Mad's Fourth Day: Settling In with Sweet Snuggles

We’re starting to find our rhythm, even though it’s still early days. So far, it seems like Madeline is going to be a good sleeper, just like her mom—Alison can sleep through almost anything, which is a pretty impressive skill. Last night, Mads woke up once for a couple of hours to eat and deal with some gas, but other than that, she slept peacefully. We actually got about seven hours of sleep, which felt like a major win.

First thing in the morning, I called the pediatrician’s office. We would’ve called sooner, but they were closed for the holiday. When I finally got through, they told us we were overdue for Madeline’s three-day checkup and wanted us to come in right away. I was a little bummed since Josh, one of my neighborhood friends, is going to be her pediatrician, but he doesn’t work on Tuesdays, so we saw someone else instead. They asked us to come in at 11:30, and knowing it would take a while to get out the door, we immediately got started. Good thing too—it ended up taking us about three hours to get ready.

While Alison got herself ready, I took Mads and Tex on our usual morning walk around the lake. This has become a favorite time of mine. I talk to Madeline as we walk, telling her about her new life with us and how much I love her. I have so many dreams for her as she grows, and these walks are just the beginning.

When we got back, Alison fed Mads while I made breakfast—excuse me, brekkie—and then I worked on my one-handed eating skills so Alison could have a break to eat. I didn’t mind one bit, though; I loved having my little snuggle buddy in my arms.

After breakfast, we packed the diaper bag and barely made it out the door on time. We pulled up to the doctor’s office at exactly 11:30.

We met with Dr. Montes today, and she was great. They weighed and measured Madeline—she’s down about eight ounces, which is around 7% of her birth weight. Totally normal. They also measured her as half an inch taller, though we’re not sure if she’s actually grown or if they use a different measuring technique. Either way, she’s looking healthy! As we were wrapping up, Mads started acting hungry, so Dr. Montes, who’s also a lactation specialist, suggested Alison feed her right then and there. She gave Alison some helpful tips and encouragement, which was great. We ended up staying over 30 minutes after the appointment while Madeline ate.

Afterward, we headed home. We originally planned to stop by Target, but the chairs in the pediatrician’s office were painfully uncomfortable for Alison, and she was in no shape to do any extra errands. So, we headed straight home, and I made a quick solo trip to Target later. It was my first time leaving the house without Alison or Mads, which felt a little strange.

Later in the evening, my mom and Luke stopped by to meet Madeline. My mom brought the sweetest gifts—hand-knitted blankets and some adorable burp cloths with embroidered edges. They were beautiful, and she made it clear that she expected us to use them, not just admire them. We loved everything. Mom held Mads the entire visit, and she was so content in her grandma Dee’s arms. It was a lovely visit, and we were so glad they came.

Soon after they left, we hit the infamous “witching hour.” Mads was fussy and didn’t want to be soothed. I changed her diaper and decided to give her a little air time, so she was our tiny, naked baby for a bit. I was wearing a button-down shirt, so I opened it up for some skin-to-skin time. Right then, there was a knock at the door. Alison was in the bathroom, which, postpartum, takes a little longer, so I had to make a choice. I thought, “Why not?” and opened the door with Mads snuggled up to me. It turned out to be the Relief Society president, who brought us some pumpkin bread. Alison came out a couple of minutes later and invited her in, and we ended up chatting while Mads fussed in the background.

All in all, Mads has been a dream. She has her moments, of course, but we’re feeling pretty lucky to have such a happy, snuggly baby. Let’s hope it continues!