Miss Madelyn Grace

I finally feel like I have a minute to sit and write about what's been going on in the wonderful life of Miss Madelyn Grace.

First, the important stuff. Maddie had a checkup last night and is doing just great. Our little chunk of heaven weighed in at 10lbs. 15oz. (95%) and is 21 3/8 inches (75%) long. Needless to say, she is definitely thriving. It's funny to think that a baby that sounds so big is still, to me, such a little peanut. She spent her first few weeks with a bit of a gas "problem" but seems to be doing so much better. She would grunt a lot and often look pretty uncomfortable but, after some great advice from her doctor, that seems to have pretty much gone away. Holding her more upright during feedings seemed to do the job! She holds her head up longer and longer and doesn't seem to mind tummy time at all which is great. She does prefer to sleep on her side than her back which makes me a little nervous but she wakes up in the exact position she falls asleep in so that's good. I still wrap her like a little burrito so she can't really move much anyway :). All in all, physically, she's doing awesome so thank God for that.

Now, otherwise....

Oh, Miss Madelyn. She is something else. So sweet and so chunky :). I swear this little girl just keeps the blessings coming. Every day, at the exact same time that Ana takes a nap, she blesses me with a nice long nap of her own - just the break I need to get me through sometimes. It's a blessing to have that time to myself but, I have to be honest, most of the time I end up napping right along with her. I cherish my alone time with her beyond words and feel the need to take in as much as I can. Maybe because there's not as much of it there, or maybe because she just makes it so darn wonderful. Anthony has already dubbed her a mommy's girl which is just fine by me. When she fusses all she needs is my touch to calm her down and I love that. I could look at her for hours and kiss those chubby cheeks for days. She has big bright eyes and a smile that you can't help but fall in love with. The more awake time she has, the more curious and interested she is in everything around her. When I hold her on my chest she's constantly pushing up with those little legs. And when we go out, what a trooper. She is definitely my little girl and Ana's little sister because she does awesome whenever we go. Everyday, no matter how small the trip, the three of us make our way out the door. We've hit countless stores, friends' houses, and the park. And every morning we go for our daily walk/very slow jog :). She does awesome. Never a peep out of her (well, except for when I put her in her car seat but the second that car starts up she's good to go). How did I get so lucky to have another girl that meshes with me so well? I have no idea but I really hope God knows how thankful I am.

I wish I could say that I've been able to permanently engrave these last few weeks into my memory but honestly it's all gone so fast. A lot of it is a blur and it's felt a little surreal to have so much going on at once (a newborn, a toddler, a husband, a home, my friends, my family) but boy oh boy, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Even though I may not be able to tell anyone what day of the week we're on I have somehow managed to treasure every second of the last 3 weeks and 4 days. And even though I may not be able to recite, in 5 years, what Maddie was doing when she was just 3 weeks old, I don't doubt for a second that the feelings I have right now will stay with me forever.

P.s. Did I mention she slept 7 hours straight last night? I told you, she just keeps 'em coming!