1 Month with Maddie Ann

Happy 1 month baby girl!!! What a (tiring) joy this last month has been! 

During our stay at the hospital when you were born your weight dropped a bit too much and so the pediatrician insisted we supplement formula. At that point you became way too spoiled to work for your food and I have resorted to exclusively pumping for you sweet girl. I am just as stubborn as you though and we continue to work on nursing daily. I still have hope you will get it! 

{the lip}

You actually love your sleep. I really, really hope that stays, but I am not going to hold my breath! I set the alarm for every 3 hours to wake you up and feed you. In my tired state I have actually forgotten to set the alarm a few times and each time you went 4 hours before waking up hungry! I am waiting until after your 1 month appointment to get the weight checked and ask the pediatrician if we are good to let you sleep until you are hungry!! 

Your brother loves you to pieces. He loves to hold you, kiss you and help take care of you. You respond to his voice. When he sings to you it calms you. You are starting to try to follow our voices! 

I am so excited to watch you grow and learn so much this year and to watch Nolan teach you so much!! 

In this month you have inherited many nicknames -- Maddie girl, Maddie bug, Maddie Ann, Munchie and we should make Spit up queen #1 on the list because unlike your brother, you spit up...a lot! 

{spit up queen}

1 month "stats"-

21.5 inches -60% (still a 1/2 inch shorter than your brother was at birth)

8 lbs 6 oz - 18% (pediatrician advised we continue to wake you every 3 hrs to eat at night {insert tired emoji} we were so hopeful to let you sleep) 

50% head :) 

We love you to pieces Maddie girl! 

Happy 1 month <3

Dear Nolan ~ 4 years old

Dear Nolan, 

I don't even understand how you are already 4 years old. You just completed your very first year of school ever. You are so big. It seems like just yesterday I was 10 days past my due date wondering when you would decide to make your debut and what you would be like. Well, I can say I was blessed with the sweetest, funniest, handsomest and most athletic little boy there is. You truly are something special. 

You have a memory like no other. You tell us things from months (even a year) ago, you learn lyrics to songs super fast, you memorize stories and have an insane visual memory. Daddy showed you how to crow hop for baseball the other day and he only showed you one time...I am so serious when I say it only took you seeing it once to perform it flawlessly. You have been so great at giving us school reminders throughout the year. If it weren't for your reminders then you probably would have been the only one wearing a blue shirt to school on green day. ;) You actually told us you were supposed to wear your spring sing shirt to field day and we didn't believe you, but we should have! Oops.

You rocked your first year of preschool. You went from this shy and timid little boy  that cried during the Halloween parade to a little boy that although still timid will try so many new things and got up on stage and sang and danced at both your Christmas concert and spring sing concert. 

The biggest change our family had this year was that we welcomed your baby sister, Madelyn. You stepped into your role as big brother and you have been such a great helper! You love to give her kisses and call her beautiful. :) I can honestly say I was so worried about bringing a new baby home because you have had almost 4 full years of our undivided attention and I feared the jealousy, but you haven't been jealous at all. Granted you don't like having to wait at times, but you have really adjusted so well. You're simply amazing. 

Your favorite things are sports, specifically baseball. You play any and every chance you get. You study the Orioles. The other day you asked daddy why the players keep their glove on the players when they are on base and daddy had to explain holding a tag to you. I don't know how a 4 year old can pay that much attention, but you take it ALL in! You also love the color blue, Mac and cheese, Team Umizoomi, UNO, paper airplanes, learning new things and dancing like a goofball. You are the MOST competitive little boy I have ever met. You love the word 'win'. Everything is a contest with you and you are a pretty good sport about losing. 

You are the most determined little boy and you work so hard to excel at everything. I hope that your determination and drive never changes. 

I can not wait to see what this 4th year has in store for you! 

I love you to pieces sweet "baby" boy of mine!!

Love, 

Mommy

Xoxo

Happy birthday, Nolan!! :)