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Maddie

Just wanted to share this pic, it's the first time I've caught her smiling on camera:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs640.snc3/32102_708509394699_36807315_41705967_2744220_n.jpg



She is growing up so fast it's scary, the same with Lily.

Replies

  • Ahh, bless. She is totally gorgeous.
    xx
  • Hello smiley beauty! : )
  • Aw what a smasher! You can't beat the first photo of a smile! x
  • She's gorgeous- so like Lily image
  • She's ridiculously cute, PTB, you must be so proud of your girls.

    Hannah xx
  • Awwwwww how cute is she please a gorgeous smile and she does look like Lilly! xxx
  • Gorgeous! She is growing up so quickly!
    xx
  • Wow, what a big smile and a real cutie.
    very like her big sister!

    xx
  • Beautiful : ) makin me broody! She is very much like her big sis xx
  • Thanks girls. Yes, I am stupidly proud :\) Both the girls are being sooo good at the moment, it's an absolute pleasure being me image

    Have finally got some time and energy to give a bit of an update on the things that I was worrying about before she arrived! - the two main ones were bedtime and showers. I mostly have a shower in the evening now, once hubby's home, Lily's in bed, and we've eaten dinner. I much prefer a morning shower but this way I can take my time and enjoy it rather than grabbing a quick two minutes whilst Lily bangs on the glass shouting "plughole Mummy shower Mummy oh dear" and worrying that Maddie might need me any second.

    As for bedtime - so far hubby has been home just in time to either put Lily to bed or take Maddie, except for on two occasions when by pure luck Maddie was asleep so there wasn't an issue.

    I also remember saying I couldn't bear the thought of either of them crying for me because I was busy with the other one. So far, this has been quite an easy one - Maddie cries when she needs me; Lily only seems to cry when she's stropping, and as my tactic with strops is ignore her there hasn't been an issue about who to sort out first. I've had to grow a slightly tougher skin about leaving Maddie to cry for longer than 30 secs, as sometimes I'm busy eg changing Lily's nappy, but I always go to her as soon as I can and it's never more than a minute or two. I'm lucky, as she doesn't often cry except for milk or a cuddle or a change of scene, so I've had very few "wtf do I try NOW?" moments. She went through a colicky phase for a fortnight but touchwood seems to have come through that. Dinks on here recommended I drink fennel tea (which is really nice btw!) - wonder if that is helping?

    Getting out and about is less challenging now I've got a bit of a system. I'm finding the P&T great as a double on the whole. Understandably, there are times when Maddie's not willing to be shoved underneath where she can't see anything, but on those occasions I put her in the BabyBjorn which she seems very happy in. The cocoon is fab, not just for in the buggy but for carrying her about when I've also got to carry Lily, eg from reception to the weighing room at baby clinic. At times like those it would be sooo much easier if Lily were walking!

    Feeding is going well and Maddie is following her line - she was 6lbs 12oz at birth and 9lbs 1oz at her 8-week check this week. I mostly bf on the floor (or walking about) these days, as because Lily's not walking or climbing she often wants to play with me or cuddle or be read to whilst I'm feeding, and it's easier to be on her level. She doesn't seem jealous in the slightest, and is always sharing her dolls with her, and stroking her face, and chattering nonsense sentences to her that end with "... Baddie!"

    On a day-to-day basis, we have fallen into a routine of sorts. DH's alarm goes at 6am which is when Lily starts to stir, and usually Madeleine too (she starts off the night in her Moses basket next to the bed, but when she wakes for a feed in the night I put her in bed with us to feed lying down & she stays there til morning. She seems to "get" night time, has done since birth, only waking for 1-3 feeds and then going straight back to sleep). DH changes Lily's nappy & gets her milk, and she has her bottle next to me in bed whilst I feed Maddie & DH showers. DH goes off to work and I usually have everyone dressed and downstairs for about half 7. Maddie seems to have fallen into a pattern of napping at about 10am for a good few hours - this sometimes coincides with Lily's nap which gives me the opp to do a bit of housework. We go out in the buggy or car every day and Maddie tends to catnap then, too. She is bf'd on demand but this tends to be every 2-3 hours in the daytime. Lily's dinnertime is sometimes a bit hectic as Maddie tends to be awake and wanting to be held, but I've got used to feeding them both at the same time! Lily watches ITNG at around 6 and then goes to bed, and Maddie falls asleep for the night downstairs in the Moses basket anywhere between 7-9pm.

    And finally - got a shock today! AF came to visit despite full-time bf :\( Hardly seems fair - she didn't come back until 6 months with Lily. Has reminded me I really need to think about contraception, but although I've looked into it all I basically don't like the thought of ANYTHING hormonal. Hmm.

    Anyway, sorry I've rambled on, and thanks for reading!
  • It sounds like everything is going really smoothly for you. I just hope it works half as well for me. I think my biggest difference is going to be that Abby never stays still for more than 2 secs at a time. However I will have the benefit of still putting Abby into nursery for 1.5 days and 1 day at my parents.

    It's strange how quickly you realise that most toddler cries are to do with being a stroppy madam than actually a particular need. Abby is going to get a huge shock when I have to deal with LO first. I'm really pleased with how easily 2nd time motherhood has come to you, but then you always were vary chilled about the whole thing. :\) I know we have a few differences in ideas but I really like the way it's working for you.

    One of my concerns is BF. With Abby my supply dropped significantly in the evening and I needed to have a very strict routine of expressing in order to meet her needs. I can't see my supply being any better with a toddler to chase as well and can't see myself having the chance to express in the same way. :\( What do I do?! I would rather not give formula if at all possible.

    Another question is how much do you actually use the double? I have decided not to buy one and actually decide each time whether to take the buggy (and carry LO in a carrier) or take the pram (and let Abby walk). Obviously Lily doesn't walk but if she did would you still recommend a double?

    FYI I was on the mini-pill from 8 weeks with Abby and didn't have any side-effects. I BF happily until 1 year with no AF and conceived immediately when I came off it so am not worried that it affected my hormones too much (my supply problems were in the first 2 months). This time I'm thinking about the implant because it is also progesterone-only.

    Hope to see you all soon,
    H xx
  • ohhh ptb she's GORGEOUS! huge congrats xxx

    and sounds like you are managing amazingly (sure you will too bf).

    reminds me we were planning on doing our day in our life - will have to do that soon!

    and bf - i had supply issues at 1st too (my midwife thought it was to do with my blood loss, don't know if yours was the same?) so i did mix feed for 1st 6 weeks. although it was not what i ideally wanted, i went on to breast feed for 14 mnths whereas without mix feeding i was close to giving up completely as i was struggling so much at the begining, so wait and see how it goes but if you do need to it does not mean you have to continue doing so as after 6 weekd theo was exclusively breast feed.

    chat soon k xxx
  • wow - maddie is so cute and so like Lily! This picture made me smile eeeee!

    Sounds like you've got things running so well, mate. wow, I am impressed!

    I'm in denial about the realities of having two. Am in for a bit of a rude awakening, am sure!!!
  • Thanks Kate and Helen. Lizzie, how are you?

    Helen - like you say, we have different ideas about some things but just as I've found my feet there's no doubt in my mind you will too. Not saying I've got it totally sorted all the time or anything - just that I don't feel apprehensive every morning as I feared I might, as I know that even if it's a bad day, I do have it in me to handle it.

    Perhaps you'll find we both end up meeting each other half way with our methods - I have certainly had to be a bit more military with some things in order to get everything done and everyone sorted; maybe you'll find you need to relax some of your processes a little to accommodate baba no.2. Or more likely both your babies will fit into a routine beautifully and you'll look like supermummy image

    Like Abby, Lily does spend one day a week with the childminder still, which means I can catch up on the housework and have some special time with Maddie. I think without this day I'd feel far more stressed as I'd have to cram it all in around the girls during the rest of the week. Even with Maddie at home I still manage to do the whole house AND put my feet up for a bit! Can't believe I ever used to complain of never having time to do these things when Lily was small - by comparison to the boddler she's become, just having a newborn to look after on these days seems a doddle. It's amazing how your perspective changes when there are two! Mind you, I've always said that Maddie is an easier baby than Lily, and I still believe that now. So far I've been pretty much guaranteed a 2-3hour nap with Maddie, which I never was with Lily; and Maddie will happily wriggle on her mat for 20mins or so at a time which Lily was never interested in.

    For me the double is a total must. I know that Lily's not walking and Abby is a very confident walker, but even when Lily does walk if I just want to pop to the shop for a loaf or something I'd def want the buggy so that if need be I could make it there and back in 15 mins, rather than it take an hour which I'm sure it would with a toddler wanting to stop and explore everything all the time. She also naps well in the buggy and I often get back from a walk with two sleeping babies, which is a bit of a result. I don't think this would apply to you though.

    I also like the option of Maddie being able to lie flat to sleep if Lily wants to go in the buggy - I can easily transfer Maddie from Moses basket to P&T cocoon if she's asleep in the house and I need to go out, whereas if I only had a single and Lily didn't want to walk I'd have to either wake Maddie to put her in the carrier, or wait until Maddie woke up. You know Abby though, and if you don't feel you get much use out of a buggy with her now then you probably wouldn't miss it come Sept. And you can always just buy one once new baby is here if you find you need to.

    I am loathe to give Madeleine formula too at this stage. She is a sicky baby compared to Lily even just on bm and I don't want to upset her tummy further. Hopefully you'll find you just have more milk generally this time - I'm not finding this personally, but other second-time mummy friends all seem to say their supply is much more plentiful second time around.

    Not that I'm the oracle or anything but feel free to ask any more questions you like, any of you.
  • Ah Maddie is gorgeous! Amazing how much personality they have when they're so young. Sounds like you're falling into a nice little routine and loving motherhood. Great that Lily had taken so well to being a big sister! x
  • absolutely gorgeous and it sounds like you have everything sorted in record time. well done you and well done maddie with your smiles
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