6, 7, and 8 months!!!

Month 6:  This month, Madelyn cut her first two teeth within the same week, and we celebrated our 1st Mother's Day with her outside of my tummy.  She tried butternut squash and was not a fan.  She started pushing up on her hands and feet in a plank position.

Showing off my new teeth!

Month 7: Madelyn started using her arms to push herself backwards and also started trying to bear crawl this month.  She tried watermelon in her mesh feeder and LOVED it!  She enjoyed swimming in her pool for the first time.  She started having weekly playdates with her friend, Liam, and helped Daddy celebrate Father's Day.

Enjoying watermelon in my mesh feeder

Playing with my friend, Liam, at the park

Celebrating Father's Day with Daddy

First time in my pool...I LOVED it!

6 month check-up (at 7 1/2 months)
Height- 25 1/2 inches (20th percentile)
Weight- 15.8 lbs. (25th percentile)

Month 8: Madelyn was a busy, busy girl this month!  She started pulling herself up, sitting up unassisted, and crawling!  She also started cutting her two front teeth!  She has started getting baths in Mama's tub, because she kept trying to roll around and crawl out of her baby tub!  She said her first word- "Mama" and her second word- "Hey" (only to Riley).  Madelyn has always enjoyed music, but she has recently started "dancing" and "singing". She continues to have playdates with Liam and also started having playdates with her friend, Claire.  She tried graham crackers for the first time and thought they were awesome!  We also took our first trip to the river.

Pulling myself up for the first time!

Loving graham crackers!

First time in the river

My first 4th of July

While having dinner with our friends,
Daddy spotted a pre-op marker and thought it would be funny to draw cat whiskers on my face...
I sure do make a cute kitty

I thought I was such a big girl playing with my big buddy, Nolan.

Mama and I had fun coloring with markers...
I may have gotten more on my face and the floor than I did on the paper!

I've gotten too squirmy for my baby tub, so now I get baths in Mama's tub!

We are experiencing such an exciting time in Madelyn's life right now!  It seems as though she learns and discovers something new every day!  It is so hard to believe she is already 8 months old!  It just recently hit me that her birthday is only 4 months away!  My new obsession is planning for her party!  I am so excited to see how she grows and changes in the coming months!

25 weeks

Maddy's first five months

In some ways, it feels like Madelyn has always been a part of our life, and in other ways, it seems like we were just bringing her home.  She's been keeping us pretty busy.  It's been all Maddy, all the time around here for the past 5+ months. (and I don't see that changing any time soon)  Here is a brief summary of Maddy's first five months.

Month 1: Madelyn traveled over 1,300 miles and met all of her grandparents, great grandparents, great-great grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.  She also celebrated her first Christmas!  

Less than a month old and already well traveled

Getting love from her Mister, Uncle Josh, Uncle John, MG, Aunt Taylor, and S

Our baby's first Christmas...just one day shy of being a month old

Month 2: Much to Mommy's delight, Madelyn started social smiling this month! Once her umbilical cord stump finally fell off, we were able to give her real, tub baths, and our, little merbaby loves tubby time.

Enjoying tubby time (4-5 months old)

Month 3:  This month Maddy started "talking".  Mommy loves to hear her coo and babble!  Madelyn accompanied Mommy and Daddy, Charlie and Riley, and our friends on her first hike this month.

Fun, family time in the great outdoors

Month 4: This month Madelyn started laughing.  Did y'all know I'm a comedian?!  Apparently I am hilarious!  She also started reaching for and grabbing toys this month.

Month 5: Madelyn was a busy girl this month!  She rolled from front to back toward the beginning of the month.  Later in the month she started rolling back to front.  Now I can't get her to stop rolling!  She is a rolling machine!  She still enjoys tubby time and discovered splashing, which she loves.  She splashes like it is her job!  This month she started practicing eating solid foods.  She tried barley cereal, likes sweet potatoes, and loves avocados!  She also celebrated her first Easter this month.

Happy Easter from Maddy

Trying new foods is fun!

 Riley was Madelyn's best buddy and protector from day one!  In the beginning, Charlie was a bit indifferent towards Maddy, but he's starting to warm up to her!

Her brothers love her!

 Daddy doesn't get to spend as much time with his little girl because of school, but he is always sure to make special Maddy/Daddy time!  I'm pretty sure she is already a Daddy's girl!

She sure does love her daddy

Mommy and Maddy are best friends forever!  To say we spend every moment of every day together is not much of an exaggeration, and I wouldn't have it any other way!  Every day that I wake up to that beautiful smile, I am thankful that I am able to spend my days watching her grow!

Girlfriends! 

 To say that Madelyn has grown and changed a lot in these past 5 months would be an understatement.  It seems like she is learning and discovering new things every day, and each day we see her personality shine a little more.  These moments are bittersweet, and I'm trying my best to savor this precious time, because I can already see just how fleeting it is.  I am excited to see what lies ahead for us in the coming months!

Our beautiful baby girl, growing up so fast!

Play My Little Part in Something Big

Miss Madelyn Elise Lane made her big debute, Monday, November 26, 2012 at 6:14 PM. She weighed 7 lbs 4 oz and was 20 inches long. We are so thankful she is here, healthy and whole. She is more perfect, and we are more in love than we could ever have imagined. We look forward to watching her learn and grow, and are honored and humbled to play such a big role in her story.

Madelyn's big debut

Taking our baby girl home

38 weeks

November 20, 2012

how far along: 38 weeks (Only 2 weeks until original due date) Dr. Yang said Friday, that she expects Madelyn to arrive sometime within the week.

Madelyn’s size: somewhere between 18.9-20.9 inches, 6.2-9.2 pounds (She weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. at our 36 week appointment)… about the size of a pumpkin.

weight gain:  2 pounds this week, 40 pounds total

maternity clothes: Yes

stretch marks: None

sleep: Finding it difficult to sleep through the night due to pain.
best moment this week: Dr. Yang telling us we can expect to meet our daughter within the week.
second best moment this week:  Gigi and Rick flew up and spent the night with us!  It was so great to see them!

food cravings: Twizzlers and still enjoying my pumpkin spice walnut cookies!

symptoms: Reflux/heartburn (but not as bad), more frequent/intense contractions, edema, overly emotional, pain in my pubic bone and right leg, and I lost my mucus plug

gender: Precious baby girl!

belly button in or out: Out!

movement: Still rolling around, punching/kicking/head-butting, sticking her booty out, poking me

what I miss:  Being comfortable and being able to move around easily

what I'm looking forward to: Meeting my sweet, baby girl!  I am seriously going crazy with anticipation!

At our appointment Friday, I was 2 cm. dilated, my cervix was very soft and 70% effaced, and Madelyn's head was REALLY low.  Dr. Yang said she could come at any time, and definitely expected her within the week.  In fact, she was so confident about it, she didn't even bother to set up our 38 week appointment and said, "See you at the hospital", before she left the room.  

This morning (Tuesday), we spent a couple of hours in Labor and Delivery triage being evaluated.  I woke-up about 6 this morning with the most intense contraction that lasted 11+ minutes.  I was worried enough that I asked David to call.  The on-call doctor asked if I wanted to come in to be evaluated, so we did.  Unfortunately and much to my disappointment, there has been no change in my cervix since Friday, according to the nurse.  I was hooked up to the monitor for a while, even though I'm having contractions, they're still not regular.  She says they're "warm-up" contractions. (How much warming up do I need?!)  Madelyn's head is engaged, and she still thinks it could happen at any time, and sent me home with instructions to hydrate and rest, so that I'll be ready when it happens.

38 weeks 1 day front view

38 weeks 1 day side view

How I feel about still being pregnant

My "Can this pretty please be my last pregnancy update?!" face

Madelyn's Nursery: Update

I previously did Madelyn's nursery reveal, back in July...But just as I suspected, we've added a little here, a little there, over the past 4 months.  So, I thought I'd do an update, so everyone can see what it looks like today.  I still have a small project that I'd like to do, some day, but it looks like I'm not going to get around to it before she arrives.  Other than that, it is 100% finished.  I love how it turned out, and I am looking forward to bringing Ms. Madelyn home to see it, very soon!

close-up of print on dresser

drawer liner that I made

close-up of M hanging beside glider

close-up of cubbies