amazing talent part II

So, I know you know my pal, Hal and I know you remember her amazing talent showcased here. However, the subject in the following is cuter than a button :)

I want to post all of the pics, but I'll choose a few and maybe occasionally showcase the rest with passing days.

3 weeks old!

All dressed up for the Royal Wedding

First restaurant with mama and daddy
maybe we'll measure her growth against this girraff along the way
snuggling with daddy after work
wearing mama's all time favorite thing: a tutu!

This is amazing. How Great Thou Art!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTSg1QuzyP4&feature=fvst

and here's a little picture to show How Great He is

so snuggly

New pic preview from Hal . . .

good Good Friday

As I finally sat down to journal this morning for the first time in 3 weeks, I couldn't help but write these words to God, "You were amazingly gracious to us with a beautiful pregnancy, a beautiful delivery and a wonderfully made baby girl. Truly, the labor could not have gone better - Thank you. It was a miracle for Tay, he loved it all - Thank you. I felt really well - Thank you. She's healthy - Thank you. She sleeps - Thank you. She eats - Thank you. We love her - Thank you. Over and over you have taken care of all 3 of us - Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I question why you allow it to all go so smoothly when so many across the world don't even make it. Thank you. It's all for your glory. This is Your Holy Week and I've not turned my eyes to you until this moment - yet, you love me still - Thank you."

And then, I read the latest post from Katie and began to weep. Again, Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Please take time to read this today. All Glory and Honor are Yours, forever, Amen.

2 weeks old!

We are already hitting milestones! cant believe it!

loving every second!

From yesterday before her bath . . . the hair's a little greasy :)

From last night while we were eating supper - such pals!

From Today after her birthday bath! Gotta love those bows!

Today I had my first outing alone - I went to get my haircut and loved it! I feel lighter and healthier and I made it through being away from my family :)

I also had the first opportunity to tell a stranger that I was a mom . . . and it was quite surreal - so many things that are so surreal!!!!

While I was gone Tay took her for her first walk. She did great! So did he :)

She's putting on the weight! changing right before our eyes into a little munchkin!

Outing

Today we went to visit Uncle Buzz at Land of A Thousand Hills. He made us both a delicious cappuccino and a special Strawberry Tea. He took his lunch break to sit and chat with us. I don't know if I've told you, but Tay is taking this whole week off! So, what we do, he does! But we don't do all that he does :) He's been running and errand doing and cleaning and my little kitchenista (not really making meals, but doing all the duties that must be done in a kitchen).

She got dressed up (of course) for the outing in a sweet hand-me-down from Joby's friend.

We also had the chandelier installed today! It's tiny and sweet and perfect! I love it! Thank you Eesie for making this happen! Great thing is we can take it with us when we leave this place! The nursery is now complete! (I should have closed the closet door and taken the pic from a different angle, but was too tired to get up from where I was sitting! :)

She is 12 Days old today! Can't believe it! Already going by too fast! We love our little peanut and are having fun as a family this week!

Augusta Daye Stanfill

The legacy of her name:

Augusta - Stanfill side

Taylor's great great grandmother's name was Augusta as well as his great grandmother. His mom's middle name was Augusta (Claire Augusta Bates). His little cousin's name is Augusta Spessard.

Daye - Stephens side

My dad's parents lived in a garage apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Daye when they had their first daughter. They named their daughter (my aunt) Dorothy Daye. I was then named Sally Daye.

The million dollar question: What are we calling her?

Well, Tay is calling her Augusta. I am calling her Augusta Daye. However, during one of this early morning's feeding I was looking at her and thinking, "Calling you Daye sure is cute too!"

So, she's called a lot of different variations these days. . . I'm sure something will end up sticking with the both of us.

She is more often called, "Sweet Pea", "Snuggle Bunny", "Precious", "Baby girl" than her actual name. Because, look at her :) how can you not call her one of those!

Today we had an "outing" to CVS and the bank. We got her all dressed up

and strapped in the car seat

to ride around "town". We rode on the new streets around our house (major construction on Abernathy) and then came back home in time for lunch and a visit from Brooke :).

It's now relaxing time while we watch the Braves.

Life is good.

Thankful

for sunshine

for blue sky

for Tay being home

for my mom being here last week

for this little sweet pea who is sitting in my arms now

just chillin . . .

Snuggle Bunny
ready to eat!

A ok!

Big Brofer

Look what I woke up to yesterday . . .

Phelpsy, you have been SUCH a good big brofer! Far exceeded my expectations. You are gentle, calm, protective and sweet! I am so proud of you! Your baby sister already loves you and I am excited to think about how much she will grow to love you as her dog in the years to come!

Augusta Daye, Phelpsy loves you and he has been such a good boy since you've been home. Thank you for being so sweet and easy to love :) That makes his potential jealousy diminish :)

And some more precious pics!

Yes I must have on a dress and shoes and bow for my day!

Aunt Tindy made this skirt!!

I can't get enough of this. . .

Feeding at 4 am

Up for a 4 am feeding :)

She's falling back asleep now so I wanted to share some SWEETNESS that amazing Hal did for us yesterday. She took some newborn pictures for us and Augusta Daye was filled with joy, smiling, eyes open, occasional poop explosions while she just so happened to be naked

(meaning not even a diaper!) and tears as the next feeding time approached. But, she did great and Hal was so patient and great with her!

Here is a sneak peak!

Today makes an official 1 week!!! Can't believe it! Trying to soak in every second

1st Dr. Visit

We just got back from our first visit to the Pediatrician. How blessed we are to live in a place where this is a standard and where our children can be seen by a Dr. from the moment they are born and then 4 days after to make sure they are healthy. So thankful.

The Dr. said everything looked great. She was born at 7lbs 7oz, was 7lbs flat when we left the hospital and is now at 7lbs 11oz. She's packing them on! So thankful for that!

Yesterday was a hard day. Tay went back to work and I was sad. It was strange having experienced all we had over the last 4 days and then him not being here. It was hard on both of us. He was able to come home much earlier than normal and we had a good cry together and then a good night just the 3 of us. My sweet Mama made supper for us and had it ready so Tay and I could have a little us time. She's been so wonderful, so sensitive, so supportive and so understanding. Again, so blessed to have her here.

So blessed also to have a husband who continues to love me as he now enters fatherhood - oh man! Lots of transition going on - yesterday seemed to be the day where things got overwhelming and emotions arose and hormones were released. Wasn't prepared for all of that :)

But, we're hanging in there, figuring it out as we go. Trying to make sure we take care of ourselves so we can take care of Sweet baby Daye!

The Lactation Consultant we met with in the hospital was a blessing beyond words - and one thing she said to us was: Just as the pilot of the airplane tells you to always put the oxygen mask on yourself first and then the child, we must navigate through parenthood in the same way. First, being we must take care of ourself, then, we must take care of our marriage, then we must take care our child/ren. And in doing those first two things we are actually taking care of #3 at the same time.

So, anyway - just a little/big lesson we are learning in these first few days of parenthood.

Check out the little peanut - or the little piglet as Bukes likes to call her.

Phelps being so sweet - he's been the BEST! so gentle and so calm.

Sleepy Mama. If you come visit I might scoot you out after a little bit so I can nap with my little bit :)

One of the onesies that was made at the Baby Shower - I filled it in at the hospital.

another bath before the Dr. today - maybe one of my favorite things: when she's all wrapped up in a precious towel head!

Getting ready to go to the Dr.

What we are doing now! Tay is working from home until Aunt Tindy and Birdie arrive and I am making a blog post, so Baby Daye is sleeping in between us like a little angel :)

We're home!

Well, if this hasn't just been the best! We are doing great and loving life as a family of 3! We came home Saturday around 3:30pm. I was a little nervous to leave the hospital since the constant availability of the nurses is so comforting, but, now that we are here, we are glad to be home. Poor Daddy (Tay) has literally just been moving around like a tornado taking care of everything while his wife remains somewhat of an invalid. He has been such a champ! He loves his girls :).

Mama (Alice) has also been tending to countless duties to try and allow tay the freedom to be with Augusta Daye and me. She's making delicious meals and cleaning up and of course offering her arms at any time to hold the baby girl :)

I know you probably really only want to see pics and not hear me ramble, but, this truly has been such an amazing experience! Thank you Jesus for how you have cared for us and allowed this whole process to go. I pray you receive Glory and Honor. This is your child, thank you for entrusting her to us. We adore her.

Coming Home outfit, Thank You Grannies!

First night sleeping at home, snug as a bug in a rug! She did so well (Mama and Daddy, too:)

First Bath at home in the PUJ tub - she hated it!

But Mama couldn't wait to put her in a hooded towel!

All clean with my new outfit from Sister and a bow in my hair!

And last, all swaddled up by her Daddy! She's a little burrito!

Augusta Daye Stanfill

She's here! The Official Countdown was right all along - no more days. She came on April 7, 2011 at 1:24pm. She weighed 7lbs 7oz and was 20 in long. She is such a little sweet pea!