Sept 16-22: Staying home with my two girls

 Andrew returned to work this week after enjoying 3 weeks of paternity leave. It was difficult for all of us, but I think Grace found it especially rough. Her daddy is her favorite person right now. His name is the first sound off her lips every morning as I open the door to her room, and she loves climbing all over him or sitting in his lap to stack blocks.

When people asked me how the day/week was going, I sent them this first picture with a caption: This is my view while nursing Madelyn. 

A picture really is worth a thousand words sometimes. 

It was brutal, but we made it! I just have to keep reminding myself that as long as everyone is safe, it's ok if someone isn't perfectly happy. Mom only has so many arms to go around. 

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Madelyn continues to grow every day. In the first week, she lost quite a bit of weight, so we had to supplement breastfeeding with bottles of formula. But now we are well past that, and my milk supply seems to be enough to chub her up. 

This is especially a relief for me since nursing is so difficult. With both my kids, I have struggled in the first few weeks to get a solid supply and a good routine for breastfeeding. I've cried way more tears about it than I care to admit. But I've stuck through the pain and uncertainty and have eventually been able to enjoy the tender connection breastfeeding has provided for me and my daughters.

And in between nursing Madelyn and feeding Grace and cleaning up and playing with Grace and holding Madelyn and making dinner and all the craziness that comes with raising two kids under two ...well, we try to get a nap in there somewhere :) Even if it means putting on a movie for Grace and snuggling on the couch for a few minutes of shut-eye.

This week also seemed to be all about pictures. A few weeks ago, my friend Shaunie came over to our house to shoot newborn pictures in Madelyn's nursery. Then another friend posted that she needed newborn babies to model for her sister-in-law's baby clothing company. I offered to take Madelyn in, and we got free pictures and a cute new outfit out of it.  I'm loving capturing these moments. The newborn stage just passes so quickly!