People have asked me about Madeleine's schedule, and I'm like, "Schedule...?" I realized I gave multiple updates on my pregnancy but since she's been born, it's just lots of photos. I know not everyone wants to hear about the minute details of life with a new baby, but for those who do...
Madeleine has been pretty easy, though not one of those babies that sleeps all the time (although it's a lot easier to take her picture when she is sleeping). She generally gets up twice a night, though sometimes it's every hour and sometimes it's every four hours. She seems to be going longer before feedings, thank goodness. That's been a tough transition for me, as I'm someone who's enjoyed her sleep for 33 years and don't find it that easy to wake up every three or so hours. We did move her bassinet from our room to the office because she's such a vigorous grunter and often punctuates her grunts with loud hiccups. I think she's started smiling, though it's sort of a vague happy upturning of the mouth. We've been taking her out and about quite a bit, and she's been great.
We've gone out to dinner a few times and other than when we went out for my grandparents' 60th (!) wedding anniversary when everyone took turns trying to keep her happy, she complies by sleeping through it.
At my parents' annual 4th of July party (which was great!), she slept the whole time, leaving everyone with the impression that she is the ideal baby. Well, she might be the ideal baby, but not because she really does sleep all the time! She has some pipes on her, too (look closely at the last picture), and seems to like picking the times when I'm out running errands and Matt is watching her to exercise them nonstop for an hour.
As for Matt and I, we're doing well. Our "party all the time" lifestyle (as if!) has changed a bit, though. Last night I found myself watching the Live Earth concerts on TV, after earlier in the evening asking my brother and Matt who watches concerts on TV. I guess I do—when there's nothing else on and your Netflix movie hasn't arrived and it's 100 degrees outside!
I go back to work part-time a week from Monday, and then full-time four weeks later. Part of me is just dreading it, and part of me is looking forward to slowly getting back into the swing of work life. That might change when it sinks in, though, who knows. Pumping at work is going to be quite a joy, but such is life. Nothing like having two suction cups stuck to your boobs to really feel like a human cow!
For those of you who haven't heard about her birth from me ... she was born three weeks early on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. We were watching a movie and had just finished eating a pizza when I felt a twinge and then my water broke quite dramatically.
She was born about two and a half hours later by C-Section, and it was quite fortuitous that my doctor was on call and already at the hospital. It turns out that my uterus is shaped like a heart and she was basically in just half of it, which is why she was breech, and also why she was pretty small. My mom had a septum in her uterus, which leads me to think it's genetic. So all the acupuncture, chiropractic care, exercises and ice packs in the world weren't going to make her turn around! And now she seems to prefer to be held in a little bundle on our chests, so maybe that's why. Everything went very well and my recovery went smoothly, too. They had me up and walking the next morning, so I think that helped. Now I'm pretty much back to normal and have gone running twice (though I can't live up to Polly's example!). Madeleine and I have taken a lot of walks and have taken full advantage of the nature center and Lake Harriet to get moving. Now that it's super hot again, though, we're sort of stuck inside. And I just don't feel like being a mall walker, sorry. I'd rather dance around the house to Baby Mozart!
Anyway, that's the update—life is good and we've had a great time with our new little daughter, who's now six weeks old. I can't wait for you all to meet her.
