A Very Merry Half Birthday to Lu!

Lucy turned six months old last Saturday. In a way, I don't feel like she should be six months old yet. But then I think about when she was born and it feels like a lifetime ago.

We had another doctor visit and another round of shots. She is a solid 17 and a half pounds and is able to roll all over the place. She is now eating jar foods and seems to like squash the best so far. The doctor recommended the meat baby food, too. Blech. That stuff is kind of disgusting. It looks like dog food and smells like the devil. She loves it though! Laps it right up.

For Labor Day weekend, we took a road trip to Sugar Land to visit my family. We got as far as Dallas, at which point we passed Lucy off to my brother and sister-in-law who were also headed to my parents' for the weekend, and they drove her the rest of the way, brave souls. She slept the whole time, thank goodness. We stayed 2 nights in Dallas, Lucy-free, to take part in grown-up dinners out, irresponsible bedtimes, uninterrupted sleep, and the OU-BYU football game at the new Cowboys stadium.



Apparently Lucy was the toast of my parents' home in Sugar Land while we lived it up in Dallas. I don't think she has gotten that much attention since the day she was born. We were initially concerned that it might be an imposition to ask my parents to babysit for that long, but the evidence will show that quite the opposite is true.




While in the Houston area, we took Lucy to meet her great-grandparents (Jerrod's maternal grandparents), Memaw and Pepaw. Our timing was perfect; Memaw passed away suddenly a week after our visit. Someday when we tell Lucy about Memaw, we'll be able to say, "You met her. You were there." I am so thankful for that.


Progress continues on our house. We have a roof and windows, and they started bricking today. We'll probably be able to close and move in late October or early November. Can't happen soon enough. We are popping at the seams in our current home.

Lucy is more fun all the time, and I would do anything to make her happy. I thank God for her every single day because I don't know what I have ever done to deserve her.

Four month update (it is impossible to come up with clever titles for these things)

Well, it's been two months, so I guess that means it's time for another post. As of last Monday, Lucy is now four months old, and she got a round of vaccinations to celebrate. She now weighs 14 pounds and 8 ounces, is 24.5 inches long, and is in the 75th percentile for height (length??) and weight. The doctor also gave us the A-OK to start giving Lucy cereal in addition to milk.


She was curious at first, but since it was essentially like feeding her a bottle 3 drops at a time, she threw a hissy fit. The photo was snapped just in the nick of time, right before her head exploded.

I've been back at work since the end of May and Lucy has been at day care ever since. We are happy with her day care, but we've already put her on a waiting list at another bigger, newer place because it is in a better location for when we move into our new house. The folks at day care tell me that she does pretty well, but she just can't seem to get used to how noisy it is. Therefore, she hardly naps during the day, so she typically comes home in a rotten mood every night. We have created a routine in which we walk in the door, swaddle Lucy, and put her down for a nap on our bed. Any slight deviation from this routine, or any lollygagging in the process can/will result in a severe meltdown.

One of the things I love most about being a parent is learning little by little who Lucy is: what makes her happy, what upsets her, what works to calm her down, what makes her smile, what she needs and when she needs it. It is a constant learning experience. Also, I love that even at such a young age, she already has this funny little personality that I can already see.

Lucy is smiling, babbling, and cooing quite a bit, and she seems like she's on her way to giggling. Also, when we do tummy time, she seems very close to rolling over on her own. The lower body and legs have got the movement right, but it's that darned upper body and head that seem to be getting in the way!

We spent July 4th weekend in Branson with Jerrod's parents. It was Lucy's first road trip and first time out of state. We must be gluttons for punishment because we figured what the heck and decided to take Choco along, too. It was Lucy's first hotel stay, and Choco's second.


The reason Choco looks so mad in this picture is because Lucy is in Choco's preferred spot, which is, coincidentally, 6 inches from where my head lies on the pillow. It was an adventure, and we had a wonderful time. We played mini-golf and did some shopping and (as always) ate lots of great food. Here we are at the indoor mini-golf course at the Grand Country Inn. As you can see, we are all decked out in our red, white, and blue!



Our house is now officially in the works and should be ready late this year. We went to the design center last weekend to pick out our colors, stain, granite, carpet, etc. I'm so excited to see it all come together. Until there's walls and a roof, every day of rain will result in an approximate two day delay in construction so we are praying for NO rain!

Work has been going well. I've been doing the whole pumping thing since I've been back, which has gone well, and I'm used to the routine of it now (9:30, 12:30, 3:30), but sometimes I can't shake the feeling that it just keeps me away from my desk entirely too much! Every time I get frustrated, though, I remind myself that it is such a gift to be able to nurse my daughter, and that this may be the only time in my life that I have the opportunity to do so. Ah, the eternal optimist!

That's about it for now. Here's more Lucy pics!

Two month portraits

We took Lucy to the Target portrait studio yesterday to have some pictures made. It was kind of a last-minute decision. To be honest, my hopes were not high. I was just hopeful we'd get one or two "keepers." This is why we chose Target - there is no sitting fee; you just have to pay for the prints you order. That way, if we got through two pictures and Lucy erupted into a meltdown, we wouldn't be out any money! However, before the inevitable meltdown occurred (which it inevitably did), the photographer was able to get several good shots. Here are a few:


The photographer even caught a shot of Lucy's fit right as she was getting warmed up:


Not something we would order a print of, but cute nonetheless.

In other news, I chopped off all of my hair. I had it in my head that I needed to have long hair when the baby came so I could wear it in a ponytail. But I don't like wearing ponytails and the result is too often baby puke all in my hair. Gross! So here's a pic of me, my new 'do, and my beautiful blue-eyed baby:


We made an offer to build a new house and it was accepted by the builder, so we will be homeowners once again in about 5 or 6 months. In the meantime I will be having dreams about granite counters and five-and-a-quarter inch baseboards! Can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day to me! Plus tons of pics...

What a joy to be a member of the mommy club on Mother's Day this year! My thoughtful little Lucy P, with the help of her daddy, gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a gift card to have a manicure, pedicure, and massage at the Eden Spa. I fully agree with their decision that I could use some pampering! Jerrod gave me a card that literally brought tears to my eyes. And to top it all off, I received cards and phone calls from family members wishing me a happy first Mother's Day. I felt so special!

Lucy is getting so much bigger! I can't believe she is almost two months old. She is already growing up before our eyes. She can hold her head up on her own (most of the time). It won't be long before she can sit up and roll over all by herself. Her eyes are blue, and she already has the loveliest long eyelashes. She can thank Daddy for that. She is beginning to smile more, and she goes through an absolutely astonishing number of diapers.

She had a scorching case of cradle cap for about two weeks so photography of her came to an abrupt halt. She seriously looked like she'd been rolling her head around in poison ivy. It started as pimples, then a rash, and then her whole face peeled. I felt so badly for her, but she seemed totally unbothered by the whole deal. Now, her complexion is clear and glowing!

Here are some pics of our little Biscuit:

Five days old

Two weeks old, with somehow a better tan than me

Three weeks old, enjoying her first bath once her cord came off

My sister calls this one "The Thinker"

Five weeks old

Looking absolutely mammoth next to her little buddy, Drew

I return to work on May 26th, so I am trying to cherish every single second before I have to leave her. My mom is coming to watch her for that first week, and after that she'll be in day care. I am a little anxious about it, but I know she will be in good hands.

In other news, we are looking for a new house in the Edmond area. I think we are actually going to do a custom build again, so that will be something very exciting to look forward to. And the thought of getting to decorate a new house and put together a new nursery for Lucy....I can't wait!

Lovely Lucy Paige

Okay, I know it has taken me entirely too long to post this, but believe it or not, I have been quite busy the last few weeks!

Lucy Paige Maguire
Born March 20, 2009 at 2:56 am
7 pounds, 10 ounces
20.5 inches

After 14 hours of labor with very little progress (never dilated past 4 cm) but a lot of incredibly intense contractions, beautiful Lucy finally came into the world by c-section early Friday morning. The experience was wonderful and I would not change anything about it.

I have always loved the name Lucy, and Paige, besides being a cute name, is my sister's name. We had her name picked out and decided upon long before I became pregnant. I am glad to say that it suits her well.

I can't say enough about how much this little pink bundle has already changed my life. I am amazed at how much I love her. I'll post more later!

This time next week, I'll be someone's mother

The title pretty much says it all! I am being induced at 5:30 am on Thursday, March 19th. In our last few appointments, the doctor has expressed concern about the baby's size, so he felt it was the best move to go ahead and induce once I got past 39 weeks. At 37 weeks, the baby was measuring at 39.5 weeks and was estimated to be over 7.5 pounds already.

I have been fairly opposed to the idea of induction all along, simply because I just wanted to let things happen on their own and let nature take its course, so to speak. However, I trust the doctor entirely and he feels that inducing a bit early is my best chance at having a normal delivery...apparently due to the Bun's estimated head size a C-section may be on the menu for me, which is a thought that terrifies me. I have come to accept that it's all out of my hands and things may happen that aren't exactly what I planned. All that matters is that our little Biscuit gets here safely, and it doesn't matter to me how that happens when all is said and done.

People have been asking if I'm nervous or anxious, and fortunately, at this point, the answer is no. I feel like I have waited my whole life for this, to finally have a child, and I could not be more ready. Our hospital bags are packed and in my Explorer along with the car seat, some pillows and blankets, the cameras and camcorder, the Boppy, and, oh yeah, the kitchen sink. We are READY!

Here's the belly at 36 weeks:

And here's 37 weeks:


We finished up the nursery (or at least what we're going to do while we're living here...we may be moving in the upcoming months). Here are a few pics of the construction and the finished product:





Thank goodness we have a big guest bedroom, because there is room for all of our new baby furniture PLUS a queen bed. This was important to me so we could host guests after the birth. It all fits perfectly and looks so cute. I didn't take a picture of the queen bed but picture a brass bed with a white down comforter and navy sheets.

I have experienced the joy of heartburn over the past week. Oh, and late-pregnancy swelling! Silly me, thinking I might not get any of that stuff! My wedding rings have relocated to my pinky, my ankles look like twin ham hocks, my feet are those of Frodo Baggins; it is truly unbelievable. Fear not, I won't be posting pictures of that loveliness. My complaining is really just in jest; I wouldn't change the way I feel at this moment - the good or the bad - for anything in the whole wide world.

I have a (growing) list of things I need to get done in the next week, like cleaning the fridge and organizing a bathroom cabinet and grocery shopping but honestly, all I feel like doing is putting my feet up. Yes, I think that's what I'll do instead. Wish us good luck and keep us in your prayers!

Big belly and big baby: an update on the Mini Maguire

With the big day rapidly drawing nearer, I thought I should post more pictures to show how stinking enormous my stomach is getting. Holy cow!



I have this fantasy that I have reached my very largest dimensions, and that I will not gain a single pound more, and that my circumference will not increase. Unfortunately, I'm sure that this is not to be. That's okay. Tying one's own shoes is overrated, anyhow.

Last week we had an ultrasound to follow up on what was thought to be a possible complication (turned out to be absolutely nothing) to make sure the little Bun was growing enough. As it turned out, growth was not a problem at all! We were told that the baby is looking pretty big at this point. The baby's large all over, but the head, in particular, looks quite big. The doctor said not to be surprised if our baby ends up being 8 or 9 pounds, but I'm not too concerned because I know that their estimates are just that....estimates. Everything looked good and the baby appears to be the picture of health! I'll post the latest ultrasound pics once I get a chance to scan them. As an added bonus, I get another ultrasound in 2 weeks that we weren't expecting just to make sure the Bun isn't getting TOO big!

Just for grins, I am also posting a picture taken the day we found out I was pregnant. This is me with a crappy dollar store pregnancy test (all we had left on that particular day...the kind that contains a cup and a dropper...why didn't we just spring for the name brand ones?!) that carried on it the faintest double pink line history has ever seen. What a happy day! And what a nice trim waistline! Yikes, someone get that girl some powder and eyeliner!


I started packing my hospital bag today. I read that this should probably be done by the end of week 36, which is Wednesday. Week 36!!! I can't believe that in a month I'm going to be someone's mother!