Bath Time

Alexa enjoys her time in the pink tub! (thank goodness!) Gram and I gave her a sink bath but that didn't go over too well....so we're going to stick with the infant tub.

She looks so sweet in her little lamb towel. I guess the bath wore her out because she promptly fell asleep!

Yes, we give her baths in our kitchen because the sink holds her infant tub much better than in our bathroom. It's funny because I always have to make sure there aren't any dishes in the sink before we begin the bath.

Fourth of July!

We hosted a fun Fourth of July weekend at our house and it was great having the family in town! We attended the Thoroughgood annual picnic which was really cute. There was a lot of food, games, a bounce house, and lots of neighbors! Our babies were a little young to participate in the fun games but maybe next year.

The fireworks turned out to be a bit of a drama....Kevin played with the orchestra in a concert on the beach at the oceanfront. We had hoped to watch the concert and then fireworks but didn't realize just how CROWDED it would be! It was a complete mob scene and after about an hour of crawling down Pacific Avenue we decided to turn around. Mom and Dad were already there so they enjoyed the performance. Katie, Jacob, the babies and I ended up watching fireworks from the parking lot of my yoga studio! It was very "Griswold" of us but at least we got to see them!

Our First Mother's Day

Mother's Day was a very sweet and special time at our house this year. Having Grandma, Mom, Dad, Katie and Jillian here made it especially fun. Four mothers and 3 generations of Fenilis/Brennans were in our little house!

We visited the beautiful Norfolk Botanical Gardens. It's so close to our house and such a wonderful way to spend a day. We saw the most gorgeous and HUGE display of roses I've ever seen, amazing fountains, and more flowers, plants, and trees than I can name. This place is incredible and truly a treasure here in Hampton Roads. We had a picnic lunch of "nice" sandwiches as Dad would say. I think the highlight for everyone was the Children's WOW Garden (World of Wonders). It's an adorably cute water garden and Jillian had the time of her life! An enchanted forest of Fairy Tails will be coming this summer and I can't wait to see it!

Mom, Dad, Katie, and Jillian brought delicious treats from Baker's Crust (my personal favorite) over for brunch which was a perfect start to the day. It was sad to see them all go but I was really thankful for a family visit on my first Mother's Day!

Meeting Great Grandma Jean aka GiGi

Grandma Jean's visit in Virginia Beach to meet Alexa Elizabeth!

We were so lucky to have Grandma Jean come and visit us after Alexa was born. She was so helpful to us. She helped with Alexa by changing diapers, dressing her, and rocking and singing to her. Having her here allowed me to take a short nap that I wouldn't have been able to take otherwise. She also provided some great advice for nursing and helping with that latch!

Grandma said she wanted to come here to help me not go on a beach vacation....so I put her to work! She organized my refrigerator, cleaned out my linen closet, swept the floors, and washed countless dishes and baby bottles!

She took some long walks in our neighborhood during the prettiest time of year here in Thoroughgood. The Azaleas and Dogwoods were blooming and there were flowers flowers everywhere! She gave us a scare when she took a wrong turn and got lost. Kevin was about to get in the car and drive around to look for her when she came around the corner. I guess this forest that we live in can be confusing!

I cried the day she left and still miss her terribly. We are forever grateful for the help she provided and will treasure that special time with her forever.

Her Favorite Things

Alexa has already developed some favorite activities! When she isn't eating or sleeping, she loves to read stories with her daddy. She seems to enjoy hearing the different inflections in our voices when we read and talk to her. She also loves black and white images. She loves her book Who Kissed the Baby and her sea creatures flash cards!








She also loves looking at her mobile! She is fascinated by the moving objects and is tracking their activity really well!

She also likes the mirror in her Little Lamb swing. It also has a mobile but that one isn't as interesting to her for some reason!

We swaddle her to keep her arms from thrashing around which tends to startle her. She definitely stays relaxed in the wrapped up position.

She loves to be with her daddy! (can you blame her?) One morning I awoke to a very quiet house and an empty bassinet. I went into the dining room and found Alexa experiencing her first lessons in finance! Kevin had her sleeping in my Hotsling while he worked from home. It was a darling sight!

Sleepy Girl

What a sleepy baby!

Her favorite spot is on mommy or daddy and snuggled up in a soft blanket.

She is so soft and snugly!

Alexa isn't the only sleepy one around here! Izzy found a new favorite napping spot to add to her rotation. Sometimes I forget she's there as I'm rocking Alexa...until I hear that snorty snoring!

Welcome Home Alexa!

Welcome home Alexa Elizabeth!

We brought our sweet little angel home from the hospital late in the afternoon on April 8th. We were so excited to have her home! We showed her the whole house and introduced her to Izzy right away. She felt so comfortable in her new home that she promptly fell asleep.

Kevin did an amazing job transforming a dated bedroom into a pretty pink nursery fit for our princess!

Awaiting Alexa

Hello family and friends!

Because we live so far away and don't get to see you regularly, we thought that this would be a great way of sharing our experiences and joyful moments with our beautiful daughter.

My due date was April 2nd but our little baby wasn't quite ready to make her grand entrance. Mom and Dad made the drive up to VA for the big event and were more than a little disappointed that their second granddaughter wasn't here when they arrived! Instead we spent a lovely Easter weekend together. We went to the beach, ate lots of good food, and talked about the baby! Kevin played an Easter Sunday service with a brass quintet at a beautiful church. At one point it was so loud and resonant that it made the whole place vibrate. I was hoping that would get my labor started but...it didn't!

Because I was overdue, my doctor thought it best to induce labor. We checked into the hospital at 7:30 p.m. on April 5th to begin the induction. It was a long and difficult process! An induced labor can be much more intense than a naturally occurring labor. After I got an epidural it was a lot better! Unfortunately, after 11 hours of labor I wasn't making the progress that Dr. Talreja hoped for so it was decided that I would have a C-section. I was really disappointed and afraid of the surgical procedure. Luckily, it turned out to be a much better experience than I imagined.

Our beautiful baby girl was born at 11:04 p.m. on April 6, 2010!!! Alexa Elizabeth Rigotti was 6 lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long.

Although it was the first time I was seeing her, it was as if we'd known each other for months already. The connection between mother and baby during that 9 months is astonishing. She was in the "quiet alert" state and her big blue eyes just looked at us with calm curiosity. It was such a sweet moment that I'll never forget.