The dog park

Saturday Joshua and I  took Molly to the dog park to throw her most prized possession- her frisbee. Joshua threw with Molly and I walked Madi around in her carrier. The weather was breezy and a beautiful 64 degrees, so it was a perfect day for some time outside as a family! After our time at the dog park Joshua and I went out with my grandparents to Old Chicago for some dinner! Great way to end a beautiful Saturday. Here are some pictures to capture our day!

 

 

Another 3 hour nap

I can't believe it but Madi actually slept 3 hours today (WOOHOO!) unlike yesterday, when she only slept for about 40 minutes in her swing. Yesterday was interesting to say the least. Madi's acid reflux was really acting up, so she spent most of the day in tears. ( me to, haha) But today was better, thank goodness. Joshua and I made a trip to Sam's Club to purchase some formula, but to our dismay they do not carry Similac Sensitive. So we headed to our favorite place in the world, Wal-mart. UGH! They only carry small cans and man was I shocked at the price of a 12oz can. ($15.00) Seriously, who can afford that?! Because she will go through a can of that size in about a week, and because Wal-mart does not carry any sizes other than a small cans, we are having to switch her formula yet again. We are going to remain on the sensitive but rather than doing a milk-based formula we are now going to try soy.

On a more positive note Madi is 8 weeks old today! Time has flown by!

A milestone (atleast in Mommy's book)

Our morning started off just like every other morning. Madi and I rocked and sang songs as she took her morning bottle around 830 and then instead of having to rock her to near sleep and then put her down (praying that she won't fight it and it won't take me an hour to get her to sleep) I simply placed her in the bouncy and walked away. She sat there for about 10 minutes with her sleepy eyes opening and closing as I waited anxiously outside the door with my fingers crossed, she drifted off to sleep. She took an hour and fifteen minute nap! Woohoo! Such an improvement and a milestone to our normal routine. So while Madi and Joshua both slept, I snuck outside to play in the snow with Molly. It was a fantastic morning with a surprise of snow and having Joshua home!

When I wrote this early this morning Madi had only reached one milestone in my book, but later in the day I believe she has hit her 2nd! 2 in one day!!! Madi has been napping for 3 hours and if you know her crazy sleep patterns or lack thereof you would understand for her to sleep longer than an hour for a nap is a HUGE deal. I don't know if formula is making the difference or if today is just an anomaly, but whatever the case I'm considering it a blessing to have her resting like she needs to!

Test results came back today! Madi has officially been diagnosed with Gerd. Doctor said they would monitor her progress and when she returns on February 7th for he 2month check-up and immunizations they will reevaluate her. Thanks for all your continued prayers!

Santa Baby

Not sure if I like what's happening to me.

Still thinking

Happy!

Playing on my mat!

My Christmas outfit! Mom says I am filling it out way better this month!

So happy

WE love, love, love when Dad gets home!

This morning Jenn and Christy stopped by for a little bit and then Madi and I had a day to ourselves. This week we have lots to do so I thought we would spend Monday relaxing and taking it easy. I decided to pull out her Christmas outfit just because.. I hate that she only got to wear it for one day, and it is only 3month so I thought we would wear it around the house a few more times before putting it her keepsake trunk.

My baby girl is growing

Completely exhausted from running around and getting back in the swing of things at church, I needed a therapeutic night of cleaning. Weird I know, but it really does relax me to go from room to room and clean/de-clutter. Joshua and Madi went on to small group and I stayed behind to get some things accomplished around the house. While folding clothes, I stumbled across lots of oneies and outfits that Madi can no longer fit into. So, I made a give away bag for Mercy who will be arriving in just over a month! While rummaging through the dresser I came across Madi's going home outfit and my heart just sank. I just sat there and cried. I cannot believe that I am already passing things on to Mercy. It seems like just a few days ago, we were bringing home baby and learning to change diapers. Although I look forward to the days ahead and all joys of those particular seasons, I am still somewhat sadden that the days have passed so quickly.

Another lesson learned at Wal-mart

Ephesians 4:29-32

 ²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 

This verse resonated in my ear as I walked through Wal-mart today. The Holy Spirit really reminded me how our words, speech, and thoughts should build others up. What prompted this you ask? I happened to be walking through the towel aisle, distracted by the $3.43 sale they were having and overheard a lady blatantly chewing out a sale's guy. Completely embarrassed for this guy but carefully ease dropping, I noticed that her purse was decorated in the popular ichthys (spelling), more commonly known as the Jesus fish. My heart sank for the person on the receiving end and how/what they were hearing from this women. Her words cold, her attitude distasteful, and her demeanor completely opposite of Ephesians 4:29. I hope that we are constantly reminded by the Holy Spirit and the words spoken by Jesus to live, act, and talk in a way that sets us apart from the rest of the world so that we may be consistently building up the kingdom of Christ.

May we all take just a  moment before speaking to remind ourselves of the seal that God has placed upon us, therefore let us remember that although we are in the world we are not to act like the world. Take a moment and filter your words, thoughts, and actions through these verses and remind yourself of just how powerful our impact would be if we consistently build each other up in our daily conversations.

Oh Friday, how you come and go so quickly...

As most of you know, Madi went for her test on Friday. I was so happy they would not be putting an IV into her arm and the test would be nothing but taking images after having her drink some milk with radioactive material (eek!). The tech that assisted us, Donna, was fantastic. She was so attentive to these first time parents and so full of encouragement, concern, and love for not only Madi but us as well. She spent the whole 30 minutes patting Madi and soothing her which eventually put her to sleep and helped put us to ease. Because Madi consistently wheezes they were concerned that she might be aspirating fluid into her lungs, so they informed us they would need to take images of her lungs in addition to her esophagus. After leaving Gateway the first time Joshua and I enjoyed lunch at Logans and then returned a ton of diapers at Target. It was not long into our trip to Target that Miss Madi made herself known and that she was hungry...so we headed back to the hospital for more images.

The three of us were exhausted when we arrived home. Joshua fed Madi and I played with Molly, and then we all took an afternoon nap. If you know me then you know that birthdays are my thing. I feel like a birthday is the most important day anyone can celebrate and should be done BIG.... so for me to forget a good friends birthday is VERY rare. I felt horrible this year with everything going on and my stress level beyond manageable that we both forgot Kelsie's birthday. Because I felt horrible (which does not even do my feelings justice) I decided that I would have to do something BIG for to make it up to her. So, what better way than to spend Friday night having dinner at the Melting Pot? It was Kelsie's first time, and I really think she loved the experience. We had AMAZING cheese fondue, shrimp, steak, scallops, chicken, etc, salad, and we concluded the dinner with the smore's chocolate fondue. So heavenly! What a perfect way to end the week!

Wednesday & Thursday

Wednesday

Wednesday just so happens to be the WORST day of the week. Joshua is gone from 5 in the morning to usually around 11 or 11:30 that night because he works out, goes to work, has Relevant, and then concludes the night with worship practice. So, going a whole day without a break can be extremely exhausting but each week seems to be better and better! We started off our morning by visiting Dr. Shultz for our follow up from last week. We discussed her new medicine- pro's and con's, her weight (10pounds, 7 ounces!), and our options pertaining to formula. Praise God Madi is extremely healthy and her weight is steadily increasing. Tomorrow is going to a big day for us as we go for our test at Gateway and Madi will be 7 weeks old! Holy Cow!! After time with Dr. Shultz we headed over to Jenna's to have some coffee and time with a few of Jenna's friends. It was great to be surrounded by other moms and to be encouraged, all while having a little bit of adult conversation. Madi and I then headed home so that we could rest and then go meet up with Rachel for our nightly run. 

But...that did not go as planned. About 20 minutes before we were supposed to head out the door, I decided to play frisbee outside with Molly. Before coming in and loading up little one, I reached down to wipe off Molly's foot and my hand was completely saturated in blood. I'll admit I freaked out for a minute (more like 5) but pulled it together, called the vet, and wrapped up Molly's foot in a kitchen towel. With all the chaos I missed my run with Rachel and ended up staying home to care for Molly. It was an eventful day to say the least, but we made it through another one!

Although it was not our plan to spend the night at home, Madi did spend about 30 minutes on her play pad. I snapped a few good pictures of her playing and smiling with all the gadgets. It truly amazes me how big she is getting each day..

 

 

Thursday

 Molly and I spent our morning at the vet getting her foot checked out. Christy watched Madi for me since Molly was a nervous wreck and I knew that it would be way too stressful taking both of them, especially if Molly had to get stitches. Molly was a trooper though! They shaved her foot, washed the infected area, and then gave her a shot! OUCH! Antibiotics for a week and thank goodness it was not deep enough for stitches! Here are a few pictures of pitiful Molly at the vet. 

You know as a new mom, people always say "sleep when your child sleeps". This concept was so foreign to me and I could not understand how people managed to get stuff done, EXCEPT while they slept. This past week, I have dropped all my cares and concerns about having everything done in the day and just spent the afternoons napping with Madi- what a beautiful blessing on our relationship. I have been able to appreciate her so much more because I am well rested and not so sleep deprived. The cares and concerns of the house are still there and I managed to get most of my chores done, but it is not huge fiasco if it does not get accompished. Some moments are way more important and time is passing too quickly not to take them in.

Bath time with dad

I love catching moments of Joshua and Madi. He is so in love with our daughter and it really shows with how affectionate and caring he is, even in the tiniest details. Tonight was Joshua's second time to bathe Madi and I am so happy I had my camera close by to capture these sweet moments

Monday and Tuesday

Monday morning I went to my 6 week check-up. Wow, times flies! I cannot believe that it had been 6 weeks since giving birth. Even doctor Anderson was surprised to see me because he was convinced it had not been that long. Everything checked out great and I am all cleared! Great news and so exciting considering, I started training yesterday for the Music City half marathon. There are a ton of people running it this year, but I am training with a friend from our small group, Rachel. Last night was the first time I have REALLY ran in a few months and it was not as hard as I anticipated. 2.5 miles later and an ab workout that Jacob (Rachel's husband who is a personal trainer) uses, I am so, so, soo sore. My goal is 5 days a week. 4 days of heavy running, 3 days of weights with heavy running, and a recovery day filled with yoga. Excited to lose the baby weight!

After working out with Rachel I headed over to Luther and Ronda's house. I dropped Josh so he/we could spend some time with them. Ronda said she did not want her picture taken but I happened to get a glipse of her. lol

Mr. Luther

Luther and Ronda (well, what you can see lol)

Tuesday is here and another day has come and gone. I was supposed to have a play date with a friend of mine, but regrettably had to cancel because of pure exhaustion. I could not even keep my eyes open this morning. Madi did not have a bad night but it did not end until around 1 and then she was up again to feed at 3 and 6. I am glad that she is adhering to a schedule, but sleep deprivation is so hard to handle. Thanks to Christy and her willingness to keep Madi for 2 hours, I was able to shower, rest, and get a few things done around the house. I am so grateful for good friends who love keeping our daughter! They are such life savers!!!

Please be praying for us as we make another trip back to the doctor in the morning to discuss the scan we were already supposed to have, but have yet to, formula, and all the issues pertaining to Madi's sleep patterns. Will post some pictures later! Have a wonderful night!

Saturday & Sunday

Our Saturday was quite lazy. We spent our time around the living room napping and cleaning and trying to find some time in there for some conversations. The weather was so beautiful outside, so we opened all the blinds and let the sun shine through. Around 2ish Kelsie stopped by after running some errands to hang out for a bit and she ended up hanging all the way through dinner and a trip to Wal-Mart (Joshua's favorite place!)!! We don't mind whatsoever because it is always a treat whenever we get to spend time with her.

and

Anddd, I think I might cry now!

Sunday was just as uneventful as Saturday was. Madi and I stayed home today because our night/morning was not very good. Our child fights sleep...and I mean fights it. I think she is going to be our "free spirited" child who is scared she is going to miss something, therefore won't go down for naps or sleep at night. I keep telling myself this stage will pass quickly and before I know it she will be walking/talking/using the potty/ and the list continues...