11-12 Weeks Old

11-12 Weeks Old
April 23-May 6

I'm combining these two weeks because due to a crazy work schedule, I wasn't as good taking pictures! (tisk, tisk, bad mommy!)

 

Mornings with brother! :)

Sleeping on Aunt Terri.

 

 

Relaxing outside with the family at the fire pit! She LOVES it outside!!!



Development 

She is wanting to sit up more and loving to jump when you hold her up on her legs. She is smiling and laughing like crazy and really starting to move around! She has also found her hands and realized she can clasp them! It's her new favorite thing to do!

I'm trying to let her visit with different people so she doesn't get too attached to me and get separation anxiety. I know that can start around this time.

Gadgets

 

She is growing more fond of being on the floor. Although she still loves her bouncer. I have had to move from the snug-a-bunny bouncer to the taggies bouncer from Buy Buy Baby because she needs to be more upright with her reflux. This is still a lifesaver. She loves her swing and activity mat!

 

 

 

Style

 

We are finally wearing some of our 0-3 month stuff! The outfit above is from Carter's. She has a pair of skinny jeans on and a shirt that says You Love Me and I Love You. I love love this outfit!!

 

 

Carter's peacoat and white leggings in her new Taggies bouncy seat. I feel like she is posing for me! :) Modeling already. Maybe I should call a hair product line and get her a job modeling!

 

 

I love this little outfit too! It's a carters tank top and cardigan with skinny jeans and matching hairbow. Brother Hudson getting in on the daily picture action!



10 weeks old

10 Weeks Old
April 16-22

Week 10 was a big week for our Miss Madeline. Not only did we hear her first rolling laugh, but she also had her first Easter! :)

Development

April 19-First laugh and first Easter

 

The Easter Bunny even left a little something for the new addition.

 

Style



Madeline is STILL in newborn size clothes. I'm starting to put things on her just because I have so many cute 0-3 month outfits, and I want her to get to wear them!

Madeline's Easter dress was from Children's Place :) She looked adorable! I can't get shoes on the girl because her feet are so small. Even newborn sizes are too little. Although, I did get her hair in pigtails and was super excited!

I love this outfit! It's an adorable gingham print and gingham lace top from a local boutique. I even have a headband to match. Notice no shoes (maybe eventually!)

 

April 22- I gave Madeline her first bang trim! Her hair is growing out of control. Her outfit here is from Baby Gap (and this one is 0-3) :)

9 weeks old

9 Weeks Old (April 9-16)

Can you believe it?!?! 2 months old already. Time is flying by! She is still sleeping through the night! I feel so blessed to have baby that sleeps for me! I swear by the Baby Wise method. It has worked for all of my kiddos. Sometimes it's hard to make them wait until the next feeding time, but it teaches them to not freak out at the smallest hunger cue.

Madeline had her first snow day this week on April 15. She got to stay with Grandma Conda and wear her first jeans and sweatshirt!

Development

Madeline is starting to reach for things and trying to control her arms. She is also starting to roll to her side when placed on her back.

We had our 2 month check up this week as well along with some shots. Ugh, now if that isn't the worst feeling as a mother. Seeing your child crying in pain and knowing there is nothing you can do! I hate going for shots myself and hate taking a baby even more! They are so innocent and rely on us for everything to keep them safe and out of pain. We survived though!! Madeline hasn't grown a ton. She only weighs a little over 9.5 lbs. She has moved down in percentile.

BEFORE SHOTS

 

AFTER SHOTS



Gadgets We Love

We still love our bouncy seat and swing. We started using a play mat for her this week and she really likes it. She loves to just hold her arms up and stare at all of the toys. She is still sleeping in her rock and play which has been a saving grace since she has reflux.

Style

It's so fun to dress her up. She is still so small though that its hard to really put her in the fancy cute outfits. I try to dress her comfy. Here is an outfit from Carter's that I absolutely loved!

Another Carter's favorite. This is actually a one piece dress that I put a cardigan over because we had the cute pants to match.



Officially 2 months old in this photo-April 12, 2014 (this is one of my favorite outfits so far! Carter's again)

8 weeks old

I think we have mastered our bedtime routine! At 7:00 Hudson gets his bath, I help him while Madeline usually is taking a catnap, then I get her up, get her ready for a bath (which she now loves). Then we usually sing or chat while in the bath, get our jammies on and read bedtime stories with brother. And it's working! She is still sleeping through the night. She goes to bed at 8:00, and I usually have to wake her up when it's time to get up in the morning!

DEVELOPMENT 

Her movements are getting much smoother and her legs are straightening out a little. She loves to still get in the fetal position and clench those little fists of hers. Her grip is killer though! I swear she could cut off circulation in my finger. She is getting a lot more head control and I don't have to be as careful with her head. It's nice that she is a little more sturdy.

The weather is getting nicer outside, and I think Madeline may actually be getting a little bigger. She is such a little peanut. I'm excited to see what the doctor has to say about her weight.

MOMMY MILESTONE

I had my first workout this week since pregnancy. It's so hard to get back into the swing of things since I'm so busy. I'm very lucky that I have a gym at work. I still need to lose about 15 lbs. to be back in shape and about 9 lbs. to be back pre-Maddie weight.

OUR WEEK

We went to visit our friend Emily today, and she had a baby shower for little one. She is due in just a few weeks! I can't wait for Madeline to have a little friend to grow up with! She is obviously still too little for some of her 3 month clothes. It's crazy how small she is. April 5, 2014

 We spent the weekend in the backyard and finally added our new firepit! The kids love to make smores and hot dogs over it! I can't wait for Madeline to enjoy that with us too!

 Madeline is really starting to get her little personality. She has turned into such a happy baby. I couldn't ask for a better baby. She is such a little blessing! Love her so much! April 8,2014.

7 weeks old

It's a bitter sweet week for me. I'm headed back to work! While I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends and co-workers, I'm really really sad to be leaving Madeline. I know she is my last, and I feel like I will miss out on so much. Her new babysitter has promised to make notes for me each day so I will try to post them here so you can see how she is doing. :)

I'm also nervous of just having enough time to spend with her and the other keys and still getting quality time. I will likely get home around 6:30 each night.

We got to celebrate my 31st birthday this week as well. The best birthday present I could ever hope for is my Miss Madeline and my healthy family. It was such a crazy year for me full of twists and turns and change.


Madeline's feet are so small and skinny that I don't typically put shoes on her, but I let her sport her first Nikes on March 26, 2014. 

 Here we are at Mamaw's celebrating my birthday. It's a lot of work to be so cute-March 30, 2014

 This is one of my favorite photos of her thus far! :) She finally found her fingers!!! March 31, 2014

 It's an amazing day! Madeline slept through the night! I can't believe we are already to that point. Don't get me wrong. I'm super excited, but she is growing up so quickly. I want her to stay little, cute and innocent forever!

6 weeks old

Week 6

This is my last week with my little Maddi before I go back to work. I finally interviewed a babysitter I like. Her name is Morgan, and she is a stay at home mom just looking to take on 1 child. It is great because she will just have Madeline and her 3 year old. Madeline is on a great schedule now and we are starting to push for 3.5 hours between feedings. She is napping longer during nap times and staying awake more during awake time so I'm able to interact a lot more with her. I've started giving her tummy time now that her reflux is better. She really seems to like it!

Here she is during naptime. She fell asleep with me and Duane.

We went to visit Raena today. This was her first trip to a friend's house.  

This is my last day home with Madeline.  I'm sure going to miss seeing this face all day.

5 Weeks Old

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Week 5

 

This week brings Madeline her first St. Patrick's Day. Although the day was uneventful, I was really excited to dress her up in her first St. Patty's outfit. Madeline is finally on a good schedule, and we are starting to skip her 11:00 feeding so she last eats at 8:00 and then wakes up at 2:00 for a feeding. I hope she sleeps through the night soon because I go back to work next week. She is changing so much. She also had her 1 month check up this week. She only weighed 8 lbs 12 oz. The doctor was a little concerned because she hasn't gained enough weight. They said since I finally found a formula that works and she is finally eating more than 2 oz at a time that she should start gaining more weight. I've been interviewing a few babysitters for her since I'm going back to work in a week. It's going to be so hard to go back. I feel like I will miss so much with her because they grow up so fast. I remember having this problem with my other two as well. I miss my job and friends at work and adult interaction, but I will miss seeing her all day too.

 

Hudson and Madeline on St. Patrick's Day! You can tell Hudson just woke up, and Madeline wasn't in the mood for a photo.

4 Weeks Old

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Week 4
Well this marks the monumental 1 month milestone! I'm on my way to parenting success. My baby girl is finally, can I say FINALLY, happy and thriving. I have figured out her funky mix of formula which includes half Similac Alimentum pre-mixed liquid with half Gerber Soothe. She is finally eating more than 2 oz. per feeding which is all she would eat. AND she is going to the restroom on her own. It was pretty funny when Duane and I were in a meeting, and all we heard was grunting and saw her hilarious "poopy" face and we started celebrating. It's the little things in life!

Madeline has turned into such a great baby. I have her on a good schedule now. We wake up at 6:00 a.m. and she gets her medicine. She then eats and we usually hang out for just a little bit before she is ready to take a nap around 7 a.m. She will sleep till about 9 a.m. and wake up for her next round of yummy goodness. We do this over and over again until our 5 p.m. feeding in which I try to keep her up and give her a bath. Which she is starting to like as well. She is smiling a lot now and my favorite time of the day is waking her up and getting her out of her swaddle. She will just stretch with her arms over her head, arch her back, and smile that beautiful toothless smile. Speaking of swaddles, this too was a blessing. She will not sleep or nap without her swaddle. Thank goodness for whoever invented that genius contraption!

Even more exciting Madeline got to experience her first birthday party. Her brother Hudson turned 5, and we had his Mario Kart birthday party at our house. I wasn't ready to get out and plan a party with a newborn so we celebrated at home with friends and family. It was a great time! Although, she slept through most of it since she was being held. There was a minor fight between grandparents as to who got to hold her. It was resolved with no major injuries! 

So this is me 1 month after baby!

I finally caught her smiling. She is starting to smile when she is awake too!

 

 

3 weeks old

Week 3

It's funny.....every week I think to myself "I did it. I made it another week." One tough day leads to another tough day, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! It seems like the Prevacid is helping her. She is starting to seem more happy FINALLY. She is still not going number 2 on her own. I have to give her a suppository daily to help her go. I've been researching different options but am scared to introduce her to juice and more medication. I am going to try mixing her formula with Gerber Soothe. It has probiotics in it and has helped other babies with the issue she is having. She still isn't doing a whole lot yet. Her belly button fell off last week, and I'm trying to get her on a schedule. I have used Baby Wise for my other kids so I'm going to try that with her as well. It's a great system in which you put them on a 2.5-3 hour feeding schedule. I haven't been able to do any schedule because she was so fussy until now. We have determined that she LOVES to be swaddled and won't sleep soundly without it. One step closer to a happy baby! She also loves a pacifier, but she gets frustrated because she can't keep it in her mouth so it becomes annoying because she fusses when it falls out. I try to put her to bed awake so she can make herself go to sleep, but she won't without her pacifier. Then it falls out and she wakes herself up again.

February 26, 2014
Madeline had her newborn pictures today at Sweet Pea Palace Photography. Although this was a long drive for us (2 hours) the photos are going to be wonderful. Here are just a few I snapped while she was working. The shoot took over 2 hours and while it looks like she slept the whole time--I could only wish. It was a lot of feeding and caressing to get her to close her eyes for each portion.

February 27, 2014

We have found that Madeline has a hilarious pouty lip whenever she isn't happy about something. I tried to capture it here. If she keeps that up she will get whatever she wants :)



March 3, 2014

This is the 1st outfit that Duane and I bought when we found out we were having a girl.

Week 2

We made it to our 2nd week!! We have had a lot of ups and downs. Madeline is very colicky and days are full of frustration and tireless hours of just trying to help my little girl. It's so hard to see her in pain. She is so innocent and beautiful and relies on me to make her better. After endless hours of research, I have asked her doctor to switch her from Zantac to Prevacid. I'm praying that this makes a difference for her reflux. She is constantly making sad faces and you can hear the bubbling in her throat. She arches her back a lot after eating and about 30 minutes after a bottle is when the fussing starts. You can just tell she is so uncomfortable. She doesn't sleep in her crib because she needs to be upright so we have a Rock N Play Sleeper from Fisher Price that has saved us. It's great because it vibrates and plays music too. I'm suffering from a bit of post partum depression. I had this after my boys too. It is the worst. You know you are crazy, and you can't control it.

Here I am-8 days old and Mommy finally got me to sleep. :) She definitely loves to be cuddled and soothed. She seems much happier when she is being held very close.

 

9 Days Old

 

My first trip to see my big brother Andrew play basketball. I slept through the whole game including all of the loud buzzers. I love to sleep in the car. It's the one place Mom can get a little break. We go on lots of car rides.

 

12 Days Old

 

I'm starting to like my bathtime a little more. Mommy has to drop warm water on my tummy the whole time, and then I'm happy. We have a towel warmer for my towels that I love getting snuggled up in my warm towels. I get a back at 7:00 before my big brother Hudson then we all read books together.

Here I am officially 2 weeks old! This is what my hair looks like once it's washed. For some reason it likes to stick straight up as soon as it dries.

and after it dries.

 

 

Week 1

Our first week home was rough. I'm not really sure how I got through it. I just remember being so tired and thinking I just need 10 minutes of sleep. There was actually a day where I drove to my aunt's house for her to hold Madeline so I could sleep. Madeline was very colicky and suffered from silent reflux. We tried so many different formulas, but nothing helped and everything made her constipated. I didn't want her on soy unless is was absolutely necessary so we tried Similac Sensitive, Enfamil, Gentleease, everything it seemed! Finally, I just called the doctor and begged for a prescription for Zantac. Zantac was great, when she would actually swallow it. I started putting it in her bottles which then made it less effective. And we were back to fussy. But still adorable!!!

 

5 Days Old

She smiles when she is sleeping. I wish she was smiling when she is awake.

 

Day 5 was very cold so I had to dress in my cutest fleece outfit! I'm thinking that this might just become a blog of all of my cute outfits.

 

I'm headed on my first visit to Dr. Bowser today! 

I'm healthy and gained back all of my weight I lost after birth. 

 

Day 7

 

This is the first time Hudson got to hold his sister. He is such a good big brother already! 

I love my Daddy. I even like my shirts to say so. 

Sponge Bath Time-which I'm not a fan of yet. 

 

And I tried out my bath tub! I don't like that either!