milestons with him. Unfortunately, pictures of Mike and Ella were only on Mike's camera, so we are just now getting the pictures to post. Better late than never! :)

Introducing...

Ella Michelle Chiaramonte

Ella’s stats:
October 6, 2009
3:41 p.m.
7 pounds 4 ounces
20 inches long

Ella’s Birth Story:
Disclaimer: This is a tad bit long! I began having contractions on Sunday, October 4th, but I was still able to go about my daily routine. That night they became stronger and closer together and kept me up most of the night. Monday morning I decided to try going to school and see how the day went. My contractions were 15 minutes apart and when they came, they would take my breath away. By this time I knew Ella would be arriving shortly. The rest of Monday and the evening that followed were pretty bad. My contractions were painful and even closer together. Tuesday morning, October 6th, I called my OBGYN office and told them my contractions were about 5-8 minutes apart. They wanted me to come to the office to get checked. When Vinny and I arrived at the office, they quickly took us back to an exam room and Dr. Radbill was there, which is my doctor. Low and behold I was 4cm!! Dr. Radbill said to go straight to the hospital and he would let them know we were arriving. I immediately started tearing up (in between contractions!) and knew it was “go time.” Those who know Vinny, will also know his eyes were not dry either! Dr. Radbill asked if he could pray for us and that was amazing! I will never forget the presence of God in that room as the doctor prayed for us as a family and for a safe and healthy delivery for Ella.

We got in the car and drove straight to Brookwood Medical Center, which was about 15 minutes away, although it seemed MUCH longer. I was in such extreme pain and couldn’t get comfortable. We arrived at the hospital around 10:00 a.m. and within 30 minutes I had my epidural. Dr. Adcock was the doctor on call and I was happy about that because I really liked him and had seen him many times during my pregnancy. Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that he is a UGA fan! Haha! When Dr. Adcock arrived in the delivery room, I was already 6 cm dilated. Then he prayed over us and the safe delivery of Ella. I LOVE my OGBYN practice because they have always been very open about their Faith. Here is a blurb from their website about their practice:


“We all feel called by God to the practice of medicine and in particular, the field of OB-GYN. Our work is not just a means of providing for our families, but a ministry and worship to God. We could not imagine practicing or living in any other manner. Our families are an important part of our lives. We, therefore, are available to them solely when our partners are on call. It is important to us that our priorities are maintained which therefore allows us to live that out. We meet weekly for bible study and prayer as a group and provide our staff with the opportunity to do the same each week. Our standard of care and excellence, in practice and in our life, must remain high which provides us the means to accomplishing that goal.”


Could it get much better than that?!

Okay, back to the delivery. I was definitely progressing fast and was sure glad the epidural had kicked in! My nurse, Candice, was fabulous and she was determined that we would have the baby by 5:00 because that is when her shift was over! J Sometime right before 3:00 I was 10 cm and I began to push. It was a strange feeling to think that Ella would be arriving any time. I think my body began to get nervous and anxious because it was all happening so fast. I couldn’t stop shaking. Thankfully, Vinny was with me and I made it through, as did Ella! Within 45 minutes Ella was ready to be born and the doctor was called in. Dr. Adcock BARELY had enough time to get in his scrubs and catch Ella on her way into the world. It was actually kind of entertaining watching Dr. Adcock’s reaction as he quickly reached his hands in time to help with the delivery. Everything seemed to happen very fast and all of a sudden Ella was on my chest wiggling around. My immediate thoughts were:


1. Wow, she has a lot of hair!
2. She has all her fingers and toes!
3. Who does she look like? (So far, most people think she looks more like Vinny.)

It was amazing to think she was finally here, but also like an out of body experience. It took me several days for reality to set in that I was a mother and this little girl was my daughter, our daughter. Vinny and I are responsible for this blessing from our Creator.

30 minutes after Ella was born my parents arrived from Atlanta. It was perfect timing because they were allowed into the delivery room and watch as the nurses cleaned up Ella and did all their exams on her. We were all able to watch her get her hair washed and bathed before passing her around to get a good look at her.

I was very blessed to have a great delivery that went so fast. From the time we were admitted in the hospital to the time of her delivery was about 4 hours and 45 minutes. The doctors said that was most likely due to the fact that I did most of my early active labor at home (and at school on Monday).

Side note: A woman in the room next to me also was delivering at the exact same time and Dr. Adcock was supposed to be there too. Right after he delivered Ella at 3:41 he rushed next door to deliver another baby at 3:45. He was back and forth for a little while and said, “I had a feeling this would happen!” Needless to say, he went through quite a few scrub outfits in a short period of time!

Vinny’s Thoughts:
Ella Michelle Chiaramonte is here! As you can image this first week has been a bit indescribable. So, here is my feeble attempt to describe the process of my musings and emotions.

There has been a rush of feelings and reflection. Inadequacy, joy, anxiety, responsibility, and wonder continue to cycle through my emotions and in my thoughts. Mostly, I would say wonder. Wonder at the miracle of birth and the design of God’s Creation. Wonder that God would trust us with His creation, this marvel of life . . . trust us . . . ?

. . . Here comes that sense of Responsibility!!
We have the honor of raising this child and it is our responsibility to teach her right from wrong, to show her the love of Jesus, and to demonstrate how we honor Him in our life. While diligently praying that some day she makes her own decision to honor Christ with her life . . .

. . . Great, now feelings of inadequacy & anxiety - It is truly a rollercoaster of perception!!
Relying not on our own strength alone, but on our faith and each other, we know we are up for the challenge, little Ella Michelle will surely be! Keeping in mind . . . Paul’s advice from the book of Philippians in Chapter 4 Verse 6 & 7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7

Then of course there is Joy! She’s a cute little baby girl, how can there not be Joy!

Keep us in your prayers!

Meaning Behind The Name

Vinny and I quickly learned that naming our child was not as easy as we thought and it took a long time to find a name we BOTH liked. We were looking for a first name that was either one or two syllables since our last name is a mouthful. (I feel bad that she has to learn how to spell Chiaramonte!) We both loved the name Ella and began to search the meaning of the name. Depending on what orgin you look at, Ella means "young girl" "beautiful woman" "torch; bright light." From the very beginning of my pregnancy we knew that Michelle would be her middle name for two reasons: it is my middle name and it is also the female version of Vinny's dad's name, Michael. The name Michelle means "who is like God." Our desire is that Ella will become a "beautiful girl who is like God" and "a bright light who is like God." We want her to know the meaning of her name at a young age and to help guide and direct her towards our Creator.

So, that is the meaning behind her name!!

Arrrgghhh!

The ninth month of pregnancy is NOT FUN AT ALL...
I thought I had it so easy until this month....

Ella's Baby Shower

This past weekend some of my friends threw me a WONDERFUL baby shower. There was a mixture of people there including friends in Pelham, friends from college, former parents and students, and my mom. It was a fun Saturday afternoon with great food and AWESOME gifts. I sure racked up on many adorable items. I received outfits for baby Ella, monogrammed bibs and burp cloths, diapers, blankets, and other essential items. I was very blessed and it was fun getting together with people I don't get to see very often. I can't believe that Ella's due date is about 6 weeks away. Time is flying by and I feel like I still have so much to do to get ready for her!!! :) Here are a few pictures from the shower. Thanks, Meg, for taking them!

Sick With the Flu

I haven't been feeling well, so I went to the doctor last night and was diagnosed with Type A influenza, which could mean I might have the H1N1 virus. What a bummer...It takes 12 days for the lab to confirm or deny if I have the H1N1 virus, but my doctors are treating me as if I do have it.

I will have to say that I LOVE my doctors! Everyone at the doctor's office were being so diligent in making the right medical decisions and checking the baby. They prescribed me Tamiflu for now and I can take certain over the counter medications for my symptoms. They told me that if my fever every reached past 101 I would have to be admitted to the hospital to be monitored since I am 33 weeks pregnant.

Last night was rough, but my temperature never went past 100.5. Praise God! I have been fever free for about 10 hours, so hopefully that part is over. The flu like symptoms have only increased with LOTS of body aching, head congestion, extreme soar throat, etc.

Please pray for my health and for baby Ella. My doctors have said I need to take a week off of school to rest...which means this will cut into my maternity leave days. I keep telling myself that I don't need to push myself, but I hate using my sick days now!! :)

10 Year High School Reunion

Vinny and I went to my 10 year high school reunion in Atlanta last weekend. It was fun seeing old friends and reminiscing about past memories. There was so much laughter! I can't believe it has been 10 years since I graduated because it seems like just yesterday. Time sure flies by...

30 Weeks

I am 30 weeks along and time seems to be going slower than it did at the beginning and middle of my pregnancy. I definitely feel bigger and am having those dreaded back pains I have heard other people complain about. Overall, I feel very blessed that I have had an easy pregnancy compared to many of my friends. Let's hope it continues!

I feel less stressed than I did a couple weeks ago. Vinny and I have gotten a lot done around the house and "Baby E's" room is coming together. I am having a lady monogram onsies and burp clothes with her name and initials, which is making it even more realistic for us. Having a name makes it so much more personal and "real."

Baby Girl's Name

We have finally made a decision on Baby Girl's name. We are still keeping it a secret, but thought we would share her initials with you! When she arrives we will share more about her name and why we chose it.

E C M

To make it even more interesting we want all of you to guess the name. If anyone gets it right we will give you a small prize. We don't know what the prize is yet, but we will let you know. If you do not have a "blogger ID" you can still make a guess. Click on the comment section and check the "anonymous" option. When you type your guess make sure you type YOUR NAME too, so we know who it came from.

Happy guessing!

Baby Girl's Room

The nursery isn't ready yet, but we are getting a lot done these days! Vinny has almost finished painting the room and the furniture came in a few days ago. Here are some pictures of the crib and dresser/changer combo. Of course, we still need to decorate the walls, but it is nice having this much done so far. It helps knowing that things are getting "checked off" the never ending to-do list!! :)

Baby Shower in Atlanta

Two of my friends hosted a shower for me in Atlanta ... Amanda, a college friend, and Christina, a high school friend. Everything was absolutely amazing and beautiful. I had so much fun and miss hanging out with all my "old friends." It was great catching up and having everyone together again. I sure wish we all lived closer to one another!! Thank you for all the GREAT gifts!

A Bit Overwhelmed

I have 12 weeks left until my due date and I am just now realizing that I have A LOT still left to do. People have said that I would get in the "nesting" stage during the 2nd trimester, but that didn't happen to me. Instead I am beginning my 3rd trimester and JUST NOW "nesting." I guess it is normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, right?! Thoughts about my "to do list" are always flooding my mind...even in my dreams. The list grows and grows and grows!! These feelings are about 2 different areas in my life. Baby and School.

We are trying to prepare the nursery and I am finding myself being very indecisive. Those of you that know me well, know that I can make decisions really quick. But not anymore. I keep changing my mind about paint colors, where the baby furniture should go, etc. It is ridiculous! :)

I am also thinking of school because I will be taking a 6-8 week maternity leave. Trying to think WAY AHEAD in lesson plans can be difficult, but it has to be done.

I guess everything will come together eventually!!! On a positive note, we are starting to really hammer down Baby Girl's name. It will be a relief when we have that picked out!!

So, when you have a kid are you supposed to start a blog?!?!

Well, we caved into the blogging world. There were several reasons we chose to become “bloggers.” (However, we are not true bloggers until 6 months of consistency… haha!)

~ One reason for our family blog is to share our life journey with family and friends. Hopefully this will be a place for us to be authentic and open about our life story and our ongoing journey.
~ None of our family lives near us, so this is a way to stay connected.
~ We are welcoming our first child soon and this gives us a way to share updates and pictures.
~ And finally, we wanted to be “cool” like everyone else!! :)

On the right side of the blog you will notice our family vision statement, family verse, and family mission statement. Awhile back we attended a Family Vision Weekend, hosted by our friends Richard and Leslie Mitchell. It was an awesome weekend where couples were empowered to lay the foundation for their families for future generations. Here is a quote about the workshop we attended: “The Family Vision Workshop is a motivating, fun, practical, step by step process in which each family creates their own unique Family Vision and Mission statement along with a variety of tools on how to implement it in their daily lives.” It took Vinny and I several weekends to develop our vision and statement, but we know that it will be well worth it, especially now that we are starting a family.

As this blog develops, we will share how we have learned from our life experiences and how it has made us stronger both individually and in our marriage.