Maddie's 2 Month Appointment

I took Maddie to the doctor for her two month appointment today.

Weight: 12 pounds 1 ounce (75%)
Height: 22 3/4 inches (75%)
Head: 40.6 cm (90%)

I didn't have any questions to ask since life has gotten much better now that Maddie is going longer in between feedings and not as fussy. Maddie got 4 shots and the oral rotavirus vaccine so it was a tough day and she is now sleeping soundly. At our next appointment (4 months) we will talk about solid foods! Where does time go?

I know I should not make it a habit to compare Anna and Madelyn but I like to see how Maddie is matching up. At 10 weeks, which is one week older than Maddie was today, Anna weighed 11 pounds 13 ounces, was the same height and had a head circumference of 40.1 centimeters.


Madelyn at 2 months



Anna at 2 months

Bottle Update

I am still happy with my bottle choice of Born Free. They are very easy to clean since they have only a few pieces that have to be removed with each cleaning. If I had posted this a few days ago I would have said that the glass bottles are my favorite - I like the weight of them and they heat up quickly in our bottle warmer. However, since then I dropped one in our kitchen sink and of course it shattered into lots of tiny pieces - not exactly something you want to clean up with a toddler running around. I will stick to the BPA-free plastic bottles from now on.

A Lifetime of Memories

This house holds so many memories for me - breakfast on the porch, dragging boogieboards down to the beach, the smell of the charcoal grill, card games, twin beds, and smores to name a few. It was built by my grandfather in the late 40's and has stayed in the family. She's a little tired (ok, so maybe a lot tired) from weathering the Atlantic storms for over 60 years but she has stood strong and changed very little since my adventures there began 28 years ago. This summer marked the end of the family tradition for in the fall the house will be sold and most probably torn down. This year I tried to take in everything - every sight, every smell, every detail - and the picture in my mind is still strong. I know this vivid picture will eventually fade but the memories will forever last.

As we drove away for the last time the song on the radio was It was worth it all. How true! For as much sadness as I have for this tradition ending, it is truly worth the time spent. Now onto new family traditions...

A Family Beach Trip

On Friday morning we loaded up the car and headed to Virginia Beach for a few days of vacationing with my family. Thanks to Maddie's new love for her paci and Anna's love for Veggie Tale movies, we made the 3.5 hour drive with barely a fuss. My husband and I enjoyed having the time to talk to one another (this may have been the longest stretch since Maddie was born). The days were filled with short trips to the beach and lots of playing with the grandparents; the nights filled with great family meals and Rook. The girls were wonderful and slept just as well as they do at home.

I loved playing on the beach with Anna. She loved to fill up her bucket full of sand and even played on the water's edge. A wave would knock her down on occasion, but she kept on playing (brrr!). The ocean breeze kept Maddie from enjoying more than 10 minutes on the beach but she still managed to smile for a few family photos.





What a wonderful vacation!

A Family Photo

Lesson in Translation

Everyday Anna seems to pickup a new word or do something super cute. Here's one of those things. While this may look like a simple game of tackle the pillow, this is actually Anna language for change my diaper please. I'm still not sure why she always lays on her tummy.

The Pacifier

I can remember with Anna that the decision of whether or not to give her a pacifier was a big deal. I read books, we consulted friends and in the end decided to give her one. It took a few days of "practicing" but then Anna was sucking away at the pacifier like a pro. Her pacifier of choice was the Avent newborn. These days Anna still uses the Avent pacifier during naps and nighttime but it is not allowed to leave her crib. This has become my temporary solution until we can break her from it all together (but who wants two kids crying at night?).

Now on to Maddie. Maddie first got a pacifier in the hospital - I was mortified when they asked, but they explained to me that they didn't think they could conduct her hearing test without it (basically, your child won't stop crying!). I had visions of it effecting breastfeeding, etc etc but she never actually took it. A few days after we got home, we opened a box of Avent pacifiers (the hospitals brand of choice was the Mam) and tried to give her one of those. Whenever we could get it past her tongue which insisted on pushing it out, she would gag. So I bought yet another Avent pacifier with a smaller nipple - same result. I asked my pediatrician when a baby has the "skills" to take a pacifier and he said they either like them or they don't, there is no development involved. Hmmmm. Well after nights filled with walking around the house and not being able to console Maddie very easily we decided to try one more type of pacifier. This time we bought the Soothie by The First Years. I have seen other children that come home from the hospital with this pacifier - there is no mistaking this one. The nipple on it is very similar to the bottles we are using with a circular end rather than one that is more flattened. Maddie instantly took this pacifier more easily than the previous ones. She is still not able to keep it in her mouth by herself for very long but it has now gotten us through a meal out and allowed my husband and I to actually sit on the couch together rather than pace the house at night.



So we'll see where it goes from here. On one hand I liked Anna having a pacifier so that when we were out in public she could be easily soothed with it; on the other, I'm not sure I want it to become a habit that it difficult to break later on. And yes, I know it is ironic that I'm pushing so hard for one to take the pacifier while trying to get the other to stop :).

A better nighttime routine makes for a happier mommy

For the past week we have had a consistent bedtime routine which seems to be working much better for us. Previously we were putting Anna to bed at 7:30 and then I would promptly start nursing Madelyn in order to keep her from crying. Madelyn would inevitably cry and then Anna would start crying, so then we had two little ones to comfort. I would then take Madelyn to her room, close the door and sit there in the dim light for 2 to 3 hours rocking and nursing, rocking and nursing. Usually around the 2 1/2 hour mark I would be in tears pleading with Maddie to go to sleep. It was a routine that I knew I could not maintain physically or emotionally. It was time to try something else. This week we moved Anna's bedtime a little later (between 8 and 8:30) and she is now so tired that she is going to bed faster and not being disturbed if Maddie cries. Around 9:00, my husband has been giving Maddie a bottle (~4 ounces) and puts her to bed. I then have some time to straighten up around the house and prepare for the following day before going to bed. These changes have made nighttime more enjoyable for me. I know things will probably soon change as Madelyn continues to develop but for now this is working great for us.

6 Weeks Old

Madelyn is now 6 weeks old and has really started to change in the past week. She is more alert and is starting to take in her surroundings. One thing she has found are the bears on the mobile above her changing table. She looks at them and smiles and makes a few noises - adorable! It is amazing how time flies, enjoy every moment.

Round and round we go

If you stop by our house between 4 pm and 5 pm there is a scene you will likely see - Anna is pushing her stroller in a circle around our house (living room, dining room, kitchen, foyer, living room, dining room, kitchen, foyer and around and around) and I am following behind with Maddie in my arms. During this fussy time in the household this seems to be the best way for me to keep everyone from crying... at least momentarily.

Celebrating 5 Years

Five years ago today I walked down the aisle and married the man of my dreams. At the time we were on the 5 year plan (5 years until kids that is). Needless to say our plans changed for the better with our two beautiful girls. Tonight we will celebrate those five years by leaving both girls with a friend and having some time together. One part of having two kids that I didn't anticipate was the time that my husband and I would lose together.

Before Madelyn, we'd spend the time after Anna went to bed talking or playing a board game; now a good night is when we are able to recap how our days went over dinner while Maddie screams from the other room. While the "divide and conquer" technique works well for taking care of the kids, it leaves little time for real conversation. I'm looking forward to our time out. I love you Erik!

My Little Scooter

In my biased opinion, I think Maddie is very strong for her age. Here's what she can do in a matter of seconds:

The Flipflop Shuffle

Everytime we visit my mom at Peaches 'N Cream Anna ends up with something new (thanks Mimi!). It is usually a new outfit or coordinating hairbow but this time it was the cutest pair of flip flops. Anna still has a long way to go before she can actually walk around in them - right now it is more of a shuffle.

One Month Appointment

Madelyn had her one month appointment yesterday. She surprised me by weighing in at 10 pounds, 7 ounces (77 percentile)! As far as growth, her length was close to what she measured at the hospital but the nurse said they measure differently from the hospital, so yesterday's measurement of 21.25 inches (50 percentile) is our starting point. Her head measured 39.25 cm (90 percentile) keeping in line with the big heads that run in the family.

Maddie has had a rash (called prickly heat) for the past several days and it was good to hear that it is very common in infants, especially in the summer. Unfortunately he said it may last for another 8 weeks and there is nothing that I can do for it. Everything else checked out ok and then Maddie got her second Hepatitis B vaccine.

It's amazing that some things have already changed since Anna was a month old. Next month, Maddie will get the Rotavirus vaccine which Anna never received. Also, there is the recommendation to give Maddie a vitamin D supplement called Tri Vi Sol which again I never gave to Anna.