Dress-up

everyone needs a little girl...

1 Month

well, her first month has come and gone and i could just cry thinking about it. she has added more joy to our lives already than i knew was possible. we've already cried because she was crying and done everything in our power to make her smile. my days have not been spent doing laundry, cleaning the house, washing dishes, taking naps, or writing thank you notes. i've been too busy adoring, kissing, and cuddling.
lofton has officially had her first sickness :( we went to the doctor yesterday for a little stomach virus. the good news is that in 16 days she went from 5lb 1.5oz to 6lb 13oz. i told you she likes to eat. below are a few pics celebrating her 1 month birthday. i couldn't decide which was cutest so you get 3 :)

at 1 month you are more awake and alert by the day, making great eye contact, lifting your head to scary heights, nursing like a champ, and even scooching around during tummy time.

you love sleeping on daddy's chest, riding in the car, taking baths, midnight parties, and being loved and adored by all the family around

you hate being strapped into the carseat, going potty, and going to sleep.

overall a very happy little girl

This is last night at Lakewood Country Club for a graduation dinner. Our first night out...

...sort of! we couldn't leave our sick little one at home so she joined in on the fun. word to the wise-fitted, strapless dresses do not make the best nursing attire!

It's My Day! (well yesterday...)

June 14th: A day that has been stamped in my mind and on my heart since I found out that I was expecting a bundle of joy. I had no idea the mountains and valleys that we would face before reaching that day. And I had no idea that I would have cherished 26 sweet days with my little bundle before that day arrived. So long June 14th. You've been replaced but not forgotten.

See that belly!? She eats...and eats...and eats. all night long
And even when not eating she gnaws on her little hands just to confuse you and make you think she's hungry. I assure you; she's well-fed

And when life gets too rough, a resourceful girl can turn a hairbow into a sleep mask in the blink of an eye!

This & That

My angel is 3 weeks old today and i just can't believe it. I feel like she just got here and has been here forever all at the same time. Here are a couple of pics from the last few days. It's hard to tell but she's getting bigger! I weighed her on my scale this morning and am getting about 5lb 12oz. Who knew 1 lb could make such a difference?! She is a little bit apple-shaped I must say... Can you say central obesity? My husband and I are big advocates against childhood obesity (we don't actually do anything; we just point out chubby kids and talk about how their parents should have them in soccer instead of computer classes...), but for now i'm just going to keep fattening her up!

June 6, 2010. Headed to church for the first time. I'm pretty sure she had some fellowship with the 10 week-old behind us and really got the take home message from sunday school...Thanks Mimi for the cute dress! It might be a one-time wear because i'm growing so fast!

Found approximately 15 minutes between the blazing heat and the rain last night so we took our new BOB for a spin. Yes, i realize that i bought a blue stroller for my little girl. Dad got to pick this one out since he'll be taking her running and he just didn't want to hit the pavement with a pink stroller

Headed home after a long morning of newborn pictures. Pretty sure Lofton failed photography 101 or received a C+ at best. The photographer (http://www.andiehamilton.com/) likes to do the pics when they're little b/c they'll sleep and you can position them all cute with their hands under the chin and bottom in the air. Well it took andie and her assistant 45 minutes, a pacifier, noise maker, and hair dryer to get the wide-eyed girl to doze off. Of course 30 minutes later she woke up hungry so we had to pause so I could nurse. In the end, i think she got some great shots and cannot wait to see them next week!

A+ and A New Friend

Sweetness

Could literally munch on those cheeks

Tummy Time

Well we went to our 2 week routine check-up on Wednesday, June 2nd. Lofton continued to exceed all expectations of our pediatrician and received an A+. The goal was to be back to her birth weight of 4lb 12oz after dropping to 4lb 6.5oz a few days after birth. We knew that this may not happen since she's little and therefore not as strong as your normal term baby. Well, this little girl had other plans and weighed in at 5lb 1.5oz! She had gained an ounce a day for 11 days. She also grew 3/4". I knew some of her clothes were too tight but i wasn't 100% sure if that was due to a growing baby or use of hot water and the dryer :) Since she was only about 4 weeks premature they're plotting her on the regular term baby growth chart. Poor little thing made the 3rd percentile for length, but hasn't hit the chart for weight or head circumference YET. We have faith that she will continue to grow and grow though.

Also, my dear friend Whitney, who was technically due 3 days before I was, delivered her baby girl on June 5th. Her baby had been measuring quite large on sonogram and although her body didn't seem 100% ready the decision was made to induce to avoid a 10 pounder! Well, praise the Lord her labor went off without a hitch and at 6:11am yesterday Hayden Frances Luce was born weighing in at a perfect 8lb 1oz and 21 in long. She and Lofton met yesterday (well they were technically both asleep) and are sure to be fast friends. These sweet girls have been persistently prayed for by both of our families and we are so grateful that they are here and healthy. God is good. In our excitement to see her I didn't get any pics, but we will visit again soon and I'll post pictures of this gorgeous dark-haired girl. BTW-both of these girls are spitting images of daddy :)

A Few Firsts

• "I'm your mama" experience - a friend who is experienced with kiddos was holding Miss Lofton and she was a little fussy. She handed her to me and she was asleep on my shoulder in seconds. Such a good feeling
• Eating my words-no paci for 2-4 weeks so that breastfeeding is firmly established. Day 10 of life at 6am after a night of day/night reversal for baby girl and i was rummaging through the drawers and begging her to take the paci. We will throw it away before the first birthday, promise!
• Stroll around the block (see below)-she loved every minute of it (i.e. she slept through it and if you ask her about it today she's unlikely to have any recollection of the event)
• Bath-the pic is actually the 2nd bath since daddy's hands were needed to calm the screaming baby on the first go around. She seemed to sort of enjoy the next try
• Newborn outfit!!-thanks abigail and kendall claire for the monogrammed onesie. it is a little big (not to mention the bow...) but the preemie onesies are getting short and too tight on the belly. She has quite the appetite!

We have her 2 week routine check-up at the pediatrician's office tomorrow. The goal is for her to be back to her birth weight. I bet we're there!