Christmas 2012

Madelyn's 2nd Christmas.

Matt and I went a little easy on the gift buying 

since we knew she wouldn't quite get it this year anyways.

 And thank goodness we did because her 

grandma/grandpa/nana/papa/aunties/uncles/cousins 

spoiled her rotten.

Opening presents on Christmas Eve at our house.

At Nana and Papa's Christmas Morning

Gifts From: Santa

She spent most of the morning in her new Cozy Coupe.

Eating brunch at Grandma and Grandpa's before more gifts!

What a fun filled holiday.

I can't wait until she's old enough to actually teach her the real meaning of Christmas

and take her to the live nativity, as well as many other things I know we can look forward to as she grows.

Probably shouldn't have bought this shirt...

Read her shirt: 

'I Love Santa'

Yeah, not very truthful.

If you haven't heard read the post titled 'Santa and the Doctor'.

I should have bought her a shirt that said I love Santa

as long as he's a character in a book, a stuffed toy, a blow up toy 

or basically not the real deal.

My Running Buddy

We've been running every morning and she loves it.

Bundle me up and plop me in a stroller to be pushed around and I'm pretty sure I'd be happy too.

But, really, I have enjoyed getting into this routine of eating breakfast and then going for a run with her.

The cold weather's slowly, but surely making it's way to us, 

so it is pretty chilly in the mornings and we have to bundle up for sure.

Here's M all bundled up and happy after our run.

She keeps her hat, mittens, and blanket on the whole time.

Thank goodness.

A Whole Lot of Outside Time

I love to be outside.

She loves to be outside.

We love to be outside.

I should write a song.

But, really...

it's Winter right now and we definitely have been lucky 

enough to not have very cold weather yet.

I say lucky because

1. Our heater downstairs is broken...we are waiting on it to be fixed.

2.  Did I mention we love being outside?

We've been swinging, sliding, walking, park playing,

climbing, holding hands, running, dog watching...

We've had a lot of fun enjoying this beautiful Winter weather we've not been having.

Copycat and Big Accomplishment

I think we have begun the Copycat stage.

Matt and I now need to be very conscious about the things we do and say.

It started with simply trying to stand the way we do or do what we do...

Like folding her arms.

Lately she's been talking up a storm too.

And just by listening to her you know she knows exactly what she's saying.

She looks you directly in the eyes and everything when she's saying it.

She's jabbering when she 'reads' her books on her own.

And she's beginning to try to say more things when we ask her too.

The Big Accomplishment to hit our home this past week is:

(drum roll, please)

The word PLEASE!!!

We have been trying what seems like forever to get her to stop whining and use the word please,

we know she can say it

We've heard it before and she says it at nana's house.

Well, we got the whole kit and caboodle now.
Not only does she finally ask please (it's really just 'ssssss'), but she rubs her chest too (sign language).

One

You ask M how old she is...

she'll tell you.

Me: Madelyn, how old are you?

M: Un (holding out her finger really quickly).

Picking out our Christmas Tree

We went with a real tree this year, and boy am I glad we did.

It smells good.

It looks good.

It tastes good.

Okay, not really...no one really tasted it.

We actually found the perfect, little tree for our house in a matter of a couple of minutes.

I guess he knew we were coming.

And just in case you couldn't tell by M's face -
she thought blow up Santa was pretty cool. 
Maybe I'll just get a picture of her sitting on blow up Santa's lap this year...

Thankful

I have so many things to be thankful for in my life right now.  It's hard to even begin.

In no order and I am a random thought type person, so...

1.  Family- Parents, siblings, in-laws, extended family.
Whoever it may be I absolutely love spending time with my family.

2.  Bebe Girl- I cannot believe we were blessed with such a beautiful soul.

3.  Choices- Good, Bad, or The Ugly!

4.  The Great Outdoors- There's something about the outdoors that lightens my shoulders and lifts my heart.

5.  Friendships- old, new, broken, or haven't even met you yet.  
I have been lucky enough to have some great friends when I needed them most in my life.

6.  The opportunity to be a stay at home momma-  I was sick to my stomach almost everyday having to leave my little one, even though I knew she was in GREAT hands.

7.  My Husband.  He is my best friend and a great daddy.
He has been a part of my life for such a long time, I don't know what I'd do without him.
He is the person I look forward to sharing stories with and creating stories with. 

8.  My Curls.  Although sometimes I'm a hater, they've always been a conversation starter
and I'm slowly learning to love.

9.  Very thankful that Madelyn still lets me rock her to sleep at least once a day.
I will miss the day when she won't let me do this anymore.

10.  Food!  It brings people together, it awakens my taste buds, it brings back memories.

11.  Music.  Period.

12. My Sisters-  I've always only had a select few friends in my life and I know it's because I had the two best friends in the world already.  I didn't need much more than that.  We got to share clothes...whether we wanted to or not.  We got to hang out whenever we wanted to or not. 

13.  My Home- We are lucky enough to have a beautiful place we call home.
We have created many memories in this home.

14. My mom and dad- they have always been there for us and truly want us to be happy.

15.  The family I've married in to-  I know I am awkward.
I think it's got something to do with the whole being left handed thing.
I am so very thankful they have accepted me into their family.

I could truly go on and on, but I know I am one lucky girl to have such wonderful 'Thankfuls' in my life!

What can I say...

There are no words.

LOVE HER.

Santa and the Doctor

Yes, those would be the two things I believe my child dislikes most.

Santa was a no go this year.

She wouldn't even let me hold her and sit near Santa.

We go to the mall and walk past him just to let her wave and 

she shakes her head no vigorously letting me know she does not want to go any closer.

So no, Santa pictures this year...

The doctor's office was a no go for her 15 month check up as well.

Well, we went...but she most certainly let everyone know that she did not want to be there.

She was all cute and sweet in the waiting room waving and saying hi to all the other people waiting.

Then, we get called back and the moment we entered the room we were going to be stationed in she shook her little head no and said uh-uh, which of course means NO.

She kept reaching for the door.  

She most definitely did not like being cooped up in that little room.

She screamed her head off just to have her head measured and length, and weight checked.

15 month stats:

Height- 30 1/4 = 40th percentile

Weight- 21 lbs 11 oz = 29th percentile

Doctor walks in.

He hasn't even touched her yet...she's screaming. 

At one point she claps and the doctor laughs because the poor bebe is such a hysterical mess.

Nurse comes back.

So, far so good.

Try to lay her back down on the table and I swear she had the death grip on me.

The nurse gave her three shots nice and quickly.

Yes, she screamed and cried...

but I tell you what, it wasn't any louder than any of the previous screaming and crying.

As we are walking out of our room and go to schedule our next appointment 

she immediately starts telling everyone bye-bye.

The girl couldn't have gotten out of there any quicker. 

Oh, how I don't look forward to our next visits to the doctor.

We can avoid Santa, but the doctor...that's another story.

So, I will not leave you with screaming Santa and doctor picture because naturally I didn't take them.  

I was too busy trying to console the screaming and crying.

Instead I leave you with this...

Thanksgiving at the Beach

This time of the year for us is...
BEACH TIME!

It has quickly become a very loved and exciting tradition.

Here are a few pictures to capture our time at the beach.

(I will warn you, if you don't want to be bombarded with pictures then skip this post)

She loved the water.

She loved the sand and the toys.

She got to spend some quality time with her momma and daddy.

She absolutely loved sitting in mommy or daddy's beach chairs.

She did a lot of resting and playing.

She gave nana lots of lovin'.

She got to play with her cousins the whole week!

She got to ride on her very first carousel...well, half the time ride, half the time I had to hold her.  

She wasn't so sure about it.

I absolutely adored the little bow on her swimsuit and those little sand filled toes!

Good Bye, Beach!  Until next time...

As always, I wish I had of taken more pictures...

I guess you can't capture it all.

She would find every bird in the sky, point to it, and say 'bir'.

She would point to the moon every evening and wave her little hand at it.

She would beg at the sliding glass door to be let outside to play.

This girl loves her some beach!

Thanks to my mom and dad for carrying on this tradition 

and taking us to the beach every year. 

We love us some beach!

A Lil' Family Love...

It's not very easy getting a picture of the whole group.

Love.

Creative Dresser

She brought me the shoes and the sunglasses, 

and of course she insisted on wearing them.

Oh, how I look forward to the days when she wants to dress herself.

Let's just hope she gets a little better with her choices.

Playing in the Dirt Again

This girl not only LOVES to play outside,

she loves to find rocks and leaves and grass...

and yes, dirt.

Momma's Little Shopper

Madelyn and I try to get out of the house once a day.

Not only for my sanity, but her's as well.

I love being home with her, and I know she loves that I get to be, 

but staying in the house all day five days a week would drive anybody crazy.

We find ourselves at the mall, grocery store, walking the neighborhood,

playing on a playground somewhere, at the Avenues, Target, the pet store...

The list goes on.

On this particular day we were lucky enough to get out 

and go shopping with her Nana.

And as you can see, she loved it!

Jackson Love

Madelyn LOVES her some Jackson.

He is the first thing she looks for in the morning when she wakes up.

He is the first thing she says 'Hi' to.

And she repeatedly says hi to him and pats him randomly through out the day.

You can even find her trying to sneak in a kiss to him.

She frequently points to him and says 'what's that?'

just so we will say dog or Jackson and she will say 'Arf!'

She even says his name.

 

She tries to get as much Jackson time in as he will allow.

He just walks away when he's been bothered too much.

Thank you, Jackson, for being such a good doggie.

Halloween 2012

Is this not the cutest little bunny that you ever did see?!?!

Halloween 2012

Madelyn and I spent the day at home playing, baking bread, 

and some Buffalo Chicken Dip for the party.

When Matt got home from work we headed on over to my sister's house

 for our annual Trick or Treating and Eating Festivities.

She loved just getting to wander/walk around the whole evening.

She didn't quite grasp the idea of Trick or Treating, but we let her try out a couple of houses.

She carried her pumpkin bucket like a champ.

 And of course wanted to sit down and stay at the house with the dog.

All in all it was a fun night!

Happy Halloween from our house to yours!

Daddy's Little Helper

Madelyn had fun being daddy's little helper in the yard.

She tried helping him rake, 

and thought it was so much fun to pick up the tree trimming off the ground 

and be lifted up to drop them in the bag.

She also has found that our Butterfly Bush often has butterflies on it.

She will gasp when she sees one and say 'what's that?' of course.

Daddy loves having a little helper.  

It makes his tasks more fun and amusing.

A Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Momma

Wake up

Get some work done

Get breakfast ready
Bebe gets up around 8:00 a.m.
Head downstairs for breakfast and cartoons
Play, Play, Play- mostly downstairs, maybe in her room, this definitely includes reading and singing

Maybe get ready for the day.
Maybe make a run to the grocery store if there are things we are needing.
Maybe head to nana's if we feel like playing with the cousins.
Maybe go for a walk.

Bebe takes a morning nap
Get some more work done
Watch a little TV
Maybe get ready for the day if I have not done so already
Maybe eat lunch if bebe is still sleeping.
Maybe update the blog

Apple Festival, Pumpkin Patch

We took a mini day trip up to Ellijay, Georgia today to go to the 

Apple Festival and Pumpkin Patch.

(It was very bright, so unfortunately we could barely keep our eyes open)

We went with some dear friends of ours, Teddy and Tony, and enjoyed the beautiful weather!

Madelyn enjoyed walking around and laughing and clapping 

when we laughed or clapped at something we thought was funny.  

It is so cute to see her trying to join in on our conversations.

Little Bebe loved all the pumpkins!  

She got to pick her very own baby pumpkin to bring home.

She also got to see chickens, goats, and a pony.

Even though she was running on one little cat nap she was one good bebe!

An Extraordinary one

So, after a conversation tonight I realized (not that I hadn't realized before), 

but I realized even more so now that...

Madelyn is definitely one special bebe. 

She is meant for great things. 

Here's just a couple of reasons why (besides the obvious, of course)

This little bebe was breech...a surprise breech. 

Breech babies are 1 in 20. 

She was also born on her due date

 and NOT by me choosing for her to be born on that date.

I actually went into labor on my due date and had her in my arms on that very same day...

actually only hours later. 

Only 4% of babies are born on their due date.

What an extraordinary bebe we have!

Just wanted to share!

Money Saving Items...

I will begin with sharing this sweet face:

And now, to the title of my post- Money Saving Items...

1.  A Crib- SERIOUSLY!

I was so excited to find her a beautiful crib that fit all of my criteria and at a reasonable price.
That was one item I knew I would not buy gently borrowed.
Too much riding on safety there.

Does she use her crib?
Yes.
Is it beautiful?
Yes.
Does it convert into a toddler bed and more?
Yes
Does she sleep just as happy in it as she does her Pack n' Play?'
Yes.
Was the Pack n' Play much cheaper?
Absolutely.

If I were to do it again I seriously would not get a crib.
Sshhh!  Don't tell my husband.
I would have just put a regular bed in her room and had her Pack n' Play in there as well.

Would have saved A LOT of money.

Outside

This girl LOVES to play outside.

Go for a walk.

Swing on the swings.

Or just wander in the backyard.

She giggles and giggles as Jackson runs his laps outside.

Then claps her hands to try to get him to run some more.

Then usually has a seat with him as he rests or goes and pats his back or gives him a kiss.

They are the best of friends.

Loving the fall weather to go along with being outside so much!

The Case of the Mysterious Flushing Toilet...

Okay.

So, I have not ever told anyone this story,

but back when Madelyn was only a couple months old she was napping upstairs. 

I had the baby monitor on while I was downstairs when all of a sudden I hear a toilet flush from the monitor.

Was I creeped out?

Uh, to say the least.

It was just Madelyn and me at home.

I think I sat on the couch just staring at the monitor at first.

My thoughts were literally 

"That couldn't have been a toilet..."

"No one is here, but Madelyn and me..."

"Maybe the monitor is screwing up because of cross traffic 

or whatever happens if there are multiple monitors on in the area..."

Rainbows, Cool Whip, and Momma's Phone

We caught the most beautiful rainbow from our front door.

You could literally see from end to end if houses and trees weren't in the way.

Most stunning rainbow I've seen yet, and imagine that- 

a little bebe underneath.  

I've been trying to introduce something new and fun at least a couple times a week.

This one was a big hit.

Cool whip!

Madelyn played in it, looked at it, licked it, ate it-

and showed her messy face as proof that she had fun.

And last miscellaneous item to announce: Madelyn loves phones!

I mean, what kid doesn't.

I have put Fisher-Price Apps on my phone (which I highly approve of and recommend)

There are no ads on the app and helps with basic learning skills like numbers, shapes, and letters.

And they have music!  Which tops it all of for her.