All Smiles

Olivia is really smiling a lot these days, which just makes Matt and I melt! If you smile at her (and she's not crying), she'll almost always smile back now! So sweet!!!

Olivia and I ventured to California for the first time last week. I was excited to show her off to extended family and friends. She met her great-grandfather, great-uncle and aunt, cousins and family friends. She was dealing with some reflux issues, so she had a rough start to the week, but as time went by, and the medication started helping, she was a better baby.

My Grandpa was the first to meet Olivia. We figured it would be easier for him to meet her one-on-one before the big family dinner the next night. She was kinda fussy, but it was so great getting to introduce her to her great-grandfather!!!

The family dinner was great and I loved that everyone loved her! Then on Sunday I introduced Olivia to my friends, Tammy and Nicole and their families. It's so great that our kids will all be fairly close in age! On Sunday afternoon, Maggie hosted a casual get together at her house to introduce the baby to her friends and family. It was fun catching up... especially with Matt's friends, Stu and Sarah, who came up from Cardiff.

One of my favorite parts to the visit was seeing Shaye taking such an interest in Olivia. She shared her toys, gave her kisses and showed concern when she cried. At one point, Olivia was crying, so Shaye, without any prompting from anyone else, came over and offered her "Miss Bunny" blanket to soothe Olivia. The sweetest thing EVER!!! I can't wait for them to grow up and become best pals!

We can't wait to visit again... probably in May, and with Matt in tow!

Poor Olivia!

For the past week or two Olivia has been a fussy baby! I thought it was gas, so we got some Mylicon that, at first, was helping. But the last several days she's been fussier than normal. Most of her awake time she has really been straining after feedings. I could tell it was more than just gas... she would grunt, her face would get red and it was obvious there was something wrong with her tummy! It's been really frustrating not knowing what was going on or how I could fix it. So this morning I called the pediatrician's office and got an appointment for this afternoon. After talking with the pediatrician and having her examine Olivia, she said it sounded like a classic case of reflux. So she prescribed some Zantec that I'll give to Olivia twice a day for ten days. The doctor said it's common in premies and she should outgrow it within a few months. I'll start giving it to her tonight and should hope to see some improvement within a couple of doses!

Some updated stats:

Height: 22 1/2"

Weight: 9 lbs, 4oz

Head: 34 1/2"

She's gained 12 oz in the last 2 weeks and has grown 1 1/2" in the last month! She's doing great and the doctor was very pleased with her growth!