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New Website!

Hi, Everyone!

Many of you know that my goal with this blog was to eventually convert it to a book so Madelyn could one day read about our adventures before she came into this world. Well...that time has come. But since so many of you have requested that I keep blogging to keep you up-to-date, I decided to keep it going. There's only one catch...

I recently purchased a new computer and with that comes new software! :) I decided to simplify my life a bit and use the blogging software on my laptop. For those of you who are subscribed to get emails when I post something new, fear not! You can still subscribe to get emails on the new blog. The subscription link is at the bottom of the main blog page, so just be sure to re-subscribe with this new link. :)

Click here to view the new blog. You can set this site as a Favorite if you'd rather not get the email updates and then just visit whenever you feel like it! I look forward to Part 2 in my blogging adventure, and I also look forward to all your comments (they always make me smile)!

7 Weeks and Growing

Today Madelyn is 7 weeks old. I know I said I was going to start doing the monthly thing after 4 weeks, but who can resist taking yet another picture of such a cute little girl? We can’t, so here we are…

The last few days have been somewhat hectic. Madelyn has caught herself a cold. :( We weren’t really surprised by this, being that Chris and I have both been fighting bronchitis and sinus infections since the day she was born. I suppose we’re lucky she lasted this long. It is hard enough being sick as an adult, but I feel so bad for little Madelyn. She has a cough and her breathing is a little labored which breaks our hearts. We took her to our doctor’s office on Sunday (how nice it was to learn they have hours on both Saturdays and Sundays). Her lungs checked out perfectly normal, so we were told to continue to do what we have been doing…saline drops in the nose and a humidifier in her room. Actually Chris and I find that we have benefited from having a humidifier in our room as well. ;) By the way, while at the doctor's office we found out that Madelyn has hit the 10-pound mark right on the nose!

If you read this blog often, you are probably starting to notice her latest milestone…real smiles. :) Chris and I can hardly help ourselves. We try to get her to smile every chance we get…and it’s not hard to do. We use to have to drag ourselves out of bed at 2 AM for a feeding, but now we get up, actually excited because we know we’ll get grins from ear to ear. How wonderful that she is so happy when she wakes! This use to be the one time we could count on her smiles, but as of this morning, they have become much more regular.

Her sleeping patterns have also become much more regular. She is sleeping about 5 hours and then wakes up for a feeding, and then goes back to sleep for about 4 more hours. She is also taking two hardy naps during the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. What a blessing!

Take a closer look at the pictures and you'll notice her hair is even growing back! YIPPEE! It's just a little bit right now, but we're glad is starting to come back! Now the biggest question still remains: Will she get our curls??? Her eyes seem to be turning blue, but we know it's early, so we'll just wait and see.

On another note...I received a message today from my knee surgeon's office. They have a match for my knee. Although I plan to talk to the doctor tomorrow, Chris and I talked about it, and we just don't see any way to make it work. I can't imagine trying to recover from such a major surgery and trying to take care of a newborn all at the same time. I don't know that I will ever feel like there's a good time to have it, but I feel like if she was a few years old it might work. The only problem with that is after so many years the surgery will no longer correct the problem because my knee will have gotten so much worse. I don't know what the doctor will say about it all, but we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Madelyn's First Sleepover

Yesterday I had my 6-week checkup and everything went well. Dr. Tom doesn’t need to see me again until this time next year. Chris and I both said how strange that would be after seeing her so often over the last 10 months. We brought Madelyn with us so Dr. Tom could see how much she has grown, and boy was she impressed! (We refuse to believe she acts that excited with all the babies.) She insisted we send pictures through the course of the next year so she could watch her grow. We told her pictures were never a problem, and we’d be sure to send them her way.

For those of you who have had children you know what the 6-week checkup means. I will leave it at that since this is a G-Rated Blog. ;) Anyway…I wanted to surprise Chris with a night away, just the two of us, so I made reservations at Fort McDowell Resort and Casino for one night. I also made reservations for us both to get much-needed massages. Arrangements were made with Auntie Kristin earlier in the week for Madelyn to have a sleepover with her cousins, and they were all very excited to get her overnight.

Although I knew Madelyn was in the best of hands, I worried that she would have a bad night, or not sleep well. My worries couldn’t have been proved more wrong...thank goodness. According to Auntie "slightly biased" Kristin, Madelyn was perfect. I quote her as saying, “Madelyn is such an easy baby.” She went on and on about how easy everything was from feeding to sleeping. As a matter of fact, Madi slept 5 hours, woke up and ate, and then slept another 4 hours. YAY! I think her cousins enjoyed spending time with her as well, as proven by the photos below.

Chris and I had a nice evening to ourselves, although I will say Madelyn was foremost on our minds the entire time we were gone. Not with worry, but just thinking and talking about her. During the massage I found myself giggling (literally) thinking about how cute her smiling face was earlier in the day. Then, during dinner, Chris and I talked some about ourselves, but mostly spent our conversation on Madelyn. Our plan was to spend a little time and money on the slots, but after dinner we decided we were too tired for that. We went back to our room and relaxed with a few cocktails and some TV, and then crashed as if we hadn’t slept in weeks….oh wait, we hadn’t. ;) Anyway, Chris was able to get about 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and although my sleep was good, I woke a couple times only to listen for the monitor until I remembered where I was. :)

We’re glad Madelyn had such a good time with her cousins and her aunt and uncle, but we’re glad to have her home, too. Now we know she will be a good little guest the next time she has a sleepover (and I believe that’s with Grandma and Papa R in a couple weeks)!

6 Weeks Old

Madelyn enjoyed her first Easter yesterday at Grandma and Papa R’s house. There were about 20 people (most members of the “Sun City Mafia” as Chris lovingly refers to the group of wonderful Sun City folk). Of course, Madelyn was the hit of the party, which is never a problem for her Mom and Dad. As a matter of fact you could find us resting on the couch most of the afternoon. The “Mafia” was sure to give us a hard time about it, too, saying how strange it was that all the young folk were sleeping while the oldies were wide awake. Now, I know I don’t have to remind most of you about the Sun City residents…we all know they are an active bunch, but all I had to do was offer Madelyn up for a night, and they didn’t say another word. ;) Chris was actually able to get a cat nap in, and I made sure to rest as well while Madelyn was being passed around from person to person. Of course, Auntie Kristin made sure to take control of the situation. Madelyn does really well with lots of people, but I think sometimes she gets over stimulated when there’s so much going on…this is where Auntie Kristin came in handy…she just kept holding her...for Madelyn’s sake of course. ;) Grandma R got her fix, too. She always gives me and Chris a chance to eat a whole meal together without interruption. We so appreciate that because it is a rare occasion these days. THANKS MOM!

Needless to say, Madelyn didn’t get much of a nap while we were there, but she made up for it last night by sleeping 5 hours straight! WOO HOO! (Okay, I did have to go in and soothe her a couple times, but seriously, I’m not going to count those because I can hardly remember them.) All I know is that I got some great sleep!

Everything else is going well. Madelyn has really started to respond to me and Chris. This morning she woke up from a little nap and when I laid her on the changing table, she gave me the biggest smile ever! Of course, I still wonder how much of that is really on purpose, so today I thought I would try to check for sure. I rubbed her chubby little cheeks and what do you know…another HUGE smile. This time my heart melted. Just then, another smile. Of course by the third smile, I’m thinking, “Wait. She has her eyes open and she’s smiling…I NEED THE CAMERA!” But I knew if I went to grab it from the living room the moment would be gone so I chose to stay with her and enjoy every second. I think sometimes moments like those are best recorded in your mind…although I WILL be working on getting a picture of her new-found smile. It’s WAAAY too cute - all gummy from ear to ear. :)

Madelyn's 6-Week Pictures (Click a picture to see a larger version.)

Chloe

I wanted to give you a quick update on Chloe Dog. She is doing very well and seems to be adjusting to her new baby sister. Chris and I do laugh at her a lot more now because she is as tired as the rest of us! I keep telling people that if dogs could have bags under their eyes hers would be the biggest and darkest! She always has to be where Madelyn is. Every once in a while she’ll go up to Madelyn in her bouncy seat and check her out, quietly sniffing her and giving her a quick lick on the forehead as if she’s a big doggie treat. Madelyn doesn’t seem to mind though. Now that she’s starting to follow things with her eyes more, she has actually started watching Chloe when she’s around. I sit and watch the two of them and wonder what on Earth a little baby might be thinking about the whole situation…

I took this picture of Chloe during a midnight feeding…I came back into our bedroom and this is what I found. Poor dog. ;)

How Wise Are You?

Chris and I consider ourselves lucky that Madelyn has been such a great baby. Last week she started getting into a better sleep routine. Of course, I use the word “routine” quite loosely, but she was showing some signs of improvement…until a few nights ago. For whatever reason, she decided she just didn’t want to sleep...anywhere, anytime. This continued for 24 hours, and we really thought we were going to go crazy. We spent those 24 hours waking with her every 30-45 minutes, trying desperately to get her back to sleep. She wanted nothing to do with it…not even during the day, which until this point was her very favorite time to sleep! Honestly, as much as we needed sleep, we were worried that she needed it more. She was still eating like a champ, but just didn’t want to rest.

Chris recently brought home a new book for me to read (why is it by the way that I must always do the reading?). Someone told him this book described the magical sleep cure. I started reading the book several days before Madelyn decided to stop sleeping more than 30 minutes at a time, but unfortunately, I fell asleep every time I tried to get a chapter in…this should have been warning number one. I probably should have reflected on this fact before going any further. Hind sight would have told me to just read it aloud to Madelyn. Since it put me to sleep, perhaps it would have done the same for her. ;)

To which book am I referring? It is titled On Becoming Baby Wise. Who would have thought that two highly intelligent people needed to read a book on “becoming” wise? Needless to say, we read the book (yes, I finally made it through, summarizing each chapter for Chris), and then, out of desperation, we tried its methodology. In a nutshell, this book suggests confining your baby and yourselves to a pretty strict routine with eating and sleeping, and allowing your baby to cry herself to sleep, something we hadn’t tried yet. The routine of eating was already in place. God forbid Madelyn miss a meal. ;) She has done quite well in that department, but the sleep routine was less than perfect (although we both agreed that she was still very young to have mastered it yet). The book also suggests that babies need to learn to fall asleep on their own, without any “props” (ie. rocking, bouncing, blankies, etc.) Even though rocking Madelyn to sleep was one of my favorite parts of the day, and we both felt like she was very young to try this, we decided to give it a go in hopes that she would get some quality rest.

In the book, it states that most babies will cry anywhere from 10-45 minutes until they fall asleep. Apparently, ours is not the “average” baby because she cried all night. Yes. All night. And we let her, with the exception of going in every 15-20 minutes to reassure her we hadn’t abandoned her (another strategy from the book). I must say this technique caused more lack of sleep, not to mention stress, then what we had experienced in the previous days. However, we continued this practice for 24 hours.

Yesterday, we kept to the routine. We planned a trip to our favorite store, Costco, and tried to coordinate it around her “schedule.” This actually worked well. She was due to eat around 10 AM so we planned to feed her and then make our way to the store. She slept gloriously in the car and in Costco, getting almost 2 hours of sleep. When we got home, she was ready to eat again. It was perfect. While at Costco, we picked up a couple movies hoping we’d somehow figure out how to watch them. ;)

Later in the evening, we put a movie in (Dan in Real Life---good flick, by the way) just as I started to feed Madelyn. Once she was finished eating, she soon fell asleep (a big no-no according to Baby Wise…never sleep after eating). I put a blanket on the couch and laid her down in between me and Chris. She slept there for almost the entire movie. I did move her to the bouncy seat at one point to make room for the popcorn bowl. ;) Anyway…it was when I laid her to sleep on the couch that I looked at Chris for approval, and he smiled, saying, “I’m glad we are on the same page.” At that moment we realized we were actually doing a pretty good job without following the stringent guidelines of a book. We both admitted that parenting is a hard job, but one that you figure out as you go. Not sleeping in a crib all the time, and sometimes eating a half hour later then expected is just fine. We are confident in our abilities to make good decisions and will be adding this book to our Good Will pile. :)

Madelyn's Opinion of Baby Wise

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today Madelyn is 5 weeks old and we couldn’t feel luckier to have her in our lives. Chris and I have learned so much these last few weeks; it’s already hard to remember what life was like without her...well, we do have a vague recollection of what sleep was like ;).

We saw Dr. Magalnick today and Madelyn is doing great! We are proud to say our little oinker now weighs 9 pounds, 8 ounces. Yes, NINE and a HALF pounds! (you can see her new “chunk” in her pictures) Not only that, but she has grown 1 ¾ inches, now measuring 21 inches long! I like to say she is growing like a weed, but Chris doesn’t like that so much because weeds are considered to be a nuisance. I reminded him that weeds are strong and very resilient. True, he says, but he prefers to think of her as a flower. Although that makes me laugh because I hardly think she is going to be “dainty” like a flower…nor does she always smell like one. ;) Oh, but how we adore her. She melts our hearts every time we look at her. We are still just so amazed that we created her…seriously. We look at each other in amazement that something so wonderful and perfect could come from us. What a blessing!

Dr. Magalnick said she was very healthy. We were happy to hear that, especially with all the junk going around these days. She got the second of three Hep B shots today, and didn’t cry at all when she got the shot. Fortunately, she was just beginning to doze off when the nurse poked her with the needle (not a small one either). Chris and I were so proud. What a trooper! Our homework for the next visit is giving her more “tummy time.” We already do that with her each day, but he wants us to make sure she’s getting enough so that she will begin using her arms to lift herself up. She already lifts her head real well…she’s a strong little cookie. :) We will see Dr. Maganick in four more weeks, which is when we’re told she will get four shots. Poor little thing. Although after today’s visit I have decided that it’s harder on Daddy then it is on her! ;)
(Click a picture to see a larger version.)

One Month Old

Today Madelyn is one month old! Chris and I can’t believe it…I feel like I’ve said that every week, but now we’re into months!

She is really a good baby. She only cries when she’s hungry or needs to be changed (and occassionally when she's got a belly ache). We have been quite impressed with her! We are still working on the sleep schedule, but from what everyone tells us, she is still too little to have that down yet. We have noticed she sleeps better without us in the room. We were putting her in the basinet next to our bed at night, but the minute we would crawl into our own bed (literally minutes later) she would wake up and cry. We were so desperate to get some sleep, we just started sleeping on the couch while she was in her basinet. Yes, we know. That’s a little crazy, but sometimes you have to get creative in order to get a couple hours of sleep. ;)

A couple nights ago, we tried putting her in her crib at night. I wasn’t sure I was ready to have her sleep in the crib yet because she is so tiny. The crib just looked so big for her. Fortunately, the idea worked. Madelyn slept 3 ½ hours, woke up to be fed, and then slept another 2 ½ hours in her crib. The next night was about the same. Chris and I were so excited to finally get some “real” sleep in our own bed! :)

We are very blessed to have Madelyn in our lives! She fills our days with sunshine and our hearts with love! Click the play button below to see her most recent pictures with her cousins and Grandma and Papa R.

Papa's Girl

Chris and I feel very fortunate that Madelyn has both sets of grandparents in town who get to see her as often as they like. And both sets of grandparents love her to death. As a matter of fact, Grandma R has already been crowned, “She Who Has the Magic Touch.” Madelyn already knows her voice, and is calmed as soon as Grandma picks her up and kisses her cheeks. We have been making as many trips to their house as possible so she can get to know them. It won’t be long before they are watching her three days a week, and I am sure by the time I go back to work Madelyn will already know them quite well.

One of the sweetest things in the world to watch is my dad (aka Papa), holding Madelyn. He has always loved spending time with his grandkids, but I have never seen him quite so excited to hold and care for one of them. There have been moments when Madelyn will be crying to be fed, and Dad will say, “Give her to Papa.” Last night he held her while the rest of us finished dinner. I sat behind him, just watching as he interacted with her…talking to her, and rocking her to sleep. It brought a smile to my face because my dad has always been my “Main Man.” He has always supported me no matter what, and I am so very excited that Madelyn will be able to share this same bond with her Papa. It is certainly one that cannot be matched!

More Cousins!

This weekend Madelyn got to meet her cousins, Mac and Ethan, as well as her Auntie Kim. What a great time we had! Madelyn has been loved on so much over the past few weeks she hardly knows what to do with herself. I know she will be a “people person” who loves to socialize (hmmm…who does she get that from?). ;) Chris and I were just saying last night that we almost feel guilty because everyone else is always holding her. Although, these breaks are welcomed, especially last night at Auntie Kristin’s house. We all met there to celebrate Chris’s birthday (38 years old!) and when we got there all eyes immediately went to Madelyn. Go figure. Chris and I decided since she was in such good hands we’d take the opportunity to sneak a quick nap while we were waiting for everyone to get there. We are learning to take these whenever we can, even if it’s just for 20 or 30 minutes. :)

Three Weeks Old

Today Madelyn is three weeks old! Where did the time go?? It seems to go by faster each day, making it hard to hold on to these precious moments.

We are learning so much about her, and I think she is even learning about us. Although a routine has not found its way into our house yet, each night has gotten a little better. :) Madelyn sleeps 2-3 hours at a time which does allow us to get a bit of sleep. Chris and I laugh now because the first week Madelyn was home, we both got up and took care of her during each feeding and diaper change. We laugh because now when the "alarm clock" we call Madi goes off, we roll over in bed and look at each other, usually whispering with eyes half shut, "It's your turn." :) This system seems to work much better for us, and ultimately allows us a bit of sanity.

I am starting to adjust to my time at home (although I won't lie...there have been moments when I have thought how nice it would be to go to work). Madelyn and I enjoy hanging out staring at each other. Well perhaps me more at her. She has a new best friend, Mr. Ceiling Fan. She is madly in love with him and can't take her eyes off of him. She is learning that Mr. Ceiling Fan also has many cousins in our house, and she loves squeaking at all of them. It is too sweet.

I have taken Madelyn shopping on a couple of occasions, and I must say two things: 1) Madelyn is already proving to be very expensive because Mommy can't resist all the cute little outfits she finds at the outlet mall, and 2) Madelyn already loves to shop! She is a great traveler both in the car and in her stroller. She mostly sleeps, but will often open her eyes when she sees a good deal, or if a nice lady comes to take a peek at her. She loves people!

Here are today's pictures in her chair:

(The first one makes us giggle because the look on her face says it all..."Why do I have to keep doing this?")

Madelyn's First "Real" Bath

As  mentioned in an earlier post, Chris and I were so excited when Madelyn's umbilical cord fell out because we could give her the first real bath. We decided (as most first time parents would) that we should video tape the event so we could look back on it later when she has grown too big for our help in the tub. :)

Click here to watch a short video of her first bath.

More Pictures

Can you ever really take enough pictures of the precious little one??? We don't think so... here's a link to some more pictures...click here to view them.

Madelyn has had quite a few visitors so we have posted lots of those images, as well as some of her just hangin' out at home. We'll be getting some professional pictures taken on Tuesday, so we'll be sure to share some of those as well.

I Love My Cousins!

Olivia, Kristin, Rick, Madelyn & Owen

I’m a little late getting these posted, but better late than never, right? :)

When Madelyn was born, the hospital had a rule that no children under the age of 12 could visit due to the RSV season. Unfortunately, Olivia, Madelyn’s only girl cousin, had a bit of a meltdown when she found out she couldn’t see her in the hospital. Fortunately, we made arrangements right away for both Olivia and Owen to come over to our house to meet her.

Here are some pictures from the afternoon…Madelyn is still very anxious to meet her other two cousins, Mac and Ethan. We are hoping they will get to visit in March!

Two Weeks Old

Today Madelyn is two weeks old. She is doing so well and is growing like a weed!!

Chris and I are both battling bronchitis, with Chris on the verge of pneumonia. Fortunately, we are both on antibiotics and should no longer be contagious. We were concerned about Madelyn though so we brought her into the doctor this afternoon. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health and we were quite relieved. She gave us some signs to look for over the next few days, but all in all she said little ones are pretty resilient to these kinds of things.

Now, as I mentioned, Madelyn is growing like a weed. They weighed her at the doctor’s office today and she now weighs 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Chris and I looked at each other in complete disbelief, and giggled out loud. In a week and a half she has gained almost a pound! The doctor overheard our conversation and when she came into the room she let us know that this was a real good weight. We knew she was a great eater, but had no idea how well she was really doing. :) This all came as a nice surprise especially since the breastfeeding thing didn’t work out…I feel good about her eating habits and know she is getting what she needs. However, I think Madelyn was listening at the doctor’s office because she only ate half what she normally eats when we got home. Poor little girl. I think we made her feel bad. ;)

(Click an image to view a larger version)

No More Umbilical Cord

Today also marked the day Madelyn lost her umbilical cord! As silly as it seems, we were so excited! Now we can give her a real bath! We are hoping she will like that more than the sponge baths we've had to give her...we'll keep you posted on that one. :)

A Lasting Impression

We also made a stop at Wee Piggies to have impressions made of Madelyn's cute little tootsies. She was such a good girl while Lorraine dipped her feet to make the molds. We are going to have a shadow box made with her picture and these little feet. Once we get a picture that we want to use we should have it in about 3 weeks. We can't wait, and will surely share the final product once it's complete.

A Very Special Gift

Today Madelyn received a very special gift from her Great Aunt Kathy. When I opened the box and read the card, tears filled my eyes. Just when I thought I was getting over those roller coaster emotions, they snuck up on me again. :) Aunt Kathy sent a note to Madelyn explaining that the gift she made especially for her included “stories” about her Great Grandma Smith. She wrote to Madelyn that when she is older she needs to talk to her to hear all about Great Grandma.

When I opened the gift, I found a precious quilt and pillow handmade by Aunt Kathy. In each square of the quilt, she embroidered a special picture that indeed showcases one of Great Grandma's many talents and loves. Along with these pictures she included a different day of the week. The pillow was also handmade to match the quilt.

As I looked at each stitched picture I was taken back to the times when I was little and spent many days with Grandma Smith. Each picture brought with it a special memory from my childhood and again, tears filled my eyes. I am happy that Madelyn will have this special gift to treasure always.

Look at Me...I'm One Week Old!

Today Madelyn is one week old! Chris and I can hardly believe time has passed so quickly. We know this is just one small event that will come and go so soon. It makes us a little sad to think about how fast she will grow, but it is a reminder for us that we need to enjoy her every second of every day because we know she won’t always fit so neatly in our arms. Here’s to you, Baby Madelyn! We love you!


Click an image to see a larger version.

We decided to take her week-old picture in a place that will help us track how much she has grown. Our goal is to take a picture each week until she’s one month and then take one monthly.

A Star is Born!

Introducing Madelyn Claire!

February 11, 2008

4:07 PM
6 lbs, 7 oz
19 1/4 in

Two days ago, Baby Madelyn made her way into our world. We are so excited that she is finally here…it was quite an adventure! Here's her story...

On Sunday night, around 11:30 PM, I woke up feeling some minor cramps with a backache. I tried to change positions to help relieve the pain, but nothing really seemed to do the trick. So, I got up with a book in hand and went out to the living room to read so I wouldn’t wake Chris. Little did I know that he was awake, too. He called for me and told me to come back to bed. So, I came back into the bedroom and read a couple chapters in our baby book to him. After reading, I still felt the same. Chris and I joked that this could be it. We waited things out for a few hours, and then I called the triage station at the hospital and asked them if I should come to the hospital. The nurse asked me some general questions and by the end of our conversation, she told me to stay home and relax. Apparently if you can talk through your contractions, they are not so serious. So, we waited. Chris gave me a back rub and I took a long hot shower, both of which made me feel a little better. But by 5:30 AM, things were starting to pick up a bit. I could still talk through my contractions, but by 6:00 AM, that luxury was gone. Chris quickly jumped in the shower and we were out the door by 6:30 AM making our way to the hospital. And what a ride that was….by this time my contractions were about 7 minutes apart and definitely more powerful. I even diluted our conversation with several expletives.

We arrived at the hospital at 7 AM, and the triage nurse checked us into the examination room to see how far along I was. Fortunately, I was already dilated to 5 centimeters and the nurse assured me they would not be sending me home, but would instead get me checked into a Labor and Delivery Room (LDR). Of course the only thing in my brain was, “Cool. Dr. Tom said I had to be a three to get an epidural, so I am ready for the drugs...WOO-HOO!” The nurse did some other tests and asked several pages of questions, but she did eventually follow through with her promise, and by 8 AM we were in our Labor and Delivery Room.

By the time we got settled into the LDR I had already progressed to 7 centimeters. I told our nurse that I needed her to call the anesthesiologist NOW so I wouldn’t miss the window of opportunity for the epidural. :) He was in the room by 8:30 AM, and I was pain free by 8:40 AM. Ahhhh….now I was able to relax. The epidural did slow things down a bit, but who cares?? All I knew was I didn’t even know when a contraction was at its peak and I thought that was awesome. The nurse continued to check me and I was gradually progressing, so they pretty much left me be. We invited my friend Michelle to the delivery so she could take pictures for us. This ended up being a blessing in more than one way. She kept Chris company while I nodded in and out of sleep over the next few hours, and that helped keep his mind off everything that was going on in the room.

More good news…this just happened to be Dr. Tom’s on-call day. How lucky can we possibly get? Dr. Tom came in a checked me throughout the process as well, and at one point she mentioned she thought Madelyn would be about 8 ½ pounds. Listen, don’t mention that to a woman who has still yet to push the baby out. Seriously. She said that and I was now a little scared to push. Well, if I’m being honest, I was a lot scared. But it wasn’t until the last examination by the nurse, when she proclaimed, “Wow. Your baby has a really big head.” Okay, again. Don’t give this kind of information to the woman who is just about ready to push this little being out of her. So at this point I looked at Chris and told him I was not feeling real well. He reassured me it was just a case of nerves and that everything would be just fine.

At 3:30 PM the nurse said it was time to start pushing. I looked up at Chris and before I could tell him I was seriously reconsidering this whole thing, he looked down at me with tears in his eyes. The emotion of it all had hit him, and he knew we were only moments away from meeting our little girl. Tears filled my eyes, and I smiled knowing how much we were about to gain.

I won’t go into the gory details, but I pushed for 30 minutes, and at 4:07 PM, Baby Madelyn was born! And what a perfect site was she! Chris and I were overcome with emotions and couldn’t believe our eyes when they laid Madelyn on my stomach. Going into this phase of the pregnancy we knew how very blessed we were and what a true miracle it all was, but it wasn’t until this moment that we would feel the truest kind of love known to anyone. Love at first sight.

Sleepless in Glendale

They kept us in the LDR for two hours and then moved us to our room where we would spend the remainder of the time. Once we got settled, and had all vitals taken, we were visited by our night nurse. She mentioned that we may want to have the nursery take Madelyn for the night so we could get some sleep. Chris and I laughed at the thought, asking her who would do that? Seriously, you’ve just welcomed a new life into this world and now you’re going to send them away??? That’s crazy. So here we are, in our little room (not exaggerating) hanging out with our little peanut. And the next thing we knew it was 5 AM…and we hadn’t gone to sleep. It was at this time that Chris looked at me, both of us with eyes half-closed, and said, “Maybe we should let her sleep in the nursery tonight.” I looked back at him and said, “That is a fantastic idea.” :) So on Night Two, we sent Madelyn on her very first sleepover to the nursery, and we both got about 6 hours of sleep. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy letting her go, but I knew if I didn’t get my sleep there was no way I could properly function for Madelyn. I woke up a few times missing her terribly, but I forced myself to get back to sleep. I think that was probably one of the wisest decisions Chris and I have ever made. Hopefully will continue down that path…

Our Little Love Bug

Madelyn is the most perfect baby we have ever seen. No. Seriously. We know we’re the parents, and that makes us incredibly biased, but we know we’re right. She is perfect in every way. We can’t help but to sit and stare at her, looking at her perfect features. I just want to eat her up. She is precious, and extremely alert. We are amazed at how much she wants to look around and get to know her surroundings. It’s not difficult to get completely wrapped up in her sweetness and her already forming personality. We can’t wait to share her with the world! Although she has already had many visitors who came to see her in the hospital, we know everyone is anxious to meet her, and there are many of you who live far away, so as usual, we are posting some pictures from the last three days so you can at least get a sneak peek. We hope you enjoy them and we will continue to update this blog to keep you posted as we start to find a routine for our new life with Madelyn.

Click here to see the pictures. There are three new albums: Madelyn is Here, Hangin' in the Hospital, and Going Home. A huge Thank You goes out to Michelle for helping us capture all these great moments!

Week 39

First, I wanted to share a funny story with everyone…

My sister, Kristin, called me this morning to tell me that Owen woke up and was running around the house saying, “Madelyn was born! Madelyn was born!” Kristin tried to tell him it was just a dream, but he insisted she was here. He even said, “She is because Papa sent a picture on the computer!” Too funny. :) That story made my morning! Obviously Chris and I are not the only ones who are excited about her arrival. ;)

Here’s the latest scoop from the doctor:

We have finally made progress!! I am 1 centimeter dilated; -2 station (she has dropped enough for Dr. Tom to feel her head); and 60% effaced (cervix is thinning out).

Dr. Tom’s next on-call date is Monday the 11th so she asked if I wanted an elective induction. I really wasn’t quite sure what to say. I am so excited to have this baby, but I really don’t want to force the issue. I asked her if inducing me would make for a harder labor. She said yes. Well…say no more. Why would anyone ask for a harder labor? I asked her for her opinion and although she is always politically correct, she said if I was hesitating at all that I should wait. She said sometimes if you rush into it, and things don’t progress fast enough you end up needing a C-Section. With that, she said, sometimes comes guilt. I don’t want a C-section unless it’s absolutely unavoidable so that helped make my decision, too. She also said they’d have to do 3 cycles of gel and if that didn’t move things along fast enough they would send me home. I don’t want to go through that. I told her we’d consider induction if I go past my due date (next Friday, February 15th). She said that was a good idea.

So, Chris and I will have a little talk with Madelyn tonight and remind her that it would be nice to have Dr. Tom deliver her. Perhaps she’ll decide to make an appearance next week all on her own. :) Whatever the case, it won’t be long now…

Dude. Where's the Diaper?

So what does a cool guy do to prepare for the birth of his first child? He goes online and finds the hippest diaper bag possible. Remember, however, that “hip” is relative. ;)

Dr. Tom told us about a diaper bag that would make toting a baby and a bag at the same time much easier…it’s the Diaper Dude. :) Once Chris did a little research, he decided this was indeed the bag for him! Not only is it designed to be easy to carry with a child in your arms, it has cool “daddy” type designs and colors that include things such as camouflage, dragons, skull and cross bones and even the peace sign. Now, if you know Chris, you know exactly which one he chose…and if you don’t know him that well, see the image below. I am happy that our society has finally decided to start creating items for men so they, too, can feel like they are part of the whole process (Read between the lines: Thank God someone is finally making something to help the Dads of the world take part in the diaper changing experience). And if it’s a bag that makes them feel better about changing a diaper, then get ‘em the bag! ;)

Of course, you know I’m joking here. I know Chris is going to be a great Dad who will gladly change diapers. :) It has been so refreshing to see his excitement with all of this. As a matter of fact, after Friday’s appointment, I could see the disappointment on his face when Dr. Tom said we hadn’t made any real progress. He is so anxious to meet his baby girl, he can hardly stand it! Fortunately, it won’t be much longer now… :)

38 Weeks

Yesterday we went to our weekly doctor’s appointment to find out if I have made any progress since our last visit where I was dilated a “dimple.” Nope. Everything is just as it was last week. Still only a dimple dilated and Madelyn has not dropped any. She is as happy as a clam in there. :) Which I suppose isn’t all bad. She will come when she’s ready. Dr. Tom asked if either of us was a procrastinator. We both smiled and pointed to Chris. She joked that we’ll know whose character traits she’ll have if she comes early or late. ;) And of course I thought to myself, “At least be on time, Baby Girl.” :)

Dr. Tom discussed elective induction with us, although that will only be an option once I’m past 39 weeks and I have started to dilate (at least to a 3). If we go that route, she told us that her on-call days were Feb 5th, 11th, and 23rd. We would love to have her deliver Madelyn, but we know those chances are slim. We’ll just have to wait and see. Besides, from everything we’ve read, seen, and heard, it appears that the nurses do most of the work anyway. The doctor’s roll is typically that of a “catcher” so really, does it matter? ;) I laugh every time we watch an episode of A Baby Story when the doctor has the woman pull the baby out, literally. Every time I say, “Are you kidding me?” Listen, that’s what they get paid the big bucks for…I am not interested.

In the meantime, our bag is packed in the car along with a comfy pillow, and the car seat. We are ready for her arrival when she decides to get here. At the very longest, she will be here in 22 days…of course we’re hoping for 15 or less. :) Stay tuned…

37 Weeks

…and only 3 weeks to go! On Thursday I had my 37-week appointment with the nurse practitioner. Everything is still pretty much as it was last week. The nurse said I was dilated a “dimple.” Aside from making me giggle, I wondered what on earth that meant. She said it really meant nothing…as in nothing has happened in the last week. Madelyn hasn’t “dropped” yet, either, although she said that doesn’t happen with every woman, so we’ll see.

My Group B Strep test came back positive. At first I was nervous to hear that, but she explained to me that it is very common (about 40% of all pregnant women test positive). Group B Strep is a bacterium that most people have at some point or another, but no one ever tests for it because it’s not harmful…unless you’re pregnant. It can be transferred to Madelyn during delivery if they don’t take precautions, but she said that is pretty rare these days. Once I go into labor and get settled at the hospital, they will give me antibiotics that should take care of everything. The nurse told me not to worry about it, so I won't :)

Baby Shower

I have known for a long time how very blessed Chris and I are. We have so many wonderful family and friends who are constantly there for us, already spoiling Madelyn and making sure we have what we need. Yesterday my Mom and two sisters (Kristin and Kim) threw me a baby shower. What a turn-out! It was nice to have a chance to see everyone and visit, especially those people I haven’t seen in a long while.

I am always impressed with my mom and sisters’ talents, especially when it comes to cooking and crafts. They are so creative! Each detail was planned perfectly. They organized a party with great food and fun games. Even the little thank you gifts were adorable. Grandma R ordered special M&M’s with Madelyn’s name on them, Kim made the sweetest cupcakes and also crafted bookmarks using quotes about children. Kristin made a homemade diaper cake and decorated the house with festive colors (pink and green of course) and displayed pictures of me as a baby and also some of our maternity pictures.

After everyone had a chance to mingle and eat, it was time to open the gifts. Everyone was so thoughtful and very generous. Chris and I made a trip to Babies R Us yesterday to spend our gift certificates and cash. We are happy to say there’s not much left on the list. We couldn’t believe it! We spent the better part of the afternoon sorting and putting things away. Chris of course did the “manly” thing and put together some of the larger items. It’s all starting to feel oh-so real now. The house is sprinkled with baby gear galore! :) THANK YOU to everyone who attended our shower…I appreciate you and your generosity more then you know!

Click here to view some photos of the shower.

Buns of Steel

No, not mine. :) But apparently Madelyn has been getting quite the workout in there! I saw Dr. Tom on Friday and told her that Madelyn had been moving around more than usual this week, and I wanted to make sure she hadn't gone back to the breech position. Dr. Tom checked the position of her head, but she couldn’t tell if it was actually her butt or head. She pulled the ultrasound machine into the room and thankfully she is head-down. Dr. Tom said she must have "buns of steel" because usually you get some resistance if you push on the rear end. I laughed and said hopefully she’ll be blessed with those for a long while. :)

Other than that, everything is moving along smoothly. Dr. Tom did a test for Group B Strep (standard test at 36 weeks) and we should know those results on our next visit. I am not dilated yet, so we continue to wait until our next appointment on Thursday, January 24th.

Belly Smiles

Today we got the proofs back from our maternity "photo shoot". For those of you who know me well, you know that my rule of thumb is to take 100 pictures in hopes of getting 10 good ones. ;) After sifting through all the photos, we found 12 that we thought you might enjoy.

Our photographer, Heather from Little Things Photography, did a great job, and we’re happy we caught this moment on camera. As a matter of fact, we’re considering having her take photos at the delivery. I want to have lots of pictures of Madelyn’s arrival, but I don’t want Chris to feel like he has to be so focused on taking pictures that he misses the experience. We’ll see... We’re still undecided, but we thought it might be nice to have someone who knows what she’s doing (and who has been through it herself) take the pictures. We thought about asking a family member or friend, but how do you just pick one?? :)

Anyway…click this link to see some more pictures.

Only 5 Weeks to Go…

I saw Dr. Tom on yesterday, and she said starting next Friday Madelyn can come whenever she is ready. I guess once you reach the 36-week mark, they won’t try to stop your labor. That was exciting to hear…and a little bit scary, too. Chris has said several times in the last week that he wants her to be here right now. I keep trying to convince him that we need to enjoy the few precious quiet nights we have left. :) He is just so anxious he can hardly stand it!


While we were in Dr. Tom’s office, we brought a special little gadget to record Madelyn’s heartbeat. Dr. Tom recommended we buy one of these gadgets at Build-a-Bear so we could preserve the sound of her heartbeat while she is still in the belly. Dr. Tom recorded her heartbeat, and now all we have to do is put it in a bear. How great is that?!?! She also suggested that we put her first outfit on the bear. I think this will make a very special gift to Madelyn.

I am now on weekly visits to the office. Next week will mark the first of those weeks where the exams begin. We’ll keep you posted on any progress that is made (if any) each week.

Let's Have Some Fun!

Happy New Year, Everyone! We hope January is off to a great start for all of you! Chris and I decided to have a little fun, and we hope you’ll join us. Since the countdown has truly begun for Madelyn's arrival (I am now at 34 weeks, can you believe it??) we thought it might be fun to have everyone play a little game. It’s easy to participate…all you have to do is leave a comment for this posting and include the following information:

Date* and Time of Day you think Madelyn will be born
How much you think she will weigh
How long you think she will be

*Madelyn's estimated due date is Friday, February 15th

Don’t send this information in an email to me (or you’ll be left out of the fun). Just add a quick comment here. If you’ve never done that, click here for some simple instructions on getting started. Make sure you use a name or nickname that we will recognize. :)

We look forward to seeing everyone’s guesses!