Introducing:

Cooper Sena Sampaio!

A couple hours old

                                
                                                        
                                                 
     

                                                 

Meet Cooper.  Born October 6th 2014, 3:05 pm, 8 lb 11 oz, and 20 inches long.    

Here is the rundown: The pregnancy went pretty easy.  Nausea for a few months,  Extreme tiredness through out (especially with a 1.5 year old running around).  It got pretty uncomfortable for me at the end and he was moving a lot (I only mention this, because with Olivia I hardly felt her move and don't remember being so uncomfortable).  Other than that, I feel like I had it easy (as with my first).

I didn't get to the doctors until 16 weeks, but everything looked good, so that was a relief.  At the second or third appointment we set a tentative date of October 6th to be induced. (Tentative because Amilton was so sure he would be here by then, he even had me convinced).  At the 20 week appointment we found out he was a boy, no questions at all.  

The days got closer, then came, then went.  No baby still (not to mention no name yet either).  It ended up being kind of nice because we were able to plan with my mom dropping Olivia off and such, and no surprise visit at 2 in the morning.  We were on the waiting list, so that meant we had no time scheduled to go in, instead we just waited till they called us.  We got the call around 8:00 am and were told we needed to be there by 9:45.  

So we had time to get ready in no hurry, then the last part was a rush because we were running out of time.  We got to my moms with only enough time to drop off Olivia, grab breakfast, tell my Mom we would hopefully see her later (with a baby), and say goodbye.  We got to the hospital, got checked in, and got things going.  I was dilated to a 3 upon arrival.  

Not too long into things I decided to get an epidural.  Amilton just happened to be out grabbing lunch when the anesthesiologist came in, and didn't even know I had requested it.  (I kind of hinted to them to wait till he came back, but it was not worth waiting I decided.)   It went pretty easy, and Amilton got in the room just in time for me to get sick from the epidural due to dehydration.  Such a great guy the whole time, even helped the nurse clean up the mess. :)

This whole time I was not really aware of the time and it all seemed to go really quick.  It seemed like no time had passed when the pressure seemed to get unbearable and the extra medication dose was doing no good.  I called the nurse in and we were ready to have a baby.  

The doctor came after just a couple minutes thankfully, and I guess it took about 5 pushes.  It all got kind of confusing towards the end of that though and the doctor and nurses kind of stopped telling me when to push ( I guess they wanted me to keep pushing).  At the time I was not aware, but I guess the babies shoulder was stuck and his cord was around his neck, so it all makes sense now. 

No problems for the remainder of the hospital stay.  We were visited by Grandma and Grandpa West, Katie and Chizm, Emily, Nathan, Wesley and Helen, and of course- Big Sister Olivia.  Balloons, Cards and Candy were a welcomed treat.  We were able to go home around noon on  the 8th.  (Although we could have left the day before had we wanted to.) The timing worked great though and my Aund Dorene and her boys stopped by about 30 minutes after we got home (they had been down from Idaho and had just dropped my cousin Cami off at the MTC).

And let the big adjustment begin!

       

               Going Home!

     

           

 

9 Months Later

For those of you who read my last post, you may recall the last sentence "keep posted for more exciting changes next week".  Granted, it is quite a bit more than a week later.  Try about 9 months. We either had no internet or we didnt have a working computer.   Better late than never.  Lots of news coming in this update including job changes, moving, and a new baby! :)

To start, Amilton got a job at the Post Office in February, quitting his job for the church doing custodial work! Although we were unsure at first (it was only part time, and a move would be needed) it turned out being the best decision possible for our family.  It is still part time, however, he has been working hard and gets more than full time hours every week since almost the beginning.   For a couple months now he has also been working part time delivering pizza for Pizza Hut.  In March I quit working at my current job RHA Day Program and went to RHA Hidden Hallow to be closer to our new apartment.  Then in late August I quit working all together to move and get ready for our baby.  

Since we were living in Salt Lake when Amilton got the new job in Lehi, we needed to move.  We found a great basement apartment in a great ward in Highland, however, after 6 months we needed to move due to the owner deciding to sell the house.  We scrambled to find a new place and made it a quick move so we would be ready for our baby, due Oct 8th.  So for now we are living in an apartment in Orem.  

August my Aunt Mel threw a great baby shower for us.  We came away with almost all the remaining items we needed for baby!

We are not impressed with English speaking ward we would be in in our current apartment so we have decided to attend the Portuguese speaking ward,  Although it will be a difficult adjustment for me, it has already proved to be a great change for Olivia and Amilton.  Although I have not had a chance to go with the new baby, I am already impressed with all the fun papers and coloring Olivia has come home with each Sunday from nursery.  

So that about sums up the last 9 months.  I am sure there is some I missed, but that's all I remember for now.  Stay tuned for an update on the baby and Olivia (and pictures), hopefully today still!

Busy-ness and More

The last few weeks have been pretty busy.  I have been working extra shifts on Saturdays, Amilton has been working on random things for a new job he is getting and his business.  So needless to say, as always, I have not been on here as often as I had hoped.  Anyhow, here are just a few of the many little gems I get to enjoy every day. :)

She loves carrying things on her arm. 

Olivia thinks its fun to squeeze into the closet. 

I was in my room with Olivia and she suddenly left.  It was too quiet so I went out to see.  This is what I found.  

Olivia loves the fridge. And helping to clean it.

She turns the knob till the dishwasher turns on.  All the time. 

-Olivia loves running from people.   It is pretty much her favorite.   Not only does she run, she screams and squeals with delight.  A few Sundays ago she spent all day running away from Thatcher.  Some times he would he pretend he was asleep, then, as  Olivia got close he would "wake up" and say her name and she would run to Mommy or Daddy to save her.  Really, it never gets old to me.  I love how much she loves her Aunts and Uncles.  

-Olivia has started to throw things.  Anything.  Whatever is in her hand.  

-From our front door you can see into our bedroom if our door is open.  On one particular day I was just getting home from work.  As I was walking in from clear across the apartment I look over and see my baby sitting on our bed.  Before I could even say anything I was greeted with the biggest, loudest "HI" I have ever heard from that girl.  It just made my day. 

-Amilton sent me this little gem of a picture the other day.   As he described it he heard Olivia talking and complaining from the other room.  He came in to find this.  Olivia on an apple box.

-Olivia likes to spin. A couple weeks ago she span around a few times then started to walk to Daddy.  She was super wobbly, which we found amusing, so we laughed.  Olivia did not think that was funny.  She got so scared and ran to Dad as fast as she could for comfort.  Causing more laughter (and comfort).

-Olivia has an obsession with hanging things on the back of her neck.  Clothes.  Cords.  Anything.  No worries, we always have an eye on her so no accidents happen.

-Olivia is becoming such a helper with getting dressed.  She puts her arms through her shirt with help, lifts her leg to put the pants on, and lifts her foot for shoes and socks. She always brings us jackets, shoes, and socks to put on her.  One evening as I was folding her laundry she kept bringing me the socks.  I think she ended up with five pairs on.  Then she thought she needed shoes, so she got some.  With so many socks we compromised with larger slippers.  Still not satisfied, she brought me shoes again. We put them on her hands.

Too bad you cant see the socks underneath!

-Olivia learned how to play with her finger puppets that Grandma got her, it is so cute to see her put a puppet on her finger.  One day as I was counting the puppets we had, she started picking up as many as she could with one hand.  My guess is she got fifteen before giving up.  

-It is a fact that most kids learning two languages start talking later in life.  With that being said, Olivia is just starting to say a few words.  So far she says hi, mama, dada, daddy, she said no today, and we think she says a and c in the abs's.  I am sure there are a few more that I cant think of right off.  

-This is a spoon from a toy Olivia has.  She is mastering and loving figuring out how to put things into other things.

-Olivia has mastered tippy toes.  Check out her latest mischief as Dad was making omelets and I was at work.

And a few (or more) pictures just because. :)

Car show with Dad and Uncle Nate (and Mom)

At the car show

I am trying to be creative and make her hair cute. :)

Date night at Barnes and Noble

I just cant stand how cute she is! I am so lucky to be her Mom!

More updates from our life to come next week.  Stay tuned :)  

To My Little Ray of Sunshine

I was going to try to write everyday.  Yeah, not going to happen.  Things get busy, especially with a full time job, a one year old, and daily things to do.  However, I do have a few things I wrote down so I would not forget.  They are little, but even so, things like these are what guarantees a smile everyday.  Honestly, a one year old is the biggest ray of sunshine you ever did meet.



So, to Olivia, My Little Ray of Sunshine:

I love the way you grab the blanket with both hands and pull it up just past your waste with a big smile.  Generally this is the cutest when we put the blanket over you lap in your car seat, but it happens often at other times too.

I love the way you want to join in our games on Sundays at Grandma and Grandpa Wests.  Specifically when we have dice in a cup.  This was a first last Sunday.  You would shake the cup anyway you could to make noise, this usually caused the dice to go flying.  You would pick each one up individually, put them back in the cup, and repeat.

I love the way you love other kids.  When you first meet an adult you are generally so quiet and cling go Mom.  However, when a kid walks into the room, especially when they are playing, you talk and point and want to join in.  Then usually you will follow them around.

I love the way you dance.  And it doesn't take much.  Life is simple to you.  Every little noise; a shopping cart, someone tapping, country music, slow music, fast music.  Anything.  You dance to it. It is adorable.

I love the way you help wash your hair when I am giving you a bath.  As soon as I get your hair wet your hands are up there scrubbing away.

I love the way you eat smarties.  You eat them nibble by nibble.  One small bite at a time.  You think it would be easier to just put it all in your mouth.  But I guess that takes the fun out of it.

I love they way you walk through the mall (a first this week).  You run into the glass windows.  Stare at the lights.  Look at all the people.   Fall down.  Run away from Mom and Dad, no worries if you almost run into every person you pass.  One man even said you looked drunk as you ran in front of him.

I love the way you are learning to throw things.  Your current favorite is taking something small from the ground and throwing whatever it is into the air (it barely passes your head when you throw it, and it usually goes behind you).  You do this over and over again.

And as mentioned another day, I love the way you tease.  This week I was working on my puzzle.  You were playing by me, but then you quietly walked away down the hall to my room.  I followed.  You had a puzzle piece and some gum I had previously gotten from you (gum is a favorite of yours).  As soon as you knew that I knew what you had you ran and giggled.  And later that night, it happened again.  You sure know what you are doing.
Then earlier today Daddy was asleep on the ground with the remote right by him.  You quietly got it and giggled as you walked away.  You knew you usually can't have the remote and you thought you were so clever. Too bad Mom , Grandma, and Uncle Nate all saw you.  We get a good laugh out of all the teasing you do.

Trying on (playing with) Moms ring.

Playing with the bucket.

You love jerky (with close supervision)

You love sitting on the counter in the bathroom.  This particular time you worked your way to the sink.

We love you Olivia, more than you will ever know.
Love, Mom (and I am sure Dad would agree)

On another note, today was Olivia's one year appointment (quite a few days after she really turned one).  Everything looks great and Dr Lindgren is amazed at the things she can do for her age.  She had three shots and cried for all of them.   The flu one was out, so we will probably need to go back in next week. Last time she took it like a champ, so going in again for it should not be too bad at least.

Amilton showing Olivia the fish.

Waiting for the nurse to give her shots.

And waiting...

And just thought I would mention.  Movies prices.  You want to change me $6.50 for my one year old to see a movie?  Mind you she will probably watch 5 whole minutes of it and take up a whole 0 seats.  No thank you.  Frozen will have to wait for the dollar movies.

"Painting" with water. 

She enjoyed spilling the water and trying to eat the paper more though.

Until next time...

Hugs, Kisses, and Smiles

Since Olivia is already to bed, today calls for an early bed time for me.  This will be short.

For todays little gems of life:

1.  Mentioning a busy day, it is always nice to have something to look forward to when I get home.  One of my favorite parts of the day is when I walk in the door and have a smiley baby walk up to me with smiles and arms outreached.  Upon picking her up I am greeted with the biggest hug a little one can give, kisses, and more smiles.  On most days she will then promptly begin to tell me about her day in her own special language.  :)

2.  Olivia has recently discovered the art of teasing.  Often times she will start to hand you an object you have asked for, and just when you are about to grab it (or in a lot cases you already have it in your hand) she will quickly take it back towards her with the biggest grin on her face and a little giggle.  

And last but not least... 

3.  I love seeing my baby learn and master new things.  For instance: Today while at the computer Olivia was finding things around me to play with. Two of which items were a thing of tape and a little bottle of lotion.  In my eyes she is so clever. She kept sticking the lid end of the lotion into the little hole on the thing of tape.  Over the last few weeks she has started to discover more and more how one object can go inside of another object.  It is so funny sometimes to see what she comes up with for that. 

Life is good :)

As an end note: I realize not everyone will find these little things amusing, so I won't feel bad if you don't want to read it all. I am just horrible at writing in my journal, so I am hoping I can be a little more consistent with this to record precious moments like these. 

And We're Back!

(1/2/14)

Yes, I know and realize it has been over two years. Yes, lots has happened in that two plus years. So, as I hopefully keep up here over the next year I will try and catch everyone up on what we have been up to.

 First up, We had a baby! Yes, old news for most. But this is the main reason I decided to start this whole blogging thing up again. I have so much I want to tell everyone about Olivia, but frankly, it would be overwhelming for all to hear about the first YEAR of our babies life all at once. So, that being said, I will add a little each entry. Her Birthday is December 23rd, 2012. That whole story will be saved for another time. She has been the center of our lives since that day though.

Olivia!

Christmas Eve 2012- Leaving the hospital

 Next, We live in Salt Lake, UT. Old news for most. We have lived in 2 different apartments in Salt Lake over the last almost 2 years. I (Elizabeth)am working with RHA in their Day Program as a Supervisor. Not anything new really, considering I have been in the same field for about 5 years now. I work with mentally disabled individuals. Hard work sometimes, but fun others.

 Amilton is working for the LDS church in the custodial department. He currently works in the Triad buildings in Salt Lake. He is also working on perusing his dream of running his own business. More on that to follow...

 Getting to something many will find more interesting. Some may notice I changed the name of my blog . Anyhow, there is a reason for that. I should have done this over a year ago. I deeply regret not recording every little amazing thing Olivia does on a daily basis. Maybe things only me as her mom could appreciate (or Amilton as her dad) But it truly is mind blowing to me. Talk about miraculous. Something only god himself could make happen after only a year on earth. So with that being said, I have three of life's little gems to share from today.

 1. Being super tired after work and needing to watch Olivia still (she had just woke up from her nap when I got home, bummer) I laid on the ground as she played in her room half whining, half happy. Little finger puppets were all over the ground from earlier play as well as a learning stuffed animal dog. I was half asleep the whole time as she kept crawling over me from one side to the other and over and over again. After maybe 20 minutes she was done with that and insisted I wake up and we do something else. Much to my surprise, when I stood up the room seemed cleaner. It was then that I noticed she had a reason for crawling all over me. Olivia had collected each finger puppet and the dog, one at a time, and piled them onto her little couch she had gotten for her birthday. How cute is that? Especially when this was a first.

 2. I am not really teaching much American Sign Language, she already has a lot to learn with Amilton only speaking to her in Portuguese, and me speaking to her in English. However, I do try to use a few words in ASL such as more and no. So, I was eating my dinner and she had her bottle as we watched a TV show. She has been a picky eater lately so I have not forced our food on to her too much. I had only given her a few bites of mine up to this point. It just melted my heart when I looked up from watching the TV at one particular moment to see my little baby sign "more". Usually it is halfhearted, not convincing. But it was for real this time. And of course, she got more. It amazes me how smart Olivia shows she is when she really wants something. It is really funny how she refuses to do it at other times though when I want her to.

3. Often times when Olivia gets her fingers messy with something yummy (such as ice cream) I lick her fingers off. She finds this amusing. Today, while I was pouring milk into her bottle, she stuck her finger into the bottle until she reached the milk. She then took her finger out and promptly stuck it in my mouth laughing the whole time. I guess it is a game to her; She then repeated this several times. Good thing I don't mind sharing. :)

Birthday Present from Maritza

Fun and Pinetop

Favorite Christmas Gift

Loving it, Loving Him!!

The last two weeks have been amazing! No work, and spending all day with my love! The ceremony went great as well as the reception afterwords in Idaho. It was great to see all of my family show up to support me and Amilton. We also had a reception in Utah mostly for Amiltons friends. We had a great turn out, and I was amazed at how fast the food left the table. Now if I can only learn how to dance... :/
And as a side note, I LOVE being married. Everything about it, going to sleep with him and knowing he will be there when I wake up. It gives me a reason to try even harder to improve in every aspect of my life. I love how Amilton takes care of me and wants the best for me. I also love being able to have someone to take care of too. He makes me feel important and needed. I love Amilton and all that he does for me. I cant wait to learn Portuguese and meet his family next year. I cant wait for all experiences ahead, and am so excited for the journey. :)
Pictures to come...

Engaged! and other stuff...

Its official, I am engaged! Well it has been official for a while, I just am a bit behind. I am excited, but am not really liking the planning. It just stresses me out when I think of all that needs to be done. We are getting married in Idaho, and will have a reception there. One week later we will have another reception in Utah. For now, it is just a civil marriage, but we are planning on getting sealed in the temple in about year! I cant wait! It is great to feel like life is going somewhere and that I am actually working towards something, and that I can me sealed to Amilton and my family now, and my future family for eternity. I can't wait to start my own little family!
We are planning on going to Brazil next summer :) My first time there, not to mention my first time out of the US (Except maybe Canada when I was little, not sure). I am already getting excited for that and the chance to meet all Amiltons family there. Now I just need to get a passport...

And everything else is good except for the other stuff...
Things have come up that have been causing a small amount of tension between me and Amilton, which sucks. I just want the things to go away and be over with. But some people are just not understanding that and won't let things from the past go. I cant wait to be able to call that all done and move on to a the future, a better life.
Also, I have this habit of over thing things and a lack of trust. Things have happened in the past that makes it hard for me to trust people, and now I am taking it out on Amilton. I am trying not to, it is not fair for him, but it is hard for me to fully trust anyone. I just hope I get over it, Amilton has done nothing to lose my trust so I am trying my best to give it all to him.
And then the over thinking. Oh boy, it gets me into a lot of trouble and a lot of sleepless nights. Here it is almost 5 AM, no sleep for me yet. I keep trying but then just lay awake with no sleep in sight. It is frustrating. My mind is just too busy with worries, and doubts, and fears, and sorrow.
Of course there is thoughts about the wedding and joy keeping me up to. But right now its mostly everything else. I just need to stop worrying and move on with life.

But on a good note, I love Amilton, and am so excited for the future. I have no doubts about if it is the right thing to do, I know it is! I just have a few things I need to work on to make my life and his life a lot easier and less complicated. Haha.

And thats all I have to say about that, good night for now. Sorry to bore all of you who actually read this.