Magnolia, oh , Magnolia. How you’ve changed our lives for the better in one short month!

Our journey in the hospital was a little rocky for the both of us but bringing you home was one of the happiest moments of my life! It was a little scary leaving the hospital since they were able to watch and monitor you every minute but we were excited to start our life with you 🙂

You were home on Thursday afternoon and you had your very first visitors right away! Your aunt Bre, cousins and Grandma Kathy were SO excited to meet you that they arrived minutes after we brought you home!

Your Uncle Tanner and Aunt Erika visited the next night and we were so happy to introduce you!

You were so good with taking your bottle from both of them and snuggling up close.

On Saturday, your Grandma Shari and Papa Jay, Aunts Cam and Dee came into town just to see you.

You wooed them all!

The Sunday after you came home, we had a home health nurse come and take a look at you and Mama. You only lost 1/2 an ounce in the hospital and had already gained .6 ounces and really love to eat!

Your Uncle Alex and Cousin Nora came by for a visit and you decided to sleep through most of it! Thankfully, you woke up at the end, so your Uncle could hold you quickly!

So many people awaited your arrival, baby girl and you’ve had so many visitors the first few weeks!  If only, your Mama would have remembered to take pictures of each!

We are SO thankful for all who already love you!

You had your first pediatrician appointment 2 weeks after you came home and you weighed 9.8 pounds and had grown 1/2 an inch! The pediatrician said most babies don’t start growing yet so she was impressed that you had grown 1/2 an inch!

She said you look just perfect and that we could start working on tummy time with you. She said to keep it up until you get angry but this is actually something you really enjoy as long as Flappy the Elephant is close by!

You’ve really found your fingers and arms and love to try to snack on them! We were hoping that you would self soothe that way but it doesn’t look like that’s the case.

Don’t let all these sleepy pictures fool you… you do NOT like to sleep or nap! We’re working on this together 🙂

You took a pacifier in the hospital but get so angry when you’re at home and realize there isn’t any milk coming out of it!

We’re hoping this changes!

Your first public outing was to your Aunt Cambree’s gymnastics meet and you did so good!

You slept through most of it but made sure to let everyone know you were there after you finished your bottle. #hangry

We have yet to go out shopping or walking thanks to the weather and Mama’s weight restriction from my C-Section but I’m excited to get you out and about.

You had your first bath after coming home and hated it! Poor thing, you were so cold since it was basically a sponge bath until your umbilical cord came off.

After that came off and daddy holds you in your little tub, you really love bath time! We make sure to get a warm wash cloth on your belly and you’re in heaven 🙂 Bath time is a nightly ritual that we look forward to now!

You really loved looking at your Christmas Tree and all the pretty lights.  In the morning or evenings, we could turn the tree on and you would just stare and calm down. You clearly love Christmas already, just like your Mama.  Which is good since you share a birthday with it too 🙂

Your little facial expressions are so incredibly cute. You have found your tongue since almost day one and love to make goofy faces at me all day long (when you’re not crying!).

Your little smile has started to happen more often and I like to think you’re more intentional about it!

Your scared/surprised face is the CUTEST!

You had your first big photo shoot 10 days after you were born and you were a total rockstar!

I mean.. look how cute you are!

Most people comment how alert and awake you are! You have big blue eyes and I wonder if they’ll stay that way like your Daddy’s or if they’ll change more like mine.

I’ve heard that you look more like Mama and am so eager to watch you change and grow every day!

Speaking of Daddy, he loves to give you kisses (even if you make faces when he does! Must be that mustache hair!) and always takes you from my arms as soon as he gets home from work! Since you are on formula, he helps feed you which gives Mama a break! You take about 3-4 ounces of milk every few hours and go from 0-screaming hangry when you are starting to want more food!

During this month, you have moved from newborn diapers to size one diapers.  They’re a little big on you but are much more comfortable. You wore your last newborn sleeper at one month old and are officially wearing 0-3 month clothes, even though they are a bit big on you.  Who would have thought you’d go a full month in newborn clothes?! Certainly not your Mama!

You wear sleepers mostly since we haven’t left the house much but I can’t wait to get you in all the cute clothes! You don’t mind wearing bows and i’m teaching you, No Bow, No Go (Thanks April for this term!) to try to keep you in them as long as I can when you get older 🙂

We love anything that zips, fastens or buttons so that it’s easy to get you in and out with as little frustration as possible (on your side and mine!).  Trust me, I hate when I put those onesies over your head too and have to maneuver you to get those arms in! Good thing those onesies are awfully cute!

You get more beautiful every day and even after some rough nights, I’m still so happy to see you in the morning 🙂 You really love to lay on your blanket and kick kick kick. I could have told you that with those kicks to Mamas ribs those last few weeks! I think you’re going to be a soccer player one day!

You love to listen to Flappy the Elephant sing to you and play peek-a-boo and it can calm you down when you get frustrated! You listen for Daddy’s voice and can find him, no matter where he is and like to watch and listen to him.

Your favorite thing in the world is the yoga ball and bouncing. It’s almost an instant calmer down (unless you’re really having a meltdown!) and we like to think we’re getting a little bit of a workout while making you happy! Although, I’m hoping one day you’ll miraculously start liking your swing or bouncer because you don’t seem to be content in any of those!

Your puppies Leinie and Destin love you and Leinie can’t seem to let you be, especially if you’re upset and crying. She just needs to give you some kisses to try to make you feel better!

Destin is slowly starting to notice you more and likes to smell your head when Mama or Daddy is holding you.  Not enough to want to be with you more but just enough to notice and pay attention when you’re in the room.

You sleep in the bassinet by my side of the bed and we’ve been trying to get you to take your naps in there as well (instead of the Rock N Play where you’ve been napping)! We’ll slowly transition you to naps in your crib during the day so you can get more used to being in there! You are such a loud sleeper like your Daddy and I swear you wake me up every hour with your noises!

You LOVE your changing mat and could sit there all day, just looking around! Sometimes if you’re really upset, we can put you on there and you calm down. I also try to read you books on there since you’re calmer 🙂

My little Magnolia Kate, you are already so sassy with a mind of your own and you just know what you like just like your parents! You will definitely be our strong willed child who will do BIG things in this world! Even so, you have all of our hearts and we can’t wait to see what month two brings us and what you learn!

Love you, sweet girl!

Your Mama