Merry Christmas!

It was a week of firsts for lil' miss Chloe. She went on her first road trip. She stayed at her first hotel. She met more family members for the first time. And it was her first Christmas!! OMG!

We spent the week of Christmas in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Brad's grandparents got a timeshare for the whole family and it was really, really nice. There we ate, drank, played games, opened gifts, shopped, ate some more and just had a really great time visiting with the family.

I have added some pictures of the lil' one to the slideshow. She is getting a bit less cooperative for her Mommy who still wants to take a gazillion pictures of her. She likes to cry or close her eyes when I want her to be a super model, which results in a few less pictures. But, thats okay.

She is growing so fast! She has lept out of her newborn size diapers and into number 1's. She is pretty much out of her newborn size clothes and into 0-3 months. Frown. And a smile because she is also a bit calmer throughout the day and at that midnight until 2am time frame. She is now able to drift off to sleep with more ease...which is wonderful progress for her Daddy and I. She enjoys her baths for the most part, which I enjoy giving her - so relaxing. She also coos and oohs quite loudly now and we swear she has a 'friend' named Innga.

Next we have New Years! I imagine that Brad, Chloe and I will be bringing in the new year pretty low key - probably on the couch watching the ball drop! Our baby will be 8 weeks old on January 2nd. Hard to believe......

Preparing for the Holidays

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. And that Chloe is 6 weeks old today! C-R-A-Z-Y!!

We will be getting ready for the holidays this weekend. We are looking foward to some time out of the 'city' and introducing the lil one to more of her family and visiting with everyone. What we are not so sure about is the 8-10 hour drive to Tennesse. We may split it up into two days just to be cautious. It's all new territory to us. Should be exciting!

Chloe had a sick-baby visit on Thursday (frown). She is a-okay, she just has a granuloma (in her belly button). But, during the dreadful 2.5 hour visit at the doctors office, I got to weigh her. She is now 9lbs 12oz!!! OMG! So, we know she is getting enough milk. Little piglet!

There will be no exchange of gifts this year in this little family. Chloe is too little to want anything, and has everything she could possibly need. And Brad and I have everything we could need or want - Chloe.

I will be sure to take lots of picture over Christmas. I have added the picture slideshow to the bottom of the blog for future reference. Probably won't write anymore until after the holiday.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

"I'm Yours"

Chloe is 5 weeks old already! Time is simply flying by us. She is changing day by day, minute by minute, actually. She enjoys eating, sleeping, pooing and crying! A swing is on order and in the meantime I have put her Daddy to work! Dancing!! And, what a sight it is...so adorable. Brad even ran through the Kidz Choice songs on the music tv stations, but has managed to find Chloe her very own song - "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. She loves it! We love the silence. I picked up on how much she enjoys music, mostly R&B style songs (think Beyonce, Rihanna, TI), while out shopping with her Nana Banana.

She is more alert, staying awake for several hours at a time now. She really loves sitting up (holding her own head up I might add) surveying the world, or condo, around her. Her bedtime is usually at the 2am hour...but, who's counting? Between the crying, eating, and pooing - we also got a smile, a silent laugh and some oohs and aahhs this week. And, that's what makes it all worthwhile!

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Check out the slideshow with a few updates!

http://picasaweb.google.com/babychloekell/BabyChloeKell?authkey=WhceIACX8z4#slideshow

Slideshow Update

MORE PICS!! http://picasaweb.google.com/babychloekell/BabyChloeKell?authkey=WhceIACX8z4#slideshow

Chloe is One Month Old!!

It's hard to believe that lil Chloe is one month old today!!! We must be doing somthing right...we have all survived the first month!

Although more fussy than previous reports, she still makes it all pretty easy. She has started to take a real liking to crying for several hours at a time. But, I suppose thats just part of being a baby, right? Even if she cried 24-hours a day, she would still be perfect and precious in our eyes.

And, lets face it, this past month has been pretty crazy for a lil girl! She was exported from her Mommy's tummy, whereby she was quite comfy, without any warning or notice. She was met by a room full of strange doctors and nurses, who would be poking and proding her for the next 4 days. Shortly after that she is introduced to the two people who are due to take care of her for the rest of her life (who, by the way, have no idea what they are doing!). This is followed by meeting most of her immediate family and family friends, who come and go, each holding and loving her along the way. In the mix there is Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Then drastically............it's all over. No more family visiting, no more holidays - just her Mommy, her Daddy and her. All thats enough to send anybody into a tailspin!

Next on the agenda is Christmas. Til then there will be numerous phone calls and video messaging with Gradma Crystal, Grandpa Fred, Nana Alana, GrandPapa Allan, Auntie Andie, Uncle Mitch, Uncle Joe and Auntie Sammy and some visits with the locals, Aunt Connie and Uncle Ed. And lots of pictures and blogging to keep everyone one updated!

First Black Friday

Chloe is a Skinner-Kell baby girl so its no wonder she loves shopping already! The girls went shopping and the boys stayed home. We journeyed to Tysons mall for her very first Black Friday experience, and what a day it was. She was a real tropper for the whole afternoon there. She just kind of slept through it. I am sure next year won't be quite as easy (we might just skip the festivities altogether!).

Now Thanksgiving is all over...on to Christmas in Tennessee!

Slideshow has been updated with some more pics. Check it out! http://picasaweb.google.com/babychloekell/BabyChloeKell?authkey=WhceIACX8z4#slideshow

It's Turkey Day!

Chloe's first Thanksgiving was spent with lots of family - the way it should be! We had my mom still visiting and the Kells' (thats Gradma Crystal, FredPa, Auntie Andie, Uncle Mitch and Uncle Joe) drove in for the holidays. We went to Aunt Connie and Uncle Ed's for the festivities. We had turkey and all the trimings and lots of family time and laughs. It was really a wonderful day.

Needless to say, Brad and I have so much to be grateful for this year but most notably is the healthy arrival of our beautiful baby girl.

SLIDESHOW

Check out some pictures of Chloe during her first few weeks of life.

http://picasaweb.google.com/babychloekell/BabyChloeKell?authkey=WhceIACX8z4#slideshow

Check-Up Time

Chloe went to her second well-baby check-up yesterday. She was a really good baby for the nurse and doctor. She is doing just great according to them and their growth charts. We have confirmed that she is getting enough food as she has exceeded her birth weight at this time. Little piglet!

At 19 days she weighs 7lbs 13.5oz and is nearly 21 inches. She is in the 25th percentile for both her weight and head circumference and the 50th percentile for length. She will be visiting them next in the new year for her first round of shots. Fun times ahead I am sure!

I asked the doctor about her frequent feedings and increased fussiness that we had observed over the last 3-4 days and she did confirm that babies go through a little growth spurt at about 2-3 weeks and it should smooth out in the next few weeks. So, that was comforting to know. It's not us, it's her! But, even with that, she is still a delightful little girl.

First Two Weeks at Home

The Two-Week-Chloe-Trial-Period is officially now over - she can't be returned! Not that we would ever dream of doing such a thing...

We have been home for two weeks tonight. It has been a pretty exciting time for all of us. We had Brad's family in for the first week, followed by a few days on our own and then my Mom arrived and will be staying for two weeks. Aunt Connie and Uncle Ed are also near and dear and have made frequent visits. Having the help has been terrific!

Brad has gone back to work and I am still on maternity leave. We continue on this journey, taking one day at a time adjusting to parenthood. Every day is different. We don't have much of a schedule, we just go with the flow...the baby's the new boss in town! I am Boss Lady, she is Boss Baby. She always wins! Brad is wondering what his title is...

Chloe is a pretty easy baby so far, or so I have been told. She sleeps for long stretches of time and feeds often when she is awake. She has just started to fuss a bit more these last few days, but nothing unmanageable. She has changed SO much in these last two weeks. Her little hands and feet have filled out, she no longer feels like she may break with every movement, her eyes are now open often inspecting the world around her and she is still as beautiful as ever.

Welcome Baby Chloe!

Chloe Alexis Rose Kell was born at 1:04pm on Friday, November 7th via c-section. She weighed 7lbs 7.7oz and was 21inches in length. We were discharged from the hospital on Monday, November 10th at 8pm and the journey of parenthood officially began.

Chloe is a delightful baby at nearly a week a old already! She sleeps and nurses fantastically. She does not fuss too much at all. She loves to be held - which is no problem with us! Life as new parents is going pretty great. All those child education classes, lactation consultatations and the welcomed advice from loved ones are coming in mighty handy at the moment. That along with the parenting instincts you never knew you had.

Love is in abundance and sleep is semi-absent in this home, but every sleepless second is well worth it. We love her more than we ever thought was humanly possible. We can't wait to watch her grow - hopefully not too quickly!

38 Weeks And Counting...

Thirteen days and counting till our official due date...........

What a whirlwind this pregnancy has been, especially over the past week or so.

For the most part, this has been a pretty easy pregnancy. I have enjoyed every moment of it - every appointment, every flutter, every class, every kick, every non-stress test and every ultrasound exam. Not so much have I enjoyed the heartburn, the sleepless nights or this pain up my backside. But, those are small prices to pay compared to bringing a beautiful and healthy baby into this world. Which is what we plan on doing!

As many of you know, the only real complication we have had so far is finding out that Baby Kell has whats known as Single Umbilical Artery (or Two Vessel Cord) at our 19 week sonogram. That was a bit heart wrenching, but, all has turned out just fine so far. Because of this, I have been going in for Non-Stress Tests twice weekly for the past few weeks to monitor her heart rate and movement. And she has been doing fantastic, so no worries there!

The most recent dilema has been my amniotic fluid level. My fluid level has been dropping lower than they would like. The baby is full term now at 38 weeks, and because the fluids are pretty low, we may be induced sometime over the next week or so. Needless to say, I turned into a mad pregnant woman on Monday when I found out. Cleaning the house and wrapping up some work obligations in anticipation that I would have been induced on Tuesday, which was a possibility. So, we are playing the waiting game now and just following doctor's orders.

We are very anxious. Brad is ready for her to arrive, and I am willing to wait a bit longer. The thought of labor still scares me a little bit. He just wants to meet her and hold her...and so do I, but, I remind him about the diapers, feedings and lack of sleep...and he still instists she make her debut sooner rather than later.

Any bets on when she will arrive?