The First Month with Maggie Jane

Maggie Jane turned 1 month old this past Wednesday. It seems like it was just yesterday that she was born and coming home with us! Although we've had a few rough bumps on the learning curve, we have been really blessed with a great baby. Maggie has brought so much joy into our house, and we're just having fun being mommy and daddy!

When Maggie was 9 days old, she had some special visitors. The Swager family came to visit and brought dinner. It's so nice to have family close by here in Missouri. It was great to get to visit with them, and Maggie was wide awake for the entire time. Dana's cousins, Lauren and Rebecca, set up a photo-shoot with Maggie and took some photos of Maggie that are just too adorable. They are so talented! Check out the rest of their work at alookthrulaurenslens.com (check out the "Newborn" gallery for the rest of Maggie's pictures).

Dana and I are very proud of our beautiful girl and wanted to share a few of her pictures...

5 Lessons Learned from being a New Dad

#5--Never remove a diaper unless you have a backup within reach...
Ok, so this one is pretty obvious and you hear it from every new parent--BUT IT'S TRUE! Just as soon as you remove a wet or dirty diaper, the kid will squirt/leak/blast something out all over the place! Maggie got me twice within 48 hours of coming home from the hospital. All I can say is that I'm glad she's a little girl or else I'd be repainting the walls!

#4--Baby will sleep when they should be awake, and be awake when they should be asleep
So, this one is pretty obvious too. You hear this all the time, but it's so different when you experience it firsthand. Needless to say, it is frustrating. Maggie has actually been an awesome baby as far as sleeping and napping, but she has picked her nights to be rebellious, and it's usually the worst night for mommy and daddy!

#3--Concern for your child is far greater than any other human need
In a mad rush to go the hospital on a Tuesday night, I had grabbed a pb & j sandwich for dinner. 2 days later I had a turkey sandwich and fries in the hospital cafeteria. I didn't eat, sleep, or use the restroom in the time between because I was so excited and concerned for my wife and our baby. Going without those things made me realize that there would be more times in the future that I would go without for the sake of my family. I learned the valuable lesson that Dana and Maggie will always come first.


#2--You will never find your wife more attractive and more amazing than in this season of life
Dana will tell you that pregnancy made her feel and look horrible, but she has always remained the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I am so blessed to have such an amazing wife. Seeing her now with our daughter only multiplies all that I feel for her. It's an amazing process that God leads a couple through from being a dating couple to parents. At every stage of this process, we learn to love each other in a different and deeper way. I know that Maggie will be blessed in so many ways by having such an amazing mother.

#1--All the dirty diapers, crying, sleepless nights, & hospital bills are well worth it when your little girl falls asleep in your arms
It was a few days after Maggie's birth and after we were home that I finally sat down with her in my arms. I was overwhelmed in that moment with the amount of love that I had for her, and knew how much more God's love was for me. In that moment, I was speechless. There weren't really any thoughts on my mind, it was just a quiet moment that made me so aware of unconditional love. It was that moment that I will always remember. I'll forget about the lack of sleep, the smell of the diapers, and the pain that is caused by the inflated hospital bills. But I will never forget that moment.