a few firsts

Here are a few of Maelie's firsts...

 This is right after Maelie's 1st sponge bath at home. She screamed through the whole thing, so I didn't get any pics of the actual bath. Poor cutie pie!

Maelie's 1st Tummy Time. She actually raised her head and turned it from side to side twice...without crying. This baby is way stronger than Hannah was as a newborn. What a difference being able to breathe makes. :)

 This isn't the 1st time Hannah held her baby sister...

...But it's the 1st time they watched Bubble Guppies together. Hannah's dream come true! (She had been talking about it for months!)

Welcome to Hannah's world, Maelie!

Hannah's 1st time joining Maelie for Tummy Time.

And their 1st time wearing their matching monkey-bum jammies. Way cute!

Maelie's 1st time in her bouncer. She really likes it (Hannah never really did).

Maelie's 1st NICU-style spa bath (minus the NICU, thank goodness). She LOVED it!

Maelie's 1st trip to the park. She enjoyed a nice nap.

And Hannah enjoyed my snow cone and a little playing.

 What a silly big sister!

Hannah's 1st time eating corn on the cob. She loved it!

Maelie's 1st trip to Salem.

Grandma Clayson's 1st time holding Maelie in her home.

Maelie met her great-grandma Meservy for the 1st time. So sweet.

The 1st pic I've taken of Maelie napping with her daddy. Super cute!

We sure love our sweet Maelie!


**I started this post several days ago, but I was having issues uploading pics. One by one was the trick. Good times.

Scott's birthday & Maelie's well child check

Scott turned 37 this past week. He's stinkin' old! It was a low-key day. Scott stayed home with me and the girls, and in the evening we had dinner and cake and ice cream with his family to celebrate his and his niece Lauren's birthday. We also hung out with and played a game with some friends later on that night. Some pics...

 Scott's cards and gifts from his girls. He also got to go out for sushi a few days later.

The birthday guy and gal. :)

Scott with his adorable girls.

A family pic. At least the little girls look cute. :)

Maelie had her first Well Child Check this past week. It's absolutely amazing to have a well child. We love it! Maelie weighed in at 9 lbs. 5 oz. (86th percentile), was 21 1/2 inches long (97th percentile), and has a head circumference of 14.5 inches (94th percentile). So while Maelie is much taller and heavier than Hannah was at this age, she has the same large head. Super cute!

Hannah loving her 2-week-old baby sister.

Our snuggly little princess.

Cute little chubby baby!

Tired baby loves her daddy.

 This is the life! :)

What an alert 2-week-old!

Hannah loves to give her hugs and kisses all day.

Sweet sisters. :)

This baby cries when she is hungry!

Maelie is super cute and super healthy. We all love her so much!

family-filled 4th

We had a very low-key 4th of July this year. Scott didn't want to take Hannah to the parade (he hates parades), so we sent her with my family. She had a blast with her cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents. I then met up with Hannah and my family for a BBQ in the park after the parade (Scott stayed home with Maelie). It was really nice to get out and spend a little time with my family. That evening, all 4 of us went to Scott's family's BBQ at his aunt Barbara's house. Hannah enjoyed playing with her cousins, we enjoyed the food and family, and many family members enjoyed seeing and holding Maelie. We headed home long before the fireworks began, but we did watch some on tv.

Now for some pics...

 A festive, sunscreen-slathered Hannah is ready to go to the parade.

Maelie's first 4th of July outfit for the day.

 My cute fam.

Hannah LOVES watermelon.

Hannah with her cousins.

Hannah & Maelie with their great-aunt Barbara and cousin Emily.

 Hannah refused to join the cousin pic.

So Scott had to accompany her.

Scott then snuck out of the picture.

And Hannah followed close behind. :)

I know I already posted this pic, but Maelie is just so darn cute!

Silly cutie pie!

I am so grateful for our amazing country and for all of our friends and family!

One week!

Our cutie little Maelie turned 1 week old today! Time is flying!

Here are some pics I took of Hannah and Maelie today...

 Hannah was a little more interested in her Care Bears than in taking pics.

Hannah hates the flash!

 Hannah kissing her baby sister.

 Maelie hates the flash too.

Enough of the pics! :)

And here are a few bonus pics that I took of Maelie yesterday. I love the awesome faces she makes...

We love Maelie so much! It has surprised me a little to discover how quickly and easily I have fallen in love with her. She is such a sweet, good baby. She nurses very well, and she sleeps really well too (with the exception of a couple of nights). Maelie loves to make funny faces. I love how grumpy she sometimes looks--she takes after her daddy. :)  We are so grateful to have Maelie in our family!