15 month update

My little baby is really growing up. We had her doctor's appointment yesterday and she's 25 pounds 6 oz. and 31.25" long, both within the 75-90th percentile. She's as healthy as can be so nothing else to report there.

Within the last few weeks, she has definitely turned a corner in her development. For one, her vocabulary has exploded. It seems like she is saying a new word every day or so now........more, milk, shoe, bye-bye, diaper, ball. I can't think of what else right now, but I know there is more. She also knows what a cow says. It is the cutest thing to hear her Moo.

Part of this development has also been more awareness. That isn't always a good thing, as now she realizes what happens when I drop her off at daycare. We've had a rough time with this transition but Madeline's teacher is getting better at distracting her so I can leave without her realizing and getting upset.

She also demands to be more and more independent, like sitting in her highchair. She hates it! So we've moved her to the table and she does so much better.

This picture is an extra one because it's fun. These are the little buggy's they have at daycare to take them out on walks. Aren't they adorable?

Mom Lesson # 37

Don't give a toddler tiramisu at 7pm and then expect her to go to bed at a decent hour.

Halfway

Wow! I’m halfway through my pregnancy today. I can’t believe it. Time really does fly the second time around. And with the holidays coming up, I’m sure the second half will go even faster. Ack! In only 4 short months, I’ll be holding a new little one.

Madeline "The Artist"

Is she taking after Nana Julia?

This was a sensory activity with saran wrap and tin foil.


This is from today. :)

Owie

Ever have one of those days that starts out bad, gets worse and then a bird poops on your head? Yeah, that was basically my day today. Although the bird poop is figurative, not literal.

It started actually on Saturday when we began painting our living room and dining room. As of last night (Monday), we were STILL painting and weren't finished with the dining room yet. I was completely and utterly exhausted and had a pounding headache. I woke up this morning feeling like a train hit me but I managed to go to work anyway. The physical exhaustion had me worn down and then other stuff on my plate nudged it's way in to put me in an even worse mood. It culminated with another pounding headache by lunch and I decided to call it a day and go home. Sitting in the quiet house by myself was nice and I really needed to just sit and relax and not worry about anything else.

Then Andy came home with Madeline......

Look at her! The poor thing looks like she was in one hell of a baby fight. (Please ignore my goofy smile. This was the only way to get a good picture of her.) The lump on her forehead is from reaching out to a window and missing and face-planting into it. The scratches by her mouth are from another kid trying to "kiss" her.

Please, please let tomorrow bring a much better day. Andy and I feel like we are drowning with everything that is going on. We just need a break. We are thinking of maybe planning a quick trip to the Hocking Hills for a little get-away. We wouldn't have to go far but we could still be away from home. And with Fall coming, it would be a beautiful time to go.

18 Week Belly Pics

I am 19 weeks today, but this was taken earlier in the week. I'm feeling pretty well for the most part. Every now and then I still feel sick to my tummy and I'm tired alot, so pretty normal stuff.

Madeline wanted to take belly pics too.

Great weekend in pictures!

Friday night, Madeline was busy calling all her friends.

Saturday morning, we headed outside to play. And Madeline hammed it up for the camera.

A self-portrait swinging with my baby.

Saturday night we had some good friends over for dinner. They aren't meat eaters so I had to come up with something that they would like. I racked my brain until I found exactly what I wanted to make.....Grilled Tilapia with Mango-Cilantro Salsa and a side of parmesan risotto. It came out so awesome I had to take a picture. They brought the salad and the drinks. They even brought me some special stuff so I wouldn't feel left out.....sparkling grape juice and hand-crafted, microbrewed draft root beer.

On Sunday, all three of us slept in (which never happens for Madeline and I). It was wonderful! Once we got moving, we headed to the splash park we tried to go to a few weekends back. It was really cool out this time so we couldn't play in the water, but it was neat to see. How cool does this place look? I can't wait to take Madeline on a warm day.

After the park, we headed to the mall to get Madeline some new sneakers. She's pretty excited about them as you can see.

Funny how your perspective changes

Life before Madeline, Andy and I used to think those mall play areas for the kids were awful. Like the worst place you would ever want to be….a bunch of screaming, out-of-control kids and you are sitting right in the middle of it. But yesterday we went to the mall to buy Madeline some new sneakers (which look freakin’ adorable, by the way) and we let her go in and play for awhile. Oh my gosh, I don’t think we’ve ever seen her have so much fun. She was running around with all the other kids yelling and screaming and having a blast! She was crawling through the tunnels and going everywhere. I thought for sure she would get run over at some point because it was pretty crowded, but the bigger kids did a good job of watching out for the little ones. I knew when it was time to go she would throw a fit, but fortunately it wasn’t too bad. It was naptime and she was pretty tired. She was out before we even got on the highway.

Randomness: Tantrums, Vacuums and the Zoo

Isn't this too early for the Terrible Two's? I've heard it comes earlier than 2 years old, but I was thinking like 18 months. Madeline isn't even 15 months old yet! I'd say tonight was our first real tantrum. Why? Because I didn't want her messing with the blinds in the kitchen. She was on the floor screaming at the top of her lungs and kicking her legs. Gah, it was ear piercing! And I'm sure those will only get worse.

It's crazy how kids remember things. I haven't vacuumed in front of Madeline in a long time because she gets so upset at even the sight of the vacuum cleaner. But we got her a vacuum cleaner toy over the weekend and she instantly knew what to do with it. She stood there with it and ran it back and forth over the carpet. We were amazed! I'm hoping this toy gets her over her fear of the vacuum cleaner.

So a few weeks ago, I met two of my friends and their kiddos at the zoo. We had an awesome time just walking around and seeing the different exhibits.

I think the aquarium was everyone's favorite since they could get up and close and personal with the fishes. I love this picture of Weston that his Momma took of him at the Manatee exhibit.

After awhile, the kids needed a break from their strollers. So we hit up the play area. They loved this too! Madeline cried when we left.

After that, we hit up the carousel. Weston wasn't a fan so he sat this round out. He tried to tell Madeline that she wouldn't like it, but she was lured in by Adam. She LOVED sitting on the horse. But once the ride started, she did not like it one bit. That's when Weston said, "I told ya so."

After an Icee/Ice Cream snack break and a few more exhibits, it was time to head home. On our way out, we met some ducks looking for a snack themselves.

Lair Visit

Andy's cousin, Susanna, and her boyfriend Cliff were visiting from California this weekend. So we went to Andy's parent's house to visit with them. We all had dinner together and had a wonderful time! Some more than others (Andy drank a lot too much wine and paid for it).

As you can tell from the pictures, Madeline hardly got any attention at all.

I love this kid

She just keeps getting cuter every day. She really watches us now and imitates what we are doing. I was cleaning the floor the other day and she bent down and wiped the floor with her hand like she was cleaning. It's just amazing how much she is learning and changing everyday. I can ask her to do simple things and she understands and does them.

She's giving lots of kisses away now too. She clobbered me one day with about 15 in a row, open mouth slobbery ones, of course. Sometimes I can ask for one and she'll give it to me. I love it!

The weekend started out good, but....

Some new pics for ya....




So we had a pretty decent weekend overall, but it could have been better. Friday night Andy was working late. He was working down at my location which is only 1 mile from our house, so Madeline and I went to pick him up at the office. She loved running around the office halls and seeing what she could get into. And Andy appreciated his surprise visitors. :) Probably because we saved him from having to walk home with his 30 pound briefcase in 90 degree weather.

Then Saturday morning, my family drove up to visit. We went to a local park and played around for a bit. It was kinda tough to make it fun for Madeline. Normally she LOVES it, but she seemed a bit off that day. It didn't matter, it was time to head back home for some lunch. After that and playing around the house, it was naptime for M and my folks headed back home. When Madeline got up, we headed out for some errands and a local splash park. We had just made it to the park when Madeline got sick, still in her car seat. It was all over her and the seat. And she kept getting sick. It was awful and we were a good 15 minutes away from home. We decided the best course of action was just to get home as soon as we could. The poor thing ended up getting sick again once we were home. Other than that though, she was acting completely fine and didn't have a fever. We got her cleaned up and she was busily playing with her toys. She went to bed without a hitch.

Poor Andy had planned to go to the Crew soccer game with some friends that night, but those plans fell through at the last minute. So instead he was cleaning up puke out of a car seat. Not the night he had planned, that's for sure.

I wasn't feeling too well myself. Fortunately, I never got sick like M. But we both definitely picked up something. The bug never hit Andy. So on Sunday, we decided to just stay home and take it easy. Madeline slept alot, didn't eat much and was kinda cranky, but otherwise was doing well. I felt awful in the morning and got better as the day progressed. We both stayed on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apples, toast) for the day. I think normally she would hate this, so I was a little worried how she would do with it. But she did fine. She would eat a little bit and then be off to play.

Being sick is definitely not fun, but it was nice getting the extra love and hugs from Madeline. Normally she is a crazy toddler now, running around until she passes out. But today she was all about cuddling. Andy and I both enjoyed it. :)