Gerkin Around

Lily is 2 months old!

2007-08-24T12:11:00.000-06:00

2 month Stats
weight: 12 lbs. 2 oz. (75th percentile)

height: 22 1/2 in. (50th percentile)

head: 15 3/4 in. (75th percentile)

We've been very busy for that last month and Lily has been growing like a weed! She's already grown out of her newborn clothes and is wearing 3 to 6 month sizes. Her little personality is starting to come out as well! She is so sweet and happy. She coos and squeals with delight all the time, especially when Mommy and Daddy are talking to her. Last week she started at Gymboree and did really well. She loved looking at all the other babies and really seemed to enjoy the songs and activities.

At 6 weeks old Lily made her third appearance on local TV! My station sent a crew to our home to do a live update on my maternity leave. Lily was good as gold until they said stand-by! She would start crying, almost on cue! It was too funny. I'll try to post the video.

The first week of August, my cousin Liz came to visit from Pensacola. We had a fun time digging through boxes of old pictures. She was such a help with Lily. It was so nice having her here. She just graduated from The University of West Florida and is getting ready to go on several job interviews in California, so I'm glad she got to visit before she gets too busy with her PR/Marketing career!

August 7th was our neighborhood National Night Out party and Lily's first time meeting many of our neighbors. We are so blessed to live in a neighborhood with so many friendly people!

Ben's parents came down from West Virginia last week to see their new granddaughter for the first time. Of course, they fell in love with her! I don't think Ben's Mom put Lily down for more than 5 minutes the entire time she was here!

This week we had to say good-bye to two of the best friends we've made in Shreveport, Dave Schwartz and his wife Shannon Slatton-Schwartz. Dave, who was the Sports Director at my station, took a new job at KARE in Minneapolis. This is such an amazing opportunity for him and we are thrilled for his success even though we know we're going to really miss him. Shannon was our Morning Anchor and is following her man to the Twin Cities. I'm sure it won't be long till she lands a great TV job there as well. Some of you may remember her name from my shower invitations. She was one of the hostesses and really made sure it was a special day for me. She was also responsible for picking my Mom up from the airport and getting her to the hospital the day Lily was born.

On Tuesday, Lily had her 2 month check up with Dr. Pace, which included her first round of vaccines. She got two shots in one leg and one in the other, and it probably goes without saying, she was not happy about the ordeal! She fussed for the next 24 hours, but has made a full recovery and is back to her happy little self! Dr. Pace seemed happy with her development. I've posted her stats at the top of this post.

Lily is now sleeping 7 to 8 hours through the night which makes me sooooo happy since I will be returning to work in a few weeks. Hopefully we'll both make it through that adjustment without too much drama!

Lily's Professional Pictures!!!

2007-08-05T21:03:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we had local photographer, Hannah Parker shoot Lily's first professional pictures. They were taken one day before she turned one month old. We are so happy with how they turned out! To check them out, click the link below:

LILY'S PICTURES BY HANNAH PARKER

We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Don't forget to let us know what you think!

One Exhausting Month!

2007-07-23T15:54:00.000-06:00

Last week Lily turned one month old and to mark the occasion we took her for her first professional pictures. Local photographer, Hannah Parker did an amazing job dealing with our baby girl, and from what I saw of the pictures as they downloaded to her computer, they're priceless! They should be available to view online sometime this week, so I'll post a link to them once they're available. Also if you'd like to view our personal pictures from her first month (and in the future), let me know and I'll include you on our snapfish email list.

This past month with Lily has flown by! She is now up to around 10 pounds and 22 inches after dropping almost a pound from her birth weight during a bout with jaundice. We spent the first week at home with her on a bilirubin light 24 hours a day, which was taxing, but did cure the jaundice.

Our Lily is a sweet baby (most of the time), but when she wants something, she let's you know! We joke that she has two sounds, silent and scream! When she wants something she has very little patience (like mom). She loves to snuggle. Loves her swing. Loves music. Loves bathtime. Loves Daddy.

Last week, at one month and one day, she rolled over from her back to her stomach. She's also starting to hold her head up on her own for short periods of times. Unfortunately (for Mom and Dad), we're still trying to get her days and nights straight.

I also want to share some good news about a few of my friends. My college friend, Barbi (Sorenson) Smole and her husband Kevin are expecting their second child in January. Another college friend, Courtney (George) Abels and her husband Rowdy are expecting their first child, a baby girl. And my high school friend, Kristie (Spence) Jones and her husband Ben are expecting their second child.

I'd also like to congratulate my cousin Heather on the birth of her third child, Cole Ramone. He was born May 27th. He weighed 8lbs. 6oz. and was 20 inches long.

It's a Girl!!!

2007-06-22T01:12:00.000-06:00

Lily Amelia

Just wanted to give you all a quick update since I've been MIA most of my 3rd trimester!

On Tuesday, June 19th our little girl finally made her way into the world! After almost 17 hours in labor I gave birth to an 8lb. 3oz. baby girl who Ben and I named Lily Amelia. She was born at 7:57 pm. She's 20 in. long and has big blue eyes with long lashes and a head full of silky black hair.

Ben and I are so in love! We are also totally consumed with taking care of her, so please forgive us if we've promised you a phone call or email and haven't gotten around to it yet...we'll get caught up one of these days!

Here are links to my station's website. They've posted a few pictures and some video! Enjoy!

Video: http://arklatexhomepage.com/media_player.php?media_id=2209

Pictures: http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=4518

Big Week (and big belly) Ahead

2007-04-09T06:33:00.000-06:00

the belly at 28 weeks pregnant

How about that belly! The picture was taken when I was 28 weeks along, and just in case you're wondering, those aren't mosquito bites, they're scars from when I had my gall bladder removed last summer.

Since my last post Ben and I have been busy getting ready for the baby. We've just about finished the nursery and we're really happy with how its turning out. I'll post some picture of it soon.

Two weeks ago I took the glucose tolerance test, which checks for gestational diabetes. As far as I know I passed. My Doctor said he would call if anything showed up. He never did, so I think I'm in the clear. I have my 30 weeks check up this Friday. That's right, 30 weeks! Just 10 more to go!

My Mom is coming to visit this Thursday, so she'll get to go with me to my check up. She'll also be here Saturday for my shower; which is the main reason for her visit. I'm really excited that she's coming! At first she wasn't sure if she'd be able to make it because she's having a pool put in and the work is starting this week. But everything worked out and I booked her a flight on Saturday. Needless to say, I'm counting the days till she gets here. She hasn't seen me since I was 16 weeks along, so I'm sure she'll see a big change! We've also made a ton of changes to our house since her last visit in October, so I'm anxious to hear what she thinks.

That's it for now. Check back soon for the nursery pictures and pictures from my shower!

23 weeks and going strong

2007-02-27T23:19:00.000-06:00

I had my 23 weeks check-up today, and everything looks good. My next visit is in four weeks and at that point they'll test to see if I have gestational diabetes. After that I'll be in my third trimester and will start going to the OB every two weeks. Yes, we are fast approaching the final countdown!

In other baby news...Baby G's first toy arrived today! It's a cute little stuffed butterfly with a music box inside. Ben's mom picked it up while shopping and sent it as a surprise. It's nice to finally have a toy in the toy basket!

Also, I've got some more "Pregnant Heidi" video to share. You can really see the bump in this one! Look for the second shot of me in the tan sweater....enjoy!

http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/media_player.php?media_id=656

Holy Cankles, Batman!

2007-02-23T00:16:00.000-06:00

Our Director, Josh Stanley took these pictures with his cell phone on Wednesday. I was having some serious swollen feet issues and the nurse at my OB's office instructed me to keep my feet elevated. So I rolled out my file cabinet and, well, you get the picture. I'm not wearing any shoes because my feet wouldn't fit in them....ahhh the joys of pregnancy!

Everyone knows now (As if they couldn't tell)

2007-02-22T12:08:00.000-06:00

After much coaxing from my co-workers and employer, I finally gave in last night and mentioned that I'm expecting during our 10pm newscast. I didn't tell anyone I was going to do it beforehand, just in case I changed my mind.

So why last night? Well, I was reading a health story about a study that found women who have heartburn are more likely to give birth to a baby with a full head of hair. If you've been around me for the past 5 months than you know heartburn has been my #1 pregnancy woe. So I guess that means our little one will have a full head of hair; not that I expected anything else since Ben and I were both born with thick, black locks.

Anyway, you can watch the video on my stations website. The link to the actual announcement is:

http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/media_player.php?media_id=589

If you want to watch the story that lead into the announcement, the link is:

http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/media_player.php?media_id=585

Enjoy!

PS...I was told these clips will be combined, so if you click on them and they don't work you can go to www.arklatexhomepage.com and click on news, and look for the "Heidi's Big Announcement" video.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-02-21T00:12:00.000-06:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. I'm not going to give her age away, but lets just say it's a big one! And here's another hint, she doesn't look even close to her age...hope I get so lucky! I wish I could be with her on her special day, but she knows she's in my heart. She'll get the gift she really wants in June!

The picture was taken in October at The Louisiana Boardwalk during her first visit to Shreveport. This is one of my all time favorite pictures cause it's of the two people I love most in this world!

The Count Down

2007-02-15T20:43:00.000-06:00

Thank You

2007-02-10T11:51:00.000-06:00

Ben and I are overwhelmed by all the wonderful messages and emails we've received since announcing my pregnancy. There have been almost 200 hits on this blog in the past two days!

Isn't technology amazing? Our little baby hasn't even arrived yet and all of our family and friends across the country have already gotten a glimpse of him or her! It's so nice to be able to share our excitement with everyone; especially since it's just the two of us here in Louisiana. We are so blessed to have all of you in our lives!

Yesterday I ordered the furniture for the nursery; my mother's gift to her first grandchild! Everything should be in in about 4 weeks. I can hardly wait! I'll be sure to post some pictures once it's finished. But for now, it's off to Lowe's to pick out paint!

Baby News of Our Own!

2007-02-07T23:35:00.000-06:00

Profile at 20 Weeks

Hand in a fist at 20 weeks

11 weeks

7 weeks

I'm sitting on the sofa enjoying a big bowl of ice cream, with my very swollen feet (which I can no longer see when I'm standing) propped up. Yes, I'm pregnant!

Ben and I are very excited about our new edition; who is supposed to show up some time around the end of June. I'm 20 weeks along this week, so we're half way there. We had another ultrasound yesterday and can't believe how much our little one has grown. You can check out the progression in the pictures above.

We've had scans done at 7, 11, and 20 weeks. Each time the baby has had a strong heart rate; which is very comforting. This time it was 157, and according to the measurements our baby now weighs 13.5 oz and is about 10.5 inches long. The baby was very active during the ultrasound, which seems to be the norm. I've been feeling a lot of movement especially at night and in the morning.

We're far enough along at this point to find out what we're having, but we've chosen to wait until the birth to find out....so check back in June!

I'm going to try and keep our blog updated with baby info for the rest of my pregnancy, so check back for updates. Maybe I'll even post a belly picture! YIKES!

PS...congrats to my cousin Heather who is expecting a little boy a few weeks before me!

Congrats Carly!

2007-02-04T13:36:00.000-06:00

I'd like to congratulate Carly Stephenson on a job well done in the North Carolina Junior Miss program. Carly was an Interview winner and a Poise winner in the competition which was held in Greensboro over the weekend. If you like to see pictures from the program log onto www.ncjuniormiss.org and click on "orders".

Introducing Bree Elizabeth Harmon

2007-01-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Robby and Jesika (Henderson) Harmon on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Bree Elizabeth. Here are her stats: 7 lbs. 3 ounces and 20 inches. Mom and Dad say she's got tons of hair! Some of you may remember Jesika as America's Junior Miss 2000.

Taylor Anne Balbuena

2007-01-15T19:24:00.000-06:00

Born: 01-07-2007

Birth Time: 1:37 pm

Birth Place: Wilmington, NC

Weight: 8 lbs 6 oz.

Length: 20.5 in.

I'm an Aunt!

2007-01-07T15:17:00.000-06:00

My sister-in-law gave birth to an 8lb. 6oz. baby girl today! Taylor Anne Balbuena arrived around 2:00 this afternoon. Mom and baby are doing well. I'll post pictures as soon as I have them.

Introducing Carter Winland

2006-12-17T12:33:00.000-06:00

Congrats to RD and Stephanie (Meisberger) Winland on the birth of their son Carter. He was born December 14th at 9:15 pm. He weighed in at 8lbs. 5oz. and measured 22 inched long. Both Mom and baby are doing well!

Carly is Charlotte's Junior Miss

2006-12-16T16:07:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Carly Stephenson on being named Charlotte's Junior Miss. She'll be competing in the North Carolina Junior Miss program in February.

Carly is my friend Terri's daughter. Terri was West Virginia's Junior Miss 1978, which makes Carly's Junior Miss experience even more special!

I've known Carly since she was a little girl. She's grown into such a beautiful and talented young woman who truly exemplifies what Junior Miss is all about.

If you attended my wedding you may recognize her. She and her brother Brady we're my guest book attendants.

Good Luck to Carly at the state program, and welcome to the Junior Miss sisterhood!

51st Miss Clayland Crowned

2006-10-15T11:55:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Allie Krucek, the new Miss Clayland. The above picture is from The Times-Reporter, and shows outgoing Miss Clayland, Kasey Wilson crowning Allie.

Allie, if you happen to read this, I wish you the best at Miss Ohio. You are so very lucky to have the "Clayland Crew" behind you!

Withie comes to Shreveport!!!

2006-10-07T21:12:00.000-06:00

My Mom made her first trip to Shreveport on Thursday. She'll be here till Wednesday. I haven't seen her since last December; it's the longest stretch I've ever gone without seeing her!
So far we've been having lots of fun visiting all the antique shops. Today we had this picture taken at the Home Show, and tomorrow we're hitting the casinos!!!

Sissy heading for the Big Time!

2006-09-22T15:34:00.000-06:00

My dear friend and fellow Ohio Junior Miss alumni, Sissy Schaefer is leaving Cleveland after many years to become one of the hosts on a new show NBC is launching in December. Below is an article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer with all the details.

Sissy and I exchanged emails today, and she seems very excited about this new opportunity and her upcoming move to Orlando!

For those of you who don't have the privilege of watching Sissy (aka Stefani Schaefer) on the tube in Cleveland, make sure and take the time to watch her new show if it airs in your market. She is one of those "true talents" and is one of the sweetest, most down to earth people I know.

All the best to Sissy and her beautiful family!

Schaefer leaving Live on 5' for national NBC show
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Julie E. Washington Plain Dealer Reporter

"Live on 5" co-host Stefani Schaefer is leaving Cleveland for a new village.
She will co-host "iVillage Live," a new NBC national daytime program based in Orlando, Fla., and launching in December.
The magazine show has been described as a cross between the female-driven talker "The View" and the often-wacky "Live With Regis and Kelly." It will offer celebrities but will emphasize Internet interactivity with viewers.
"Obviously, we're really proud of her and excited," said WEWS Channel 5 general manager John Butte. "She's so excited."
Because of the ongoing negotiations with NBC, Schaefer said she couldn't comment. An NBC representative said the company had no official announcement about "iVillage Live." The show will be broadcast from Universal Studios, which is NBC's corporate sibling. The one-hour program will air at noon on NBC's owned-and-operated stations across the country. Schaefer will be one of three hosts.
It won't be seen on Cleveland's NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3, because that station is owned by Gannett Broadcasting. However, Internet-savvy viewers will be able to see the program at www.ivillage.com. That site offers chat and expert advice on jobs, parenting, health and other topics aimed at women.
NBC hopes to put "iVillage" into syndication next year, Butte said. Schaefer's not going anywhere immediately. The new show launches in Decem ber, and Channel 5 is angling to keep her through November sweeps. Butte said he didn't know when her last day at "Live on 5" will be.
The move will take her away from her Northeast Ohio roots. Schaefer grew up in Alliance and studied communications at Mount Union College there.
Cleveland viewers first saw Schaefer on WJW Channel 8 in 1992. She co-hosted the morning show before shifting to Channel 5's "Live on 5" in 2002. Most recently, she was paired with Leon Bibb.
There's no plan yet for replacing her on "Live on 5," Butte said.

Missing Posts

2006-09-14T10:49:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for a post and can't seem to find it any more, it was probably deleted. For some reason a few of my postings were causing formatting issues on my blog and I had to delete them. I've saved them on my computer and am working on restoring them. Sorry for any confusion.

John Dahlia to Run for Fairmont City Council

2006-08-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

I received the press release below this morning from my friend and former News Director, John Dahlia. It comes as no surprise to me that John has thrown his hat into the race for Fairmont City Council. In the seven years I've known John, he's always had a passion for the betterment of Fairmont. Good Luck to you John! If I lived in Fairmont you'd have my vote! (John is in the center of the above picture which was taken at the WV Associated Press Awards is 2002)

Fairmont, WV – John Dahlia, Morgantown Avenue resident and longtime supporter of the City of Fairmont, announces his candidacy for the First District City of Fairmont Council Seat. Dahlia says he wants to put his passion for Fairmont’s future to work.

"I love Fairmont," Dahlia admitted. "I’m proud to say I live here. Now, I want to help this community reach greater heights as a member of its city council."

Dahlia officially filed on Tuesday, August 8, 2006 for the open seat in the city’s First District.

"There is much to be done for this great city," Dahlia said. "I believe it’s time for all of us to join together and help make Fairmont the community of choice for business development and where families can live comfortably. If the voters of Fairmont will have me, I will focus every moment on doing what’s right for the good folks who live here."

About the candidate

John Dahlia lives on Morgantown Avenue with his wife Gina Martino-Dahlia and their two children, Sabrina, 10 and Nicolas, 2.

John’s employment background includes three years as an award-winning television reporter, anchor and producer at WDTV-Channel 5. In 1996, John was hired by Main Street Fairmont to become its second Program Director. In 1998, John left Main Street Fairmont and headed back to WDTV to become its News Director for six years. In 2000, John was also awarded the prestigious West Virginia and National Region III Small Business Journalist of the Year from the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2004, John left WDTV and television news to work for Wade Linger and TMC Technologies, Inc. as its Director of Business Development and Communications. In March 2005, TMC Technologies was acquired by Global Science & Technology, Inc. and John was named its Director of Corporate Public Relations.

Aside from his beautiful wife and two children, John is proud to say his parents Robert and Lena Dahlia retired to Fairmont in November 2005. He is also proud to be the son-in-law of Frank and Rina Martino of Fairmont.

For more information, please contact John Dahlia at (304) 363-8947 or at work at (304) 368-1862 ext. 14 or e-mail at: jdahlia@hotmail.com.

To see John filing for office on WBOY go to the link below:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1086757730

New House & the loss of an Internal Organ

2006-08-10T11:35:00.000-06:00

Ben and I closed on our new house two weeks ago and since then we've become quite the DIY team. Our "new" house was built in the early 60's, so we're doing a few updates before we move in, and a few more once we've moved!

So far we've painted most of the rooms, and we're almost finished with our kitchen makeover...slate tile floors, white tile countertops, white cabinets against navy blue walls, and all new stainless appliances...I LOVE IT!

The next big project; gutting the bathroom! That will have to wait until we're moved in because I lost an internal organ yesterday! Don't worry it's actually a good thing, or at least it will be once I get over the pain and heal. After months of pain and digestive problems, I had my gall bladder removed. Inside was a gall stone the size of a shooter marble! No wonder I was in so much pain! OUCH! I'm very sore today and still a bit groggy, but it will be worth it when I can eat without pain! Can't wait!

Yet Another Beautiful Baby Girl!

2006-07-10T17:39:00.000-06:00

After 21 hours of labor, 2 epidurals, 4 additional shots to the epidural, and only making it to 9 centimeters, Barbi (Sorensen) Smole finally had her first child via C-Section. Samantha Ann Smole was born 6-26-2006 at 11:12pm and weighed in at 8 pounds 5 ounces and measured 21 inches long.

Congratulations to Barbi and Kevin on their beautiful little blessing! If you'd like to read more about Baby Sam, and check out lots of adorable pictures, click on the link to the Smole Family Blog in the right hand column of my blog.

By the way...can't help but notice that all my girlfriends keep having baby girls. Something in the water maybe?