The seventh week

Oh, that smile. Madeline has definitely found her smile. Every day for the last week she's broken into a wide grin when she sees me for the first time in the morning. Lacey reports the same development. Madeline also smiles throughout the day when she's in a good mood. She coos and babbles and, at the risk of sounding maudlin, her face literally lights up when she's engaged with me. I look forward to these moments with great anticipation.

We visited the pediatrician today, and the diagnosis of acid reflux was confirmed. The doctor prescribed an oral antacid that we'll administer twice a day, indefinitely. We'll re-evaluate the medication at about four months, a point when many infants start outgrowing the reflux. The doctor also said the medicine should produce results in as little as two or three days, so we're hopeful about that.

Today's weigh-in was surprising - Madeline is now 10 pounds, 8 ounces (although today she was wearing her onesie, so she's probably closer to 10 pounds, 7 ounces). We've already retired some of her infant clothes as she progresses to larger sizes.

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Otherwise, we're all doing well. Lacey is discovering that being a mother means worrying about every little detail - Is the baby eating enough? Is she eating too much? What does each cry mean? I try to convince her that she's doing an amazing job because, honestly, she is. In every aspect she puts the baby first, whether it's an enjoyable task such as sharing a book in the afternoon or a more onerous duty like tending to Madeline's cries at 3:30 in the morning. (I, on the other hand, have developed the disturbing ability to sleep right through all but the loudest noises - even though the baby is sleeping on my side of the room!)