Friday, July 29, 2011

7 Months...And One Day

 My sweet Madeline,

You are 7 months old (and one day)!!!!!!!!!!!! 

You weigh 16lbs and 7 oz! You wear a size 6-9month clothes and a size 3 shoe. Your shoes are a little big but you're growing so fast! You just moved into size 3 cruiser diapers because you are everywhere now!

You aren't just Mama's girl anymore...you light up when you see Daddy! He takes you fun places...like Home Depot! You two are SO sweet together and he absolutely adores you! He says he is never going to spank you...ever! He says that's my job! :)

You love to be thrown, tossed, swung, tickled, hung up side down...you aren't scared of anything that we know of!

You are standing about half the time now...you prefer to be on the move and try to pull up on everything! Much to the disappointment of the dogs, you now chase them! You will see them, your eyes light up, and off you go after them! For now, they can outrun you but soon they'll be in trouble! You got your first bruise last week from a fall...I'm sure many more are in your near future! You hear me or see me and crawl as fast as you can and pull yourself up on my legs...it's my favorite thing that you do right now!


You have some very serious moments too...usually you are grunting out loud as you try to figure something out!

You still LOVE to eat...your are eating puffs and a little bit of solid foods now. Tiny bits of rolls, mashed potatoes, and yogurt are your favorite solids. You love every fruit you have tried and still love sweet potatoes and squash. You don't seem to care for green beans unless they're mixed with something else. You only drink formula now and have about 4-5 bottles a day...I think. I just feed you when you're hungry!

You are really playing now...you love your toys. Your love for The Incredible Hulk hasn't waned yet! You also have taken to my old Cabbage Patch doll. She was my fav when I was little and I named her Madeline when I got her over 20 years ago! Little did I know you were in store for me! :) You love to shake her up and down, yell at her, and bite her face! You are such a nice mommy! Daddy and I crack up when you yell at her! You also play games with Daddy and me like patty cake, peek-a-boo, ring around the rosies, etc. I put your binky in my mouth all the time just so you will yank it out and laugh. I have started pretend crying when you take it from me and you think that is especially funny!

You are such a happy baby! You really only cry when you fall and are tired at the same time! And you let us know when you're hungry too! You are so sweet!!!

You are still very much a water baby! The difference is now you can get in and out of your pool and stand up in the tub! You love to splash and would stay in there forever! I can't wait to see what you think about the beach!


You consistently sleep all night still. You cry now when I lay you down but are usually asleep in less than five minutes! You go down between 9 and 10pm and get up between 8 and 9am. I love that you sleep in! You still take 2 afternoon naps...one around 1 and one around 6. If you have to get up early, you will take a morning nap too! You're a pretty good sleeper!


You are very into cords, straps, the laptop...pretty much anything that you shouldn't be into! I guess that's the way it goes but you make me so nervous!!!


You like to shop! And you love shoes...just like me! We can take you almost anywhere now! You are so good!
 I can't believe how big you are and everything you are doing! Daddy and I are loving this age! You are so fun right now! You are growing so fast and are so smart already! You are spoiled too...in a good way! Daddy and I love you with all our hearts and are so thankful to be your parents! We love you sweet girl!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Video Fun


So Madeline tries to pull up on everything...and I mean everything! The other day she kept trying to pull up on this poor little boy's ear! She did it about five times before he finally moved away from her! Terry and I were dying laughing!

Porkchop Shmorkchop

That has been my attitude the past few days. I feel in a constant state of nothing is good enough. Unfortunately for my kitchen, it has taken the brunt of my feelings of inadequecy. I have to go get more bleach today...my closet also got a makeover. I just am in a mood to get rid of junk...and then clean everything in sight. The problem is I have about 86 children running around here almost all the time which makes it hard to clean the way I want to. But I am getting it done...one room at a time. I guess this is my nesting phase about 8 months too late! haha

Anyway, that's not what this post is about! Now that Terry is home at night, I am cooking again. I had this great idea to grill pork chops the other night. So he turned the grill on (I am deathly afraid of the ignite button...irrational but it is what it is) and I put the pork chops on. I was talking to my sister in law, going to town making some rice and sides and went to flip the pork chops...this is what I found!


The pups thought they looked pretty tasty...but they were, in fact, inedible!

So this was dinner Monday night!


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Paparazzi

I have joked since Madeline was born that Terry and I are her paparazzi...and we kind of are. We have gotten better, but I think in just 6 months we have over 2,000 pictures of her.  A little ridiculous I know but it is what it is. We took a lot of pictures last weekend and Sunday afternoon I just had Terry snap a couple because I thought Madeline looked so cute. This is what we got...



I love this! Enough is enough!

Weekend Recap

Daddy and Madeline before the party

Some of the food...

The cake table and custom super hero capes!

Super baby!


Super Ayden!

Super Bryce!

Super Kylee!

Jaxon and his sweet Grandpa, Brian



Birthday girl, Lexi and her mom, Briane

Tucker

Lexi with her smash cupcake

Birthday boy, Karter

Madeline, who in her short 6 1/2 months of existence has yet to turn down anything sweet!
Last weekend was so fun! Saturday Madeline and I played in her pool outside until Terry got up and about.  He had a nasty stomach bug Friday so he didn't get up and moving until after noon Saturday. We went to the mall and to a late lunch at my all time favorite place, Texas Roadhouse! Then we went to a birthday party for Madeline's friends from church, Karter and Lexi. Karter was turning 4 and it was Lexi's first birthday. They had a dual birthday party since their birthdays are so close. It was SO cute...the cupcakes, decor, and they gave out super hero capes as party favors! Not just any capes either -- they were hand made and all different sizes and colors. Madeline's was a little pink one!!! It was SO cute! Sunday we went to church and one of my best friends from Maryland who lives just outside Ft Worth came to visit. Sadly, I let her leave without taking any pictures but we're going to see her in the fall so we'll get some then! We went to lunch at The Grill, a cute little trendy restaurant in town. Then we went to the park and then we came home and just talked and talked! I have missed her so much and it was so good to see her!!!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Happy Birthday, Bebop!

My sweet niece, Baleigh, turned 5 today! I am so bummed! It seems like yesterday I got a text with a picture of the sweetest little butterball I had ever seen! She was a big baby and so cute! Now in just a few weeks, she'll be going to kindergarten! Baleigh has brought a lot of joy to our family and keeps us laughing! I called and sang Happy Birthday to her. She said "Hey Issy. I got a puppy! Bye!"  I love that girl!!!


When did this happen? All grown up...

I bought this outfit for Baleigh when my sister was pregnant thinking it would be forever until she would wear it...now I'll be buying her clothes to wear to school

Such a cutie baby!

Baleigh with my Mom, sister, and great grandparents who loved her more than she'll ever know

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

8 Years and One Day Ago...




My dad has always said he can sum up marriage in four words. "Marriage is hard work!" I had no idea how true that was when I took my vows eight years ago. I had no idea how much give and take is involved, and that some days I would want to quit. What I did know was that I loved Terry more than I loved anything else in life. All I wanted was to be his wife; to lay my head down on the pillow next to him every night. So eight years and one day ago, I married him. We were SO young...too young probably. It changed my life and it was the best decision I've ever made.  Life has thrown us more than a couple of curve balls,  but Terry never let us quit. God has blessed us beyond measure, and I am so thankful for the gift He gave me in Terry. Here's my top eight "loves" about Terry...

8. He buys me diamonds...just being honest on this one
7. He makes me laugh even when I am boiling mad, he can crack me up
6. He loves our pups as much as I do and lets me throw them birthday parties and buy them Christmas presents
5. He's so smart...he is annoyingly smart...nobody should be good at math and English
4. His honesty...he is who he is ALL the time
3. His laugh -- the one where he really cracks up and can't catch his breath
2. The way he looks at me when I laugh hysterically
1. The way he loves our sweet girl...I love how his voice goes up an octave when he talks to her

Cheers to us, babe! I love you!


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Baby Jail

Before bed...

New and a little bit exciting

No way out!

Still trying...

Finally asleep!

We put Madeline to bed last night and about five minutes later heard a thud and a scream. Of course I ran as fast as I could to her room and all she had done was hit her head on the crib railing but it scared us bad enough to go ahead and lower her mattress. She is not a big fan so far...I think she realizes she is less likely to escape now! I can't believe how big my baby is getting!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Madeline's Birth Day

We moved to San Angelo when I was 8 months pregnant. We didn't make the wisest decision and bought a house only having seen it via pictures and videos. Our realtor who took the video conveniently left out a couple missing cabinets, black paint on the carpet, missing pieces on the bathroom and kitchen formica, and the most awful paint you can imagine, and more than a few holes in the walls from what appeared to be a very destructive dog. We knew we would have to paint some of the rooms eventually but when we got to the house Terry and I both wanted to cry. It needed SO much work...not to mention the yard of dirt and stickers. It was a complete disaster, but, hey, we got a good deal on it! haha Anyway, so we hired a contractor to fix the walls and paint them. Terry got about 20 minutes off work when we got here so I had to do pretty much all of the unpacking by myself. Needless to say I really thought Madeline was going to come early.

Her original due date was Christmas Eve but my doctor in Maryland bumped it up a week because of her measurements on ultrasound. Well, Christmas came and went and still NO baby! Terry's parents had come the week of Christmas thinking she would already be here. I didn't dilate at all and never had any real contractions on my own which made my doctor hesitant to induce me early. Apparently labor is better if your body starts it, and Madeline was face up so I had already been told to be ready for a rough labor. They also thought she was going to be big baby based on ultrasound. Anyway, on December 27th at my OB appt, I BEGGED my doctor to induce me. She said she would call the hospital and see if they could take me the next day. They told her to send me in that night at 6 to start the induction. So we came home and took a nap and I scarfed lasagna down as fast as I could at 5:50pm knowing I probably wouldn't eat again for a while! I packed my bag and hers (you know she had to have tights and matching bows for all 10 outfits I took to the hospital), and Terry and I got ready to go. We started to pull out of the driveway and I started bawling. I am crying right now remembering that feeling. I was more terrified and excited than I had ever been and I just really couldn't believe after all we had been through, we were on our way to meet our sweet girl.

We got to the hospital a little late (true to form for me) and they got us all checked in. Around 7:00pm they started my induction. It was a long night for a few reasons. I had to pee every 5 minutes it seemed like and you have to unhook all the monitors and take the IV thing with you -- good times! And Madeline wouldn't stay in one place so my monitor was constantly going off. They would get it back in place and about 30 minutes later she would move again. The next morning I had made almost no progress so around 8:30 my doctor broke my water -- I was about 3cm. Then I started having real contractions. Around 9:30 I asked for my epidural! I have heard horror stories about epidurals but mine was easy. He hit a nerve the first time and my right leg kicked a chair over but I didn't think it was all that painful compared to labor. I still tell people the best two things about my hospital stay was my epidural and catheter! I loved not having to get up to pee every 5 seconds! Shortly after my epidural I noticed my nurse in my room about every five minutes checking the print out of my contractions and Madeline's heart rate. She made a call to my doctor who came up and talked to me. She said things weren't going the way they wanted them to and to be prepared for a c-section if Madeline didn't settle down. Her heart rate was dropping too low with each contraction. They gave me oxygen to try to help but it didn't work. My nurse gave me a few pills to take and something for heart burn which I promptly threw up. Madeline only got worse and next thing I knew they were clearing my room out, throwing scrubs at Terry, and wheeling me into the operating room. I texted my Dad to update them and asked him not to call me because I knew I would lose it if I talked to him. I wouldn't let my in-laws hug me or kiss me either - I wanted to keep it together and I knew that would open the flood gate.

I went to the operating room by myself and looked behind me and saw this guy on a stool staring at me. It took me a second to realize it was Terry and I gave him a very enthusiastic "Hi!". He just laughed...he knew I was pretty doped up. I kept telling my anesthesiologist I was gonna puke so they were pumping anti-nausea medication into my IV. I remember feeling so cold and chattering. Before I knew it, my doctor was in there on the other side of the curtain. I asked my anesthesiologist if he was sure I wasn't going to feel anything to which he replied, "you're already filleted open, sweetheart!" haha Before we knew it, Madeline was here...a little purple but here. It took her a second to cry, but when she did, it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. I got to kiss her on the cheek and they whisked her away. Terry followed her to the nursery while they sewed me up. I was SO nauseous and was terrified of puking while they were sewing me up. The anesthesiologist gave me a patch and continued to pump meds into my IV to try to get me sewed up first. Then they wheeled me into recovery where I immediately started vomiting. Then came the shakes and chills. My in-laws brought the baby to see me but I couldn't hold her because I was shaking so bad. I fell asleep and when they wheeled me into my post partum room, I got to hold my sweet girl. I'll never forget the surreal feeling I had when I looked at her. I was in awe that we had a baby now! She was the most beautiful, wonderful thing that I had ever seen...still is.


Our miracle


Meeting my sweet, sweet girl

Our first family picture

First turtle face

Holding onto Gannaw

So sweet!

Two of her favorite people

Daddy's little girl


First poopy diaper

Sweet baby



Ready to go home