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.