Warning

Never get this stroller. It's almost funny how awful it is.

Good baby

Yesterday was a busy day for us! We had 1st communion at OLMC. The kids were SO cute in their little white dresses and veils, and little suits and ties. The twins I used to watch for 2 years made their first communion yesterday, and so did Madeleine's Godparents' daughter. So Madeleine was a perfect angel through the whole mass, except when the mob streamed out into the narthex after mass - scared the kid half to death! Poor thing. Then we went to Madison's party. Madison's dad (Madeleine's Godfather) made a beautiful toast to his daughter. He said that he was going to make decisions that she wouldn't necessarily like, but that was ok, because when he gets to heaven, God wouldn't ask him how many material possessions he had, but if he had taught his children about Him. And he would be able to say yes. Then Madison thanked everyone for coming and sharing her special day.
Sarah and Ken played a few songs for the kids, and of course they were a hit! And Madeleine got to see her daddy perform for the first time. She loved the music.

Then we got to go home for about an hour, then went out to dinner with some friends. I was a little nervous about that because the evening is generally her fussy time, but she was great! I just had to go out to the car and feed her when the check came. Then we went to Frassati to hear Dr. James Keating. I didn't get to hear too much of that, but I did hang out in the back with all the other moms and babies, and then in the nursery, which was fun. Actually for the past several years I always wanted to be one of the moms hanging out in the back of the room!

Ken said Dr. Keating was excellent. I did hear him say that if a person is depressed, they should think about what they are putting in their minds, what they are listening to, reading, or watching on TV. He also said that sometimes it hurts to change your ways and let Jesus take over your life, but the hurt is always worth the change.

And of course she was a perfect angel in Mass again today. The kid screamed through her whole baptism, but she's been great at Mass every week since. She attracts a lot of attention too!

She does have kind of a stuffy nose, and kept us up from about 2-4am last night. We tried saline and suction and a humidifier. Any more suggestions?
It's such a beautiful day today, we are going to have to get outside.

Good thing it was cold

We just had to wear the bunny coat!

The Escape Artist

Well, I discovered today that taking the two babies out in public can be pretty challenging. We met a few friends at Barnes and Nobles for Story hour, then hung out in the cafe and then went in the kids section again to play with the trains. I have the double stroller from hell. At least Madeleine slept most of the time. Ava doesn't like being confined in the stroller or the high chair, and when she is out, she tries to escape! And she is fast! And of course she pooped twice in the 2 hours we were there. We're going to have to work on listening skills. It's a good thing MaryEllen and Melissa were there to help me catch the little Escape Artist.

Mom called from Myrtle Beach and said she's spent over $100 on this poor deprived child. I think she misses her!

Work

It's been pretty good so far. Ava is great - very sweet with the baby. I think just during the hours of 8 to 5 yesterday I changed about 12 diapers! Half size 5 and half size 1! But I just have to think of what Kimberly Hahn says... "I'm changing culture, one diaper at a time."

Grace was SO excited yesterday. Her mom said she begged to stay home from school. She made signs that said "Welcome Back Beth" and "Welcome Madeleine" and hung them on the fireplace. When she got home from school she gave me a big hug and made Madeleine smile with her silly faces ;-)

I discovered a very expensive trick to get Madeleine to take a really good nap in the morning... I leave at 7:30, go to the Starbucks drive thru, and then by the time I get to work at 8:00, she's sleeping in her carseat and the last few days she's slept for a few hours in there! I just might have to continue this new tradition.... That way I get to spend some time with Ava reading books and playing, and then when she goes down for her morning nap I get some one on one time with Madeleine.

Today we're going out to lunch with one of my oldest and dearest friends. Hopefully both girls will behave in the restaurant, but if they don't at least I'll have some help!

Mass

It's a beautiful day outside. 75 degrees and sunny. And it's a good thing too, because somehow we locked both sets of keys in the car during Mass. So Ken had to walk home and get the other van key and walk back (since his car keys were locked in the van too!)

But it was ok, because Madeleine was a perfect angel in Mass again. She loves her sling. And she got to meet lots of people who hadn't seen her yet. And I just love taking her up to communion to get blessed!

For some reason people think that if you sit in the narthex, it's ok to let your kids run wild. I would have gotten smacked if I acted like those kids acted today. Oh wait... that did happen a few times after church.....

Today I have to get the van ready to go back to work, which will involve putting Ava's carseat back in, moving Madeleine's over, taking the middle seat out so that Grace can get in the back, and putting her booster seat back in. I'll also have to put the double stroller in the back, and I'm going to pack a bag with some extra clothes for Madeleine and I. Lord knows we need changes of clothes about every day!

Please God let her sleep well tonight!

Nursing issues no one tells you about

Yeah, the books tell you all about the sore nipples and humongous granite boobies. I've had both of those.

But they don't mention things like being sick as a dog and not being able to take any good drugs. I thought I could take Tylenol Cold, but no. I called the Lactation consultant and she said I could take plain tylenol and plain Sudafed. But the ingredients listed on the Sudafed are the same as the ones she told me not to take in the Tylenol Cold.... So I am suffering.

Also, things you eat cause problems. I'm not sure exactly what all I shouldn't eat, but I know that so far, broccoli and chocolate have caused a fussy baby.

And all nursing bras are crap. (That I've tried anyway.)

And my kid likes to spit up. Without warning. When I'm feeding her. In my bra.

But believe me, I'm not discouraging anyone - 99% of the time I love it.

Back to Work

Well, today is my last official day of maternity leave. (Actually, I was supposed to start last Monday, but I finagled an extra week ;-)

For those of you who don't know, I am a nanny for a family with two little girls who live in my neighborhood. Grace is 7 and in 1st grade and Ava is 17 months. I've been with them since Ava was 7 weeks old. They are a wonderful family and I'm very blessed to work for them.

I have mixed feelings about going back to work, however. It's always been my dream to be a stay at home mom, and these past 7 weeks have been some of the best weeks of my life. So I'm a little sad that I have to work. I'm very happy that I can take Madeleine with me, however! I know that most people who have to work don't have the luxury of still being with their baby all the time. But I'm sad that I can't stay home and take care of my own house, and spend all the one on one time with Madeleine that I want. I was really nervous for the first month or so because Madeleine seemed to be such a high maintenence baby. But now I think she's getting more comfortable with the world; she'll take naps in her swing or bouncy seat, and doesn't have to be held ALL the time.

On the other hand, I REALLY missed Ava and Grace. Grace is a sweet little girl, and I've been with Ava all day every day for over a year. (They think I spoiled her because I held her all the time!) But I absolutely love her. She loves me too! Every time I've visited or they've visited me over the past 7 weeks, Ava runs up to me, throws her arms around me and won't let me put her down. I saw her on Monday and she had a big grin on her face the whole time I was holding her. She's been really nice to Madeleine so far too - she kisses her on the head every time she sees her. Ava helped "break me in" to motherhood. I learned a lot about taking care of babies from her, and as a result I think I'm a little more relaxed than the average first time mom.

I know I'll have lots of people to help me, and Grace will be helpful this summer. We are getting a new double stroller this weekend so I'll be able to take them both out more easily. I also think it will be good for Madeleine to be around other kids - it will be like having two older sisters!

But I really hope I can handle it without getting too stressed out. I have to keep in mind that this is temporary. I will be able to be a stay at home mom someday. And for now, since I have to work, this is pretty much the best job I could imagine.

It's official

I've been "hazed" into my new role as a mother. I've taken care of lots of kids in my life, and I've been peed on, pooped on, and spit up on. But this was by far the worst incident (so far!)

Nick, I really wouldn't read this if I were you!

The other day, mom and I had to go take Grandma to the gynocologist. Poor mom has to take her every three months for reasons I won't go into here. (Although her doctor says that what she has is caused by smoking and lack of exercise, so there's another reason not to smoke and to exercise!)

Anyway, Mom's getting major time off of purgatory for these trips. Grandma takes forever, hates going, and is really rude to the doctor. So Mom thought that if I went with her, Madeleine and I could stay in the car and then Grandma would hurry up and come out. So Mom goes in, and I decide to change Madeleine's diaper on my lap, which I've done several times before. I took off her diaper, lifted up her legs to wipe her little butt, and she sprayed poop all over my shirt, neck and face! I just sat there in shock for a minute - I obviously didn't have another shirt, there was no way I could wear that one and we were an hour away from home! Also, I only had 2 wipes left. Well, I used the wipes to clean myself (and her) as much as possible, and then I just had to take my shirt off. Luckily I had a jacket that I just had to wear buttoned up until we got home. So of course, she pooped again as soon as she had a clean diaper on (the kid will only poop in clean diapers.) I had to salvage one of the wipes I had already used to clean her up again. So other than being shirtless when Mom and Grandma came out, everything was relatively calm. So we went to the doctor, took Grandma home, and then Mom took us to Starbucks.
The trashcan outside the door is where the poop shirt was buried.

Happy Birthday Ken!

You are the best husband I could ever ask for, and the best daddy Madeleine could dream of.

We love you!

The Sweater

I just wanted to show a few pictures of her sweater - she looks so cute in it!
If anyone knits out there and cares about the yarn, it was a 50% wool, 50% silk blend that was hand dyed. Someone bought it for me to make a sweater for a friend of theirs who was having a baby, but then we decided that it looked too girly for the little boy, so I bought some more yarn for that sweater and I got to keep this!

Dream Come True

We went to Mass for the first time today! I have not gone since March 4, the day before she was born. It was GREAT to be back, and Divine Mercy Sunday was the perfect first Mass. We went to the 8am, and sat with my mom and dad. I put her in her sling, and as soon as we stepped into the church, she started screaming! I took her into the bride's room (because she's so loud that even in the narthex she could be heard throughout the church) and took a few "laps." She fell right to sleep and I got in during the opening song. She slept the entire time - what a good baby!

I have always dreamed of having my own child, carrying her up to communion, and having the priest bless her. I have watched this happen all my life. Today was the first time I got to do that!

Then we went to Borders for our Sunday morning date. She was hungry so I fed her when we got there, and then I held her and read magazines for about an hour and a half while she slept. Then we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa's house because I wanted them to take her picture. She had on a really cute purple outfit and a sweater that I had knitted for her when I was recovering from my second surgery for endo last April - although I didn't know it would be so soon that I would have a daughter to wear it! I was hopeful though! She also had her Miraculous Medal pin that her Godmother gave her for her baptism. (And we still don't have a camera so we had to go use Grandma's!)

Then we went grocery shopping for the week at Wild Oats - she was in her sling again - she loves it! Lots of people commented on her and the sling. And of course we had to stop at Starbucks....

A Visit to the Retirement home

Madeleine and I went with my mom and dad today to visit dad's parents at their Assisted Living home. They are both close to 90 years old and have a hard time remembering things (like who Madeleine is!) But when we got there, Grandma could not WAIT to hold her. She kept calling her her "doll baby," and said she was just beautiful and perfect. Madeleine just smiled up at her for about 15 minutes before she was ready to be changed and fed. Then I carried her down to the cafeteria in her sling because Grandma wanted to show her off to all her friends at lunchtime. As soon as we walked in the door, there was a SWARM of old ladies! They just could not get enough of her! They were kissing all over her hands and they all claimed her as their own great Granddaughter. Grandma kept stepping in and saying, "NO, she belongs to ME!"

I think she made everyone's day over there!

And.... the best news. Madeleine slept from 9pm to 2am! That is the longest stretch ever!

Big girl

I am shocked - This baby weighs 10 lbs 11.5 oz! She has almost gained 3 lbs in less than 6 weeks! She has also grown an inch. She's in the 90th percentile for weight, and between 50th and 75th for height.

Her pediatrician today said she was "Practically perfect in every way." ;-) I knew it all along! She was SO good for the doctor today. She was sleeping all cozy in her carseat, and I had to get her out, strip her down, and then she got her temperature taken, and also head circumference, weight and height measured. (She did pee on the scale again though!) Then the doc held her and looked her over for about 15 minutes in just her diaper, and she just looked up at him and smiled. What a good baby!

Her tummy problems seemed to have cleared up. I guess I am giving up chocolate for a while.

We bought her a swing today (Thank you Nick for the Babies R Us gift card!) Here it is.
I hope she likes it! I especially hope she likes it when I'm trying to eat dinner!

Smiles!

Madeleine smiles now! She did it for the first time on Monday, and I thought maybe it wasn't a real smile... but she did it again today for her Grandma! She likes it when we talk to her in a high pitched voice. She's also making little "talking" noises now. It is so cool to watch her personality develop.

On another note, I think I ate something that disagreed with her this weekend. She was pretty fussy on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, especially in the evening, and she acted like she had a tummy ache. I think it was all the chocolate I ate. So, it's interesting. I had a very weird Lent. I didn't really give up much (except sleeping!) But now I have the opportunity (or necessity) to give up chocolate for a while. I'm happy to do it for her - although I think it will be hard. I'm really hoping it's chocolate and not milk though... It must have been something this weekend because she's been very calm all day today. We'll see how she does tonight!

Baptism Day - a few pictures

Madeleine with Godparents Jeff and Donna, Parents and Deacon Dan
Yep, I cried ;-) (She cried too!)
My beautiful baby

It was such a beautiful Baptism - just like I'd always imagined it would be. I thank God for this incredible gift of my precious daughter. Lots of people joined us to celebrate! Madeleine cried pretty much the entire time, except when Deacon Dan poured water on her head. It was so special to me that Deacon Dan was able to baptize her - we've been great friends since high school and college. We can't wait for his ordination in June.

We did have some "technical difficulties" lighting her baptismal candle. Since the Easter candle was brand new, it was really tall. Deacon Dan, Ken, and Jeff tried to stand on a chair and light her candle, but they couldn't reach. Deacon Dan got the candle down from it's stand, but then it went out! (Isn't it supposed to burn all year long?) Luckily Uncle Terry had a lighter and was able to light the Easter candle again, so we finally were able to get her baptismal candle lit.

Thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate! It meant so much to me that you would come and share in this special day. I know that lots of people had been waiting for her for a long time! It was an honor to have so many of our friends and family members there.

And thanks for the pictures, Heather! I will probably post a few more when some other people send them to me.

One month

It's amazing how fast it went, how much I've learned, and how great it's been.

My poor baby has an awful diaper rash. I called the doctor today and the nurse told me to soak her in warm water with baking soda, let her "air out" on a towel for a while, wipe her with warm washcloths, and alternate diaper changes with Lotrimin and Desitin. She really enjoyed the soaking. I hope she gets better soon.

Tomorrow morning I'm taking her with me to get a haircut. This should be interesting! I'm going to leave early and drive around, and hopefully she'll fall asleep. Then we're going to Mom's house to meet all the relatives who are coming late tonight.

In case I don't get to the blog in the next few days, everyone have a happy Easter! I will post Baptism pictures next week!

4 weeks old already!

My baby is growing up too fast.

1st Party

We went to Anderson this weekend for Heather's birthday party. Madeleine screamed in the car, but was fine when we got there, as you can see from the picture on Heather's blog.

And we went to Confession this weekend - Madeleine went in with me. Father Richard gave me a decade of the rosary for penance so I was wondering how she would do in the adoration chapel since there were about 15 other people in there. She did great!!! She was wide awake and stared at Jesus the whole time without making a peep.

Today I finished up her Easter/Baptism present. It's a little pink baby bracelet with a silver cross. It turned out really well - she'll be so cute!

Mom is finishing up her list of things to do before the relatives come on Thursday night. I can only dream of being that organized one day!
I ordered a shirt for Madeleine off ebay yesterday that will be perfect for this weekend.... but I'll tell you later in case some of those relatives are reading this.... ;-)

Finally!

We have a real belly button and it is SO cute! The stump FINALLY fell off - the doctor said it would take between 2 and 28 days, and she almost hit the 28 day mark!

Now I can get that little baby tub out and give her a real bath!

Of course, we have no idea where the stump actually is..... I have a sneaking suspicion that it's in our bed somewhere....