The two-month mark

It's one thing to say, "Oh, she's getting so big." It's another to actually see it.

In AnnahLilly's early days, Daddy so wanted to put her in this cute pair of butterfly pajamas. No doing -- too big.

But just this past week, the week she turned two months, AnnahLilly fit perfectly into those butterfly pajamas. Oh, she's getting so big.

Some other signs: She seems like a giant in her bassinet these days. Then there's the increased alertness, smiling and cooing. Nighttime is getting a little easier, too. And we're also seeing a little sliver of brown in her lower left eye, a sign of the color to come.

Oh, our little one is becoming her own little person, that's for sure. We can't help but smile when we look at her.

Two-month checkup

Oh, how big our little one is getting. We had her two-month appointment yesterday and here are her latest stats (percentiles are for a gestational age of 36 weeks):

Weight: 9.9 lbs (77%-78%)

Height: 22 inches (87%)

Head circumference: 14.8 inches (70%-71%)

Overall, the pediatrician is very pleased with AnnahLilly. She's looking great! That's certainly good to hear.

Thursday's appointment was important for another reason: AnnahLilly had her first four vaccinations.

Three were given as shots in her front upper thighs, the fourth was an oral liquid medication.

After the initial screams and cries, she quickly calmed as we got her in her carseat to leave. What a trooper. Maybe she was eased by her cool soccer ball Band-Aids!

A little later in afternoon, however, she was in some pain. Her poor little thighs were red and swollen. She cried in spurts, but mostly slept it off.

Fortunately, she has not had a fever, a frequent side effect of vaccines. And, 24 hours later, her redness and swelling is all but gone.

Hang in there, little one. You make us proud.

Happy July Fourth

Happy Independence Day to all of our family and friends.

We've been enjoying spending some special time with Michael and Jackie Whitley (AnnahLilly's godparents) and their son (our Godson) Xander.

This morning we all went to church and visited Lillian Rose. It was a nice moment having all of the babies together and I said extra prayers for all of their safe keeping.

We had a low key holiday with a festive bbq and quality time just hanging out with dear friends. It's times like these that we realize how blessed we are by having such special people in our lives.

Little Xander enjoyed the fireworks the neighbors set off, along with the sparklers we bought. He was so excited pointing at the bright lights to make sure we weren't missing a thing. As for AnnahLilly, she slept. And Herald stood by to protect her. OK, maybe he was nearby to get some protection for himself.

The highlight of the day though, was a god-sibling photoshoot. These two are so cute. I predict many more photos like these in the future.

Tomorrow's adventure: AnnahLilly's first visit to Disney World!

Little wonders

Right at his moment AnnahLilly, Herald and I are sitting on the back porch listening to 'Elaborate Lives' from Aida.

At the Maynard Institute program I attended at Harvard I declared this song to be my heartsong. And, I think that's even more true now. Ultimately, the most important things on Earth are family and the relationships you build in your life. As hard as it is to keep life from intruding, these moments are really all that matter.

So, today I'm marveling in the moment with my beautiful daughter. I'm taking in the warmth of her skin, the smell of her and the softness of her hair. She is such a little wonder and we are so very blessed by her.

I love watching her smile in her sleep and the tiny little mousy sounds she makes. She is the greatest miracle of our lives.

AnnahLilly's first professional photo shoot

Here's a link to the rest of the photos on Facebook. And, no, you don't have to be a Facebook member to see them.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=178867&id=694684412&l=c34f634bcc

A memorable Sunday

We've been to church many times in our lives, but none more special than this past Sunday.

It was AnnahLilly's first trip to church, and she was nothing short of an angel throughout the service. Father Eric also gave her a blessing (her first) when we went up for Communion.

Smiles certainly were aplenty, but tears, too. The latter more prevalent when we took AnnahLilly to see her sister for the first time in the church garden. A few words were said, but none needed to be, to be honest.

Here's a video of her time inside the church:

AnnahLilly video: First bath