Little Livie

Sweet Livie,

You are only 2 weeks & 5 days old and you are my PRIDE & JOY! You've captured my heart in ways that are indescribable and difficult to find the words that would give justice to everything that you mean to me. I feel as if everyday is exciting and new - I've begun a whole new world with you - and I don't want to miss a second. I look at your tiny light as feather hands, your beautiful trusting and innocent face, your soft puckering lips and I want to capture the image forever in my heart.

I know that one day I will look back on these days and wish with all my heart that you were this tiny again, brand new, and that we would again just be starting on this amazing journey together. I know that there will be moments as we raise you that I will just want to turn back time and have these precious moments w/ you all over again. I know that I will want you to grow and thrive w/ each passing year and I can not wait to see the individual that you will become but I am not going to let a second of your life go by w/o cherishing each and every stage.

Being your Mom is my greatest accomplishment thus far. I think of the 9 months of growing you, the surgery required to deliver you, and I can't believe that I was able to experience all of it and you are my reward. It's just a surreal experience and I feel so very blessed.

These are sweet days for us, little Livie. daddy and I are overjoyed that you are here w/ us. We pray everyday for you and for us that we will make few mistakes when it comes to raising you and caring for you. We are learning so much. You teach us every day! It is our joy to have you with us :)

We love you beyond measure.

xo mommy

YOUR Birth-DAY! February 1st, 2012

You're here! This morning daddy and I awoke at 4:30am (even though I could hardly sleep a wink) and got dressed and headed to the hospital. We arrived at 6:15am and were taken into the prep room for our scheduled c-section. I was very nervous but oddly calm. I was ready to just go through whatever was needed to have you safely arrive and finally in my arms. The first thing they had me do was change into their hospital gown and then hook me up to the monitors to check your heart rate and movements. They then explained to me what to expect as we moved into the operating room, which we did promptly at 8am. I received an epidural in my spine and then was laid down for the procedure on the operating table. You were born at exactly 8:31am...what a precious moment! I couldn't speak I was so overcome w/ emotion! You were crying as soon as they pulled you out and it was sweet music to my ears. Daddy was so excited that he stood and took a picture, which he was not allowed to do! He didn't know though and they were nice about it, so we therefore have one picture of you coming out of my belly - priceless!

You weighed 8lbs and 1 oz and were 20 inches long. Perfectly healthy, even three weeks early. We are so incredibly blessed.

February 1st, 2012 will forever be a day of celebration for us :)

We love you Liv Harper Elisabeth Gonzales....always and forever! Welcome to the world sweet baby girl!!

xo mommy & daddy

Showered with lots of PINK!

Baby girl,

My work threw a sweet lovely shower for you today! daddy came also and it was so nice to celebrate YOU! I opened a lot of gifts with the color pink :) so I really am counting on you being a girly girl. Every day is going to be a fashion show - you have so many lovely clothes. I just can't wait!

So with my elevated blood pressure and very swollen feet I am pushing going on full time bed rest and I am doing my best without jeopardizing you or my health to avoid that. One thing I'm doing is keeping my feet elevated at work with my shoes off LOL...it's quite funny to see me with my big giant belly, propping my bare feet up high as can be while at work. But totally sweet that my work is accommodating me so much.

Another funny, I can not take my wedding rings off at all! I've waited too long to take them off and now they just won't budge over my swollen knuckle. Hopefully, they will not have to be cut off! daddy had asked me to take them off 2 months ago but of course he knows he married a stubborn woman...I do wonder if that is something you will inherit from me. :)

Oh the joys of pregnancy! I know it's all going to be worth it.

xo mommy

Just You & I

Sweet Baby,

We had another scare this weekend with my elevated blood pressure. This time I spent overnight in the hospital so that they could monitor us and make sure you and I were ok. Unfortunately, I had just dropped daddy off at the airport that morning as he had a business trip scheduled. After dropping him off I went directly to my dr appt on my own, I was nervous as this was my first appt I've had without your daddy accompanying me.

I won't lie, I was quite upset about admitting myself in the hospital on my own. I knew I would be in good hands though and the most important thing to me was to make sure you were fine and stayed safe. The nurses at CMC were awesome and took really great care of us. We of course checked your heart beats and movements and you were totally showing off and looked fabulous the entire time. I had to have more blood work done and thankfully my blood pressure stayed down to a safe range during the entire 24 hours we were there.

I spent a lot of time praying and feeling grateful for every little kick and jab from you. We are so close to you coming and I am so ready! I just want you to be ready and come when you are perfectly healthy and developed. If we make it to your due date I will be very surprised - you are still measuring fairly big :).

Soon I will get to hold you in my arms, little one, I'm soooooo excited! You are and will always be so loved.

Until then...mommy loves you so.

A little scare...but no worries!

Hi Livie,

We were sent to Labor & Delivery today as my blood pressure was high and I had some increased swelling. The dr wanted to be sure that you and I were doing ok. So I had to do some blood work and they did a non-stress test on you.

Everything came back fine! You were your usual active self, moving all around on there, but you were showing us just how fantastic you are. Your heart rate and neurological movements are perfect. My blood work showed that I am not in any danger right now either, but they are keeping a watch on me, and I have a couple of days of bed rest. Hopefully, that will do the trick to get my blood pressure down a little bit and decrease my swollen feet.

You're going to be a big size baby apparently. Which my body is trying to cope w/ all the extra weight. If you come early it will be a good thing that you are measuring a few weeks ahead so I am not worried. We are almost considered full term so if you do come early you should be just fine!

I'm going to take it easy the next few weeks, we can hardly believe you are almost here! We can not wait to meet our sweet baby girl!

xo mommy

8 months!

baby girl,

Today marks 8 months of growing you! We had our most recent check up appt w/ the dr last week and we found out that you are measuring 5 lbs and 3 oz's already. You're a chunky monkey :) We think that you may just arrive earlier than we originally estimated. One thing is for certain - - it's almost BABY TIME!


We had a wonderful Christmas w/ Mimi & Grandpap. They are so excited to meet you! We are making plans for when you arrive...they will both stay w/ us for a week after you're born. As well as Grandmom & Granddad from California. Then Mimi will stay a little longer to help w/ caring for you. You will love your Mimi!

Every day I feel you move so much inside of me. You're very active and I kid that you're trying to find your way out...one day soon you will figure it out. ;)

xo mommy

Your beautiful name!

Baby girl,

Your daddy and I have finally decided on your name! So many months of deliberating and marinating and researching to find the perfect name for you. We wanted something unique but classic and not too trendy, something meaningful to us, and of course beautiful enough to match a beautiful soul. We hope you that you will love it!

Liv - means gift of Life. After many doubts over the years I definitely feared I would never know the joy of being a parent. I have treasured these months of carrying you and I so look forward to the day when you're outside my belly. You are such a gift already! We can never express our profound gratitude that we are this blessed to get to be your parents. We spend all our days thinking about you, anticipating your arrival, and dreaming of what it will be like to hold you and know you. When you move inside me it takes my breath away at just how lucky I am...I just can't put it into words very well. So we find the meaning of your name to be so appropriate. You're a gift from God and we will always, always, thank Him for giving you to us.

Harper - we just love this name. It reminds me of peacefulness and gentleness. It is a bit trendy right now but I think it goes so well w/ your first name...it just flows so nicely.

Elisabeth - your great grandmother, who is in heaven now, was named Elizabeth. This is given to you to honor her memory but it also has a wonderful meaning. It means, God's Promise. You are so special to us. I also love how beautiful and timeless it is and it brings such a classic element to your name.

Liv Harper Elisabeth.

daddy and I call you Livvy. :)

xo mommy