Camelia is One Month Old!!

And what a big girl she is!  Her stats from her check-up with the doctor are as follows:

Weight:  12lbs 5.5oz  >97%
Height:  23in 93%
Head Cir.:  15.5in  88%

The last two nights we have introduced the bottle to her with great results!  After feeding her the bottle at night, I nurse her one last time and have gotten 6 hours of sleep after.  Marvelous indeed!

Camelia is already changing so much this first month.

2 Days Old

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4 Days Old

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2 Weeks

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3 Weeks

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4 Weeks

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Gilana has enjoyed getting to know her little sister (who she calls "Baaaby"). 

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Gigi is not so sure what she thinks about this big sis thing

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Family Time

Thankfully, we have had the opportunity to enjoy some time together as a family. 

First pictures with all the girls

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Trip to the doctor's office

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Here is our recent outing with the wagon the girls recieved from Aunt Lizzie for Christmas.

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Daddy with Camelia

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She's rather suspicious

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Mopsy gets some grandma time

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A Dog and a Baby

It appears as though Sushi (our Pit Bull Lab mutt) has a mothering instinct for little Gilana.  Tonight Gigi had a very explosive diaper that I didn't notice at first.  Sushi, apparently did notice and thought it was a serious problem that needed attention.  I noticed the dog following Gigi around and licking her, with Gilana lavishing the attention.  Several minutes later I noticed a mess where our little Miss had been sitting (with Sushi very attentive to Gilana's movements).  I called Byron for damage control (I was holding Melly) and went to get disinfectant for the mess.  The area I intended cleaning and commenced to wipe down, appeared eerily spotless.  My guess was that Gilana, too, was cleaner upon leaving Sushi's presence than would be otherwise.  Without detail, may I relay my reaction?  GROSS!

3 Years and 2 Babies

Byron and I have been married for three years now and are so much more in love now than then.  God's grace just allows our relationship to bloom into sweeter moments and memories, times have allowed us greater understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses.  It is so beautiful to love my spouse with deeper and more lovely emotions.  I cherish our marriage greater than any other earthly thing and see our children as a reflection of that sacred marriage relationship. 

I sit here watching Byron cradle little Camelia in the cleft of his arm, embracing her tiny frame with tender fatherly affection and care.  During the days of our engagement and early marriage I so dearly wished to see him as a father.  Now those visions I had are a reality twice over, and I see a man so perfectly suited for fatherhood that of course my heart swells with gratitude to the gracious Lord who turned our hearts to Him.  His plan is miraculous; turning two unlikely sinners to a Savior and then to each other.  Grace upon grace indeed.

First Bath

We currently live in a house of random chaos as poor Gilly-bean arrived home from her walk with Auntie Erin to voracious howls from the baby sister.  After a rather explosive diaper, Melly got her first real bath today.  The darling enjoyed the first several minutes until she burst out with a banshee howl.   Currently, both girls are sleeping (it took 4 attempts plus a diaper change to get Gilana down), but Camelia won't slumber long.  It is days like this that I really miss sleep!

Gilana is really plumping out into her little toddler body.  I love to admire her chunky feet and body.  So precious!  Camelia is very noticeably larger than Gilana was at her age, and appears very alert and interested in the world around her.  I find myself breathing her in, she has captured my heart.  I am missing my freedom (you understand, the ability to walk out of the house unhindered to grab the mail), but know that this is just a short phase of life and MUST enjoy it before it's gone.

Quote of the Day...

Byron to Camelia:
"You're looking more like a person.  Congratulations!"

(He asked me to leave out the part where he said: "For a while there you looked like an alien; your eyes creeped me out.")

What a big baby!

This is my first addition to our family blog and I am marking a very special occasion. Yesterday at 1:48 in the afternoon Camelia Adele DeChellis was born.

Tasha took two tablespoons of castor oil around 10 pm and her contractions began around 2am. We flew out the door, or at least waddled quickly, and by the time we got to Glendale she was in full blown (PAINFUL) labor.  The nurse rushed to get her vital signs, hook up the I.V.,  and check how far she was dilated. Three centimeters, then four, and She was in terrible pain.  Initially we didn't know if Tasha could get an epidural, she might have been too far along. Thankfully baby slowed down and she was able to get one around 5:30am.

We saw the doctor for the first time around 8 am and by then we thought the baby should be here any minute...  but that was not the case and we wouldn't find out why until later. Several hours went by with constant contractions, not painful because of the wonderful epidural, and finally by 12:30 or so it was time to start pushing. It was at this time I remembered Tasha's dad Bill was a body builder because she was strong. Ten seconds at a time, three pushes per contraction, and finally after an hour we had our beautiful big baby. We now knew why it took so long... 9 lbs 13.6oz and 23 inches of baby! Not only that she was O.P. which means the big part of her head came out first, she was facing upward!  We had a crowd of nurses visit shortly after who could not believe a baby of Camelia's size and position was not delivered by C-section. 

The three most emotional moments in my life up until now have been watching Tasha walk down the isle,  seeing Gilana's birth, and hearing Camelia cry for the first time.  The moment I heard her little wail I overflowed with happiness. I  am so blessed. My family also came down to give us love. My parents waited joyfully for 6 hours and a little after Joey, Bobby, and Danielle all joined in our happiness.

We can't wait to see Gilana's reaction to her new little sister and thank God  for His infinite kindness!

"Every good and perfect gift comes down from above" James 1:17

"How precious are your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they would number more than the sand; When I awake I am still with you." Ps. 139:17-18

Gilana: Year in Review

Our lovely Daughter was born on November 17th, 2008

1 Month Old

First Christmas

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

First Easter

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

Halloween

Thanksgiving

12 Months

So Stinkin' Loveable!!!!

Love for my Love on his Birthday

There is no adequate means of expressing my love for my husband. Byron is a model husband, father, companion, confidant, and friend in the truest sense of the word. I am blessed beyond measure by his kindness towards me. This man I cherish is a beautiful display of God’s grace towards me, a consistent sinner. The day we wed shines in my memory as the most blessed day of my life. It was the most tangible demonstration of joy, sacrifice, faith, love and all other reverent emotions that I have ever experienced. We committed to trust one another with all that we are. Byron’s service towards me exalts the Lord in all of His majestic radiance, drawing me to cling more assuredly to the beautiful work done on the cross. I am afraid that my negligence in properly caring for the gift of my life-mate pales in comparison. My husband is a gem, and I treasure his example. His prayers lift me up, his service shelters me, his generosity to all draws out compassion in me, and his love buffers me from worldly harm. This man the Lord has fashioned into my husband is the Gospel reflection shining in my life.

Byron, I love you and cannot say that enough, because it isn’t enough. Happy Birthday my Cherished Beloved. I thank God for the gift I daily enjoy in beholding you, and delight in the thought of many more years together.