The Holidays (Part 1)

What an exciting time for our little girl. Anna experienced her first Thanksgiving, First Christmas tree at home and the her first Whelan family Christmas. It was a busy couple of weeks, but so much fun.

Thanksgiving was a blast! We headed to Naperville (Grandma Mary and Grandpa Tom's house) to celebrate with the entire family, including the pooches. Everyone just loved having Anna around, including my mom who didn't stop kissing her all weekend...she's in love with her first grandchild!

Billy and I were even able to go out "on the town" and have a couple of cocktails while the grandparents watched Anna. Hitting up the bar scene is just not the same when you know you have to get up with the little one that night. :) We had such a good time just the same.

That same weekend, we headed up to Dan and Amy's house to celebrate Whelan Family Christmas 2008. It definitely was a packed house with all of Bill's family (14 grand kid in all). But it was so much more fun this year to finally have our own to enjoy the festivities with. In typical fashion, Grandma Eileen showered Anna with gifts - mostly cute summer clothes and bathing suits for her first trip to Marco Island in a few weeks.

Thanksgiving weekend was a wonderful time to kick off the holiday season. Everything just seems to be more fun and even magical when you have your own child to share it with. I personally think having Anna has helped me reconnect with the child within and I LOVE it!

Anna's First Bath

Someday she'll HATE me for posting these pictures to the Internet, but I just had to do it. We gave our little Banana her first real bath and she actually loved it. I think the warm water relaxed her. Enjoy the naked baby pictures...we did! :)

Anna's First Election

Anna won't remember and will never know that she was a part of one of the most important elections ever. We voted and I had to capture the moment.

Maggie and AJ's Wedding

What a fantastic weekend!

My little sister Maggie married the greatest guy on earth, AJ, and it was an absolute perfect wedding. With a Chicago/fall theme, Maggie and AJ didn't miss a thing when planning the big event. From the rehearsal dinner at Cafe Babareba to the gorgeous mass and even the reception at Salvatore's, it was just a blast! Additionally, Maggie looked stunning. As you'll see from the pictures, she pulled off a very beautiful and unique dress - she looked wonderful!

Maggie's weekend was also very special because it was Anna's big debut! She met pretty much everyone in the family, as well as family friends. Not surprisingly, Anna slept through everything. She was perfect (as usual). I'm so glad friends and relatives from all of the country were able to meet our little girl!

Our Little Pumpkin...Anna's First Halloween

Anna Meets the Family

Ever since little miss Anna Banana was born, we've had a steady flow of visitors...and, we've loved every minute of it. I thought I'd share some of the pictures we've taken with the Whelan and Dorn families - they're priceless.

Anna Sophia Whelan Arrives!

We're in love...

Anna Sophia graced us with her precious little presence Thursday, October 9 (her actual due date) at 11:22 a.m. Weighing in at 7 lbs 14 oz. and 20 inches long, she is nothing more than a miracle...just perfect in every way.

On Wednesday night after complaining to most of my friends and family that this baby was NEVER coming out, and after Billy brought home a fabulous piece a seven layer chocolate cake for me :), it happened - my water broke and the journey began.

Even though my water broke, I still wasn't having contractions, so Billy and I had time to shower and pack and get everything ready for the hospital. We arrived at about midnight (on the 9th) and labor began quickly. 12 hours and two solid hours of pushing later, Anna was born. She was pink, screaming and gorgeous! Billy and I were blessed with a beautiful and healthy baby girl...it was the most incredible moment of my life.

The three of us Whelan's stayed at the hospital for the next two days, returning home on Saturday, October 11. Thank GOD for my mother who stayed with us...we completely underestimated how difficult the first few days are. But, we're learning and she's learning and we're getting the swing of things as a brand new family.

Words cannot describe the unadulterated joy we feel having Anna in our lives. It's the perfect addition to a love story between Billy and me. We're so happy and we can't wait for ALL of our friends and family to meet her. We're sure you'll fall in love too.

Thank you to everyone for your love and support throughout this amazing journey. Anna is truly blessed to have people like you in her life. We love you all so much.

The Waiting Game

Where is she??

I'm 40 weeks pregnant today with my official due date this Thursday, 10/9/08. I couldn't be happier that my little lady made it so far. 40 weeks means she's strong, healthy and ready to meet the world. So you may ask, "so what's the problem, Liz?" Well, I'm starting to think that she's a bit TOO comfortable in there and is content in staying as long as possible.

It's actually pretty tough waiting around for the rest of your life to really start. It's especially tough when you somehow assumed that your baby was coming early and decided to leave work two + weeks before the due date. Oh well!

In the meantime, I was able to celebrate my birthday with my family, friends and the best guy anyone could ever ask for...Billy, the Daddy-to-be.

So, here we are...waiting for Baby Whelan to grace us with her presence. I guess this is God's way of preparing us for not preparing for anything - you just never know. My Grandma has the best saying that is quite fitting in this situation:

"You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans."

The Dorn Shower at 36 Weeks

Baby Whelan's Grandma-to-be (my mom) out did herself by hosting a beautiful baby shower for me and Bill. My family from Chicago attended, my sister Katie and Aunt Kelly made it into town and all my mom's friends (old and new) were there as well. It was so nice to see everyone.

We are so thankful for the amazing support system that surrounds us and will soon surround Baby Whelan. She is already a very lucky girl.

I want to especially thank my Mom for her prayers, support and excitement. I can't describe the happiness and relief I feel to know that my Mom will be around to see me grow into the role of mother and to experience the joys of being a grandma. I can't imagine doing any of this without her.

35 Weeks and Counting!

I'm 35 weeks and getting absolutely enormous. I have to admit, the "pregnancy thing" is getting a lot harder and more uncomfortable than ever. I truly feel like I have a large bowling ball in my stomach, but that bowling ball moves and wiggles contstantly. Yes, Baby Whelan is quite a mover and a shaker. Billy and I joke that we think she can already be diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome.

I really shouldn't complain, though. I've been blessed with such a wonderful pregnancy (so far, complication-free) and it is a miracle to feel that little life inside of you. I guess I'm just really looking forward to meeting her...and, losing all of this baby weight!

I posted some pictures from our little shin-dig at Michelle's house to celebrate the homecoming of Holly and Liam. It was so great to see them both, even if it was just for a long weekend. We also were able to make our last summer trip up to Lake Geneva. I mostly lounged at the pool...that's all I can really do these days.