Corbyn's First Christmas!

We had an amazing first Christmas with Corbyn this year! Santa really treated her right! Matt and I made some fun memories with our little girl and will continue some of our family traditions with her over the years to come. After Skyping with the Corbins in Arkansas, we joined the Smiths for a delicious brunch and gift exchange. Corbyn will definitely cherish the many special gifts she received on her first Christmas, as will Matt and I. We are having so much fun with our little girl..she is just growing up way too fast already!!!! She's still such a good sleeper and enjoys music, dancing, baths and car rides. She also loves to visit new places and meet new people, although we're still keeping her close to home and familiar people during this cold, flu season. Although they have been cancelled over the holiday season, we enjoy our weekly stroller walks down to the square for the Mothering Together group on Tuesdays and Mother Goose on the Loose program on Thursdays. Gets us out and about and I love meeting new moms and babies in the neighborhood.

Corbyn's First Snow!

Corbyn's first snow was quite a big one...24-30"...wow! We had a fun day snuggling up inside as a family for the day. We visited with family in Arkansas via Skype, baked cookies, and watched movies and football! Fun memories. Matt has been busy shoveling, as he is preparing to brave the weather to attend the Ravens game. Couldn't pay me to go in this weather! Josie enjoys the snow for a few minutes but then gets too cold and wants back inside.

Random Pics

I'm loving my new Moby wrap, as is Corbyn! It's great...she's happy and cozy, and I can get things done during her naps! She loves to be held and will only nap for about 15 minutes if I put her down somewhere during the day. She still sleeps fairly well at night, though, which is a blessing. Josie and Corbyn continue to enjoy their snuggle times....I think Josie feels a little left out when we use the Moby! I took Corbyn out all by myself today for the first time! We met Kallie and Rachel for a brief shopping outing! It went well, although I don't think I could've done it without their help once we all met up.

Corbyn Updates

Corbyn and Josie are best buds these days! They love to snuggle! Matt and I went out for the first time since Corbyn's birth...so soon, I know! We went to an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party at BJ's and Natalie's while Kallie babysat Corbyn. So fun, although we missed our little girl! Fran is going to babysit this Saturday while Matt and I go Christmas shopping. I have been going to weekly New Mom's group on the square with my neighbor, Kristen, the past few weeks. Corbyn and I have enjoyed meeting new moms and babies. We went to our first Mother Goose on the Loose baby storytime at the Canton library today; however, we didn't know that today was a special celebration for Hanakuh! We both learned a lot about the Jewish religion! Corbyn is still sleeping well at night...4-5 hour stretches. She seems to have some tummy trouble with feeds and gets quite gassy lately. That's about the only time she gets fussy. She loves being held and has enjoyed the new Moby wrap that I just purchased after a recent babywearing workshop. Corbyn is focusing on faces and objects more now...I can't wait until she starts smiling back!

Corbyn's Photo Session Pictures

Corbyn's recent photo session pictures are up on-line through Monday 12/7...go to the following site to check out the pictures. Absolutely adorable--it will be hard to pick what to order!

http://blairblanks.com/proofs2009/corbyn

And the winner is......

I forgot to officially announce the winner of our family contest guessing Corbyn's date of birth and size. While no one guessed the exact date of birth (although Chad initially picked 11/13, but changed his guess after realizing it was Friday the 13th!), Ganny was almost exact with her guess of 7lb 8oz and 19 inches.....Corbyn was 7lb 8oz and 19.3 inches! Wow...congratulations Ganny! :)

Thanks Ganny and Pappy!

Mom and dad left yesterday to return home to Arkansas. I can't begin to thank them enough for all that they did to help us during the difficult delivery and exciting welcoming of Corbyn into our lives. They allowed me to recover while taking care of Josie, Corbyn, and our house! I will miss them terribly, as will Matt, Corbyn and Josie! Hopefully they will be back to visit again soon! Thanks so much mom and dad...I love you!

Corbyn's 1st Week

We are so in love with our little girl! Corbyn is so calm and content and amazingly easy to care for so far! She generally has just one middle of the night feed..not bad for a newborn. Matt has been doing the night feeds since it has been difficult for me to move in and out of bed, but he returns to work tomorrow, so I will take over that job. Everything went well at her first pediatrician appointment last week...already starting to return to her birth weight. Corbyn had her first photo shoot today and the photographer was impressed at how "easy" she was to work with. I can't wait to share some of those pictures...absolutely adorable! I am recovering well and am able to move around more comfortably each day. Just a week ago I didn't think I'd ever be able to walk again, but I'm slowly starting to feel like a normal person as each day passes. I had my staples removed on Friday and now feel less irritated. I still fatigue easily due to my significant blood loss during the C-section and am still quite swollen, but again, each day is better than the last. My parents are still in town and have been amazingly supportive and helpful during my recovery and in Corbyn's transition to her new home. I don't know what we would do without them! I will miss them terribly when they go back to Arkansas! They plan on staying here through Thanksgiving, as we are having a small family gathering at Matt's parents house. Josie is adapting well and is very gentle with her new sister. She is more cuddly than ever now, though!

Corbyn Paige Smith 11/13/09

Welcome home Corbyn Paige! After a long, exhausting, and traumatizing delivery, Corbyn was born on Friday night, 11/13/09, at 8:20pm via C-section (after 47 hours of labor!). She weighed 7lbs, 8oz and was 19.3" long. She is just beautiful and as healthy as can be. Her appearance changes daily but we think that she's the perfect combination of Matt and me! Corbyn came home on Tuesday, 11/17/09, and has since gotten to meet so many family members. The hospital had visitor restrictions during this flu season so only my mom and Matt's mom were allowed to visit and meet Corbyn during our hospital stay. Josie has been quite curious but very gentle with her new sister. Matt is an amazing father and does so much to take care of Corbyn, me and Josie. I am feeling better each day and can't wait to be back to "normal". I will keep updating pictures, as time allows of course :)

Almost time for Corbyn's Arrival!

Counting down the days...and getting quite sore, swollen, and uncomfortable! I am so anxious to meet Corbyn and to see what she looks like..I can't wait! Just a few more days! I go back to the OB on Monday, and if Corbyn isn't here yet, we will set a date to induce. I hope she comes on her own, but am not worried about being induced. Mom and dad are here now, and we have been quite busy running errands and putting together baby things. Josie has sure enjoyed all of the company!

37-38 weeks

Getting bigger by the day I think...and getting more tired, sore and uncomfortable! But still loving this pregnancy! Have to continue my weekly hospital appts for heart monitoring, but it's only for a few more weeks. Only 1 more week left of work before Corbyn's arrival! I can't believe it! She is still moving all the time and seems to be trying to stretch out more, but there's just no room! I took Josie for her annual vet check-up this past week and we both got a little "lecture" for her weight gain...somebody around here has to gain some sympathy weight!! Matt has lost about as much weight as I've gained..just not right!

36-37 weeks

Wow...I can't believe it's almost time for Corbyn's arrival! I think we're all ready for her! Matt and I go to an all-day Childbirth class tomorrow. Should be interesting! We went for a growth scan at the hospital this past Monday. She looks BIG and healthy! 811st percentile for overall growth..with a "nice big head"...ouch! Her heart has sounded regular these last few visits, but according to my OB, her history still makes it more likely that I will have a C-section. She said that it is hard to monitor the baby's heart throughout the delivery, so if they hear any irregular beats when I go into labor, they will go ahead and schedule a C-section. Anything to keep Corbyn safe and healthy! She moves all the time, and Matt and I enjoy watching these amazing movements. My last day at work will be October 30..just two more weeks! Hopefully she won't come until close to her due date (11/11/09) so that I have a few days to relax and finish preparing for her arrival. Mom and dad are coming up the beginning of November so that they can be here for the big day! Can't wait! Should be a few more posts before introducing Corbyn...but we'll see!

35 weeks!

Now I"m almost 35 weeks pregnant! Matt and I just went out to dinner with some great friends for my birthday! I had a fabulous day and can't wait to celebrate Corbyn's birthday soon!
As for an update.... I am still going to weekly dr. appts to monitor Corbyn's heart...just twice a week now, though, instead of three times. I am having more backaches at night and heartburn/reflux after meals. It's getting harder to sleep so I'm more tired now during the day....but it's all worth it!!!! I can't believe it's only about a month away--wow. We have several classes scheduled for this month to get us prepared, including a breastfeeding class, baby basics class, and childbirth class. We should be all prepared for Corbyn's arrival!

Josie Girl

Josie's favorite dog walkers are always taking her on long walks and runs, and they send me pictures along the way! So nice of them! Josie is so spoiled!

Patrick and Libby's Wedding

We all had a fabulous time at Libby and Patrick's wedding in DC! So fun to celebrate with such amazing people! Wish Matt could've been there, too..we missed him! And Brady, too!

Thanks, Becky!

Since these weren't unveiled at the shower, along with my other special handmade gifts, I wanted to show them off here! My fabulous, and extremely talented, friend, Becky made our baby these beautiful sweaters, and leggings! I love them all so much! I know that they were all made with love, and they are so special to me, as is Becky! I can't wait to post pictures of Corbyn in these fun and comfy sweaters!!! Thanks again, Becky!

Corbyn's Highchair!

Thanks so much, Aunt Joanne and Uncle Tom! I LOVE Corbyn's new highchair! I know it seems like I'm thinking too far ahead, but I know how time flies and before you know it, I will have pictures posted of Corbyn enjoying her snacks in this highchair! It's so small and versatile...we can use it forever! It will look better upstairs on the wood floor, but right now I'm storing it in the basement until we need it.

On another note, I'm getting ready to head to my 2nd of three dr. appointments for the week. The ultrasound technicians last week and this week pointed out all of our baby's HAIR!!!! This week, the technician said, "I would describe this as A LOT of hair!". Crazy! I just can't picture our baby with hair, as I didn't have hair until about 2 years of age! I can't wait to meet Corbyn and see what she looks like...only 7 more weeks!