6 months!

I'm having a hard time grasping where the time has gone! Libby is growing way too fast for us. Jeromy keeps asking her to stop and it's not working!! I don't even know where to start on this blog! A lot has gone on over the last 3 months...
I had told you all I would up date at 4 months and just couldn't do it. I was having a real hard time nursing; determined to nurse her until 9 months! At her 4 month appointment my pediatrician was very concerned about her weight. Libby had only gained 13 ounces and went from the 61 percentile to 21! I was devastated! We had noticed a change in her sleep pattern while on a trip to Montana over spring break, but thought that the long hours in the truck and being away from the norm was the reason. She went from sleeping 5-7 hours at night to waking up every 2 hours on the hour. It was so hard! I was so set on the idea of nursing her until she was 9 months old I didn't let anyone or anything convince me other wise. I was pumping as much as I could but at school it started getting harder with me needing to teach more groups and helping out in the 6th grade class. I was also having physical issues as well. Clogged milk duct at least once a week, blood in milk while pumping... It wasn't fun! I was set up to start physical therapy the week of her check up and after finding out I was pretty much starving her I decided to just quit altogether. That was rough. As a mother you're supposed to be able to feed your child, giving them all the nutrients they need, and I couldn't do it. I got a little depressed for a while before accepting it. The next couple weeks were spent figuring out the right formula to put her on. She was going days without pooping and was gassy and spitty... Finally, the Gentlease is what worked. So! Needless to say! She's back on track and doing amazing! Her appointment this time was fantastic and Dr. Nease was so pleased with her development. She's now 26.75 inches, 86%, and 15.14 lbs, 50%. She's going to be tall and slender just like her daddy!

Libby's been hitting the milestones with a vengeance too! She mastered rolling over both ways on June 11th. Her first tooth poked through on June 16th, her second on June 24th... The first one I had no idea was coming through but the second one caused a fever, sleepiness and serious fussiness. June 19th she tried rice cereal for the first time. She couldn't get enough! She's mastered using her voice quite well. She's constantly jabbering and screaming and looking for a response from anyone who will listen. She loves sucking on her toes while on the changing table too! Hysterical!! Bath time is a kick, especially when we get both girls in the tub together. They could hang out in there for hours! July 6th she mastered sitting on her own... for the most part. She'll sit for quite a long time without falling until she sees a toy out of reach and tries to get it. Crawling is just moments away. She gets one knee up under her body and tries to scoot, but hasn't figured out how to get her tummy off the floor. She'll grab the blanket and pull herself right now. Time to childproof the house!

Let's go back to May... Jeromy got her an exersaucer that she loves!! She loves to bounce in it and chew on the farm animals. I'm sure they feel good on her gums. We hadn't had her on the floor a lot because of the dogs and the fact we have all hardwood floors. But, we're over that. Now we just throw down a big quilt and Lucy usually just sits by her and supervises. She LOVES the dogs and if it were up to Libby, I'm sure she would be playing with them constantly! May 30th we did the Moving You Forward 5k as a fundraiser for the Clara Jean Foundation. She does so good in a stroller and it was the perfect day! Oh, back in April we went claming for razor clams in Garebaldi. It was so fun! We just put Libby in the front carrier and she did great! (We all got our limit on clams too!)


Father's day was also our anniversary this year. What a great day! We went out to lunch with my dad, step mom, brother and his girlfriend at a wonderful Hawaiian cafe in Scappoose. Diane thought it would be a great idea to let Libby try a lemon. It was a riot! There are llama's on the property that everyone had a good time messing with and feeding. All around it was a great day! Jeromy got to spend his first official father's day with both his little girls! And it was the perfect day to celebrate an anniversary too!

We headed over to Baker City for a couple days to camp at Union Creek, Phillips Reservoir and see our wonderful friends the Sargent's. What a beautiful place! I really wish we had planned it better so we could have spent more time there. Libby did great! She wasn't too thrilled on the bug spray I used on her, but other than that, she was wonderfl. We went out on the boat a couple times, sat around the camp fire, went for walks, and just hung out and relaxed. I'm hoping to go camping again soon... for more than 2 days please. Oh yes... Gotta love Jeromy with the cow boy hat, farmer's tan, and kiddy fishing poll! ( Madeline caught two trout with that poll!)


Last week we went to the zoo for the day. How nice was that?! The weather was gorgeous, Madeline brought her friend Ben so she was in heaven, and we spent almost 4 hours there! We went on the train, joined a dance party, wantched the wild life show... slept. It was fun.

July 4th was a great time too! We went to our friend's Allen and Kim's for an annual brunch where Libby had her first try at watermelon. I got these little food holders that are netting and have a handle. Just put the food in it and she sucks on it. It's ingenious I tell you! Jeromy had to work the rest of the day, so the girls and I stopped by a friend's house we hadn't seen in a while and then headed to Portland to spend the evening with my parents, James and Heather. Libby was fascinated by the fireworks! She didn't flinch at all to the noise either! We walked down to the waterfront to watch the Oaks Park fireworks were she passed out about 2 minutes into the show. All in all it was a great day!


Last night we headed over to the Colwell's for a going away party. They're leaving us for Hermiston! There were 3 other babies there and Libby wasn't quite sure what to think of Jaxon. I think she tried to smack him at one point! Poor thing... She was loving all the attention though and talked as much as she could to whom ever was listening. She loved Erin and her pretty earings. We were teasing about making Erin a headband like Libby's so they could match. Such great humor that girl has!

I think that pretty much caught you all up on what's been going on in Miss Libby's life. Hope you've enjoyed it!!
P.S. Has anyone noticed the gradual hair loss of this child? So much for my little girl with lots of dark hair! It's all fallen out and growing back a blonde/lightish brown. At least it's growing back, right? Hahaha...

3 months!

Oh my, how the time has flown by! Not only is Miss Libby getting big, but her personality is growing right along with her. She's such a joy! She's mastered bubble blowing with her spit and she'll have extensive conversations with you when she has a lot on her mind. I only wish I knew what she was saying! LOL At her 2 month check up she was 24 inches and 11.10 lbs! 91% for height and 62% for weight. Our pediatrician said she has the posture of a 4 month old and advanced motor skills... Yep, that's my girl! I breed over achievers! LOL
We drove to Montana over spring break to visit family and friends. What a trip! Wonderful and LONG! Grandma Pooh and Grandpa Gordy was our first stop in Hamilton. It was so wonderful to see them and for them to meet Libby. Aunt Sharon, Uncle Dave, Aunt Sue, Brittany, and Garret were there as well. Grandma had been diagnosed with cancer recently, so we were all out to spend time with her. After our visit in Hamilton it was on to Absorokee to stay with Beth and Justin. We had a blast! We went to Chico Hot Springs the first day we were there. Libby LOVED the water and fell asleep in it. Just before we left we could tell the weather was changing. Sure enough, that night we got 4-5 inches of snow! The crazy thing was that by that afternoon it was super warm! And... the snow doesn't melt there, it more evaporates! I swear! It wasn't mushy and gross when the snow was gone like here in Oregon. They have a new addition also. Greta, who is 2 months older than Libby. It was so funny watching them together. Libby was sure motivated by Greta! We stayed 3 days with the Smith's and then headed back to Hamilton on our way home. Again, another wonderful visit with grandma and grandpa. And another inch of snow... Thursday of that week we headed to Oregon via Baker City to visit the Sargent's... Wonderful friends of ours that left us here in St. Helens. It was such a great time and reminded us how much we miss them. We got home late Friday night and all headed to bed happy to be home. Both girls were amazingly fantastic on the trip! It's great knowing we can take such a long road trip and them do such a good job. On a sad note... Soon after we left, grandma's health went down hill fast. She ended up passing away a week after we saw her. We're so very thankful we were able to see her and have pictures and memories before she left us. Jeromy went back to Montana for the service, but the girls and I stayed home. As great as they were, we didn't want them to have to make that trip again so soon.
We celebrated Libby's first Easter! What a great day. We went to a wonderful church in Hillsboro with great friends of ours, the Trenaman's, and out to brunch with James and Heather. But what's Easter without the hunting of eggs? Madeline woke up to a gift basket from the Easter bunny and a task to find eggs. Libby watched and kept watch over the eggs she found.
What more can I tell you other than we've been so blessed by her as an addition to our family!? I went back to work when she was 4 1/2 weeks old. Jeromy took some time off to spend with her and now my wonderful mother-in-law (and I'm not just saying that for browny points) comes over when we need her to help out with child care. I'm so glad she's able to be such a big part of Libby and Madeline's lives! They love her! We do too, of course! So for now, I work days and Jeromy works nights. He has weekends off, thank goodness! I can not wait for summer break so I can spend all day with both my girls! We got a Zoo pass for Christmas and will be putting it to good use this summer.
As for now... Enjoy the pictures and check back next month for an update!

1 month old

Can you believe it's already been a month?! It goes by so quickly...
Libby is doing so great. She's just a gem! Good sleeper, good eater, hardly fusses. I really have no room to complain about anything and feel so sorry for those moms out there that have a hard time. I can not get enough of her! I was at a dance team competition yesterday with my team so Jeromy had her all day for the first time. I felt bad because I really would have rather been at home! I had 3 babies sitting by me during the performances and I think I was paying more attention to them than the competition! I missed them all so much! I know, pathetic...
Let's see... What can I tell you about the first month? It's gone great! I head back to work tomorrow now that Jeromy is on his paternity leave. I'm looking forward to getting back to a regular schedule but I'm already feeling anxiety about being away from her for so long during the day. Jeromy and I fight for snuggle time with her so I guess he'll have his during the day and then I'll get her all to myself at night.
If any of you haven't met Libby and would like to stop by, please do! Just give us a call before stopping by. We love all of you and are so blessed to have you in all our lives! Enjoy the pics!

So here are the details...

Phew! Now that we're home and pretty much settled in, I finally feel I can sit down and dish out all the details of this amazing event! OH! But first! Our closet AND living room wall is done! I'm so proud of Jeromy. He busted is butt to get it done and a friend of his came over and finished the dry-wall and texuring. They look fantastic!
Ok, back to the important stuff... So, Monday the 5th I convinced my doctor to actually go through with inducing me and we were set for Wednesday. Jeromy started video taping as we left the house and wouldn't stop! Proud daddy, I must say! We checked in at 7 am to Emanuel and about 8:30 they started the pitocin and broke my water. Nice thing was that right when we got settled into our room I lost my mucous plug and started having good contractions on my own. I'm sure that's what helped me progress so quickly. They took me off the pitocin around 10:30 because I started having steady contractions about 1 minute apart. I was able to walk around for a little bit and then spent about 2 hours on and off sitting on an exercise ball. It was so nice! I was amazed at how it helped with dealing with the pain. They gave me something in my IV to "take the edge off" and it was wierd! I felt more drunk than anything and it didn't touch the pain. My mom, Bonnie (Jeromy's mom) and Madeline all showed up about noon. Madeline was so excited and asked at one point if we could have another baby! I asked if we could get through delivering this one before we started planning for more. lol At 1:15 I was at 7 centimeters and my awesome nurse, Emily, suggested I sit in the jaccuzi tub to help releave some of the presure and relax. I was going to give it a shot, but when I went to stand up I thought I was going to vomit and I realized how tired I was. I sat dealing with the pain and deciding on an epidural for a couple minutes. I was done... I got the epidural at 1:45 and it took a good half hour to kick in. He gave me the smallest dose and once it did, I got about an hour of pain free contractions. I was trying to take a nap but I think I was so tired and excited, I just couldn't get to sleep. Funniest thing about that is my mom, Bonnie, Jeromy and Madeline all got cat naps during that time. The epidural started to wear off but I was trying so hard to deal with them and not give myslef another shot of the drugs. I finally did and at 3:00 my doctor arived. It was great to see him and I was so glad he made it to deliver Libby. I as at 10 and ready to go! I started pushing at 3:15 and at 3:44 our Libby was born! Everyone in the room was shocked at how big she was! Dr. Prescott blurted out "Well, you haven't missed any meals little one!" Madeline came in and helped Jeromy cut the umbelical cord and the mom's followed close behind. We had the vidoe camera set up right behind my head during the delivery and got some pretty funny comentary throughout the whole day.
As for now, we're all doing just amazing! She's such a good baby, just like Madeline was. She latched on right away and is an awesome sleeper! She's awake more and more during the day and is up to about 4 hours of sleep at a time during the night. Best thing is that I nurse her for about 30 minutes and she goes right back to sleep. She's not at all fussy and when she does fus, it's usually time to eat or time to change her butt. OMG! The funniest thing happened last night, I started crying! Jeromy was changing a poopy diaper and apparently she wasn't done. Right as he got the clean one under her butt she had a projectile poop! It went everywhere and almost hit our dog Jake, who was sitting there supervising. It was hysterical! Jeromy didn't think so because it went everywhere, but I couldn't stop laughing!
Anywho... Here are a few pictures from all this good fun! Enjoy!!

Introducing Libby Ann Hasenkamp

Here she is! Our little angle has arrived. Well, not so little, I should say... Coming in at 9 lbs. 6 oz. and 21 inches long, Miss Libby Ann Hasenkamp has entered the world.

We have a date!

Yeah! The end is officially here! LOL I am scheduled for induction Wednesday morning at 7am! We could tell my doctor was hinting for me to just sticking it out and I was havin' none of that! I told him I'd meet him over at the hospital but he just laughed and said he had to schedule it. Good news too is that I'm 2 centimeters! So, you won't see any blogging from me until we get home from the hospital. Wish us luck and I can't wait to post pictures of our new little girl!

More snow! Are you kidding me?!

I can't handle this anymore! We have gotten at least 1 1/2 inches of snow since about 5:45. This is insane! AAAHHH!!! And the good ol' weather man says it was supposed to be rain. Well, now we know why he does the weekend weather report. No one cares about it on the weekends and he can't do his job! Oh, and it's supposed to turn to rain by tomorrow? How does that work? Oh well, I'm obviously just grouchy. I should probably go to bed and pretend I can sleep and my sides don't hurt and oh yeah, that my child isn't tearing up my rib cage!
Heavens... Alright, I'm done bitchin'... until tomorrow when I wake up and there's no school AGAIN and I need to get to Portland and there's so much snow I'm stuck here AGAIN! LOLOL
No really, I'm done...