Mommy and Madi Time

Auntie Betsy Meets Madi

Well, Tim and Sarah had their baby this evening - Wesley Briggs Crosson. We are so excited to meet him and so delighted for Tim and Sarah. I told Madi that she has a new cousin to boss around ;) We also benefited from the whole experience by getting Aunt Betsy for the night. She came to stay with us tonight because the apartment she rented isn't ready until tomorrow. Madi's been fussy today but slept like an angel in Aunt Betsy's arms while Aunt Betsy sang to her.

Raise Your Hand If It's Your First Easter

Madi celebrates Easter by watching movies and kicking back with Mom

Madi and Mommy

Hello World

Four Generations

It's Grandma Time

Madison spends time with Grandma Crosson and Grandma Cooley

Madison Meets Uncle Greg & Aunt Carol

We didn't think Aunt Carol was going to let her go ;)

Madison Meets More Crossons

Uncle Greg, Aunt Carol, Grandma Cooley and Grandma Crosson came for a visit today. Madison had a chance to meet her great aunt, uncle and grandmother all at the same time. We took some great photos and had a nice lunch in Mission Valley with Jamie, Kelli, Michelle, Tim and Sarah. Tim and Sarah are still on baby watch and we are as excited as ever to get the call that Sarah is in labor.

Of course, the trip was bitter sweet since Uncle Greg and Aunt Carol took Kelli back to LA after lunch. Madi and I are definitely sad to see Kelli go. We will be on our own next week when Ryan is back at work. But, in two weeks Madison and I will take our first trip to Exeter with Grandma Cooley and Grandma Crosson to visit Uncle Greg and Aunt Carol and give Ryan a break from being a dad for a few days. He needs to catch up on his sleep and really focus on school before the end of the semester is upon us! I'm also looking forward to having a few extra hands around to help with the baby again when we go.

The Bandas

Goal

I love it when Madi sleeps like this. I think it's the cutest thing. I'm

posting this picture to show how much bigger she's gotten since the first one we took of her in her pack and play

Madi bonds with Auntie Kelli

Madi will be so sad when Kelli leaves tomorrow. I think she thinks Kelli is her second mom at this point.

I see you...

Never Say Never

I have to admit, all the things I swore I'd never do as a mom are already catching up with me. The other day I caught myself licking my thumb and using it to wipe something off Madison's face. I stopped mid-lick and remembered how many times I yelled at my mom for doing this to me as a kid. I thought it was disgusting and swore I would NEVER do that to my kids. Funny how it catches up to you. So, did I stop? No way, it's so much easier than juggling the baby to get up and wash her face. Go figure... I am somewhat disgusted with myself though if that counts for anything.

The pacifier was another one. I swore I would never give one to my baby. I was of the belief that babies only cry to tell you they need something. I thought a pacifier would be stifling and it wasn't the right thing to do. I lasted less than three weeks as a mom without caving on that one. Sometimes babies really do just want to suck for no reason and sometimes you'll do whatever it takes to calm them down.

The last one has to do with the fact that I'm writing this from bed at 2:45 this afternoon. I swore I would never spend the day in bed with the baby. I even get cabin fever from being in the house for too long. Today I caved on this one. With all the lack of sleep we've been getting, I decided maybe we needed a day to rest.

Maybe one day Madison will read this and learn to never say never...

Practice for the Daddy-to-Be

Tim and Sarah are right on the verge of having their baby - Madison's cousin! We can't wait to meet the newest addition to the Crosson family and to watch Tim and Sarah become new parents! I am determined to make sure that Madi is as close to her cousins as the Crosson cousins of our generation have always been! Tim helped me carry Madison around in her car seat and held her at dinner. Good practice for the new daddy-to-be. Sarah is great with Madi too - needless to say, we know she's going to be an amazing mother. I really enjoyed being able to go through pregnancy with her and now I can't wait to share the new parenthood experience with both she and Tim.

Natural Parents

Karen and Cam with Madison at dinner. They are naturals for sure!

Our little Genius

Madi and I went out to dinner with a bunch of friends and most of the Crosson cousins. We told the waitress we had a 3 week old baby so she brought us an infant stand that held Madison's car seat and then set a kids place at the table with a menu and crayons. We all got a laugh out of that one. Of course Ryan and I know that Madison is going to be the smartest little girl ever, but even we have to admit she isn't advanced enough to be coloring pictures for us yet.

Beauty Sleep

Madi catches a wink on her daddy's chest before we leave for dinner.

Madi's First Enjoyable Bath

Kelli and I gave Madi a bath in the sink and she didn't seem to mind this one. She did poop inside of Kelli's hand as Kelli carried her to the tub. Otherwise, she was a little angel thanks in part to her pacifier.

Kelli feeds Madi

Kelli helped me out by feeding Madison a bottle and burping her afterward. This was Madi's first experience being fed by someone other than Mom.

My Pimp Hand is Strong...

Kelli, Ryan and I were looking back through the photos of Addie and Madi and discovered why it was that Addie started to cry. Madison was basically beating her. Poor Addie...

Addie and Madi... (and Artie Kevin)

Mel and Addison (Madi's first and best friend) came to visit and we snapped these pictures of the two little ladies. They are 3 and a half weeks apart in age and the differences between them are amazing. Addison is a few pounds bigger than Madison and has much greater muscle control. She also seems to be much more awake and alert and seems to have fewer temper tantrums. I was able to get one photo where it looks like both girls are crying but, in reality, Madison was crying and accidentally hitting Addison while Addison was a perfectly content little angel. The third "baby" in the first photo is Jason's childhood doll, Artie Kevin. Kelli and I thought it was hilarious that he had a cabbage patch kid so his mom loaned it to Kelli to bring on their trip down. We thought, in all fairness, that Jason's baby should be included in the photo with the other babies.

Kevin and Madi Meet At Last...

On Ryan's first day back to the office, he and Kev meet Kelli, Jason, Madi and me for lunch at Lolitas taco shop - our favorite little dive with the best carne asada burritos. Kevin and Madi finally met and we all got to enjoy a nice San Diego day on the restuarant's outdoor patio. Madison slept the entire time, of course...

Ryan Goes Back to Work

Yesterday was Ryan's first day back at work and happened to also be a Tuesday which is the night he has class until 10. Needless to say, it was a long time to be away from the baby. He talked about how much he missed her when we went to lunch and, of course, he even threw in the "oh, and you too, Sarah." I'm getting used to that these days ;) We ate at Lolitas which is this little dive Mexican place with the best carne asada burritos ever. We had to make sure that Kelli and Jason experienced some good Mexican food while they were here! Thank goodness for Kelli and Jason who were able to help me out with Madison during Ryan's first day back!

Ryan Playing House

Madison was being a cranky pants while we ate dinner the other night so, once again, we were on a quest to figure out what would calm her down. Thankfully we have hardwood floors downstairs so Ryan was able to put her in her stroller and "walk" her around the house. Kelli told Ryan it looked like he was playing house by walking a doll around the house so we took this video. Hey, it worked! She went to sleep and we were able to eat dinner together.

Jason and Madison

Kelli's boyfriend Jason has a way with Madison. We think maybe she has a crush on him. She spent over an hour staring at him today and he seemed to be all it took to get her to stop crying.

She is fascinated by him...

Madi meets Auntie Kelli

Madison Sucks?

Like it is for most babies, sucking is soothing to Madison. Whether it's feeding, sucking on her own hands, or sucking on someone else's fingers, Madison LOVES to suck. Kelli lent Madi a finger the other day and was shocked at how powerful her suction is and how loud she can be. Jason shot this video as proof.

It was this big...

Every year the Crossons go salmon fishing on the Oregon Coast. We snapped this picture of Madison showing her Crosson roots this morning - she's preparing for future stories about the size of the fish she catches.

Madi/Daddy Time

For Aunt Carol

Madison shows off her slippers :)

What's wrong with this picture?

Madison has her days and nights mixed up. As soon as the sun comes up, she is passed out. The nights are a different story...

Party in the Laundry Room

Last night Matt sent Ryan and me a text message from New York City where he is partying and having fun. He asked how things were going and I had to admit to him that, at the time, I was standing in the laundry room running the dryer and rocking the baby because it was the only thing that would get her to stop crying (the white noise is soothing to her). I have to admit, it sounded ridiculous and I was a bit jealous of Matt at the time ;) Not to mention the fact that every time we find a "solution" that comforts her, we know that it's probably a one time thing. Ryan was successful by launching into Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" at 3 am the other morning (Andrew would be proud), I had my moment of success with the dryer last night, and this morning I got her to stop crying by holding her in the contorted position you see in this photo. Whatever works right? Thank goodness she still cries and then immediately falls asleep when we put her in her car seat/stroller. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to go to the coffee shop each morning for my two hours of sanity and my drink that probably has 1200 calories and isn't making the baby weight come off any faster (10 pounds to go!).

Coffee Shop Bliss

Behind Every Successful Parent is a LOT of Coffee...
There is a coffee mug at our local coffee shop with this saying and it's true, although I've learned to stick with half caf coffee or I get an alert, fussy, caffeinated baby as a result. Anyway, Ryan and I discovered about a week ago that if we feed Madison right before we leave the house, we have time to walk to the local coffee shop in the mornings and sit for a couple hours before we have to go home and feed her again. She generally falls asleep on the walk over and sleeps the entire time we are there so for two hours we are free to read the paper, work on the blog, or just sit and talk over coffee. It's amazing how much I cherish these hours every day. Of course, it's a coordinated dance to make sure we are up in time to shower and then feed her right before we walk out the door but we are getting good at the whole system.

Baby Boot Camp

I read somewhere today that the first two weeks of a newborn's life is considered baby bootcamp for the parents. Ryan and I couldn't agree more. These two weeks have been really challenging. Between our feeding problems and getting Madison to sleep at night, we've been going nuts - functioning on hardly any sleep at night. Thankfully the doctor told us yesterday that we no longer have to wake Madi up at night to feed since she has gained back her birth weight (she was discharged from the hospital weighing 6 pounds, 10 oz rather than the 7 pounds 4 oz she was at birth). Ryan and I felt like it was Christmas day when the doctor told us that. Of course, she still wakes up every 3-4 hours wanting to eat but not having to set an alarm is great! On the other hand, Madison has started to become really cranky at night. For at least a couple hours she screams her head off for no apparent reason. Tina and Brandon came to visit tonight and she cried the entire time they were at our place. I told Madison she needs to put on a better game face ;)

Scott Meets Madison

My boss came over to give me my yearly review the other day and held Madison for the first time. She was crying when he got there but calmed down as soon as he held her. He claimed it was because he has three kids and knows what he's doing. I believe it's because she recognizes his voice from the womb ;) I spent so much time at work talking with he and Kimberly while I was pregnant that I swear Madison knows both of them already!

Auntie Jamie Visits Madison

Uncle Jim and Cousin Natalie meet Madison

Madi and Mommy Rock

Madison's First Bath

Madison HATED her first bath!

Grandpa Jack

Grandpa Jack comes to visit

Baby Birdie

Ryan and I hardly got any sleep in the hospital. We were up all night each night trying to comfort Madison who had her days and nights mixed up. To make matters worse, she was incredibly hungry. We were having a lot of trouble getting her to eat which was emotionally draining. The lactation consultants finally made us supplement with formula because she wasn't latching at all and was losing weight. We tried feeding her formula with an eyedropper first. Next we finger fed her by running a tube into her mouth and rewarding her with formula when she sucked properly on our fingers. By the time we went home from the hospital, we were training her to latch by feeding her every few hours using a syringe and feeding tube which ran under a plastic breast shield. It was a crazy process and reminded me of trying to feed a baby bird so I started calling her Birdie. After a week, we finally got the process down and she's been doing great ever since.

Madi & Daddy