Merry Christmas!

We're headed to Lake Charles, LA to spend Christmas with Ross's family- Maisie's first road trip, and her first Christmas! Should be lots of fun as all of his family will be there, including Maisie's cousins, Simon (born in Feb) and Luke (born in March).

We'll let you know how it was when we return!!!

May your Christmas be filled with the spirit of Christ!

Learning

Every day Maisie is changing. She has learned how to grab things (but it's still not easy for her.) She loved reaching for a certain snuggly bunny. She has also started eating rice cereal every now and then, but still has yet to get rid of her tongue thrust, so we don't do it too often or feed her too much of it, and it has to be runny to get down her throat. But she gets so happy and excited when you get the spoon near her!

More fun than that, t his week she has learned to blow raspberries and buzz her lips. She much prefers buzzing her lips- I think she feels it's more fun. And she looks too cute doing it- pursing her lips and scrunching her face to make it work! And last night she learned another skill: squealing! Oh boy! Did that get her excited!

I can't believe how big she is getting, how fast she is growing and learning and changing. I am jealous of Ross who gets to stay home with her all day (and does a great job taking care of her). I relish our time together before and after school. She is just too cute and too fun!

Maisie Sings!

I have sung to Maisie from the beginning; but yesterday, she sang along with me for the first time! I just love hearing her use that voice of hers!

Maisie trying out her voice and discovering tongue

4 Months Old!

Maisie is catching up to her 4 month old peers quickly! At her well check on Friday, she weighed 10 lbs 4 oz, is 22 inches long, and her head is 15 cm around. She finally made it on to the growth charts! She's in the 2% for weight, and 4% for length and head circumference. Her pediatrician even said we might be able to start introducing rice cereal, if she'll take it! This would be great, because she has been eating every 2 hours for the past month or more, and it would be great to spread that out some!

Maisie is getting very active, and very vocal! We caught her last night exercising those vocal folds. It was bed time, of course- why are we always most active when it's time to sleep? :)

Click here to see Maisie at Bedtime

More smiles

Her favorite mobile

Maisie's smiles

Happiness is....

a crib soother

Smiles

I was seriously depressed tonight. Seriously. I was starting to cry, but then I looked at Maisie and she just BEAMED this enormous smile at me. Well, who can cry when a gorgeous little baby is smiling at them as big as can be?!

Weigh in

Maisie is 8lbs 11oz

Baby Blessing Part Deux

 Aunt Laura knit Maisie's blessing gown. It is so beautiful, and so soft. It's a shame Maisie won't get more wear out of it.

Maisie's cousin, Jodi, loved holding her, and was so good with her.

Maisie's Blessing

We had a great visit with family last weekend as many came to participate in giving Maisie her blessing in church (like a Christening but without the baptism part- we do that part when eight years old in our church.) My sister drove out from Apache Junction, AZ in a marathon 20 hour drive with her husband and 3 kids. Ross's brother and his wife and baby came from St. Louis. My parents drove out from Colorado, and Ross's parents came from Louisianna to be with us.

The weekend was crowded and a bit chaotic, but simply wonderful! Maisie was spoiled and loved by all her cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. And her blessing was just beautiful. The only bad part came in the end when everyone went home and our apartment seemed so quiet and lonely! We wish we all lived closer.

Maisie and her cousin, Luke

Luke REALLY wanted to love on Maisie with his head

Playing on Ross's truck

Maisie's cousins, Daniel, Jodi, and Noah (the dinosaur)

Jodi was one tired little girl after all the excitement

First Baby Sitter

Ross and I are headed for a much needed date tonight, so Maisie gets her first babysitter! We will see how well Ross and I do at leaving her in someone else's care for the evening. We're headed to Mt Bonnell among other Austin locales tonight- also known as Antoniette's Leap, it's a local romance spot. Antoinette supposedly flung herself from the cliffs to her death after some Indians killed her lover who gave his life to defend her. There aren't much "cliffs" there, so I think it's a better story than factual event. Either way, it is a very pretty spot, and should be a great place for a date.

Maisie Love

Maisie loves napping with her Papa!

I just love her little toes!

What Mama gets to see all day- who wouldn't love this face?!

Our First Sunday at Church

We finally got the "all clear" from the pediatrician for taking Maisie out and about, so we were able to go to church as a family today for the first time. We dressed our best and made it a festive occasion. Maisie was definitely the belle of the ball. I have to say I felt gross myself- I had a hard time finding something to wear that fit! (I should not be so big for having had such a tiny baby, but c'est la vie, eh?)

Babies are definitely a distraction, but still it was wonderful to be in church together and get what we could out of it.

Smiling before church in the swing

Celebrating our first Sunday after church in the foyer

In her cute little yellow dress

Cute bow in the back

Changed into more comfy clothes

Checking daddy's pocket...

After-church nap!

For the Nursery

Made this from a kit tonight- acrylic on canvas. Can't wait to hang it up in the "nursery" when it's dry.

Gettin' Big

Maisie had to go back to Dell Children's Hospital this week for a hip ultrasound. Since she was a girl born breach, it's a standard screening she had to go through. She handled the event very well. However, her ultrasound came back showing she does indeed have some hip dysplasia. We will be going to an orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday, and hope he will just say, "Let's watch her for a little while, and check again when she's bigger." Otherwise, she will have to get a brace to wear- looking online it looks like the minimum would be 6 weeks! YUCK! Praying for something easier!

Our Maisie sure is getting big, though! I don't have a weight for you to know exactly how big is big, but feel free to enjoy these latest videos and pics!

The Latest Footage

Some Pics

Harmony, Our Other Baby

We started looking for a companion for Titus in the beginning of June- he was just so lonely after Phil died. We found a little girl kitten that reminded us so much of Phil, we knew she would get along with Titus. The shelter where we found her was super strict, though, and didn't release her until the week Maisie was born. It was a little stressful, bringing home a kitten while we were in those first days at the NICU. She has adjusted pretty well to her new home, though, and does indeed remind us of Phil.

Harmony really does think she and Maisie are both kittens.