16 Weeks

Sixteen Weeks Old

Mary Ella is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! She has been doing it on and off for a few weeks now, but I didn't want to brag about it until I knew it was for real. And every day this week she slept until 6 or 7 or 8. It is wonderful! I just wish I could sleep that long with her. I still wake up multiple times- it's a habit since pregnancy. It really does get you ready for the nighttime feedings. Now I just peak in her bassinette at the foot of the bed (yes, she's still in our room), make sure she's still breathing, and go back to sleep. I know that sounds crazy, but it just seems like something must be wrong if I haven't gotten up atleast once. But I'm not complaining. Thank you, Mary Ella!

Tummy time

Wearing Mommy's pj's- this week I broke out the flannel

When I found out I was having a girl I went straight to Strasburg, and this was the first dress I bought. I love it on her! She looks so dainty in it. After church on Sunday we decided to have a little photo shoot. Enjoy!

P.S. She finally pooped! And smiled about it.

First Thanksgiving

My first Thanksgiving

This time last year was when Brad and I found out we were expecting Mary Ella. So much has changed this year- pretty much everything in our world but each other. But I have never been so thankful and so overflowing with blessings. I have everything I've ever wanted. Sometimes I just cry I'm so blessed. I have a wonderful husband that works hard everyday so I can stay home with my baby. I get to love on and play with the most precious little girl in the whole world every single day. She is everything I prayed for and more. I am thankful she is a happy and healthy girl, and so beautiful I wonder how she came from me. I had the easiest pregnancy and labor and delivery that I could have asked for. And although the move was tough, I love my new house and it has been such a blessing to be closer to family. Thank you God for Jesus and for blessing me more than I could ever deserve!

My little turkey

Thanksgiving at Gigi and Papa's

The Marvin Family


Mary Ella loved playing with her cousins Anna and Trey.

On Thursday we had Thanksgiving lunch in Springdale with Brad's family. So good! After that we usually travel to Hope to have Thanksgiving with my family, but we decided to have them come to us this year. On Saturday we hosted my mom, brother, and Jennifer in Little Rock. I cooked Nanny's chicken and dressing, peas and corn that Pa grew, Dana's sweet potato casserole, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and rolls. And I didn't even mess anything up! It was fun, but alot of work. I never could have done it without my mom to help direct me in the kitchen and watch Mary Ella.

We ate at Mimi and Daddy Law's dining room table and used their china and silver.

Me and my ham

The appetizers

The spread

The desserts

15 Weeks

Fifteen Weeks Old

Since my last post was so much about poo, I won't talk about it this time, but we are still having the same issues. You would think she would feel terrible, but she was a very good girl this week. We did some Christmas shopping, and she let me put up my big Christmas tree. We also got her 3 month pictures made, and I can't wait to see them. She did so good! She is starting to laugh at her Mommy. It takes alot to get it out of her, but she laughed at me this week after a bath and on her changing table. Her little chuckle is soooo cute!

Watching football with her Daddy


Do you wake up this happy in the morning?

I can touch my toes! This is something I have been waiting to see her do. She loves to look at her feet, and I have been putting them in her grasp, but this week so got ahold of one foot on her own. I can't wait to see her get ahold of both of them!

This weekend we went to Kentucky to visit our friends Scott and Kimberly and their girls. MacKenzie and Audrey thought Mary Ella was a fun little baby doll! We ate some yummy food and had a great visit. The guys went hunting while the girls shopped of course.

Daddy and me

Mile-high meringue at Patti's Restaurant

Goofy grin

Mommy and me

Go Hogs! Beat State (that's what they call it in Mississippi)!

14 Weeks

Fourteen Weeks Old

Mary Ella's favorite toys right now are her hands. She really is getting more interested in grabbing and playing with her toys, but she thinks her hands are really the coolest things. She looks at them, grasps them together, turns them all around, puts them in her mouth, and touches everything she can get them to.

This week was a busy one! Monday was our only day at home. On Tuesday Mia came to visit. We went out to lunch for her birthday, and Mary Ella and I took her to our favorite children's store Cupcakes and Caterpillars. She was ready to go home after Mia bought the tutu she wanted. Ha! The girl was a little grumpy this week because she was having trouble GOING again, but more about that later. Wednesday was Veteran's Day so Brad got to stay home with us. We all went out to eat for lunch and while she napped in the car, my mom and I ran into Hancock's to look at Christmas fabric. I really got into the Christmas spirit this week. I try to wait until after Thanksgiving to think about it, but I've got to get moving early to get everything done this year. We went home and while Mary Ella napped my mom and I got back out to do a little shopping before she had to go home (I love that she took 2 random days off during the week to come see us). And that night we took Mary Ella to a life group for the first time. She was wonderful! On Thursday it had been a week since Mary Ella had GONE, and we had been giving her juice for 3 days with no results. So I called the doctor, and the nurse said we better bring her in. I know it sounds like we take her to the doctor all the time, but you have to believe me when I say I am not a doctor person. I usually like to diagnose myself. I will only go when I am deathly ill, and I will only take Advil about once a month. But it is different with her. I never want her to hurt or be sick, and I don't know what the heck I'm doing. So, I'll leave the diagnosing up to the doctor. Besides, before she was the most regular girl with explosive bowels, so this problem was bothering me. Anyway, the doctor poked around on her, said to stop giving her the vitamins that we had started about the time the problem started (which I had already done), and to try a suppository if things didn't move soon. Yikes! So, that night we went out to eat with Brad's old boss that was in town and tried the juice one more time. No luck. Friday morning I had a hair appointment, and I took Mary Ella with me. I was a little worried how that would go, but she did great! When we got home Joe and Rita had gotten to our house for a weekend visit. When Mary Ella got up from her nap, Papa took her for a walk, and Gigi and I went to Holiday House. For those of you in Jackson, this is a mini-version of Mistletoe (oh, how I miss Mistletoe)! I got some great gifts (for Christmas and for Mary Ella). That night we cooked steaks, and Brad went to Walgreen's to get the dreaded suppositories. Now, earlier in the day Gigi had pulled out Mary Ella's first laugh. It was the cutest one syllable laugh that you have ever heard. And by that night she was putting in her first suppository (I just watched this time.) Ha! But thank goodness it did its job, and we went straight to the bathtub. Saturday was the battle of the grannies. Just kidding! My mom came back for the night with Cole's girlfriend, but Gigi and Mia are very good about sharing Mary Ella. They just don't share her with anyone else! Ha! My mom, Jennifer, and I went back to Holiday House, and I picked up a few things I wish I had bought the day before. Mary Ella refused to take a nap, so she went with us. I thought she would fall asleep on the way there- not so. I thought she would fall asleep in the stroller- no way. She was too busy watching all the people and looking at the pretty things. She rode in the stroller awhile, I held her and she took a teeny nap, but for the most part she did great. I guess she was feeling like a new woman! I sure do! If I can tackle Holiday House and getting my hair done with a baby, I feel like I can do anything! That night we had more taco soup and watched the Razorback game. On Sunday we all went to church and said goodbye to all the company. It was a great week!

Go Hogs! Beat Troy!

Mary Ella is more vocal than ever! She says "go" all the time, so I'm sure she means "Go Hogs!" Sounds in her vocabulary are: goo, gah, go, ooh, ah, oh, uh, eye, loo, la, mmm, coo, gurgle, wuh, whoa, and of course waa. She is starting to talk to herself too. She'll talk when she's on her playmat, and we can hear her sometimes in her bassinette when she wakes up. So cute! She also has the most dramatic yawns with sound effects. She coughs when she is hungry or wants your attention and squeals when she is excited or thinks something is funny. Like I said, she laughed for the first time this week at Gigi twice, and she tried to sing with Brad too. I love her sweet voice and hope she can sing like her daddy!

3 Months

3 Months Old

I tried so hard to get good pictures in her Razorback tutu, but she doesn't smile a whole lot when she's sitting up (and she looks a little awkward propped up). She is just enthralled by her surroundings. She LOVES to look around. I think the girl is going to be very serious about learning.


She was also interested in eating the tulle on her tutu.


Her cheeks are getting so chubby!


And this is her new smile- so big she scrunches her nose up. So cute! Go Hogs! Beat USC (and in the south we know that doesn't mean Southern Cal)!


Flashback

8.7.09

9.7.09

10.7.09

11.7.09

13 Weeks

13 Weeks Old

Finally! We saw the sun this week! It was nice to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. We have some great walking trails in our neighborhood, many I haven't explored yet. I try to stay pretty close to home. But this week was the best. Our favorite trail is just off the main street, but winds through the woods that line the street. The leaves were falling and had covered the sidewalk, so it was like we were really out in nature. Mary Ella stayed awake during a whole walk for the first time. There was so much to keep her entertained. The trees, the leaves, and the scrunching sound the leaves made under my feet and the stroller.

On Wednesday we went to Children's Hospital for ME's kidney appointment. I thought the schedule was a little backward. We saw the nephrologist before we had the ultrasound, so the doctor didn't have much to tell us before he read the ultrasound. He did seem to think that a single cyst was not a normal thing to see on a kidney (usually there's a cluster and that's not good). So he thought that the ultrasounds before might have been misread. He took a look at ME, mentioned some possible scenarios that it could be, did some blood work, and sent us to radiology. So, I wasn't really feeling great about the appointment. He had me a little worried that it might be more serious than we had thought, so after the ultrasound we go home and wait for the doctor to call. We didn't hear anything Wednesday or Thursday, so maybe no news is good news? I finally called Friday morning, and it turns out that it does appear to be a single, simple cyst. Her blood work was normal, so her kidneys are functioning beautifully (just as I had thought). So, we will just continue to monitor it and hope it never turns out to be anything that will affect her. I am still praying for it to just go away, but we are scheduled to go back in 3-4 months to take another look at it.

Mary Ella is really getting good with her hands. She is getting better and better and reaching out to touch and grab things, including herself. She likes to touch and pinch her belly, and explore her "button." Right here you can see her hand to tummy.

She was exhausted after her doctor's appointment. She took a 4 hour nap when we got home. And yes, her paci is in her mouth in this picture!


Hand to knee

Both hands to knees, sitting like an old man. Ha!

The slobber and bubbles have begun to flow!

This is the face she makes during her entire bath. She doesn't mind her bath and never cries, but she has absolutely no expression. She knows the routine, but it's almost like she just tolerates it.

She might suck on her hands (so I have to get the soap off quickly)!

And as soon as it's over and I wrap her up, she makes this face. No expression to big smile. Everytime!