More 4 Month Pics.

Look at those cheeks! This is your Christmas picture. You are the best present your dad and I could EVER ask for!

This is your favorite bouncer. You love to bounce and talk. 

4 Months!

I love this picture. You love to hold onto someone while you sleep, just incase they think about putting you down, you will know.  Here you are holding your grandpa's hand.

You are biting down on everything. When Aunt Kenzie gave you a bath, she laughed the whole time because you were sucking her thumb. 

Wow, you had your four month appointment today! You are still mad at me about your shots, but soon you will forget. You are still in the 90th percentile for your weight and height!  You are a completely different baby. I cannot believe how much you have grown in the last month.  You smile all day long.  You love to play and talk as LOUD as you can.  I cannot get enough of you.  When your dad gets home at night he likes to play with you until you go to bed.  He likes you all to himself.  You are waking up three times a night now which is not fun, but you mostly want to see us.  I bring you into bed about 5am and you hold my hand until you fall asleep.  You are so loving.  You are looking more like your dad everyday.  If you are lucky, you will be tall just like him! I love you, I love you!!

Winter is coming...

Oh No! What are we going to do?  We may not be able to take as many walks as we are used to.  Your Uncle Aaron and Aunt Misty sent you this adorable winter suit.  We may be able to get out more with you in it. We took a walk today around the lake with you in it.  You fell fast asleep while your dad carried you. 

3 Months!

We visited your dad's work.  He works on the 42nd floor downtown Chicago.  It was an amazing view.  Everyone thought you looked so much like the both of us.  You were going to wear your monkey costume I put you in below, but the hair kept getting in your eyes and mouth.  You sure were cute though!

This is the carrier I do everything in.  We don't have laundry in our place so you and I have to go to the bottom floor of our building to clean our clothes.  It takes a long time and A LOT of energy, but we do it.  Your dad also carries you in his B'jorn when we go on walks. 

I can't believe you are getting so big.  Although, it is getting so much easier and you are such a happier baby.  We found out you have a protein allergy and got you on a new formula.  We are so happy we did.  You are also on acid reflux medicine.  You have been eating less, and keeping your mother up many nights worrying about it. Things are getting better.  You are so hilarious.  You like to talk a lot.  When your dad and I talk to you, you screach as loud as you can. You are always sticking your hands in your mouth. Teething?  I am not sure yet.   We take walks everyday.  You mostly love for me to wear a sling or carrier for you.  You like to be close to mom while she does everything. You only like to sleep in a sling or with someone holding you.  You like to be carried everywhere. So I cook, clean, and do laundry with you in the carrier.  I am in great need of a back transplant at the moment. 

Look at this face.  Cecilia, you are the most beautiful baby.  Your eyes are one in a million.  You watch your dad and I so much more now.  When you cry, tears stream down your face.  I can barely take it.  

A couple pictures from the Indy visit.

This is a little outfit your Marm bought you. You are so yummy. I just can't get enough of you!

Here is your mom and dad at a wedding.  Marm and Grandpam came to Chicago to take care of you while we enjoyed friends at a fabulous wedding!  The next day your dad and I went to a cub's game where he surprised me with tickets on the rooftop.  We had some delicious hot dogs, pizza, and ice cream.  It was so much fun!

Ella came to visit you.  She was so sweet. She thought you were her baby.  She cried when you when down for a nap because she wanted to hold you.  Ella also loved your toys.  She climbed into your bouncer and laughed along with the adults.  I just love her. 

Here is a special picture! Aunt Kelly with Lola and Ella.  Kelly came over with Lola to see you.  Lola is so darn cute.  

Indy Visit.

This is your great grandmother Joretta.  She was the ultimate best growing up.  My grandmother loved her three grandkids.  She went to my games, came on family trips, always had your aunties and mom spend the night, and showed us the way to be an independent woman.  She played hide and go seek, made up fun games for us to play, and made the world's best peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  Sadly, Joretta became sick with alzheimers.  For years she lives with us and gave me memories to last a lifetime. Some very funny and others not so much.  Now she lives in a sorority type home for woman suffering from the disease.  She does not know who we are which breaks my heart but sometimes I can tell she feels safe when we are around.  At one point when she met you she cried and asked if you were really hers.  Mackenzie and I cried.  It was very sweet. Maybe she understood for that moment in time.

Here you are with your cousin Tyler at Aunt Alicia's house.  He is the sweetest boy! He kept looking at you to see if you were real. You are so lucky to have him.  He is an extraordinary young boy!

Mamaw and Papaw love you so much.  Mamaw holds you tight and lays back in her chair while you fall asleep. We are going to visit them in January! It will be so much fun!

We went to eat with your Nana and Pop. Pop took off two days to be with you. Below Nana holds you while you fall asleep.  She knows just how to calm you down when you are upset. 

We went to Indy for a week! It was so much fun. We had friends over for some food and drinks one night. We went to visit Mamaw and Papaw.  We stayed at your Nana and Pop's house one night.  It was a great time. I can't wait to move back!

Photo Shoot.

I could barely take these pictures I was laughing so hard. Less than two months here and you are so chubby!

My Girls Came to Visit.

Aunt Annie and you hanging. Courtney drinking because I made her! Ha.

Look at you with Aunt Courtney.  Next time Ella will have to come!

Whitney was sick the whole time, pregnant with a little button. (A girl?)

She took you to the rooftop pool of our building and had to fend off mean looks from the old ladies.

Where is Shelly? I can't find the picture. She was in the kitchen making our drinks?

5 AM?

 This is your favorite time to wake up and get started on your day... I have gotten into the not so good routine of bringing you into mom and dad's bed where you fall fast asleep until we get up.  Look at your dad staring at you. If any man on earth was set to have a girl, it should be your dad. He is so gentle and loving. You are the luckiest girl to have him.  He was never the sentimental type until you came along. Now he constantly sends me messages throughout the day about how much he loves us and can't believe you are all his. He says, "I can't believe I can love her this much."

Your First Bath.

You hated your first bath. You screamed the whole time, because you were so cold. Your dad and I tried to bathe you in the sink, but soon learned that would not work. We now take the time to warm up the bathroom with hot water and then bring you in to warm water while the bathroom is warm and to your standards.  Such a little princess you are!

My Favorites

Your dad and I like to watch you sleep.  You smile when you start to sleep and your eyes flicker.  I love to kiss you a million times, which makes dad mad sometimes, because I wake you up.  I smell your sweet breath and just stare at you. It is amazing you are mine. My favorite time is when you fall asleep on my chest.  You do not like to nap during the day, and the only way you will sleep is near me or your dad.  I will hold you for hours, just thanking God for my sweet baby.  I love when I change your diapers and you smile and go crazy.  I love when you start to cry and your little lip curls.  It melts my heart. I am so blessed. 

Coming Home!

You always seem to wiggle out of your swaddle and lay on your side.

Aunt Sharm

Mamaw and Papaw, the two sweetest grandparents in the world.

Your great-grandma Dora.  She held you for two days and would not let anyone else touch you!

Uncle Gibboney. He wanted us to name you after him, so he was a little disappointed.

Your Great Aunt Ellie. You are her first girl.  She is so happy!

We were so excited to bring you home.  Your dad stayed home the first week to take care of you.  We slept in the living room with you while you slept in your cradle.  You scared us because you loved to sleep on your side and kept moving until you got there.  We had lots of visitors who loved you from the minute they saw you!

Emergency Room

For a week, I thought I was getting the flu. I felt so achy and everything I did was painful.  I attributed my symptoms to having a c-section with you.  That was until Saturday, August 29th when I had a high temperature and couldn't take it anymore.   I took a taxi to the Emergency Room downtown Chicago.  I didn't want you in the ER with all the sick Chicagoions, so I headed there alone.  I felt like I was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.  There were people all around me with crazy illnesses and the only thing that separated us... was a curtain.  The guy next to me threw his cheese sandwich at the nurse, but that was better than the the other guy who had the police guarding his curtain.  So after four hours of craziness, I was told I had Mastitis.  The doctor, who was male, said to continue breastfeeding, even with Mastitis affecting both my breasts, and take antibiotics.  I realize men may never have to experience labor, a c-section, body parts that enable a baby to eat, and so on, but in that case maybe they shouldn't be allowed to give advice concerning something that is EXTREMELY painful.  So needless to say, I have to start you on formula when all your frozen milk is gone.  It was a sad day, but your mother had to stay sane while she took care of her precious baby.  It might be a journey to see what your little stomach can handle.   

July 31st-The Big Day

You were one screaming baby! 

You love to put your fingers in your mouth. 

This is my favorite time with you. You love to sleep just like this, not so much in your crib though.

Your dad had to take care of you all by himself while I recovered. He did perfect!

Aunt Jess took hundreds of pictures.  She was our photographer.

The whole crew seeing you for the first time. Of course your Auntie Aisha was the first to hold you!

Grandpa Doug was so excited!

GrandPam-Boot on her leg and all

Grandpa Rex could not stop crying. Aww, so sweet.

Your Amazing Grandmothers!

I was so nervous to have a c-section. Your dad did not sleep at all the night before, but somehow I slept just fine. We thought we were going to have you at 3:30pm, but they called early in the morning and asked me to come at 10am. I had to get shots and my blood taken because I have a negative blood type.  When we went in, we were greeted my all our family. All your grandparents were there waiting to hold you. Of course your Aunties, Cousin Jess, and GrandPam were there too! 

I was so nervous for you to come out and all I remember is the doctor saying how big your head was.  You came out screaming so loud the doctors were laughing.  You were 22 inches long and 8 pounds 15 ounces.  We named you Cecilia Dawn after two of your grandmothers.  You will never get to meet one important lady, your grandma Maureen Cecilia but your dad can tell you how wonderful she was.  You are so blessed, however because you have two amazing grandma's who love you to pieces.  You were born into a BIG, LOVING family.