The Moods of Leila Madeline

Pure happiness. (My fave)

Sheer contentment.

Rare laughter.

All-too-common crying.

Shhh...Baby Sleeping

The only thing better than a peaceful, sleeping baby is a smiling baby! Here's Leila Madeline snoozing away. I have yet to capture that elusive smile on film, but yesterday I experienced one that lasted for 12 full seconds! Where's the camera when you need it?!

Sisterhood of the Shared Pillow

Today has been very special for us. Leila and I started with a pleasant (yippee) early morning feeding while I got my Fox & Friends fix. When Liliana woke up, I opened her door and held Leila so it looked like she was greeting her sister alone in the doorway. Liliana got a kick out of the antic.



















Then the two sweethearts shared a pillow for a few moments of especially memorable bonding. I love the first image, because the girls are gazing into one another's eyes. So precious! The second has obvious appeal--they're both visibly happy.




















Later, Leila experienced her first full bath (her umbilical cord finally came off to reveal a darling "innie"). Liliana gently bathed her, and Leila enjoyed every warm, sudsy moment.



















Here is a precious moment. Liliana washed Leila's tummy and called her "sweet pumpkin," while little wet baby looked directly at her.





















What adorable features, and what a sweet girl! It's remarkable how much Leila looks like Liliana did at that age, especially when she smiles. My next mission is to capture the gigantic smile that shows off Leila's dimples. She has begun smiling and cooing when she sees my face & hears my voice. So cool! Thank you, God, for this beautiful blessing!

So Long Sleep, Hello Spit-Up

Wow, has the past week been rough! The honeymoon was beautiful, but I'm afraid it has come to an end. After a relatively easy couple of weeks, we're now coping with major sleep deprivation, lots of crying and a frustrating medical situation. We adore this precious girl, so she's worth every sleepless moment (and after all, we did sign up for this), but it's definitely a challenging time.

Sweet Leila Madeline has been struggling with serious pain (and projectile spit-ups) during eating, and we're trying everything to help her feel better. We've been through Similac, Good Start with Natural Cultures, and now she's drinking Isomil Advance (soy formula). We initially thought she might have a dairy allergy, but--since she's not loving the soy either--it's looking like acid reflux or something physiological may be the culprit. Either way, our baby is suffering...and we're going to get to the bottom of it!

The doctor recommended Mylanta (to coat the esophagus and tummy before feedings) and prescribed a low dose of baby Zantac. We're hopeful that the regimen with take away the pain without any side effects. It feels so odd to give medication to a three week old, but it's much better than the alternative.

You do everything you can to protect your child--and when something gets in the way, you feel so helpless. Man alive, this is one of the hardest aspects of parenting!

Praying for wisdom, guidance, patience and restored health for Leila.
Ramona

What's In A Name?

Just to clear up any confusion..Leila is pronounced Ly-la, not Lay-la. And no, we did not seek out "L" names. In fact, the runner-up started with "V." We love the sophistication and playfulness of the name, Leila, and we chose to honor the birthmother, Dana, by incorporating the name she chose (Madeline) as the middle name. Leila Madeline, come home soon and come home to stay!