Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Our Three Month Old

Tonight our baby girl is three months old.  Here are some things I know now about our baby:

Physically:
  • She kicks and pulls with all her might, especially at toys on a playmat.
  • At 2months weighed 12lb 6oz and was back to 21 3/4in long.   That was 75% for both height and weight.  She will be a big girl!
  • She smiles with purpose.  She has the most precious smile that would soften even the hardest of hearts.  She smiles and it stretches across her face showing top gums and her right dimple.  If big enough you'll catch a glimpse of the left dimple too.  Here's a funny smile story from this week:  Nanny was holding Parker giving him a bottle.  Maggie was in the swing.  As the time grew on, Maggie's cries grew louder and her face grew redder.  Parker finished his bottle and was placed in the exersaucer.  Nanny approached Maggie to cease the crying and as she got inches away the crying stopped and the cheshire grin appeared.  She has Nanny wrapped so tight around her little finger. 
  • Her hair,which had depleted on her crown and forehead at 2months is coming back thicker, longer, and darker brown than before in just the past two weeks.
  • She eats and for the most part sleeps regularly.  She eats at 2-4am, 6am, 9-11am, 2-3pm, 6pm, 10-11pm.  She goes to bed around 9pm and gets up around 9am, with a nap from 3-5pm.  We still nurse when mommy gets home from work until she goes back to work in the morning.
  • She chitter chatters especially with mommy and only if facing her.
  • Her infant shoes are almost outgrown, as well as her 0-3month and 3month clothes. She outgrew her clothes torso length wise well before the waist. 
  • Her eyes have always been DARK, and are gray or brown in color.  I think she's gonna have her daddy's hazel eyes.
  • She spits up very little.  There has only been one major sickness.  Nanny's birthday was celebrated on 4/16.  4/17 Mommy went back to work and Maggie was given bottles for the first time.  4/18 Maggie was epically sick.  She had been sleepy all day and didn't feel well (the inside of her eyes turns blueish purple).  At about 8pm she finally went to sleep in Mommy's arms.  Moments later, a rumbling burp came from deep within carrying with it a lot of vomit.  So much so she was choking on it as it came up from deep within.  I quickly held her up to avoid suffocating in her own vomit.  It was all seeming so surreal.  Faster than I can even remember, she, I, the bed, my pants, my shirt, my bra, all our bedding, were COVERED in puke!  I actually stood over the bathtub and poured puke out of my bra.  Yep, it was really that bad.  Never since then has she really had more than a dribble of spit up.
  • Maggie Grace and Parker both are drooly, drooly.  They drool to the point of soaking their onesies. 
  • Her fingernails grow super fast and have to be cut at least weekly, most times twice a week.
  • A daily BM.  Hey, it happens, and unfortunately for Parker it didn't come so regular for a while.  At 2months old she ad one every other day, in the past two weeks, it has occurred daily.  FUN for Nanny!
Likes:
  • Tummy time on her boppy.
  • Playing on a playmat hitting at toys, or Parker.
  • Paci, especially her wubbanub.  She loves to massage the fabric or holds it's sweet legs(she has the ducky with little skinny red legs.  She only takes it sleep or hold off hunger pains.
  • Fabric.  She chews on her clothes as she leans her head down, fabric toys, ribbon decor on toys, etc.  She has a special affinity for silky fabrics too!
  • Swaddling.  She will hardly sleep without being swaddled.
  • Cloth diapers.  (This is actually a mommy likes.) They get softer with each wear/wash. 
  • Gowns.  She loves to have her feet free to kick with ease.
  • Music, crinkly toys, noisy toys, momma's whistle, being talked to (only if she can see you). Her favorite toy is a Donald Duck.  He sings and dances to Peter Cottontail and if you pick him up by the ears he screams "PUT ME DOWN."  She smiles so big when he tries to wiggle free.  She doesn't even care that it's an Easter toy.  ;)
  • Tickling or kissing of her feet.
  • Rocking, patting, and momma's singing. 
  • Sleeping in a big bed.  Don't worry she doesn't roll well, isn't lying with sleeping parents, and no loose bedding is around 
  • Kisses.
  • Breast milk.  Although mommy doesn't pump enough to supply each day's demands, mornings and nights are all about the comfort, snuggling, and caress that nursing gives both mommy and baby. 
  • Reading books with mommy and daddy at night.
  • Watching Bella!  She follows her with her eyes and even reaches for her on occasion.
  • Tasting table food:  mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, ice cream, etc.  Just a lick off the tip of mommy's finger to get her used to the taste of the food that is to come! 
  • Talking with mommy and daddy.
  • Eating her fists. 
Dislikes:
  • Shoes.
  • Bring put down for anything on days where she feels bad. 
  • Onions, pizza, large amounts of dairy, curry, spicy foods, etc.
In general we are loving life with our sweet girl!


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Dedication

In the Nazarene Church we do a "dedication" ceremony for babies as opposed to other religion's christenings, first communion, etc.  It is in this ceremony that we as parent's promise to raise the baby in the church.  The family promises to be a shining example of God's LOVE and direction in the baby's life.  The church promises to LOVE and guide the baby as well.  We hope our church family always shares in the guidance and discipline of our little Maggie Grace. 

It is such a special occasion!  We "Johnston's" named our babies after our maternal grandparents who are shining examples of God's LOVE in our lives.  They are both still very active with their Nazarene Church in Hendersonville, NC.  We were blessed not only to have grandma make their precious outfits but also to have both grandma and grandpa with us for this special day.

Our hearts too were being lifted to our IDAHO family on this day as sweet Carolina, or Lina as she's commonly called, also was dedicated in her church on the same glorious day.  Blessed are we to have family that sings the many praises of our LORD!  We love you Lina and are happy that although the miles separated us, our hearts were joined for such momentous occassion!

Below are pics from our fun day!

Greatgrandma Margaret with baby Maggie Grace.  Great sewing greatgrandma!

Parker's outfit was super detailed too!


The "Johnston" Family

All of Maggie Grace's family in attendance April 15th.

Greatgrands with their namesakes.  Such a priceless picture! 
Donald Boyd with Parker Boyd and Margaret with Margaret!
After the ceremony, we went on a lovely spring picnic.  The weather was supposed to be in the 80s said the meteriologists, but God said blustery 70s.  Oh well, we didn't let it stop the fun and fellowship we woud have that day.


Sweet Baby Girl.

Smiley Little Parker.


Maggie Grace Winn


Parker Boyd Johnston




Magggie was first to get her pictures, and at this point she was DONE.
She was also ready for her lunch, which waits for no-one.

How precious they are together!  Even screaming they are ADORABLE!

Parker's story kinda began here.  This is the park where
Anthony and Jamie wed in 2010.

Our friends, Charlie and Dianne Ellis and the Brown family: Geron, Lydia, Cora, and Cohen, 
joined our picnic.  We were happy Geron and Charlie performed the dedication ceremony, especially since our church has been minus a lead pastor since just after Maggie Grace's birth.  We also LOVE their sweet kids!

Cohen Brown

Cora Brown

Sweet Kidos.  Fast forward a few years and there will be
a couple more kidos in the picture playing in the dirt!
Special thanks to Jamie Johnston for the pics. I'm sure this celebratory day was a bittersweet pill for her to swallow since the tragic passing of her sweet momma just weeks before. We love you Aunt Jamie and are so happy you are part of our growing family!


Monday, April 9, 2012

Spring Has Sprung

Our sweet little butterfly! She is really blossoming in the past two weeks becoming more vocal and gaining more head control. She's had rolling over down almost since birth!


Another picture of our sweet beauty taken at the begnning of spring.



Maggie Grace looks startled but really she was hungry and eyeing her mamma. She wore this sweet dress to a friend's bridal shower the Saturday before Palm Sunday.



Pre-Easter picnic... photos taken at Riverfront Parkway Park on Palm Sunday. We had fun getting the babies out for their first full day of adventures in our 80+ degree weather.




Parker looks so much like his daddy in this picture...



The Saturday before Easter both Maggie and Parker had their own Easter Bunny pictures taken at the church Easter Egg hunt. No hunting eggs for them this year but next year should be lots of fun!







Our Easter baby! Margaret "Maggie" Grace Winn.




She isn't afraid of the flower but was smiling sweetly at it as her daddy reached in to tickle her with the flower, she would pull back and smile wide. So sweet that she is starting to REALLY smile with meaning this week.



Nanny with her sweet girl! She has to snuggle anytime she gets to see her.



At the beginning of our outdoor photo session she was doing okay... the longer we went the hungrier she got.



Maggie Grace had finished her lunch before the pictures for Easter, or so we thought, she wasn't so sure though.



Parker "Bunny" would NOT have his pic taken in his EASTER basket... no way, no how!


Aunt Jamie got Maggie Grace this SWEET headband for Easter... she makes one cute flower!



Parker's mommy got him Bunny Ears, and although they weren't his favorite they were ADORABLE on him and actually fit him REALLY well in addition to coordinating with his romper. Note: He is wearing his daddy's baby shoes... so sweet.



The Winn family... our first Easter as a family of three.



The Johnston family... also their first Easter photo as a family of three.




Nanny with BOTH her babies on Easter Sunday.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Easter



Although we've had three holidays since Maggie Grace's birth: Valentine's Day, President's Day, and St. Patrick's Day, the biggest holiday is yet to come: EASTER. A day when we, as christians, celebrate the new life our Savior has allowed us to live after proclaiming Him as ruler of our lives. We are excited for this great holiday and the celebrations it brings. Last Sunday we joined the Johnston part of the family for a pic of the cousins celebrating their first visit to the Easter Bunny. Here is the pic: Maggie Grace slept thru it and Parker would have none of it...mostly because he was just one hungry baby. This morning Maggie Grace and I, Amanda, joined some other ladies of the church in filling 2000 eggs for the church hunt on Saturday. Maggie doesn't know it yet but she will again meet with the Easter Bunny for her own pic. We'll be sure to post that one too along with other family pics taken this Easter! The re-birth we gain in knowing Christ was re-iterated this year in the birth of our babies reminding us how precious this new life is! Enjoy this Easter season!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Sweet Pics of our Maggie Grace - Hour 1 to Month 1

One of Maggie Grace's first pics. Due to the chaos of her birth, we missed all pics of the irth itself, which is fine because it will not be forgotten. The purple/blue color she came out is not something I want to remember.
Our favorite nurse was giving Maggie her late night bath. This was the most discrete one I could find.
Day 1 - Swaddled. She's wearing a white gown with duckies on it that says "Mommy Loves Me." It couldn't have been a truer sentiment for the emotions of the day!
Day 2 - The hospital photos by professional photographers are really great. I LOVE this one of our sweet girl and her daddy.

Day 3 - Our first church day. Our good friend and family photographer came to mom's and took some great first pics and cousin pics this day.

Day 4 - She had to go to the doctor this day. She had lost down to 9lb 1oz. We met doctor Davis for the first time and LOVE him! His motto: Momma knows best. Trust your mother's instinct: If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

Day 5 - Valentine's Day. How happy were we? Well we decided to take our baby and show her off to all our friends and family. We visited Nanny's work, Mommy's work, and Daddy's work then called it a day. Later Jamie, Anthony, and baby Parker came to visit with a Valentine's Day surprise of chocolate covered strawberries.

Day 6 - We stayed home and crashed there all day. Mommy had a fever and wasn't feeling well. Later we found out it was post partum pre-eclampsia and mastitis.

Day 7 - One week old. Mommy's doctor visit day.
Day 8 - Another stay in bed day, docotor's orders for mommy: bedrest until bloodwork tells us what's wrong.
Day 9 - Greatgranparents (my maternal ones) and grandparents (D's dad and stepmom) visited this weekend. Greatgrandma Margaret made this sling with Nanny which proves oh so helpful since we have stationary/convertible car seats.

First bath in a big girl tub. February 21, 2012. Not happy her head got wet.
...but she loved being warmed by the hair dryer afterwards.
This wasn't St. Patrick's day but was taken in the first few days of March.

Our precious one month old baby, taken after her church baby shower on March 11, 2012.
Naptime. Mommy discovered Maggie Grace really LOVES sleeping on daddy's memory foam pillow. Don't worry folks I watch her breathing since she's on her belly.

March 18, 2012 - Some family passing thru town stopped to sneak a peak at our two beauties... Maggie Grace and Parker Boyd.
We so love our little Maggie Grace and are super excited to see what God has in store for the rest of her precious life.