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...