Cute Little Goo

I am so behind on blogging and posting pictures!

Maddie is smiling like crazy, and it it so adorable. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get her on camera doing it. This one is close:

I've also been trying to get pictures of Maddie with the cats. Unfortunately, none of the cats is interested in Maddie, and the feeling seems to be mutual. I took this one by putting sleeping Maddie down on the recliner next to Tita (you can tell how thrilled the cat is):

My friend Tammy gave Maddie a stuffed dalmation named Boo after Tammy's own dog. Maddie loves her Boo, probably because he is black and white, which are favorite colors for babies this age. I made Patrona get in the picture too, but she wasn't happy about it:

Here, she is saying, "Check out my mom!":

It seems like there are a lot of times when Maddie doesn't really sleep very well if I put her down to lie flat on her back. Sometimes I sit her up in the recliner, which is so cute:

A cute close-up:

On her activity mat:

Hanging out in her car seat:

After Daddy dressed her (note the hat and pink socks with the red outfit):

Her adorable profile:

In other news, Maddie has been sleeping through the night for almost two weeks now. In fact, the same week that I moved her into her crib, she started sleeping in seven hour stretches at night. I almost wish I had moved her into her own room sooner. Needless to say, I have been getting lots more sleep lately, and I think everyone benefits!

Maddie's two-month doctor appointment was this morning. She is now 23 inches and 12 pounds 5 ounces. She had her rotavirus vaccination, which is oral, and then promptly threw it up. She also got two shots, which was difficult for both of us. I was warned that she could be cranky, sleepy and feverish over the next couple of days, but so far, Maddie is handling the vaccinations very well.

The latest nickname is "Goo", as in "A-goo", which is something Maddie says a lot in her baby language. Hank, of course, was the one to start calling her this. He loves his little Goo!

The Mom Gang

I have been fortunate that there is a mom/baby group that meets at the hospital every week. New moms get together with nurses to discuss issues and problems on Monday mornings, and the group has also gotten together each week at a park to picnic, play with the babies, and walk. Yesterday, there were nine of us who met at Bellevue State Park for a lunchtime outdoor concert. After it was over, we all took our strollers and set out on the trails. With all nine of us, I swear we looked like some sort of gang coming to take over the park. We had fun, and I will definitely miss getting together with these ladies once I go back to work in a few weeks.

The Clock Is Ticking

I am going back to work on October 6th, and I can't believe it! Fortunately, I have arranged to be able to return early, in exchange for having a few weeks part-time. I think this will help with the transition, but I know that going back to work will still be incredibly difficult.

The last couple of weeks have been so much fun with Maddie, and she is growing so fast! She has started licking everything that crosses anywhere near her mouth, and she is cooing like crazy. She is smiling and observing everything that happens around her. She spends more time awake, which has made it a little harder to update the blog.

I moved Maddie to her crib this weekend. I thought it would be a lot harder than it was, but I think she actually sleeps better there than in the bassinet. I also sleep better, since I can't lie awake listening to every little noise she makes. Maddie is still waking every three hours during the night, but getting her down has become much easier than before, so she and I are at least getting to bed earlier.

I made two major discoveries last week that have made life a little bit better. I should be paid for the following testimonials:

1. Maddie has had baby acne, but my friend Christen told me switching to Dove for sensitive skin for her bath. It worked within one day, which was unbelievable!

2. I bought a few meals from Super Suppers, which is a place that has take and bake frozen dinners. Hank and I were overly reliant on take-out even before having a baby, and I have been worried about how we would be able to manage having nutritious dinners once I returned to work. Everything we have had from Super Suppers has been delicious, and I am so excited that we won't be eating pizza every night!

Gotta run. Just a quick update, but I will post more soon!

Professional Shots

We had professional photos done for Maddie's one-month birthday. Enjoy!