7 Months (a few weeks late)!

Wow - where has the time gone?! We've been a tad bit busy lately, so I'm just now getting around to posting our sweet girl's 7 month update! So much has already changed in the last two weeks, but I'll post what I wrote out and never posted (till now!).

We went to the doctor for a cold the day before Madelyn's 7 month "birthday," so we know she weighs 16 pounds, 10 ounces. Still pretty average size for her age, but plenty healthy! She is now wearing 6-9 and 6-12 month clothes, but she still fits into her 3-6 sizes in baby Gap clothes, which I think run pretty big. I can't believe all the clothes I've already had to put away because she is just growing so fast! I wish I had half the clothes she does!

In addition to her bottles, she also now eats 3 meals a day on most days. This girl LOVES to eat! The only thing she doesn't care for is avacado, but she'll gobble down pretty much anything else. We've also given her baby Mum-Mums, or as we call them, her crackers, to learn how to maneuver food in her hands. She's now starting to hold her bottle, for the most part, unless she's really tired. It's still a bit heavy for her, but she's getting the hang of it. We've started introducing her to a sippy cup, but she just gets frustrated at it. We'll keep trying, though, as her doctor wants her off of the bottle at 12 months.

Right now Madie Kate is also loving play time. She's got a good grasp on what those hands are for and loves to grab and pick up her toys and bang on her blender and crawl ball. Most things are going straight for the mouth, but I've caught her several times just holding things and studying them very intently.

She still loves bathtime. She enjoys playing with her bath toys (which go straight into the mouth), and so we're taking longer baths and having way more fun! Usually our nightly routine consists of playtime, dinner time, bath time, story time, bottle and then bed. She is a great sleeper (except for crying out for her paci at about 4 o'clock every morning), and sleeps for about 12 hours every night. She still doesn't nap well at day care, so she's usually pretty exhausted every evening.

Our girl is getting so good at tummy time and will actually stay content for 15-20 minutes at a time on a good day. She isn't showing any signs of wanting to crawl, or move, for that matter, so we're enjoying it while she's still immobile! I've heard that once they figure out how to "go," Momma and Daddy are in trouble! She is a pro at sitting, though, and she loves to stand up and hold on to the couch or coffee table.

Happy Madie is also still all smiles pretty much all the time. I can't believe we were blessed with such a happy, content little girl. But aren't all first borns perfect?! It's those second and third ones that cause the trouble. ;) Anyway, she giggles a LOT, especially on the changing pad at random things we say or do. And she is ticklish on her thighs and sides, which is hilarious, and she gets a kick out of making funny faces at each other in the mirror.

Overall, we had yet another wonderful month with our sweet girl. Anthony & I still go in her room each night and stare at her in awe. How did we ever get so lucky?


Love those long legs, chubby thighs and all!

She got a case of the giggles during our photo session. This girl cracks me up. And apparently I crack her up, too. We can't get over that sweet laugh and smile!


Her expressions are so funny. She now smiles with her ENTIRE face. If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will. :)

There's our pretty girl!

They look equally as thrilled, but they secretly love each other. Madie is constantly looking for "her Zoe," and Zoe is always on our heels or at the doorway when we have Madie. (You might not recognize Zoe in next month's pictures. She finally got a much needed trim this week!)



Happy 7 months sweet Madie Kate!

Paci Baby

Before Madelyn was born, I swore up and down I wouldn't giver her a pacifier. I mean, it was going to confuse her and she wouldn't latch or nurse correctly and everything would be downhill from there. Then we spent our first night at home, and I begged her to take that little pacifier we received at the hospital.

She didn't want to take her pacifier for the longest time, and I thought we were doing good. Her pediatrician and I talked at one point, and he encouraged me to use it when I thought she needed it. So we tried the big green soothies. She'd take them every so often. Then we moved on to the clear plastic ones. And she liked those better. I even got a cute little paci clip for her. Then we opened a different brand that we received at the shower. Now, it's hard to take them away from her. She'll gobble it up like it's her favorite thing in the whole wide world if you hold it anywhere near her face. I know that it's not technically hurting her to let her have a pacifier, but it's also caused us many "sleepless" nights, much like that first night home. She wants her paci to fall asleep, but then if she loses it, she cries. I cannot lie there and listen to her cry, so up I go. Every single night. Multiple times a night. And she really only started doing this around 5-5 1/2 months.

Now, two months later, she can finally get the pacifier into her mouth on her own (and not backwards, like she tried to do for at least a week or two!), and Anthony and I have finally gotten a week's worth of sleep!! We put her down with one pacifier in her mouth and a pacifier within arms reach of each arm. Having 3 in there for her has proven to be very helpful!

Last weekend I laid her down for a nap, and all she really wanted to do was play. I kept checking on her and she was working so hard to get two pacifiers in her mouth at the same time. When she finally quieted down, I went in to find this. I guess she gave up and figured that one was better than nothing!

The Rest of the Weekend

Before and after Madelyn's baptism mass, we had a weekend filled with lots of family and fun. On Saturday, we also went to her little friend Lilly's first birthday party! Madelyn had fun trying out Lilly's new swing - I'm sure we'll have to get one of those very soon.

I (finally) like my Uncle Mark!!


After mass on Sunday, we had the whole gang over for lunch. Dad cooked his famous brisket - only the best brisket EVER, Mom made baked beans, Kathy brought potato salad, and all I made was the cake! I'm finally learning how to delegate (or at least ask for help), and it's awesome! ;)

Ohhh! Jewelry! Must. grab. and. pull.

Hanging out with Grandma and Crapaw ;)

And Paw Paw

Daddy thought it would be funny to see what she thought of Paw Paw's yummy brisket.

Mmmmm! Give me more!

IT'S MINE!!!

Gotta wash down all that brisket with some prune juice! Yum-may. I like it so much I think I'll hold it myself! ...Yeah, we don't really feed our kid brisket and juice that often - only for special occasions. ;)

Opening presents. We're totally just giving her tissue paper for Christmas.

My pretty sister and me

Ant and the beautiful Katherine Nicole (with her cool new braces!)

And our beautiful girl. The reason for the celebration.

Wordless Wednesday

Bloom Where You Are Planted

On Sunday morning, our sweet Madelyn Kate was baptized. It was a very special day for our family, and we are so excited and honored that she is now a member of our Church family. We pray daily that she grows up to be a kind, compassionate, Godly woman, and that the Lord will guide us in raising her to be just that.



Being introduced to the congregation

All that work was tiring!

Group shot! We are so lucky that our family and friends were there to support us and Madie Kate. It was truly a day about the Lord and one of His most precious gifts - family.


We are so thankful for our wonderful friends Dave & Emily's friendship, and we will be forever grateful for their willingness to serve as Madelyn's Godparents.


I can't believe we were blessed with such a beautiful, smiley, happy baby girl!

We are truly blessed.

The last comment Father made during the sermon was especially touching. "Go forth, and bloom where you are planted." I just knew a certain angel was celebrating in heaven when I heard that passage. Madelyn has some very special guardian angels, and I know they were watching over her on Sunday and will continue to watch over her as she blooms into the woman God created her to be.

TEETH!!!

Our baby has teeth! Oh. my. goodness. I thought she would be flashing her gummy grin for a little longer, at least, but she sprouted two new pearly whites yesterday!

We've thought she was "teething" since she turned 3 months. Constant drooling, sticking her fingers in her mouth, etc., but I noticed last week that she would bite down anything she could get in her mouth and just hold it there. Toys, spoon, pacifier, you name it. Then last week she got really congested. I know doctors say runny noses and/or congestion is not associated with teething, but most moms I know said their kiddos acted sick before teeth popped through. Anyway, we stayed home with a yucky cold on Friday, but things got better by that evening. Saturday morning, she screamed for an hour. Nothing would calm her. Not the bottle, not her paci, not her Zoe, not me...she finally calmed down after a dose of tylenol and some outside time. I thought I saw two teeth, but after her little screaming fit, she was back to her happy self all weekend.

Sunday night after she had been asleep for several hours, she started screaming again. It really scared me, because she wasn't awake! We got another dose of tylenol in her and orajel on her gums, and she was fine.

Yesterday morning while Anthony was getting the girl ready for school, he noticed her gums were a little bloody. He immediately texted me. Then a few minutes later I get another text saying her gums were a little sharp! By the time I picked her up from school, she had two pearly whites peeking through!

I hope that the coming days are better now that they're through, but we'll see. She was pretty cranky last night. I just about melted, though, at one point. She didn't want to eat, didn't want her bottle and didn't want to play, so we sat on the couch and cuddled while watching the CMAs. At one point she just laid her little head on my shoulder and put her hand on my chest and totally relaxed. Yet another reason why I love being her mom. :)

For Your Service and Sacrifice, We Thank You.

In November 2004, I set out on a journey. I left my new husband and our little apartment behind in Arlington to follow my dreams of being a big tv reporter in Bryan, Texas.

My first day, I cried. I missed my husband and my family so much. I spent the first week pretty much living at the station - it was so much easier to be surrounded by work than it was to sit in my empty apartment watching our rival station (the only channel that came in) on the rabbit ear antenna.

I spent the first week shadowing the other two reporters and trying desparately to figure out what I had gotten myself into. I didn't learn nearly enough in school - how can they really teach you how to find sources, track people down, write compelling stories, edit compelling stories, oh, and how to lug around and operate a gigantic, 50-pound camera and tripod and mic? I was fortunate enough that several mentors at a local top ten station took me under their wings and showed me the ropes of perfecting my writing, editing and camera work during my internship, so while I was overwhelmed, I wasn't completely in the dark.

My first solo "story" was a VOSOT (I love still using the lingo, makes me feel important) -- a voice over/sound on tape, basically a script that the anchor reads over video, a soundbite, then more video with the anchor script on top -- for a local Veteran's Day celebration. The event didn't start until 5-ish pm, and this was for the 10 pm news. I was so nervous. Looking back, I laugh. This is something that should take maybe 30 minutes to shoot, and about 10 minutes to write, edit and be done. But it took me much longer that first night on my own. I remember being scared. Pulling up in the news van all by my lonesome. Hauling all the equipment into a little park in my heels (I still don't wear heels to this day. Been there, done that. Carrying nearly half my body weight in equipment in heels. Never again). I was super scared because I had to find some guy with the city, and I had no idea what he looked like. In fact, I didn't know anyone. I had met some people, but I was still trying to put names with faces and remember everyone while trying to set up the correct filter and making sure my tripod was level and the audio was good and... I finally found my people, got my soundbites, got my video (even though it was a little to dark, still had the incorrect filter on my camera), and got my VOSOT ready just in time to roll for the 10 pm news.

While I was at that park 5 years ago, though, I remember standing there and taking it all in. I was surrounded by soldiers. Surrounded by veterans. Surrounded by people who sacrificed so much more than I ever will. The breeze blew through my hair and calmed my nerves. There was something special about being surrounded by our protectors. My first "story" wasn't really all that important anymore. My filter and audio levels weren't going to save anyone - yeah, they might tell a good story, but they didn't come anywhere close to being as important as the job these men and women had done.

Several weeks later, I was assigned a story covering a local soldier's death. A 32-year-old husband and father was killed in Iraq. Standing at the gravesite, I wondered if this many people would care if I died. What have I done with my life that is so good? How could I ever do so much good? This man sacrificed his life for us, for me. His wife and his son sacrificed their husband and father for me. His father sacrificed his son for me. How dare I compare myself to that?

Sometime over the next few months, a bill was sponsored in the Texas legislature for an option for new Texas license plates. A portion of the plates cost would be donated to a fallen soldiers' fund. In searching for a local angle, I dug up some info and found a number to a local fallen soldier's father. I called him with a huge lump in my throat. I had no idea what to say - "Hi, I'm Amanda from ABC#. I'm sorry about the loss of your son in Iraq, but will you talk to me on camera about license plates?" Yeah, real personal. I don't know what I ended up saying, but he agreed to talk to me. He and his wife invited me into their home, and I visited with them for my story. I admired the pictures of their 20-year old son, who died while fighting in Iraq. I admired the awards and statues and the purple heart they had on the shelves in their home. I admired their love for their son and for the ultimate sacrifice he had made.

I grew somewhat close with this family, calling the father for his thoughts on other issues, relying on them as sources for more military stories. I didn't stay in touch with them when I left Bryan, but I wish I would have. I wish I could call them, 5 years later, and thank them for the impact they had on me. They made me feel welcome and at home, something I rarely felt during my year as a reporter. While most people turned me away, they let me in.

I covered more military stories during my year in Bryan, each one impacting me just as much as that first night in the park. The soldiers returning from war. The soldier who created arm bands to raise money for other soldiers. The former soldier who created a humvee gunner seat to make the vehicles safer during combat. The veterans who selflessly supported the community through so many activities.

So thank you, Sean Sims. Thank you, David Parker. Thank you, Veterans. Thank you, American Soldier. You have made my world a better place. You have made me a better person, and for you, your service and your sacrifice, I am grateful.

Wordless Wednesday

He is creative, yes...

This is what happens when Daddy & Madie go visit friends and Daddy forgets to pack the bib.


Hey, whatever works!

Happy Birthday Sister!

Last weekend, Andrea celebrated her 25th birthday. She and Cody joined us in handing out candy to our trick or treaters, and then Sunday, we went out for lunch to celebrate her getting old. ;) I was lucky enough to spend my 25th birthday with my sis, and I'm honored that she chose to spend her 25th with me. Love you Sister!


Miss Priss was so good during lunch. She sat in her own high chair and played and talked the entire time!

Wordless Wednesday

Ghosts and Goblins and Scary Giraffes!

This weekend we had a great first Halloween with our sweet girl, aka the cutest little giraffe you ever did see! We didn't go visit any houses, but we did sit outside and snap pics and visit with our neighbors for a little while. After pics, pics and more pics, we handed out lots of candy to all the neighborhood kids.

Our family (and yes, Zoe finally made it into a family picture!)


Madie Kate and her sister

Sweet happy girl!


She gets this look from her Daddy. They both get aggravated when I take too many pictures. Get used to it, kid.

Probably my favorite picture of the day... (I can only imagine what she was thinking!)

Wee!

And we had to take "fireplace" pictures. All of the pictures that we took as kids were in front of the fireplace. I can't break the tradition!

Madie and her candy bag! She's going to get all the cute things that were Mommy's when she was a kid. Guess any future siblings will have to make do with plastic pumpkin buckets. ;)