Maddie's First Christmas (and sleep training success)

Wednesday, December 26, 12

It is the day after Christmas and we feel so blessed! We had such a wonderful time spending Christmas Eve at my parents’ house and seeing my Aunt Pam, Uncle Bill, Uncle Kenny and my cousins, Brittany and Ashley.  We had good food and great conversation. Maddie had a difficult time, unfortunately. I think she is used to quiet since it isn’t typically very loud when she is home with me, and she just got overwhelmed by the different smells, people, sounds…etc.  A couple of times, I brought her upstairs to change her and it was completely quiet and she took a deep breath and put her head to the side as though she were about to fall asleep.  She was very relaxed by the change in atmosphere.

We put out cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph

Towards the end of the night, we opened gifts, which was a lot of fun.  Having Maddie makes me feel like a kid on Christmas again! She got spoiled with so many fun toys and cute new outfits.  I am so grateful to everyone. 

Phil and I woke up Christmas morning and made waffles together (delicious!) before Maddie woke up at around 9.  It was hilarious: she looked grumpy on Christmas morning.  This will probably be the first and last Christmas we can enjoy without her jumping out of bed at 5am and waking Mom and Dad up to open presents and it was so funny to think about that and see her expressions as we opened gifts with her. She was genuinely excited about the little tambourine toy that we bought and she seems to like the exersaucer.  Success!

"This is it?"

Phil’s parents stopped by later in the afternoon along with Phil’s brother, Nathan.  We ate turkey and stuffing and just hung around and talked.  We exchanged gifts, too, which overwhelmed me.  Everyone is just so absolutely generous with us and Maddie.  All-in-all, we had a wonderful Christmas filled with so many blessings. 

Maddie and Daddy opening up presents. She loved the tambourine!

Merry Christmas! From Daddy, Maddie and Luka! 

Mmmmm. Delicious paper.  Mommy and Maddie after we opened all the presents.

Another gift we have been given is the gift of rest: Maddie has been sleeping during the day like a champ! Dare I say that the sleep training worked? For the past 3 days, I have been able to rock Maddie for a couple of minutes while I sing “Mary had a little lamb,” and then transfer her into her crib fully awake. I immediately leave the room and she, on her own with no assistance, has been drifting off to sleep after a few minutes.  Sometimes she whimpers a little, sometimes she bables until she wears herself out, but eventually she sleeps.  I am so excited and thrilled that I decided to do the sleep training and stuck with it through all of those VERY difficult days.  Here’s a breakdown of the schedule I followed, which I modified a little bit from various websites that I read:

Always start out rocking in the glider and sing “Mary had a little lamb” – I did this so Maddie would begin to associate that song with going to sleep.

Day 1-3: put Maddie in her crib and sit next to her. Help her fall asleep by touching her, talking to her, shushing her…etc.  If she became inconsolable, I would pick her up and start the process over again. I had to do this every so often, but rarely.

Day 4-7: Put Maddie in her crib while awake and sit next to her. Help her fall asleep by talking and shushing but do not touch her. If she becomes inconsolable, pick her up and start the process over. I think I had to do this 3 times over the course of the three days.

Days 8-9: Put Maddie down in the crib fully awake and move the chair further away from the crib. Help Maddie fall asleep by shushing her and talking to her. No touching.

Days 10-11: Here’s where I modified it a little bit. I put Maddie down in her crib and moved the chair a little further away.  I would shush her if she started to get fussy, but after a while, I decided to let her cry a little.  I timed 3 minutes (which is longer than it sounds!) on my phone and let her cry. Once the three minutes was up, I walked over to her and shushed her and putt he pacifier in her mouth, then sat back down in my chair. She quietly drifted off to sleep on her own.

Days 12-13: I have been putting Maddie down and leaving the room immediately. If she starts crying, I wait three minutes before going into her room. I give her the pacifier, tell her it’s time to go to sleep and then leave again (I’ve only had to go into her room to do this once or twice over the course of the past couple of days).  So far, she has gone o sleep right away!

SUCCESS!! I am so happy that this is working. I feel like I will get a little bit more time back during the day to work on other things rather than trying to rock Maddie to sleep for hours.  YAY!

Maddie loves playing in her exersaucer. She doesn't grab at the toys a lot, yet, but she will soon, I am sure. 

Hanging at Home with the Husteds and an Update on Sleep Training

Friday, December 21, 2012

This morning was really nice! Maddie had a play date with her friend, Rory and I got to hang out with Rory’s mom, Erica, for a little while.  Well the play date consisted of Maddie eating bananas and cereal in her high chair and Rory running around the house pointing out things that needed to be childproofed.  Thanks, Rors! I appreciate your input! Let me know next time you are free and you can come help put up some gates and cabinet locks.  Both girls went down for naps and then Erica and I had a little bit of time to catch up.  It was so great to see her – I’m sad she couldn’t stay around longer.

Maddie and Rory: Friends! 

Maddie was a little beast and didn’t feel like being social today, but at least she was an angel for lunch yesterday.  I went to meet my old co-workers at the Capital Grille for a lunch with our Actuaries (Hewitt) and to reminisce about working together.  The hostess looked taken aback when I walked in with a carrier, but they were really great about letting me change Maddie in the coat room and bringing me whatever I needed to heat up Mad’s bottle.  Maddie let me pass her around to people and was smiling, but mostly she just slept through lunch. First meal outing was a success! 

Sleep training is going really well.  This past week was very hard at times, but I have stuck with the schedule and it seems to be paying off. I have moved my chair a little further from Maddie’s crib, now, and she seems to be taking it well.  Today I rocked her and sang to her until she was drowsy and when I put her down, she drifted off to sleep  twice without any intervention. The third nap required a little shushing, but nothing that took more than 2 minutes.  It was fantastic! I think I am going to move the chair a little closer to the door tomorrow (a day early).  She seems ready.  YAY! My inspiration (Erica) showed me how wonderful it is to be able to put your little one down in her crib and walk straight out of the room.  Nikki in awe. I simply can’t wait until we reach that point. I think we are close!

Falling asleep in her own like a pro! 

Today is the last working day of the year for Phil and I am excited for him to come home so we can really start thinking about Christmas.  We bought a few gifts for Maddie and I am looking forward to her opening them, with some assistance, of course, on Tuesday.  It will be a great photo-op, I am sure.  We never did get out to see Santa this year, but Maddie would probably just screamed through the experience anyway.  Haha. 

Well, to all of you who read my blog: Merry Christmas!!! 

Sleep Training - The No-Cry Method

Saturday, December 15, 2012

For a long time I thought that I wouldn’t need to do sleep training.  I thought that Maddie would eventually regulate herself into her own sleep pattern and I would be able to set her in her crib with no problem, walk out of the room while telling her to take a nap and that would be the end of it.  Well, things have gradually gotten better over the past few months, but I reached a point where I was sick of sitting in the rocking chair for hours and hours everyday waiting for her to drift off to sleep.  Most of the time I would be able to lay her in her crib after she drifted off, but there were plenty of other times when I would spend a half an hour rocking her only for her to wake back up upon hitting the mattress.

So many people recommend the “cry it out” approach, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it.  My natural instinct is to run to my baby as soon as she makes a peep and I couldn’t imagine letting her lay in her crib crying for any extended period of time. So, I looked into some other methods and found one that I have been trying for the past 3 days.

Day one: This day was really rough.  Basically, they tell you to put the baby down in her crib while drowsy and pull up a chair.  The parent sits next to the baby and verbally and physically tries to comfort the baby through patting, rubbing, hushing, singing…etc. The goal is to avoid picking the baby up out of the crib.  If she becomes inconsolable, though, you pick her up, rock her and calm her down, then start over again.  So, day one was rough.  I literally sat next to Maddie for hours trying to calm her down enough to go to sleep.  My lips were chapped and cracking from all of the shushing and I was warn out. I almost fell asleep at one point while rubbing her chest.  I was so frustrated at the end of the day but not willing to give up. I decided that I was willing to torture myself for 2 weeks if it meant that I would be able to put Maddie down without any assistance thereafter. 

Maddie is growing so quickly all of the sudden!
Here, she is sporting one of her size 3-6 month outfits for the first time
(and her pretty headband!). Oh my goodness, I just love her so much! 

Day two: Much better! I did the same thing as day one and for Maddie’s first nap, she went to sleep without so much as a whimper.  She got a little fussier throughout the day, but I barely had to lift her to calm her at all.  I feel like she’s getting the hang of it.

Day three: That brings us to today. I have put Maddie down twice today and both times  were very successful. I had to do very little touching or hushing. I, for the most part, just sat next to her and put her pacifier back in her mouth when needed.  I am so excited!

So, tomorrow begins the next step. I am not supposed to touch Maddie at all, but only try to soothe her verbally.  I do that for three days, then I am supposed to gradually move the chair further and further from the crib until I am out the door.  After a couple of weeks, I am hoping to be able to set Mads down and walk out of the room completely.  We shall see! So far, so good! 

Oh, and PS: we have decided to try out making our own baby food.
We couldn't believe the difference in color between the fresh peas and the jarred
ones we bought earlier this week.  So far, Maddie is loving bananas, pears and peas.
We are going to add carrot to her diet later this week. 

Solids and Sneezes

Monday, December 11, 2012

Maddie had her first solid foods! We went to the doctor last week and we were told we could start her on rice cereal and then move up to fruit and vegetables over time. Phil and I were so excited for her to try the new foods.  We carefully mixed together the cereal with some milk and Phil slowly lifted the spoon steadily to her mouth.  Just as it was hovering in front of her lips, Phil holding carefully so as not to spill a drop of liquid, Maddie sneezed.  Cereal everywhere.  It was so funny! I told Phil that Maddie just thinks that her dad should always be covered in some sort of liquid.  When Phil cut the umbilical cord, he was squirted in the face with blood, he has been pooped on and peed on (who hasn’t, right?), his shirts have been covered in spit up and now, rice cereal and boogers are officially added to the list.  Classic. 

This is the face: working up to the sneeze.  "Ahhh, ahhhh....choo!"

Second bite went much smoother.

A few days later, we gave her some mashed up bananas.  She had been having some trouble with her tongue thrust reflex with the cereal, but when we gave her the banana, she slurped it up right away.  She really likes them, which is nice to see. Bananas were my favorite food when I was growing up.  She’s getting better and better at eating with the spoon now and tomorrow we are going to give her some carrots that we boiled and mashed up.  We are really excited to see all of her fun faces as she discovers that there’s more to eat than just milk.   

Counting 1-2-3-4 month check-up!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

 Just a quick update: Maddie loves counting.  We have been singing to her recently and she giggles! I mean, she actually laughs. It’s so wonderful. I just love watching her play and talk.  Last week, in the nursing mom’s room at church, Maddie started singing along with the music that came on during worship and the other moms were cracking up.  She’s such a sweetie.

Today Maddie had her 4 month doctor’s checkup and she did great! She was very alert and happy and the doctor said she is perfectly healthy.  She has the ability to roll over, according to the doctor (after seeing her on her tummy), but she just hasn’t really figured out how to do it, yet.  She has only done it once recently, but I am sure she will get the hang of it soon. Mads is 11 lbs 9 oz and in the 5^th percentile for weight.  She’s such a little peanut! We got the go-ahead to start giving Maddie cereal and baby food, so I am excited to try that out soon.  It should be fun! I guess it’s time to assemble the high chair.  She also had her shots at the end of the appointment.  It was so sad.  L She really hates them and looked so confused and miserable afterwards.  Poor baby.  The shots seem to make her sleepy, so she’s been snoozing since we got home.  I’m sure she’ll wake up soon and be ravenous!

We are finishing up our Christmas cards this week and can’t wait to get our first set featuring Madelynn out in the mail! This should be a really fun Holiday Season! 

Thankful

Wednesday, November 28, 12

How can I possibly remember every single one of these moments when my daughter changes daily? It seems like just yesterday that she started grabbing toys and now, 2 weeks later, she is holding on and shaking them and bringing them to her mouth.  She lays in her crib after waking from a nap and happily blows raspberries and “talks” to herself (or her imaginary friends…or is it the vent?).  She kicks her legs when playing like there is no tomorrow.  No wonder she used to startle me so much when she was still in my belly.  Those kicks have some force. 

Maddie just went through another wonder week growth spurt last week, which was very apparent by her refusal to sleep through the night.  We have been so fortunate that she has slept so well from very early on that I forgot how difficult it was to get up in the middle of the night for a 2:00AM feeding.  She kept this up for about a week but last night slept, well, like a baby!  ;-) She went down at 10:00, woke at 11:30 and, after Phil rocked her to sleep, she slept through until 7:30 in the morning and then took a 2 hour nap after eating in the morning.  Now we are playing on the floor in her gym and she is just as sweet and happy as can be.  I hope that she reverts back to her good sleep schedule again and that last week really was a developmental milestone causing her to be out of her usual routine.

This is the life!

Let’s see. Updates in the life of a Jones.  Well, last week was Thanksgiving, of course, and we had a wonderful time seeing all of our family members (minus a few who decided to celebrate in California). We saw Vanessa and Steve for the first time since they got engaged (YAY!!!) and Jay’s parents came up to celebrate with us, too.  I don’t remember how long it’s been since I have seen them, so it was great to spend some time and to eat their oh-so-amazingly-delicious food.  Wow. Those two can cook and I mean it! We also saw my side of the family on the following Sunday and had another amazing meal. Phil and I are truly spoiled. My dad makes, hands down, the best stuffing in the world! I can’t wait until Maddie is old enough to try it. 

Beautiful Aunt Vanessa and Mads

Phil and I also went shopping and bought new leather furniture for the living room this past weekend and we LOVE them! We are excited to have people over, now, as we think the new living room setup is more conducive for entertaining.  We are just waiting on the chair and the rug and then the room will be complete. 

Spiritually, this past week I have seen the Lord really answer a lot of my prayers.  They may seem like silly little things, but sometimes the Lord shows up in little ways and we just have to watch for them.  God is also growing me through this furniture-experience, too, and teaching me to be patient and kind and to trust in Him when things don’t go exactly as planned.  He is so good and us Joneses are truly blessed!

Post-baby weight report: I am officially one pound away from hitting my post-marathon weight! I’ve been sticking to my workout routine (except during the week when I had an awful cold that took my voice from me for three days) and the breastfeeding is helping out with the drop, too.  I also am seeing the vertical line on my belly starting to fade (finally!) and my stretch marks are minimal and no longer very dark: very happy for that. Do I see a bikini in my future??? Well….I don’t know that I would go that far.  Haha.

Oh, little precious Madelynn: you have brought me so much joy.  I am watching her play again right now and I am just overflowing with love! Children truly are a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3 -- very true. 

Precious baby and Mommy with my hair freshly cut (10 inches donated to charity!)

Pacifier!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

This week has been nice, so far.  Maddie has been a little angel for the majority of the week, with the exception of some evening-screaming, which Phil and I have come to expect.  She has discovered the pacifier as a soothing mechanism and will actually take it for long periods of time.  Phil and I have tried to give her the paci on numerous occasions to help quiet her when she has been upset in the past, but she wanted nothing to do with it.  This weekend, though, after trying everything else on the planet to calm little Mads down, we resorted to giving the pacifier a shot again and, to our surprise, Maddie took it and was soothed by it instantly.  It’s adorable watching her use it.  She plays with it with her hands and little fingers and will push my hand out of the way so she can hold it in her mouth herself. I am excited that it appears that her fine motor skills are being developed through this process.  She also will stop sucking sometimes and “talk” for a little while before remembering, “Oh, yeah! Pacifier! Boom!” and starts sucking again.  She seriously cracks me up.  I have startled her a couple of times with my tummy-jiggling laughter. 

I started going to a new small group this week and I am loving it so far.  It is SO refreshing to have a break mid-week and be surrounded by Godly women and reading God’s word and being reminded of his promises to us.  He is great, powerful, all-in-all, in control and has dominion over everything.  A great word to remember during the difficult times throughout the week.  I’m really looking forward to next Wednesday night!

Tummy-time: oh my goodness, Maddie hates it! We are still working on increasing the time every day, but Maddie’s spine and neck really seem to be getting stronger with the short spouts she has on her tummy every morning.  I was so excited yesterday watching her turn from her tummy onto her side and ALMOST onto her back.  A couple more weeks and I think she will be able to roll over.  I’m looking forward to it. 

"Hi, everyone! I am 3 months old, now!" 

Phil’s birthday is coming up this weekend and I am really looking forward to celebrating with him. I think we’ll be getting together with family from both sides at some point, so it will be a busy weekend.  We will have “Phil’s birthday (observed)” on Monday, though, since he will be taking the day off of work again.  WOO HOO! We love having daddy home during the weekdays. 

Now, I am just waiting for Maddie to wake up, which should be any minute now.  Thanks to daylight savings, she is now going to bed by around 10:30 and sleeping until 8 or 8:30 am.  Such a long stretch! I love being able to go to bed earlier and getting an earlier start on the day, too.  Plus, we are working on getting a good nap schedule in place, so I am getting a little bit more “me-time” during the days so I can get my workout in and do some housecleaning (or write my blog!). 

Well, Maddie is starting to stir.  Sure enough – it’s 8:33! Off to see my “good morning, mommy!” smile from my little princess.  J

Happy Halloween! 12 weeks old and learning!

Thursday, November 1, 12

Happy day after Halloween! We didn’t go trick or treating or anything since Maddie is so little.  We decided to skip the costume this year and just put her in a cute little dress with pumpkins for the pockets. It was cold, so we decided to save the trick or treating until next year.  We did get lots of cute little kids coming around with their parents, though, which was nice to see.  They all looked so cute!

Maddie seems to be learning so much recently! We are playing so much and Maddie is cracking up about the things that we do.  She just loves to watch us dance and sing and she loves the little clapping game with play with her: we count to four while clapping and then attack her with kisses.  She now anticipates the kisses when hearing the clapping and counting and starts laughing even before we lunge at her.  It’s adorable.  She kicks and smiles and giggles when playing on the floor in her gym, too.  She is on the verge of being able to grab at toys on her own, which I am so excited for.  She will hold onto them if I put them in her hand, but she hasn’t started to pick them up on her own yet. 

Maddie is also sleeping for 10 hours at night now.  It is nice because it gives me a good idea of when she is going to wake up in the morning so I can get a few things done around the house beforehand.  I’m still trying to get a good naptime schedule together, though.  She has been very clingy this week (growth spurt??) and hasn’t been sleeping in her crib during the day, but she will pass out in my arms.  It makes it tough to get my workout in, but I’ve been able to squeeze little spurts of running or biking in while she snoozes here and there.  I’m hoping this clinginess passes soon, though.

I’m trying to implement more tummy time, too.  Maddie hates it but I know it is so important, so I try to put her on her belly for short periods during the day.  Yesterday, she played on her belly for 10 minutes before crying, so that was a nice long stretch.  I try to have her on my chest and recline, too, so she can work on her neck muscles that way, as well.  She seems so strong, so I’m thinking she’s getting enough.  I’ll still try to increase it a little bit more over time, though. 

Overall, things are good! Phil will say that the evening screaming is just as bad as it has always been, but I think Maddie has quieted down quite a bit.  She seems happy and healthy and is getting bigger before my eyes. She’s not chubby by any means, but she’s got a little fat in those cheeks.  What a cutie! 

Pumpkins and Giggles

Friday, October 26, 2012

Maddie is 11 ½ weeks old now and she has been so much fun to play with this week.  She’s definitely had her crabby moments and still screams a lot in the evening, but Phil and I both agreed that it is much less than it has been in previous weeks.  During the day, Maddie is awake a lot more than she used to be, too.  We like to rock in the glider and read books together and she plays on the floor in her jungle gym a lot.  She loves swatting at all of her little toys and looking at all of the different colors and shapes.  The funniest thing, though, is that, despite all of the fun toys we try to introduce to Mads, her favorite thing in the entire house is the vent above her changing table.  She lays there and giggles and laughs every time we lay her down there.  It is really funny to watch. 

The vent.

Happy, giggling Maddie.

We had a nice weekend last week.  The three of us went to visit Aunt Heather and Uncle Rich at their new house that they just finished building.  It is BEAUTIFUL! I am so happy for them. Maddie loved meeting her Aunt and Uncle and looked especially comfortable lying in Heather’s arms.  We also made a trip to the pumpkin patch and picked out a pumpkin for each of us; Phil and I carved our “spooky family” later that day.

Maddie and I also took a trip to visit my mom at her office this week.  Everyone loved her huddled around to watch her just sit there in the car seat. I joked that no one cares about meeting/seeing me anymore – it’s all about Maddie.  ;-)  Hey, if I was that cute, I am sure I would get all the attention, too.  Haha.  We’ll let her have this one.   

Maddie loves bath time! I think I might have written about her bedtime routine already, so I will spare the details here, but Mads gets into the water and kicks her feet around and gazes into my eyes as if she is experiencing pure bliss.  It’s a nice moment for both of us, I think.  Plus, she smells fantastic after she is done! Oh…but getting out of the bath is no good.  She hates getting out of the water.  Poor baby is probably cold or, as Phil said, is remembering the experience of being born.  And that was not fun for either of us.  Hahaha!

Looking forward to this weekend! We are going to drive out to the Niles Harvest campus to go to church with Laura and Brent.  It should be fun! 

Leaving Maddie for the first time, but exploring the world with her more, too!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

This week has been really full! On Saturday, Phil and I embarked on our first journey outside of the house without Maddie.  We went to a wedding and left Maddie in the capable hands of Phil’s dad.  Boy, was it hard to leave the house! I was a basket case. I kept repeating myself, concerned that I had forgotten to tell Phil’s dad something about how to heat up bottles or where the diapers are stored. But, finally, I took that step out the door and Phil and I drove to the wedding.  I couldn’t stop thinking about Mads for the entire car ride I kept talking about her and then, upon thinking about her sweet little face snoozing away in her crib when we left, burst into tears saying, “I didn’t get to say goodbye.” 

The night was a lot of fun. Phil’s dad kept sending us pictures of little Maddie. My understanding is that she was a handful and cried for a significant portion of the night.  We got home at around 10-ish and I wrapped her in my arms and didn’t want to let go.  It was definitely an experience.  Now  I never want to leave her again!

Sunday, we went back to church for the first time since having Maddie.  It was wonderful being able to worship with the community of believers and the new worship center looks great, too! We enjoyed a peaceful time until the last 5 minutes when Maddie started to get upset (she had a wet diaper). So, all in all, she did great! I am looking forward to next Sunday!

Phil stayed home from work on Monday and we got a lot of stuff done that we had been putting off for a while (ex: oil change). It was so nice to have the extra day as a family.  We had a lot of fun playing together. 

Finally, on Tuesday, I went back to my old office and visited my work friends.  It was bittersweet seeing everyone.  I had such a great time catching up and everyone really loved meeting Maddie, but it made me sad to be back there and have a reminder, again, of what I am leaving behind.  It is also hard for me to think that in only a short few months, the office will be gone and closed and I won’t be quite as easy for me to see everyone whenever I want.  I’ll need to make more of an effort to keep in touch. 

It’s been getting colder outside, which means that Maddie and I have been skipping out daily walks.  I miss them already! It is supposed to be in the mid-60’s today, though, so I think I will bundle her up for possibly the last walk of the year.  Hopefully we’ll get a couple more nice days, but I’m not holding my breath. 

Maddie and I hanging out at my old office. 

This weekend, we will be taking some professional pictures with Maddie.  I am hoping we can go outside, but it’s looking like it might rain.  :( We’ll see what happens.  I hope she is in one of her good moods that day, too. 

Weight-loss-wise: I am down another pound! Only a couple more to go. I am so thrilled and really enjoying having my time to workout in the mornings when Maddie is napping away.  Maybe next year I will attempt a half marathon again.  

A special anniversary for us and vaccines for the little one

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Today is Phil and my half-life anniversary! We started dating 14 years ago today, meaning that we have been together for half of our lives.  Wow! It’s so crazy! We don’t have anything really planned to celebrate, but just being together tonight is enough for me.  :) Still so in love…. Ah….

I also took Maddie to the doctor today for her 2 month check-up.  I was really worried about her weight gain, but it turned out to be fine.  She is now 9 lbs 4 oz, so she gained another pound in the past month.  The doctor seemed satisfied with it and didn’t seem concerned at all, but I wish she had gained more.  She’s only in the 8.5 percentile for weight!

She had her vaccines today, too, which means I am free! I just wish it was a nicer day for the new freedom.  It is rainy and gloomy and Maddie is worn out from the events of the day.  It was so sad to watch her cry after getting the shots.  She really calmed down when I held her and snuggled her, though, so that made me feel good.  I am happy that she feels safe and secure in my arms.  She fell asleep right away when I got her in the car and has been sleeping for 2 hours since I got home.  Unfortunately, although I am EXHAUSTED, I cannot seem to nap.  I tried laying on the couch downstairs and then moved up to the bed, but my mind just keeps wandering and I can’t seem to rest.  So, here I am writing the blog.  :) Maddie should wake up soon and then we are going to go over to the neighbors’ house to spend time with their pets.  They are out of town this week and I am taking care of the animals, so I want to make sure to get over there and give them some loving, too. 

Ugh. I don’t know what’s going on with me today. I just feel achy all over. My back is bothering me and I have a mild headache.  It’s probably just the weather change. I really wish I could get some rest.  Maybe Maddie will cooperate and go to sleep early for us tonight? Ha! Fat chance!  

Vaccines for Maddie; Freedom for Mommy

Monday, October 1, 12

I cannot believe it has been almost 8 weeks since Maddie was born! I take her to get her first set of vaccines on Wednesday and I really am dreading it. The poor little girl is going to be poked with a needle! It will probably be harder for me to watch than for her to experience. I just never want to see my little one in pain.  Ah! It is going to be so hard!

I have to admit that I am looking forward to the freedom that the shots will allow.  The doctor recommended that we didn’t take Maddie into very public places (although we did cave and brought her to the store once or twice) if we could help it until she got her first set of vaccines.  That means that, come Thursday, I will be able to take her to the library, the store, breastfeeding support group at the hospital (I’m still deciding if I want to do this) and most importantly: church! Phil and I are really looking forward to getting back to Harvest and seeing the new worship center that they built. We have really missed the communal worship and the great teaching of our pastor.  I actually had originally scheduled Maddie’s appointment for next Monday and, upon realizing this would keep us out of church for another whole week, called and rescheduled the appointment to this Wed. 

I am really enjoying the nice cool weather! Coming off of the hottest summer of the century, the chill in the air is very welcome.  Mads and I have still be taking our daily walks and we even showed Phil our route yesterday when he was home from work.  It was so nice to be able to take a walk as a family.  We also spent a lot of time playing with Maddie in her gym on the floor.  Phil got to hear all of her new coos and see her beautiful smiles.  She is really starting to recognize us more and make eye contact.  She loves to smile up at her daddy while she is laying on the changing table (why is this her favorite spot?).

Mommy and Maddie (in her fleece vest) ready for a walk in the brisk autumn air

Little pot of scarecrows.  Just a sample of our fall decorations.
 I am hoping to get to the craft store soon to buy some more things to put out in front of the house. 

There’s not much more that is really going on.  I am just loving watching Madelynn grow and become her own little person.  

I scream...you scream... at least we get some social smiles, too!

Tuesday, September 18, 12

Maddie is not 6 weeks old and she is growing and changing just like the weather.  It is beautiful outside with fall approaching, but the nippiness in the air brought me to realize how little cold-weather clothes I have for Maddie. I will definitely need to go shopping soon.

Mads is looks bigger and bigger every day and I am noticing recently how strong her neck is.  She is holding it up on her own for short periods of times when I pick her up and she turns it from side to side when playing in her gym on the floor.  She is mesmerized by the toys.  Phil has also noticed how much she loves nature – just like her mom! He brought her outside yesterday when she was crying and she was transfixed by the sky and the trees in the backyard.  I can’t wait to take her on another walk so she can become more familiars with the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors. 

Another really exciting development is that Maddie is beginning to smile socially now! We are so excited and it makes playing with her even more fun. 

The past week has been very difficult in terms of fussiness, though.  I found myself driving around in the car in the afternoon with Maddie in tow on Friday because she wouldn’t stop screaming.  The car ride was the only thing that would calm her, but by the time I finally strapped her in and went out on my way, I was distraught.  I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Why does this little girl not like me? I am trying everything to comfort her. Why am I not enough?” The screaming continued long into the night and Phil and I ended up driving her around at around 11:30 PM again.  I feel like people don’t really warn you about this part of having a baby.  You hear about fussiness, gassiness, sleeplessness…but no one really talks much about the screams and how heartbreaking it is.  We are getting through it now and Maddie is quieting down more at night, but we have experienced some very difficult days. 

Phil and I are trying, now, to get Maddie into a bedtime routine and it seems to be working great! We started giving her a bath every night, which seems to really soothe her.  I then feed her and rock her a little bit.  Most of the time, I wait until she is asleep to lay her in the crib, but there have been a few times when I was able to put her down when she was still awake.  Remarkably, she self-soothed and drifted off to sleep on her own.  She is still sleeping for 6-7 hour stretches at a time (with one 8-hour stretch which felt like heaven!), so we are well on our way!