Help Wanted

***SOLD!***  Thanks Meliss!

Hi all!  To be honest, I have no idea who or how many people read my blog.  I write it for myself (and for Madeline) to remember what it was like, in the trenches of first-time motherhood.  If you know me, you will quickly realize why this is necessary--my memory leaves something to be desired (that was putting it nicely, huh?!?).  

Anyways, I am enlisting your help.  You, my dedicated reader and loyal friend.  I have Nutramigen formula left over.  I have 5 cans of perfectly good, unopened, 16 oz. powder cans.  I bought them at a discount of $20/can.  I am not looking to make money, just to break even.  That formula retails for $27.99.  I obviously cannot accept coupons or checks from the manufacturers, although I would be willing to throw in all the ones I have left over.  I just want to sell the formula so that I can put that money towards Madeline's new, very expensive formula.  The sum total of those 5 cans won't even buy me a case of her new formula, but every little bit helps.  If you know anyone who uses Nutramigen and would like to buy it at this discounted price, please send them my way.  

Thanks!  Oh and by the way, Madeline is a new person since starting Neocate.  She smiles more and is a much happier baby.  I am so relieved that we have diagnosed and treated her problem.  I have already orderded several cases knowing that we have finally solved all of our food issues.  After this Nutramigen is sold, I promise to try not to discuss Madeline's food problems anymore (or at least not the entire blog).  

She is getting more beautiful each and every day.  I will post some newer pics with my next blog!

New Tricks

Big day today...big!  I was waiting as patiently as possible and it finally happened.  Madeline rolled over from back to front.  I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but I will explain why it is.  Picture it:  you hear a muffled scream in the middle of the night and wake up to find your baby has rolled onto her tummy with no means of getting back.  You gently roll her over.  Repeat this scenario hundreds of times.  It starts to wear on the patience after awhile.  Madeline gets into this crazy pattern where she only rolls over when she is tired, but once she starts, she isn't able to stop.  She becomes totally frustrated and the only relief is for me to just pick her up and put her in her crib.  Then I cross my fingers that she won't roll over in her crib.  The best way to prevent it is to wedge her into the lower right hand corner of the crib.  

Let me back up for a minute.  Here is how the whole thing went down.  I was getting ready this morning.  I had already showered and was trying to dry my hair and get dressed.  I put Madeline in between the action, right smack in the center of the hallway on a blanket.  She rolled onto her stomach.  I know that she is always supposed to be supervised on her stomach, so I did give it a second thought when I ran to the bedroom to grab my shirt, but I figured I was right there and I could run and flip her if I needed to.  Not to mention that she can really hold up her head for a good while.  I was gone about 20 seconds and when I came back she was smiling at me.  Only now she was flat on her back.  I squealled and congratulated her and sang her songs as she beamed from ear to ear.  It will probably take a couple of days to perfect the action, but we are on our way!

(This was not a picture of that actual episode-- just an example.)

Jon and Kate Plus 8

For all of you fans of Jon and Kate Plus 8, I bring you Madeline's latest hairstyle.  I call it, "the Kate".

Resolution

We've done it...we have correctly diagnosed and fixed the problem quite a bit. Ok final verdict: Madeline has a severe milk protein allergy and acid reflux. We thought there could be something more to it than that because she started having black poop that looked like tar. The smell (rotten eggs) was/remains awful. But, after a trip to the doctor with several dirty diapers in hand, we concluded that she is not internally bleeding as initially suspected and the new formula is working wonders.

As I think I mentioned before, this formula is not cheap and is not sold in stores. You have to buy it from the company directly. Her peds stomach specialist gave us two cans and I immediately ordered 4 more from the company. Unfortunately, she used up the last bit of the free formula during her 10am feeding and her new formula, which was due to arrive today, didn't arrive until 3pm. She had to eat at 1pm, so I chose the lesser of the evils and gave her Nutramigen. Ugg...not 2 minutes after I fed her we were right back where we started, with her screaming and writing in pain. I was getting horrible flashbacks of a life I just left! I was finally starting to enjoy my sweet, happy daughter, when BOOM! Good news though, the formula made it in time for her 4pm feeding and although she was still showing some residule discomfort, by tomorrow it should be a distant memory. I suppose that this experience is just another form of proof that her diagnosis is correct.

So what have we been up to? Madeline is doing all sorts of trick. She can smile, laugh out loud, roll over from back to stomach and then do some challenging yoga poses, let us pull her into a sitting position (from lying on her back), grabbing her shirt, discovering her hand, and just being an all around cutie! And did I mention the talking! She is speaking in paragraphs. We cannot understand her, but she pretty much yaks all day long, especially to a particular toy on her swing. We call him her confidant. Ha!!

I would like to formally appologize that we will not be sending holiday cards out this year. I was planning to buy them when we took her to get her picture professionaly taken, but if you read this blog, you know how that went! It did turn out that she came down with the flu that night, but I just wasn't anxious to try again. So, I decided to skip it this year and try again next year. Sometimes, you just have to say enough is enough! We do of course, want to send warm wishes for a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all of our friends. We love and appreciate you.

Let There Be Light!

Could it be?  My baby, doing better longer than a day in a row!  Yes indeed.  Our new and improved, overpriced formula may just have done the trick.  By the second feeding, she was a new woman!  No more screaming during and after eating.  Less fussy and less pain.  There is, however, a bit of a side effect of this new formula.  It isn't dangerous (yes, I called the doctor), but it is nonetheless, shall we say...unpleasant.  Her poop smells like rotten eggs.  And not just a tiny sniff.  We are talking eyes watering, stomach churning, room filling stench!  A small price to pay for a happy baby.   I even ordered our first case of the formula...I would rate that at just slightly over cautiously optimisitic.  Instead, I will call it reserved optimism. 

Madeline looks even more beautiful when she is not crying, if that is even possible!

One Step Closer to a Cure?

If you look back in the history of this blog, you will find a disproportionate amount of postings deal with Madeline's feeding issues.  If you really think about it, we have to feed her every 3-4 hours of every day and it is a problem that extends past a normal feeding time.  

Let's take a stroll down memory lane for a quick recap of where we have been with this issue.  We started out breast feeding and supplementing with Enfamil with Lipil.  To put it in perspective, we were buying that formula in bulk at Costco and using a coupon and could get approximately 48 ounces of powder for about $20.  When she became allergic to that, we moved onto Nestle Good Start with Soy.  That formula comes in a 32 ounce container and costs about $25.  A negligible difference, but after only 3 days, she was showing signs of allergic reaction there too.  Next, we went to Nutramigen, a hypo-allergenic formula made by Enfamil for children with milk protein and soy allergies.   I thought that was the end of the road, so after finding it online at a discounted price, about $20 for a 16 ounce can (regularly $27 per 16 ounce can), I bought 12 cans.  We have also had her on two different meds for her acid reflux, which is actually a slighly seperate problem.  

That should bring everyone up-to-date.  Sorry to my die-hards who already knew those things.  Ok, so Madeline also could not tolerate the Nutramigen and Dr. Hertzer suggested that we meet with a peds gastorentorologist about how to best help Maddy.  We went to Dr. Kaplan yesterday.  After an hour meeting of questions, tests, and an exam, we got a formal diagnosis and some new things to try.  Madeline has a severe milk protein allergy and acid reflux.  

For the reflux, we are not changing the medication, just the dose.  Easy enough.  The milk protein allergy means a new formula (and yes, we still have some Nutramigen left).  This formula is called Neocate and here is the kicker, you cannot buy it in stores.  You have to buy it directly from the manufacturer and you have to buy it in 4-can cases.  Each case costs $139-$149 and each can now only 14 ounces.  Oh, did I mention that it is also a 1:1 ration of formula and water, as opposed to the usual 2:1 that all of the other formulas we tried had!  

If this new regiment works, I will gladly fork over the money (well maybe not gladly), but I will pay it and reap the rewards.  The doctor said that over the next two weeks, if we do not see an improvement, we should go back to the Nutramigen because if it does not work, it isn't worth the money.  

She also suggested that we adjust her crib on an incline and never feed her more that 4 ounces every 3-4 ounces.

What have I noticed so far in terms of improvement? I am not sure.  Maddy screamed her head off all afternoon to the point that I called Alex at work, but then she woke up in a great mood this morning and has yet to cry.  That is new, I suppose.  I am not ready to draw a conclusion (or order the formula in bulk just yet), but again, I remain cautiously optimisitic. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Pictured from top to bottom: Alex, Madeline, Jonathan, Michael, Leigh, Subbu, Daniel, Me, Erin, Melissa, Joe, and Anna.

In our family, Thanksgiving is king. Since we don't celebrate Christmas, my mom has taken Thanksgiving to another level. The entire family (both sides) gets together in my mom's house and she pulls out all of the stops. She even goes as far as to say that her decorations are going to be my inheritance. But I digress.

This was the first Thanksgiving since the mid 80s that we have had really young kids there. And, at our house, the kids table is IT. Of course, until now, our "kids" table was comprised mostly of people in their 20s and 30s, but it was definately the place to be. Despite being in the family room, if someone got up for a second helping, an older generation person would swoop in to get a few seconds at the kids table. Ithink it made them feel young.

Unfortunately, we just don't have as many elderly (or as my grandma calls them olderly,) as we used to. And so now, the kids table has had a bit of an upgrade. We moved right into the dining room, and even into the dining room table--this was big!

Seeing the babies there was so refreshing. Poor baby Laila was quiet because she was not feeling well and Maddy was not on her best behavior, but Anna really kept the family entertained for hours! She is so cute. At the end of the night, as per usual, we took our kids picture on the steps. Absent are Laila and Jeremy, who had to leave early because Laila was not feeling well. Maddy is in her carrier because she and Alex were on their way home for bedtime.

We ended up hanging out at my mom's long after dinner was over telling old family stories (one or two I hadn't heard, but mostly just the usual ones) and laughing. When we get together, there is always a lot of laughter. I hope everyone had as nice a Thanksgiving as our family!

Roll Over

Who out there knows a baby that can roll over in her crib? I do!

Last night Madeline screamed her head off at 4am. I decided that since she wasn't sick anymore, we needed to nip this middle of the night business in the bud before we started making it a habit. Every time she has cried in the middle of the night recently, she smiles when I get there. I know she doesn't need to eat in the middle of the night anymore; she hasn't needed to for weeks.

On Dr. Hertzer's advice, I went in to check and ensure she wasn't in distress (more for my nerves), gave her the binky, and she fell back asleep. Then she cried again at 5am. After some huffing and puffing on my part, I repeated my earlier actions. Her eyes were closed and she seemed fine. At 6am, the same! Now this was getting irritating. Alex was getting out of bed anyways, so I asked him to go check out what was happening.

When he came out he said that she had rolled over and was on her tummy. I couldn't believe it! I decided to feed her and when I went to unwrap her, I realized why I hadn't noticed. Somehow, she had rolled over inside her blanket so even though her body was upside-down, her blanket looked right. At 4am, it never even occurred to me to check. Ah well, she got about two hours of tummy time, which may be good because I rarely have her do it. I need to work on that. I am envisioning a few weeks of going in to turn her over until she learns how to roll back.

Today, I was exhausted all day. So was Madeline for that matter. We both took a couple of naps. I haven't napped during the day since she was about 3 weeks old.

Since I realize I can't slow down her growing up, I am soaking it up every day. Today was a big day for my little girl, and I have work to do--another milestone to check off in her baby book!

What, no more 90210?

Dr. Hertzer is becoming my new best friend! Madeline still wasn't feeling well last night, as evidenced by her final (I hope) vomiting experience at 4:30 am. Alex had to get up and rock her to sleep because I was just beside myself that this was still going on. She screamed her head off for about three minutes, and then abruptly stopped as she fell asleep. We had her sleep the rest of the night in our room on the vibrating chair, just in case she decided to vomit again. I have been a bit anxious ever since I had to save her the other day. When she woke up again at 8 am, she was all smiles and giggles. I was conflicted because Dr. Hertzer asked me to follow up on Monday if she was still ill. In the end, I decided to fork over the $20 co-pay for piece of mind and especially because her fever had a tendency of disapearing in the morning and then arriving again in the afternoon.

We walk into the office and as I am paying the co-pay a little boy about three years old comes up and starts getting in her face. She was laughing so hard and his mom remarked at how cute she was. I warned her about how Maddy was sick, but she didn't seem overly alarmed. She certainly didn't look sick. Then we went into the office and I asked them to weigh her. If you could see what has come out of her this week, you would know why! She had gained five ounces in five days, which the doctor said was perfect. I truly couldn't believe it, but it did offer a sense of relief. While we were in the room, the doctor got to see everything I have been complaining about. She spit up so much that she ripped the paper on the examining table to shreds. She drooled everywhere. I think it gave the doctor a fuller picture of her acid reflux. Maddy couldn't have been cuter with the doctor and in the end, we agreed to hold off on further testing until she showed signs of illness again. Throughout the day, she was pretty much better. She spent the day at my mom's house and we took turns running errands while the other person watched her. I decided she was well enough to finally see my grandma after a whole week and I made dinner for the whole family. I made fish tacos, spanish rice, and brocoli slaw. Everyone enjoyed the dinner and seeing the baby again since she has basically been quarantened (and so was I--thank goodness Alex is back!).

As a side note, does anyone else's kid enjoy watching TV? My child is obesessed to the point where I have to turn it off because she will turn her head away from me while I am feeding her if it is on. And I watch a lot of trashy TV. I think she might really understand it. She studies things like her father and if she is even half as smart, she probably understands it better than I do! So, I will try to either keep the TV off or watch something a bit more highbrow than Beverly Hills 90210 (The original, of course--what do you take me for, you know I am old school all the way). It is PBS and the History Channel for us!

Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Could Paula Abdul have been right in her song, "Opposites Attract"? Do we have to take two steps forward, then two steps back? After Maddy was her "Maddy Best" on Tuesday, Wednesday brought us back to reality. She woke up and something was just not quite right all day.

I have been trying not to harass the doctor by constantly calling about Madeline's eating issues and considering I had just talked to the doctor for 18 minutes only two days earlier, I felt guilty calling again. But...she wouldn't eat anything, she seemed overly tired and just "not right". She couldn't hold her head up properly and wouldn't even take her binky! Now that is a symptom! I was picturing myself being snowed in with a dehydrated baby and having to somehow take her to the hospital. It just wasn't happening. So I called and told the doctor I was bringing her in.

It turns out on top of the stomach issues, she also now has a stomach virus. She has a fever and has been throwing up off and on. Madeline slept a bit last night and seems to be in fairly good spirits today, despite still having her fever. Luckily, since we both at least got some sleep, we should be able to handle being shut in the house for yet another day. Daddy, come back!!! Just kidding.

So now things are unclear yet again. Did the rice cereal solve our stomach issues, or are they right there below the surface of a nasty virus? I remain cautiously optimistic, still.

Problem Solved?

Unfortunately, I have more eating issues to report. Madeline threw up two times at my mother's house. She then came home, drank 4 more ounces (she was starving after throwing up the last 8 ounces) and then went to bed. About 20 minutes later, I heard her coughing and wheezing. I ran upstairs (I usually don't check on her for every peep, but I had just heard that noise over at my mom's house only hours before) and she was not only vomiting, but choking on it. She was struggling to breathe and her eyes were about 10 times their normal size as she tried to regain her breath. I grabbed her and flipped her upside down and hit her back until she was able to cough again and push the milk out. It was a horrifying experience, one I would not wish on any mother. With Alex out of town, a snow storm brewing, and my nerves shot, it was time to call reinforcements. My mom ran over in minutes and the three of us spent a somewhat nerve-racking night hoping to avoid a repeat performance. Although it is possible she may have had a stomach bug, we think it is more likely related to her acid reflux.

Thanks to an 18 minute chat with Dr. Hertzer, we have a new strategy. We are now adding rice cereal into Madeline's bottles. The theory is to make the milk thicker so that it is less likely to come back up. It seems to have worked. Today was a great day. She hardly spit up a drop. I used the same bib for three feedings...the same bib! Usually, I would take the bib off soaking wet and throw it straight in the wash. We have something like 20 bibs, and I would welcome 20 more. And, she hardly cried all day!

For all you mom's out there, Born Free makes a product called the Y-cut nipple. It is meant for just this issue. It had the perfect flow for her and I am going to pick up a few more tomorrow to cut down on the washing. Some mom's on the internet complained it was too fast for their kids and that they did not hold up well to numerous washings. The latter complaint, I have yet to encounter, but the flow was not an issue for us. She didn't choke or spill any extra milk.

Because of all the vomiting, I took a second action. I fed her only 2 ounces every 1 1/2 hours, rather than 4-6 ounces every 3-4 hours. It seemed to work, so I think I might go with that, at least until Alex gets home. I am curious to see how she sleeps after this difference in feeding.

Lastly, since we have had to switch to Nutramigen (although we may be going to the next step in a matter of days if this doesn't end up working), I have done some research. Regular Enfamil formula comes in a 32 ounce can for around $24. Nutramigen comes in a 16 ounce can and retails for about $27. A can lasts between 3-4 days. It is crazy expensive! I found a website that sells it for only $19 per can. It has free shipping and arrived when promised perfectly. (They also carry Alimentum). The website for this is www.i-medica.com. You have to be willing to buy in bulk (6 or 12 cans). For regular users, 12 cans isn't exactly a long-term commitment!

So, have Maddy's problems been solved by the cereal? Time will tell. I am cautiously optimistic. She certainly seemed content today, but it seems every time we have adjusted anything to her diet or medication, the first day usually goes well(see the soy posting) and things deteriorate from there. All I can do is cross my fingers and stick with it--a girl's got to eat!

***I don't want to confuse anyone...the picture with this post is old. I just always thought it looked like an advertisement for Born Free. =)

Go, Go Power Rangers!

Maddy and I have been hanging out a lot. We have been catching up on some of our phone calls (above top). When Maddy wakes up in the morning, I feed her and then we hang out in my bed for about 45 minutes until she is ready for her first nap. We took this picture on the weekend when Alex was in charge of the first feeding.

We had a terrific time when we visited Nicole and Pax. I was interested to see how similar they are developing, being that they are only a few weeks apart. I included my favorite picture where they are both in the "lady liberty" pose. I call this picture "go, go Power Rangers!" (above lower).

Madeline also turned three months old today. We took her to get her photo professionally done. I planned everything out perfectly. We went at 9:20am, right after her nap ended at 8:50 am. I knew that was her best, most smiley time of day. I had her first outfit on her, and had other clothes, a brush, a rattle, well let's just say everything you could imagine in a bag. I had my mother drive so that she could pick up my grandmother (we did a four-generation photo also) so that Maddy would have less time in the car. It should have gone perfectly...should have! It was pretty much a disaster. She gets tired in the car and our short ride proved too much for her. She got to Portrait Innovations rubbing her eyes and yawning. We picked the only photo where her eyes were actually open. I will scan that in and add it to the blog when I have some time. Until then, I will just include the photo I took for her three month birthday until then. She wore the same outfit in both photos (above middle).

Mmm...Candy!

This year we handed out candy. Funny how before you have kids, it is easy to say that you don't really celebrate Halloween (Alex thinks it is a bit hypocritical of us--hey, if you want to wear a costume, there is always Purim!). The baby is born and somehow you have to buy a costume 2 months in advance and have your child pass out candy to stranger's children. It did give me some future costume ideas, though. Well, to make a long story short, Madeline looked adorable in the monkey costume Uncle Michael bought her and she did a great job passing out candy until she fell asleep. Enter two very goofy parents and comedy ensues. Check out our daughter after eating too many sweets, but take note of the healthy alternative in her pocket.

Mohawks and Mullets and Soy, Oh Boy!

Madeline is having a bad hair day (BHD). Her long hair that she has had since birth remains only on the back and very top of her head. The sides of her hair reflect the new growth and patchy bald spots from hair loss. What's left, you ask? Well, it can best be described as a party in the back, business on the sides, and mohawk on the top mullet. Yikes! I am thinking of investing in some festive hats.

Madeline has been going through some eating issues. Perhaps I should back up. From day one, Maddy has had food issues. This isn't a new problem. Although it is slightly different. I have noticed that her stomach has been hurting after she eats. She contorts and writhes in pain and screams at the top of her lungs. After a couple of weeks of an unhappy baby, I decided to ask our pediatrician if it might be time to change formulas. We discussed that the Enfamil with Lipil is milk based and the easiest way to tell if it could be a milk issue would be to try a soy formula. We now have her on the Good Start Supreme Soy formula. For those of you mom's out there, it is the blue one. At first, it seemed to be making her worse, but now after about a day, I am starting to notice an improvement. I think she has been less uncomfortable, and thus, less fussy. All I can say is, "I want my baby back, baby back, baby back..." Well, you get the idea. She was once the baby who did not cry. Then, the baby who was always fussy. Now, I think we may have found some middle ground!

We Survived!

Maddy and I spent Thursday afternoon with our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Lavin (we also love Dr. Hertzer). Madeline had her 2 month visit, which I have been dreading since I was informed this would be the dreaded "shot" visit. If you know me at all, you probably know about my deathly fear of needles. So, since Madeline still has no idea what is going on, this visit was scarier for me. I dreaded it for days beforehand, and when Dr. Lavin gave her the three shots, I did everything I could not to pass out and drop her. When it was all over, Dr. Lavin commended me on my bravery.

And then it happened. Dr. Lavin told me the one thing I was waiting for and hoping to avoid...he wanted me to get a flu shot. Despite having had the real flu twice, once while pregnant with Madeline, I still hesitated to get it. A shot...hmm...for me...hmm...

But wait, he had an alternative. Did you know you can know get your flu vaccine in an easy to take one time nose spray? He offered to do it right then and there. I jumped at the chance (and I believe I also declared my love for the pediatrician)! It didn't even go down my throat. It was the best vaccine experience I have EVER had.

And how did Madeline fare after her shot experience? Well, she screamed her head off every time we put her down, had a low-grade fever, and has been fussy ever since. She tends to do these really huge pouts when she is very uncomfortable, and we have seen that face quite a bit today. Luckily, she still slept through the night (9 hours). She slept most of yesterday and today, so I do have some fear she may not sleep through the night tonight. I think if we can get through tonight OK, she will be fine tomorrow.

Speaking of sleeping through the night, she has been for about 2 weeks now. I consider sleeping through the night 7+ hours. Her longest night's sleep was 11 hours and 15 minutes! I cannot imagine getting up every 2 hours now that I am so used to getting consecutive hours of sleep again.

All I can say is that I give single parents so much credit. If Alex hadn't stayed home with us today, I don't think I could have done it. We didn't put her down all day long and if I had been home alone with her, I could not have eaten, slept, showered, etc. (I was a little under the weather from the flu shot). It is so hard to see your child sick, but thank goodness I had Alex's support. He is a great dad!

***I must amend this earlier post to let you all know that she did NOT sleep through the night. She woke up 3 times, once she was up for almost 2 hours. It was as hard as I imagined it would be! This time, Madeline wasn't still sick. She was feeling so much better that she didn't want to sleep anymore. She and I will just have to agree to disagree on that one. Here's hoping tonight is a better night!

Madeline Turns 2 Months Old!

It's amazing what a couple of months will do! (Top: Madeline age 2 months, middle: age 1 month, bottom: age 1 week)

And the Winner of the Alex Beynenson Look Alike Contest Is...

Good Morning, Mommy!

Somewhere between 7 and 9am, I am yanked from my dreams with a jolt. No, it is not an alarm clock, but rather a scream. Well this morning it almost sounded more like a bark, but that is neither here nor there. This is the sound of a hungry (and wet) little girl. I roll out of bed, walk a few feet, realize I cannot see an inch in front of me, turn around, put on my glasses, make up a bottle, and open up her door. The routine usually takes under 5 minutes, but with the sound of her whining in the background if feels like more. As I turn on the light and approach the bed, I expect to hear more of the same. But wait! A new phenomena. Instead, I see a total pause in the action, followed by huge smiles. Ahh...perfection. The greatest feeling in the world. Our very serious girl can smile, and her first smile of the day comes just by seeing my face.

She got some additional smiling practice in today. She looked like a clown who would smile, then unsmile, smile, then unsmile (photo on right). What did she find so amusing, you might ask? I haven't a clue. But the truth is, I will take what I can get!

Madeline's Tiny Crew

Madeline has a full dance card lately. She has been playing with all of her friends. By playing, I of course mean laying on the floor while other children are active.

Her friend Jordyn, upper left, has been her best walking/lunch partner.

Nobody squeals louder for Maddy than her cousin Laila. Laila is shown sitting at the table eating a snack with her favorite gal!

The other photo is from her play date with Ari. Talk about a cutie! We personally hope to use this photo for the wedding slide show.

One Face, Two People

When it comes to looking at my beautiful daughter, I sometimes have to do a double take. Looking at a side by side of Alex's baby picture with Madeline's, it is not hard to see why. Their appearance is so similar, it makes friends and family laugh. It is a good thing his face is so becoming on her!

I think this picture of Madeline is the photo we have that is the most obviously similar. When her eyes are open, she is Alex's mini-me. No paternity tests needed here folks, but a maternity test may be in order. There is nothing about her that looks like me, except for the fact that she is long and lean. (Just kidding!)

When I look around at friends' children, I notice almost all of the girls look like the dads. What about us moms? We are the ones who carry the baby for 9 months. We are the ones who actually go through labor and delivery. And then, as a reward, we get a baby that looks nothing like us. My advice to all you ladies out there is this: you better like your baby daddy's face because you will be looking at a smaller version for the rest of your life. The good news is, I do.

Happy New Year. May the year be a sweet one for everyone!

Rumble in the Family Room

This morning, we had a visit from Scott and Amy and their two sons, Sam and Justin. We call them "sort of cousins" because they are more like cousins-in-law. In our family, we don't make much of a distinction between the two.

Anyways...Madeline slept through most of their visit, so luckily the boys were full of entertainment. Sam used our step between the dining room and family room as a stage for his singing/tap dancing and Justin stuck his tongue out and smiled at us. What cuties!

We laid all three children out on the floor and comedy ensued. Justin rolled over and grabbed Sam's hair at just the same moment that Maddy stuck her arm out and looked like she hit Sam. The picture reflects the two little ones beating up the big fellow. I love it! The only thing missing in the brawl was baby Laila. I think she could probably take on all three.

My Baby is 1 Month Old

I cannot believe it! My baby is growing so fast. When I compare these two pictures, I hardly recognize that first face. The original photo (left) was taken at one week old. The second (right), was on her one month birthday. I remember trying to shove her into the bear so that she wouldn't tip over the first time. She was in premie clothes and was so fetal. Now she is in newborn/ 0-3 month clothes and growing by the day.

It is amazing how mesmerizing a baby can be. She basically does nothing. She cannot smile, laugh, talk, walk, etc. But, somehow I spend my entire day watching her like a movie. She is so beautiful--her photos never do her justice. When she puts her head against my shoulder, I melt. Motherhood is simply amazing. I can hardly remember a time when she wasn't in our house, keeping us up at night. I have learned to fill bottles in my sleep and to change diapers while talking on the phone.

Madeline is a great baby. I cannot wait to see how she continues to grow and change.

Blinded by the Light

Our daughter is a funny one. She is already developing a personality with likes and dislikes. Among her favorite things: Sharon, Lois, and Bram's CD, having her hair and back rubbed, driving in the car, her vibrating chair, being swaddled, and playing on her mat. There are of course, things she doesn't care for. Those would be the "big three": being cold, having a dirty diaper, and hunger. She only cries for those things.

A word of advice to all of you out there who may come over to see the baby. If Maddy isn't crying, it is safe to assume she isn't cold, bored, hungry, or dirty. It is amazing to me how many people can try to find something wrong with a happy baby!

There is one other thing she hates, although it doesn't make her cry. Madeline does not like light shining in her eyes. I thought this picture showed a creative way to avoid the bright halogen bulbs in our family room that were beaming down on her during the Browns game. Call me bias, but I think that shows both creativity and ingenuity. Or maybe her arm just flung up and landed there. She did wake herself up yesterday morning by beating herself senseless with her own arm. Ah, well, you be the judge.

Our Trip Out of the State (aka the West Side)

My mom had seen a television show featuring a store in Avon on the west side that sells baby and children's clothing, furniture, etc. The store, Littlest Details, was also in the Plain Dealer. Alex loves a road trip so we decided to trek it all the way to the west side to check it out. First of all, it felt as if we had traveled to a foreign country. The plaza itself was so unique and had all kinds of non-chain stores. We were really impressed. They also had some kind of antique street fair, and there were lots of side walk sales going on. With the perfect weather, we took our time and looked around for some special things to buy the baby. The store had lots of unique clothing that I had not seen at other stores. Typically, major department stores have the same/similar choices, but I had not seen any of the clothes from Littlest Details elsewhere. Many of the clothes were out of my price range, but the sale items were very reasonable. My favorite dress, although adorable, was $64! For a baby?!? So she can wear it once! I don't think so! I did end up buying her a cute dress with matching leggings that I plan to get her professional picture taken in when she is older. They also had many great unique gifts, so I think I would venture back again.

If I have peaked your interest about the store, check out their website or pay them a visit.

A Day in the Life

Well, if there is one thing I have learned since becoming a new mom it is this--somehow it takes the entire day to do nothing. I never encountered this issue when I was just me, but now, I can't even find time to eat, and I could not tell you one thing I did all day.

Many people have asked recently, "What do you do all day with her?" Here is the what I affectionately like to call, "A Day in the Life of Madeline Beynenson".

7:30 am, eat breakfast and then back to bed.
10:30 am, eat brunch, get dressed, start the day, time in her swing while Mommy gets dressed and/or showered
11:30 am, downstairs for some time in her favorite vibrating chair
12:00 pm, a workout on her mat, followed by some tummy time on her other mat
12:30-1:30 pm, lunch time
2:00ish pm, errands or a visit to Grandma or Bobbie
4:30-5:30 pm, dinner
8:30 pm, evening snack, bath time fun (although she isn't a huge fan of the tub)
11:30 pm, another feeding
3:30 am, another feeding...noticing a theme to my day?
7:30am, do it all over again

I think I was less tired going to work everyday!

Above are some of her favorite activities in photo...

On Our Own

Today was the first day that Madeline and I were totally on our own--no help from Daddy, parents, in-laws, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. So far, the house is still standing and Maddy and I are still happy and smiling. If that does not spell success, I don't know what does!

We even went on a small outing to Stroller Mama to pick up the jogging stroller that Uncle Michael bought Maddy. We tried it out by walking around the store, and even though she was asleep, I think she liked it. After exploring all of our stroller options, we decided to go with the BOB. Choosing a stroller is a major purchase, something I discovered when Michael and I went to the store. They have strollers that cost more than most people's first car and strollers that cost more than everyone's first car! They each have a variety of strengths and weaknesses and it takes a college education to make a final decision. The reasons I chose the BOB were because it was the easiest to push and maneuver, it carries children up to 70lbs., and it is easy to use. The only negatives I have seen so far is that the basket underneath is smallish (it does fit our diaper bag) and that it is not adaptable to accommodate another child. No, that is not any kind of announcement! We will probably try out the stroller on a walk around the neighborhood tonight.

Our Little Monkey

Friday, Laila came over to meet Maddy for the sort of first time (her first visit, Maddy was sleeping upstairs). Laila was very interested in Maddy and was enthusiastic about helping to feed her and change her diaper. By that, I mean she sat on the floor at my feet and watched the baby like a television show, all the time with the baby monitor in her kung-fu grip. Hey, that can be helpful!


On Sunday, Uncle Michael, who is visiting from NY, bought Maddy her Halloween costume. He picked a monkey costume, a fitting choice because Alex calls her monkey and Michael has always loved monkeys. We dressed her in it and flashed some adorable pics.

Our little girl seems to be getting cuter by the day. She is almost able to fit into newborn sized clothes. I tried to buy her a pair of shorts at Old Navy, but they fit her like baggy pants that are too long. What infant can fit into size 0-3 anways? Certainly not mine. On the upside, she has grown out of all of her premie clothes!

... and baby makes three

On August 14th, we welcomed Madeline Rachel into our family. She not only has been blessed with beauty, but also a good personality. It is hard not to fall in love at first sight.

As labors go, I am told I had a relatively easy one. My water broke at 7 PM, and Madeline was born at 4:49AM after only about 45 minutes of pushing. If you ask me, they call it "labor" for a reason. I had spent too much time worrying about the epidural and should have worried about the baby crowning... ouch! But it was all worth it to be able to spend time with baby Maddy.

Alex couldn't be more thrilled with fatherhood and has dazzled me with his ability to calm her when she is crying. The doctor that made the movie "The Happiest Baby on the Block" is a genius!

We continue to be grateful for Maddy's weight gain and sleeping.