First Photo Shoot...

Most of you know I HATE having my picture taken (maybe some repressed post-traumatic stress from having to do "sorority pose" eleventy billion times in college) but we just had the most amazing photo session ever with Maddie! First of all, big ups to Jake and Erica at Erica Joyce Photography for working so hard and with such difficult subjects. You can link to their website and blog under "Links" on the left. I wanted all you guys to be able to see how amazing the shots were, so here is a link to the slideshow...

www.ericajoyce.com/cust/greinerbaby

I am probably going to buy a CD that has all the pictures and the rights to reprint them, so if anyone would like a picture, just let me know and I will either email it you, or mail you a copy after I get the CD!

Also, just for giggles...during Day 1 of the two day shoot, Andy had to change his shirt FIVE TIMES in one day, due to the baby pooping, peeing, pooping again, and throwing up all over him. It was hilarious. He says he's going to dress as a toilet for Halloween now. He just hasn't learned that essential rule of parenthood: Handle a naked baby more carefully than a loaded gun!

On our own....

Oh No! GiGi (or G-Ma, depending on the situation) had to go home on Saturday! So the Greiners of Texas are going it alone. So far, so good. The biggest snag over the last week has been my bout with Mastitis. What is mastitis, you might ask? Well, the Mayo Clinic defines it as:

"...an infection of the breast tissue that causes pain, swelling and redness of the breast. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding, although in rare circumstances this condition can occur outside of lactation.
Often, mastitis occurs within the first six weeks after birth (postpartum), but it can happen later during breast-feeding. The condition can leave you feeling exhausted and rundown, making it difficult to care for your baby."

I define it as the sickest I have ever felt in my life, complete with a 103.5 degree fever, a swollen, red, agonizingly painful, knotted up boob, cold sweats, chills, and shakiness so bad I couldn't hold a glass, let alone a newborn. "Exhausted and run down?" That was obviously written by a man. I literally felt like I was going to die for about 36 straight hours. Thank God Andy is the best Daddy ever and was able to take care of Maddie.

Needless to say, my sickness made it hard on everyone when Mom had to leave, but I am feeling better and strapped to the hospital grade breast pump like a Mayfield cow. No wonder people give up on breastfeeding!

Because I was so sick, Labor Day weekend was sort of a bust, but two fun things did happen. First, Maddie got to meet her Auntie Audra and her friend Neely! Just because Neely is still in utero doesn't mean they shouldn't be properly introduced.




Second, she watched the Tennessee game with her Daddy, and he was so happy to be holding her he didn't even throw too big of a fit when the Vols blew it AGAIN.

There's always next week!

2 weeks!

Maddie is two weeks old today! The last several days have been really interesting, to say the least. We had a small feeding issue a few days after getting home from the hospital, which led to a touch of jaundice and two very stressed out parents. Once we got her eating again, she got much better! No more "Lemon Baby!" I would like to say "thanks" to Aunt Liz for being such a good sport the weekend she was here...she saw alot more of me crying and in varying stages of undress than anyone should. All the stress was worth it though, now that we have a healthy, hungry baby again!

We also had a Welcome Home cookout at Scott and Sarah's, which was so much fun! Maddie got to meet lots of people who have been waiting for her, and her future prom date Nathan.

This past week has been much more relaxing, now that we can finally calm down and just enjoy her. She has been cracking everyone up with her gassy "smiles" (Andy and I both agree, a smile is a smile, no matter the cause), and various diaper fiascos. She is eating great, and only getting up once a night (we usually have to wake her up for that one), and happy in the mornings. So far, so good!

PeePaw's visit was way too short, but we all enjoyed our time together and Maddie is pining for his snuggles. Here are some pictures from the last week...

Quick Pics!

Hello! Here are a few new pictures that I have been trying to post...I will post a more detailed update of the last week (suffice to say, it will require more time than I have now, or perhaps will ever have again) soon, I hope. Dad is here this weekend, so that means a LOT of pictures! Check back!

Welcome, Madeline!

Hi everyone! Welcome to our first blog post! As most of you know, Madeline Claire Greiner was born at 6:19 pm on Monday, August 11, 2008. She weighed in at 8lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 inches long. Her delivery was everything we DID NOT expect...a scheduled induction that was supposed to be quick and easy turned into 10 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing, and an emergency C-Section. Seems like Maddie was "stuck" behind my pubic bone and nothing would persuade her to move!

The delivery was only the beginning of the drama, though. The docile, quiet and happy baby I prayed for is a red-faced screaming hooligan. She is full of spunk and personality...it is her way or the highway. She has a fiesty temper and great lungs...in fact, she was the hit of the nursery while getting her bath. Out of the 14 babies born at the hospital that night, only Maddie had the assembled crowds outside the windows laughing at the "lobster baby" pitching a huge fit! Check out her adorable hospital photo at http://www.baylorhealth.com/locations/grapevine/baylorbabies.htm. She is listed under "Madeline G" if you search by date.

We were discharged after a quick stay and are happily back at home. Here are some pictures from the event. Thanks to everyone for your well wishes and prayers! Check back in soon for updates!