There's a Light at the End of this Tunnel...

Well tomorrow is the day I have been dreading for 12 weeks now. The day I have to go back to work. Today - surprisingly enough - I have been o.k. Yesterday as I was driving to a doctor's appointment and the tears came, I prayed again that God would give me the strength and the courage to face this day and as I listened to the radio I prayed specifically that He would provide me some comfort in the form of a song. And this song "Tunnel" (by Third Day, I think) came on and the chorus was "There's a light at the end of this tunnel, there's a light at the end of this tunnel for you, for you." Is God amazing or what? This song provided so much comfort to me. Yes, tomorrow is going to be hard - it's going to suck actually - but at the end of the day I know that Michael and I and Maggie will get through it. There is a light at the end of this tunnel.

So today - a day I thought I would spend in tears - has been o.k. And it's totally a God thing. Every time my mind has gone to the task we face tomorrow that chorus starts running through my head reminding me that while it's going to be a tough few days - it won't last forever. Thank you God! And thank you all for your prayers - they have really helped!

Today I took Maggie to get some professional pictures done. Here are a few of the proofs. She did really well until the third outfit change and then she was having no more of this bright light flashing in her face!




I love this one of her on her tummy!

My friend, Tanya, made this darling feather wreath for one of my showers so I took it to the studio thinking that surely it could be used as a prop somehow! Here is the resulting picture. What you will not see is the resulting rash that Maggie developed after being encircled by all these pink feathers.

This was the only one in her third outfit that we could get with a smile. She does look darling all the same!

Love to all. Keep those prayers coming! We'll need them tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Logan!

Maggie attended her first birthday party on Saturday celebrating her cousin Logan's first birthday. She had a great time and was completely worn out by the time we got home. She slept the rest of the afternoon and in the process must have gotten her days and nights mixed up as we have not had a good night of sleep since the party. Mommy is tired.

This is my last full week with Maggie before I have to go back to work. I am trying not to think about it too much because when I think about it I start bawling like a baby and - as I have mentioned before - I get really short of breath and, well, it's just not good. I have been praying for some time that God will give me the strength and courage and whatever else it's going to take to leave my little MagB at daycare. Please keep me in your prayers as the dreaded day is quickly approaching.

Now back to a lighter note - here are some recent pics of Maggie:

Here's Mags all gussied up for the party. One must-have accessory this season is the bib as MagB has become quite the slobber monster. Really. I expect a tooth to pop up at any time.




Here is cousin Logan with his birthday cake. At first he was not too sure about the tasty confection before him...

...But then he decided that cake is good. (And cookies too, as you can see at Laurie's blog at http://www.lauriesthreesons.blogspot.com/)

Oh, and you can't just sport any old bib - it has to make a statement. Mags would like the world to know that she loves her daddy!

And from the looks of things here, the feeling is quite mutual! These were taken after church on Sunday.

Maggie made some new friends at the birthday party. Here she is with Paige and Paige's mommy Tanya - one of my dearest friends. Paige turns two next month.

Love to all!

Peek-a-Boo!

Maggie has started to grab onto things now - mostly her own clothing - but last night when we put her into her swing she grabbed her blanket and it looked like she was playing a game of peek-a-boo the way she would raise and lower the blanket. So cute. We are amazed everyday by the new things she can do!

Maggie attended her first cook out recently and her buddy Colton Conley was there. Here is a cute picture of Maggie with Colton. Colton was born with more hair than Maggie! They make quite a pair, don't ya think?


Hope you are all having a great week!

We Woke Up!

Is there any greater blessing than that? My sister, Laurie, recently recommended the book "Same Kind of Different as Me" and this was just one of the many things I took away from the book. It's a true story about a homeless man in Fort Worth and a wealthy art dealer and his wife who feels called to serve at a Fort Worth homeless shelter and the lives that change in the process. It's the best book I have read in some time. (Including the last Harry Potter!) I would highly recommend the book to all you readers out there (and even you non-readers). It's written by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

Hope you all have a great day!

2 Months Old!

MagB turned two months old on Sunday. It's hard to believe two months has already gone by. It's also hard to believe that we could fall more and more in love with her every day - but I am here to tell you that we can and we do! I thank God everyday for the blessing that is our little MagB!

Today was the two month check up with Dr. G and that meant time for shots - four of them. It was very traumatic for Mommy, but Maggie held her own and only cried for a second - and then we got home! Doc said the shots would probably not affect her at all and we wouldn't even notice she got them. Now if "not affect her at all" and "won't even notice she got them" translates into an afternoon of pure fussiness that even the boob (sorry!) wouldn't pacify then he was right - we hardly noticed it at all! Thankfully by evening she was back to normal - all smiles and full of chatter.

That's right - I said chatter. Last Sunday our little MagB apparently found her voice. It's the sweetest thing ever. If I knew how to post video I would shoot some to post so you all could hear the sweetness yourselves! I love it.

Anyhoo, back to the checkup. Maggie is now weighing in at 12 lbs 5 oz. which puts her in the 90th percentile. She is 24" long (97th percentile) and her head is measuring in the 75th percentile (who wants a big bowling ball head anyway, right?) And again - all A pluses from the Doc.

Here are some pics I took yesterday on her 2 month "birthday."



This was Maggie today - after the shots. Notice the band aids on her little thigh. You can't see them, but there are identical band aids on the other leg too. Poor little thing!

Love to all! Hope you all have a great week and are looking forward to a long holiday weekend!

And then there was one...

One month that is. Only one month left in my maternity leave and then it's back to work. I have been trying not to think about it much because, quite frankly, when I think about it the meltdown begins and I get really short of breath and, well, it's just not good. Not that I don't enjoy my job - I do - I love what I do and the people I do it with. It's just that I have no idea how in the world I am going to drive away from a day care where I have just left my little MagB. Oh no - there goes the breath again...

So on to happier things...MagB is getting so big! I can't believe she is almost two months old. Time is flying! Here are some recent pics:

Here's Maggie with Daddy - all dressed for her first Sunday at church! She did so well too!



She's the apple of daddy's (and mommy's) eye!



Heading to church this Sunday!

This is a dress I wore as a baby, which Maggie wore to church on Sunday:

That's all for now! Love to all...Oh, and Happy Birthday Gramps!!!!

6 Weeks.

I only have a minute to post as I can hear Maggie stirring from her morning nap! It's hard to belive our precious MagB is 6 weeks old this week. She's getting so big! Here are some recent pics:


Maggie and Daddy:

Here Maggie is with her great-grandma Edna!

We are still swaddling Maggie at night because if we don't she wakes herself up with flailing limbs. She is starting to like to have her arms free though so I thought I would try putting her in a "sweet pea" gown so her arms were free but her little legs still were somewhat contained. I LOVE these little sleep sacks on babies. They are beyond precious! Though we still ended up having to swaddle her in the end!

Michael can always manage to get a good smile out of Maggie.

Love to all!