Madelyn's First Month

Month one is done. Time is seriously flying and I can't believe she is already a month old! Let's recap -

Breastfeeding - It is going well. I was fortunate enough that Madelyn came out ready to breastfeed. We didn't have any latch problems and the kid loves to eat. Around week 3 I had Nick try giving her a bottle and she took it just fine. When we went back to the breast she was just fine with that as well. I don't think she cares how she eats, so long as she's getting food. The first few days didn't hurt but my nips got pretty raw after that and Lanolin became my new best friend! They never cracked and were never bloody but there was about a week that I cringed whenever she latched. After we got through that, it has been smooth sailing. Fortunately, I haven't had engorgement issues but I have started stuffing my bra with a cloth diaper at night to prevent waking up in a pool of my own milk - the joys of motherhood!

Cloth Diapering - I am so glad we are cloth diaapering! We had a few challenges at the beginning since Madelyn seems to be a heavy wetter and a few of our diapers didn't have big enough inserts. We switched those out and have started doubling her diapers with a microfiber and hemp insert for nighttime. Since then it has worked perfectly! Washing the diapers is super easy. I do a load everyday but it really isn't a hassle. I like the Allen's detergent but I am interested in trying Rockin' Green. I noticed that the dipes had a smell to them after washing so I added a second rinse to them after washing and also reduced the amount of detergent we use. It seems to have worked. Nick said he was sold when he just finished changing her and not 30 seconds later she pooped again. He was very grateful another quarter wasn't just spent changing her booty. Going out and cloth diapering is super easy as well. Just throw the dirty dipe in the wetbag and continue on. When I get home, I just empty the wetbag into the diaper pail and throw the wetbag in there as well. Overall, love it! My only complaint is regarding the Fuzzibunz. We elected snaps instead of velcro because I heard the velcro can wear out. The problem with the snaps is when she is between sizes. If you go one snap closer, I feel like I'm squishing her. If we go one snap farther, we end up with blowouts. Dang it!

Madelyn's Firsts - Madelyn had her first ride in her stroller this month. I love our stroller and so does she! We went Christmas shopping at the mall with my mom and bought all kinds of frilly girly cloths! She also had her first bath and her first shower this month. She is just starting to smile and it is the most amazing feeling in the world when she offers you that toothless grin! She has found her voice and startles herself when she shouts out - hilarious!

Sleep - The closest we have come to a pattern involves Madelyn waking sometime between 2-4 and again sometime between 5-7 for feedings. She usually starts by grunting for awhile and if I grab her before she actually wakes herself up, I can get her changed and fed before she's really conscious. She's pretty easy to put back down after that and we all can be back to sleep in about 30 minutes. However, if she wakes herself up, it's a whole new ball game. She is either awake and ready to start her day or cranky and it can take anywhere from 1-2 hours to put her back down. On those nights, we usually bring her into bed with us after feeding and changing her. It keeps her content enough to not scream and allows us to sleep a little more.