Life with Maddie Leigh

Has anyone ever tried telling you "never have a baby" or "babies are so much work" or my personal favorite "you can kiss your social life goodbye"? If so, those people are on crack! Yes, having a baby is hard work, and yes it is exhausting and your social life changes, but it is also rewarding and FUN. Life with Maddie Leigh is everything I thought it would be and more. We are blessed with such a sweet, little chick and watching her learn new things is exciting. The first time she rolled over, I just about died inside! I am convinced she is a baby genius...just like every mother thinks their baby is a "baby genius! ;) I write in her baby book constantly. I do not want to forget anything! We love her so much.

As a new mom, I find myself focusing 110% on our baby. So much that I swear my brain does not have enough capacity for anything else. I am constantly forgetting stuff everywhere, and I can barely complete a task without getting side tracked. I am that mom that leaves things behind no matter how much inventory I take before walking out my door or someone else's door! And I can't help it, MATT, if I do not replace the toilet paper...Maddie wanted to show me how she jumps in her jumparoo! ;) Matt has been understanding of my lack of brain cells lately. Thank you, husband, for letting me be a hot mess 95% of the time! I hope I am not the only new mom out there that can't function like a normal human being. I mean come on...how fun is it to watch your baby do his/her new tricks and then call 9 different people to tell them how he/she "found their feet!". Point being...thank you family and friends for sounding amused and agreeing with me that Maddie is basically, that's right, a BABY GENIUS. (hehe)

So, on to life with Maddie Leigh. At 5 1/2 months old she is loving her toys and her jumpy saucer. She just loves to work those little legs into a frenzy. We are in big trouble when she learns to walk. She also LOVES to scream at Morgie and Feni (our dogs). She watches their every move. I must say, they are both very good with her. Maddie will grab their ears or try to stick their noses in her mouth and they go with the flow. Her food palate is expanding too. She still drinks from bottles, but we recently introduced baby food (in the little jars). Beachnut brand is her favorite. I tried the organic stuff, and she was not into it! Go figure. She likes the good shit! Her favorite fruit is applesauce and her favorite veggie is anything orange. Sweet potatoes, sweet carrots and sweet corn! She has really gotten the hang of eating from her baby spoon too. She lunges at it like she hasn't eaten in days! She knows as soon as I stick that bib on her it's go time. I knew I called her the chick for a good reason...her little mouth is open like a baby bird before I even dip the spoon in her bowl. It is so fun to laugh with the chick. She is getting such a personality! Here are some pictures from this summer.

Maddie with her cousins (Connor and Sydney). Visiting Nana and Papa in Dallas!

Maddie Leigh having a fun time on her jungle gym. Chick loves a jungle  gym.

Her jumparoo! She goes nuts in this thing.

Daddy and the Chick. Twins!

Mmmmm sweet potatoes.

Mommy and the Chick. How cute is that face!?

Maddie also started at her new daycare on October 8th. It is an at home daycare in Methuen, and so far so good! Miss Liza (the daycare provider) sends me pictures every day Maddie is there, and writes in a book telling me all about Maddie's day. I am still getting used to someone else caring for my baby, and cuddling with my baby. I can't help but think I should be the one doing all of that. It is hard for Matt and I to adjust to the whole daycare concept, but I know it will be good for her in the long run. She has already made little baby friends. :)

Maddie's new friend at daycare. His name happens to be Matty. Ironic.

I will try to keep up with my blogging, especially now that Maddie is getting more and more active. I can't wait to see her crawl and walk! She is such a special chickie!

Sweet Chick <3

I am your MOTHER because...

I became your mother long before you were born. At 4 weeks pregnant my life and everything that interested me or consumed me went out the window. You became the center of my attention. I am your mother because at every, single doctor appointment and ultrasound I held my breath because I wanted nothing more in the world than to see or hear your heartbeat. I am your mother because I wanted everything...from the nursery to the "coming home outfit"...to be perfect for you. I am your mother because the second you were born I automatically reached for you, like a reflex, an instinct. I am your mother because I often look back at pictures from a few months ago and cry because you are growing so fast. I cry when I write in your baby book, and I cry when you get your shots at the doctors office. I am your mother because one of my favorite times of the day is rocking you to sleep and I get jealous when it is Daddy's turn. I am your mother because I worry if you ate enough, slept enough, hell...I even worry about what outfit you are going to wear! I am your mother because I despise the day I miss your first steps if you are at daycare. I am your mother because when I take you for walks I plot out how I will kick anyones ass that dares to come too close in a threatening manner. I am your mother because even when I am functioning on zero sleep, there is nothing I want to do more than take care of you. When you cry, my first instinct is to pick you up, and when I am not with you I count down the hours until I get to see you.  I am your mother and I am blessed.

Maddie Leigh's Nursery

Here are some pictures of the chick's nursery! Ironic how we worked so hard on this room, and she is never up here...yet! Our bedroom is on the first floor, and Maddie's nursery is on the second, so with her still sleeping in a cradle in our room, we rarely go up here. Lately we have been coming up to read a book or play on her jungle gym since she is starting to be more alert and awake, but it is always a short period of time. My plan is to start getting her to take naps in her crib so she starts to get used to the bigger space and room. Hopefully by the time I go back to work in August she is sleeping up here during the night as well. Fingers crossed...

Dresser and changing table.

Maddie's lotions and butt paste! Butt paste is amazing for diaper rash. Oh and those little white shoes have her name and birth date on the bottom of them.

Some of Maddie's dolls in a cute toy crib she got as a gift.

Reading/rocking nook.  

Crib! Morgie loves sleeping on Maddie's ladybug rug.

Shutters we had put in...keeps the room nice and dark for nap time.

Book holder I made before she was born.

Adorable frame from Matt's aunt and uncle.

Hamper

We finished adding her name just in time...she was born a few days later!

Maddie'c closet full of clothes, toys and of course DIAPERS!

Pictures on the wall

Maddie's Room.

Play corner

Here are some of Maddie's newborn pictures we hung around the house. I am obsessed with her!

Last but not least, some pictures of the chick! I couldn't resist :)

We have big, gummy smiles!

The chick in her first dress. A little big, but we made it work.

First time in the swing...slightly terrified. Now she LOVES it.

The sassy chick!

Family outing to Newburyport

Baby Buddha Ha!

The Birth of Madison Leigh!

Madison Leigh was born on April 23, 2012 at 11:42AM. She was 6lbs 4oz (thank god she was no bigger!) and 19 1/2 inches long. Here is her birth story...

I had just turned 37 weeks the Saturday before I delivered little miss Maddie. Full term according to my doctor! I even posted my 37 week bump picture on Facebook Sunday night. Funny how I thought I had another 3 weeks to mentally prepare for our baby's arrival. She came fast and furious, which is so her. I remember being really uncomfortable ALL weekend...more than normal at this stage. I had been extra tired, but I was also severely pregnant so I did not think anything of it. Morgie, my female Boxer, had been EXTRA clingy the past couple of days, but she is always a stage 5 clinger...so again, I did not think much of it. Matt kept joking she knew the baby was coming. She was so right.

Fast forward to Monday morning around 5:15am (4/23/12). I felt something weird "down there" and I remember my eyes flying open and looking at the clock. I got up to go to the bathroom thinking I still had another 45 minutes to sleep before I had to get ready for work. As I walked to the bathroom I thought to myself "I think I peed my pants". How am I supposed to go to work when I am now at the stage that I pee my pants!? I wake Matt up and tell him this. I decide today I am going to stay home and deal with this issue. Maybe buy myself some freakin diapers. I change and get back into bed and about 10 minutes later I start feeling these cramps. Kind of like menstrual cramps but definitely stronger. I get another cramp 7 minutes later. Then it dawns on Matt and I that I did not pee my pants and it could have been my water starting the slowly leak. Well crap! My bag is half ass packed and I need to shower and flat iron my hair. I hop in the shower at 5:45ish AM. Matt is checking his work email...no big deal. I start timing my contractions...6 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes. I finish doing my hair because of course I'm going to look awesome while giving birth, and of course I put in my pearl earrings. I throw some last minute things into my bag (useless crap that was so unnecessary - this is so me) and I start really feeling the contractions, which at this point are 3 minutes apart. I look at Matt and I'm like "we need to go...like now". He still has to shower! So he jumps in and I'm walking around my house like a mental case trying to breathe through the contractions which have me doubled over at this point. I'm still in denial that I am in labor.

We get to the hospital around 7:15AM. It is pouring rain and I remember telling Matt to just drop me off and park. I only brought in one bag because I was convinced they were going to send me home. I get up to the L&D floor and I am literally leaning on the front desk. The nurses are like "honey are you in labor??" I'm like I think my water broke and I think I'm having contractions. They were like ummm yes it looks like it! Matt comes up and they bring us to a room to check my progress. The nurse is checking my cervix (and by checking I mean digging up into my brain) and I remember her saying "I can't find your cervix let me try one more time". Then she stops and looks at me and says "oh...you are almost a 10, that is why I was having trouble!". Matt and I were like a 10 what? What does that mean!? She confirms she means 10 centimeters. HOLY CRAP. Next thing I know they are throwing a gown on me and wheeling me into my private room. Matt calls everyone and my parents head over to the hospital. My contractions are INTENSE at this point and of course i'm whining for the epidural, which they nicely inform me is not going to happen and I am almost ready to push. REALLY? I mean REALLY? How many times have I mentioned the epi in my posts? It's in my chart, it's in my "birth plan". How could I NOT be getting this epidural!? I'm a hot mess at this point. They are trying to get the room in order and Matt still has not eaten breakfast. I remember my parents coming into the room and Matt went to the Dunkins to get a sandwich before he passed out...my biggest worry! At this point it is around 8AM, and the nurse informs me they called my doctor and he is in the Caribbean. Of course he is on vacation..AWESOME. But really at that point I was in so much pain that a bum off the street could have delivered this baby. I wanted it over with. They check me one more time and the on call doctor (who is actually a midwife) calls into our room. The nurses inform her to hurry the hell up and get to my room because I am fully dilated and the baby is coming. I ask one more time for the epidural...maybe I can trick them into giving it to me! No such luck.

It is now about 8:45ish AM and the doctor has me do some practice pushes. Everyone says it feels good to push. I thought it still hurt like hell, but I was ready to get it over with. My parents are still in the room at this point since everything happened so fast. I was glad they were there with us since it was all so shocking and we needed the extra support since everything was not as we planned. And no...my Dad did not see anything. Luckily it was a huge room and he was in a corner somewhere. I remember the nurse saying "wow it is unusual for the grandfather to be in the room!" Again...I could have cared less who the heck was in the room at that point! Anyways, I start pushing and it is going great. Baby is moving down and I am so happy to hear the doctor say how she is going to be born any minute. FALSE. After an hour into pushing like a freakin maniac...no baby. They start to realize she may be facing up instead of facing my spine, which makes delivery a LOT harder. Another half hour passes and I keep hearing "this is the push Lea! This is the one! Here she comes!" and then nada. My nice hair is now a sweaty mess and I could not even speak at this point since I am in pain and pissed this baby is not coming out. Your body kind of takes over and does the pushing and all that jazz, but still...it just really hurts! I never screamed or made any ungodly noises, which is a shocker since I am a huge complainer. It was like i was in the zone and I would just focus on the clock in front of me and I would push when the doctor told me to and when my body told me to, which was every minute. So yeah...downtime between contractions was pretty much non existent. But the little downtime I got was heaven. They give you ice chips like in the movies and and cold washcloth for my forehead. The washcloth was nice...I remember wanting to shove the ice chips down someones throat! Those do nothing!

FINALLY at 11:42 I finally had "the push" of the century and little Madison Leigh came out "sunny side up" or face up and squeaked like a little chicken! Once she was out all the pain stopped and I was able to hold her right away! She was perfect. :) I do not even remember delivering the placenta (ew), but I do remember them giving me 3 stitches. Only 3! Not too shabby. I was up and walking and was able to go to the bathroom 20 or 25 minutes after Maddie was born. How crazy is that? I got to have her "skin on skin" for a good 20 minutes before they took her and weighed her. It was really nice to have her all to ourselves and not whisked away by the nurses and doctor. This was the part I had imagined. Everything before that was not how I pictured Maddie's birth to go AT ALL! The doctor joked with me and said "see how great a natural birth is!? Next time will be even easier." I remember saying "yeah wonderful...I still want the epi for the next baby".

So, that is my story on Maddie's birth! About 6 hours from start to finish, which seemed so long at the time. She is the perfect little chicken and we are so thankful for a healthy baby. Of course she had to be pesty and make the pushing part of my labor hard! Got to love her. I still have flashbacks of last Monday and everything that went on. I am shocked I made it through labor without my beloved epidural, but I had no choice. It is amazing what your mind and body will do in a situation you are least expecting. And for those of you wondering how Matt did! He was awesome.  He only felt faint once...and that is when we first got to the hospital and the nurse said I was almost at 10 cm. lol! Other than that he was by my side the entire time and helped me get through it. My mom too...both of them were awesome. They had to somehow keep me sane and they did a really good job. Having my dad in the room (I repeat..he was hiding in a corner not able to see anything) was also comforting. He would put in his 2 cents every now and then telling me I was doing a great job. My sister missed it since her phone was on silent. Such a Sera thing to do! But we really were not expecting Maddie to come 3 weeks early either. I remember Sera getting there right when she was born...perfect timing ha! It was all in all a very special day. :)

This is so fun! In labor :)

Delusional smile haha I don't even remember this!

Finally she is here! I love this pic of her and Matt.

All smiles :) First family pic

Matt cutting the cord.

Maddie was so alert!

Maddie Leigh just hours old.

Going home outfit! It was huge on her.

The chicken! 1 week old <3

37 Weeks (almost)!

How far along? 36 Weeks 6 Days

Total weight gain: 23(ish) lbs

Maternity clothes? Obvi.

Stretch marks? Not yet!

Sleep: I maybe get 5 hours between peeing and tossing and turning. Pure misery.

Best moment this week: Seeing Baby C eat her foot at our sono, and Matt being there with me. We were impressed with her flexibility!

Miss Anything? I miss being able to sleep. I need to suck it up...it's not going to get any better! I also miss my belly button ring. Priorities.

Movement: Hiccups galore and punching my cervix. It stops me dead in my tracks. She has a mean sucker punch. She must get this from our Saturday kickboxing class.

Food cravings: Fruit popsicles! Lime is my fave.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. Once and a while I get a wave of nausea, but nothing I can't handle.

Gender: GIRL :)

Labor Signs: Braxton hicks at night, but that does not mean labor. There are some other signs but it is too gross to type.

Symptoms: Peeing, braxton hicks, and mild cramps which are new this week. How fun.

Belly Button in or out? Ugh...out

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been very emotional lately. My hormones make me feel CRAZY. I have zero patience. But I'm really happy..if that makes sense. See! I'm crazy.

Looking forward to: Seeing our baby and finally revealing her name! I also can't wait to see how Matt does in the delivery room! I'm sure I will have some good stories. ;)

The Bump

I am in my 9 month of pregnancy, and I can't believe how fast this has gone by! I am ready, but at the same time I feel overwhelmed and a little nervous.  I have been lucky to have a healthy pregnancy so far, but at week 37 I am starting to realize...I want her OUT! I'm still considered "small" for a 37 week belly (says Dr. Lirette), but I honestly feel ginormous. The gym is killing me, but at the same time it helps my back and joints loosen up. It is such a catch 22! I still go 4 to 5 days a week, but it is really getting hard. Everyone jokes I am going to give birth in the gym...it really might happen!

Baby C has definitely dropped and is head down, ready to go. The amount of pressure "down there" is not a fun time...she is killing me! At my appt this week I had an ultrasound and she was having a great time in utero. She was sticking out her tongue, and playing with her feet! I mean how crazy is that!? She even put her foot in her mouth...what a nut! This is why I feel like she is literally going to pop out of my skin. She is always on the move in there and has the hiccups ALL THE TIME. I know I will miss this, but right now I'm ready for Baby C to make an appearance. Matt is too...we both can't wait to see her!

Here are some bump pics Matt takes of me every week (or almost every week..sometimes we forget).

I love creeping in the work bathroom! 31 weeks

32 weeks

34 weeks

35 weeks

36 weeks! Getting closer :)

3 weeks and counting! Come ooooon Baby C!

Sneak Peek - Baby C's Nursery!

Matt and I have been putting the finishing touches on the nursery. It is almost finished, I just need a few more items/decorations to complete her special room. I am probably going over board with it all, but I literally want it perfect for her. I constantly wander up to her room and sit in the rocker and just stare at everything. I'm losing my mind! And nesting hardcore. Someone stop me! One of the last things I am waiting on are her shutters. I ordered plantation shutters for her room (darkening ones of course!) and they are going to be installed on Wednesday. Also, Matt and I officially decided on her name...even though she will always be our little Baby C! Her name is on her wall in her room, so I will post all the nursery pictures once she is born. :)

Crib mobile (ladybugs of course)

Rocker and ladybug lamp!

Closet