What a difference a year makes...

One year ago today...

Today...

I'm speechless...and totally in love.

A Year Ago Today

As many of you know...or maybe don't know...Molly is our IVF miracle. She's the answer to many, many prayers and our personal slice of heaven. Every baby is a miracle...ours just took a while in the making.

This morning (5AM) as I was nursing her, I realized that a year ago today was our egg retrieval that resulted in our pregnancy with her. Today's June 1st is quite different from the June 1st of 2009. I am actually more emotional about it as we hit the 1 year mark of our conception and the long awaited 2 pink lines. What a difference a year can make...


A year ago my blog post read:

I have a funny feeling...and I think it's Hope creeping back in. I thought she'd long since abandoned me...given that I haven't seen a glimpse of her in what feels like months. But, I think she may be slowly trying to edge back into my life. I must admit, I would prefer to keep her at bay and protect my damaged-enough-already heart...

So far, we've had decent, dare I say good, fertilization reports. I'm starting to *hope* that we will maybe have 1 or 2 to freeze.Its been strange not talking incessantly about this cycle with my friends. However, its been a nice break for my heart. I've just been coasting through, kind of in denial that its even been happening. I sit here now, on pins and needles (and a heating pad), waiting for more news. *Hoping* that month 30 of this journey, in my 30th year, will bring us the miracle we've been hoping for all along.

My favorite moments with Molly are those like this morning...where we are together in the quite of the hours before dawn, just the 2 of us. My heart melts when she puts her tiny hand on my breast as she nurses. She'll sometimes look up at me - mouth full - and smile while nursing. It's those moments that make the journey through infertility seem so far away and ease the pain that consumed those years.

Molly's 2 month stats...at 3 months

I'm only a month late posting Molly's stats for her 2 month check up. Better late than never, I guess!

Length - 23 inches - 71st percentile

Weight - 11lbs 2.5oz - 55th percentile

Head circumference - 15 inches - 29th percentile

Diapers - size 1

Clothes - 0-3 months, 3 months

Sleep - 3 naps per day - 1 hour to 2 hours each

Bedtime - 7PM - sleeping until 1:30 or sometimes until 3:30, then back to sleep until about 7AM. She has slept through the night several times, though, and is getting more consistent with that!

Fun Facts about Molly to date:

Molly is a very happy and laid back baby. She loves her Baby Einstein play mat - especially the octopus! - and her swing. She smiles a ton - especially at Daddy when he gets home from work. She's cooing a lot and, again, especially when Daddy gets home from work! It's so cute - it's like she's trying to tell him all about her day! She wakes up super smiley and sweet, unless you wake her up before she's ready - and then she takes a few minutes before she'll smile at you. She pokes out her bottom lip when she cries...and arches her back when she stretches. She is wonderful in the car and really likes her mirror that plays music. She's discovered her hands and how tasty they are and is grabbing on to just about everything. Just in the past few days, she has started noticing her feet...I bet they will soon taste delicious, too! She enjoys sitting in her bumbo and has really started showing interest in stuffed animals. We recently introduced her to her Jumparoo and she's totally intrigued with that! She really likes music and sleeps better with background noise. She is still sleeping swaddled, but is busting her arms and legs out most nights. However, she rests better swaddled - and if we don't swaddle her when we put her down, she has a dance party and wakes herself up! I have a video of this that I need to post! I think Molly's favorite thing to do is to take a bath! I am looking forward to taking her to the pool in the evenings and seeing how she likes it - she really seems to enjoy the water!

Here is Molly on her 3 month birthday:

Molly 2 Months...

Man! I have been such a slacker at posting lately!

In the past month, Molly has been to the beach, Charlotte, had her first vaccines and started smiling!

First, we went to Orange Beach, Alabama where Molly met her (great) Uncle Marlin, (great) Aunt Lori, cousins Ian and Taylor, (great) Aunt Dottee and (great) Uncle Bob. She was so wonderful and had a great time! Here we are at Aunt Dottee and Uncle Bob's house:

At cousin Ian's soccer game (one of my FAVORITE pictures so far!!!)...

I will have to get some pictures from Charlotte from Rob's mom...but Molly had a great time visiting with Aunt Kelly and Uncle Jeff (and Ann and Tom!).

Statistics from Molly's 2 month check point...

75% in height

55% in weight

4 vaccines - such a sad little girl for about 48 hours afterwards. She slept a TON and had an upset tummy for a few days.

Tomorrow is Molly's 3 month birthday and I am home from work. We will enjoy our birthday day and have a little party just the 2 of us!!!

Molly's First Easter

Molly had a wonderful First Easter. She was an absolute ANGEL at church (her first visit) and totally didn't mind being passed around my parents and Aunt and Uncle. She was so sweet all day - well, in my opinion, she is so sweet every day :). Here is her first Easter Basket (not the best picture of my girl...but, she wasn't so sure about this basket I was shoving her up against!!):And Emma helping her open her basket from Nanna and Pop:

Not so sure about Emma taking charge of her presents...

And our first Easter as a family of 3...errr...5....
He is Risen!!!!

Happy 2 month birthday, Molly!

Tomorrow, Molly will be 2 months old. It's amazing how slow the last 2 months of pregnancy creep by...and how fast the first 2 months of being a mom fly by! I've learned so much over the past 2 months...it has been the most wonderful, tiring, emotionally filled 2 months of my life.

A few things I've learned:

• Just because poop is in the diaper, doesn't mean there isn't more on the way


• girls can tee-tee all over the place just like boys


• 1 spare outfit is never enough


• breastfeeding is the most wonderful gift


• a girl can never have too many clothes!


• babies can wear spanx too! Note to self: a 2 month old has no business trying to wear a new born sized onesie...


• Dad's don't understand how to stay up all night with a newborn and still function the next day, but that's OK. They understand other things...


• Grandparents will likely never really follow Mom's strict schedule, and that's OK, too.


• Grandparents are a God-send when Mommy needs a little time...be it a nap or a trip to Target.


• Trips to the beach with an infant aren't quite the same...but thankfully, grandparents are there to help.


• Great Aunts and Uncles are super fun to meet :)


• It REALLY CAN take 45 minutes just to get the car loaded for ... a trip to the grocery store.


• Dogs REALLY DO become 2nd class citizens when a baby arrives.


• Babies REALLY DO require lots of apparatus.


• A Tahoe might be too small for a family of 3 on a road trip.


• Breast feeding is sort of a pain on a road trip...


• A baby does really change your life the minute they arrive.


• You really never know how much you can love someone until you hold your child for the first time...

Happy 2 months Molly Moo!!! You changed my life and made it richer the moment you took your first breath...

Happy Easter!

Mom, Mandie and I took the girls to have Easter pictures made yesterday...stressful for me - but Molly did wonderful :) Emma is such a good helper, too, she is going to be a wonderful big sister (on May 26th or sooner!!!)! Both of the girls looked so cute and we got some great shots!!!


Happy Easter!