Saturday, August 9, 2008

Recent Pictures of Madeline
































I posted these and a few more pictures on Facebook, but I wanted to share them here as well. Diane, you should be happy to see not one, not two,but THREE pictures of me with Madeline! (Notice the strategic placement of the baby in all three. :))She started off slowly, wearing premie clothes for about 3 weeks, but she is getting so big now. She is fitting well into her 0-3 month clothes, and she weighs over 10 pounds. I'm sure this is obvious, but she has SO much hair and it sticks straight up! Auntie Becca tried styling it with some pomade the other day, but it looked pretty much the same. 
Besides being adorable, Madeline is a really good baby. She does not cry a lot, although unfortunately when she does, it is usually late at night. But, she has been sleeping about 6 hours straight, from midnight to six, most nights, so that's been nice. We have taken her many places, and she is usually very good and flexible. She has been to a wedding, a beach bonfire, the mall(several times!), Pasadena visiting her Aunt Becca, Downtown Fullerton movie night, and several bbq's. She seems to like riding in the car, she doesn't mind her car seat,and she loves out newest discovery, which is a sling. I just started using it this week, and we both love it. She can snuggle up and sleep, or look out at the world,and I feel a little more free to use my hands but still have her close to me. And, it doesn't hurt that Becca got it at a boutique in Pasadena and it's very cute. I  will post a picture of it next time. 
I will say that it has been an adjustment for us, especially for me. I have had a few cry sessions, and have gotten mad at Jon (for not having breasts filled with milk so that he could help more) on more than one occasion. I have even been frustrated with Madeline on a few occasions. So, it has not been perfect or easy or fun ALL the time, and I want to be honest about that. But, I can also honestly say that she is the most amazing blessing, and that I can't imagine not having Madeline as our daughter. It is hard work at times, but worth every minute of it. I love her more than I could have possibly imagined. 

8 comments:

Kristi said...

Stephanie...she is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to HOLD her on Friday!!!!

johnsonandjohnson said...

Kristi and I were talking the other day about how beautiful she is and these pictures only confirm that even more. She is so adorable.

Thanks for the honesty about the hard times! You are not alone! We had LOTS of good days, but those hard times thrown in there are so tiring. The good news is the hard times help us appreciate her happy, fun days a whole lot more!

P.S. YOU look beautiful!

Diane Davis said...

i was VERY aware holding Jen's baby that people assumed she was mine because of my weight and Jen's skinny-ness. We all just have to be okay with where we are at or it is such a waste of time and energy. With that said, you are stunning! Oh yeah, and so is Madeline. :)

Brazenlilly said...

Wow! She's so stinkin' cute! She's a great mix of you and Jon. And it's so great to hear from you about how things have been going so far! We can all share together, because there are many days of tears and many moments of grins--speaking of: I love the shot you got of her little smile! I told someone the other day that parenting is my greatest joy and my greatest frustration--often within the same hour! Keep sharing with us, because we want to hear and we want to encourage you and be encouraged. Love ya!

edie said...

You both look BEAUTIFUL!!! Thank you so much for sharing pics of the two of you. And thank you for your honest reflections, too. I'm constantly amazed at how such a tiny little person can completely humble me - both from immense gratitude AND utter exasperation. I didn't anticipate how much parenting would teach me about myself and although the lessons have been hard, it's been good. Like Jen said, keep us posted on how you are doing!

Sarah said...

So so so so so so cute.
So strange how a couple of months ago, it was impossible to imagine what life would be with her. Now we can't imagine life without her.
It is bizarre how someone so tiny, who "does" so little, can make such a powerful impact.
Rejoicing with you!!

Lyonslove said...

You are such a mom! Everything you wrote I think every mom has thought.You looks so good and she is so cute. She has grown so much since I saw her as a baby. I can't wait to see her again.

Diane Davis said...

i keep looking at your blog just so i can see little maddie! :)