6 weeks in 6 seconds?

So here is my little 6 week old! I seriously feel like she was born 6 seconds ago, not 6 weeks. I should already be back to work! No WAY am I ready to be back there! I don't know how mothers that breastfeed work. I am glad that i am taking additional "bonding weeks" that my company offers until January. I am dreading January. I can barely pump out dinner and take care of Mady and myself....not to mention poor Bryan and Calvin! Throwing work in the mix is going to get crazy.

LOTS has changed since my last post. One of the biggest changes is Mady sleeping through the night! That happened about two weeks ago...right around the 1 month mark. The main reason for this is The Miracle Blanket. Which truly is a MIRACLE. Mady was waking up every 2 hours and only sleeping in peoples arms for long stretches. SOOO not good. We'd put her down and she moves so much in her sleep she'd wake herself up. Even swaddles would work. She busted out of those. We had two different sizes too! My sister in law recommended the Miracle Blanket. Basically the blanket is a straight jacket! Well, not really, but it acts the same. It keeps Mady's arms tucked by her sides with two special flap like things that tuck behind her back. Then the rest of the blanket wraps around her several times. No Velcro to keep it in place or to wake her up, like on the swaddles. She looks like she's in a little cacoon when she's in it. She loves it and she feels safe and more importantly she sleeps up to 6 hours in it!! I have to wake her to eat! I love it! Thank you Miracle Blanket.



Thanksgiving was fun. We had a Thanksgiving with Bryan's family the weekend before actual Thanksgiving and then my Grandma and brother were able to come down for Thanksgiving at my parents house. They stayed a week. It was great...we all had a good time. It was awesome to get the four generations together. Mady, me, my mom, and my grandma ( Gi Gi, for Great Grandma!).







Mady's one month appointment was good. She weighs 8lbs and 2 oz. Which my lactation consultant couldnt believe how much she's gained. However, she is still only in the 25 percentile for her age....mainly bc she was born two weeks early. She's growing fast. She looks so different each day. She looks more and more like her daddy everyday!



One of the greatest things about Mady's development is her intentional smiles! She smiles on purpose, not just the cute little newborn smiles in her sleep or when she eats, but real, looking into your eyes and smiling, smiles! I love them. She has also started to do the baby talk, coo-ing thing. Also just as adorable. Especially when she does it to Bryan. I feel like I talk so much to her that she feels like she can get all her words out to Bryan! She melts our heart with each squeak!

I will say being a parent has its challenges. Especially regarding choices on how to raise your child. EVERYONE and I MEAN EVERYONE has their opinions and they are NOT afraid to share them...even if they themselves do not have children or haven't had them in like 20 years! Wow...i pray that I do not do this. So many choices out there between scheduled feeding vs. on demand feeding, Baby Wise principles, Baby Whisperer principles, No Cry Sleep Solution, Cloth Diapers vs. Disposable, Vaccine Schedules, Dr. Sears Methods and SOOOO SOOO MUCH MORE. Dont get me wrong. These are all good things to study, read and possibly do. We certainly are engaging in some of the above stated techniques. However, I feel like at the end of the day its the parents choice how they raise their children. This newborn phase is just the beginning of the "comparison game", as my wise husband pointed out. Someone out there is always going to think their method is better than yours and "nicely" offer their "suggestions", but again at the end of the day its the parents choice. Those parents will live and learn with the outcomes. I know most people mean to say these things to be helpful, but it really only serves to make the mothers feel like they are failing (in a small way). Heart intentions are sometimes not always communicated clearly when individuals sinful desire to be right over shadows their attempts to be helpful.

For us. Mady, Bryan and I. We are taking the biblical approach. Mainly meaning we are raising our child to know and fear the Lord. To respect and honor her mother and father as her authority. To learn love in our attempts to bond with her as an infant and love in our attempts to discipline her as needed throughout her life. To learn trust as we soothe her as an infant when she cries and trust when we give her just enough room to make good mistakes that will help her understand grace. We want her to know Jesus, so every decision we make with that as our end goal. Every child is different as well as every parent. What works for some, may not work for others, but what stands the test of time is Our God and His Word; by which are the ONLY things worth measuring our lives by. Or raising little lives by.