On Millie Janalee's eighteenth week of life, I am thankful for great doctors and nurses.  Doctors and nurses who genuinely care about their patients and their families.  For some reason, my blog won't let me upload my pictures from our four month checkup.  I'm sure you won't mind looking at today's pictures instead.

We have been blessed with good health so far.  Millie Janalee had a bit of a cold and congestion a couple of weeks ago, and it was no fun.  But, I realize how healthy our baby girl is, and I am thankful.  Our four month checkup yesterday confirmed it by our "A+" we received from Dr. Phillips.

I'll start out with our four month stats.  Millie Janalee weighed in at a whopping 14 pounds 3 ounces...50th percentile.  I thought she was a big baby, but it turns out she is average weight.  Perfectly perfect.  She is, however, 26 inches long...90th percentile.  THAT'S why I always think she's such a big girl!  She's tall!  Her head circumference was in the 75th percentile, so she's got lots going on up there in that noggin.  She has hit all her milestones, and Dr. Phillips told us we could start on solids anytime we are ready.  Hmmmm...not sure I'm ready for that.  He told us to "drag our feet," so I'm thinking we will.  Ha!  He suggested starting with rice and oatmeal.  Then, we will move to fruits and veggies.  I'm anxious to see how Millie Janalee reacts to a spoon, but not anxious enough to start today.  Ha!

We did get our four month shots yesterday.  Break my heart!  She had no idea what was coming until...POW!  Those needles came one right after the other in those little thunder thighs while Mama and Daddy held her hands up.  Her little face scrunched up and turned red as red can be.  It was over soon enough.  I'd say it was a little easier on me than last time, but it was NOT fun!  I hate seeing Millie Janalee looking up at me for help, and I can't do anything to stop those mean needles.  

She coped very well with her vaccines yesterday.  Susu came into town to bring our Christmas decorations, and Millie Janalee was raring to go!  She showed off her squeals and giggles while we decked our halls.  This morning was a little traumatic for me.  I put my sleeping beauty in her crib so I could shower mid-morning.  I stepped out of the shower to a terribly crying episode.  Usually, when I walk in the room, she calms down and starts smiling.  Not this time.  She must have been crying for a while.  Her little mouth was clenched shut and her tears were still running.  I put her down just so I could at least put a t-shirt on, and you would have thought I was pinching that girl.  She seemed warm, so I stripped her down and took her temperature.  She was running a little fever, so I went ahead with another dose of Tylenol.  We rocked, cuddled, and kissed our way back into a deep sleep.  This time, she took a good nap in her crib and woke a happy baby.  I haven't taken her temperature again, but I plan to do that in a few minutes.

 Hopefully, we are on the up and up.  Millie Janalee, Russ, and I are packing up to spend Thanksgiving with family.  Russ will be in and out all weekend, but Millie Janalee and I will stay put in our hometown.  She is pretty excited about seeing her family...and meeting some of them for the first time!

 

 I hope all of you have a very happy Thanksgiving!  Full of friends, family, food, and most importantly...gratitude.  I know there are many who are not healthy or do not have close family and friends.  I know Thanksgiving is a sad time for many as we miss those who have left us.  One of my favorite mottos shared by a dear friend is..."There is always, always, always something to be thankful for."  I pray that we all remember the things we do have this year, and be thankful for those things.

As we pack up our car and prepare to kick our feet up with family, friends, food, and football....everyone stay safe and enjoy your celebrations!

As for me and my house?  Well...you know what we are extra thankful for this year!

Happy eighteen weeks, Millie Janalee!  Enjoy your first Thanksgiving!

Thankful for Sleep

Today has been a sleepy day.  We slept in...until around 8:30.  Millie Janalee laid quietly with us while we slept.  We lounged around catching up on old episodes of Revenge.  Millie Janalee just needed my hands to play with until she went down for her nap.  Then, Millie Janalee and I ran a few errands today.  I've got to admit...I can't even see these words clearly.  I. am. so. tired. today.  I'm not even sure why...

I'm thankful for sleep!  Thankful for the renewing of energy I get from a good nap.  Thankful for a baby girl who sleeps so well.  Thankful for naptime.  Thankful for early bedtimes.  I used to nap while Millie Janalee napped occasionally, and I still had time for laundry, a shower, makeup, and a little television.  Now that her naps are fewer and further between, I have time for one or two big things.  And one of those includes a shower.  I can't function without a shower.  I envy those of you who can go without washing your hair and it look as fresh as it did the day before.  Mine?  It would just look like I poured a tub of melted butter over my head.  Grease monkey.  So...showers are important to me.

We just returned from a weekend visit to our hometown and a day in Starkville to watch the Bulldogs play the Razorbacks, so we are always extra tired when we get home.  It takes a day or two to recover.  Then, we'll pick back up and head home for Thanksgiving.  I'm thankful for the extra sleep we can all get here and there.

Tomorrow, this sweet face will have her four month checkup.  This means more of those mean old shots!  I'm not a fan of watching Millie Janalee cry and being helpless to make her feel better.  I'm not a fan of her looking at me as if asking, "Why Mama?  Help!"  Oh, I'm dreading it already.  But, tomorrow...we will sleep.  We will give that baby girl some Tylenol every four hours and let her sleep it off.

My mom has graciously agreed to bring all our Christmas decorations from our storage unit in our hometown.  This is NO small feat.  I am thankful that there will be extra hands and a sleepy little girl while we put up our Christmas decorations.  If I can make myself put that pitiful angel face down after such a traumatic morning, that is.

Most of all, I'm thankful for sleep because it is absolutely one of my favorite things to watch Millie Janalee do!  I LOVE watching her sweet face sleep.  I love to watch her dream.  I love to watch her work on her paci.  I love to watch her mouth hang wide open.  And I love to listen to her breathe.  I am so thankful for the small things...watching my daughter sleep.

Four Months

This sweet girl is four months old today!  Four months.  That's one third of a year!  I'm dying at how fast time is passing.  I'm loving every second of it.  I was so afraid of her growing, and I was hanging on to every bit of bitty baby that I could.  But, I must say that she's so soft and cuddly as she grows.  She's so fun and giggly as she grows.  She's so fun as she grows.  Yes, I miss her itty bitty ways.  I find myself looking back at old pictures all the time.  But, I'm savoring these four month old days too.  I just love it!  I always thought I was made to be a mother.  There were days I wondered if God decided I wasn't.  But, now I know.  I was made to be HER mother.  And I'm honored and thankful!

It seems like a lot has happened since our three month update.  Let's see.  Millie Janalee can still wear a few 0-3 month clothes, but she also wears 3-6 months.  The onesie she has on under this dress is actually 6 month.  All her Christmas clothes are 6 month, so you may  notice my cute girl sporting some saggy bottoms this upcoming month.  Ha!  We have graduated to size 2 diapers!  Oh my!  I just knew we would be wearing size 1 for a long time.  She can still wear size 1, but the weight overlaps on the packaging so I just went ahead and picked up size 2 when I bought diapers last week.  It helps with the little bit of leaking we had going on some nights.  Eleven or twelve hours in the same diaper is a long time.

That brings me to her nighttime schedule.  Millie Janalee has always been a great sleeper...minus a few flukes here and there.  She has been sleeping through the night for a while now, but I was very careful not to brag on her for fear that it would end that very day.  The last few weeks, I started feeding her between 8:00-9:00 at night, and she will sleep through the night.  Yes, she is still in her bassinet.  If she will stop growing, I could keep her in there forever.  But it won't be too long until I'll be forced to make a change for my long baby girl.  She wakes up around 7:00 or so since Daylight Savings Time, and we do our little morning routine of talking, cooing, swinging, and smiling until I feed her around 8:00.  Millie Janalee takes 3-4 naps during the day starting around 9:30 or so.  I try to put her in her crib for at least 2 naps, but she doesn't nap as long in her crib.  Maybe 30-45 minutes.  If I am holding her, she will nap forever.  The other day, she napped for 3 hours (2 1/2 hours in my arms)!  I know I can't do that all the time, but I don't mind at all!  There will be a day too soon that she won't want to sit still in my lap.  I'll take it when I can get it!

The last two weeks have been wild.  Millie Janalee went through a growth spurt.  I started feeding her 7 ounces every four hours, and I put two scoops of rice cereal in all her bottles.  That helped her put on the pounds I know, but she is much happier and spitting up much less.  Yay!  She could probably eat more, because if I don't stick that pacifier in her mouth when she finishes she is very unhappy.  But as long as the pacifier is in, and she burps...she's a-okay for another 4 hours or so.  We have our four month checkup Tuesday, so I'll ask him about what he suggests.  I don't want to make too many unnecessary changes too early.

Since our little growth spurt, Millie Janalee has really come alive.  She is squealing like crazy, laughing, smiling up a storm, and just having a ball!  She's always had "spring loaded legs," as Russ calls them, but I can hold her hands and she will stand up on my lap and talk and squeal away.  She loves a little tummy time here and there, and she has also gotten very good at rolling over to her back.  We still aren't rolling over from back to front.  I'm not in a rush for all that anyway.   She interacts more with her toys, and she has a few favorites already.  She loves to follow us around the room with her little eyes, and she looks for us in the morning.  I've started putting her between Russ and me in bed in the mornings when she wakes up.  She turns her little head to make eye contact with me....then turns her head to make eye contact with Russ.  Just taking a head count and making sure we are all giving our undivided attention.  She also loves her daily photo sessions.  She gets so excited when we stand with the camera and talk to her trying to get her to smile.  She giggles and squeals and stiffens her little body every time.  So funny!

I look at Millie Janalee and I wonder, "When did this happen?"  I like to think I can remember every part of her life, but I can't pinpoint when she went from that one month old bitty babe to this.  It's unreal!  Russ and I have loved every second of these past four months.  We never could have imagined how much JOY this little person could bring us.  We never could have imagined how much we would love her.  We never could have imagined how much our lives have changed for the better.  And we certainly never could have imagined how fast it would fly by!

Happy Four Months, sweet girl!  I love you!

Thankful for Adoption

The Legacy of an Adopted Child

author unknown

Once there were two women
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember,
The other you call Mother.

Two different lives
Shaped to make yours one
One became your guiding star,
The other became your sun.

One gave you your life,
The other taught you how to live it.
One gave you a need for love,
The other was there to give it.

One gave you emotions
The other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile
The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home
That she could not provide.
The other longed for a child to call her own,
Her prayers were not denied.

You were born from caring courage,
Nurtured with help from above.
You are the blending, my darling child,
of two different kinds of love.

So thankful for the miracle of adoption, our journey, and the years to come!

Thankful for My Lil' Turkey

Today, I'm thankful for this lil' turkey and anticipating a wonderful first Thanksgiving with her.  As you can see, I'm back to using Russ's "old camera," which became mine once he bought his new one.  I'm not complaining.  I'm just spoiled now.  See?  I told you I would be.

This Thanksgiving is very special for many reasons.  Of course, this Thanksgiving is special because it will be our first Thanksgiving as parents.  My parents' first Thanksgiving as grandparents.  It is also special because, for the first time, all sides of my family plan to spend Thanksgiving together.  That's a total of nearly 20 people.  My sister has been kind enough to host this crazy crew.  If you've ever been to any of the Smith family functions, you will understand why we refer to it as "crazy."  Ha! I'm sure there will be barrels of laughs.  Tons of food consumed.  And lots of hugs and kisses...mostly for Millie Janalee...and my cousin's little girl if she comes.

Russ will be working every other day surrounding Thanksgiving, but we have carved out time to spend with his side of the family on Saturday.  Russ and I are very excited about our first official Johnson family get together since Millie Janalee entered our world.  Lots has changed since that day...mostly her size and shape.  I can't wait to see all the cousins interact with her.  I can't wait for everyone to see Millie Janalee's new tricks...which consist of making noises in the back of her throat and spitting.  She's such a genius!

I'm pretty sure my Black Friday shopping tradition will take a back seat this year as we spend our entire Thanksgiving celebrations in our hometown.  But that's okay.  It's okay, because I will spend my Black Friday sleeping next to my lil' turkey!

I can't wait to wake up Thursday morning and watch the Thanksgiving Day parade as a new little family.  I want to show Millie Janalee all our traditions and hope she likes them as much as I do.  I'm so thankful for so many "firsts" to share and celebrate with Millie Janalee and Russ. 

Yep.  This lil' turkey sure has changed our lives.  And I am SO thankful!

Thankful for a Growing Girl

I really cannot believe how fast Millie Janalee is growing!  Especially the last week or so.  We suspected she might be going through a growth spurt with all her fussiness, sleepiness during the day, and hunger.  The girl might as well say, "Oink oink."  We upped her feedings to 7 ounces with two spoonfuls of rice cereal mixed in every four hours.  We added the rice cereal to help with her spitting up, but I know it plays a big part in her thunder thighs.  I just now put her down for her third nap, and I realized how different it feels to hold her now.  She's so round and filled out.  I miss my bitty baby, but I love my sweet roly poly!

Russ has been working nights this week, and it has been so fun having him here during the day.  We lounge around and watch Millie Janalee go through her daily routine.  I'm sure she's having much more fun with Daddy around.  Millie Janalee starts talking around 7 or so in the mornings, and I pick her up and put her little sleeping bag between Russ and me.  Then, she talks in her soft, sweet cooing voice while Russ and I stare at her and smile.  Eventually she falls back asleep for another hour before we all get up around 8 or so.  We've teamed up with Russ changing her diaper while I fix her bottle and get my "nest" ready to feed and rock.  Russ goes back to bed while Millie Janalee and I get our morning started.  It's been so nice!  Once Russ gets up and going, he mans the camera for Millie Janalee's daily photo shoots.  Ha!  Can you tell he's been using his new camera?  I'm officially spoiled now.  Again. 

Having Russ home during the day gives me even more time to reflect on how wonderful these past 17 weeks have been.  Tears, smiles, giggles, coos, screams, poopy diapers, spit up, and squeals.  All of it is absolutely amazing!  Every change is so fun!  I'm thankful for a healthy, growing girl!

Happy Seventeen Weeks, sweet girl!

Thankful for Fun Family Days

Squeals all around!

Sunday, Millie Janalee and I talked Russ into taking us to see Santa.  Russ had to go into the hospital to round and I didn't want to be "that mom" who takes her snotty child to the nursery to spread the germs in the nursery, so we didn't go to church.  Spreading germs with children in line to see Santa was okay, I guess.  Hmmm...now that I see how that looks, I'm contemplating pretending that we actually attended church.  In the spirit of candidness...I'll tell the truth.  We did not.

"Hmmmm...I want a Barbie doll, a pink convertible, and...oh yeah...my mom says I want more diapers."

Millie Janalee was so excited about meeting Santa.  I told her all about how he has a round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly, a round little nose, and a white beard.  Then I told her the most wonderful part.  I told her about how he slides down the chimney with a sackful of presents for all the good little boys and girls.  She couldn't wait to tell Santa what she wanted for her very first Christmas.

"Oooooooh!  I hope I don't get coal in my stocking!"

We stood in line for quite some time in the courthouse waiting to see Santa.  We were convinced this was the real one!  I mean, his beard was real and everything.  Not one of those helper elves that usually dresses up like Santa to help out during the Christmas season.  I guess all the excitement and waiting wore sweet girl out, because by the time I sat her in Santa's lap she drifted right off to sleep!

Mama and Daddy stepped in to make sure Santa got Millie Janalee's list, since she was asleep.  Of course, we wanted to tell him what was on our list too!  Ha!

On our drive back home, Russ spotted the perfect place to take some fun pictures.  Millie Janalee was in great spirits after her nap in Santa's lap and the temperature was very warm and pleasant, so we stopped and snapped a few. 

I have daydreamed about days like these.  Days spent as a little family.  Looking at these pictures, I feel overwhelmed with God's timing, mercy, and perfection.  How could I have ever doubted?  I want so badly to share a bit of this feeling with so many of you still waiting for your own little piece of perfection.  I want you to feel just a small bit, so that you can know what you're waiting for.  The wait is hard.  I'm sure our next wait will be hard.  But, I can look at this picture of our new life and know that the wait is perfect.

Mama and Millie Janalee

Daddy's girl

 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

This life is much different than the way I envisioned it as a young wife (Well, technically, I'm still a young wife.  Ha!  But you get the idea.).  My family has grown in ways far beyond my own dreams.  This life is WAY better!  There is no way I could have dreamed the beauty of this journey.  My prayers evolved over the last 6 years, and God changed my heart.  God changed Russ's heart.  God changed our lives!  He promises that if we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  The thing you need to know is...your desires may change into something perfect.  His perfection.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4