Half Birthday!

My sweet baby is 6 months old! I can't believe how big she's grown and how much she has developed in this short time. I wanted to make her a little cake for her birthday, but unfortunately she can't enjoy sugar just yet.  I settled for miniature cupcakes. We got a cute carrot cake one at Whole Foods.  (I am not skilled enough to bake something so delicate)

Baby Madeleine is now 26.5 inches tall and weighs 16.5 lbs.  (still in 80 somethings percentile for height) The last month has been an exciting one for her developmentally, she now

-sleeps through the night!! Her night time sleep has been quite the bumpy road, but recently she started rolling from her back to stomach.  She would do this nightly and wake herself up, increasing her night wakings.  I also had to stop swaddling her so that she wouldn't be stuck on her stomach and not be able to breathe.  I was terrified to give up the swaddle and the first week was really rough, but magically one night, after rolling to her tummy, she fussed for a bit, but then found her little hands and soothed herself back to sleep.  It was incredible!! and ever since that night she has slept from bedtime (8-830) till 7:30 in the morning.  (except as I type this, she is crying and not wanting  to stay asleep. lol)
- sits up on her own
-eats solid foods- her foods include apples, pears, bananas, avocados, squash, peas and more...
-says "da-da"

Motherhood is definitely a life of ups and downs for me.  I can't believe how much my heart swells with love for my sweet girl, but sometimes it is so hard too.  I have to admit that I sometimes long for my old life when I could do whatever whenever, but I wouldn't give her up for anything. I feel like I've had a harder time at first and I still think a hard time adjusting to this new life than some of peers.  I am often lonely and feel like my life is all things baby at all times (not that that is a bad thing) But as I reflect on the last 6 months, I realize that my life is changed forever and it has changed for the better! 

Finally...Summer Plans

Well, it only took up until two weeks before we leave, but we finally have solidified summer plans!  We will be spending the first part of the summer (May 1- June 10) in New Jersey (at my sister's house) while Brody works in New York City! He will be doing investment banking at a small boutique bank. 

After which we will move west to Minneapolis, Minnesota! He will be working for Wells Fargo doing a Commercial Banking internship. 

The reason he is doing two internships is because he desperately wants to try investment banking, but he could never get an official paying IB internship. (He got very close and had about 10 final round interviews.  The stress of all this made for a miserable 3 months, but I guess it all works out in the end)

We are excited to visit many places while we are in New Jersey, a short train ride away from the city.  Also, Minneapolis is supposed to be beautiful in the summer.  We've heard good things and it doesn't hurt that one of my closest friends in Ann Arbor will also be there with her husband this summer. 

So needless to say, I have a lot of packing and preparing to do.  We leave very soon! Let the summer adventures begin! (hopefully I will have some more interesting things to post on this blog soon)

Easter

I was a horrible mother and didn't get Madeleine a basket for her first Easter.  Actually, I haven't really done anything at all for most of her first holidays.  Oh well.  She did have a super cute Easter dress (which she had a blow out in on the way to church, she had to go tightsless for church) and she also kind of participated in an Easter egg hunt with her cousins.  I didn't get any good pictures on Easter Sunday so I did a little photo shoot a day or two afterwards.

For Easter we were in Pennsylvania for Landon's blessing (my sister's baby).  All of my sisters came and I drove down with my parents.  Brody was swamped with school so he didn't make it.  We made the 4.5 hour drive down on Saturday, had Easter dinner with the family and visited.  All my sisters left Sunday so my parents and I just hung out at Susan's and visited and enjoyed the babies. Monday we drove back.  Madeleine didn't do as well on this road trip as the ones in the past.  She didn't sleep very much and just got super tired of being in her car seat.  Road trips have definitely lost their appeal now that I have an older baby. 

All dressed up minus headband, sweater, tights and shoes