Ooops! Is she 5 months already?

School has started up and that makes for one frazzled mama. Hopefully things will settle down as we get more and more into a routine. Unfortunately I missed doing a 5 month update on Maddie, so here goes (only 2 weeks late).

Maddie
-has discovered she can get somewhere by rolling. She will often roll across the bed to reach a toy.
-is doing great at the sitter's. The child who refused to take a nap, now goes down with only a little fussing. She has so much fun with the other two kids that go there.
-can have a temper. Take a toy away from her and she will let you know she is not happy.
-started eating rice cereal. We are going to start oatmeal this week.
-is getting closer to crawling everyday.
-can sit up alone while leaning on her hands


Our little princess is becoming more independent. She still loves to cuddle, but also likes to play by herself. We sure do love her!!

Isn't she the cutest in her "Nobody puts baby in the corner" shirt?

Rice cereal

Maddie finally got her first taste of real food on Wednesday. Everything I had read said to prepare for a huge mess. So I stripped her down to her diaper, stuck a bib on her, and put her in her bouncy seat. To my surprise, she ate every bite. My girl looked a little unsure, but made sure everything made it into her mouth!

Not ready

        Why am I sitting here at 10:00 crying? Because tomorrow is I have been dreading for the last five months. Tomorrow Maddie goes to "try out" her babysitter for the first time. She will go two days this week, then full time next week. How did it get here so quickly? I know being upset seems selfish. After all I've had way longer with her then most working moms get. Although I had to go back to work before the school year ended, it didn't seem that bad. I only had six weeks of the school year left, and we were very lucky to be able to leave her with family. Plus she was still in the newborn stage, so she would sleep most of the day away. Now she is a babbling, moving cuddle bug. She has become a little person with her own personality. It kills me that now during the week someone else will spend more time with her than I will. Someone else will get to cuddle her, and hold her, and see that adorable face she makes when she first wakes up from a nap. Someone else will comfort her when she is upset, and make her laugh, and I will be down to only 5 hours a day with her. I will have to spend 15 minutes three times a day hooked up to a pump instead of nursing my baby girl.
          Realistically I know it is going to be fine. We really like our sitter. She is very highly recommended from a friend, and I really feel like she will love Maddie (I mean really who couldn't :). We will settle into a routine, and I will cherish the times I have with Maddie more than I do now. She will have someone else to love her and get to form friendships with the other three little ones there. I know no one will ever replace her momma. We have had an incredible five months. We've done more snuggling, playing, and loving than I thought was possible. We have a bond I can't even begin to describe, and I know that won't change. I love what I do, and my income ensures that not only do we make our bills, but have enough money to do fun things (vacations, new toys, cute clothes), and necessary things (health insurance for me and Maddie, a college fund). I will get to have conversations with adults again, and actually have to get out of my pajamas everyday. We are going to be fine.
         Now can someone tell that to my heart....cause I'm just not ready.

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”-Elizabeth Stone

BinkieBear

Every book I read during pregnancy said to enjoy the first couple of hours with your baby, because right after birth they are alert. Then they usually get very sleepy for the next few days. I should have known I was in trouble when Maddie only slept for about five hours the first TWO days. My child hates to sleep. Thankfully she does really well at night. Naps on the other hand, are another story. She will only sleep if she has her pacifier and is holding onto something. We've tried everything-a blanket (she tries to suffocate herself), a teddy bear (she grabs onto it and rolls on top of it so that her paci falls out), and holding her hand (unfortunately that really cuts into getting anything done around here). So I was super excited last night when I found this online.
                            

BinkieBear is attached to the pacifier so that even if the pacifier falls out, the baby can easily find it. Or so the company claims. I'll let you know if it works ;)

The many faces of Maddie

Silly girl!!