Breastfeeding: A Love Story

I've realized recently that my relationship with breastfeeding closely resembles that of a romantic comedy.  (Although I'm not sure if Katherine Heigl would play me or my breasts....conundrum.)

Starring Katherine Heigl as Summer's breasts

 Like most rom coms, when breastfeeding and I were first introduced, we couldn't stand one another.   I hated it to the point where I would cringe, cry, and throw temper tantrums every three hours when Madeline was ready to eat.  The only reason I stuck with it is because I'm as stubborn as a big toe.

Then, something happened.  I don't know when, or how, but breastfeeding and I became friends. We realized we wanted the same things, stopped fighting one another, and got busy feeding Madeline.

This is the part in the romantic comedy where there is a montage of our blossoming friendship.  We take long walks by the river.  We eat ice cream and wipe it off one another's noses.  We go shopping together.  We keep one another from drunk dialing our exes after long nights of karaoke.

But what really makes this a romantic comedy is the fact that I didn't realize how much I had grown to love breastfeeding until it was (almost) gone.  My supply is just about tapped out.

Going back to work took a real toll on our relationship.  There's not much time to pump in my day, and I worry that a student is going to knock on my door in the middle of the whole thing.  The door has a deadbolt, but I just don't feel comfortable.  I stopped pumping at work soon after returning.

Then the dreaded cat incident happened.  Both Maddie Bear and I were put on antibiotics, so I couldn't breastfeed her for an entire week.  I pumped as much as I could, but it wasn't enough.  Breastfeeding started to feel neglected.  True, I had taken it for granted, but I didn't expect it to just walk out on me like that.

Since then, our relationship has been strained.  I can feel breastfeeding slipping through my fingers.  When I was sick last week, my supply dropped again.  Now, I am down to nursing Madeline twice a day, but even then, I have to supplement with a bottle of formula in order to satisfy her growing appetite.

I know I could try really hard to repair our relationship, but there just doesn't seem to be time in the day.  When am I going to fit in extra feedings?

Which makes me realize that this story isn't a romantic comedy at all.  I can't give breastfeeding a long, romantic speech on New Year's Eve about how I want to spend the rest of my life with it, and expect that will just fix all our problems.  No, our story is a tearjerker romance a la The Way We Were or A Love Story.  (Maybe Barbara Streisand should play my chest??)  

Maybe this would be better casting??

In short, I'm really glad I stuck with breastfeeding instead of giving up in those early, frustrating days.  Now that breastfeeding is breaking up with me, I realize that I've grown to love it.  It did, in fact, turn out to be a wonderful bonding experience between me and my child.  At least I'll always have those misty, water-colored memories...

28 Weeks

Time for another bunny picture!

 Last month, we took the bunny picture a little late due to Madeline's cold, so it's actually only been three weeks since her last picture instead of four...but I wanted to get back on our regular bunny-picture-taking schedule.

Madeline was having nothing to do with lying her legs down flat during this afternoon's photo shoot.  Therefore, it's hard to tell how much she's grown in the last few weeks.  Still, she sure does look cute!  Don't you think?

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Madeline's been a little bit of a diva this week.  The cutest diva on the planet!

This afternoon she was reaching for a toy, so Eric grabbed it and handed it to her.  As soon as she got it in her hands, she started crying.  She dropped the toy, and Eric put it back on the table figuring she didn't want it after all.  Nope, she wanted it.  She started reaching for it again, and when she finally got it, she happily chewed on it.  She just wanted to get it herself. She didn't want Dadda to get it for her.  What a big girl!

She wants to sit up all the time now.  She gets fussy if she's left on her back.  She'll sit on the floor for long stretches of time, playing with her toys, happy to be able to do things for herself.    

Her tongue has been going like mad this week.  She's a little lizard baby.  Most of today's bunny pictures featured her tongue.  And the drool!  OH, the drool.  Every time I think I know what drool is, she gets more of it the following week.  It's been soaking her shirts, soaking my shirts, gushing down her cheeks, dripping from her chin. Yuck.  Drool.

AND, big news, her bald spot is finally starting to fill in!  It must be all that time sitting up.  The baby mullet is gone.  She's got a thick layer of red hair all over her head.  She's still a little bit thin in the back, but her bald spot has sprouts now.  The tulips and crocuses aren't the only things sprouting!  Madeline's head tells me it's spring!  (Although, apparently, we're supposed to get a big April Fool's Day snow storm?!  What's up with that nonsense?!?)

No more pictures, Mumma!  I want to go play!

All Hail Princess Madeline

Is it possible for a six-month old to give you attitude?  Because someone in our household has a major case of the princesses, and it's not Eric.  

When Madeline does not get her way, she makes this face:

 Followed by this one:

 And this one:

And finally, this one:

Picture this scenario.  I try to feed Madeline a spoonful of carrots.  Madeline does not want a spoonful of carrots.  She spits them out and looks at me as if I have four heads for even suggesting she eat carrots.  She turns her head away from the spoon.  She pretends to examine the wall.  She pretends to examine her toes.  She dodges the spoon and pretends to examine the other wall.  She whines.  She gives a warning grunt.  She clenches her tiny, angry fists and growls in frustration until her face turns red.  She starts to cry. I give up.  She makes a self-satisfied face as if to say, "That's right, Mumma, I told you I don't eat carrots.  You are a loser.  I clearly am awesome.  Don't make that mistake again."  I let two seconds go by.  I bring the spoon up to her mouth again.  She eats the carrots.  

Madeline is one stubborn baby, and I only have myself to blame since I am one stubborn Mumma.

It's a lot of fun watching Madeline develop her personality.  It may be frustrating battling with a baby, but her little attitude also makes me laugh.

She lives in a world where she's the center of the universe, and that's just as it should be.  If every baby got to be the center of their universes, our society would be a much happier place.  However, I may think it's much less cute when she reaches the toddler years.   

Don't get too comfortable calling the shots, Maddie Bear.  You may be a princess, but I am the queen of this castle, and I promise, you will eat those carrots.

Diary of a Mad Sick Woman

 I haven't blogged much this week, so in case you're dying to know what we've been up to, my week looked something like this:

(Warning: it's pretty exciting stuff.  Read at your own risk.)

• Monday:  Annoyed by my cough, but still functional. I go to bed at 6 pm.     
• Tuesday: Uncontrollable crying on kitchen floor....just because.  Eric laughs at me, hugs me, then laughs at me some more.  He manages to make out the words, "I'm gonna get the baby siiiiiiiiicccck," between sobs. 
• Wednesday: Attempt to go to work.  Leave work early.  Spend the night begging for mercy.  Do not emerge from my bed again for over twenty-four hours.  
• Thursday: See Wednesday.   
• Friday:  Finally accept the need for medical intervention.  Turns out I am not dying from the plague, nor do I have pneumonia.  Hizz-ahh!  Doctor gives me antibiotics anyhow.  Hizz-ahh!    
• Saturday: Recovery in process.  The couch is my friend.  At least I'm not in bed.  

Madeline has a runny nose today, but otherwise seems okay.  We're still hopping she dodges this one.  Eric still feels fine as well.  He very rarely gets sick.  He insists it's due to his daily glass of orange juice and bowl of Cheerios, which he eats without milk because he's a weirdo.

P.S.  I love Eric.  He has been taking care of me and baby all week.  He's a fantastic dad, and a fantastic partner.  I don't know what I'd do without him.

27 Weeks

Madeline and I are caught up in a never ending cycle of phlegm.  I am sick again.  I'm just plain worn out and coughing up a lung.  Blah.  Madeline is healthy this week but I'm worried that she'll catch my cold...again.  Round and round we go!

Meanwhile, our girl is holding out at a steady 15 pounds.  She lost some weight the last time she was sick, so she's still catching up.  She's also very long...long legs, long fingers, long toes.  I think she may be going through another growth spurt.  She's been eating like a fiend the past few days.

Madeline's personality is shining brighter than a shooting star.  We now know what she likes and dislikes.    She likes the remote control and my cell phone.  Last week she started screaming her head off when I was on my phone because she wanted to play with it.  She likes to be tickled and kissed.  She does not like to be buckled into to anything.  She does not like her bottle cold.  She does not like tummy time...but I guess we knew that already.

She's starting to reach for us more and more.  I love this!  She grabs at my face all the time.  If she's sitting on Eric's lap, she'll put her hands out toward me or vice versa.

We're trying to teach her the meanings of "Mumma" and "Dadda."  Yesterday she kept looking at me when we said, Where's Mumma?!" and Eric when we asked, "Where's Dadda?!" but it could have been a complete coincidence.

Maddie sometimes babbles in a way that makes it seem like she's having an actual conversation.  It's funny to hear her chattering away over the baby monitor.  It's as if she's talking to her toys.  

She's started thrusting her tummy and pelvis into the air when she's lying on her back.  She's either doing her Jane Fonda, or she's trying to figure out how to move better.

Still no rolling over.  We mentioned it to her pediatrician last week at her six month appointment, and she recommended we call early intervention.  We gave them a call on Friday, and they are sending us some information.  I figure it can't hurt to have someone check her out.

I worry about the color of Madeline's poop, so obviously it concerns me that she still hasn't learned to roll over.  On the other hand, I'm not that worried.  She's an intelligent, happy, and healthy girl.  She'll get there when she's good and ready.  Everyone tells me to enjoy the fact that she can't run away from me while I can.

Why do you keep doing this to me, Mumma?!  WHY?!?  Life is so unfair! Sob.

Under the Sea

This is Cousteau...

Madeline's stuffed seahorse, and deep water explorer extraordinaire.

He sleeps in Madeline's crib.

When she falls asleep, he takes her on underwater adventures.
 

This can be the only explanation for why she wakes up soaked some nights.  Last week, I even found a piece of kelp stuck in her diaper.

Sleep well, little explorer.

Top Baby Blogs

You voted for ME?!?!?  Thank You! 

I just wanted to send a quick thank you to everyone who has been voting for us over at Top Baby Blogs.

I signed up in February, thinking I'd be listed as number 3,456,789 or something like that.  To my surprise, I started around 260, and I started climbing.  So I thought, hey, it'd be cool if I could break the top 100.

Two weeks ago I did!  I was psyched.  For the past week I've been 85.  I'm double psyched.

So thank you family, friends, and fellow bloggers who have voted for us!  It makes me feel squishy inside. (In the good way.)



P.S.  To vote, you need to click the Top Baby Blogs button at the top corner of the page.  Then, click again on the new page.  Clickity Clackity.

P.P.S  While you're there, check out some other Baby Blogs.  There are some really fantastic ones.  This is why Eric and I have imposed a no Internet after 8 pm rule recently.

St. Patrick's Day Tastes Like Burritos

 I'm so excited to bring Madeline out into the world  this spring.  Look, Maddie Bear, there's life beyond our apartment!  The world is not just a frozen, snowy, inhospitable tundra!

Today was the first truly beautiful day we've had in a long while, so I was all excited to take Madeline for a walk downtown this afternoon.

She was not as excited about our walk as I was.

In my eagerness to bring Maddie out, I temporarily forgot it was St. Patrick's Day.

I don't know what St. Patrick's Day is like in other parts of the country, but around here, it's a pretty big deal.  In Boston, St. Patrick's Day Evacuation Day is even a real holiday so people don't have to worry about work getting in the way of their drinking...at 9 am.  

Imagine my surprise to find that the usual corner people that grace our neighborhood were transformed into gangs of drunk leprechauns clad head to toe in green.  Lots of them.

I pushed the stroller through them and around them, careful not to squish any under the wheels. (Leprechauns are tiny.)  I was worried they'd notice that we weren't wearing green and start pelting me with Lucky Charms, but I think they saw our red hair and pale, pale skin and assumed that we were leprechauns too.  

Besides, they were probably too distracted by the hoards of Irish step dancers and random dude dressed as a parrot to take any notice of us.  (I was too embarrassed to take a picture of the parrot man until I realized that he was the one dressed as a parrot, but by then, he had vanished.)

Anyhow, Madeline and I walked around the block before I decided to start heading back toward the apartment because things were a little too intense for a nice, peaceful walk with my gal.

Real conversation I heard while on the sidewalk:

Tall, drunk girl in knee-high black boots: "Look, Dave, that's where I got jumped!"  She points at the middle of the street in front of a downtown bar.

Second tall, drunk girl in knee-high black boots talking to some other dude: "Oh yea, look that's where she got jumped that night by that guy who got the **bleep** kicked out of him."

Hmmm.  It may be time to move.

At least Madeline found the gangs of drunk leprechauns funny.

Don't get any ideas about becoming a corner person, Madeline...we're moving.

On our way back to the apartment, I stopped to get a St. Patty's Day burrito to go.   Madeline was not as excited about my burrito as I was.

We took my burrito to a nearby park, far from the hoards of drunk leprechauns.  The grass was wet, so I found myself sitting in the middle of a large stage used for summer concerts eating my burrito for an audience of no one.

Madeline fell asleep in the warm sunshine.

I sat there and stuffed my face, enjoying the small patch of nature surrounded by our little city, not at all saddened by the fact that I will never again be a part of the gang of leprechauns a few blocks over.  

 A kite stuck in a tree!  A sure sign of spring!

My Favorite Things

Welcome to my Fav-o-rite Thi-iiinnggs!

 (Picture me saying that just like Oprah.  No cars or trips to Australia though, so don't get too excited.)

These are our favorite baby items from the first six months of Madeline's life.  These are the items that made life easier, and got us through our panic as first-time parents.

1. Arm's Reach Mini Bassinet Co-Sleeper 

When Madeline came three weeks early, one of my first thoughts in the hospital was, "Omigod, where are we going to put her when he get home!?"  Luckily, my sisters had picked this up for us, and Madeline didn't have to sleep in the dresser drawer after all.  (I once accidentally locked the cat in my dresser drawer for three hours.  He didn't seem to mind.) As a breastfeeding mother, this co-sleeper was a life-saver.  I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to feed her.  She was close enough for me to touch, but I also didn't have to worry about rolling over on her.  It fits perfectly in the small space between my bed and wall, and it's easy to travel with too.  It's still set up in our room even though Maddie is now in her crib.  We use it if she's having a tough night, or if she's awake while we're getting ready for work in the mornings.  Love, love, love this!

2. Fisher Price Cradle N' Swing - My Little Lamb

There were a lot of baby products that I didn't really think we'd need...until we did.  A swing was one of them.  Then, Maddie got a good case of the colic, and I wanted a swing stat.  I dragged Eric to the store the first chance we got, and we bought the first swing we saw.  Life-saver!!  The lamb cushioning is really soft and cozy.  Madeline napped in this all the time as a wee one, and now that she's older, she likes to sit up in it and watch the world go by.  Eric and I have wished they made grown-up sized My Little Lamb swings on several occasions.

3. Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play

This was another "Omigod, where are we going to put her?!" product.  When Madeline was a newborn, if she wasn't in our arms, she was most likely in the Rock and Play.  It's really light and portable. (I used to bring it into the bathroom with me while I showered so that I could keep an eye on her.)  The incline in the seat helped with her baby reflux.  I also really liked how the shape kinda cocooned her so that she felt safe and cozy in it.

4. Skip Hop Funky Farmyard Activity Mat

We've used this activity mat from the time Madeline was a newborn, and she still loves it.  It's been really cool to watch her interactions with the toys change as she's gotten older.  There was a time when all she could do was stare at the cow mirror.  Then, she'd kick at the toys.  Now, she can grab at the toys, talk to the toys, scoot around to get to the toy she wants.  Plus, I love the cute farm animals.  We can also rearrange the toys or add our own to keep things interesting for her.



5. Bumbo

Do I really even need to explain this product?  It seems like everyone with a baby has a Bumbo these days.  Lately we've been using it when we feed Madeline.  I'm not sure if that's the best way to feed her, but she doesn't quite fit into her high chair yet.  We also place it in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom so that Madeline can see her reflection.  She loves talking to the baby in the mirror.  She's her pal.  We have it in lime green, which is a favorite color of mine, but there are tons of colors to choose from.

6. Maxi-Cosi Car Seat

We love this car seat!  I have a smallish car because I'm too stubborn to give in and admit I may need a mom car like a minivan or station wagon.  (It could be worse, I used to drive a lime green Beetle.)  When I started looking into cars seats, I knew we'd need something on the small side.  Also, I'm not going to lie, I like the way it looks.  It's modern, and comes in fun colors.  We have a base for each of our cars which makes it incredibly easy to transfer her from one vehicle to the other.  The lining is soft, durable, and easy to clean.  We also got an insert for the cold weather, (we get a lot of that around these parts) and a rain shield to keep her comfy-cozy.  Madeline falls asleep almost instantaneously when we put her in her car seat, and that's worth it's weight in gold.

7. Quinny Zapp 4 Stroller

Eric and I claim that if we ever have a son, we will name him Quinny Zapp to ensure that he turns into a pretentious rock star.  When we want to take Madeline for a walk, we put her in the car seat and clip it into the Quinny Zapp.  I clearly remember having a complete meltdown when I was still pregnant because I was sure I'd never be able to figure out how to use a stroller.  I was wrong.  Easy, peas-y lemon squeeze-y.  The stroller is light, and folds up easily.  Yet, it is strong enough to handle the cobblestones and railroad tracks we have to cross on a daily basis.  When Madeline is ready, we can zip the big-girl seat back into the frame and use it without her car seat.  I'm looking forward to taking her for walks by the river to see the ducks when it gets warm enough.

8. Baby Bjorn

When Maddie was still a tiny peanut, it was nice to be able to go for walks with her sleeping cozily on my chest.  Now that she's a slightly larger peanut, she loves to be able to look around.  I think if we want to keep wearing the Maddie Bear we'll have to invest in something with more support, but the Baby Bjorn has been great for the first few months.

9. The Boppy Pillow

Like the Bumbo, I feel that almost everyone has a Boppy.  I can totally see why.  I still use it every night when I feed Madeline before bed.  Now that she's older, she also uses it to lay on when she's playing, or for extra support when she's sitting on her own.  Also? I LOVE the Sweet pea cover.  So cute.

What are your favorite baby products??

Bragging About My Baby: The Awesomest Baby in the World

This post has no other purpose than to say, "Wow!  Look how gosh darn cute my baby is!"  This has been your public service announcement for the day.  Enjoy.

A Very Happy Unbirthday to You!

It's Madeline's six month birthday today!

That's right, it's been six months already since Madeline made her big debut!

In some ways it seems like it's gone by soooo fast.  On the other hand, I can't believe it's only been six months.  Hasn't Madeline always been in our lives???

What we now know about Madeline:  

1. She has red hair 
2. She has a giant bald spot on the back of her head.  
3. Her eyes are still blue, but we still think they're changing to brown.  
4. She loves to chew on and kick her toys.  
5.  Her favorite toys are Mr. Gie-raff, The Heffs, and (recently) Bert and Ernie.  
6. She loves to read books...she tries to turn the pages.  
7. Her favorite books are Little Quack and Baby Colors.  
8. She has chubba, rosy cheeks.  
9. She can sit up all by herself!  
10. She is never going to roll over...because
11. She hates tummy time with a fierce passion.  
12. She's very vocal.  
13. When she gets sad she goes, "Ah bummmmmm, Ah, bummmmm."  
14. She is ticklish. 
15. She laughs when you surprise her.  
16. She laughs when you raspberry her belly or cheeks.  
17. She loves to pull Dada's hair.  
18. She loves to pull Mumma's hair too.  
19. She loves to play with Dada's nose.  
20. She loves to play with Mumma's mouth.  
21. She (mostly) turns to look at you when you call her name.  
22. She likes to be sung to.  
23. She likes to be danced with.  
24. She likes to be held.  
25. She sleeps in her big girl crib.  
26. She spins around in circles while she sleeps.  
27. She likes to fall asleep with her pacifier and noise maker.  
28. She smiles ALL The Time!
29. She loves to look at herself in the mirror.  
30. She now "plays" with the other babies at daycare by acknowledging their existence.  
31. She eats lots of solid foods.  
32. Bananas, apples, and squash are her favorites.  
33. She does not like avocado.  
34. She loves bath time, but...
35. Hates getting dressed afterwards.  
36. She likes to watch Sports Center.  
37. She likes to play with the keyboard and mouse when you sit her on your lap at the computer.  
38. She likes the aquarium!  
39. She's fascinated by her toes.  Socks don't stay on long these days.  
40. She pouts out her bottom lip when she cries.  
41. She does not have teeth yet, but she's getting close.  
42. She has Dada's eyes, but looks a lot like Mumma these days.  
43. She likes her bottles very warm...borderline hot.   
44. She sleeps with her arms sprawled out above her head.  
45. She rubs her eyes when she gets sleepy.  
46. She gets scared by wind in her face...or when Dada blows in her face.  
47. She sleeps, on average, about 10 hours a night.  
48. She takes two to three short naps during the day.  
49. She has sticky-outy ears.  
50. She is the cutest, sweetest, smartest, and best baby in the world.  

P.S.  I tried to buy Madeline half a cupcake today, but apparently nobody in the area sells cupcakes.  Instead, I had to get a package of twelve mini cupcakes.  This teaches me two things: One, Mumma and Dada are going to be in a cupcake coma tonight.  Two, we need more bakerys in the area!

Slow Cooker Sunday

This week's menu: Corn Chowder!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned corn
• celery
• onion
• jalapeno pepper
• Canadian bacon
• half and half
• milk
• flour
• salt n' peppa 

Verdict?  

Nom, nom, nom  

When You Wish Upon a Starfish

Yesterday was an exciting day for little Madeline Lee.

After weeks of cold weather, and colds, we were ready to get out of the house N.O.W, so we headed to the aquarium in Boston.  

She loved it!  She was smiling the whole time.  She kept trying to grab the fish through the glass.  It was very exciting to see her exploring a completely different environment like that.  

When we were finished looking at the fish, we took a walk along the harbor and over to Fanuiel Hall.  Maddie was really tuckered out from all her new adventures, so she fell asleep almost immedietly.

Then, to top it all off, Madeline got a visit from Grammy and Bob last night while Eric and I went out to dinner.  I had a martini with extra olives.  Madeline played with Grammy and Bob.  Everyone was happy!

Renewel

It’s such a bizarre world we live in today, that I can sit here behind the safety of my computer screen and literally watch the lives of thousands of people crumble. 

Throughout the day, I’ve been checking on the updates from Japan and the rest of the globe affected by the earthquake and tsunamis.  Technology can make me feel so helpless at times.  I can watch live footage of highways in Japan with vehicles the scale of matchbox cars driving desperately away from the inevitable flood of wreckage and debris.  I can watch it happening in the actual moment that it happens, but I can do nothing about it. 

Although, I suppose when the earth decides to move below our feet, there’s not much anyone do about it. 

In one of those bizarre coincidences that defy explanation, I spent a few hours yesterday morning researching flood mythology across cultures.  Why?  Because I’m a gigantic nerd, obviously.  I’ve been reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology aloud to Madeline at night this week because I’ve run out of new reading material.  Two nights ago, I came to the story of Deucalion and Pyhrra.  For not the first time, I started thinking about how bizarre it is that nearly every culture on the planet has a flood myth that’s virtually the same as that of Noah and his ark. 

While I’m not a practicing religious person, religion has always fascinated me.  I get particularly fascinated by the possible links between myth, religion, and science.  In my mind, it’s all interconnected.  I like to believe that thousands and thousands of years ago, there was a real flood that devastated the lives of many people.  It was so devastating, in fact, that the story got retold until it almost became a part of the human subconscious. 

While revisiting my notes from yesterday’s nerd-arrific philosophizing, I had written “REBIRTH-Cleansing of Humanity,” in the margins.    

That’s the most common element between all the flood myths.  When the waters recede, humanity is born again, only stronger. 

Water almost always symbolizes a cleansing or rebirth.  It’s why water is used in baptisms.  It continuously shows up literature…rivers, oceans, and storms.  It’s why so many pivotal moments in movies take place in the rain…because when the storm is over, the characters are forever changed.  Water in these instances, is a cleansing. 

I don’t mean to suggest that the people who are being affected by today’s natural disasters are in any way better off for what has happened.  Lives will be lost, lives will be devastated…things will never quite be the same. 

My point is, however, that tomorrow people will begin to rebuild and start anew as we always have from the very beginning of time.  It gives me comfort to think that the human spirit always starts afresh.  That it is continuously reborn and renewed even in the face of incredible heartache and disaster.  That it can never truly be squelched. 

And for the millions of people merely watching the events unfold, it reminds us to care for our fellow man.  Prayers will be whispered, volunteers will flock, and money will be donated. 

People like me, who sit safely behind my computer screen, will be reminded to hold loved ones a little closer, to be a little more thankful for all that we have, to look at the world through new eyes…if only for a few hours…instead of focusing on all the negative, unimportant events surrounding us.  So in that way, we are cleansed and reborn as well. 

Perfect

Madeline was so tuckered out after a fun-filled day at "school" today that she fell asleep in my lap for an hour.  The days of her falling asleep in my arms are getting further between as she turns into a big girl, so I thoroughly enjoyed our hour together.

Isn't my little sleeping beauty just so perfect?

Yup.  Perfect.



P.S.  She was soooo sleepy that I had a really hard time waking her up.  Made me kind of nervous at first After a solid two minutes of calling her name and gently shaking her, her perfect eyelids fluttered open, and she gave me a perfect smile.