First Weeks

Having my mom here was wonderful.  She helped out so much – doing laundry, cleaning, and being super supportive and loving; reassuring me that I was doing a good job as a mom. 

Grammer loves her little Maddy!

The Monday we came home from the hospital, we had to bring Maddy to the hospital a couple of times when she got home because she had jaundice and the doctor was concerned about her gaining weight, but fortunately she ended up gaining weight, and our little baby girl didn't need any supplements.

The first couple of weeks being parents have been amazing.  My favorite Maddyisms:

-she sleeps with her arms up by her face (“touchdown Maddy!”)

-she hates to be naked, does NOT like her tummy being washed

-snorts like a little piggy

-sticks her tongue out like a little turtle

-has spasms when she is trying to nurse; gets so excited that she starts 

huffing and can’t start sucking to nurse

-loves her binky

It is so absolutely amazing being a mom.  I never knew that I could love someone this much.  She is so wonderful and so sweet.  I just look at her and want to do everything that I can to protect her and keep anything bad from ever happening to her.  There is not a moment during the day that I don’t think about her.  She is truly everything to me.  I have had some crazy moments – call it sleep deprivation!  I woke up in the middle of the night and thought that she was in the bed – that I had swaddled her and then couldn’t find her in the bed.  I woke up Mitch all worried and told him that I couldn’t find Maddy, so he was looking in the sheets, then I told him that I thought she had rolled under the bed – and he stopped me and said that Maddy was in her basinet.  That was honestly the worst nightmare that I have ever had – and I was awake!  I continue to wake up during the night wondering if I fed her or not.  I also went shopping with my mom while Kim watched Maddy, and when we were about to head home, I realized that I couldn’t find my car keys anywhere – we searched all over, and then I found them in the car – and the car was still running!!  Not good! 

The first few weeks of having Madeline and being a mom have been so much easier than I thought.  My mom and I went for walks, Maddy was sleeping pretty good and nursing pretty good, and I didn’t have any breakdowns…until my mom left.  Then I started to get more emotional, but for the most part I have been doing and feeling great. And it was so wonderful that after my mom came to visit, my sister came a few days later.  It was so wonderful to have her here, and she was such a great help and support to me too.  We had our fill of frozen yogurts and going for walks and just enjoying being together. It was so sweet to see how much she loved her new baby niece too - Maddy you're Aunt Erin sure loves you a lot!