1 Month!

Wow! Boy does time fly! We celebrated Maddie's 1 month birthday on August 3rd! I can't believe it!! My first reaction was "YES! WE SURVIVED THE FIRST MONTH!"But when I think on it, it went by so quickly. Each day seemed long yet the time flew by. It's has already been a month. 

Maddie weighs 7 pounds 14 ounces and is 22 1/4 inches long. She is still super cute but she is getting so big! She's still wearing newborn clothes but just barely. I am still breastfeeding her most of the time. She only gets formula at night (give this mama a small break). During the day, Maddie eats every 2 to 3 hours and at night she'll usually go 4 hours in between meals. I know it's a while before she sleeps through the night, but if we can keep this pattern up I'd be happy. 

This week has also been a busy week. Not only did we celebrate Maddie's 1 month birthday, we got to go on our first family vacation! Ross, Maddie, and I joined Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Brad for a week at Redington Beach, FL. 

We went to our first restaurant as a family: Dockside Dave's. Maddie did very well (she slept through most of it). She woke up at the end as we were leaving.

Maddie also got to try plain yogurt for the first time! Her pediatrician said to give her an oz a day to help her with gas. And surprisingly she enjoyed it! She made a couple funny faces at first, but she seemed to like what we gave her. 

This whole week was a fun filled vacation full of firsts! Can't wait to see what else is next!

3 Weeks Old!

We did it! Madelyn is a whopping 3 weeks old today! I can't believe how quickly the time went by! It's been a wild adventure that's for sure! Every day is different and I think every day we learn something new. We've learned she likes to be clean but doesn't necessarily enjoy the process. She doesn't enjoy her baths and always cries when we change her clothes but always seems content once the task is finished. 

Even though it's been a short time, I can honestly say we love this little girl so much. She has turned our world upside down! And as exhausting as it is, I couldn't be happier. 

Welcome Madelyn Faye Ruffkess

July 2, 2014 Ross and I arrived at Medical Center of Trinity at 5 A.M. to start the real journey to meet our daughter. Within a couple hours we were set up in a room and I was given the medicine to induce labor. Throughout the day my mom, my sister, my mother in law, and Ross spent time in my room keeping me company and trying to keep me distracted. Around noon, my doctor, Dr. Faith Carlin, came in to check on me and break my water since it hadn't broken on its own. Once she did that, that helped get the ball rolling! My plan was to have as much of a natural birth as I could (aside from the labor inducing medicine). Once I was 3 cm dilated,which felt like FOREVER, I decided to receive a pain medication to take the edge off the pain from the contractions. Unfortunately, it didn't help much and nor did it last long. What felt like hours later, I gave in and requested the epidural. Once the epidural was given things really sped up! Within an hour I went from 4 cm to almost 7!  Around 11:00 P.M. I was 10 cm dilated and about ready to go! At 11:30 the doctor and hospital staff were setting up equipment and getting me ready to push. By 11:40 P.M. it was time to push!

Then FINALLY on July 3, 2014 at 12:13 am Ross and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our family. Madelyn Faye Ruffkess was born weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces, measuring 20 1/2 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful! Labor was an exhausting experience for both me and Ross but it was worth it. We now have a precious baby girl. Our family of two has become a family of three!