One Year Ago

One year ago today, at 1:47 p.m. this perfect, beautiful, amazing little girl with a prominent nose, and bright alert eyes, came silently into our lives. I say silently, because it was very silent. They couldn't get her to cry or even make a peep. It was disconcerting at best. In fact, she didn't really make her first real cry until about 2 or 3 the next morning. She did however make horrifying choking and gagging noises, because she had a lot of crap in her lungs or throat or something. Apparently the Doctor and nurses were all rather alarmed that she was much earlier than they thought. So, she didn't score well on the apgar scores. However, she was tops in her class for the hearing. Anyway, it was worrysome that she was SO quiet, and she remained that way for quite some time. She was an amazing nurser though, latched on immediately, and never had a problem with suction. Unfortunately, I had a real problem with producing, so that was a challenge. I had QUITE an audience in the delivery room...my sis in law Julie and my sister Dana were holding my legs and coaching me while Jere stood near my head. On the other side, my sister Jenny, my sis in law Lana and my mother in law Peggy were all observing the big event. It was certainly far more people than I'd ever planned on having in there, but in the end, it was fine. But, because there were so many people there, when Maggie made her debut, it was like paparazzi. It was funny, cameras and cell phone cams going off everywhere. These first two pics are from Jeres cell phone camera. Maggie looks big in the first one, but she wasn't really. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. 21 1/2 in. long. By the time we left the hospital she'd lost nearly a pound, and it would take just over a month for her to gain that back. At that time they deemed her failure to thrive, and it was horrible. I was having to take her to the doctor every week to be weighed and make sure she was growing at all. I nursed, supplemented with formula, pumped, you name it. She genuinely had NO interest in eating. I had to force her to eat every few hours. On the one hand, it was nice, 'cause she was ALWAYS sleeping, and never crying for food, so from about 3 weeks on she's slept through the night. But, on the other, very disturbing because she wasn't gaining weight like she should.

This is Maggie at about 1 month. As you can see she had scrawny little legs and looked like a bag of skin. We were trying, but she just wasn't so much complying. But, look at her chubba now, she showed them!!

This is my all time favorite picture of Maggie. She is about 3 months old and had just started to figure out smiling. So, we were trying to capture a smile picture. Just as this was taken she had started to smile, and then all the sudden the most perfect frown ever appeared. This also was on Jeres cell phone camera. Her Daddy frowns exactly like that. I just think it's so freaking funny. Note the bib. Maggie was a ridiculous barfer. Until she was 6 months old, we went nowhere without at least 5 burp cloths and 10 bibs. She was soaked all the time. The moment she was done eating, or mid eating or whatever, she was spitting it all back up again. Gratefully, that ended at 6 months. I'm tellin ya, that was NOT the fun part. On the flip side, she has never pooped out a diaper or an outfit, so that's nice.


This is when she's 5 months old, on the airplane ride home from Chicago. I just thought it was a funny pic. She had discovered her tongue on the trip and could NOT leave it alone, or in her mouth.

In this pic, taken only a couple weeks ago, she had clearly enjoyed her morning banana a little too much. It was hilarious, all over her face.

Someone discovered m&m's in Greer. A little chocolate face mess!

Look at that sweet bum. And those chubby legs, failure to thrive HMPH!! She is truly a roly poly joy!

Apparently we have a little computer genious on our hands. haha She is REALLY fascinated by the computer and throws some pretty royal fits when she is not allowed to play on it.

I can't believe that an entire year has come and gone. Our lives have changed in so many ways, and so much for the better. Every day she brings us so much happiness and joy and laughter. I'm so grateful that we were entrusted with her sweet little spirit. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring us.

Some of her accomplishments:

She is nearly walking. She takes several steps and then realizes and gives up. She can sign "all done". She blows kisses, waves bye bye. Claps, plays peek a boo like a pro. She says mom, Dad, makes the noise that a doggy makes, and says dog. She won't drink out of a bottle, and won't drink milk for the most part. She prefers water and sippy cups. Well, she'd REALLY prefer a grown up cup, but I don't prefer the mess it makes. She has figured out how to unscrew things, and that has caused a mess or two. She's methodical and mechanical and will work at something until she gets it. She's obsessed with q-tips, and will pick them out of the garbage and try to clean her ears with them. She LOVES her silky/wooby and will happily carry it around or cuddle with it. She lights up when her Daddy walks in the room, or when she gets to go wake him up in the morning by pouncing on him. She LOVES her cousins, and gets especially giddy when she sees Dane, Brooklyn, Jayce or Tatum. Those are the times when we really get to see her laugh, which is always so fun. She has figured out how to get off the couch, or the bed without killing herself, she knows to turn around and let her feet go first. She is a fabulous shopper. She'll sit happily and quietly in a cart for a long time. She LOVES to read books, or have them read to her, and she loves cell phones. Overall, I'm pretty sure she's brilliant and funny. hahahaha I KID!

We're doing a little family birthday party on Saturday, so then I'll get the whole cake eating pictures and stuff. I'm taking pictures throughout today to document her ONE YEAR mark, and I'll post those later as well. For now, I must go...she's woken up from her nap, crying for Mom to rescue her. We have to get dressed and ready to go to her one year check up at the doctor. I can't wait to find out how much she weighs, 'cause I'm tellin ya, she's gettin HEAVY!

Later friends.