Sept 23-29 : Going out to the zoo and farm country

Well, it's been a whole month of having Maddy in our lives. Our little baby is a growing girl; she has graduated from newborn size diapers and has started filling out newborn outfits a little better. Madelyn is a grunty baby. She makes some strange noises, and at night they plague my sleep. I don't remember Grace making such loud sound effects. She loves to snuggle, and she still has the adoring attention of her big sister.

Maddy is also a little more needy of a baby than Grace was. Her gassy tummy is the biggest contributor to her wails, but a quick pick up and steady pats on her bum usually help relieve her discomfort. She doesn't like to be left on her own and will start crying if I set her down. And her favorite pacifier is....me :/ If she had her way, I would be nursing her constantly throughout the day. ​

This week, the girls and I adventured to the outside world for the first time without Andrew. It was  interesting (see previous post about the runaway stroller).  

Actually, it was really nice to be outside and hang out with family. On Tuesday we went to the zoo with Stacey and her daughter Clara. Grace and Clara are only a few months apart, and as they grow it is fun to see how their relationship blossoms. They shared snacks and rode on the carousel together. At one point, Clara started tickling Grace and they both laughed their heads off about it.  Their friendship is super cute!

The next day we ventured out to farm country with Heidi and her kids.  Heidi's son, Parker, is another one of Grace's favorite cousins. He can always get her to giggle. Grace loved petting the goats and bunny rabbits. She was also obsessed with the baby chicks. But I think her favorite activity of the day was sitting on the gravel and moving rocks. haha.  (Why are non-toys so clearly more engaging and fun to play with than actual toys created for kids?) 

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Some other random highlights of the week include:

• We tried Walmart grocery pickup for the first time. I'm hooked! With two kids, I have decided that every place worth going must have either a drive through or customer pickup. It's just too hard to shuffle two little kids back and forth between home, the car, grocery store, and other errands.
• Grace is teething. She is getting her first molars on top, and these teeth are torturing her. She is grumpy and obviously uncomfortable. It's so sad (and difficult), so I hope it ends soon.
• Andrew and I are very sleep deprived, so we were thrilled with the simple Sunday miracle we received today: everyone slept in until 9:20! We were amazed! And oh-so-grateful!!!