Modesty

Suzanne has a good discussion about modesty going in her comments on this post.

Ken and I have already discussed this issue, and how important it is to our family. My kid will dress modestly, no matter what "everybody else" is doing. She'll also grow up knowing why it's important to be modest.

This reminds me of a story a good friend of mine told. One day in high school she brought home a shirt that wasn't exactly modest. The next day it was gone. When she questioned her mom about it, she matter-of-factly said, "I threw it away." She never brought home an immodest shirt again. This woman has 6 kids, all practicing Catholics, two are priests. I hope to be as good of a mother as her one day!

So those of you who have dealt with this issue, do you have any suggestions for me about how to raise a daughter who understands the virtue of modesty? Or any stories from your own families would be good too!

Summer Vacation starts today

When I was in school. those words made me so happy. This year, they just make me nervous. This year, summer vacation means that I have 3 kids all day instead of 2. In an hour, I have to pick kid #3 up from school and then it begins.....

I hope I can handle it.
I hope Madeleine can handle all the extra noise.
I hope I still get some quiet time with just Madeleine.
I hope she is able to get some good naps.
I hope giving up the dairy helps with her fussiness so I can do more with the other kids instead of just holding a crying baby all day.
I hope it is not TOO hot and humid this summer so we can be outside.

Wish me luck and pray for me.....

Indy 500 weekend

At least that's what I always thought it was called - not Memorial Day weekend!

Dad, Ken, my brother and sister in law went to the 500 yesterday. (I think they went to see Peyton Manning and that guy from Grey's Anatomy!) Mom and I and Madeleine went furniture shopping and out to lunch. They came home after the first rain delay though, so they didn't see the end. I couldn't believe the cars actually got back out on the track after all that rain. And I couldn't believe that Dario Franchitti (Ashley Judd's husband) won after all that. I'm not a big fan of Ashley Judd. I was hoping Danica Patrick would win, but even though she was in second at one point, she finished 8th. Still pretty good.

When we were little, my cousins Joanne and Tom from Rhode Island always came for the race. We looked forward to them coming every year. Joanne always brought me a Gorham teddy bear, which are now all up on Madeleine's shelf. They were my favorite things to play with growing up. They also always brought delicious treats for us and we always had a great time. When we were really little, we'd always go spend the night at our Grandma and Grandpa's house because mom and dad and Joanne and Tom would have to get up so early to drive to the track. Of course they spoiled us - took us out to dinner, bought us treats, and played Old Maid, Crazy 8's and Trouble all day. When they lived on the farm, my brother and I spent hours outside playing in the barn, hunting for bugs, and picking vegetables out of their garden. Good memories.

Joanne and Tom didn't get to come this year, but we can't go too long without seeing them. We think a trip up to Rhode Island will be in our near future... maybe that will be Madeleine's first plane ride! (Hopefully that is ok with them! :)

We got new sheets today - much better than our "bed in a bag" sheets we've had since our wedding - almost 5 years! Can't wait to try them out tonight. They are in the dryer right now.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Tagged

I was tagged for a meme (I still don't know exactly what this word means..) by FloridaWife to list 8 facts about myself, so here goes:

1. I'm 5'9" and can never find pants long enough to fit me.
2. I have a cute black fluffy cat named Roofus, who loves to bring her toys up in the middle of the night and let the whole house know what she's doing. She also has only 4 teeth but she can gum down her food just fine. We adopted her from a shelter and her name was Teresa (?). We named her Reggie but then she just felt more like a Roofus to me, so that name stuck. I like to give nicknames to animals - My cat growing up was named Sasha but I called her McGee, and my mom's dog is named Skipper but I call him Bo.
3. I'd be happy if we never got a dog. This feeling intensifies whenever I see someone walking behind a dog in the middle of Carmel carrying a bag of poop. We're probably going to have to get a dog someday but not until Madeleine is old enough to carry that bag herself. (Or her daddy can do it, since he wants one so much.)
4. I used to be a lifeguard in high school and college and that was my favorite job ever! I wish I could still do that in the summer.
5. My favorite drink is an iced chai from Starbucks. But now that I have to give up dairy, I have to get an iced soy chai which is pretty good but not quite as good. (Soy doesn't seem to bother her, but dairy definitely does now that I've tested it...sad.)
6. I used to teach abstinence education to inner city kids.
7. I majored in Religious Studies at a public university. Most of my classes were taught by a very anti-Catholic Baptist preacher. I used to start a few "discussions" in those classes and got really into apologetics. Also, on tests, I would put the "correct" answer like the teacher wanted, but then I would write next to it that I was just putting that answer because the teacher wanted me to, but that I didn't believe it and explain why.
8. I minored in Spanish and I've been to Mexico about 10 times on mission trips. Also, my first job out of college was the Youth Programs Director for the Hispanic Center in Indy. It was a lot of fun and I started a soccer league, golf club, boxing club, took the kids fishing, art club and several other things. I had a great time with the kids and learned lots of Spanish, however it seems to be true that "if you don't use it, you lose it."

I tag Anne and Brenda and Heather :)

NOKIDS

Mom and I were driving downtown one day to go to confession at St. John's. We got there, and there was a huge line, as there is most every day. Madeleine behaved herself for most of the time, but then when there were about 2 or 3 people in front of us, she started fussing. Mom and I started bouncing her, handing her back and forth, trying to calm her down. The people in front of me let me go in front of them (how nice!) I went in and had a quick confession, as I could hear her crying in the church. I left the confessional, took her from mom, and went outside to the van to feed her and say my penance. I didn't mind having to hurry in confession, and I didn't mind saying my penance in the car instead of the beautiful church. God has given me this gift and I am very happy to do all the work involved, and maybe miss out on a thing or two.

On the way home, we saw a very expensive red sports car. (Who knows what kind it was?!) There was a youngish guy driving it, and his license plate said NOKIDS. At first, I was thinking (and probably said out loud) - "Why don't you hang a sign on your car that says 'I'm so materialistic that I would turn down God's greatest gift for a stupid car?'" But then I got to thinking. He may think he's happy now, with his money and his "carefree" lifestyle. But he can't take his material possessions with him when he dies. When he's home by himself with all his things, he probably feels a little empty inside. He doesn't understand that true joy comes from living the way God wants him to, and from things that are not of this world. So mom and I said a quick prayer for him, and I thanked God for reminding me that "things" are not what is important. When I got home I gave my sweet daughter a big kiss and hug.

Please God let me think of him when I start grumbling about getting up at night, or having to eat my cold dinner in two minutes, or change yet another diaper or outfit, or not having any extra money. Because she is the greatest gift I could ever receive, and I get to take her with me.

Wow!

That prescription cream really worked so far! Her rash has totally cleared up and she's like a different kid - hardly fusses at all, no screaming, and she even took a nap in her swing. She must have been itching really bad! We had an unexpected day off yesterday because Ava was sick, so we hung out at Mom's house. Mom was saying how different she seemed - very alert, looking around, and not fussing - yeah! I'm also giving up dairy, which is really hard because I love milk and cheese and yogurt (and Starbucks!!) Hopefully that will help too.

*Sigh*

Sorry, I left this post with just a title for a while! Really, I just got interrupted and accidently hit the post button :)

Well, we went to the doctor. He said she has atopic dermatitis, possibly excema, which is very sensitive skin caused by allergies. Poor little thing. So we have to do several things.

1. Prevention - by only taking one bath every three days, and all of her stuff (soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, diapers, etc) has to be fragrance free and hypoallergenic.

2. We have to put Eucerin or Lubriderm all over her every day if she does not have a rash.

3. If she does have a rash (which she does right now), we have to put this prescription cream on her which I got today. We also have to put 1% hydrocortizone cream on her diaper area and alternate it with Lotrimin, since she has a diaper rash AND a yeast infection. No wonder the poor kid has been so fussy! I also bought some hypoallergenic, fragrance and chlorine free diapers from Wild Oats, since the doc said that a lot of the main brands of diapers put fragrance in them and that is not good for her sensitive skin either.

If these things do not help, I have to start cutting things out of my diet (like all dairy, peanuts, and any allergy causing foods.) He also said to keep her away from irritants, and also delay starting solid foods as long as possible since her dad has a food allergy. And if all of this does not help, he said the last resort is to put her on a special, very expensive formula. I really hope we don't have to do that. He said that a lot of kids grow out of this by 6 or 8 months. I really hope so, poor thing.

11 weeks old

And we are officially in 3-6 months clothes today! This weekend I packed up almost all of her 0-3 month clothes (there are a few outfits that still fit), and hung up all her 3-6 month clothes. She has a TON! We have a lot of Ava's stuff, although since she was born in November, most of her clothes are for colder weather. Mom bought her 9 (yes 9!) new outfits when she was in Myrtle Beach, and she had some other outfits in that size from the showers. Also, before Mom went nuts buying her clothes, I had taken some duplicate things back that we were given and gotten her 4 new outfits. I think she's pretty much set for this size - I hope she stays in it for a while!

We had a good girls night in on Saturday with Lori, although I don't think fussy girl Madeleine made a very good first impression. And I could not stay up for the whole movie we tried to watch.

On Sunday Ken's dad, mom, brother and 6 year old niece Daphne came over. Ken's brother Terry has a Jeep, and they took out a few trees in our front yard and trimmed some dead branches. Daphne made a new friend with Ryan from next door, and they played outside together. She also painted Madeleine a few pictures. The kid is a pretty good artist!

Madeleine still has a rash on her arms, legs, and chest. So I have made her an appointment with her pediatrician today. I actually called him on Friday and he said not to worry about it. However, I'm going to do the new mom thing and take her in anyway, especially since it seems to be getting worse. Hopefully he can help her out!

4 generations

Yay!

Lori, my best friend from college, is coming today! She lives in southern Indiana, and hasn't met Madeleine yet (hope she behaves!) Ken's band is playing a gig on the south side of Indy tonight so we're having a girls night in. I got pizza, some Ben and Jerrys (pistachio and chunky monkey), and hopefully there's some kind of chick flick on pay-per-view.

Fussy girl update

She seems to be doing much better the past few days! Thank you everyone for all your advice and words of encouragement. Maybe it was a phase, maybe it was because I cut way back on the caffeine. Sorry this picture is so bad, but I couldn't believe this. I laid her down on the floor to look at the ceiling fan (the kid loves a ceiling fan!) and she fell asleep on the floor! By herself!

This is great

This ridiculous article was published in the Indianapolis Star yesterday.

My husband's response, which was published today.

The unedited version of his response that he submitted to the Star:

Marie Cocco’s editorial regarding so-called “right wing” Catholics and how they will address Giuliani represents a confoundedly dense view of what being “Catholic” means. First, the Catholic Church cannot be divided into convenient political spectra just to simplify an issue for a lazy columnist. There is no right or left wing, there is only Catholic. The descriptors come into play only when one deviates from Catholic truths. Case in point: abortion. It is, and has always been, the position of the Catholic Church that abortion is morally and spiritually wrong. Period. Therefore, a Catholic who adheres to this belief is simply “Catholic.” Not right wing, not neo-con, not ultra-conservative. Conversely, a Catholic who supports a pro-choice agenda is rightly singled out as such: a pro-choice Catholic – even if such an identifier is as logical as a “pro-theft police officer.”

Second, Ms. Cocco attempts to equate pro-death penalty Catholics with pro-choice Catholics. This reflects ignorance of the Catholic faith (if only there was a book, a Catechism if you will, where she could have researched this – but I have a feeling that for her if it doesn’t appear in a CNN sound bite it doesn’t exist). For one, the Catholic Church acknowledges a state’s right to ensure the safety of its populace, which if necessary may include the death penalty if it is the only way to ensure such safety. Granted, the qualifications the Church places on the use of the death penalty makes it, in practice, untenable in a country like the U.S., but the point stands that there is no per se prohibition as compared to abortion.

Finally, Ms. Cocco would have unsuspecting readers believe that Catholics (meaning by definition the pro-life variety, lest Ms. Cocco and her ilk be confused) will be flummoxed by Giuliani’s position as both a pro-choice and a conservative. Have no fear, Ms. Cocco, we Catholics have resources which you apparently can’t comprehend to discern how we will address the pressing issues facing us, and fortunately for us, those resources contain wisdom and truth that utterly obfuscate the need for opinionated hack columnists whose opinion of faith, morality, and spirituality was apparently formed during a three-minute conversation at a cocktail party. Giuliani will receive, and deserves, the same scrutiny from Catholics as does any politician who seeks the vote of a Catholic. And in case no one has noticed, there indeed has already been much grumbling by conservatives – Catholic and otherwise – about Giuliani’s abortion position. Which leads me to wonder what exactly Ms. Cocco’s point was in the first place.

Fussy

What is going on?! For the past several days Madeleine has been SO fussy. She screams whenever I put her down, and won't nap unless I'm holding her. It's kind of hard to take care of an 18 month old at the same time when I have to hold her all day long. And even when I hold her sometimes it doesn't help.

Am I eating something that doesn't agree with her?
Am I spoiling her?

Is there something wrong with my parenting?

Maybe she's going through a growth spurt and not getting enough to eat? Maybe she is not getting enough quality naps?

Is she just a high maintenence kid?

I don't want to let her cry (although I've done that for 5 or 10 minutes here or there when, you know, I need to take a quick shower, go to the bathroom, etc).
Grace was so helpful yesterday. I had to leave Madeleine in her bouncy seat when I went upstairs to get Ava out of her crib and change her diaper. By the time we got back down, Madeleine was screaming and Ava was screaming too. Grace went over to Madeleine and made funny faces until she stopped. Then I had to pick her up and put her in the sling b/c that is the only way she'll nap (and she'd been up for several hours!) Ava was crying because she wanted me to hold her instead of the baby. Grace tried lots of different things to help Ava, and finally got her to stop crying by giving her some chips and juice.
But seriously, I need some advice. When Ava was this age, she used to just hang out and watch the world in her bouncy seat, and eventually fall asleep. Madeleine is not happy unless I'm holding her or she's in the sling. When I'm doing these things, she's a very happy, smiley baby. But I just can't hold her all day and also take care of Ava and get anything else done. What can I do? Any advice? Please tell me this is just a phase.

Madeleine and Grace, my little helper

First Mother's Day

We had a great Mother's day. On Saturday we met Ken's mom and dad for breakfast, then had a cookout at my parents' house in the afternoon. Mom and Dad got me a Willow Tree statue called "Child of my Heart," it's a mother holding a baby. It is beautiful! Ken stayed with Madeleine for the first time ever by himself and I went and got a pedicure. That was some nice pampering but I sure missed my baby for that hour!! That is the longest I've ever been away from her.

Sarah Bauer (go to her site on my sidebar) has a new album coming out in June called Radiance. We got to hear it early - yay! Here's a quote from my favorite song:

"Daily chores, so mundane, where was all the meaning? Diapers, clean clothes put away, wondering while she's feeding. Future leader in her arms, she'll keep him safe from harm. Do these small things mean a thing? Rock him gently, hear her sing, 'Take my ordinary, like water into wine. Create extraordinary, transform this life of mine. These gifts are Yours, use them for Your glory. Take me, make me extraordinary.'"

It's a really great album, and that is definitely my favorite song. I'll quote some other songs as it gets closer to being released. Sarah I hope I got the words all right!

Good thing she has lots of clothes

1st outfit of the day

2nd outfit

And it was only 9 am.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Ellen Show was on and she read this submission to a contest from a viewer:

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom. Well, we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick.. LOVES IT. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done. Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood. We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth. And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

New clothes

Ken didn't think that last picture was too flattering, so here is another one. This is her very first 3-6 month outfit. And yes, this is the same one from the story a few posts back. It's already been through the washer and dryer today. She will sleep in her bouncy seat as long as my foot is bouncing it. I'm getting good at bouncing and typing at the same time!

Fat Baby in a Little Sling

Holy.....

Subtitled: Ken's going to have another diaper changing lesson tonight.

And: I'm going to Starbucks this afternoon.

I get to work at 8:00am. Madeleine sits in her carseat, just watching us happily, while I get Ava's breakfast, change her diaper, and put her down for her morning nap.
I go to pick up Madeleine, and I've never seen so much poop in my LIFE. Her diaper was on completely crooked. (Practice makes perfect, Ken!) It was all over her brand new 3-6 month outfit (first one today!) that my friend Jenny got her. We are going out to lunch with her and her son Jack today so I wanted to make sure she wore this particular outfit. It had a shirt and overalls. The poop was all over the shirt, the overalls, the carseat, the straps, EVERYTHING. I didn't have anywhere to put her, so I just had to put her on the changing pad, so poop got all over that too. Of course there was a load of clothes in the washer and the dryer, so I had to fold the clothes in the dryer, move the other clothes over, take the entire carseat apart, and wash everything. I also had to strip the poor baby completely down and clean her off with wipes as best as I could and then leave her poor little naked self (well, with a diaper) in the bouncy seat while I cleaned everything. And I had to clean all the straps with clorox wipes and then rinse them with water. So now we are waiting for everything to dry so we can go out to lunch.
I'm so glad that everything they make for babies is washable.

I called Ken to tell him about it, and he said, "I guess this is going on the blog, isn't it?"

Yep.

The funny thing is, I really didn't mind it that much. I mean, this is my vocation, and it involves cleaning up a LOT of messes. I just knew it would be a funny story to tell later. Of course it would have been even funnier if it had happened to Ken - he's a little scared of poop. :-)

Stress

I've found that one of the most stressful things I can experience is my baby screaming in the backseat of the car while I'm driving and can't do anything about it. Well, today I found something more stressful.

I was driving home and both kids were relatively quiet in the car, so I decided to stop at the bank to deposit a check. I drove back to the drive thru, and there are two lines. One line had 4 cars in it and the other one had one. So I chose to go in the line that had one. Well, as soon as I got stuck in line, Madeleine started screaming. 10 minutes later (still in line), Ava couldn't take it anymore and started crying too. I knew what she was feeling - I kind of felt like crying too. Well, of course, all 4 cars in the other lane made their transactions and drove away, and the woman in the car in front of me was still sitting there. I was getting really on edge with both kids screaming, so I backed up and tried to go in the other lane. Apparantly I misjudged the distance and I scraped the entire side of my van on the red pole dividing the two lanes. I heard the most terrible scraping/crunching sound (over the screaming, so I knew it had to be bad.) The two people working at the bank window saw the whole thing and offered their condolences. The kids were still screaming and as I drove away, I started to cry too. Talk about stress.

Fortunately, the story has a relatively happy ending. I got home, fed Ava and put her down for her nap, fed Madeleine and put her in the swing, went outside and was able to rub all but the tiniest speck of red paint off my white van. I can barely tell anything happened.

Isn't this kind of like confession? When I do something to offend God, there must be a mark on my soul like the awful red mark on my white van. Then I go to confession, ask God's forgiveness, and he takes the sin away, making my soul look new again. Maybe God's telling me I need to go to confession.....

Denial

Hmm... do you think this kid is ready to move out of her 0 - 3 month clothes? Look at that belly!! I bought this outfit at a little boutique that was going out of business right after we found out she was a girl. (80% off - that's the only way I could afford anything in that store! I got a great diaper bag there too.) So she had to wear it once - after all, it's one of the only outfits that I have actually picked out and bought for her! I was waiting for the weather to be warm enough - and yesterday it got up to 88 degrees. I'm sad to pack away all her 0 - 3 month clothes. She is growing so fast.

Does Every Mother

Think her baby is the most beautiful baby in the whole world?!

Cause I do :)

Mexico

I've gone on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico almost every summer since I was 15. I skipped the year that I got married (2002), and last year because I found out I was pregnant right before the trip, but other than those, it's been a yearly event. We go with a group from Loogootee, IN to help out the Missionaries of the Cross, a group founded by Father John Tasto. Father John is originally from Indiana, and is the uncle of a friend who has 12 children! (They had 10, and then almost 4 years after the 10th, they had twins!) That family is amazing, but that is a story for another day.

Anyway, thinking of all the experiences that have influenced my life, Mexico is right there on the top of the list. I have gotten to spend time with some of the holiest people I can imagine (the sisters and Father John.) Their whole lives are focused on Jesus and helping the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa actually helped Madre Maria found their order, and they live out the same vows as the Missionaries of Charity. They also demonstrated to me at a very young age that holiness and following Jesus doesn't supress one's personality, but rather enhances it. We went to the beach, played volleyball, hit pinatas, had parties, ate meals and went shopping with these sisters. We also visited some of the poorest houses I've ever seen. I had the opportunity to hold babies, change diapers, play with some of the happiest children I've ever met, attend mass, pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day, and teach classes. I was also the unofficial translator of the group, so that meant I got to go everywhere!

I probably won't be going back for several years now, and that makes me a little sad. It's one of the weeks I look forward to most every year. But God is calling me to a different vocation at this point in my life, and I am so blessed. I hope someday to take Madeleine and my future children down to spend some time with the sisters and Padre.

Going on these trips has taught me that happiness does not depend on material possessions, but rather on living my life for Jesus. Whatever God calls me to do in this life, and even if I never get to return to Tijuana, I will always be grateful for the time I got to spend with these holy women, and I'll always remember all the love that I experienced, all the lessons I was taught, and all the people who touched my life. I pray that with these experiences I became more of the person that God wants me to be, and that I will be able to extend these gifts I've been given to the people around me.

Possibly

the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

2 month shots

Were not fun. But also not as bad as I thought. She got 3 shots and an oral vaccine. She jumped a mile and had big tears rolling down her cheeks. It was sad. The doctor said she looks great, and she is up to 12 lbs and 23 inches! She gained over a pound and grew an inch and a half in one month. She is doing great. I brought her home and fed her afterwards and she seems to be back to her smiley self.

We had a good weekend. Lots of garage sales - so Madeleine got some really great "new" clothes and Ken and I got a queen comforter set that is really nice. We've been needing one for a long time. Then we had our niece Frannie's first communion yesterday. Ken had gotten her a beautiful rose petal rosary when he traveled to Rome in 2000. She was only 1 year old then so her mom saved it for Ken to give to her on her first communion. He wrote a beautiful letter to her about his experience. The rosary is blessed by Pope John Paul II, and he told her that he would probably be a saint someday, so she'd have a rosary blessed by a saint!! Yesterday was also Ken's 7th anniversary of becoming Catholic.

We had a lot of Mexican food on Saturday - which was probably the reason for the screaming fest all afternoon yesterday. We went to Abuelos for lunch. My friend Courtney works there and hadn't seen the baby, and they were having some fun Cinco de Mayo activities. Then Sarah and Chris had a Burrito party since Sarah had won 25 burritos from Chipotle. It was a great time. Maybe next time I shouldn't eat SO much spicy Mexican food in one day. You'd think she would like it though, since that is pretty much all I could eat in my first trimester... (Ken was a good sport about that!) Sarah has an amazing song about mothers on her new CD... maybe she'll let me quote my favorite part on here?

Also we took the Graco double stroller back and got a Safety 1st one. This one had better work. And Ken and my dad finally put a new mailbox post in, from the winter when someone hit it with their car and knocked it forward. And it wasn't me this time!

The pregnancy issues just keep coming

You'd think they'd be over with since this kid is going to be 2 months old tomorrow! But no. I went to the dentist today, and unfortunately, my 27 year record of no cavities has come to an end. They actually asked if I had acid reflux or if I was bulemic because they said I had some damage caused by acid on the back of my front teeth. I said no, but that I had just had a baby and had severe morning sickness. They said that would do it, and that it had also caused my cavity. Oh well... 27 years was a good run, and of course the kid was worth it! Now Ken's trying to scare me by telling me about the drilling. It can't be THAT bad, can it??

We had a very nice day off today - hung out with mom, ran some errands, looked at some garage sales. (Mom got a nice booster seat for Madeleine (and Ava) for $5.) My dentist's office is in this really nice neighborhood, Village of WestClay. Actually NICE is not the word for it. It has million dollar homes, like CEOs of big companies live there - and some Colts players of course. And yeah, I know - only in Indiana would a person get to have a race car driver for a dentist! Anyway, we saw the sign that they're having their neighborhood garage sale tomorrow, so mom and my sister in law and I are going. We missed it last year, but we did catch it the year before. I bought our coffee table and end table there. I guess the people there just get new furniture all the time because they had some really nice things that I could never afford new, but they were selling for really cheap. I remember 2 years ago seeing a rack of designer baby girl clothes for $1 each. I should have bought them all! I guess most of these people don't have very many kids. If I had a house that big I'd have like 20 kids ;-) (You'd need that many to keep it clean!) Of course I'd have that many anyway, if God thinks I can handle it ;-)

More Double Stroller Issues

I just want to take these two girls out with no problems! (Well, at least no more problems than the girls themselves will give me!)

Babies R Us had the stroller that I wanted, but not in a box. They would not sell me the floor model. They said they'd order it for me, but it could take up to 2 weeks. Well, I can't wait that long. So we went to Target. They had the Graco Duoglider, but it was $20 cheaper. I bought it, brought it home, tried it out, and found that our Graco carseat does not fit very well into it. Also, it seems a little more cheaply made than the one I tried out. So hopefully we'll find the right one sometime this weekend.

I've resorted to carrying Madeleine in the sling and pushing Ava in the regular stroller. I just can't bring myself to use the Jeep one again. Today is our neighborhood garage sale and I might try to put it out to sell. But I do feel kind of guilty for selling it to some poor unsuspecting mother. Of course, it might not do as badly if they don't have such a heavy toddler in the front, but who would know?

Anyway, enough with those issues. I have the day off tomorrow! Yeah - a 3 day weekend! I am going to the dentist in the morning (Mom's going with me to watch Madeleine in the waiting room), and then hopefully we'll do something fun. And I'm hoping to keep my 27 year record of NO CAVITIES!

Sarah and Chris came over last night and made us Linguine with Clam sauce - delicious! We also got to hear Sarah's new album. It is really great! Check out her link on the side of my page. Her 3rd album, Radiance, should be out sometime in June. Sarah's also having a Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday and hopefully Madeleine will behave.

Sunday we have Frannie's first communion. She's our niece and Ken's Goddaughter. I love first communion. Come to think of it, today is the 20th anniversary of my first communion! I wish I was organized enough to post a picture of that, like Ma Beck, but I'm not!

By the way, I added several blogs that I read. I hope no one minds!

Madeleine is sleeping on my chest, and Ava is upstairs in the crib. Have I mentioned how much I love nap time? ;-)

Speaking of Catholic Dads

Ken is doing a great job. It's interesting to see the different parenting styles that we have. I think Madeleine (and our future children) will really benefit from having such a great daddy. One of my best memories so far of Ken with Madeleine is this: Ken always holds her while I take a shower in the evenings (no time in the mornings, unfortunately!) One day I stepped out of the shower and heard him singing "What a Wonderful World" in his best Louie Armstrong voice to her. Then he started singing a U2 song. She was loving it.
He also has figured out the best way to calm her down when she is screaming - deep knee bends. It ALWAYS works. He is the best person at calming her down.
He is also really helping me out with all the household duties. He's been cooking and cleaning EVERY night! Am I lucky or what?
And he gets her dressed in the mornings. (I lay her clothes out the night before.) She is always so happy when he changes her (even though he's had some issues lately - like putting her shirt on backwards the last 2 days!) He's learning! And she's becoming really smiley. She loves it when her daddy comes home in the evening and talks to her.
My little angel is only 8 weeks old. I'm looking forward to seeing Ken develop more as a Daddy, hopefully of a very large family someday too!

Catholic Dads

I found this great blog today:

www.catholic-dads.blogspot.com

Ken you should start a blog and join!

Night and Day difference

Much Better

Now I can actually take both girls out! I think we're going for a walk on the Monon trail today. It's beautiful weather again. I love spring!

Last night Madeleine slept for 6 HOURS STRAIGHT! I kept waking up to see what was going on! That has never happened before, but it was great. She slept from 9:30 to 3:30, then woke up again at 6:30. That was the best sleep I've gotten since I was about 7 months pregnant.

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....

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?