Catching Up

How can it be that Madelyn is 6 1/2 weeks old already?!?!? And how can it be that I haven't posted for that long??? We've got some catching up to do.

Let's start with Christmas. Phew! Seems like a lifetime ago. I left the hospital on Sunday, December 20th. There was a tremendous amount of snow (we got about 2 feet), but Mitch was able to get to the hospital to pick us up. My mom was here (thank goodness!!!!), and she and I and Maddy spent a lot of quality time together. And Mom mastered taking the boys to school in the morning! Very helpful since in the beginning I couldn't drive, or physically pick the boys up.

On Christmas Eve, we headed out to Mitch's parent's house. Since no visitors were allowed in the hospital, it was the first time Fammy and Granddad were meeting their newest granddaughter.

And Aunt Ashley too!!

Granddad's lap is always a favorite spot for all the grandkids!

There was a wonderful dinner (though I missed most of it - I wasn't feeling well and went upstairs to lie down), and of course, PRESENTS!!

And some quality hang time for Tyler and cousin Charlotte....

Then we headed home and waited for Santa.

He didn't disappont!

Here is Maddy on her first Christmas morning!

A better look at her outfit:

Let the frenzy begin!

Here are the boys giving presents to Maddy:

Her stuffed bunny is (was) bigger than she is!!

We spent the day at home, and had a nice, low-key, family celebration. It was a wonderful Christmas, with much to be celebrated.

So far, the boys don't seem to mind having Madelyn around. They want to give her all kinds of attention, so of course they must be watched closely. I've got them trained that they can only kiss her feet (which are always covered), since they can't touch her head and I prefer they don't touch her hands with their germy little hands :)!!

I think Evan is mostly happy that the chair is back....

When Maddy was 11 days old, her cord fell off. Luckily it was when Mitch was changing her diaper because for some reason that seriously freaks me out!

It was time for her to have her first bath, but we didn't have her little tub yet, so Mom and I improvised in the bathroom sink:

Then wrapped her up in a warm pink towel!! She smelled good enough to eat when she was done! :)

A couple of weeks after Christmas, Uncle Doug, Jeannine, Jake and Max came for a visit. Here are the boys holding their new cousin:

And here's Uncle Doug - loving having a sleeping baby on his chest! Especially since he gets to give it back!! :)

Evan was quite taken with Uncle Doug on this visit too!

Mimi was happy to have lots of snuggling and bonding time with all the kids in the weeks that she was here.

And Mitch and I were so happy - AND GRATEFUL - for all the help she gave us. We appreciated it more than I can possibly express, and we all miss her!! We hope she'll be back soon (and not just because she has mastered loading the dishwasher - LOL)!!

We're in a bit of a routine now. The boys have switched to part-time preschool, so they are going on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, and staying home with me and Maddy on Monday's and Friday's. This is the first week, and I'm still trying to figure out how best to structure our time. I'm hoping for warmer days to arrive soon so we can spend time outside! In the meantime, my mommy skills are being seriously tested. Time will tell how I fare...

In closing, here are some cute pics of Maddy. I have a zillion more of them, but they are all on my Blackberry which has recently taken over as my primary mode of picture taking because it is always with me. I'll have to work on getting those pictures onto my computer.

Here she is in her super cute velour track suit. Mitch calls it her "Jersey housewife" outfit! :)

I promise to be back SOON!!!