"Mama-vice"

I was lucky to have my mom with me for a week right after Olivia was born. She is here again to offer her help with Miss O, cook dinners, do laundry and dishes...HEAVEN! However, it is clear to anyone who is her Facebook friend (yes, my mother is on Facebook) that Olivia is her pride and joy. I am the oldest child and have watched my parents love for my siblings develop and grow but to watch my mom and dad with Olivia is a one-of-a-kind experience; both are absolutely over the moon. It's different; not more or less than the love for us, their own children, just different. A good different.

Another thing happens--well, at least I found it happening to me; I listen to my mom a little more closely now that I'm a mom! Before when she would offer her two cents about work, school, fashion, love/relationships, etc., I'll admit, I listened with half an ear open...ok, there was the occassional rolling of the eyes that accompanied some of her pointers too. And yet now, it is as if I am reading a Dear Abby column or watching HGTV or the Food Network (my favs :>). I am listening and watching with great intent and really wanting to learn and absorb all she has to say. I'm not sure why? But as my love for my husband and child deepens, I find my love for my parents also growing even stronger.

I have a great relationship with both my parents and my mom and I have always shared a special bond. I guess I listen and observe so intently now because I can only hope to be as much of a loving and wonderful mom as she has been/is to me!

What has been some "mama-vice" you've found helpful and useful to you? Can be baby related or not. Let's honor these amazing women's contributions to our lives and share with others the helpful tip/advice given to you by your mom, step mom, grandmother, aunt, best friend's mother, etc...

Welcome Olivia Grace!

On January 29 at 9:34am, Greg and I welcomed Miss Olivia Grace Karampelas into this world. It was quite the whirlwind; there were three epidural attempts, going from 4 cm to 10 quicker than you can say push and speaking of pushes...Miss O was ready, only requiring three! The most amazing part of the delivery was when Dr. Gary Hoff (who is AMAZING) tells me to reach down and grab my baby...At this point we did not know if the baby was a girl or a boy because only her head and shoulders were exposed. I reach down Dr. Hoff places my hands under her
arms and he tells me to pull her towards me...I do and I look and say, "it's a girl!" through tears, of course! I raise her to my chest and Greg dashes from over the doctor's shoulder to my side and I look at him and say, "Olivia Grace" and he nods and utters, "Olivia Grace!"

Our baby who we've anxiously awaited 10 months for is here...and what a head of hair she has to boot!

It's been nearly 2 weeks since her birth and the love affair just continues to deepen. It seems like this moment is something I have been priming for my entire life and now it is here. This little precious girl looks into my eyes and I melt and am overwhelmed by the responsibility placed on me to provide her with everything necessary to live. It is a feeling like no other; wonderful, terrifying, peaceful and fulfilling.

A dear friend also told me that you also fall more in love with your partner during this time...at first I thought, "how sweet" and kind of brushed it off (sorry Trish). But then I watched Greg be enamored with Olivia and watched him care and dote over her and suddenly I got it...I was falling in love with him again. I also noticed we looked at each other differently--we were parents, we were partners, we were two that just made one...truly changes the perspective, I think. Greg has been wonderful both immediately after the birth until this day. He insists on being hands-on and takes the midnight/1am changing/feeding so I can get a couple of hours of deep sleep while he minds Olivia. I am blessed to have Greg and now Olivia in my life. Women do this on their own all the time and I have a couple of friends who are currently doing so...these women are having the same love affair as I and I think that is the most beautiful thing in the world! It takes a strong woman to go through the process of raising a child...Greg is the first to admit...if it were left to men, the end of civilization would already have occurred centuries ago.

Here's to Olivia Grace and all the wonderful mothers out there!