Happy Baby

Hi Everyone,

Well Addie and I had an enjoyable trip up to Duluth to visit my parents and grandparents. Addie was wonderful in the car. She was asleep within 2 minutes of being in the car. I must say it made the drive go very smooth. I don't think I would have been able to handle the drive to Duluth by myself if she wasn't such a good baby.

Wednesday: We had a nice afternoon. We met my parents, Norrie (adopted Auntie) & Sean for lunch. Addie was such a good girl, she continued to sleep through most of the lunch. After lunch we went back to my parents house and I had fed & changed Addie's diaper. No sooner she was screaming at the top of her lungs. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Not hungry, not dirty...I started to look around at her. She had a fist-full of her own hair and was pulling it out! Poor little girl had a death grip on her own hair. It took me a little bit to peel her fingers open. My mom came down and said that she was so happy we were sleeping in the back room because they wouldn't have to listen to her cry. I told my mom that she really doesn't ever cry and what had happened. She just laughed. It is pretty funny. Later that night, Addie was able to see her Great Grandma Nammy (maternal side) again at dinner. It was fun to have 4 generations of women in the room.

Thursday: We had a nice relaxing day with Grandma. We just bummed around the house, took a nap or two and then leisurly got ready for dinner that night with my other set of Grandparents. This was the first time that Addie was able to meet Great Grandma and Grandpa Raimo. They were pretty excited to meet her. We had a lovely dinner.

Friday: After sleeping in, we got ready for the day. Addie had another big day. We went to lunch again with my parents, Sean, Nammy and my Great Aunt Shirley and her son Rick. It was special for Addie to meet her Great-Great Aunt. After lunch was over, it was time to drive back home. At first Addie wasn't happy to be stuck in her carseat and was crying. I finally just decided that we needed to get going. Sure enough, she was out cold. We had a smooth drive home.

Daddy was happy that we were home. He was a little lonely with no one to talk to but Yummy. We were pretty low key this weekend and didn't go out unless we really had to.

Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the longer days. Just think spring is around the corner!!

Until next time,
Love Tiff (Trav & Addie too)

Greetings!

Hello again! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the last few weeks of winter...hopefully winter won't last much longer.

We survived the snow storm that Tiff mentioned in her last blog post and people are back to driving sort of normally!!

I can't believe that I have been a father to a beautiful girl for two weeks already! The time with her is so enjoyable, that it just seems to go by too fast. Unfortunately, this time of the year I am not home most nights until closer to 7 so I don't get as much time with Addie as I would like. I make the most of it when I am home and that is all I can do for the next few weeks. As long as Addie is not sleeping when I get home, I change her diaper and get her into pajamas for the night! I enjoy the time cuddling and relaxing with her when she is awake. She is an excellent sleeper! For the past few nights she has been sleeping from about 10pm to 6am or so! She is also very quiet...cries when hungry or has a dirty diaper, but other than that there has not been too much screaming!

Yesterday Tiff and Addie flew the coup and went to Duluth to visit her parents until tomorrow. It is nice for me to have the freedom to stay and work late (because I need to) and not feel bad about not being home. But, on the other hand it is very lonely at home :( They have only been gone a day and I miss them like crazy. Being a parent has really changed my perspective on life lately, and I enjoy every minute of it!

Well, I better get back to work again. Until next time...

Trav

Fun Weekend!

We had a great weekend this past weekend with Uncle TJ & Auntie Tiffany. Since Uncle TJ works at Festival foods in Fond Du Lac, we had to go check out the Festival here in Bloomington. It was a fun trip out. =) TJ was critiquing everything. Our good friends Kyle and Missy also came down to visit Addie for the first time as well. For those of you who don't know Kyle, he used to be a really good hockey player. He's built like a rock and probably 6'4" or so. It's just cute to see such a tiny baby in a big mans arms. =)

Saturday was a great day as well. The 5 of us went to the Mall of America for a little bit before the Swarm game. We tried to get Addie's ears pierced but we have to wait till she has her 2 month shots. I look forward to when we can get them pierced. I love seeing little girls with pierced ears. That night we went to the Swarm game. It was a lot of fun. She was such a little trooper. Addie slept through most of the game. We even had earmuffs for Addie so she wouldn't hurt her ears. Check out the picture below, it's pretty cute.

We went to church Sunday morning after TJ & Tiff left for home. It was fun to see all of our friends. Trav was a proud dad showing off his little girl. Addie had her birth announcement in the church bulletin as well so we had lots of people also coming up to us to congratulate us. After church was done, we just went home and hunkered down during the snow storm. We ended up with just about another 20" of snow. All I can say is that it's pretty and white out again but hopefully it'll go away soon.

Until next time,
Love Trav, Tiff & Addie

Look how cute I am with my muffs that are much too big for me!

 

First Pediatrician Visit

Hi Everyone,

Well I survived my first pediatrician visit!! I didn't even have to get any shots. Those all come at my 2 month appointment. I guess I'll just have to be brave next time. I did really well though. My doctor, Dr. Brandt, was really impressed with me. She said that I was a beautiful baby & she should know because she sees lots of babies. Everything checked out good for me. I'm in the 95 percentile for height (thanks Mommy) and 75th percentile for weight. So I'm doing great. Today I weighed more than my birth weight, 8lbs 10.5oz. I'm a good eater.

As for sleeping, I've been a little trooper for Mommy. I like to sleep for 2.5-4 hours at night and into the morning. Then I'm awake for most of the late morning into the early afternoon (about 4-5 hours awake), then I start to crash again and fall into my sleeping for the night. It works out pretty good for everyone. Being awake during the day is fun. Mommy & I sing songs, read books, and cuddle.

That's about all I have for now. If you haven't had a chance to check out my photo shoot do it. There's a link on my last post.

Love Adelaide (Mommy & Daddy too)

I am so cute!!

Hello all,

I just wanted to sign onto the computer and post some pictures of myself from when I was 2 days old! I know I am super cute and you all love the pictures. (just click on the link below)

I almost forgot...mommy and daddy are getting used to me being here and are doing good! I love them so much!

Sending my love to you,

Adelaide

http://www.firstdayphotogalleries.com/slideshows/UMMC021011aAdelaide/

First Days!

Well it's been quite the journey so far. I (Tiff) can say it's nothing that anyone can ever  fully prepare for. The past few days honestly have been a haze. For as much pain that I was in and all of my recovery, I can't even remember it. Seeing my baby girl is God's way of getting us through the joyous but painful occasion.

We had several visitors in the hospital. Thanks to everyone who came. Addie was able to meet Grammy & Grandpa Raimo, Uncle Sean and Great Grandma Nammy before she was even 1 day old. The best part of their visit was Uncle Sean shhing Addie and giving her a kiss...it was so precious.

Grandma & Grandpa Mlodzik have been up here to visit for the weekend. They came up right away Friday evening. Addie had her first outing today at only 4 days old. Grandpa wanted Addie to go to the Harley Davidson store of course. So by 11:30 we were out the door and on our way. Addie sat on her first Harley making Grandpa very proud. From there we went to Annie's Parlour for burgers and milk shakes!! (If you're ever in Dinkytown, it's a must go. They're known for their milk shakes and fries!) After that we ran to Target to pick up some necessities. By that time, I was starting to slow down and was getting pretty sore and Grandpa had a headache.

We went back home and had a little bit of a rough late afternoon/early evening. Addie had an upset stomach and some gas, so she was crying off and on for about 2-3 hours. I felt so bad and like a failure. It took forever to figure out why she was upset. Clean diaper, warm clothes, checked her temperature, tried to feed her. It was quite the ordeal being a new mom. I didn't know what to do. She wouldn't eat and I was very swollen. I had to pump milk just to help. Plus since Addie refused to eat, I figured she was rejecting me and preferred the pacifier. Ugh, being emotional and still having raging hormones...I just want to be back to normal. (Whatever that is) Grandma, Grandpa & Daddy all held Addie during the worst of her gas. They helped the most in getting her back to normal. All is well and right in the world. Addie passed the gas and started to feel better. She finally ate (which made me feel better) making her content and feel so good that she's been sleeping peacefully for the past 2 hours. Nothing better than a peacefully sleeping baby.

As for the rest of the weekend, we're playing it by ear. Maybe we'll make it to church depending on what time Grandma & Grandpa head back home. The only thing we have scheduled for this week is the first visit to the pediatrician on Wednesday. Hopefully Addie will have gained some of the weight back that she's lost. We're going to have another busy weekend next weekend. Auntie Tiffany & Uncle Trenton are coming to visit. Addie will be going to her first ever Swarm Lacrosse game! It should be interesting.

Until next time,
Love Tiff, Trav & Adelaide

Uncle Sean giving Addie a kiss!

Proud Grandpa Raimo in awe of his 3rd grandchild.



Grandma & Grandpa Mlodzik, Addie on her first Harley



Beautiful flowers from Mary & Lisa that brightened our hospital room.



All 3 women of the house cuddling...Yummy doesn't know what to think of Addie yet.



Going Home?!?!?!

Before I go into too many details, we want to thank everyone that has called, texted, visited, etc for the well wishes and congratulations! We thank you for your love and support in our new journey as parents!

Today should be the big day, as Addie should get to go out into the world for the very first time! Tiff is feeling really good, considering what she just went through a couple of days ago. She is able to get up and go walking whenever she wants.

Addie is doing very good. She has lost a little weight, which is normal, but hopefully she has gained a little back now in the last half day or so. Last evening she weighed in at 7lb 12oz, still heavy enough to go home today, but I personally was hoping she would stay over 8lb.

Yesterday was also a big day for Addie as she had her very first photo shoot done! The pictures are amazing! Unfortunately, we are unable to post any of them until we get home because we brought our small laptop with us and it doesn't have a CD drive in it! In a couple of days, we will have an internet link to view a slide show of the pictures we took; so will post something letting you all know how you can view it!

I think I am going to cut this post a little short for now. Addie is taking a nap, mommy needs a nap, and daddy could take one too, so I think that is what we are going to do!

Love,

Trav, Tiff, & Adelaide

My Wife is Amazing!

Good morning everyone! Today is Tiffany and mine first full day of parenthood. We are very blessed to announce the birth of Adelaide Joy! She said hello for the first time on February 8th at 2245 (10:45pm), weighing in at a whopping 8lb 7 oz, and measuring 22.5 inches!

Yesterday started full of excitement as we awoke early to get the last minute items packed and ready to go to the hospital. We checked in at about 0800, did some paperwork, signed a bunch of forms, and waited for the doctor to come check on Tiff. At about 11am they administered a drug to help induce labor, and man did it work! Within a couple of hours, Tiff was having contractions every 2-3 minutes and in active labor. There were some intense moments during this time period. I felt very helpless, as there was nothing I could do except to get Tiff to focus on breathing. She said that I was a good coach! In fact, as I am writing this and telling her what I am writing, she is saying that I was wonderful! Even the nurses said I was good! A special thank you to our three nurses throughout the day, Sheri, Sue and Erin you guys were wonderful! Now, back to the story...at about 5pm (after about 3 hours of good active labor), Tiff looked at me and said "I want drugs." She was referring to an epidural...I told her I would call the nurse when she was ready. The next thing we knew it was 5:15 and right in the midst of a big contraction, Tiff's water broke! After her water broke, she continued to progress and dilate rapidly until she hit 5cm...at this point in time the dilation stalled a little and some fetal distress started to occur. The doctors were on top of it, and we watched and waited until about 945pm. At this point in time, the doctors concluded that a c-section was necessary. At 1015pm they took Tiff into the operating room and prepped her for the big moment! I followed about 15 minutes later. I sat with Tiff and kept her as relaxed as I could, and at 1045 they announced that we had a healthy little girl!

Adelaide was taken to a table on the other side of the room and examined by the NICU doctors. This was only as a precaution because when Tiff's water broke earlier in the evening there was meconium (baby poop) in there. The doctors scoped Addie just to make sure her lungs were clear, and after about 3 minutes she let us know that she was alright. Once, she was crying and all checked out, I got to cut the remainder of the umbilical cord. This was the one thing that I really wanted to do, it was special and I will never forget the moments when we first met our little bundle of joy!

I am sure by now you are all saying enough with the story telling...who does she look like? What color of hair does she have? Does she have any hair at all? Adelaide did not receive the Mlodzik hair, and I am very thankful for that because that means she has hair!!! A full head of jet black hair with Tiffany's eyes, nose, and lips. But, at least she got my ears!! Cute little ears with nice earlobes that will be pierced as soon as we can!

Daddy is his Bunny suit for the OR

My first cry!

First Family Photo

Love,
Trav, Tiff & Adelaide