Eleven Months!

My baby is 11 months old. It doesn’t seem possible that I’m already buying things for her birthday…wasn’t she just born a couple weeks ago?? People aren’t kidding when they tell you that the years will F.L.Y. by after you have kids! It has been so amazing to watch this little girl grow up this year. It’s amazing to me how much babies change in the first year. They go from being completely dependent and not being able to do ANYTHING, to this little person moving all around, “talking”, and becoming so curious about everything around them. At 11 months, Madison is:
· Walking…all…over…the…place!! She still has a little bit of Frankenbaby look to her, but she’s on the move, none the less

· Talking so much! Majority of the time, we have no idea what she’s saying, but she’s so passionate about it! She uses her hands (something I’m sure she got from her Mommy!), gets these crazy facial expressions, and changes the inflection of her voice as she’s telling us her stories!

· Still eating anything you put in front of her! She had ravioli for the first time a couple weeks ago, and loved to not only eat it, but also paint her highchair tray with it. I can’t wait to see her with her birthday cake…pretty sure we won’t have a dainty cake eater!

· Still sleeping about 11-13 hours a night. Daddy has also learned how to actually put her down for naps, which helps her to sleep longer during naps. Mommy still hasn’t tried, so we’ll see how that goes! :-)

· Loving her “joo” (juice). We’ve been giving her flavored water, and she prefers that to actual juice, so that’s all she gets now! Makes me happy: no sugar and a lot cheaper!!! We’ve made sure to keep calling it juice so she doesn’t think all water tastes like that!

· A master on the stairs. Well, going up them that is. Every time I try to turn her around to show her how to come down them, she just starts climbing back up, so we just have to keep an eye on her as she goes up.

· LOVING her puppy dogs! Zoey is definitely her favorite, though (which is probably because Nugget doesn’t really care to be around her right now!) She loves to play and climb all over Zoey. And Zoey is so good with her! Madison likes to tackle her, and Zoey just lets her pull on her.

· Starting to really love music. Almost every time she hears music, she’ll start dancing (the little squatting dance most babies do). She can’t stand quite well enough to do it on her own, but that doesn’t stop her from trying!

· Loving the Tupperware cupboard. I moved all our Tupperware down to one of our cupboards on the bottom, and she loves to get in there and pull them all out. It makes for a mess for Mommy and Daddy to clean up, but so worth it to be able to actually make dinner!

This kid is so awesome…seriously! I fall more in love her every second. She is the happiest baby and is always making us laugh. I’m so excited to watch her continue to develop her little personality!

It has been brought to my attention...

that I need to update! I don't even know where to start! Miss Madison turned 10 months last Wednesday, and is becoming less of a baby and more of a little girl each day. I was looking at some of her pictures from our cruise, and I couldn't get over how much she's changed in just those 3 short months. It's amazing to me how old I thought she looked then, and now looking back, how young she looked!! She was still a baby, now she's my (almost) toddler!

She's now crawling at an alarming rate of speed! She's everywhere and into everything! She loves to get Zoey's dishes out and throw them around. Apparently the metal hitting the wood floor is appealing to her ears! She's also pulling herself up at every opportunity and standing on her own more often and for longer periods of time each day. Last night she almost took a step, but decided to plop down and crawl instead. Which I am quite OK with...I'm not sure I'm ready for her to be a walker yet...that would just solidify that I have a toddler...no more baby. I'm not ready to let my baby grow up, yet!

At 10 months:
* Weighs 19 lbs 7 oz (at her check-up on 7/20/09)

*28 inches long (same check-up)

*Eating 2-3 8 ounce bottles a day (1 in the morning, 1 around 2 or 3, and 1 before bed)

*Eating anything you put on her tray!
*Her favorites include bananas, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, turkey dogs, corn,
chicken

*Babbling like crazy!! She loves to talk.
*Dada – starting to figure out that “Dada” is Daddy
*Mama – not sure if were at “Mama” = Mommy yet…
*Dodo/Dod – Doggie
*“I did it”
*“I got it”
*Sounded like she was saying “Hey Dude” this weekend…seeing as though we both say
that to her a lot so it wouldn't be surprising!
*Many more sounds that mean a lot to her but Mommy and Daddy are still trying to figure
out exactly what they mean!

*Pulling herself up on anything and everything...the girl loves to stand!

*Cruising like a pro!

*Standing on her own

*Clapping – she loves to clap for herself!

*Pointing at things...sometimes what she wants, sometimes just to point!

*Still sleeping 12-13 hours a night

*But still not really napping…½ hour here, ½ hour there…

*Loves the water!! She would stay in the pool all day if we’d let her I think! She’s not afraid at all. She crawled from Grandma’s chair to the pool the other day and would have gone in if Grandma would have let her! Seriously…no fear!

*Is really starting to love her doggies! She lets them out of their cages every morning and when we get home in the afternoon. Nugget doesn’t really want anything to do with her, but Zoey will let her crawl all over her, which Madison L.O.V.E.S. to do!! She uses Zoey to pull herself up, pulling Zoey’s ears and fur in the process, but Zoey just lets her. She’s so good with her!

*Loves her Ball Popper. She knows she has to push the red button to get the balls to pop up. She also likes to put anything she can find down the hole.

*Loves her Activity Table. She loves to turn the pages of the book back and forth! She also likes to take the phone off and carry it with her, stopping every once in a while to shake it (it rattles), smile and be on her way!

We are just loving this little princess so much!! She is a funny little girl, and such a joy to be around. We are truly blessed with an amazing little lady!

8 Months! Already!

My baby is 8 months today. I can't believe she's been here for the exact length of time that I knew I was pregnant! The pregnancy went fast, but NOTHING compared to how fast these last 8 months have gone! It is so amazing how much a child changes in that first year. The growth is amazing and sad all at once. I told Tony last night after I went in to check on her one last time before bed, "She looks more like a little girl and less like a baby everyday." Its amazing how that realization can make me want to cry remembering how tiny she was, but also make me so excited for the little girl she is becoming.

She has a personality like nothing else. She is such a happy little girl! She makes some of the funniest faces, and loves to talk. She's also recently started "singing" to herself in the car...its so adorable. She gives kisses now, too. Wet, slobbery kisses, but the best kisses I've ever received! She will also kiss her animals in the bathtub now.

On Wednesday, June 3, my baby crawled. The look of accomplishment on her face was priceless! She was SO proud of herself. Yesterday morning, Tony said she crawled over the couch where she proceeded to try and pull herself up. I know that once she gets strong enough to get herself all the way up, she's going to crawl to a place she can pull herself up and start cruising. The girl loves to stand! If you hold her hands for her, she will walk. She can feel free to wait a couple months before walking on her own, though...Mommy really won't mind!

I will try and upload some pictures when I get home!! Happy Eight Months, Madison! Mommy and Daddy love you SO MUCH!!

Six Months Old!!!

Dear Madison,

Today you are six months old. I feel like you were born, I blinked, and all of a sudden it was six months later! On one hand I can’t believe you’ve been with us for six months already, and on the other hand I can’t believe it’s only been six months! I feel like you’ve been with us forever! You made the transition from husband and wife to daddy and mommy very easy for us! You are such a happy and entertaining little girl! You are getting more talkative everyday. Today, I’m not sure there was time that you were awake that you weren’t talking. You are so passionate about whatever it is you’re talking about, and I can’t wait to know what you’re trying to say. You make it harder every day for me to go to work. I feel like you’re growing even faster now, and I’m afraid to miss anything! The good news is that sooner than later I will get to spend a lot more time with you as Mommy is going to go back to school to be a teacher. Although I know it will be stressful for me to be a full-time student and a full-time Mommy, I know your Daddy will do everything he can to help Mommy achieve her dream. I’m sure there will nights I don’t see much of you, but I will just have to “keep my eye on the prize” and know that in the end, we will get to spend SO MUCH MORE time together!!

Here are some of the things you’re doing now:
· Sitting on your own
· Eating seven ounces
· Eating cereal once a day (most days)
· Eating ½ container of vegetables a day
· Eating ½ container of fruit a day
· Showing A LOT of interest in your puppies
· Starting to open and close your hand like you’re waving, and just being amazed!
· Learning to use your tongue more when you’re babbling
· Rolling to get where you want
· LOVING your pacifier! If you see it out of the corner of your eye, you must have it.
· Splashing in your bathtub. I’m pretty sure you would stay in your bathtub all night if I would let you.
· You’re very good while I brush your gums. I hope this continues once you start getting teeth!
· Starting to drink from your sippy cup. You’re not a big fan of the juice yet so we’re still working on this one!
· Still sleeping through night (about 99% of the time!)
· Pulling Mommy’s (and Grandma’s and Nanny’s) hair…seriously, I think it might be your favorite pastime right now!

Madison, you have a brought a joy to your Daddy and me that we never knew could be experienced! You are everything I could have asked for in a daughter, and SO. MUCH.MORE! We love you, princess!!

Love,
Mommy

Five Months

Dearest Madison,

Last Thursday you turned five months. It doesn’t even seem possible that you are this old already!! I know I say this every month, but this time is just flying by! I feel like the last five months have been a blur. They have been the best five months of my life, but by far, the FASTEST five months of my life! Your Daddy and I fall more in love with you every day. Every night while I’m nursing you and rocking you to sleep, I struggle to keep tears from falling. I look at you, and my heart literally aches with the love I feel for you. There have been nights that I’ve waken you up because I can’t stop kissing your forehead as you sleep in my arms. The love I feel when I look at you is stronger than I could have ever imagined feeling. I had always been told that there is nothing like a mother’s love, and that couldn’t be truer! It is something that you won’t understand until you are one day (in many, many years!) a mommy yourself.

You have grown up so much in the past two months!! You’re rolling over from belly to back and from back to belly. Your favorite time of day is right before bedtime on your floor in your room in only your diaper. You roll around, grabbing at your feet and babbling away. You are such a talker. Just recently you’ve begun to actually babble. You’ve moved from the “ahhh’s” and “ohhh’s” and on to “bababa”, and “dadada.” Your Daddy is in heaven every time you babble “dada.” And I gotta be honest and tell you that even though I know you’re not actually calling him, I’m a little jealous! J

You L-O-V-E your exersaucer! You will usually spend about 30-45 minutes in it every night while Mommy and Daddy eat dinner. You love to play with all the toys. Although there are times when we think you’re getting mad at them. You will scream at them, and then laugh. I wish I knew what you were saying because you are SO passionate about it!

Now let’s talk about what you really love…FOOD!! We started you on cereal at four months and you loved it! You ate it like a champ!! At five months we started giving you vegetables. So far you’ve tried carrots and sweet potatoes and you have loved them both. You eat off the spoon so well. You really don’t make too much of a mess when you eat. I am so excited to keep introducing new foods to you!

Madison, I love you so much! Becoming your mommy has made me so happy. I feel complete now. I realize now that I was missing something before you were born. I think you have made me a better person. I love you and am excited for the many more memories we’re going to make with you!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 3 Months!

My sweet Madison,

I can’t believe you are already three months old! I feel like they just placed you in my arms for the first time yesterday! This is also the first day Mommy had to leave you in the morning to go to work. It wasn’t easy, but it also wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated! I miss you constantly while I’m at work, and I stare at your picture constantly, counting down the minutes until I get to see and hold you again! You are growing so quickly now; I think you get bigger everyday when I get home from work. Your little personality is quickly becoming apparent, and I LOVE it!! You are such a happy little baby. You love to smile, and LOVE to talk! After your bath before bed is your most talkative time. I love just listening to you “tell me about your day.” You get so excited about something, and your voice gets higher pitched, and your arms and legs just start going. It is the sweetest thing! You are starting to prefer a bottle during the day. This makes me happy and sad all at the same time. On one hand, it’s much more convenient when we are out and about, but on the other hand, I miss that bonding time. Luckily for me, you still like to nurse in the morning and right before you go to bed. When the time comes to give those up, it will kill me! I love staring at you at night in your dim room with your lullabies playing; taking in the scent of your lotion soaked skin. As your eyes slowly become heavier and heavier, I thank God for you over and over!! I don’t know what I did to deserve such a beautiful daughter, but I’m so thankful God chose you for me! You fit perfectly in the crook of my arm while you nurse. It’s as if you truly were a part of me, and God just split us apart so I could share you with others! I love your last few moments of consciousness before finally giving in and slipping into a deep sleep for the night. You try so hard to stay awake…you twist your head all around, and make any noise you can to try and just get a few more seconds. But without fail, you always succumb to the sleepiness you feel. I usually continue to rock you for a while after you fall asleep. Your breathing falls into a comfortable rhythm, and eventually the pacifier comes flying out. I continue to just stare at you, and marvel at how perfect you are! I tell you multiple times how much I love you. I make sure to tell you every night that I will be here whenever you need me; whether it’s 20 minutes from now, or 20 years. We celebrated your First Christmas last month. It was surreal to remember that last Christmas was when your Daddy told me we were going to start trying for a baby, and this Christmas I got to share it with you!! Next year will be even more fun as you will be almost 15 months old, and I’m sure you will just want to rip the wrapping paper off, but that doesn’t take away how special this Christmas was. This holiday takes on a whole new meaning when you’re a Mommy (something I hope you don’t experience for quite some time!J) It becomes much more about spending time with family, and less about the presents. (although I had to restrain myself from buying everything in site for you!) It’s hard to believe you’re passing the ¼ mark on your way to turning 1. This is going way too fast!! They tell you to cherish every moment because it DOES go so fast…but I have been, and it’s still going too fast. Before I know it, I’ll be chasing after you as you crawl all over the house, and then walking, and eventually I’ll “get” to deal with those teenage hormones! I’m sure we’ll have our share of arguments; I can already tell we’re enough alike to butt heads now and again, but always remember that I love you more than anything, and will always be there to rejoice with you in good times, and comfort you in bad. I love you, Madison Nicole…don’t ever forget that!

Love,
Mommy

2 months old!

Dear Madison,

I can't believe that you've already been here in our lives for two months! This has been the best two months of my life! Being your mommy is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It is harder than I ever imagined, but it is so much more rewarding that I could have imagined. You have already changed so much from that early Sunday morning that I first saw your face. You look like a baby now, and not a newborn. I wasn't prepared for how fast the newborn look would fade! Every morning when I reach into your bassinet, I swear you are 100 times more beautiful than the night before when I carefully placed you in there. You light my day up when you see me in the morning and stop crying because you realize I'm there to pick you up feed you!

You already have such an amazing personality, and I get excited every day to see what you're going to start doing. You are such a happy baby. Your smile lights up my soul. I love changing your diaper and seeing you look up at me with your big gummy grin. And you are already such a talker!!! I think Daddy and I are in for it when you really start talking. You can lay on your changing table for 20 minutes and just smile and talk to us. You get so excited when we talk back to you, and just talk more. I never knew how exciting a conversation with a two month old could be. I've tried to record you talking on my cell phone, but every time I put the cell phone up, you just stare at it with wonder, and completely clam up. Hopefully soon I can record you and send it to Grandma!

We celebrated your first big holiday this past month, and you did great! You let everybody hold you, and then fell asleep in your swing. Last Thanksgiving, the thought of having a baby was just that! It was so surreal to have you here! I know next year will be even more fun. You'll actually get to eat some of the Thanksgiving feast...a moment that I can't WAIT to capture!

This month, we will celebrate your first Christmas. Last Christmas morning was when I opened my gift from Daddy and saw the Colts onesie, pacifier, and other baby stuff. That was the day the idea of me becoming a mommy was no longer just my dream...it was going to happen! This Christmas morning, I will get to open gifts with you in my arms. How amazing how much has changed in just a year! I took you to see Santa, and you were great. I hope next year I'm as lucky!

Madison, I love you so much, and every day I love you more!! My heart aches for you when you're not with me, and when I finally see you again, it almost bursts with the love and excitement I feel! I fall in love with you again every single morning. Thank you for making me happier than I could have ever imagined!

Love,

Mommy

Happy One Month, Madison!

I really can't believe Madison has been here for a month already! It seems like we just found out she was a girl, and now we've had her in our arms for a month! She has changed so much in this short time, it's unbelievable! The funniest thing to me is the loss of hair! She still has most of it in the back, but in the front, and on top...it's quite thin! I was watching Everybody Loves Raymond the other night, and told my mom that she was going to look like Frank pretty soon!

This month has been easier than I thought it was going to be! It's true that your "mother's instinct" just starts as soon as that baby is placed in your arms for the first time. There are definitely times when I wish she could just tell me why she's screaming because I know all of her needs are met, but for the most part, I usually feel like I know what she needs. She is definitely a Mommy's girl right now. She loves Daddy, Grandma, and Nanny, but she seems to feel best and safest with me. (and of course I'm not complaining!) As much fun as this month has been, I kinda have to admit that I'm ready for her to be 3-4 months...when I feel like we can "play" more. I know everyone tells you to cherish every moment that they're this little, and I do, but I think I'm more of a "baby mom" than a "newborn mom".

She has been cooing and smiling a lot more lately, though. The other night Tony and I just stood over her on her changing table, and she talked and talked to us...it was the sweetest thing! Some people think she's starting to look more like Tony, but every day I see more of me in her than the day before! She definitely has Daddy's cheeks, but she looks almost identical to my baby pictures. As long as she gets Daddy's gorgeous blue eyes, I'm happy! And they seem to get more blue everyday, so cross your fingers!

Sorry this post is all over the place, but I'm just trying to get it written before she wakes up again!

Madison in her swing at 2 days old

Madison in her swing at one month...what a difference!