Let the Good Times Roll

I'm going to try to hit the highlights of the holidays that we have hit since Maelyn has been born. Maybe that way we can catch up to where we presently are (she's 9 MONTHS right now).

Halloween was the first holiday we came too. Maelyn was only a couple of weeks old so I didn't dress her up in a costume but we did dress up in her Halloween outfit and head off to see daddy at work.

Next, came Thanksgiving. I was super excited about this holiday. Not only did we have so much to be thankful for this year but there is yummy food involved with Thanksgiving. Even though your supposed to be worried about losing your baby weight and I did just have a baby I threw that out the window and still pretended like it was ok for me to eat whatever I wanted!! haha Although now I see that wasn't such a good idea, at the time I took joy in eating whatever I wanted. Macie, my sisters little girl, loved Maelyn! She would ask me "Your baby ok?" "Your baby tired?" I couldn't help but laugh. Macie is a little momma and always takes care of any baby animal they find or get so why wouldn't she want to take care of Maelyn? Addie just wanted to feed her a bottle. As you can tell from the pictures, she got her wish.

A couple of days before Thanksgiving we went with Brents family to Jackson to stay in the "motel" as Brents brother, Blake calls it. Brent and Blake swam in the indoor pool at the hotel while the rest of us watched from the sidelines. This was also the first time we got a giggle out of Maelyn!

 

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balance smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."

As I mentioned earlier, we had the joy of Amber Norris taking Maelyn's newborn session.  Amber specializes in child photography and its located in Collins, MS.  I strongly recommend her to any of my friends. Check out her website http://www.ambernorrisphotography.com/

Maelyn was exactly a week old and I was most worried that she wouldn't cooperate. For the most part she behaved but got sick of being naked QUICK! Here is the product of all Ambers hard work!

Amber, Thank you so much for your hard work getting these pictures of Maelyn! I love that you will always be apart of my memories with her. I just love how my photographers turn into my great friends!

Our Nest is Blessed

Our first week home wasn't TOO eventful. My parents came and stayed the first week with me. Even though I was doing everything myself, it was fun to have her here to cook and clean. I was nursing and even though it hurt like the dickens, she was eating well. I was fortunate enough to get the baby blues but was too prideful at the time to admit it. We got discharged on a Wednesday and Brent had to go to the fish house on Thursday. Lets just say that was a little overwhelming for me. I cried pretty much the whole time he was gone. If by chance the water works had stopped before he got home, the second his truck turned down our road they started again and I would meet him at the door crying so hard I couldn't see. For those that know me, this will come as a shock. It even came as a shock to Brent. The first day he thought something had happened to the baby while he was gone but by Saturday he was used to it and would just hold me as I cried. It would soon pass and things would go back to normal. THANKFULLY that only lasted about a week and I was back to normal.

1. My dad, me and Maelyn  2. First Nail Trim 3. Mom, me and my granddad which is Maelyn's Great Grandad
4. Daddy and Maelyn taking a nap 5. Nap in the play pen 6. Maelyn sitting on my moms lap 7. Maelyn and daddy doing what they do best! 8. Maelyn in her 1st head band and bow (daddy wasn't happy about this ha!)

Maelyn got to take her first road trip that week. My mom and dad had gone to Hattiesburg and on the way back hit 2 deer in her SUV. Brent, Maelyn and me had to go get them and wait on the Highway Patrolman to come and make a report for her insurance. Maelyn didn't like her car seat so you can imagine how fun that was!! As long as I was holding her she was calm and as long as the car was moving while she was in her seat she was calm but we do not "just chill" with her in her car seat.

Our first bath was quite an experience. She didn't like it very much and Brent was very nervous as to what we were supposed to do. Maelyn screamed like we were cutting her legs off but we got through it and she smelled amazing! Nothing better than the smell of a clean baby.

We were so thankful to be home with our precious healthy baby. Life started to fall into routine and we were enjoying every minute of it! We can honestly say "Our Nest is Blessed!"

The Days of our Lives

Just a few pictures from our days in the hospital. Enjoy!

The pictures the hospital offers...

 

Its safe to say, I bought them!! :)

 

Momma, I'm coming home...

My Big Brother AKA Uncle Chad

Alisha, Tasha, Chad and Me (1 month after delivery, be kind)


I am the youngest of 4 children. My oldest sister Alisha is 3 years older than Tasha. Tasha is 4 years older than Chad. Now me and Chad.. we are only 20 months apart. Does something seems little fishy about that?? Yep, you guessed right. I was an accident!

Just for the record my mom never told me I was.. my aunt eventually told me when I was older. I asked Mom and she didn't even deny it!! I mean really, atleast try to lie about it!! P.S. The same woman (my mother) didn't take me back for my last set of shots as a baby. I didn't find this out until I went to start Respiratory School and had to go get them. Did I mention that I'm scared to death of needles?!?! Thanks Mom!! :)

Back to the story, my mom got pneumonia and the antibiotics cancelled out her birth control so her and dad ended up creating me. (GAG!! I mean.. I'm thankful but still.. GAG!!) My whole name is Jennifer Shae and I was originally supposed to be called Jennifer but Chad couldn't say it so Shae I became. Me and Chad were very close growing up. When he started school he came home with the chicken poxs and being the fact I loved him ssssoooo much and that HE had them.. I had to have them!! I rubbed all over him until I got them. We played together, never fought, and were 2 peas in a pod. That was.. until he went to second grade. The kids at school told him that it wasn't cool to have your little sister as your best friend and he listened. From then on out he tortured me!! Pushed me out of trees, slung me off the go cart, hid my promise ring from my high school boyfriend.. you name it, he did it. Although he tortured, no one else was allowed to torture me. He would come to my rescue if need be but he wasn't going to rescue me from him!! haha After I graduated high school and we were both in college he finally decided that he would love me again. We became GOOD friends again. I would go see his band play shows, he would let me crash at his apartment when it was my week to work at the hospital and he would even take me out to eat.

When I became pregnant with Maelyn Chad was happy for us but he didn't really act excited. I guess it did freak him out a bit that his baby sister was having a baby. He kept up with my progress that whole time though. He was always there to say something comforting just when I needed it most. Chad and Bethany both threatened my life that if I didn't call them when I went into labor that I was going to be in big trouble. They will both be very happy to know that they were the first phone call I made. They live in Lousiana so it was going to take them a while to get here. They made it in record time only to find out that Maelyn wasnt coming anytime soon. Chad immediately fell into his position as comedian. He kept the mood light, airy and stress free.

Chad would sit by my bed and tell me to squeeze his hand when I had a contraction if I needed to. It only took a couple of times of me squeezing before he realized that wasn't such a smart idea if he wanted to keep his fingers. Its the thought that counts, right? When things took the turn from fun to serious it was like a light switch had been flipped. Chad was watching monitors and helping turn me like a chicken. 

Chad was so excited once Maelyn made her entrance. He, of course, was ready to get some sleep but was still so excited. He came home for almost a month straight every weekend to see Maelyn. Right now, she is scared of him because he can be loud at times but on his last visit I think he grew on her!

Thank you Chad for being such a great big brother to me! I think we have graduated from good friends to best friends yet again! I love you!

The Princess and Her Court

Maelyn,

You were born wide eyed and bushy tailed. When you came out they suctioned your mouth and your nose but you never made a sound. I, of course, was talking to you the second you came out. I was rubbing your foot and your daddy had your hand. You stole your daddy’s heart immediately. When the doctor asked your daddy if he wanted to cut your umbilical cord he of course said yes and was handed the scissors. As soon as he went to cut it you grabbed on to his pinky finger and your mommy lost it. I had been so consumed with being aware of everything that was going on that I hadn’t stopped to think “this is my child, this is my little girl”. The doctor held you up and said “You want to meet your parents?” and turned you around to face us. You balled those little fists up and let out a huge scream like “oh no, not them!!” It was the cutest thing EVER!! They took you over to the warmer and started checking you out. Daddy went with you. You weighed in at 7lbs even which was a shock to us. As big as I was we just knew you were going to weigh 10lbs but you didn’t. You were 20 inches long, looked just like me and had your daddy’s feet. You were absolutely perfect.

Mommy




If you recall in some of my last posts I got nothing to eat or drink during my "labor" period. As soon as Maelyn was out my awesome nurse brought me a cup of coke!! That was the second best moment of my life!! haha Mom and Bethany went to McDonalds and got me 2 large french fries.. that was the third best moment of my life!! :) 

While in labor and delivery and then in post partum we had a lot of visitors. I didn't get pictures of everyone but I will share a few.

We were blessed with a good baby from day one. She was passed around from person to person and never made a sound. Is she loved?? I think so!

Then There Were Three

Introducing

Maelyn Alyse Murphy

October 11th, 2010

1:28am
7lbs 20in

 

To my dear sweet Maelyn,

No words can describe the emotions I had the first time I saw you. You were perfect. You were my miracle. I am so blessed that God choose me to be your mommy. I promise to love you unconditionally and be the shoulder you can lean on. I promise to be your parent first and your friend second. I promise to support you in all your adventures. I promise to hold you when your down and rejoice with you when your up. I promise to kiss every bobo and wipe every tear and I promise to never turn my back on you. Your daddy and I will strive to be the best parents we can be for you. We love you so much and we will share with you the father that loves you so much more than we are capable of. I am so proud to be called your mommy and I hope one day you can say your proud that I am.

Love,
Mommy


Brent,

Thank you for being the shoulder I could lean on during this journey. We made a beautiful baby girl didn’t we?! What an amazing adventure we are on! You are my rock and my love. My heart is forever yours.

Shae