Madelyn @ 3 Months

It is hard to believe that 14 weeks ago today, I gave birth to this precious little girl. She has grown so much since then, weighing in at about 12 1/2 lbs and about 22 inches long. She has been smiling and cooing for a while. I love the way she interacts with me and the way I can keep her attention in "conversation" for quite a while. She is hanging on to toys now. She likes to chew on soft toys, so her favorite is to chew on a stuffed rabbit toy's ear. Its amazing to see her personality come out already. If she is left alone in the swing for more than a few minutes (she can't hear or see anyone), she will let out load noises until someone pays attention to her. But, if I am in the same room with her in the swing, she will sit their happily (if she is changed and fed). She is a happy baby! She is very similar to Jackson in that way. Even though they both were a bit fussy at night often (due to gas probably), Jackson and Madelyn both were happy babies. Jackson still is a very happy boy.
Speaking of Jackson...he loves his baby sister so much! He constantly tells me, "She's so cute, Mommy!" and if we are going somewhere, he makes sure to ask, "Madelyn's going too, Mommy?" She loves him as well. When he comes into the room, she lights up and sometimes smiles and waves her arms and legs in excitement. I hope they are always this excited about eat other!After three months, I finally got Madelyn's room finished, aside from a curtain and a light I need to hang up!
Oh...and if you are wondering, she isn't sleeping through the night yet. Everybody seems to ask that question. We still are waiting for that to happen. She has a routine and goes to sleep on her own at night, which is a start. She still feeds twice a night, though. That time will come...soon...I hope!!!!

2nd Baby Shower

Troy and I had our 2nd baby shower on Saturday. This shower was for family and family friends. It turned out wonderful! We got some major items that we needed (Car seat/Stroller, Pack n' Play, Changing Table, Diaper Bag, Snuggly) and some really neat books (Curious George, Where the Wild Things Are, The Hungry Caterpillar, Winnie the Pooh, etc. We also scored on some cute clothes and some Target gift cards to purchase what we still need. Again, we were so blessed to have all these things given to us! Having a baby would be an extremely expensive endeavor if it weren't for these gifts!

Here are some of the evening's highlights:

Troy, playing the Diaper Game (its melted chocolate in the diaper)...I wonder if he will have the same look on his face when he comes across the real stuff!

Angie did a wonderful job on the cupcakes!
L-R: Jackson's Great Aunt, Aunt, Mommy, Great-Grandma, & GrandmaJackson's Grandpas!Troy, Me, David, & Robyn (Jackson's Uncle and Aunt)....Robyn, thanks for taking all the pictures!

38 Days Left...

The time is flying! There are only 38 days left until Jackson is due! I worked really hard today and I got a lot done in our nursery. It is starting to look ready! I got a Disneyland Jungle Cruise picture framed for the nursery and that turned out wonderful. As you can see, Jackson already has some toys to play with. Due to the fact that we only have two bedrooms, this room is 1/2 office. We still have to conquer that part of it. We received wonderful news this morning concerning more bedrooms, though. Our landlord said that there may be a three bedroom apartment available in our complex in mid December. I was sooo thrilled to hear that. Another bedroom would be such a relief! Please keep us in your prayers concerning that situation. I have tried so hard to make enough room for little Jackson, but it still is a squeeze!

Our "Nursery"

Earlier this year, a couple from our church were blessed in giving birth to twin boys. They live in a small, one bedroom condo. Many times they heard the question, "So, are you going to get a bigger place?" They had recently purchased the condo, and weren't in the position to move, so they stayed in the one bedroom. They are content with what they have. They had been missionaries in Africa and saw what is was like to have absolutely nothing. They saw that they had everything they needed, even if its not up to par with the world's standards.
I think about this couple quite often when my husband and I are trying to make space for our little one. We are blessed to have two bedrooms our apartment. One bedroom is ours, one is the office. We are now trying to convert half of the office into the nursery. This means selling some furniture and coming up with new, creative ways to store things. Its been a challenge at times, I'll admit, to remember to be content with what we have. After all, we have all we need to bring a child into this world. God has been so generous in His provisions. We got a great deal on a beautiful crib and mattress set and my in-laws purchased Jackson's crib bedding! Loved ones keep giving us clothes to fill Jackson's closet...I'm pretty sure he already has more clothes than I do! We haven't had the showers yet either....yes, "showers" as in three of them! So the next time I wish I had an extra bedroom for the nursery, I'm just going to think of all the provisions God has made for us and Jackson!