Weight Update

Paige didn't gain as much weight this week...she is still in the normal range, though. She gained 4 ounces and she is supposed to gain between 4 and 7 ounces each week. So, she is now 11 pounds and 8 ounces. She is smiling and talking (cooing) more than ever! She is also using her hands more and more each day...today she got a handful of mommy's hair and wouldn't let go (maybe she hasn't figured that part out yet...how to let go of something when she wants to!) She is so much fun to play with and just stare at...AMAZING!!

First Trip to Indiana!

We took our first trip to Indiana with Paige because we had a wedding to attend on Saturday (and I was a bridesmaid). On our way to Indiana we stopped in Linn to visit Grandma and Grandpa Loethen for the night, and we headed out early the next morning.

Paige was a real trooper for such a long journey. She did shed quite a few tears because she was in her carseat for such long stints during the drive there, but she did much better on the way home.

During our visit, Paige finally got to meet her maternal grandparents and great grandparents. She also met a lot of other people at our cousin Bernice's wedding. Plus, before we left on Sunday we stopped by her Uncle Brandon's house to meet cousins Nevaeh and Emily. Here we are in this picture!

Nevaeh is 15 mos., Paige is 11 weeks, and Emily is 4 mos.

Here we are at the wedding!

Meeting Grandpa Bill!

Meeting Grandma Jenny!

Sleeping on the way home...a lot less crying this time!

Weight Update

Paige weighs 11 pounds and 4 ounces today! She is growing like a weed!

Photos Today

We got our first family pictures taken today! Paige did a great job smiling for the camera. We can't wait to share them with everyone when they come in!

Rolling Over Already?!

Paige rolled over today! I know...we couldn't believe it either (since she is only 10 weeks old), but she did it! This happened while she was playing on her blanket at her Aunt Abby's house. First, she got on her side and then she kept moving her legs until she just rolled right over onto her tummy...it was amazing!

Good News from Children's Mercy

At her two-week checkup, Paige's doctor heard a heart murmur. It was still audible at her two-month checkup, so Dr. Marx made an appointment with a cardiologist at Children's Mercy for Paige.

Her EKG was normal and the cardiologist said that the murmur sounds innocent. So, we didn't get an ultrasound done. We are going to monitor the murmur as Paige grows, but we are optimistic and hopeful that this murmur will not pose any health issues. The cardiologist believes it is physiological and will probably go away.

Here is a picture of Paige getting her EKG. She slept through it! (The nurse who tried to take her blood pressure about 15 mins before this wasn't so fortunate...Paige cried a lot and really gave her a challenge!)

Weight Update

We went to our "new mommy" group today, and Paige weighs 10lbs and 13.9 oz. So, she gained 5.4 oz since last Wednesday. She continues to amaze us at how fast she is growing and changing! She is just full of smiles...she is quite excited in these pictures from this afternoon!

Like a Little Grownup!

I often think that babies look like miniature grownups when they wear certain clothes...I thought that about Paige today when I put her first pair of jeans on her! Doesn't she look cute?!

9 Week Old Sleeping Beauty

Paige is 9 weeks old today! I had to share this cute pic I took today...she is getting so big!

2 Month Doctor Visit

Paige is 2 months old today!! We went to the doctor for her two month checkup! She now weighs 10lbs and 9oz (She gained a half ounce since yesterday!) and she is 24.5 inches long. She was 20.5 inches when she was born, so she has grown 4 inches...we are so amazed!! She is in the 100th percentile for her length and 50th for her weight.

Dr. Marx said that her hip looks good (Yea!). She can still feel the loose ligament a bit, but she expects it to be lax a little while longer. This is very normal for babies, since the Relaxin hormone that moms have during pregnancy carries over to babies in utero.

Paige also got some immunizations today. She got three shots and had to drink one oral immunization. She was a real trooper! She didn't cry until the second shot, and she calmed down pretty quickly afterward. We gave her Tylenol for 24 hours, and she was only a little fussy throughout the rest of the day and evening. She did sleep a bit more too. In this picture she is snoozing cozily on her daddy, and you can see one of her pink bandages on her thigh...so cute!!!

Weight Check

We went to our weekly mommy meeting today, and Paige weighs 10lbs and 8.5oz. She gained
4oz since last Wednesday, so she is doing great!

What's That Above?

Paige has started noticing things that are overhead! This began last week! She used to just lay in her crib and listen to her mobile play music, but now she has actually noticed that something is moving above her. She just stares at it to no end and tracks it with her eyes. She has even begun to raise her arms toward it and gets really excited by cooing and smiling!

Resting with Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit again. They miss Paige a lot when they are at home in Linn. This time Grandpa got to hold Paige a lot more. (Grandma is learning to share Paige a bit better) :) We had a busy weekend, so Grandpa and Paige got pretty tuckered out and took a rest together. Don't they look comfy?!

Bath Time

Paige is loving bath time more and more! We even got a few smiles from her during bath time and that has never happened. She usually just looks around and seems surprised by what is happening. Before now, Paige's favorite part has been mommy putting lots of lotion on her. She really enjoys that...until she realizes that she might like having some clothes on!!

8 Weeks Old!

Paige is 8 weeks old today! That is just so hard to believe...the time has really flown by so fast! Neil and I have enjoyed every moment!

Full of Smiles

Paige is really smiling and cooing a lot these days. We spend a lot of time trying to catch some of her great smiles with the camera...here is the biggest one we've gotten so far. I think that if she was able to laugh, she would have been doing it in this picture. Doesn't it look like she is?!

Tummy Time

Paige continues to love her "Tummy Time." Sometimes we have her play on her activity mat and sometimes she just does it on a blanket. Look at how strong her neck is getting...she can hold her head up like this for a long time! We are so proud!!!

Sleeping in the Crib

Today Paige slept in her crib for the first time ever. We thought we would try it out for naps to see how she likes it. Well, it was a little rough...she woke up about 5 minutes into her nap approximately 5 times, and the longest amount of time she slept was 30 minutes. I guess that is good for a start. Here's a pic to show you how cute she looks when she is sleeping. We'll try the crib again tomorrow!

Weight Update

Today we went to a "New Mommy" Group. Paige was very enthralled to hear so many babies in one place, and the sound of all the moms chatting was pretty interesting to her too. While at the meeting, Paige got weighed and she is now a whopping 10lbs and 4.5oz. It is amazing how much she has grown...it doesn't seem like she is that big, but when I saw her compared to a two week old baby at the meeting, she looked huge! We are going back to the meeting next week, so I'll keep you updated on her growth! She also has her two month appt. with the doctor on Thursday, so I'll let you know how that goes too.

This pic is from today...look at how much her face and legs are filling out!

She Did It!

It is official, Paige has slept through the night for the first time ever! We're so excited for her. Her greatest accomplishment thus far. Now you may want to know how long that was. Well, I'll start by saying the "book" says that sleeping 5 hours (12-5am) is considered sleeping through the night. Well, she slept for 6 hours 10 minutes and blew away her previous record of 4 1/2 hours. We're so proud of her! Good job Paige!

Family Picture

Tonight we all went out to eat for the first time together at 54th St. Grill, and Paige was great. She listened to the music for awhile and then fell asleep in her carseat. We also took a family photo using the 5 second timer on the camera. It was quite a production to get Paige looking in the right direction, since she is easily distracted by anything remotely interesting to her (and everything is interesting to her at 7 weeks old). So, we settled on this pic where we turned her the way she needed to be. We think it turned out pretty good...guess that 8th time is a charm for us!

Learning To Sleep

We're currently on a mission to get Paige sleeping full nights. Heather has studied very hard for this and our current plan of action is Eat, Activity, Sleep, except of course in the middle of the night. We're also trying to get Paige to learn how to go to sleep on her own. This is very hard on Dad since he has to hear Paige cry a little bit without soothing her. But all in all, it seems to be working and Paige is very happy being on a schedule. She's talking, laughing, and smiling a lot now which gives us lots of joy! I've added the Many Faces of Paige slideshow on the right today which has updated pictures.

Hip Appointment

The family went over to Children's Mercy today to get Paige's hip checked out. Although the ultrasound technician couldn't tell us anything official, we think she is okay. The picture below is almost exactly what her hip looked like on the ultrasound (We didn't get a printout of Paige's). The technician told us that if the white line coming from the left to the femur (round figure) is positioned in the upper half of the femur, it is properly supported. So, that's why we think Paige is good to go. Thank God. We'll find out tomorrow from our doctor for sure.

Grandma & Grandpa Arrive!

Last night grandma and grandpa arrived in KC! We've been telling Paige for days that they were coming and how exciting it would be. We're so grateful to have them around. They both give Paige so much love (which she can't ever get enough of). See how happy she is...

First Post

This is our first blog post for our beautiful daughter, Paige! We're so happy to have her, and every day is a blessing with her around.