Mindless Meanderings of Schroedawg

With January just around the corner, here is the update from the Schroeder clan. We ventured to Colorado for a much needed vacation and to celebrate Christmas with my family. My dad had not yet Maddie and either had my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. The flight, both ways, went great. I was nervous about being one of “those parents”, whose child cries the entire flight and you don’t have the Dre Beats headphones to drown out the sound. We were fortunate for her to sleep most of the way or to wake up and giggle, and then be sweet the majority of the flight. The flight attendants were in love with her, which gave us brownie points with them at least. J Uncle Joe and Aunt Lindsey with Madelynne Posing by a display Being a gorilla Cousins We were lucky to bypass a winter storm that hit most of Wednesday, but dumped a fairly large amount of snow in the greater Denver area. The whole ordeal got me nervous and made me think about the year my nephew was born in 2006 and the...

The past two months have really flown and it is hard to believe that December is already here. It is equally hard to believe that Madelynne will be 4 months in a little less than 2 weeks. She has definitely changed and her personality is prominent. She has a temper if she doesn't get her way, but then will smile, coo, and talk to you like you're the greatest thing in the world. She bicycles her legs to move herself around her play mat, and holds a steady neck and head up when she is on her Boppy pillow during tummy time.  She is developing fast, grasping and playing with objects, discovering body parts, and rocking from side to side. I know, eventually, she will roll over, but when other mom's post that their little ones, who were born after Madelynne, are already at that benchmark, I cringe in mini-worry that she is "falling behind" and then remind myself, of the little emblazoned statement at bottom of  each Baby Center Weekly Email update I get that "every...

Madelynne has reached the two month mark and routine has been established within the Schroeder household. At five weeks, I was beginning to second guess myself as a mom, wondering if I would ever get the hang of this. I felt like a juggler trying to balance planning for my college courses I’m teaching, continuously looking for full time work (Wyoming or Colorado would be very nice!!), working on my PhD, and being a mom.   I was awed by the constant give and take that stay at home mom’s deal with every day. It is not easy to stay at home. But it is also not easy to be a professional, working mom, as well. I am lucky to fall somewhere in the middle, yet I realize what a task it has been to find a sense of balance with all that is on my plate. In the past two months, I have taken away three graces in my time with Madelynne. The first of these is to go with the flow, which ties in with the idea of releasing my control over situations. I hate not knowing what the outcome or future wil...

Madelynne turns 1 month old in a few days and it is hard to believe that 4 weeks have gone by already. Brad and I constantly look at her and ask ourselves where the time went, as she has developed even more. Everyone told me to take it all in and enjoy each day as she continues to grow, as it will go by fast, so that is what I have been doing. When she nurses, I examine her little fingers and toes, as her fingers wrap securely around one of mine. I love the smooth, softness of her skin. When she has play time on her little activity mat, she is looking around and examining the world with wide-eye curiousity, fixating on a light, the cats, movement, a picture. When she dreams she does her dad’s infamous half-lip raise quiver, or the Elvis lip as I refer to it, smiles, twitches, frowns, scowls, sucks, breathes deep and rhythmically, moans and grunts, coos…all sorts of emotions that I wonder what exactly she is dreaming about. I mean, she hasn’t been around long enough to engage in experi...

Almost 3 weeks ago Brad and I officially became parents. Madelynne Elizabeth was born in the wee hours of the morning on August 15 th , 2011, weighing 8 lbs, 3 oz., and 19 inches in length. Words can’t even begin to describe the abundance of love I felt immediately toward this little miracle who was placed in my arms after I was able to go back to my room from recovery, after the c-section. The whole experience of giving birth is surreal in itself. One minute the life you created that was thriving inside of you, that you felt day in and day out, was now in your arms and real. Although there was this insurmountable amount of pain, (which is beyond description), it falls away as soon as that baby is placed in your arms. You forget everything because all you see is this tiny little person, whose fingers are wrapped around yours, and whose little heart is overflowing with the love from two parents who waited well over two years for this day. Madelynne is a blessing. After the surgery and...

Brad and I got into an argument on Saturday morning, as I huffed and puffed to try to reason with him through my rising blood pressure and anger, that making a baby is a lot harder than he would ever know, and how I was ready for her to be out, and he, as nonchalantly as a male reacts, argued, “It’s only nine months.” Seriously? That’s the basis for your argument? Not that I am ranting about the joyous miracle of creating life or the new adventure of mommy-hood, but is he that clueless? Does he not see the transformation that has taken course over the last 9 months and the frustrations it has caused me to no avail? He even rubbed my belly as if I were Buddha about to bestow him luck, and stated, “That thing is the size of a basketball now! Wow!” Great. Thanks for that. The transition into pregnancy is, how do I put this…overwhelming? Again, let me reiterate that I have had a very, smooth pregnancy. I haven’t been bombarded with the urge to hurl at the smell of foods or lack thereof. ...