Post Holidays Post

Well, here we are, a few days after the Winter Holiday Season. Kim has returned to work, and Daddy and Audrey are rocking out for the second week of school winter break.

We spent most of the past two weeks in South Bend visiting Kim's family and friends. It was really nice to see so many people smile when they held Audrey. She is just a bundle of joy to so many people. As I sat here today giving her a bottle, it felt as if it were the first real time we had together because of all the friends and relatives who spent time with her! :-) I felt blessed to realize that Audrey has so many people both near and far in her life that love her so much!

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful and generous gifts both for Audrey and Kim and I. I am enjoying Spaceballs the Collector's Edition tomorrow (Thanks Gail!) and tonight we're watching The Dark Night (Thanks again Gail!), which pretty much is the best movie I've seen since The Return of the King in terms of overall movie making quality and feeling of satisfaction when the credits finally start rolling!

As for me, I am enjoying the second week of my winter break just doing odds and ends around the house and doing some running around! I enjoy quiet time around the house doing things like dishes and laundry. My guilty pleasure is listening to the podcasts of NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "Car Talk" while Audrey takes a nap on my stomach. Pure HEAVEN in my book!

OK, time to finish The Dark Night. More to come this week, as I will find myself with no laundry or dishes tomorrow! Thank you again to everyone! Here are a couple picts!

-A

Long Time....No Blog

Well, it really has been a long time since the last blog. Thigns have been moving so fast as of late. For me, the time between Thanksgiving and the Winter Break is really crammed with testing and extra class assignments because of the short period. School has been goign well, although I never get everything done tha tI set-out to accomplish! I think that's a blessing and a curse because it means we're ambitious, yet it is also frustrating to not be able to finish projects in a timely manner. Oh well,learning doesn't always have a schedule, I guess.

On the family side of things, Thanksgiving was wonderful. My father flew to Virginia to surprise us! It was also the first time he got to meet his granddaughter, so it was extra special! Personally, it was my alltime favorite Thanksgiving due to the combination of the surprise dad element, as well as both Kim and Audrey joining me for their first Virginia Thanksgivings! What a treat. Plus, on top of all of that, the usual wonderful suspects were present plus all of the wonderful food, laughter, and smiles! Audrey was a champ on the airplanes, sleeping about 95% of the time.

We are currently camped out in South Bend, IN visiting Grandma and finishing our holiday shopping. School was cancled today due to an ice storm, so it was a quiet morning spent in bed playing with my baby and watching the snow fall during sunrise.

As the holiday season approaches, I am both warmed by the love for family and friends, and saddened by the amount of advertising and desperation caused by the tanked economy. I want to wish everyone a safe, peaceful season. I urge everyone to take a moment and count your blessings, no matter how small, end enjoy the ones around you. Many many pictures to follow soon, as I am now on Winter Break and have a bit of time to actually update this blog as well as respond the the bazillion e-mails I've been procrastinating on! Be well and stay warm!

-A

Sunday Morning Thoughts

Hello all. I am sitting here quietly on a Sunday morning, enjoying a few quiet minutes to myself. Kim and the baby are asleep upstairs, and I am resting in my chair downstairs, watching the sun filter through the curtains.

We are preparing for our first Thanksgiving trip as a family. We are traveling to Richmond, Virginia to visit my Uncle Fred and Aunt Irene. This is a trip that I have made annually since I was 18. However, it will be the first time Kim has taken the trip with me, so I am very much looking forward to this Turkey day!

As you might imagine, traveling with a baby will pose its own set of unique challenges. I have never before traveled with a baby, and I am doing my best to cover all the bases. Whenever I have traveled, I always pray that I don't get the seat next to the couple with the infant...no I AM the couple with the infant! :-) One time on an airline, I saw a guy hand earplugs out to all of his neighbors to compensate for his screaming child! I am sure Audrey will fare much better, though.

Well, not too much else going on in our lives. We are set to clean house and put up holiday decorations and such. My goal is to have a completely clean house and have everything set-up before we leave, so we can return to an immaculate house! I think there are few better feelings than returning from a nice vacation to a clean, comfy house! I hope everyone is well and that the holiday season finds you in warm spirits. Photos to come soon!

-a

Sunday Football

Sitting here with Audrey and the dog watching football this Sunday. I wonder what teams my baby will grow up to cheer for? I am so excited to watch her grow up, yet I am trying to savor every moment we have together!

Things lately have been nice. We've found an agreeable sleep schedule, a family function schedule, and I have still be able to remain fully involved with my work. The first quarter is over with my school, and the new term begins. The work level will be ramped up and I expect that not too many students (or parents for that matter) will be happy with teh increase in homework and class expectations.

Oh well, such is life. Always getting ready for the next level, when really, we should be enjoying whatever level we're on! Happy Sunday.

-a

HALLOWEEN & FALL PHOTOS

Time is moving so fast. Halloween already! Audrey the Elephant had a quiet evening and Phoebe the Pumpkin has been enjoying a week or two in Indiana with all of her friends! Here are some photos.

There are times in each day that I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful family and such support and love from everyone. We are truly blessed.

-A, K, & A

Overdue Post

Hello Friends and Family.

It has been too long since my last update. Things are going well her ein the Orelove Family Household. Life moves quickly around here these days. Kim and Audrey are enjoying their time together at home while I am back to work in my 5th grade classroom.

Work is still a great pleasure of mine, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to go to a job that I love and am passionate about. My class is making steady strides this first quarter. There is much tha tI want to improve, especially when it comes to writing. However, I am satisfied with our first quarter accomplishments, especially since I was gone for two full weeks. I really think that the time between now and winter break will define our classroom as a community and a group of workers! So get ready for more on that front. The big project at the moment is our class pet project, where I am teaching the class about EBAY and I have given each student an item to auction off. They have learned about what EBAY is, how to write an effective item description, they have taken photos of their items, and next week we'll be listing them on EBAY and using any profits to purchase a class pet and all of the necessary materials! I am really trying to give them real-world experiences that they will remember and can use in the future.

As far as homelife, things are great. Audrey is really starting to grow and put on weight. She is now more than 9.5 lbs! While that doesn't seem like much, it is amazing to think that just a month and a half ago she was under 7lbs! She has started to strengthen her neck muscles, and her head doesn't flop all over. She is also in a mimic stage where if you stick your tongue out at her, she'll stick her tongue out at you! TOO CUTE!

Phoebe the dog is enjoying a couple weeks in South Bend with the other farm dogs. I want her to get a good run in befor ethe winter, and she really loves life down there! I hope that in the near future we can buy a house with a back yard fenced-in so Phoebe can get a good exercise in every day withut having to be on a leash!

Well, that's about it. I'll be posting some photos soon from a variety of events. I just want everyone to know that I haven't forgotten about the blog and I am gla that people are still checking it! More to come son!

Cheers!
-A

Saturday Night with the Newest Kid on the Block

I am sitting here happily on a Saturday night with Audrey and Phoebe on the couch. Kim is out to the New Kids on the Block concert...although I guess you'd call it a sow since none of them play an instrument or anything. I am glad that Audry was born a week early. This way, Kim can go to the show, and my child does not have to be subjected to New Kids on the Block music!

The Newest Kid and Mommy on the Block!!!

The point is, I am enjoying a nice night in with my daughter and my "furry kid", and I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. I brought Audrey into my school to visit my classroom and students. While she slept through the entire adventure, my students we fascinated and very excited and eager to share their own advice and experiences with childhood development. My Vice Principal laughed and now calls me the "tapdancer" due to my ability to "dance" around personal and sometimes inappropriate questions brought up. I am looking forward to returning to my class on Monday, but I am also sad that my paternity time is up and I will miss my daughter greatly.

Included in this entry are a couple pictures of Baby Orelove on Mom's preggo pillow!

Week 1

What a strange, amazing, sweet, exciting week getting to know Audrey Ruth Orelove and having her get used to our household. She is now 8lbs 1oz. Everything is now in 2-hour intervals, in which we nap, eat, feed and change Audrey, and walk the dog. It is very tiring, but very life-changing and a lot of fun to live minute-by-minute with our new child, listening to her grunt and sigh, and whimper as she discovers her place in the world.

Baby & Daddy

Baby Audrey's Room

At the beginning of the summer, we began to transform our office room into the baby nursery. I started by ripping out all carpet and padding, the primed and painted the room. Next we installed wood flooring, wall paneling, a chair rail, and a new ceiling fan. Next, we bought and assembled shelves, a cabinet, and rocker, and a crib. Thank you to everyone who helped with the room and gave us gift cards and other purchases. (Not pictured is the entire closet full of gifts and clothes from everyone!)






Currently, however, Kim, Baby Orelove, Phoebe the Dog, and I are all camped out downstairs in the living room via the couch and a pack-n-play crib. It is easier on Kim that she does not have to go up and down stairs. Our days thus far are basically napping, holding baby, laundry, and eating. It is wonderful, yet I doubt we'll ever get used to sleeping in intervals of 60 minutes or less at a time.




More Later.

-a

BabyBellaPhotography

FYI-

As if you didn't have enough pictures, a professional photographer came to our room and took some pictures that look pretty wonderful. They are available at:

http://www.bellababyphotography.com/#

When you get to the page, click on "client" on the bottom right, and the password is "orelove".

The photos are nice to look at, and available for a price (of course). They will be available for two weeks.

-a

Audrey Ruth Orelove

OK, so it has been a couple weeks, but this will be the highlight of the blog. Of this I am sure.



On September 20th, 2008 at 10:24PM, Audrey Ruth Orelove came into the world.



Kim's water broke at 8am, and we hung around the house for a couple hours cleaning and having some breakfast before leaving for Edwards Hospital in Naperville. She worked hard and had an epidural (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) and eventually pushed little Audry out!

She weighed 7lbs 12.5oz at birth, and left the hospital weighing 7lbs 8oz. She is beautiful and a little feisty baby who loves being warm and swaddled in blankets. She is not a fan of having her feet touched, or cold baby wipes. So far she enjoys snoozing in her Boppy Pillow and seems to enjoy crime drama television, just like her mother! :-)


Our experience at the hospital was nothing short of amazing. We felt comfortable from the moment we entered their care. The staff was hospitable and was constantly available for any questions and met all of our needs. Their knowledge and professionalism was second to none, and they were genuine people who truly cared about our child.

There will be many many more photos to come, but for now we need to rest a little and get situated in our new home. Thank you all for your love and support. We look forward to our new life together and introducing Audry (AKA Baby Ruth) to the world.

-A&K

name game

So, Kim and I are still not set on names. I'd appreciate any and all name suggestions for both boys and girls! Let's get a little chatter going on the blog this week!

-a

Sunday Night Worries--

We have been cleaning and cleaning, and the house is looking great. I guess it is some kind of pregnancy phenomenon with all of the "nesting". I would do some more reading on it, but I feel that I have very little time to do much else than prepare for the arrival of Baby O and get my new school year of the ground.

Kim and I are doing all that we can to be as ready as possible for our child, but there are times that I find myself fretting over things that I have no power over. While I have discussed these concerns at prepared childhood classes, and with Kim, they still find a way to creep into my mind at times. Things like what if the baby gets sick? What if it falls? What if ...what if...what if?!?!?? I know that this is not an uncommon thing to happen to fathers-to-be, but it is still frustrating and frightening at times.

I take comfort in knowing that we have a great support system of family and friends both near and far, and that Kim and I are both excited and looking forward to the challenges and rewards of parenthood.

For now, I will take the dog for a walk, put away the Chinese food, and enjoy a new book from the store. Tomorrow is another day of rest, cleaning, and more preparation for all of the What Ifs..

-a

Labor Day Weekend Cleaning

I am secretly updating the blog under the guise that I am checking my e-mail. I am doing so in order to take a break from the relentless cleaning that we have been undertaking all day. As one of our final preparations for Baby O, we are making every attempt to clean our house from top to bottom. While I love having a clean house, it is times like these that remind me how absolutely dirty a house can get when you don't clean behind the fridge on a daily basis! As motivation, I keep envisioning our baby crawling around and that keeps me swiffering and bumping the laundry!

Ogh Oh! Kim has found me out and is now giving me the nth degree! More later. I guess I'd better get back to the steam cleaner and cat box!

-a

The End of Summer

Again, I am sorry for the lack of updating. I will do my best to make these blogs more frequent! As you might imagine, though, things have really started to move into the fast lane here at the Orelove household!



As the title of this post reflects, the end of summer is upon us. We have relished the remaining days with frequent trips to South Bend and lazing around our house in Plainfield! I have personally savored my final days of napping leading up to the new school year. Phoebe the dog has also enjoyed spending the entire day out of her crate and running errands with me and walking all over the place!


Today, however, my school year began and I have returned to my early morning routines. While I miss the option to nap or read at any time, there is something else inside of me that is happy to have returned to the classroom. My students show great promise, and I am excited about the possibilities in my new school, Ardmore Elementary!

Kim and Baby Orelove continue to rest as much as possible. Kim is amazing and has great patience when the baby "sits" on her ribs! The last few weeks have consisted of our final runs to Babies R Us and furnature installation. As soon as we get our camera back, we'll post some updated picts of the baby room, including the new crib! Posted today, though, are some pictures from the summer including Kim and I, Momma Dixie, Beth and Mark, Ann, Conner, Emily, and baby Katherine!

Crib and things

Well, this week has involved some back-breaking work with trips to IKEA, Target, and Babies R Us. We have purchased and moved all of the baby furnature into our house. Today was the most grueling as I had to rent a UHAUL truck to pick-up the crib. It is a huge and akward box to move about, but I am excited about the final product it holds. It will be nice to assemble the crib and move it into place as it is the final piece for the room. I look forward to taking and sending final pictures of the set-up once it is complete. We have yet to decide on wall decorations, but there is also something plesant about a solid color of wall. You all will be able to make up your own opinions on the matter in a day or two.

As we assemble and arrange the final pieces before the arrival of Baby Orelove, I am experiencing many small moments of personal thought and reflection. It is quite a feeling to realize the overwhelming situation of bringing life into this world. I always thought I would have children, but never quite knew when or where. I have always avoided making absolute certain plans and allowed for life changes and flexibility. I also find myself looking back on my own childhood and examinging my own parents and experiences from youth. I am sure that I am not the only new parent to look back and search for inspiration. While I know tha there will a seemingly infinate number of moments where I will feel helplessly over my head with this new baby, I am find comfort knowing that our child will also have love and support from all of our family and friends, and I look forward to watching as everyone helps to impart...or attempt to impart knowledge and humor into the life of Baby Orelove.

Pictures to come soon!

-a

Update

Sorry about the lack of postings lately. As you might imagine, things have been speeding-up rapidly in terms of the baby, and life in general.

Kim and I have finished our baby birthing classes at Edwards Hospital. To be quite honest, it was rather overwhelming with masses of information. Over the course of 5 weeks, I had a feeling similar to that of my MAT program! However, it was comforting in a way to meet every week with a professional and a group of peers who are in the same situation and experiencing the same emotions, fears, and excitement that we are going through. It is always nice to go somewhere that you can ask questions, express concerns, and share thoughts. It helps contain the feelings of being overwhelmend with the entire process of childbirth.

With the beginning of school approaching way too fast (sigh), I find myself making end-of-the-summer lists of both personal things to go, as well as baby prep. Kim is doing great, and looks ready to explode, although we still have a little over a month! This week we're expecting the crib to arrive, which is one of those iconic daddy things to me. I look forward to assembling it and arranging it in the baby room!

I'll post some pictures soon of new things for the baby. Now it is time to get back to washing the new clothes and de-assemble the pack 'n play we bought this past weekend. Finally, it was really a pleasure to meet at the family reunion f the Fleshers and see familiar faces again. Also, thank you for all the comments and motivation to keep updating this blog. I look forward to the next several days as I transition back into teaching and near the birthday of Baby Orelove!

-a

Update

WOW! It is amazing to think that in just under two months Baby Orelove will be here! It makes me think of all the things we still have to do in order to prepare! The nesting instinct has kicked-in for both Kim and I! Lots of cleaning, lots of reorganizing, lots of getting rid of stuff that we really don't need!

We are also attending Child Birth Prep. classes every Wednesday at Edwards Hospital. They are very informative, and also a lot of fun. It is comforting on may levels to be with a group of people who are going through the same experiences and emotions as you are. It is also a great learning experience with a lot of laughs. For me, however, it is all the information that is most comforting. I think that, as a new parent, I have so many questions and know so little, that it is a relief to have my questions readily answered!

Well, that seems to be it for now. I'll try and get some more pictures up in the near future!

Cheers!

-a

Shower Gifts & Flower Gifts

OK, so I finally got around to taking some pictures of our gifts. I was telling some people the other day that I noticed that people no longer get a "stroller", they get a "travel SYSTEM". Everything for children have become systems. Sleep SYSTEMS, feeding SYSTEMS, bathing SYSTEMS, etc. Just something I've noticed.

OK, now onto the pictures. Included are the travel system, a wookie, some baby clothes, etc. Also, I am including a few more pictures from Kim's garden, including a couple flowers and her tomatoes (salmonella free!).

Baby Shower

I don't have the pictures yet, but we had our first baby shower this past Sunday. I know that the husband usually does not attend, but I figure that if people are gathering and giving to our family, then I should be around!

We were very spoiled, and were given many wonderful gifts, including a Wookie and some Indiana University gear. I am sure that the Ball State gear will show up later! :-)

Thank you everyone for your generosity and love. I'll post picts as soon as I get them!

-A

Phoebe

It is time to introduce one of our "hairy kids". This is our dog, Phoebe. We found her in an animal shelter in December 2007. She is onlynine months old and is a wonderful addition to our small family! She is a mix of black lab and something else! We may never know! What we do know is that she's an awesome little pup and is full of crazy energy and always keeps one ear up and one ear down!

Nursery Pictures

OK! Here are the end results of our efforts in the new nursery. We painted the walls "grass cloth", installed new laminate wood flooring,
wanespanneling (sp?), a chair rail, and quarter-molding along the floor! It was a lot of work and toil, but in the end, it looks pretty great!

4th of July Weekend

Happy 4th of July! We celebrated with several parties and lots and lots of food! Here is a first picture of K with baby! I am also posting this sunflower close-up because I love it! K has this Digital SLR camera (very nice) and it is pretty awesome with some of the things it can do. Hopefully, we'll have many more pictures to post in the near future! Cheers!