I never thought I'd say this

But I need an Easter outfit with easy boob access ;-)

Seriously

Should it be THIS hard to dress a baby for the day? Is the weatherman EVER right? Yesterday they said it would be sunny and 70, so I dressed her in a short sleeved shirt and pants. It was freezing and cloudy (but at least she got to wear one of the sweaters I knitted for her!) Today they said raining and cold, so I dress her in a onesie, lined pants and a little jacket, and it's warm and sunny. When she wakes up from her nap I'm going to have to change her.

So.... should we take Madeleine to her first Mass on Sunday? I had planned on taking her right away, but then our pediatrician said that church was the worst place to take a baby because of all the germs and everyone wanting to touch her. He said there are a lot of infections going around and he recommended not taking her for 6 weeks! So I haven't gone to Mass in 3 weeks. I really miss it! My friend Jenny brings me communion every week, which is wonderful, but it is not the same.
I think for sure we'll go on Easter. I mean - it's Easter! But should we go this week and risk getting her sick for her baptism?

Again!

She slept in the cradle again!! And only got up at 11:30, 3:00, 5:30, and then at 6:30 I put her in bed with me because it was freezing in our room - and she slept until 8:30. What a perfect little angel ;-)

We also had our first "playdate" today. Actually several of my friends and I try to meet at Barnes and Nobles one morning/week. Most of the kids are around Ava's age (12 - 22 months or so), and they play together while we get some adult conversation. So today was the first time I took Madeleine. She was not much fun to play with for the other kids! Little James was disappointed that he couldn't share his goldfish with her, but he did enjoy the zebra that's hanging on her carseat!

It's a Miracle

Madeleine actually slept in her cradle last night!!! I put her in there at 9:45, fell asleep, and then Ken came up at 11:30 and asked where she was.... I was SHOCKED that she was still sleeping in there! Then she woke up and I fed her, and then she slept until 2:30 in her cradle!! Of course, then she was up at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:30 and at 5:30 I finally let her sleep with me. Tonight we'll see if it happens again...

Also, Mom and I bought her several warm weather outfits because she didn't have any in her size. The newborn size is what we bought, and when we tried them on her, they fit her perfectly. So we decided to take them back and get the 3 month size so they'll last longer. And the 3 month size fits her pretty well! She is growing so fast.

Weekend stories

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, Madeleine has been keeping us busy!

This weekend we took her to Barnes and Nobles for the first time. She was not too thrilled. I didn't get much reading in, and we ended up leaving early. We tried again at Borders on Sunday, and she did great! She slept on my lap most of the time, and since we stayed about 2 1/2 hours, I ended up feeding her twice there. These are the greatest invention! My friend Michelle got us one of these and we have used it a TON already.

Later that day, we went for a walk at Clay Terrace since it was such a beautiful day. It was her first time in the stroller and she seemed to like it. We saw some friends from church there and they were happy to meet her.

And the best part of the weekend.... I got to do something that I've ALWAYS wanted to do and surprisingly, this was the first time I'd ever done it.
I got to go clothes shopping for Madeleine! I had never bought her any clothes, since we've been given so many. But since it's supposed to be in the high 70's all week, and she only had warm clothes, Mom and I bought her some weather appropriate clothes. Two cute dresses and a little short sleeved onesie with a pair of capris. They are SO cute on her! Then Mom went out and bought her two more little outfits.

We are getting ready for Easter. There are LOTS of people coming for Madeleine's baptism. I think it will be a great day and it makes me feel good that everyone is coming to celebrate her.

Small Victories

Today my baby is 18 days old, and today I fit into my favorite, non-maternity, regular jeans!!!!

YEAH!!! I think I'll go to Starbucks to celebrate ;-)

"Real" family life

Yesterday evening it was 76 degrees and sunny when Ken was driving home from work. I was just dying to get out of the house, so I called him and asked if he wanted to meet at Ritters for ice cream. So Madeleine and I met him over there and had dessert before dinner! (We made sure to tell Madeleine that this was a special occasion and not a normal thing ;-) It felt so good to get out and go have ice cream as a family. Then we got home and decided to take a walk - so we walked all the way down the street and back. Kids were out playing and riding bikes and parents were out watching. And Madeleine seems to love her sling and being outside in the fresh air! Then we got back home and got to talk to our neighbor for a few minutes. It was a great evening and felt like how things were "really" going to be with a baby (as opposed to being cooped up in the house all the time!)


Thanks for all your comments about cosleeping. It makes me feel much better about it. If you have anything else to add, please do!

Cosleeping

We're doing it. We didn't plan on doing it -in fact I thought I'd never do it. But the first two nights in the hospital, she would not sleep in the little clear bassinet, so I just held her on my chest all night. Then, we got home and she would not sleep in the cradle next to my bed. So she's been sleeping with us every night for two weeks!

I do like sleeping with her, because when she is next to me, she sleeps for 3 - 3 1/2 hours at a time between feedings. She wakes up, I can tell she's hungry before she cries, then she eats and goes right back to sleep. Most of the time I don't think Ken even hears us. I don't know how she does it, but she gets on her side and cuddles right up to me, no matter where I put her in the bed. Who knew that newborn babies could move?!

Ken sleeps under the covers, and I have been sleeping on top of the covers with a blanket for me. I just put her in a onesie and a sleep sack. I feel like she is safe this way, especially because I'm aware of whenever she makes a noise or moves. And I feel like I get a lot more sleep too.So, every night we've been getting her to sleep downstairs and then trying to put her in her cradle. Last night my friend Ashley suggested that I sleep with her blanket and then put it in the cradle so it smells like me. We might try that tonight. But honestly, other than the slight fear of suffocation, I'm not in too much of a hurry to get her out of our bed. Most of my friends tell me to do whatever works for us, but some also tell me that the kid needs to learn how to sleep in her own bed. And some people tell me that we'll never get her out of our bed if we start out like this. I tend to think - she's two weeks old and we can't spoil her yet! She was never alone for the last 9 months, and she's not used to it! Also I hate hearing her cry. I've let her cry for a few minutes in her cradle, but it just escalates and I pick her up and she immediately settles down. I have been having her sleep in her bouncy seat for naps during the day - and she does pretty well.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Advice? Can we keep her safe in our bed? If we sleep with her now will we ever get her out of our bed? If your advice is to put her in the cradle, how do we do that?

Thanks in advance, all you experienced moms out there!

Happy St. Patrick's Day (a few days late)

My little Irish Baby

How I spend my Saturday nights

Before Baby - watching Ken's band Uncle Juju

After Baby

St. Patricks Day Party and First Trip out

Yesterday we had Ken's parents, (Nanny and Pa), Uncle Terry, Aunt Jen and cousins Frannie, Daphne and David over for a St. Patrick's day Party, complete with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, green cupcakes and coloring pages for the kids. It was a lot of fun, and Terry and Jen got to meet their very first niece for the first time!

And today, we went to Borders for the first time. I was going crazy being in the house for two weeks, so we finally took her out. She screamed for about the first 5 minutes of the car ride, but then went to sleep and slept the whole time - including the car ride home! We got to go on our usual Sunday date, drink the delicious Javanilla shake and read some magazines, just like in the days before Baby, but it was even more fun bringing her along.

Also, Angi, Grace and Ava came over today - Angi cut Madeleine's fingernails for me because I am terrified of doing it myself, and I got to see Ava for the first time in two weeks! I have not been away from her this long since I started watching them - when she was 7 weeks old! It was great to see them.

Madeleine had a very cute St. Patrick's Day outfit on yesterday - I will post a picture when mom sends them to me. However, the kid doesn't seem to take a very good picture. I worked really hard to get a good one yesterday - we'll have to see how they come out.

How to lose 20 lbs in 7 days

A. Have a baby
B. Nurse her every 5 minutes (at least that's what it seems like!)
C. Voila!

That was easier than I thought!!

On another note, Madeleine had her first pediatrician appointment this morning. My mom went with us - we both love her doctor! He sat down with us and answered all our questions, and then gave us a bunch of great information as well. We could not believe how much weight she gained in one week. She was born at 7 lbs 12 oz, left the hospital weighing 7 lbs 6 oz, and now she is up to 8 lbs 8 oz! He said she was perfect, everything looked great and to come back to see him in 3 weeks.

It was a beautiful day yesterday and we took her for her first walk in her sling. She loved the fresh air and sunshine, and fell asleep as soon as we stepped outside. I will have to post a picture later - I am making up for my previous lack of pictures now!

8 days old already?!

My friend Cindy took this picture today. She's in her crib looking at her mobile. That's the only time she spends in her crib.... I'll post more on that later!

We're going to her first pediatrician appointment tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how much she weighs now. She's still the sweetest baby ever!

Cutest Picture so far

She's in her bouncy seat with her Bloomingdales blanket we bought on our New York trip in December. Also Ken picked out her outfit - he thinks she's wearing too much pink!

It's supposed to be 74 degrees and sunny today - maybe we'll take her on her first walk!

The Name

As many of you know, we did not reveal her name until she was born - we just called her Snack Pack! We just thought since everyone already knew she was a girl, we wanted one big surprise when she was born. Also, I didn't really want any input from anyone - Ken and I just wanted to decide by ourselves. You know how some people like to say things about things like that....

Well, we knew before I even got pregnant that if we had a girl, her middle name would be Margaret. Margaret is my Mom's, Grandma's, and Great-Grandma's name, and I think it goes back even farther than that. My mom decided not to continue the tradition with me, but that is ok because I like my name. I did choose Margaret for my confirmation name though.

We had lots of names we liked for boys, not too many for girls. One day, Ken suggested Madeline. I liked it but was a little worried that people would call her Maddie, and I didn't like that at all. The day after he suggested it, I woke up remembering a song that I had heard in college on a Rich Mullins video called Madeline's song. Here are the lyrics:

"Madeline fusses and Madeline laughs The angel who watches says "Hey look at that"
There's your faith mountains will shake
Cause God gladly bends just to hear Madeline when she prays
Madeline stretches and Madeline kicks The angels in heaven say "Hey look at this"
There's your faith mountains will shake
Cause God gladly bends just to hear Madeline when she prays

And the only angels that I've ever seen Look like tears on the face of the sky
Though it sure breaks your heart to see heaven all streaked up
With sorrows like theirs still you know all the while
From where cobbles shine golden like emeralds shine green
From where gems stud the streets and the walls
God looks out a window at us just to see If anything frail as a sparrow should fall

Madeline fusses and Madeline laughs The angel who watches says "Hey look at that"
There's your faith (there's your faith) mountains will shake (mountains will shake)
God gladly bends just to hear Madeline when she prays
God gladly bends just to hear Madeline when she prays"

I hadn't heard the song probably for 7 years, but I remembered it and I was singing to myself all day. Then I looked it up online and got all the lyrics, then I ordered the DVD off amazon.com.

After I heard the line, "God gladly bends just to hear Madeline when she prays,"I was pretty much set on the name. Plus Ken assured me that we wouldn't let anyone call her Maddie.

So for months, her name was Madeline. Then one day Ken asked what I thought of the spelling Madeleine. I thought it was beautiful and Ken thought it was very feminine. Also that is how the saint's name is spelled - St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. So we were sold.

Today my mom pointed out that St. Madeleine started the Society of the Sacred Heart, and St. Margaret Mary had a vision of the Sacred Heart.

So that is how the name came to be. We both just love it!

Birth story

I know you guys have been waiting for this. Nick, you might not want to read this post! ;-)

On Monday, I woke up with contractions about 4am. They were about 8 minutes apart, and not too bad. I'd had contractions before, so I figured they would go away. I just laid in bed until 6, which is when Ken's alarm went off. By this time they were about 5 minutes apart and getting stronger, so I told him that I thought today was the day. I took a shower and got dressed, and we went downstairs and watched Along Came Polly (it was on TV), while Ken timed the contractions. At 7am, they were getting stronger, still about 5 minutes apart, so we called doctor's answering service number. They paged the doctor, and she called me back. She told me to call her back when they were about 3 minutes apart. So they kept getting closer together, and around 10am they were 3 minutes apart and getting pretty strong. We called her and she told us to come into the office for a "labor check." I didn't know what that was, but we went. We got there, another doctor checked me and said I was 3 cm dilated, and thought that this was the "early real thing." So he sent me up to triage on the labor and delivery floor. They monitored the baby and contractions for 30 minutes, then had us walk around the floor for an hour. By this time the contractions were about 2 minutes apart, and very strong. I had to stop and lean on Ken every time I had one, and use the breathing/relaxation techniques we had learned in class. After several laps, at 1:30 they checked me and said I was 5 cm dilated. So we were excited! It hadn't been that bad so far either. The nurse told me that "today was the day!" and sent me upstairs to a regular room. The labor and delivery rooms were amazing. They had a whirlpool tub, bathroom, a comfortable bed, a big flat screen tv, and some comfortable chairs for Ken. Also, they had everything for the baby right there in the room so she never had to leave. So the doctor ordered that I be on the monitor for 15 minutes out of every hour, and the rest of the time I could walk around, get in the tub, try different positions, etc. So after they monitored us for another 15 minutes, I got in the tub and turned on the jets. That helped me so much. Ken and I started praying during each contraction. He'd either say Hail Marys until it was over, or we'd pray for a specific intention on our list. That was the most amazing part of the actual labor. By this time I was in a lot of pain and it was awesome to be able to offer up the pain for each specific intention. And Ken was the best coach I could ever imagine.
At about 5pm, the doctor came and checked me again, and I was still at 5 cm. (All that pain and no progression!) So she suggested that she break my water and that would speed things up. I was warned that it would also make the pain intensify. So I let her do that, and almost immediately the contractions were coming every minute, I was getting sick, and it was the worst pain I'd ever felt. I lasted like that for 2 hours, and they checked me again and I was only 7 cm. They said they expected about 3 more hours of labor. I couldn't take it anymore, so I did end up getting an epidural. I was a little disappointed, but I was still proud of myself for lasting 15 hours with no drugs. After I got the epidural, I felt GREAT. I called my mom and had her come sit with us. She brought Ken a sandwich and some Advil because he had a headache and no one could give him anything. We just hung out in the room - Ken watched TV and my mom and I just talked - it was so great. They also had given me a little pitocin because I was progressing so slowly, and at 9:30 they checked me, said I was 10 cm and the baby's head was right there. They said we would try to push and see how I did. I asked mom to go out into the hall. The doctor and nurse and Ken were the only ones in there. I could tell when I was having a contraction, and I held my legs back and pushed - about 3 pushes with each contraction. They put a mirror down at the end of the bed, and I was really surprised because I could see her head right from the beginning! She had a lot of hair! I pushed for about 15 minutes, and then her head came halfway out! The doctor wasn't even ready, so I had to hold her in while she got her gown and gloves and everything ready. Then they realized that I was in a postpartum bed instead of a labor and delivery bed - so she sat on the edge of the bed and delivered her. She came out on the next push at 9:50pm - and she was making noises before she was even out! She came out and they put her right on my chest and she looked right into my eyes. She was so beautiful and cried right away. They took her and cleaned her and stitched me up - I had a second degree tear. After I delivered the placenta and got covered up again, mom got to come in and meet her new granddaughter - and also found out what her name was and that we had named her middle name Margaret after her! She said the next day that that was the most special thing in her life - seeing her baby girl with her baby girl.

So the entire thing lasted 18 hours. And I'd do it again in a second. Even during the worst contractions, Ken asked "How many kids do you want to have?" And I still said 10 ;-)

I think I could have done it naturally, if it hadn't been SO long... I was just too exhausted after 15 hours of labor. And I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed the last two hours and pushing her out. I will probably try to do it without drugs next time, but I'll see how it goes. I still got a beautiful, healthy baby girl, so it was all worth it.

Rare Moment

The little angel is actually sleeping in her bouncy seat! So I thought I'd take this opportunity to post a few more pictures.

Madeleine

Madeleine with her Grandma and Grandpa.

She is SO sweet and we just love her. She is keeping us really busy but I'm enjoying every minute of being her mom. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Madeleine

Hi Everyone! Thanks for all the congratulations. She is doing great and her Grandma is holding her so I can update. Hopefully this link will work:

http://www.natchezbelle.org/temp/snack/index.html

She is beautiful and we love her! She's nursing well and keeping us busy, and we get to bring her home tonight!

Introducing.....

Madeleine Margaret Pack was born last night at 9:50.
7 lbs 12 oz, 20.5 inches long.
She's healthy and beautiful!

2

Still in there. Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat and headache and just kind of laid around all day - but we still did go hear Fr. Larry last night. He was great and there was a huge turnout, so we got to see people we hadn't seen for a while. Lots of pregnant moms there! And Fr. Larry was great, as usual. He's doing the parish mission at St. Maria Goretti down the road this week, so maybe we'll be able to go once or twice.
Our friends Elizabeth and Brandon got us the cutest present last night too - they gave us a little dress for her "girly" side and a little camo outfit for her "tomboy" side! Also another friend gave us a little pair of socks that she had made.

I did have a few contractions last night when we got home - maybe it's getting close! We are headed to mass now- quite possibly the very last mass without her. It's getting hard to wait, but I am trying to enjoy these last few days - I was thinking this morning these are the last few days I'll ever feel her kicking inside me, so I'm going to enjoy it!

3

Nothing fun happening over here!

Craziness

I accidently left my phone in the car for about 1/2 hour just now. When I got back I had about 14 missed calls! Some people just had a feeling that I was in labor. No such luck. Don't worry everyone - I'll call/email/post when she gets here!!!

4 days and counting

Just got back from the doctor. I'm still 2 cm dilated, but 90% effaced and she said her head is way down. She did a really rough exam on me (on purpose) and said if I'm ready it might send me into labor. I'm not counting on it though! We made another appointment for next Friday, but hopefully I won't have to go to that one.

I sent out an email asking for intentions to pray for during labor, and I got an amazing response. I've already filled 3 pages with intentions. I'm excited to be able to offer this up for so many people - I will get to pray for lots of people and then get a beautiful baby when it's over! Sounds good to me!

Mom pointed out yesterday that this is the month that my first baby girl will be born. I am so excited - and we won't have to wait much longer! I'm going to try to keep busy today and this weekend, but also enjoy these last few days with Ken before she comes and changes our lives forever ;-)

Update (don't get too excited.)

I read this post on Danielle's blog about offering up suffering. One person commented that when they are in labor, they have a list of intentions and have their husband read one intention to them right before a contraction starts, and they offer it up for that. I thought that was a fantastic idea so I'm going to try it. They said they start out with "easy" ones and end up with harder ones as the contractions get harder.

So does anyone have anything or anyone they want me to pray for? I'll add your intentions to the list. I'm sure I'll have plenty of contractions to go around ;-)

Also, today it's supposed to be in the 50s - one of the nicest days we've had for a while. So Mom and I are going to take a walk on the Monon trail when Ava wakes up, and try to get things "moving along" so to speak. Also, I installed the carseat base in the van so we are all set - as long as we remember the actual carseat....

5 days

Still waiting, although she got us a little excited last night. I had some contractions about 10 minutes apart for an hour or so during American Idol, but then they went away!
But now at least we know she'll be a March baby. Poor kid will almost always have her birthday in Lent - we'll just have to have her parties on Sundays.
Mom and Ken are predicting she'll be born today. Ken's dad is predicting Sunday. I'm thinking she's just happy in there and might stay an extra week! Heather is predicting her birthday, which is March 16! I don't think so!

Last night I was thinking how much fun it's going to be to give her her first bath. I know you have to wait until her umbilical cord falls off, so that's probably a week or two? I'm not sure. But I just love how babies smell after you wash their hair and scrub them down. We also have tons of really cute pink hooded towels and tiny washcloths that I can't wait to use. And I also got some Baby Bee shampoo and body wash that smells SO good! And a really cute tub with a little hammock for tiny babies. I can't wait. I wonder if she'll have hair to wash?