Ariana's Second Month

We have had a fun-filled couple of months and are embracing the fall, my favorite time of the year! Ariana is now 2 months and 3 weeks old and growing by leaps and bounds. So much so, in fact, that her pediatrician couldn't believe she was only a breastfed baby. He thought she was also having formula because she had gained a good amount of weight. So, needless to say, she is very healthy and mostly happy, except for in the evenings, when she is tired from the day's activities.

Our weeks are occupied with visiting friends like my best friend, Kristi and her 7-month old son, Gavin. We often go walking along the W and OD trail or around our neighborhood. We continue to see Mimi at least once a week and she enjoys going shopping with us or watching Ariana so that I can get out and run errands or go to the gym. On the weekends we have outings planned with daddy and family and/or friends. Some of our outings are highlighted below with pictures.

We are getting excited for Halloween, and Ariana will be donning an outfit that evening that says, "My First Halloween" along with a hat and booties that say, "Boo" on them. Should be fun to hang out with our neighborhood friends that night. We are also looking forward to introducing Ariana to some of our family that are coming into town. Aunt Mary Ann, Uncle Dick and Aunt Celine are arriving tomorrow; then Pete's sister Athena and her husband, Steve, and Ariana's cousin, Sophia are in town for a medical conference the following weekend. The weekend after that we get to introduce great grandma to her great granddaughter which will be exciting, as well as Uncle Joel and Aunt Mary, my dad's brother. Lots of things to look forward to! Please enjoy the pictures below to see what we have been up to over the past month and a half.

Stats (from her 2-month check-up on Oct. 1)
-Weighed11 lbs. and 2 ounces (55th percentile)
-Measured 23 inches (75th percentile)
-Head circumference 15 and 1/4 inches (50th percentile)

Her Likes
-Mirrors and watching people's faces
-Being held
-T.V. (although we try to avoid her watching it, sometimes she catches a glimpse and is mesmerized)
-Napping in her swing in the morning from about 10:30-1:00pm
-Bath time continues to be a favorite for her and for me because it instantaneously stops her
crying
-Her play yard which she plays on for about a half hour and enjoys kicking the toys that
rattle and make noise and grabbing at objects that hang above her
-Sticking her tongue out at us if we do it first, and I just taught her how to blow bubbles and
make the "motorcycle" sound which she tries to do - hilarious
-Books

Her Dislikes
-Getting burped
-Tummy time
-Having her clothes changed (she still hates this)
-Evening time (because she is overtired)
-Spitting up (continues to soak her clothes)
-Sitting in her car seat

Outings/Happenings
-Had a picnic on September 5th at Potomac Point Vineyard with Mimi, Grandpop, Melissa, Jeff, and Kendall















-Had lunch with Cheryl in Georgetown on September 6th
-Had a BBQ at our house for our friends where she met Tyler, Erica, Brent and Flavia

-Went to Mimi and Grandpop's house on September 19th for a BBQ where Ariana met all of their friends and neighbors

-Had two-month check-up on October 1st

-Went to Great Country Farms for pumpkins and fun!





































Milestones
-First smile and laugh in response to us smiling at her on September 2nd (6 weeks old)









-She discovered her hands on September 22nd and now they are constantly in her mouth

-Grasped her rattle and held it on September 30th all by herself
-Slept through the night for the first time on October 5th (yay!)

Ariana - Month 1

It is hard to believe that Ariana, our little angel, is already a month old! It is certainly true what other parents have warned me about time going by so fast. For that reason, we have tried to cherish every moment we have with her, even the ones where she is screaming her pretty little head off. She is absolutely adorable, and we can't believe how fortunate we are to have such a perfect baby. We have fondly nicknamed her "Squeaks" because of her very loud squeals, squeaks, and grunts which she does pretty much all day and night long, even when she is sleeping. Also, the faces she makes when she is waking up from sleep are priceless and can best be described as dramatic. We hope to capture it on video and post it for everyone to see at some point soon. Below are some of her stats, likes, dislikes, outings/happenings, and milestones from her first month of life. We hope you enjoy watching her grow and thrive as much as we have so far!
Stats (not exact because we have not had a doctor's appt. in about 3 1/2 weeks)
-Weighs over 8 lbs.
-Measures 21+ inches
Her Likes
-She loves watching the mobiles in her crib and swing
-Every morning and evening she takes a nap in her swing enjoying the music and rocking
-She had her first bath at 4 weeks old and has gotten one almost every night since. She also gets a baby massage afterward so that she is nice and relaxed before bed time
-Ariana likes taking rides in the car and usually falls asleep when we do that
-Taking walks and being in the fresh air seems to calm her, so we try to fit that in at least once a
day when the weather cooperates
-Daddy making funny faces at her
-Mommy dancing and singing with/to her
-Eating, which she does every two-three hours




Her Dislikes
-Having a poopy/peepy-filled diaper
-Having her diaper changed (although she is getting better
about this)
-Having her clothes changed (screams her head off every
time)
-Being hungry (obviously. . .no one likes being hungry :-)
-Spitting up (which she does A LOT)
-Sitting in her car seat
Outings/Happenings
-Went to Mimi's house one day and out to lunch at Ruby Tuesday


-Visited Kristi and Gavin a couple of times down in Falls Church







-Had her first photo shoot at Kristi's house with a photographer












-Went shoe shopping with mommy


-Enjoyed visiting with Uncle Jeff, Aunt Melissa and Kendall and having dinner with them





-Had grandma and grandpa babysit so mommy and daddy could go out to dinner and a movie
(so nice to get out as a couple again)









-Had two doctor's visits within the first two weeks of life; she goes back at 2 months of age
Milestones
-She can raise her head and neck from our shoulders and look around her
-She is starting to recognize mommy and daddy and will smile at us
-Becoming more and more curious of her surroundings

Ariana Isabelle Stoyas

7 lbs. 10 oz. and 19 3/4 inches

Born at 3:55pm at Inova Fairfax Hospital

After being admitted to the hospital on Tuesday evening, with preparations for a Wednesday morning induction scheduled, we were anxiously anticipating the birth of our little one. I began having contractions at about 3:00am which woke me up and I was pretty much up until 6:00am waiting for the pytocin to be administered. I was one centimeter dilated at 6:00am. I received an epidural about 2 hours later and then went from 2-8 centimeters dilated in a few hours time. I began pushing at 3:15 and she was born at 3:55pm! Pete was an awesome labor coach and helped to make sure that my labor went as requested. We had relaxing music playing and besides myself, Pete, a nurse and the doctor, the room was quiet and peaceful with very little talking between contractions. Just what I wanted the atmosphere to be like when Ariana arrived! Here is her proud papa immediately after her birth. Pretty much love at first sight. Pete is so done. . . Ariana will get anything she wants from her daddy. He adores her!

Everyone was surprised by how beautiful her skin was. Must take after my mom's side of the family there! She really was pretty as a newborn, if I do say so myself :-). Since I pushed her out, I figure I get some bragging rights - LOL!

Our first night in the hospital was exciting and we could not get enough of her, but we were also so exhausted. She was given a bath by the amazing nursing staff and we had her in our room for most of the night. Letting her go out of eyesight was tough to do, even for a second. I don't think we slept much . . .

We were in the hospital for a couple of days before taking her home. I bought this outfit below for her to wear home and although it was a little big on her, she still looked so cute!

Nursery Photos

Photos of our Daughter's Nursery
This is a picture of the window as you walk into the room from the doorway. Valance is a toile pattern although it is hard to see here and the panels on either side have little cream stars on them to match her bedding.
My dad did an awesome paint job!
It took my mom and I three hours to get the mural on the wall perfect. Love it! The pink part is hard to read, but it says, "Guardian Angel Pure and Bright, Guard Me While I Sleep Tonight."












In her armoire we put some of her onesies, her own stereo system for soothing music and a few of her toys.














All in all we went for a vintage feel with the bedding and chandelier and lamp on the nightstand, and I think it came out quite nice for our little one. Hopefully she likes her new room!


She also has her own big bathroom too! Just what a girl needs. Her new bath lounger is all set and ready for her first bath. Yippee . . .

May 30th Baby Shower - Clifton, Virginia

Humbled by Friendship

I've always known that I have been incredibly lucky in my life to have been blessed with the most caring, generous, loyal, and considerate friends that a girl could ever ask for . However, I was reminded yet again just how fantastic they are when BFFs Melissa, Kristi, and Cheryl (my sis) threw me yet another phenomenal shower at the historic Heart In Hand restaurant in old town Clifton, Virginia.
The weather was beautiful outside, and the drive to old town set the stage for a picture perfect baby shower. All of my dear friends were there; I was humbled to see everyone in one room celebrating the upcoming birth of my daughter. The quaint venue was decked out with pink and white roses on the tables and Melissa baked yummy sugar cookies as favors which were wrapped and decorated each place setting.
The cake; however, was the highlight of the room. Decorated to match the theme of my bedding with stars all over it and a bear in the middle, it was the most precious cake I have ever seen.
Mimosas, champagne, apple cider, and sparkling apple juice was served to start, and brunch was scrumptious as well. I received so many wonderful gifts; I cannot wait to get into the new house in a couple of weeks to begin setting up the nursery. All in all, Melissa, Kristi, and Cheryl did a wonderful job of making this a day I will never forget. Love you guys and thank you SO very much!

Memorial Day BBQ - The Kim's New House

Although the weather could have cooperated more, we still had a great time at Rich and Kristi's new house (or should I say, estate?) grilling out and playing beer pong. A few pics from that day compliments of Jo K. (that's her below:-)