6 Weeks Gone!

Wow-today Madison is 6 weeks old! I thought I'd better record my thoughts before I forget everything.

I have to say, the first 3 weeks of her life were amoung the toughest of my entire life. Madison didn't take well to my breast milk as she has turned out to be a very gassy and somewhat colicky baby. Being that I was taking 7 different pills throughout the day and 3 of them affected either Madison's stomach or helped to dry out my milk, there was just too many factors that made it nearly impossible to feed Madison. It was also taking nearly 2-1/2 hours with each feeding because she likes to sleep through them, it was too comfy, so feeding every 3 hours was meaning that I wasn't eating or sleeping.

I must have cried the entire first 10 days I was home, sometimes for no reason. Madison's colick meant that she cried (actually screamed in some cases) for 7-9 hours and sometimes it would carry on for 24 hours. So, no matter how guilty I felt something had to give so we switched to formula. She didn't take the first formula too well, and the Dr thought she may have a lactose intolerance so we tried a Lactose Free. Well, the Lactose free gave her extreme constipation, which made her cry even more. So we tried different bottles and finally after I did a lot of research we found a formula that works for her little system - what a different baby! She's 90% better than on breast milk. Its extremely expensive to feed her formula, especially the one that works for her, its one of the more expensive ones out there, but its worth the sanity and happiness in this house! She's still very gassy and we have a crying spell usually for 1, sometimes 2 hours around dinner time, but other than that she is a good baby. I wouldn't mind her learning to sleep for more than 40 minutes at a stint and more than 2 hours between feedings at night, but we'll work on that more now that she's 6 weeks old!

Some of my favorite memories of this time have been; her baths, learning to smile, learning her different cries, leaving her with babysitters, playing with her on the diaper changing station. Maddy started smiling sometime last week. I tickled her cheek where she has a dimple and she smiled at me and on Wednesday after her nap I went to pick her up and she gave me the biggest smiles when she saw me. Its so aweome to see her smile besides in her sleep when she's peeing. I tickled her little legs today and she squeaked and kicked her feet, so I'm excited for the day she actually giggles. We set up a mirror on the side of the changing station and she loves looking at herself, on the other side is a funny toy that she likes to look at too.

We have to do tummy time on my tummy because she just cried right now when we try it on the floor, but she's taking to playing in her little play yard, she looks at the toys, kicks her feet and stays in there for 20-30 minutes now! She's even taking to the swing this week and will actually nap in there for a couple hours if I leave her there. She didn't like bathing in the little tub at all, so once her belly button fell off and I could immerse her, we started doing it in the big tub and she LOVES her baths! (Until you take her out and get her cold!) She almost smiles when you put her in the warm water. We hold her and let her float and kick her feet and she's always content in there.

I've learned some language already. Her little cries are now becoming language. Her Neh cries mean she's hungry and Eh-Eh mean she's got a burp, or a wet diaper. She doesn't like being wet. When she cries for real its because she's got toots or you can hear her little tummy popping like she's got a belly ache. When she wants food she does what we call "birdy"; she flaps both arms with a fury and munches the air.

We've left her with babysitters already. Grammy & Grampy have taken her while Daddy & I went to a movie and last week Denny & I went to Victoria and a friend of ours offered to take her for a couple hours while Denny & I went for a really nice dinner.

Its so nice to get away, but after two hours I'm ready to rush back and scoop her up...she needs her mommy - right!?! We are so thankful for people who offer to take her while we get out for a bit, and its so nice that her colick is more under control and we know how to cope with it better so we can leave her without worrying so much.

Maddy tends to over-eat and throw up if you aren't watching. She eats for comfort...must be from my side of the family...so you have to watch carefully and learn when she's full or when she's asking for food and doesn't really need it. That's been tough, we've had a few wet shirts and a soaking couch learning this lesson!

I am so excited for Maddy to read all about her life as she grows up, but I get sad thinking that she's going to grow up sometimes. I just pray that God will let us remember and enjoy every new stage she goes through.

Daddy is so good with Madison! I catch him napping with her, reading to her, dancing and singing together, and he feeds her all the time when he's home from work. I could never have imagined the feeling seeing your husband with your baby. Its so amazing looking at her thinking she came from both of us...she's a part of both of us and has our traits! God sure did corner the market on amazing when it comes to babies!

Well, I think that's enough for today...I can't wait to write more as she grows and changes! My body is still healing from the day she was born, but its starting to become just a memory now and I'm looking forward to when I'm 100%. It was all worth it seeing her chubby little face every day, I couldn't love her more!