Three Months Old and Oh So Busy...

Happy Thanksgiving week!  Our pre-Thanksgiving activites kicked off over the weekend with a trip to Integrity Hills and Springfield. And with the short work week I'm too busy to write very much, so here's our weekend in photos.

Maggie Finally Met "The Girls" - Grammys BFFs

Grammy, Marla, Paula, and Rhonda

Beautiful Little Ladies

The Cross at Integrity Hill's Chapel

(this is Jared getting artsy with his photog work)

Walking the Grounds at Integrity Hills

Getting a Pie Crust Lesson from the Expert, My Mom Marsha

Magge Paid Very Close Attention to the Lesson

Happy Smiles - Maggie at 3 Months Old

Wardrobe Changes...

Jared and I probabably spend a wee too much time picking out our outfits for work in the morning. To say we're both a bit paticular about our clothes is a fair statement. But Maggie tops us all! In fact, if she doesn't like the outfit she's wearing she'll simply poo on it as insistance to be changed. This morning Daddy dressed her in all bubble gum pink -- totally adorable. But soon after I made the comment about how she looked like a pink bandit, poo goes everywhere and a big smile appears on her face. So, out with the pink and on with the blue butterflies. I'm pretty sure she liked this outfit as she proceeded to chat up a storm telling me all about it.

Ho ho whoa...

It doesn't seem possible that the holidays are nearly here. This year has gone by so quickly and soon we'll be diving into Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas stockings.  Two signs the holiday season has begun:  (1) XM Sirius radio channels have turned over to holiday music and (2) we've had our first dusting of snow coupled with frigid temperatures.  Here's Maggie's first snow day picture:

Water Works...

It was inevitable, my return to work that is.  I knew it was coming but for the past 12 weeks I chose denial and embraced my new role as stay-at-home mommy. And I absolutely loved it.  How woulda' thunk it?!  Me. Lil' miss career girl always on the go, loving more than anything spending my days with a little munchkin who can't talk or walk.  Maggie and I had so much fun the past few months. We had lots of girl talk, shopped, and made dinner every evening before Daddy came home from work. And God blessed us with incredible weather. Nearly every day was sunny and above 60 so we took long walks with Truxton. 

Today, on my first day back to the office, the weather is cold, in the 30s, and raining with a chance of the season's first snow. How apropos! The change in weather couldn't fit better with the change in our family today.

In addition to the rain, I admit I shed a few tears this morning when taking Maggie to her babysitter -- my good friend and personal angel, Anne.  I am so thankful for Anne and jealous of her at the same time.  Afterall, she gets to hang out with the coolest little chick I know all day long.

Welp, as I always say..."make the best of the situation."  I'm busy catching up on work and grateful to have a great job.  I count my blessings.

Here's some recent pics.

Maggie on Back to Work Day

Sporting Her Winter Coat for the First Time

Loving Bath Time

(sorry for the risque pic!)

My $19 Birthday Present to Myself:

A Silver Cupcake Stand

Tummy Time Fun

November Already?!

I can't believe October has come and gone.  Why do the days and weeks and months become shorter as one gets older? It doesn't seem fair. Now I'm 31. What a boring age! Twentyone was a good age...31 is so blah. My thirtieth year was phenomenal with the arrival of our magnificent little girl, Jared's MBA graduation, and celebrating a year in our new home, just to name a few.  I loved 30!  I wonder what's to come this year. Well, whatever it is me and my new Uggs are ready for it -- bring it on!
Meanwhile, here's a few photo hightlights from the weekend.

All Bundled Up for Halloween

Boo to You! Ooh, scary.

With Grandma at the Apple Orchard

(thanks for the outfit Aunt Jes and Uncle Nick)

Maggie and Grandpa Sharing an Emotional Moment

Trux Thinking, "This sucks! No one plays with me anymore."

Maggie's Favorite Playtime Activity

Fun-Filled Weekend...

Maggie turned 2 months old on Friday and we celebrated by running her ragged all weekend.  Her new adventures included a pizza party with friends and lots of little kids, a trip to the Weston farms for pumpkins and apples, and going to the nursery at church.  Jared recently joined the choir and today was their first performance.  I figured it'd be best if Maggie didn't contribute her own voice to the songs so she had her first church nursery visit.  She seemed to like it so I think she'll start making regular appearances -- our little girl is growing up so quickly.  We also tried on her Mizzou onesie for size, but after Texas scored multiple TDs in the first few minutes we turned the game off and opted for a bath and PJs instead. 

We're all tuckered out after a fun and busy weekend.  Maggie's sleeping soundly in her crib, where I assume she'll wake up promptly at 1:30am turned in the opposite direction of how I laid her, screaming for food and wondering why her head is no longer under her mobile.  And Jared's snoring next to me, where I assume he will still be snoring at 1:30am and will wake tomorrow morning to ask, "Did Maggie get up at all last night?"  Guess I better get to sleep.

Getting Excited for the Pizza Party

She Wasn't Really in to Photos

This Worked a Little Bit Better

Daddy's Lil' Spook

Daddy Playing with the Camera

Cheering for Daddy's Team

Weighing In...

Maggie is in the 50th percentile for height (22 1/2 inches), the 75th percentile for head circumference, and the 90th percentile for weight at 12lbs 10oz.  Today was Maggie's 2 month check-up, where I think the shots hurt me more than they hurt her.  Jared was the brave one who stood by her, while I coward in the corner with tears in my eyes.  Doc says she's a perfectly healthy little lady.

If only Maggie's weight gain could coincide with mommy's weight loss.  Yesterday morning KC was showered in thunder storms so I decided to break out the Wii Fit.  First Wii reminded me it'd been 280 plus days since I last turned her on...so I decided to delete and start over. Then it told me I was overweight. How rude! I yelled back, "hellooo...I just had a baby 8 weeks ago!"  But it didn't care and proceeded to remind me to workout every morning. We have a love-hate relationship now. Luckily the sky cleared in the afternoon to reveal a gorgeous fall day.  Maggie, Truxton, and I took a long walk through the neighborhood and was pleasantly showered in falling leaves of gold, auburn, and burnt orange. Have I mentioned yet how much I love this time of year?

We're going to Weston's pumpkin patches and apple orchards this weekend, so hopefully we'll get some good photos to share. 

In other family news...

• My sister, Sondra, and niece, Sadie, were in town over the weekend, where Sondra ran the KC Marathon in 3hr 34mins and qualified for Boston
• We're praying for my Uncle Steve who fell off a 20ft ladder on to his head and had to undergo major surgery on his back and spine. We're all praying for him to heal and gain feeling in his legs.
• We're looking forward to a visit from Grandma Linda soon! We miss her.

Maggie Loves Staring at Her Toys Now

Watching Playhouse Disney with Cousin Sadie