Weary Winter 2019

Winter of 2019 may have started out slow, but it quickly took an unexpected turn when Miss Maggie decided to arrive a month early.

Beginning the year with a cup of coffee in my new family mug and a delicious New Year's feast.  We also enjoyed our favorite Asian feast at Pei Wei the next weekend for Daddy's birthday. 

Brody enjoyed listening to Evan reading Harry Potter to him, and he helped build his volcano.  He painted it too, but I guess I never took a picture of it.  He still has it in his room so I will have to do that.  

No, Mr. Grayson does not need glasses, but if big brother gets to wear them, so should he.   He is wearing Mattox's old pair without lenses.  I do think he looks particularly beautiful in them as they show off his gorgeous eyes. 

Just some cuteness from Mattox.  He posed for pictures in his dinosaur pajamas on his brother's dinosaur bed.   He also shows his beloved guitar and Batman. 

Grayson did start trying out his big boy bed in anticipation of Maggie's arrival although it would be a while before he vacated the crib. 

Evan and Brody paint their Pinewood Derby cars for the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.  Evan would be participating in the sibling race as he is no longer a Cub Scout. 

Grayson tries out Miss Maggie's new carseat which was actually his old one. 

Rub a dub dub, three men in the tub.  Haha! Every once in a while we let Brody take a bath although usually he takes a shower. 

Brody puts the finishing touches on his car, while Grayson plays pirate.  Mr. Mattox loved his nursery teacher at church.  

How appropriate were the memes?  I did get my "surprise" baby Maggie this month, and my name was finally on a good list.  I do think it was one of my best years since I got my baby girl. 

I thought this one was pretty funny and quite accurate. 

To end the month of January, Mommy enjoyed taking some fun selfies with Miss Maggie at the hospital. 

It was so hard to take decent pictures in the hospital with horrible lighting and tape stuck to her face for her feeding tube.  Even when it was removed, it left a terrible red spot.  

Just an artsy selfie with my husband while we were both visiting with our baby girl.  

Hmmm, which look do you prefer?  Haha! Bottom left is my most normal, but I may look like the right side with makeup on.

I finally got to purchase my favorite movie, Willow, and watch it with my family.  I really never understood why this movie never came out on DVD or showed on television anymore.  It was a pretty fantastic Lord of the Rings style fantasy masterpiece by the masterful George Lucas and Ron Howard and starred some amazing actors and actresses.  Val Kilmer met his wife, Joanne Whalley, while making it, and Warwick Davis actually got to do a lead role in a movie.  He is a superb actor, and I think the movie roles for him have been limited because of his dwarfism.  I really don't get some of the critique of this movie.  When it was made, every science fiction enthusiast was so hung up on Star Wars that they did not want to give it a chance.  They talk like the first Star Wars had great special effects, but when I re-watch them today, I laugh at the poor quality special effects.  Of course, I laugh at the poor quality special effects of the last three Star Wars too so there's that.  The middle three definitely had the best special effects.  People also like to compare it to Lord of the Rings, but let's try to remember that this movie was made over a decade before the new Lord of the Rings trilogy with its masterful special effects.  And of course, the written version was a classic that no theatrical production will ever live up to. 

My beautiful sleeping prince.  He fell asleep on the table while we were waiting to eat. 

My first night with Maggie at the hospital.  I had to spend four nights in the hospital with her to finally bring her home.  She had to be completely bottle feeding and gaining sufficient weight for over 48 hours before she could leave.  Nurses in the NICU make cute name tags for the babies' bassinets.  Maggie didn't get one until she was there about three weeks and finally got a sweet nurse who did it.  

I met my sweet boys for dinner at Chick-fil-a since I was staying full time at the hospital handling all of Maggie's feedings.  It was a hard few days. 

Maggie got to try out her car seat.  She had to pass a one hour car seat test to get to come home.  She was still hooked up to apnea monitors so if she had an episode while in the car seat, she would not have been released.  

My sweet girl was finally home to celebrate her one month birthday and her first Valentine's day. 

Mr. Grayson and Mr. Mattox are practicing for the rodeo.  Mr. Grayson is a stunt rider. 

I was trying to capture a sweet sunset while driving.  It disappeared quickly. 

My sweet little strawberry shortcake princess getting used to her home. 

These boys were so glad to have Mommy and little sister home.  They had been asking "Where's Maggie?" for a month.  They did not understand how they could have a sister but not see her.  I just love them all sleeping on our bed.  No, Maggie was not asleep yet.  She still needed a bottle. 

Brody got to attend a school friend's birthday party at a bowling alley.  

Big brother Evan accompanied him. 

They enjoyed playing air hockey in the arcade. 

These cuties are just the best of friends, but oh yes, they fight a lot too.  They were working together building a block tower. 

Feeding Miss Maggie.  

Maggie finally got her newborn pictures at over a month old.  Since she was a preemie, she was still as small as a newborn.  

Mrs. Wendy was one of the first friends I made here when we met at library story time.  Then, we just happened to start attending her church where she and her husband worked with the kids.  They have since moved on, but I am glad she got to meet Maggie. Miss Wendy was working as our photographer friend's assistant. 

My sweet boys entertaining us at Maggie's first check up.  

Evan and Brody enjoyed some fun times at church. 

Miss Maggie attended her big brother's soccer game. 

And yes, I do see a lot of similarity between Mattox and Maggie at this age. I had taken the picture of Mattox wrapped in his blue swaddle blanket which was a similar pose to Maggie's portrait. 

These two shots were pretty similar too.  They do both look a lot like Daddy.  Maggie actually looks the most like Evan with his hair color.