Turkey Day 2011

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Cache Valley. We debated whether or not to go because of how young Olivia is, but in the end we decided it would be a good idea. I'm glad we went. Olivia got to meet a bunch of the Porter aunts, uncles, and cousins. We had 6 of the 8 siblings at Mom and Dad's. Of course everyone loved her. :) Here are some pics.Olivia, Kim, Dave, Mom

Porter, and Grandma Barbara (99)A group shotUncle Ben, Aunt Cheryl, Grandpa

Porter, Uncle Bob, and Grandma BarbaraAnother group photo

After lunch with the Porter family, we went to Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma Nelson and Grandpa Pat. It was a much smaller group, but excellent company. Olivia really enjoyed being able to see so many people and Mom and Dad liked letting other people hold her for a while.

Olivia and Grandma NelsonOlivia and Grandpa PatOlivia and Uncle Chuck

It wasn't a total picnic however. This was our first overnight trip with Olivia and it was a trying start. I kept joking that next time we'll start packing 3 days before, but I just might do it. We've done trips with Jack and Sadie, and while we knew it would be harder with a baby, we didn't realize just how much work it is to travel with a child. Once we finally got on the road we made it with only 1 brief stop. It was only a 2 hour trip or so, but that was more than far enough.This just goes to show how tough it was for Baby and DAD. ;0)

We had planned to stay until today or tomorrow, but it didn't work out. Dave has had some health issues, which flared up; so we ended up heading home yesterday. It may have been for the best anyway. We were able to get our tree up today. It turned out really well. Tree picture to be posted at a later date.

What Do You Know?

Or rather, what does Dave know? Apparently a lot. Dave took a couple of tests yesterday, one on Excel and the other on financial principles, etc. The average score for the finance portion is 71%, and the average for Excel is 75%. So how did Dave do? He scored 80% on the finance, which isn't too shabby considering he graduated 6 years ago. He told me he got 100% on accounts payable, 90% on accounting, and 69% (not his best, although surprising lower than I would have thought) on accounts receivable. On the Excel testing, 100%! Congratulations Dave; way to go and I love you bunches!!

1 Month

Happy 1 month birthday Olivia. It has gone by quickly, but not. We have had our share of good days, bad days, challenges and bright spots thus far. All in all, Olivia has been so much fun; she has got a lot of personality. She amazes us all the time with how alert she is and how much she can do. Despite her occasional "down" days, Olivia is a great baby and we love her! We look forward to continuing watching her grow and progress.

Dinner Winner!

I entered an ongoing radio contest a while back, and then my radio broke. So I haven't been able to listen to anything in the car for a while. (Major bummer.) Anyway, I went to check our mail a day or two ago and had an envelope from Now 97.9 in there.It turns out I was a Free Pizza Friday winner. So I got 3 free pizzas from Papa Murphy's Pizza.I guess now we'll have for dinner on a busy night. :0)

10.31.2011

Today was Halloween. We just bought Olivia a onesie this year rather than a costume. I put her in it a few days ago and she proceeded to spit up on it. So I did a load of laundry this morning and by the middle of the day she got it dirty again. Nevertheless, I think she looked pretty good.We had her (slightly late - Mom and Dad's fault) appointment today. We met her pediatrician, who was dressed up as a pirate. I think he'll be a good Dr. for Olivia, but I still don't know what he looks like really. It was fun though. We're so proud of Olivia. She's packing on the pounds. Since her last appointment 12 days ago, she gained 1 lb. Her stats say: ht - 3%, wt - 10%, head circumference - 25%. She's on the smaller side, go figure, but at least she made it on the charts.

Dave has decided to switch brokers. After several meetings, much deliberation, and lengthy discussions with his wife, he has decided to move to Prudential! We're excited about the change and both feel that it is what will be best for our family right now. Dave called to inform his new "boss" that he would be coming and we were invited to the office Halloween party. It was fun. Dave is excited to get started in his new ventures and his girls are very proud of him.

Gratitude & Blessings

Wow! I have been amazed at the tremendous amount of generosity and support we have had because of Olivia. She is now about 2 1/2 weeks old and she's still being spoiled. (Something I suspect will be ongoing.) Dave and I were able to take her to my work this week to meet the rest of "Mom's family." It's just too bad that no one likes her at all! Yeah right...Olivia got so much attention in my office that it took us 20 minutes to make it to the nurses station. In reality, everyone loved her! But then again, who wouldn't? :0) We have been cautious in taking her out, but have made a few trips out and about for errands, etc. On Monday we have Olivia's 2 week checkup and we'll see how she's doing. We'll also finally get to meet our pediatrician.

It has been interesting to me to have so many people take an interest in our lives and for the service we've received. We have had a few dinners brought to us, which we greatly appreciate, and it seems the amount of food is meant to feed an army. I realize now that the next time I take dinner to someone I should send a 2 week supply. ;0) Also, several patients that I have worked with over the last few years have made blankets for Olivia. They are all adorable and greatly appreciated.Both Olivia and I have been very spoiled. We have been able to have Daddy home with us the last couple of weeks. Not exactly by choice per say, but it has been a huge help to have Dave home and just to be able to see him. He is an amazing dad and he just adores Olivia, which is evidently mutual.

First Few Days

I'm finally getting around to a quick post. It has been a busy few days since bringing Olivia home. We have had some concerns about her eating and digestion. She actually is quite a good eater and has a decent schedule, but her diaper count has been behind and we've been concerned with a few incidents.

Since getting her home we have not gone a day without some sort of doctor's appointment. Thankfully they always say she's alright. While it may seem like we're paranoid or hypochondriacs about her care, I really think there have been some concerns. Dave was able to give his first father's blessing to Olivia this morning and I know that she has already been helped by that. In fact it's been beneficial for me as well. I've felt great comfort and peace today about her health. Our goal for tomorrow, which I believe we can hit, is to not see a Dr.
My mom was able to come help us for the first several days and now Dave's parents have helped us the last few. We are so grateful for all of them and their tremendous support! We really appreciate everyone's love and support. So thank you all.Love,
Dave, Kim, and Olivia