MAISIE PAULINE

Due Date: June 13th, 2008

Born: May 30th, 2008 at 6:34 am

Stats: 7 lbs, 4.9 oz -- 19 3/4 inches

She's a gorgeous girl with a little dark brown hair and blue eyes... she stole mommy and daddy's heart from the first moment we laid eyes on her!

ONE MONTH:

Whew! What a whirlwind month it's been! Maisie is a really good baby and we're so happy she's a part of our family. Dan and I have studied her from top to bottom and have concluded she's perfect. :) She seems to have mom's dark hair, eyes, and toes, and dad's mouth and temperament. Overall she looks a bit more like dad than like mom.

Maisie has pretty much smiled from day one. She's a very happy little baby who, like all newborns, likes to eat, sleep & cuddle with mom and dad! She loves bathtime. She often does the "Popeye-eye,"" which is when she opens one eye first when she wakes up. When she's hungry and I put her over my shoulder, she bobs her head back & forth, like a bird does when they're looking for food. It's so cute! Being a mother is the greatest feeling in the world, and I'm loving every moment of it!

TWO MONTHS:

Maisie is still the cutest little peanut I've ever seen! At her two month checkup she weighed 10 lbs, 5 oz. It's funny because that's about the size they thought she would be when she was born... now she's just reaching that weight at 2 mos of age. It's amazing how wrong the ultrasound technicians were about her size. But since she was such a little peanut when she was born, she definitely looks like she's filling out a lot now. Her little face is a bit pudgier, and her arms and legs have a few little rolls on them. So cute! Her hair is getting just a bit thicker, and she still has beautiful blue eyes.

She's also been interacting with Dan and I more and more each day. She imitates our facial expressions. Dan sticks his tongue out at her and she does it back. I tend to smile at her with my mouth wide open and she smiles the same way back at me. She definitely knows who I am too. She follows me with her eyes when Dan is holding her and I am walking throughout the room. Melts my heart! She also turns her head toward my voice when I walk into a room.

I'm still breastfeeding and enjoying that, even though it is a bit time consuming. I have no idea how I'd do it if I had another child in the home. Speaking of which... I swear I'm already ready to start trying for #2! Dan isn't anywhere near that point, so we'll be probably waiting at least a year. Actually if Dan had his way, Maisie would be an only child. We'll see where life takes us!

Maisie at two months:

THREE MONTHS:

Maisie turned three months on August 30th. I see why people say they grow up way too fast. It seems like just yesterday that she was born. But then I look at pictures of when she was firstborn, as compared to pictures of her now, and I just can't believe how much she is changing. She's still a very happy little girl, and a very calm baby, which we are so very thankful for!

She began reaching for toys and grabbing things several weeks ago. I took her to Iowa to meet her great-grandparents and she laid on their floor and suddenly reached over and grabbed a little toy. She'd been trying for a long time, but that was the first time she was successful. So cute! She loves to bury her little head into my chest when I hold her, which just melts my heart. She hasn't rolled over yet, but she's working on it like a mad woman. If she could just get the upper part of her body to communicate with the lower part, she'd be a rolling machine! :) She was twelve pounds, two ounces as of last week, so she seems to be growing really well.

I started back at work last week, which has been a tough adjustment, but we're getting through it. Maisie is still at home with Dan, so that has helped the transition. I still miss her like crazy when I'm at work, and I hardly put her down between the time I get home and the time she goes to bed! I just love her to pieces.

September 7, 2008 -- Yay for Maisie! I'm such a proud mama... Maisie rolled over for the first time this evening! I had brought her over to my grandmother's and she was laying on the floor, working so hard on rolling over, but she just couldn't figure out what to do with her shoulder. We put her back on the floor after we got home, and she worked and worked at it until finally... she did it! She looked so cute laying there, grunting and tensing her muscles... I am so proud of her!

September 11, 2008 -- Maisie laughed for the first time when I was blowing on her tummy! Sooo cute!

September 15th, 2008 -- Maisie started rolling from her back to her front last week, but today she kept on rolling, and rolled from her front to her back! My little girl is growing so quickly!

FOUR MONTHS:

It’s hard to believe my little girl is already four months old! Maisie continues to grow like a weed and amaze Dan & I every day. At her four month checkup she weighed 13 lbs, 13 oz and was almost 24 inches, which put her at about the 50% for height and weight. She started rolling over last month, and now she’s basically obsessed with being on her stomach. It’s made diaper changes a bit challenging! She’s still smiley as ever and giggles when we play with her. I just can’t wait to come home after work each day to see her. It melts my heart when she gives me that big gummy grin when I walk in the door. Now if only I could get that hair on her head to grow a little… I swear she had more hair on her head when she was born! She’s still adorable with her little cue-ball head. Life is good... J