It's official! Maddie is now a "school girl". Her first day was August 18th and Ron stayed home from work that morning to cook a special pancake (with jam and whipped cream), eggs and sausage breakfast (with a caramel steamer...of course) for Madison to start off the day. We drove together to North Pole Christian School, met her teacher, Mrs. Estabillo or "Mrs. E" as the kids call her (briefly amongst the chaos of all the new parents and their wee ones), snapped a few photos to remember the "moment", tried to get her comfortable (I had to introduce her to some of the other little girls...she's so shy...I won't be there to hold her hand...no!!!!). And finally Ron pried me away just as she was beginning to cry (though I was told it only lasted a few moments).
She only attends half days, so 3 hours later both Ron and I returned, (hiding in the back, so that Maddie couldn't see us and listening in as the teacher had miraculously calmed the madness and was teaching color and letter recognition). Madison was thrilled to see us and completely excited to share her stories of swinging on the playground, making lots of friends and coloring. Yay! A success!
We topped off this great feat with a trip to "Santa Claus" house (per Maddie's request) and a candy cane as a reward. A lovely day...
I've been so stressed about her going to school, (is it too early...she's only 3, am I a bad mommy to subject her to school so young???), but am now more than assured that this was the right choice for her. She asked to "stay all day", so I'm thinking she agrees!
The photos I sent to family and friends tell the story. The day started off a bit teary (too early to wake up...lots of nerves) but ended all smiles!
Whew!
It's been 2 weeks now and I have to say we have our good days and our bad days. However, even if she's teary when I leave, she's all smiles when I return and if asked if she wants to come back or wait on school, she absolutely wants to stay in school. It's still tough...Praying I don't regret this step at such a young age, but am continually reassured by everyone around me (including Madison) that this is the right thing for her.
We had her first parent/teacher conference last Thursday and her teacher reported that Madison was one of her best listeners...called her "An observer" (surprise, surprise) but also reassured me that she does play with the other girls and is not always alone (my biggest fear...is she just sitting quietly all by herself every day?). So it was good to hear. Her teacher also said "She's definitely one smart cookie"! Yay! I know she's a genius...finally I have official approval from her teacher (tee, hee, hee).
This weekend is also monumental. We bought her, her first "big girl" bed and Ron is putting it up over the Labor day weekend...Yay! It's beautiful (antique white with carvings of bows and a basket weave pattern) and best of all has a trundle bed (for sleepovers)! I'm so excited...envisioning her fist li'l sleepover party! I can't wait (I think Maddie is excited too) :) Of course it's sad to see her precious nursery changing into a toddler room and now into a little girl's room, as well. I just keep praying that I don't miss out on too much, with working and such. It seems life is passing me by some days and then I look into those beautiful eyes and want to scream, "NO! Don't miss this! One day she'll not be asking you to push her on the swing and play tea party...Do it now!" Sigh... I pray that she's never too far from me, emotionally (I can feel the teen years are just around the corner and admit that I'm scared to lose this little one...).
Enough of that! Let us enjoy today!
Speaking of... Ron and I are trying to plan for a little brother or sister for Maddie. My blood sugars are just not where they need to be, so I'm working with the amazing Dr. Burger again to get things right before we "officially" try for another baby. It's exciting to think of yet scary and stressful at the same time. My work has absolutely taken off (what a blessing)! My schedule is nothing like it was when Madison was born (duh...now I have a 3 year old and a job)! So it's hard to imagine how a newborn will affect this well-oiled machine of a life I run, but truly feel God has a plan and it will somehow just have to work. (All prayers are gladly accepted!)
Madison will be the best big sister ever...there's really no question of that one. She's all mommy (to everyone willing to be nurtured) and even with my friend Amanda's little one (Isaiah), she wants to feed, diaper and hold him non-stop. He can't have a little slobber or spit ups without her dabbing it away in record time! She just gets beside herself when she can make him laugh and I've never had to warn her to be safe around him (she just get it). So I'm thrilled with what a new baby would bring to her life as well. Maybe less Mommy time (though I would try my hardest to break it up), but I truly think my hardest battle would be in finding time with the new baby (I'm afraid Madison will want to be the Mom and I'll have to fight for it)! :)
What an adventure...
In leau of an earnest attempt at "simplifying" my life, I have decided to lessen the entries in Madison's journal. I know, it was (and still is) a hard one to swallow, but I thought, "Is it more important that I spent time with her today, or spend time writing about it so that she can read it later"? As I now see that my last entry was 7 months ago, I believe time is flying much too fast, not to sit back and enjoy it with my amazing daughter!
That said...Madison has grown imensley in the past few months. We've decided to enroll her in North Pole Christian school's half-day preschool program this August and Maddie couldn't be more thrilled! She's been begging to "Go to school" for months and after meeting with the school (which is just around the corner form our home), Ron and I think it's a great idea to get her involved and introduce her to this new venture. I do have to admit that though I'm excited at the prospect, my heart aches a bit just thinking of that day to come...Surely there will be tears, (hopefully only from me)!
Madison continues to amaze us both with her wit, her nurturing ways and sensitive self. I enrolled her in Gymnastics in February (when Ron left for a 2 and a half month job in Prudhoe Bay) and she has absolutely taken to it! She asks to go every time we drive by the building and when she does get to attend (once a week), she jumps out of the car, races to the door and down the hall to the gym before I can put the car in gear (almost)! It's really wonderful to see that she's not always so shy. She tends to be the "Mother" to any and all other children, when we're out. She encourages the other kids and will announce to me that "This is my buddy...she/he is a good friend" (about a child she just met and barely talked too). I love it. She has a heart of gold and it's truly been a blessing to me, when it comes to explaining life to a 2 year old. She really seems to understand complex things (like adoption...children without mommy's and daddy's or without homes). Sometimes I think she understands a bit too much, so I try to downplay the more harsh realties of life that she really doesn't need to worry herself with (she's not even three for goodness sake and she prays at night for the children without mommy's and daddy's...gotta love her)!
Okay, new sayings!!!
-March 2008: I was calling her name over and over to come upstairs to brush her teeth, she (finally) came up saying "It's nothing to cry about"
-March 2008: When told to take another bite of her dinner she replied with "It's not a big deal." and shrugged her shoulders.
-April: 2008: Also when told to take another bite of her dinner, she said "Do you want a piece of me?" said in an exhausted kind of way like goodness sake, does it have to come to this?!
-When asked to do something like (go to church, pick up her toys, eat food, etc) she'll almost always say (in a nonchalant manner) "Maybe later"
-Her favorite word and response to any question like "What would you like for dinner?" or "What is your favorite color/toy?" She'll say "Yellight". I've asked over and over what "Yellight" is and she just laughs...oh yes and she also prays for yellight quite often (laughing and chuckling as she does)...
-Another smart response I receive: "Okay, okay, okay..." (obviously when asked to do something).
-She moved from her crib to a toddler bed in January and to ensure that she didn't roam around the house at night, I told her not to get out of bed till the sun came up. So now, each time I hear the pitter-patter of little Maddie feet it's followed by "The sun came up!" She will also tell me "I had a good dream" hoping that I will let her get out of bed (after laying her down for a nap less than 10 minutes earlier)...so sneaky!
-She often asks for a drink of my carbonated/flavored water, so I'll say okay, you can have a sip. So now she asks for "A cup of sip" (I think she thinks the water is called "sip")!
What else....
She can say her ABC's all the way through and point out almost every letter in the alphabet without problem (not all days, but often). She counts to 12 and is now an avid game player (Jenga and Sorry are her favorites). She'll actually play Sorry pretty well. She learns the numbers from the cards and we count the spaces as she moves (of course she wants to move all over the board, so I have to make sure my 2 year old isn't cheating me out of a win either)! Oh yes and she LOVES to win (does a victory dance around the living room shouting "I wind, I wind!"...tee, hee, hee)!
Favorite movie (this month) is Shrek 2 and 3. She can now recite some of it which makes me wonder..."A little too much perhaps?" Hmm. She also LOVES musicals (to my heart's absolute delight). Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Annie...loves them all. We'll dance around the living room singing and playing, rewinding the good music parts over and over...definitely not a relaxing movie night, that's for sure!
She's recently put in a request for a sister and Ron and I are seriously considering "trying" this Fall. It's exciting but scary at the same time. I have no doubt that Madison will LOVE the new addition (she cannot keep away from any baby she sees, any where....has to check them, make sure they're not crying and if they are...has to "fix" it!) She'll be a wonderful big sister and helper to mommy, I'm sure of it. My only reservations are with work. God has blessed me with wonderful clients and a full workload on top of a full mommy load. It's been a difficult balance (to say the least) but one I've managed successfully (with God's hand). So I'm a bit afraid to start over right now with a newborn (knowing the struggles I had nursing Madison that first year), but am prayerful that God has a plan greater than my own. It's exciting to think of it (love the unknown) and lately I've found myself watching Baby shows again on TV (Madison loves them as well). Something I haven't done since I was pregnant with Maddie. So we're thinking that once I get my blood sugars under control (they've been all over the place, for way too long), we'll see what happens. Till then we're loving our daughter (what a God-send) and trying to cherish every moment with her...it goes so quickly...
I'm hoping to keep up with writing in this journal so that Madison will have something to look back on when she's older. I'm so proud of what she is becoming...You can see already the type of person she is growing to be and I'm absolutely bursting with pride and humility that God gave her to us to raise. She's witty (a bit of a smart mouth like her mommy, I must say...but all in good fun), she is an absolute nurturer (searching out a need and doing everything to fulfill it), she's smart (amazes me how much of life this girl comprehends) and understands that God created her and loves her...she will tell you that "'her' Jesus died on the cross" but is quick to point out, "He's not there any more!" How wonderful is that?!
Maddie is an official 2 year old! Though if you ask her how old she is, she will often reply "2Teen!" which is more correct than one might suspect!
We haven't had much of the "terrible two's" as of yet and I'm hopeful that Maddie will remain her sweet self, only mildly testing and quick to retract. She's a total people pleaser and nothing saddens her more than to see others hurt or crying. If I'm just thinking (often have a furrowed brow, or worried look I guess), she'll say "Don't cry, Mommy..." come up and either pat my back or kiss the nearest body part! No matter what was on my mind, that quickly reminds me of how blessed we are.
My work has picked up quite a bit and Maddie's nap times have recently become near to nothing, yet somehow I find more time for outings at the park, baking in the kitchen, play dough time at the table and yard play around the house. I really don't know how we fit it all in a day, but somehow God has let us fit in a 28 hour day into only 24 (wow...and people say He doesn't perform miracles any more)!
Maddie's current schedule is pretty unusual, though perfect for our needs. She stays up till about 11:30-12:00 (often playing in her crib till 1:30 or later), then sleeps till 12ish, might have a nap around 4:30-6:30 (but that's optional at this point) and then keeps going strong till we make her lay down at 11:30ish. It's crazy! I really don't know what 2 year old stays up so late (or sleeps in as long as she does), but the schedule allows me to work in the mornings before she wakes (return phone calls without "Mommy..." in the background) and put in half a days work before our "morning" ever gets going! Once Maddie is up, it's all about her.
She dines on oatmeal with raisins and either a banana or strawberry slices and either an egg (sometimes with hollandaise sauce), salmon lox with cream cheese or turkey-ham (the salmon lox are her all time favorite meal)! The girl eats pretty well-rounded meals and is not a picky eater at all. She will at least try something if I ask and if she doesn't like it, we don't push her to eat it (though that hardly ever happens...ever)!
Her favorite lunch is Clam chowder, peas with mayo and mandarin oranges on the side and her favorite dinner would probably be BBQ (kosher) hot dogs with chili and olives! Not that we have hot dogs often...it's just her favorite. She's not so keen on rice and pasta (odd to think she has my genes at all and doesn't care for pasta) but she loves asparagus with hollandaise, broccoli, OLIVES, corn, peas, potatoes with sour cream, most any kind of fruit and salmon and chicken (beef is still touch and go).
Odd to write so much about what my wee one likes to dine on? I just think back to the horror stories my Mom has of myself not wanting to eat anything she served and I thank God that one didn't come back to get me (with Madison anyway)! She must have her Daddy's tastes for food!
So lately Maddie has taken nicely to outings "in town" (Fairbanks). We get all ready in the morning (she watches Cinderalla...her favorite, while sitting on the potty chair and I "fix my face"), then we get all dressed up, pack snacks and drinks and bring her babies or puppy animals along and drive the 25 minutes to town for a day of errands. I often have to drop or pick documents up from clients, so Maddie is learning that we need to be "big girls" when we meet clients and she has yet to embarrass me! I introduce her as my intern and she quickly sparks up conversation with them! So far no client has been put off (they all know our situation here) and most just love to have her brighten their day, so it's just wonderful and Maddie gets to see that it's not "always" just about her...that we have to behave ourselves when meeting people and being in an office. She also knows that she will be rewarded with either a candy in my car or (better yet) an "ITALIAN SODA"! She is well acquainted with the road side coffee carts and knows to order a "Strawberry Italian Soda with whip cream". The girl can drink an entire 12oz drink in less than an hour! Probably not the best snack for a 2 year old but it's a treat not often had and she feels so special to have her very own drink from the coffee shop (I hope to remember that look on her face always)!
She will actually play "Barista" (rather than tea party or lemonade stand)...whether in the tub, in her crib or in her play house slide, she will say "Italian soda?!" And expect me (or Ron) to come up and order a drink. She will then pretend to prepare it (sound effects, hand motions and all) and hand us our imaginary soda to test. She (of course) asks, "Is it good?" Then says "2 dollar!". I give her the pretend money and she pretends to eat it ...awaiting my worried "NOOO! Don't eat the money! You crazy girl!" And she laughs like that is the funniest thing ever... I know, it's only funny to me (but I'm her Mother, everything she does is wonderful)!
Okay New Happenings!
Sayings:
-Daddy, That's enough of that! - Says when Ron is teasing her or giving her a hard time
-I been sleepin' all day! - She says after waking from a long nap
-Wide awake! - Says when I walk into her room when she should be sleeping.
-Shush, stop that! - Says this one when Ron and I are arguing (not loudly) just using a voice that she knows is not the usual...Reminds us of just how she hears things...
-Be Patient! - Puts her finger out and says this when I tell her she'd better eat her food
-What's Going on here?! - Says this one with attitude when there's a mess or she walks into a room and didn't realize we were in there (something to that effect).
-I don't like it - Says this when we mention going to Church, having certain friends over...
-Oh, it's lovely - When we go out shopping, or I'm trying on new clothes/jewelry, she'll touch it and say, "Oh it's lovely"
-Good Buddy! - She says this about Mayquele, Celsea, Baby Michael and my friend Amanda (she says "Manda")
Singing:
-Sings the Cinderella song "A Dream is a wish" all the way through (if I guide her throughout)
-Recites the entire "Oh that Clock...ol' kill-joy, I hear you, come on wake up you say...time to start another day! Even he orders me around. There's one thing, they can't order me to stop dreaming and perhaps someday....The dream that I wish...will come true...la dum, du du dum..." from the opening scene in Cinderella!
-Sings Lalaloo (from Lady and the Tramp) and when the pitch rises she makes this hilarious straining sound "La low!!!!" (looks sheepish so I tell her how beautiful it is...she beams)
-Sings along to (almost entire) ABC song
Happenings:
-At dinner: Stops mid-bite, closes her eyes and says "Thank you Jesus, Amen!" then continues to eat... (my favorite)!
-Imaginary "Baby": This one is interesting. She cups her hands together (like she's cradling something tiny), bounces up and down and says "Oh baby...Oh sweetie, You okay sweetie?" She'll hand "the baby" to me and I'll pretend to rock it, burp it (making huge burping sounds and looking mortified at this "babies" bodily functions...she dies of laughter). We have even taken the baby with us in Maddie's stroller on walks down the bike trail. The only problem with this one is that Maddie will stop every 10 feet, jump in front of the stroller (looking worried) say, "Baby what's wrong? You okay?" And continue to question the baby till I suggest she pick her up or feed her to settle her down (that usually works and she'll put the baby back in the stroller and we move on). It's hillarious because if you pretend to hurt the baby (thanks Daddy for that one) she'll cry and get quite upset about it! I think that she really thinks it's a baby...Yes, she is my child!
-At night either when we're cuddling on the couch, in bed or I'm settling her in her crib, she'll take my hair and twist it on the side while signing "A Dream is a wish...", remaining quite intent on "fixing" my hair, while she sings (seemingly to pass time) like she's a serenading hair dresser!
-Recognizes some letters (we haven't even worked on this, aside from reading her ABC book and doing flash cards just a handful of times). While sitting at Ron's computer she started announcing "W, O,V, Y,T,S..." and pointing to the proper letters! I know, she's genius.
- The other day I left her on the potty chair (she usually takes an hour or more in the morning...watches a Bible Story DVD or Cinderella while she waits to go), so I ran downstairs to check and return an email...Not soon after I heard a thump, thump, thump (like a child running across the floor), so I hurried up to see what she was doing (imagining a horrendous site of poopy everywhere...I've heard horror stories), but instead found her in the bathroom, dumping her poopy right into the toilet without mess, (she had set the little ring insert off to the side, so it wouldn't fall in) and hadn't even spilled a drop! I was so proud (not that I want her to try that again...not one to push my luck), but shouldn't have been surprised. She doesn't like a mess, is grossed out by "poopy" and knows there would be heck to pay, had she decided to try something "new"!
We've had so much fun this year. The older Maddie gets the more fun we have. I didn't think it was possible, but so far it has only gotten better! She's my total shopping buddy (can absolutely appreciate beautiful things) but she also understands when I say "That's not ours, we need to put it back" and she does put it back. I guess I had little faith with what I've heard from other Moms and maybe it's just her little personality that I've been blessed to enjoy. Whatever it is, Ron and I both agree that life is grand with our little Princess.
I know...Late again! I always think "Oh I have to write that down" then months pass me by and I still haven't made the time to update Maddie's journal (a story every mom surely knows all too well)!
2nd Birthday:
So here we are, Spring in North Pole. Madison celebrated her second Birthday in Anchorage at Grandma and Grandpa Dowd's house. Strawberry shortcake-princess themed, she had crowns for the girls to wear and yellow hard-hats for the boys (come on now, no boy will be wearing a jeweled crown in the Dowd home)! She had fun, though overwhelmed with the children and commotion. I'm still surprised when I see how quiet she becomes when faced with new kids or loud noises. At Celsea's Birthday (just the weekend before her own) she cried when we yelled out our traditional (annoyingly loud) "Happy Birthday" song! So for Maddie's we toned it down and no tears were shed (silly, silly child)!
Play time:
The "winning gift" was from my Mom and Dad. Mom found the most adorable porcelain, tea set that matches her tea table and rug perfectly (stripes and flowers)! Madison pulled it out and played with it right at the party and hasn't stopped since. Each day we have a "tea party" at some point. Madison will say, "Sit down?" while patting the chair next to her and will serve me tea while I ask for sugar and/or creamer and she will add each one saying "There you go". We'll chat about lady-stuff and she'll always say "Mm, delicious" upon slurping her "tea". Aside from tea-parties, Madison loves to dance! She will ask me to turn on her music requesting "loud?" (for me to turn it up) and we'll dance in circles around her room with her dolls or stuffed animals for hours at a time (quite a workout, let me tell you)! She's still very into her jewelry ("Sparkly"), hats, coats, purses and sunglasses. However she now clomps around in my shoes as well (that's my girl)! She loves to go shopping as long as she can walk herself and really does quite well keeping with me, holding my hand and not clearing any shelves. She's not into waiting for me to try anything on however. (This must be a stage for advanced shoppers, I think.) Instead, she likes to open the door while I'm changing (that's always fun for everyone)! So for now it's simple stuff (groceries, mall stuff, fabric store, etc...just no trying on)!
So then, with the sun shining bright it's all about being "Outside"! Last week (it was so beautiful outside), I dug out our largest Tupperware container (about 12"x24"), filled it with warm water, gathered some cups, spoons, bowls and little dolls and introduced Madison to water-play on the deck! She had a blast "cooking" with her real utensils and dollies. But not so surprising, within half an hour I found her squatting (squished) down inside the "pool", donning her pink cow-girl hat, with a huge ladle in her hand! Should have had the camera and "caught the moment"...but no such luck! We changed her into her swimsuit and she spent the afternoon in and out of her Tupperware "pool"! Needless to say, two days later she had the "real deal"...a little wading pool on the deck which she has had a blast with, nearly every day since. Aside from Pool times, we've found Maddie has a pretty mean soccer kick, so she and I (and Dad, when he gets off work) will occasionally kick the beach ball around the yard, running and screaming and cheering Madison on (she LOVES this)! Ah, I love summer-time memory making!
Oh, I just remembered...The other night I came down to check on Madison (still check on her twice a night, tuck her in and make sure she's breathing...I know, I'm crazy)...Anyway, I heard her in their playing and when I went in the room, I found her in the crib with 8 of her little stuffed animals all lined up, (perfectly in a row) on the side of the crib and she was singing "Happy Birthday, to you!..." I've never seen her line up her stuffed animals like that so I asked what she was doing and she said "Bunny... Birthday!!!" and started singing it again. She was holding the bunny rabbit that Cheryl had given her for her Birthday, so either it was the bunny's Birthday party (in her crib) or she was just reminiscing of her own Birthday party in Anchorage (and recreating it with the animals)...Either way, too cute! Had to mention it!
Baby Michael:
While in Anchorage, she spent quite a bit of time with "Baby Michael" (her cousin just a few months younger than she). My mom cares for him most days and late into some nights, so Madison had a buddy to play with...However, he did take some getting use to! Keep in mind that Michael has only a rough boy brother to keep him busy, so when he was faced with Maddie, he immediately slugged her one (smiling and ready for a wrestling match)! She was completely taken back (broke my heart really to see her disappointment in his behavior). She cried, wouldn't look at Michael and after a few more of these incidents, wouldn't even let me put her down when he was in the room! It actually become quite irritating as he would bully her constantly and she would not stick up for herself. Fortunately David stepped in and began teaching Michael to be "Gentle" with girls, not to hit and not to take her toys. I also was teaching Madison to hit Michael back (tee, hee, hee) and to take her toy back from him! Not sure if this was a brilliant plan or not...hmm. She ended up learning how to say "No Michael!" Any time he even came near her, so we worked on playing nice together and giving him a chance...Ugh. In the end, it worked out fine. She was introduced to the harsh realities of life outside our little home and Michael learned that girls are cry-babies! All is well in the world...
Potty Chair:
Every day Madison surprises me with something new. The first time she began to show interest in the potty chair and complained of her diapers, I ran out and bought a fancy potty chair for her to get used to. Surprise, surprise...the first time she sat on it...she went! Not just potty but the "real deal"! She's not consistent (at all) as she still doesn't tell me when she has to go, but if I know she is going to go, we'll run into the bathroom, pull out the chair and she will go and be very proud of herself when done (saying "Good job Madison!" to herself)! I am looking forward to no more diapering though I can also foresee new issues with no diapers and needing to go when we're out and about...hmm.
Prayers:
After our trip to Anchorage, I found our nightly prayer-time rather extended in length. She now prays for everyone! I will begin the prayer and when I get to praying for our family, she will pipe up and say, "Baby Michael, David...Celsea, Mayquele, Taba, Grandpa, Crunch (ya Dad, you should be proud), Grammy, Cheryl, Brian, Bindi (yes Cheryl, she prays for your dogs too)!..." The list goes on and varies each night, but she will always pray for Baby Michael and David (which is funny, because she only saw David a few times for short periods while in town...)
New Happenings:
"Crazy!" or "Crazy Driver!" Now when we're driving and we take corners, she'll laugh and say "Crazy driver!"
"Loud!" She is scared of a lot of sounds. Living near the air force base we constantly have (loud) planes overhead and Madison will cover her ears and say (worriedly) "Loud!". I have tried everything I can think of to calm her fear, but she will still run upstairs (when alone in her room), crying and saying "Loud, loud!" She is also scared of fireworks (our sitter watched Maddie for Ron's Birthday, so that we could dine out. When we returned, Madison was clinging to the sitter, crying because someone had been shooting off fireworks. Now when she hears a new noise she'll say "Fireworks?!" and look all worried).
I have to say Madison is the most polite child I have ever seen. She cracks me up with her, "Excuse me...sorry" as she passes by anyone (or any thing even)!
Kissing...I love this one! Madison will (for no apparent reason), will come up, wrap her arms around my legs and kiss them. She'll do this over and over till I lean down and kiss and hug her myself. Ah, makes anything unpleasant just fade away, I tell ya!
"Not nice!" If Madison sees people fighting or angry with each other on TV (or elsewhere) she'll look worried and say "Not nice..." It really bothers her to see people upset with each other (even if they're playing... I have to explain that they're just playing. Even so, she'll look worried and say "Not nice").
Singing! She now sings "Happy Birthday" all the way through (over and over and over and over again)! She also sings (her own rendition of) "Jesus Loves Me" and "Temptation" from the Veggie tales "Larry Boy and The Bad Apple". She'll scream out "Tation!!!!" (meaning temptation...of course)!
Of course I'm forgetting all that I wanted to write...Will be more diligent later...Too much to say in one entry (more to come)!
I hate when I wait too long to update Maddie's news...Too many things to list, some come and gone...I'm afraid I'll never recapture the moment and it only seems to be happening faster and faster. Sigh...
A wise mother told me this when I was pregnant with Maddie, "Your children should bless you, not burden you..." referring to so many mothers that complain of their 'horrible' children. I've not forgotten that and must say I agree now more than ever. This mothers children were so well-behaved, adjusted and happy I complimented her on what great children she had. Her response was a beaming "Thank you, that is the greatest compliment I can be given!" Today, I too have had that same (bursting with pride) acknowledgement of my own wonderful blessing. It's not an easy job, raising a child with limitations, bounderies...having to say "No". But like this mother told me, do it now before you look back wishing you had. Of course I don't want to end up a hypocrite, thinking my child can do no wrong (we all have our moments) but thus far Maddie has made both Ron and myself very proud of her behavior. Her sunday school teacher stopped us at the grocery store a few weeks back, exclaiming that Madison was the most polite child she had! She says "Excuse me, sorry" as she passes by people and thanks everyone (for everything)! These are things I purposely do around the house, knowing that she is watching (and repeating what she takes in). It was so great to hear that our extra time and awareness has paid off!
Today Madison is a month and a half shy of two years old (already). She repeats all that way say (including my own "Holy crap"! The other day...I admit it, I was the first to have her mimic a bad word)! She speaks in short sentences now and is extremely good at pronunciation her words (so nice)!
Here is a list of her most common sayings:
Oh My Goodness! - She says this with the cutest emphasis on "Goodness" like she is so exasperated with whatever the situtation. Quite often it deals with her dollies (if she drops one she'll explain "Oh my goodness!")
Oh Man! - I love this one! She puts the emphasis on "Man" with a sassy little sound.
Smell? or Smells good! -She smells everything (likes to kneel down in our bedroom and sniff the air freshener announcing "Smells Good" then gets up and returns to playing).
Spinnin -She likes for me to spin her around in Daddy's office chair and will count "1, 2, 3!" before I spin her.
Like it?! -She'll say this when she doesn't like it (usually refers to her jeans). I'll have to point out all of the good things (flowers, pretty buttons, pockets, etc) in order for her to happily agree to put them on.
Puter- This is her computer. She has a leapster game unit and a larger child's laptop that she will spend hours at just pushing buttons and making it "do things".
Color- She's very into coloring now and likes to name all the colors of all the crayons (the wrong color each time)!
Pigtails - This means "Veggie Tales". Her new favorite movies are Veggie tales and she will watch them over and over (and over again) till I finally make her go play. I think she calls them "Pigtails" because she wears pig tails in her hair and assumes that's what I'm saying when I say "Veggie Tales".
Lay down or Sit Down?- She will pat the floor and invite you to "Sit down" with her and play. This one is so cute I can hardly resist and often find myself amidst her tea parties, reading or enjoying one of her plastic food dinners (mm, yummy)!
Lay down referred to laying under the Christmas tree. We would lay under the tree (looking up at all the twinkling lights) and have "special" time looking into the ball ornaments and pointing out all the colors. She loved to lay under that tree (she even called it "special" herself)!
What you doing? - This one is pretty new and she says it to her Dad when he's playing with one of her toys or (the other day) he was wiping the back of her chair during dinner and kind of bumped her head... She got this indignant look on her face and said "What you doing!?" (like sheesh, doesn't he see I'm eating here?) Too funny!
No Daddy, stop it! -
This one is cute, though I'm careful to not let her talk sassy to her Dad. She'll get bossy, put her finger out and say "No Daddy, Stop it!" When he's teasing her or playing too rough (tee, hee... it is pretty funny though)!
Good Morning Sammie - She has a new pet (a Beta fish named Sammie) and each morning she announces "Good Morning Sammie" when she gets out of bed. She then gets to feed him herself (this can get pretty messy with tiny little fish food pellets every where...but she tries) and she'll kiss the fish tank and tell him she loves him.
Help? - Lately she is my happy helper. I've given her jobs to assist with,beginning with putting the pillows on our bed (each morning after she has breakfast). I make the bed then she throws the pillows on (grunting and groaning with each one...drama queen). When she's done she give me "5" and says "Ya! Big girl!" then kind of saunters off like she's real cool and I couldn't have done it without her (gotta love it).
She'll also "help" unload the dishwasher. She'll put the silverware in the drawer (throw it all in), life out the salad plates (grunting, groaning and saying "heavy!") and put everything else she can reach out on the counter.
Her latest thing is putting away the Tupperware in the fridge. After I put food in the storage she'll say "Help, help!?" and I'll give her the containers, open the door and she'll climb into the fridge and place it where she feels it should go.
She also helps with the laundry. I will give her socks and she will put them in her sock drawer (or her little kitchen set drawers, or in her closet...never really sure)!
Amen! - She will say this when I say "In Jesus name..." or when we're finished with a book (I think she thinks "The end" is "Amen")! We pray together before bed times and every night at dinner with Daddy She will reach out and hold both our hands throughout the whole prayer (chuckling from time to time because she thinks it's funny) and then smile and laugh when we say "Amen". I love this more than I can describe...
Her jewelry drawer is now a full-on jewelry box. She has inherited my old jewelry box and has quickly filled it with a ton of plastic, sparkly jewelry and sunglasses (in large part thanks to Grandma Dowd). She came upstairs for breakfast this morning in her Jammies with rainbow sunglasses, three large necklaces, 4 bracelets and a purse...That's my girl!
She's very into her dollies lately. She will cradle them in her arm and immediately begin bouncing and rocking them back and forth saying "Oh, baby, oh baby" in a kind of whining voice like "you poor thing"! I love it!
She will also lay her babies down on the step in our bathroom and announce "Poopy Diaper" so I'll give her a diaper and she'll wrap the baby in it and carry it around before feeding it a bottle and taking it for a walk in her little stroller around the laundry room.
She is a complete little mommy. I've never seen anything like it really but am ecstatic to see it as I am certain she will make one amazing big sister one day!
Christmas was amazing this year. I spent the month baking away (trying to give Maddie the same memories that I have as a child...Mom baking away, house always smelled good...) We decked the house out and our tree stayed up till February 1st (love the tree). We totally over did the presents (especially for Maddie) but it was nice, relaxing and wonderful. I'm excited to keep on creating memories at home as Maddie grows (and our family too...God willing).
I thank God each day for His hand on this home. We have been blessed with an absolutely happy, easy going, very smart child. I can't help but wonder if all the prayers from myself, family and friends during pregnancy were not only answered as far as her health but blessed in abundance with her happy nature... Either way, we feel blessed to have her as our own.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our home this year! Yay! This will be our first Christmas at home (though we will miss spending the time with our families in Anchorage). Madison loves the tree (which has been up since two weeks before Thanksgiving), pulling off the ornaments (shatter proof, I should add) and oohing and ahing over the lights. We have Christmas music on most of the day and have made dancing about one of our most favorite of all activities!
Note to self: The Christmas song (can't recall the name) ." the line that says "In the fireplace where we watch the chestnuts pop...Pop, pop, pop..." I would be twirling around the room (holding Madison) and when it came to the "Pop, pop, pop" line, I would bounce her down (almost to the floor) and back up again... Now whenever I'm holding her and dancing around she says "Pop, pop, pop" (begging me to do the "game" again).... Must, must remember these things!
We spent Thanksgiving in Anchorage at my Mom and Dad's home. Madison spent the first week, sicker than ever before. We had hoped she would be better before we left to town (having already spent a week sick at home) but with no such luck. She lost nearly 7lbs (and after one trip and one call to the E.R. where nothing was done...no miracle cure like I had hoped for) was finally able to keep food down and has now gained back most of her weight. Whew... Will I ever not freak out and imagine the worst when she's ill??? Hmm.
Well after she had overcome the flu all was wonderful throughout our stay. She loves, loves, loves her "Big guy" (cousin Michael). Treats him like a young baby (she sees herself as so much more mature, it's too funny), giving him knowing (dare I say condescending) looks, smiles and brings him his bottle. She had such a good time with him, she would actually miss entire naps, spending the whole time in the play yard screaming "Michael? Where are you???" This was hilarious (even though she did miss her naps).
Upon our return, she still calls for him several times a day (along with "Goosey"... otherwise known as Celsea)! Gotta love it.
You know it's so hard to keep up on all the small things I hope to recall one day. I will try to do this entry justice and note all her new happenings...here goes:
Speaking: That's easy... The girl repeats the last two words of whatever you say (and with nearly perfect clarity)! She's quite amazing when it comes to social skills (and I swear I say that not only because I'm her mother and I'd think she was amazing if she just laid there...) Whenever we go out in public, she searches out the nearest young person and strikes up conversation. She has yet to have any kind of argument with another kid (knock on wood), even if the other child takes her toy, she just lets them and smiles while they play with it (yes, it's true she's an angel...unless we're on an airplane...whole other horrible story)! Anyway, when it comes to speaking, making facial expressions, and relating with others she can fit in in most any crowd!
Oh yes and at night when I pray with her, just after I say "In Jesus name..." she says "AMEN!" all proud of herself!
Ohh! AND she says "I luh you!" This is the bestest of the best. Ron and I simply cannot get enough of hearing her say I love you back to us (does it really get any better?)!
Just remembered: "Ahh No!!!" She'll say this (pronounced like ahhhh noe!) when she's done something wrong or something (like her baby doll) has fallen or is out of place. She says it all disgusted and tired like she is so bothered and wiped out...how could this happen! (Love the tones she takes.)
Signing: It hasn't changed much since my last entry, simply because we haven't purchased any of the next set of Signing times DVD's. However, she always signs "Please", "Thank you", "Bath time", "Bicycle" and "Car", just in general conversation (like a habit) along with saying the words. Which is pretty cool to see.
Funny thing... She began picking at her linty toes and sock fuzz last week and has become somewhat obsessed with the matter (spending quite some time completely engrossed in removing all lint and all sock fuzz from sight)! Hmmm, hoping she doesn't have my OCD! NOOO!
Dress ups, dress ups...A girl after my own heart! Dressing up is her favorite thing now (not in costumes, just jewelry, hats, purses, coats... any and all accessories)! She has a drawer designated to all types of jewelry (even some of my old gawdy rhinestone stuff), along with her own sparkly purse (from Aunt Cheryl), brushes, sunglasses and an entire suitcase full of hats! She'll get all decked out (check herself in the mirror, making flirty little faces...at herself) then place her baby in the shopping cart, grab her purse (with her fake cell phone) and tell me "Bye Baby... I luh you!" As she heads out the office door, struggling to shut it behind her. She'll do the exit out the door 500 or so times before she tires... Knocking just after she leaves while I say "Who is it???" and she comes in with a big ol' grin, laughing like "Here I am, silly!" Yes, we love our little games!
It seems there are so many new things... ("swimming" around the bath tub... actually gets upset when bath time is over now... loves the water like her Daddy)... She's my "Big helper" now (unloads the dishes and even puts things away in the proper drawers now). She also helps with the laundry (her job is to put her socks in her sock drawer and she does it quite well)! Anything that I start with "Madison, can you help me???" Or "Do you wanna be a helper???" She is so on it! This morning she helped me make the coffee (put the filter in the basket and even poured the grinds in!) She felt really big that time! (I just love to see that proud little smile.)
Oh yes and the bottle is GONE! After her two weeks of illness (and no milk allowed) I figured she'd gone this long without a bottle, why bring it back into the picture and go through troubling times taking it away later??? So though she had a few tough mornings (didn't want to drink her milk from a cup...really wanted to cuddle with her bottle), we made it through and today it's cups all the way.. Yay!
Talking on the "Cell phone": This is one of her favorite things (whether it's my phone, her fake phone, the AC remote...which looks like a phone... or any similarly shaped object) she will jabber on and on (in a really, really loud voice), while pacing around the room and making all kinds of funny faces! When we took Celsea to the airport, Madison was actually so loud on the phone (just jabbering away) I don't think anyone missed a word of her conversation!
Of course there is so very much more... I just can't recall! Christmas is less than a week away now (amazing how fast time is going now that Madison is here)! We've bought all our presents (which look lovely beneath our beautiful tree) and hope that memories will be made and that this is just the first of many more wonderful Christmas' for the Owsley family!!!!
Merry Christmas!!!
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Funny that the last entry announced Madison's first steps and now this one is being hastily written (2 months later)! Ah, but life is good!
It's official, she's a toddler. She walks every where now (thank God), climbs on most anything (though she's still quite the thinker and can usually see a scary scene in the making).
Her newborn nursery has been rearranged to create the perfect play room, filled with a new kitchen set, tea table (thanks to her Aunt Tabitha), tons of plastic food, plates, and such as well as a hidden reading "fort" in her far closet complete with fairy pictures on the wall, a teddy bear rocking chair, a little light and all of her books! Yes, I admit it, I am living vicariously through my daughter (and loving every minute of it)!
She spends quite a bit of time playing in her own little world...Cooking all kinds of foods, feeding everyone bites, reading in her closet and playing dress ups in front of her little mirror (hmm, she spends quite a bit of time gawking at her cute little self in that mirror...)
She has discover "Outside" and just loves an opportunity to toddle around the yard. Both Ron and I are excited for the next Summer, hoping she'll really take to the pool (she's absolutely fearless in the tub...dunking her head, blowing bubbles and walking around). Though she's already such a blast, it's hard to believe it could get better! Of course we do have our moments (surprise, surprise)! She tests her limitations, some days more than others, leaving me absolutely sick of hearing my own voice saying "No, don't do that..." Ugh. But these days are not as common as others, so I just pray for patience and the knowledge in disciplining her "correctly". At this point she receives a spanking on her leg if she continually disobeys, (not before several warnings with as stern a voice as I can muster...nothing like Dad's version, he gets instant results with a single look)! I absolutely hate to spank, but do believe it's the only way to have any kind of control (especially later on)...So we deal and most days are fine.
Madison just wants to have fun. She's not a very moody child (unless teething) and even so she's easily side tracked with music, singing, dancing, acting silly and playing crazy with her little bunny rabbit (favorite toy, doesn't sleep without it). Now that the temperatures are dipping, the leaves have fallen and we rarely can leave the house without a coat, I feel it's completely rational to have Christmas music playing most of the day (and Madison seems to agree)! I've placed a stereo in her room with kids music and Christmas CD's and we spin and dance around (great workout for me) and sing all loud...She loves this (especially if Dad joins in...laughing at Ron and myself if we dance together)! I smile at the thought...loving our life in North Pole!
Speaking of Christmas, we will be spending out first together right here at home this year! Yay! Funds are tight (when are they not, really) so I'm hoping to save up and buy a beautiful tree all decked out with "sparkles" (Maddie's favorite new word), with our crystals from the Wedding hung on the balcony with garland and lights...I can't wait!
I know that Madison will absolutely love all the decor (we even have one of those little, lit up towns with the porcelain buildings, fake snow and an ice skating rink (really a mirror...but it works quite well)! I'm hoping she will love all the sparkles, happy music and quiet family time, making for our own traditions and memories here at home.
Okay new happenings!!! There are so many, where do I begin???
Speaking:
She repeats 90% of what we say now...Though most sound like the same word, she will mimic the fluctuations in your voice with her own version of the word.
She points and identifies just about everything...flower, rock, water, bee (which is any flying insect), boy, baby, big guy, (she got that from what I call her cousin Michael), Bikel (which is what she calls her cousin Michael), milk, cup, pop, puppy, bunny, horse, cat (she meows instead of saying cat), car, book, bible (these are synonymous to her), toy, shoe, coat, door, drawer, bath, shower (pronounced "wower"), pacifier (pronounced "Sippy"...don't ask cause we don't know), ball, blanket, socks, foot, ear, eyes, mouth, nose (points to all of these now), buckle, zipper, cookie, cracker, soup, egg, cereal, banana, apple, cheese (still her favorite), plant, soft, uh-oh (heard quite often), no (heard every other word it seems), bow, brush, teeth (loves to brush her teeth), light (pronounced "night")...she will point to every light fixture, whether on or off and proclaim "night, night!", pretty, sparkle (pronounced "Barkle" unless we practice saying it with a strong 'S'), chap stick (she loves to carry them around the house, sometimes puts them back to where she got them, other times we find them in her toy box, behind couches, other drawers, laundry bin...ugh), hot (everything hot or cold is hot as she has learned that the wood stove is very "HOT" and keeps a good distance...Thank God), cold (only says this when we're getting out of the tub and she'll shake herself and say "cold"), frog, thank you (we encourage her to say this often and she usually does, even without prompting), sorry (this one is cute and she'll only say it if I tell you she needs to say it...she'll follow it with the sign for sorry as well), please (this one is rare and sometimes she'll sign it too), all done (always with the hand sign), more (again with the sign), play, chair, grandpa, grandma (sound the same... "Bompa"), she'll say some names...Ella, Grace (pronounced "Gace"), bottle, yuck, dirty (usually both refer to the toilet or garbage can...yes I taught her well), soap, bubble, drink, hat (loves her hats), airplane, store, pillow (she now "helps" me make the bed by struggling and lifting the decorative pillows from the floor onto the bed! She'll even attempt to lift the Euro shams and King sham pillows as well... This is so darn cute, I just love it! She gets so proud with her accomplishments, shrugs her little shoulders and kind of saunters off like, "My work here is done.")
I know there's many more, but these are all that's coming to me this moment! Good Lord this list has increased since the last entry!
Simple life is much easier now that she's walking. We ran a record amount of errands the other day which usually ends in a tired child, annoyed at her stroller and done with being put in and out of her car seat. Well this time, I let her hold my finger and walk around the mall (Hallmark and Gottschaulks), we took our time (a long, long time) and she felt like such a "Big girl" walking all on her own and stopping to check things out (she's very good at not grabbing things and just looking). With each new stop, she would announce "Store? Store??" and get all excited with the thought of more walking. Our day of errands turned into a wonderful day (we had such a good time), we even extended the Afternoon with her first trip to McDonald's play-land! I think she was in play heaven! There was another little girl (just one month older) playing in the tubes and slides as well, so Maddie and she became quick buddies (love that about kids) and she was absolutely fearless, crawling through the tunnels, going up and down the slide...It was great and we'll surely be back!
We've joined M.O.P.S. again this season (I wasn't sure because last year I had come to pick her up from the nursery and she had a long, coiled piece of plastic logged in her throat...choaking and no one had noticed! The next time one of the care takers older kids was in the baby room and she had hit Maddie on the head which the care taker denied...So I was leery to try it again, as the whole purpose is for Madison to have fun with other kids). Well this time it's perfect! She's in a new room (huge with big windows, a jungle gym, slide, bouncy balls, coloring area, everything), she had a great time with the bigger kids (slightly older than herself) and so I am thrilled to have something for her to do every other week outside of the home!
I am teaching 1st and 2nd grade Sunday school at our church now, so Madison has no choice but to go the nursery (every Sunday). She's been doing pretty good. She'll cry (clinging onto my leg which kills me slightly), but when I walk away and listen briefly outside the door, the tears stop almost instantaneously and all of the caretakers say she's never a problem and always has fun (which when I go to pick her up can see that she's playing with the other kids and doing just fine). I think it's important for her to get out and learn (hopefully good things) from other kids. So between Sunday school, MOPS and having friends come over and play, I think she's doing pretty well!
Okay, must wrap it up (she's waking from her AM nap). Life with a one and a half year old is pretty amazing. We talk of having another (she would be the best big sister ever, loves babies and really loves to help), but we're thinking of opening this conversation this Spring or Summer and seeing what God would have us do (must pray, must pray, must pray). Till next time...
Leaps and bounds! Today Madison climbed down both sets of stairs without any assistance (with no problems) for the first time! Prior to today she was confused about beginning the decent (unsure of turning backwards and finding her footing) but we practiced and practiced together and today she did it on her own (I didn't even know till she was half way down) yay! THEN, not two hours ago, she took her first steps! Holding onto a tube of chap stick in one hand, she took two steps without holding on to a support (Dad even caught the moment in between painting our shower)! Both Ron and I couldn't be happier! Ron's Mom, Step Dad Billy, Sister and niece will be visiting us this coming weekend, so Maddie and I will be practicing her newly acquired skills and will hopefully be able to give them a show, when they arrive!
It seems over night Madison has become a cuddler (so great for us)! After watching (very closely) Ron kiss me and me kiss him back, we'll lean in and kiss each of us! She's still huge on the "head loves", leaning in with her head down low to rub foreheads and at times caress our hair or faces. She'll also pat you on the shoulder (repeatedly) if you pick her up and pat her on the back.
Lately it seems she's been growing so fast.
Let's see, new happenings:
So smart: Unlike a lot of toddlers whose parents have to run to them to retrieve a foreign object (from their sticky little fingers) before they pop it in their mouth... Madison, upon finding anything on the floor and after initial inspection, will hold it in her little fingers, then reach out to hand it to me and say "Thank you" when I take it! Hmmm, clean-freak like her Dad??? I don't know! Now that I think of it, did I mention one of her favorite "toys' is the Feather duster? Yeah, she'll crawl to the bathroom, open the cupboard door (bi pass the deadly cleaning products... I know, we need a baby lock), retrieve the feather duster and carry it all over the house with her! This may or may not be a good thing! Tee, hee, hee
Singing: When eating, I usually sing songs to her so now she puts her little index finger up and waves it around while I sing "This little light of mine". She will also say "Bible!" (as clear as anything), when I sing the "B.I.B.L.E." and at the end I say, "What's that spell? Bible!" And she too will say "Bible!" (gotta love that one)!
Signing: She now signs the following words also:
-Please (will sometimes sign "More, please")
-Thank you
-Hat (she LOVES to wear her hats)
-Sleepy
-Fish
-Daddy
-Mommy (this one is still hard, she'll put her hand to her nose, instead of her chin)
-Car
-Airplane
-Baby
Speaking: She says the following words:
-Thank you (she'll say this any time you hand her something or she hands you something)
-Michael: Her baby cousin (pronounced "Bypoe", she squeals it every time she sees a photo of him... over and over and over again!)
-Dad, Dada, Daddy, Dadeee
-Mom, Momma, Mommeee
-Grandma (said it once anyway, when visiting Mom and Dad last month)
-Baby (pronounced "Daydee")
-Puppy
-Bunny
-Bee (we have a huge wasp problem right now, so this one was learned real quick)
-Yuck (pronounced with just the "ck" portion and said any time there's a bug... "Good girl!")
-Cheese (pronounced "Chsss") her favorite food
-Pretty (pronounced "Pree")
-Bible
I know there is more to tell (always is), but my mind has signed off and I must join my family for bed time.
This summer has been an amazing one... Maddie loves the outdoors (time on the patio in the sun is priceless). She loves to go for walks (in the stroller, or pushing it herself), playing with the flowers and watching the bugs scurry along the path. She's always smiling, laughing and teasing us for a laugh (hide and seek is her favorite game, with one eye covered or both hands on her ears)! I often tell Ron, "She's my little buddy" and she really is. We have fun (most) of the time, just playing, laughing and learning new things (both of us that is)! (God I thank you for Madison, for her smile, for her own little ways.)
Ron just came in the office after laying Madison down for the night and said, "There is no greater feeling than having your daughter just lay her little head on your chest and fall asleep..." How true!
Summer is in full swing and we've "dove" into it by purchasing a swimming pool! Ron talked me into the idea of one of those huge (18' round, 48" deep) above ground pools and it has been the best addition to this family... Since Madison!
Ron took Maddie in as soon as it was above freezing (she gasped, looked a bit horrified, than splashed around and loved every minute of it... She is her daddy's girl)! Since, it has warmed considerably and we spend every sunny evening out in it. Yesterday we floated atop in our lounge chairs long enough to get a sunburn and we pushed Madison around in her floating "boat" ring till she was absolutely too pooped to take any more. It's been a wonderful Summer, thus far!
Well I was "jumped in" to Motherhood, the day before Mother's Day. We had offered to sit for my good friend Mary so that she and her Husband could enjoy a dinner out for her Birthday. The evening was lovely, her children are simply wonderful and after they returned from dinner they stayed to chat with us and all that jazz. The next day I call Mary to find she (and her whole gang) are absolutely ill. They had been throwing up all night and completely sick that following day. Madison hadn't shown any signs, so I thought we were good. Hmmm. She woke from her nap, I fed her lunch and in the middle of her feeding she got this strange look on her face and.... Blah! All over the place! My God, this episode must have lasted ten straight minutes! I was at a loss. When she finished, she was shaking, crying and covered in her lunch. Luckily she was in her highchair, so I wheeled it down the hall, through our bedroom and into the Master Bath, where I hosed her and the chair down, followed up by a bath. Well the cleanliness was short lived. She proceeded to get sick ten more times in less than 2 hours. She wouldn't take in any liquids, so I called the Doctor's office who suggested I bring her in. Okay, keep in mind, I'm a "First-time" Mommy, my daughter is violently ill, lethargic and running a temp of 103. I called Ron and asked him to come home from work so that he could drive while I made sure she didn't throw up on herself in the back of the car (at least alone anyway). Before he came home I called Tab to get her opinion on taking Maddie in. She suggested Ron pick up some Pedialite and we try that first (otherwise they were going to give her an IV to get fluids back in her)! So we did and she loved the pedialite (thank God)! Long story (a little shorter) by evening Ron was sick as well. He spent the night totally out of commission, while I cared for our sick daughter. By the next day however, everyone (seemed) better! It was Mother's Day and although we skipped church (didn't want to contaminate every one else) we had a wonderful day! We put Maddie in the stroller and spent the Afternoon on the bike trail enjoying the sun and playing around. It was a reprieve, in honor of Mother's Day (I'm sure of it)! By the next day, it was my turn. By evening I couldn't move, I wanted to die and it seemed to last forever. Luckily Ron was feeling better and took over Madison duty, while I laid in bed. Unfortunately Madison was ready for round two. She threw up several more times (just for Dad), so Ron was jumped into this whole parenting-thing as well! Ugh. Anyway, we survived Madison's first flu and will be much more prepared for the next go around (right?!)
New Happenings:
Madison has two teeth right in front, on the bottom. The first poked through, just days before her Birthday and the second followed a few weeks later.
She's cruising around furniture like a pro. She stands without holding on (for a length of time now) and is walking with her new walking toy, all around the living room. She turns the TV on and off (thinks that's so funny), she knows which remote is associated with which separate object (overhead fan, Television, lights, etc). She definitely understands "Push the button" and knowing that something will occur. I can even tell her "Push the button" and she'll turn the TV back on!
Disclaimer: We do not watch that much Television, really! The only thing Maddie watches is her "Baby Signing Times" DVD's (I swear)!
Just last week she began wearing her bows, barretts and hats again without pulling them out. All I have to say is "Oh you're so pretty" and she'll stroke her hair and say "Preee", while smiling so sweetly! I've even caught her looking in my bedroom mirror, smiling at herself, stroking her hair and saying "Preee"... Have we created a monster??? Tee, hee, hee, I don't care she's my girly girl and I love it, man! She picks out her own bows for the day (rummaging through the little box, tossing them every which way till she comes across one that is special to her). She even has preference over her clothes! When wearing an outfit that has some special detail (ruffles, flowers, or something), she'll touch the detail and say "Preee". It's great!
She does the following signs now:
More
Milk
All done
Book
Teddy Bear
Ball
Puppy
She understands and responds accordingly to the following Signs:
Bath time
Drink
Where?
Doll
Baby
Hat
Brush Teeth
Now at nap time when she loses her pacifier over the edge of the crib, I'll ask her "Where's your pacifier?" And she'll quickly crawl over to the side she threw it, point out and smile all proud, like "Yup, there it is, that's where I threw it!" She also chucks all of her sleep toys over the edge of the crib (nightly) then cries and wants me to get them back for her (only to do it again ten minutes later). Yeah, this game is not so fun and will soon have to be nixed!
Reading. Madison loves to "read". I'll ask her "Where's your book?" Or "Go get Maddie's book" and she'll drop whatever she's doing and race over to her book shelf, rifle through the selection, pick a favorite and flip through it over and over again for quite some time! I'll read the bible to her, so that I can get some study time in, but read in really excited, over fluctuated tones so that she is totally into it! She'll usually go get her own book, sit next to me on the floor and tear through it while I read... It's great!
"Brush Teeth". The Baby Signing Time DVD's have a segment on "Brush Teeth". Since her first tooth popped up, Ron bought Maddie a Big bird tooth brush with Watermelon flavored Tooth paste. After her first experience, she was hooked! She'll pull herself up to my bathroom vanity, open the drawer and pull out her toothbrush and toothpaste tube, while looking up at me, like "Okay, get it ready..." She loves to brush her teeth (yup, both of them), so we do it together each day.
"Big people" food. The baby food is on it's way out. Madison now eats regular food for lunch, snack and dinner, saving baby food fruits to mix with her regular oatmeal for breakfast only. She loves to eat with us and hasn't rejected anything! Though she does have a preference for cheese, breads, sweat peas, corn, noodles, bananas and salmon! Yup that's our girl! It drives her dad crazy when I let her feed herself (which is all the time). I'll put the peas, corn, bread or what have you on her high chair tray, so that she can pick it up and feed herself. This drives Ron mad! He can't stand for her to be messy and to see food on the tray is just so hard for him... But he's learning to cope (I should probably enroll him in a "Clean freak" support group)! Madison is actually quite tidy. She can't stand food on her hands, so this unfortunately means she will shake her hands till the food "disappears" (on the wall, the floor, where ever)!
Maddie is a total "Daddy's Girl". She will sit in her little chair, looking out the front window and wait for her Dad to come home, singing "Dad-dy, Dad-dy" (with an emphasis on the "Deee" part). When she does see his truck come around the corner, she absolutely squeals, points, jumps around, then crawls over to me, knowing I'm going to pick her up and bring her to the front door to greet Daddy. It's beautiful, how much she loves him. Also, if she disobeys and Daddy harshly says "No!" Her little lip will quiver and the tears are immediate! She looks absolutely distraught and will refuse to go to Ron, reaching for me to comfort her. The interesting thing here, is that when I say no, she will usually continue to test and push till she gets a spanking on her diaper (she'll even laugh when I say "No"). But when Daddy says "No" her world is crushed, her little feeler is hurt and Daddy has to rock her and reassure her that he loves her. Funny how there is a definite separation in "Mommy's" and "Daddy's" for young ones.
As usual, I know I'm forgetting some mile stone in Maddie's life... Hmmm.
Amazing. I've said it before and today I feel it now more than ever... "Where does the time go?!"
Madison rang in her first Birthday with not one, but two Birthday parties! On April 22nd we adorned our home with ribbons galore, balloons everywhere and streamers strung from every angle of both the living and dining rooms! I spent two weeks on ebay searching for just the right theme and found it in this cute little round faced baby announcing "Baby's first Birthday!" We had 16 people join us in the celebration (including 8 of their children). The house was bustling and bursting at the seams, but everyone seemed to have a good time, including Madison who just couldn't get enough of all the little ones running about! Yes it was such a good time and Faith stayed till 10:30 taking down all the decoration and cleaning up with Ron, while I fed Maddie (a real) dinner! I am absolutely blessed with great friends and an even greater Husband, let me tell you!
Madison received a ton of toys, clothing, books, puzzles, you name it! We've had to purchase 5 canvas totes to store her "things" in, in hopes of taking back our living area (with not much luck, I have to admit).
The following weekend (the 29th) Ron, Maddie and I packed up and flew to Anchorage, to celebrate her First Birthday with Family and friends "Down South"! My Mom took over the decorating this time (thank you, thank you Mom)! While Ron and I managed a night out, dining at Marx bros. cafe (same restaurant that catered our Wedding reception), lingering over a bottle of wine, enjoying appetizers, salads, entrees and desert with coffee, till we had sufficiently over stayed our welcome (so nice). Then Ron drove out to Beluga point and we chatted about the little things till late in the evening, when we raced home to hug on Madison! As much as I really (really, really) needed an "adult" evening, I miss Maddie so much, I just have to smother her in kisses and hugs upon arriving back home! It was a perfect trip to Anchorage. Madison had another great Birthday, this time with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins as well as friends and other "Wee" ones. She doubled her wardrobe (which was greatly needed and much appreciated) and even came back home with an adirondack chair (thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Dowd)! It was very nice and hopefully all the photos and video will let her know just how special she was on her First Birthday (years from now)! (See her photos page for all the fun!)
New Happenings:
Okay, let's see... She's pulling herself up now on everything she can. She's crawling up the stairs (which scares me to no end) and she's been attempting to stand without holding on to anything (yay)! Both Ron and I cannot wait till she begins walking! It's been a cozy 55-60 degrees out (Summer is just around the corner), so we're both hoping she begins walking on her own in time to play out back!
Maddie quit nursing two weeks before her First Birthday and I was fine with letting that one go! It was beyond a struggle, from day one and we had made it close enough to our goal of a year, so good buy nursing bras, I'm taking my body back! :) Madison loves the bottle (we actually bond much better, enjoying quiet cuddle time over a bottle, than we ever did nursing). She's drinking whole milk now and pretty soon we'll be trying to switch to a cup for milk (she's been using a cup for water and juice for months, but rejects the milk from the cup, like "That doesn't belong in there, where's my bottle?")
Her last appointment (at just one year) had her at 19.7 pounds in the 90th percentile for height and head circumference and only 25th percentile for weight. Guess we'll finally have a tall, thin woman in the Dowd gene pool! Tee, hee, hee. I've been feeding her more table foods (she LOVES cheese, eats it every day for snack time... Definitely Ron's and my child)! She really enjoys dinner with the family, with her high chair in-between Ron and myself we take turns feeding her small bites of our dinner (so she feels all grown up and part of the action).
Her favorite toys now are balls. She must have every size and color available from small plastic ones to a huge beach ball, she just loves chasing them around the room... Hmm, certainly not from my side, must get the softball gene from Dad! However, she also LOVES my costume jewelry. When I get ready in the mornings, I'll bring out all my "sparkly" stuff and Maddie will literally "oooh, ahhh, wow" over each individual piece as it is presented to her (I love the whole thing, of course). She'll play with each one, carefully examining it's shiny parts for an hour while I "fix my face" and occasionally "Ooh and ahhh" over her treasures with her (it's great, can't wait to play dress-ups)!
I think that about covers it for now. Thank you to everyone who came to Maddie's party! It meant so much to me, just to have you with us on her FIRST Birthday! We love you and look forward to it again next year!!!
Well we had gotten away with 3 years of in-town work, so I guess I shouldn't gripe about a 2 and a half week stint in Prudoe this year (sigh). Ron headed up North on the 13th of March, so it was just Maddie and myself (24/7 with no adult conversation...ugh). After the first week I was nearing insanity. Madison seemed to understand that her daddy was missing, and became (extra) needy, the moment we returned home from the airport. By the end of the first week I just needed someone else to tend to her for five minutes (oh how I appreciate my Husband)! Thank God my sister Tab was missing her niece and maybe even me! She sent us a ticket to Anchorage and Maddie and I were headed South for a mommy getaway! :) We had such a good time (there were actual adults to speak with) and Mom gave me a huge break by caring for Maddie while I shopped at "Once upon a Child" (bought the cutest sun dresses for the upcoming Summer) and spent some much needed time with "The Girls" at Simon's and Tab's house (so very nice)! Madison was an angel, loved her Grandma and Grandpa, not even fussing when I left for hours to have a bit of "Me" time. I was beginning to worry whether or not she was becoming too dependant upon me. Since it's just her and I most days (till Dad comes home at night) I really didn't want her to become afraid of other people. Whew, I had no need to worry she loves her extended family! The first night, Tab picked us up from the airport and we headed straight up to her house for a get together at Tab's with Shannon (her baby Brock) and Lisa. Madison LOVED Brock! I had never seen her so thrilled to see anything really. Shannon walked in the door with him in tow and Maddie nearly jumped from my arms, freaking out (with lack of a better description), squealing and pulling to get away from me and get closer to "the baby"! She definitely loves "babies" and just couldn't get over seeing another little one crawling around and playing at her side. It was so very cute and just reaffirmed my hopes in her being a wonderful "Big" sister, (one day)!
Once back at Grandma and Grandpa's house, Maddie was ready to show her stuff. Within the 5 days of our stay, she said "Baby" and "Uh oh". She also began playing the cutest game ever with her Grandma Dowd. Mom always presses her forehead to Maddie's and gives love (forehead to forehead). Madison must have figured this was just what Grandma does, so she began lowering her head, leaning in and giving this upward (slightly crazy) look to Mom while trying to press her forehead to Mom's. So hard to explain, but seriously the cutest and craziest thing I've ever seen! She would catch a glimpse of mom (even across the room) and lower her head and lean forward to try and "get her" with her forehead! She wouldn't do it to anyone else, just Grandma. But now that she's back home, she's been doing it to both Ron and I (ha, ha Mom, she loves us too)! It's strange how she seems to jump leaps and bounds with a trip to Anchorage. She comes back with a new look about her and seems to have aged several months in the few days of our stay. Hmmm.
Upon our return home, she began crawling. I wasn't even finished unpacking when she took her first few "steps" across her bedroom floor to get to her ball. Shaky at first and hardly making any head way, I wasn't certain she was actually crawling. But I kid you not, within the hour she was mobile! The next day she was much more steady and by the time her Daddy came home on the third day, the world was her playground! Racing around with so much to do and so very much to discover, she is everywhere! The cutest thing was the first time I set her on the master bedroom floor, so that I could brush my teeth in the adjoining bath. Within seconds she was around the corner (I peaked and she was fine, playing with the door stopper, so I continued brushing my teeth). Then I hear a little chuckle, look over and her little head is poking around the door, huge, mischievous smile and absolutely thrilled that she can come and go as she pleases. She continued this little game of "peekaboo" as I finished brushing my teeth. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but to see her peeking around the corner on her own was one of this Mother's greatest moments!
The next day her first tooth popped out! We were just getting ready to place an order for baby dentures and there it was a sharp, little translucent tooth just poking through the surface... yay! She didn't show any signs of teething, so when we least expected it, there it was. So she'll have a tooth to help chomp into her First Birthday cake (which is just a few weeks away)! I just can't believe a year has passed already. Wow. I've been on ebay planning her first Birthday bash, buying supplies and bidding on party dresses (so fun). I've designed and sent out the invites and am hoping to start her Birthday's off with a bang! We'll be having a party at home with our friends and some children from her playgroup and MOPS and then will be traveling to Anchorage on the 29th to celebrate with family. She's just growing so very much, so very quickly I'm excited to play with her in the yard this Summer, but then sad to be losing Maddie the "baby" (sigh). I still look forward to the playhouse that has yet to be built, but am already planning on our trip to JoAnne fabrics where Maddie will pick her very own drapery fabric and we'll sew curtains for her very own (mini) house out back. Love to dream, never knew I was a romantic...
Okay, must get back to Birthday planning. I know there's more to update, but just can't think of it right now (mommy syndrome)!
My recent night prayer with Maddie:
"Dear heavenly Father, please care for Madison. Her health, her spirit and her future. I pray that Ron and I will be the parents you need us to be, so that Madison can become the woman you have destined her to become. I thank you for the little things. I thank you for our home, our families, the love you've brought within these walls. Please guide our ways in all aspects of life and bless us with a peaceful heart always and in all things.
Thank you Jesus for your care. Amen"
Busy, busy, busy! Between playing with each and every toy in the toy-box (for a god thirty seconds each), to rolling around, scooting, sliding and preparing for her future career as a circus performer, Madison's days are simply filled to the brim with "To-do's"!
This past week it seems she's grown leaps and bounds. There are so many new happenings that I had to make time to jot them down (before I forget and it all runs together)!
New Happenings:
About a month ago we noticed Madison's legs were a bit more than "flexible".
Picture this: She's sitting on her bottom (legs in front of her). She reaches for a toy (like reaching forward to touch her toes). The further she reaches forward, the more her legs spread apart to each side (fairly normal... so far). The only difference is that her legs don't stop! Once they get to either side of her body (like the splits), they go all the way around to the back!!! Uh yeah... Fairly disturbing if you ask me!
At her last check-up I asked the Doctor her thoughts (wondering if this may be why she hadn't shown any interest in crawling, at the time). Her Physician laughed, said she'd never seen that one before, checked her hips and said her legs were fine, just double-jointed and that we would surely have a gymnast on our hands!
Ron thinks it's great and stretches her legs all around (which makes me absolutely sick... I just can't watch), insisting that she needs to stretch to keep her legs flexible (he may be right, but it just looks painful)!
So we're hoping that she has an interest in gymnastics, so that she can use her little "rubber legs" for more than just a side-show circus act!
You can see her splits in the video entitled "Circus Act">>
Madison gave her first sign (Sign language) on February 22.
I consistently use the signs around the house (along with speaking the word) and this time I said "More milk?" And she showed me the sign for "More" over and over! I wasn't sure if it was just a fluke, so we tried it again for more food (when feeding her later at the table) and sure enough "More, more, more" was her reply! Yay! It's touch and go whether or not she'll sign it, but I am absolutely thrilled to see her progress!
Scooting, rolling & sitting.
Also this past week, Madison started with a roll from her back to her tummy (it's always been the other way around), then (finding herself on her tummy) tried to get her knees up to crawl, but ended up pushing herself backwards (quite a ways), then pushed enough so that she actually ended up back on her bottom in a sitting position! Once she did it the first time it was as though she had seen the light! She now rolls around the room, or scoots about on her bottom, to get toys or explore. I wouldn't say she's totally mobile yet. I can still leave the room and she'll be in the general vicinity when I return (two minutes later). However, I know it's just around the corner, so (not wanting any surprises) we're planning on buying some gates for the wood stove (that one scares me to no end) and the stairs.
I'm just excited to see her getting around. She's so much happier having the control and you can see how absolutely proud she feels when she goes from one area to another... Yay!!!
Clapping, Patty-Cake & Peek a boo.
Madison began playing "Peek a boo" about a month ago also. She'll pull the blanket up over her head (for barely half a second), then throw it down really quick and smile all big, while we try to squeeze in a Peek a boo, before she covers up her head and does it all again (over and over and over and over and....)
Just this week she began clapping (till now it was hard for her to get those hands open)! So now we play patty cake and clap, clap, clap to show excitement! Yeah, it's the little things!
Kisses to Mom.
Till yesterday I had yet to receive a "real" kiss from Maddie. Oh what a wonderful, wonderful thing! I was smacking my lips like a kiss and she stopped moving, leaned forward (mouth open) and pressed her face up against mine (holding it there for some time)! Oh it was so cute! She did it three more times in a row and then cut me off for the rest of the night. Yeah, once you get Mom started, there's no stopping it!
Play Group.
For about a month we've been attending a play-group hosted by one of the ladies from our church. She lives just down the street, so each Monday we pack up some toys and head over to Rebecca's, so that Maddie can play with the other kids (though there all about 2 years old, so she really just watches) and the Mom's get to chat a bit.
I just think it's important for her to get out of the house, be around other kids and experience new things. She seems to like it enough and just loves being around other "little" ones.
Last night I found myself looking over "Old" movies of Madison on the computer. Why is it that looking at them now, she appears so tiny, so young. But at the time, I remember thinking how big she was getting, all the new things she had learned? I looked at her this morning and could see clearly, her personality... A smile never far from her lips with a bit of a mischievous flare and a slight taunt in her mannerism that says "What are you going to do next? Go ahead, make me laugh!" It seems she's always awaiting the next great adventure. (Hmmm, will I read this in 16 years and laugh knowingly of my daughter's quirks?)
My life (our lives) have never changed so much, in one year. I feel I have aged ten years, since Maddie's arrival (in both good and bad ways). I have found that the human body can take much more stress, both emotional and physical, accompanied by an absolute roller coaster of elated feelings and breaking points, than I had ever known possible.
I'm certain any Mother (and surely some fathers as well) are reading this and chuckling at my realization. Every parent has their vast bits of knowledge to bestow the newbie, but ya know? You just don't "get it" till you're deep in it on your own. Being a Mother to Madison is what I feel, God intended for me to be, from my own beginning. The rewards of mothering this small one... Being able to be "the one" who shows her humor, reads her stories of Christ and readies her for her own tomorrow... It's really quite humbling to be honest.
I pray with Madison now, at night. I hold her tightly to me, rocking her back and forth, as I pray (softly) in her ear; Asking for God's hand on this family, Ron's and my Marriage, for help with our own faults and that we might be the parents God had intended us to be for her, so that she can be the Woman God created her to be. She almost always falls asleep as I pray with her. I know their will be many days to come, when I will doubt my parenting "skills", the decisions of that day. I only pray that at night, when I close my eyes, I will know that I have done my best and trust in God's guidance for the morning to come.
New Happenings:
Maddie's first word "Dada" was spoken on December 18th, 2005! As clear as anything she began touting off "da,da,da,da,da" endlessly and when we tried to teach her "mama" she would smile, laugh real loud and proclaim... "DADADA!" with astounding clarity! (Stubborn child... Don't know where she gets it!)
On Christmas day Madison gave her first Kiss! She stopped, leaned forward into Ron, mouth wide open, she pressed her face on his and stayed motionless that way for some time. It was really the cutest thing I think I have ever seen!
Maddie has conquered sitting and has now discovered she can go from her bottom to her tummy and back on her own. I'll set her up to play on her blanket and find her lying precariously on her side, or back (on top of the toys) within minutes! She won't say anything... She'll just lay there looking a bit worried, till we rescue her.... Strange, strange li'l one!
Lately Ron has been standing Madison up to the coffee table and letting her practice using her legs. She'll stand there for ten minutes at a time, absolutely excited to be able to reach into the drawers and get items in and out on her own. No "cruising" yet, but it's fun to see her trying new things.
She loves her Baby Signing Time videos! As soon as the cartoon character's first appear on the screen, she squeals, slaps her hands to the ground and laughs with delight! She watches the entire video (sometimes both series) hardly breaking away for a second, as she takes it all in. I believe she recognizes the signs for "Milk" and "Eat" (she gets excited and sometimes smacks her lips, when I give her the signs)... But we'll see how she does in the next few months.
A letter from Mom:
Merry Christmas from North Pole!
Madison's first Christmas was amazing (probably more so, for Ron and I than Maddie, but wonderful none-the-less)! She received more gifts than she knew what to do with and was absolutely over-stimulated, come bed-time (a sure sign of a successful Christmas)!
Next year Ron and I have agreed to spend Christmas at home. It will be strange to miss out on the commotion of the Christmas's I have known (and loved) since I was a child, but it will also be so much fun establishing our own traditions and building the excitement around our own home with the onset of Winter.
(My head is swimming with ideas... Candle-light service at church Christmas eve followed by a night of stocking surprises and family stories or games...Home-made Cinnamon rolls, Christmas morn... The madness of the present opening in our P.J's... Ahhh, is it Christmas yet???)
Yes, family and friends will be missed beyond words, but the importance of beginning our own traditions as the "Owsley family" is just too great to put off.
2005 Christmas was amazing. A year full of surprises surely awaits and I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us this year! I pray that you all have had a beautiful celebration of Christ's birth! God Bless you today, tomorrow and in the New Year soon to come!!!
With Love this Christmas,
Sabrina
My sister is now "Mrs. Brigman" and our trip to Anchorage was a great one. Madison did wonderfully on all our flights (laughing most of the time and sleeping the other), so "Thank you Lord" for the little things that make our days easy!
Life has rapidly picked up pace, as the snow has fallen, bringing the temperatures down with it. Christmas is only weeks away and somehow it only seems like Fall to me? (Is it age, or Motherhood that leaves you suddenly wondering what day it is?)
Madison is huge. I looked down at her this morning as she nursed and thought "Good Lord, who is this monster attached to me???!"( Yes, sweet nothings) Seriously though, she overwhelms her car seat (feet dangling out, head barely able to squeeze into the bunting we just purchased. Her 7 month appointment had her weighing in at just under 18 lbs. She is now wearing 12-18 month sized clothes and I am constantly making run-through's of the closet, packing away the (still new) clothes she can no longer fit into. Ugh. Thank God for "Once upon a Child". It's the one store I cannot miss, with each Anchorage trip! (Nordstrom's who?... Sorry my priorities have shifted.)
Let's see, there's so many "new" things in Maddie's little life, I find myself thinking "Ooh, I have to write that down" but when it comes time? Can't recall a darn thing! I know, we started our "Baby signing time" videos this week and she seems to really enjoy them. Progress will be slow (at first) but they say once babies reach about 10 months, I will probably see her trying to manipulate her own little hands to form words! Both Ron and I are pretty excited to see this come to light. My friend's at church have convinced me (through their own totting signers) that teaching your child to sign is a complete life-saver. So I have high, high hopes!
Madison began sitting on her own last week. I still place pillows near her (since she can lose her balance at times and fall back.... large head and all... You understand). But it's great to see her sitting their, playing with her little toys (like a "big" girl... sniff, sniff, she's growing to fast!). Her favorite toy is this pink and white puppy dog that Azure bought for her baby shower. It's small enough for her to hold and so, so, soft, she buries her face in it and just squeals when I hand it to her! Pretty much anything soft is her favorite thing (for that moment), though this dog also barks, so that just exceeds her little expectations each time!
Funny faces still can bring on enormous fun. She'll catch your eye and just wait for your next move( "What will you do next, to make me laugh?"). They get old pretty fast though, so I have to remain creative, jumping around, flapping my arms (oh yes, how you would like to be a "fly on the wall" during our play times!) We make complete fools of ourselves, but to get that belly laugh (where her eyes are nearly tearing) is so very worth the humiliation. Madison keeps us all in stitches. She loves her new "Jumperoo" (the new version of a "Johnny jump-up".) It plays a "Looney' tunes" type of song, when the baby jumps, with lights flashing and toys attached to it's little tray. She'll jump like crazy in that thing, squealing and laughing (I think we love watching her as much as she loves jumping in it).
She is beginning to play with a sippy cup. Trying to master the art of drinking from a cup has proven to be quite difficult, but she gets absolutely ecstatic when she sees the cup coming and will try for quite some time, to get some water out. She loves her baby food. When I come around the corner, with her brightly-colored little bowls, she kicks her legs, flails her arms and just squeals with delight! Her favorite is sweet potato's and (surprisingly) she doesn't care much for bananas. But the girl can eat! She'll pound down 2+ servings and would go for more if I'd offer it. She's certainly getting enough food!
I am still nursing her. I hope to be able to nurse for her first year (only 5 more months to go... yay!) It has been a VERY difficult road. I had no idea what was in store, but the benefits to her just can't be denied. In the beginning, I saw 5 lactation specialists over the first 4 months. Madison would not latch well and would consistently pull away crying. Initially I had to use an S.N.S (supplemental nursing system), where you tape a tube to your breast, connected to a bottle of my expressed milk, so that when she suckles she'll have immediate gratification (they thought that maybe she wasn't getting a lot of milk right away, and was pulling away out of frustration). We did that for a month or so. But that meant I would have to nurse (with this contraption slung around my neck and taped to my body, as well as spend half an hour pumping right after, to have enough milk to fill the container next time... Ugh)! Today things are MUCH better. She nurses 5 times a day, but is quite efficient, as she only nurses for a total of 8 minutes, or so. She still (however) will pull away crying each time. Quite often I will have to cradle her in one arm, stand and bounce her to coerce her to finish eating (strange, strange child)! This all makes it quite awkward to nurse with others around (wouldn't even consider trying this in public). So when friends stay with us, we have to go in the other room, to nurse. All this said, I am still determined to make the year. Six months was mandatory (for her optimal health) but one year is just that extra bit of insurance that she is getting the best start I can offer. (One day she'll thank me... right?!)
Maddie is our angel. She (typically) wakes "chatting" to herself and I can lay her down for naps without a peep. She sleeps for two hours at a time, 3-4 times a day and when she's awake for the 1.5 to 2 hours at a time, we spend 85% of that time playing, one on one. Her smiles are enormous but her presence is even greater. She loves her daddy, offering him a charming smile that is reserved only for him. She'll study him as he watches television, just waiting for him to glance her way... It's quite cute to watch her. When she's really tickled, she'll make fists of her little hands, squeal, look down and plunge her hands toward her waist, almost like she's so overwhelmed, she just balls herself up.
To calm Madison if she's having a hard time sleeping (usually when we're at someone else's home) I will cradle her in my arm, with her head close in the crook of my neck, holding her hand (furthest from my body) tightly in, while bouncing her softly and whispering or saying a prayer in her ear. She simply melts and this works 99% of the time. She's definitely a cuddler (like her daddy), needing to be held tightly in... I love it!
My prayer for Madison is this "Dear Lord, please care for our child. I thank you for her health, her personality and her joy. I pray that you will continually watch over her, keep her safe (always) and call her to You, as she grows. I pray she will know You and come to You with her fears and with her joys. That she will full fill Your plan for her life and that Ron and I will be the parents needed to be, to help her become the woman You have planned for her to be. Thank you Father for lending your little Angel to us... Amen"
Six months (and counting). Maddie loves her Rice cereal, not too crazy about bananas and ate two portions of peas today, completely excited about this new taste! I'm looking forward to her next "Well-baby" check... She must weigh about 18 pounds now (my arms are completely built)!
Everyday Ron and I are in awe of what a "good" baby Madison is. I wonder, "Is a parent's love just blind? Do we not see the 'real' Madison?" But then shrug it off and am thankful that we see her as wonderful! She sleeps till 8:30 or 9:30 in the morning now, which lets me either sleep in, or sneak out of bed and grab a muffin, a cup of (so very needed) coffee, enjoy a few minutes of Television, or hop in the shower and ready myself for the day, prior to her awakening. Ahh, yes, "normalcy" in some form, any way!
Let's see, she's rolling over a bit more now. Had debuted this new feat (three times) on her 4-month "Birthday", but then decided it was old news and refused to do it again. Well it's back and better than ever! She is now working at rolling from her back to her tummy, arching her back and pushing with her legs. So no more changing table time, as mommy gets ready in the morning (I just know to expect the worst and to know it will happen, in the split second I turn away). Our neighbor (Danielle) has kindly let us borrow her Excersaucer, which is wonderful! Maddie has a walker (with toys on the tray), but the excersaucer allows her to bounce and turn completely around, in the seat. Unfortunately this is a hot commodity out here in the boonies, since I could find not a single one and shipping from ebay was atrocious! So we were ecstatic when Danielle offered the use of her daughter's. Maddie loves it, as well as her new high-chair... uh, umm, excuse me the "Peg Perego, Prima Pappa Dondalino" to be exact! Tee, hee, hee, yeah I splurged on ebay, and bought the Cadillac of High-chairs (it rocks, plays music, reclines and adjusts to a toddler seat for crying out loud)! It's great though, because now I can keep Maddie happy in the kitchen while I bake (though she's so pre-occupied with my scurrying about, that she couldn't care less about what seat she was in... If she could only appreciate the luxury....Surely she'll thank me... One day)!
What's new? Two days ago she begun "hugging" both Ron and I. She doesn't do it often, but when she's either tired, or really happy, she'll grab our shirts (near the shoulder), squeal and burry her head into your chest, holding real tight for several seconds and then pull away and do it again. This can go on for several minutes (if you're lucky) and it has to be the most wonderful feeling ever! She's a complete cuddler (like her Dad... Lord knows she didn't get that from me). I hold her close (cheek to cheek), with my hand holding her head to mine and my arm around her (chubby little) body, just squeezing her in and talking softly to her... She loves it. Stays perfectly still and just eats it up, as I rock her back and forth. Sometimes she'll offer a "hug" after our cuddle time, but only if it was hug worthy :)
Last month she went through a "spitting" phase, where the cute little sighing sounds ceased and she chose to just sputter (all over the place and the person holding her) for hours at a time. Okay, this was really quite funny and I took several videos of her happily spitting all over, so that we can show her future boyfriends what a darling princess our Madison is (mooohaa,haa,haa)! Today she is back to talking, trying out new sounds and quite often working her whole little body into a straight little board, mouth wide open, but no sound escaping, till she finally exhales (this too is, of course, quite funny).
Her favorite thing (surely to get a huge laugh, each time) is when I cross my eyes, stick out my tongue and make the "bloobla, bloohbla" sounds while shaking my head (yeah, a bit too much time on my hands you say?) Ron makes me do this each night, so that he can see Maddie laugh and laugh. Don't' get me wrong, he can do it to and she'll laugh also, but honestly? Those who know me, know that my face is pretty darn funny looking and finally I have found an audience that can appreciate my talents! :)
Sometimes she'll laugh so hard, she barely comes up for air. But it never ceases to amuse her. Her newest entertainment is when I look around, kinda humming, like I'm oblivious to her sitting there and then when our eyes meet, I kind of jump back with a loud, (surprised) gasp. This one is her favoritest (yeah, I'm regressing). She really gets a kick out of it, like she's the one scaring me! Oh yeah, it's the little things that make my day!
We've joined "M.O.P.S." (Mother's of preschoolers) and she has done wonderfully in the nursery (for two-straight hours)! I am so excited, as her time in Sunday school has also been going great! She's so interested in what "new" people are doing, that she really doesn't seem to notice we're gone, or that she's missing a nap. So I think it's good for her to get use to other care-takers and am hoping that this is a sign for what is to come!
Cheryl (my youngest sister) and Brian (the love of her life) are getting married next month, so Ron, Maddie and myself will be flying in for the occasion (no more driving... Never again)! Ya know, I never appreciated a Mother's life till I became one, myself. I have begun jotting down a list of items to pack, for back Maddie and Myself. Thus far I have two full pages and am quickly widdling away a third! I've never been what some might call a "light" packer...( If I can I'll use my allotted amount as well as one of Ron's)! So traveling with Madison is a bit of a challenge, to say the least. See, I not only have to squeeze in (a years worth) of my stuff, I also have to fit her entire (fabulous little) wardrobe, bottles, diapers, burp clothes, breast pump, blankets, bonnets, coats, toys, lotions, shampoos, bows and the million other things I have written down! Not to mention the stress in simply traveling with a baby. We pray that the seat next to me will be open, so that we can strap her carrier in. If it is not, we will have to check the carrier (which will surely be drop-kicked into position beneath the plane... After it has been run over three times and spat upon) and I'll have to hold Madison for the duration of the flight. This wouldn't be so bad, as long as she remains content and doesn't begin to cry.
NOTE: Tabitha feels I'm too worried about upsetting those around me (who don't have crying children), stating that they "understand".... But I disagree. I swear I can feel their eyes bore into my head and can hear their thoughts screaming "Will she get out of here?!" Should Maddie ever cry in public (which is usually in any dressing room, within three minutes upon entering).
So then, traveling is a bit stressful, whether it's in my car or a one-hour plane ride! Ugh. BUT, we are totally looking forward to the Wedding and seeing family once again. So it will surely be worth it, in the end. (I'll drop a line, on the outcome later.)
Five months... Solids, already? I have learned this does not mean steack and eggs, but STILL... She's only a "newborn"!
Yeah, these are (just a few of) the crazy thoughts that run through my head now. I (so badly) want her to "grow up". When I look into our huge backyard, I envision the play-house, Ron and I have already designed (in our own minds), with home-made window treatments (that Maddie will help me to create, using fabrics she chose herself) and a kitchen set with real dry-goods for play! But on the other hand, I see her now, (so cuddly and "small") and I want nothing more than for her to stay this size forever! Sigh, what to do?
Maybe I feel more sentimental today because we all drove into "town" (Fairbanks, that is) just last night and bought Madison her first "Walker" and first fabric book! This past week, she had made it quite clear that her playmat and bassinett toys were "So 4-months!" I try to give her "alone" time, but she just wasn't interacting with any of her toys any more. But she was very excited, when Ron would hold her in a standing position... So we bought a walker with a toy tray, flashing lights, a mirror and other shapely things surely to broaden her horizons and turn her into the child prodigy we all know she is (tee, hee, hee)! I tell you, my gorgeous living room, with it's muted earth-tones, vibrant red-Asian rug and knickknacks placed just-so, has been overcome with primary colors, things that blink and "Sing" and hundreds of toys, dangling from "learning loops"! Yes, everyone was right, all things (even interior design) are put aside, when baby arrives. That little girl (who is not so little, weighing in at 15.6 pounds, in the 90th percentile for growth) takes up more living space than Ron and I both! (Amazing)
So we made our trip to Anchorage, just the "Girls" several weeks back. Yeah, never will we attempt that fate again! The 7-hour trip took just at nine hours to complete (which was what I had expected), but that is just too long for a wee one to be strapped to a car seat (even with a menagerie of toys dangling and draped within every inch of her peripheral view)! Ugh, More than twice, I had to pull over and attempt to soothe her (with not much luck), letting all the RV's I had previously passed, pass me by (once again). By the time we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa', we were both pooped (her literally)! But, after a bit of recuperating, Madison (and I) had a blast. She did MUCH better, sleeping somewhere other than home, than I had expected. Her routine was hardly interrupted and we were able to really enjoy the 11-day stay in Anchorage.
Mom offered to watch Maddie, while I shopped, (taking some time for me), but two hours into my shopping (for Maddie at "Once upon a Child") I had a feeling I should check in. Sure enough, Madison had been giving Mom a terrible time. Crying non-stop, Mom tried everything she could think of to soothe her (to no avail). So I wrapped up what I was doing (bought a plethora of clothes for her... Compliments of Grandma and Great-Grandpa) and raced back to the house to "rescue" my poor "abused" child! As soon as I picked her up (did the "Mommy bounce"), she zipped it and began to fall asleep. Now this was kind of sweet in a way (every Mom wants to feel needed), but this was also a bad sign (in my opinion). Madison has never been left with anyone other than her Daddy and I did not want this to be our fate for the next 7 years! Some thinking had to be done.
Once we returned home (ahh, so very nice to be home, to see my Husband and to get back to our routine), and sat in church that Sunday, Maddie began to get irritated. She had done so well before, in Church. But lately was not sleeping through the services (Pastor Johnny is just too riveting) and I had been having to stay with her in the nursery. However, this time was different! I was taking a stand, I was going to be strong! I'm the Mommy, I know what's best and she will not die, if I leave her in the care of another, for half of an hour (right?)!
So
I took her to the nursery, handed her to the care-taker, with whom I chatted with for several minutes (anxiety building by the second), while Maddie just looked around the room, no expression, just checking things out (obviously pretending to be fine, for my sake... what a sweet child). So we agreed that (should she cry for more than five minutes), they would find me in the service, so I could rescue her. Okay, the terms were fair... Back to my Husband I went. Upon my return, I could see Ron's surprise as there was no baby in my arms. I whispered to him the terms and he hesitantly nodded. Minutes later he leans over and says "I just don't want her on the floor where the other kids can get her... Was she on the floor?"
"
Nope, I had seen the swings and told the nice lady that Madison would surely be fine in a swing." Ron was okay with this.
The rest of the service I was torn between actually enjoying the time away from our daughter, taking in the message and resisting the urge to shove the elderly and the young out of my way (at service end) to get to the nursery the quickest. What to do?
Once the service had ended, a friend of mine stopped me to chat about joining "MOPS" (Mother's of Preschoolers) and Jeff Howe (song leader) stopped me to give me some more content for their web site, (breathe, she'll be fine... Five minutes won't kill her), so Ron (surely feeling some of what I was) gave me the diaper bag and headed to the nursery for our child. I pictured him walking into a war zone of parents, each attempting to rescue their own children, while he fought his way to the back, following the screams of our baby as a guide, climbing over heaps of toys, crawling tots and single shoes, who had lost their owners (never to be found again)...
Uh yeah, so he returned with a quite calm and happy little Maddie; Said she was completely content and didn't seem to notice anyone was missing. Yay!!!
Okay, I know I have spent way too much time describing my own "separation anxiety" but one day, Madison will surely get a kick when she reads about what a psychotic mother she has (in case she doesn't already know by then)!
So next week, I am going to drop her off to the nursery, first thing. Whew. See what happens... Surely I'll write more, as the saga continues...
My days are filled with the smallest details.
Each night I wonder "Where has my day gone?" "Why do I feel so completely exhausted, yet cannot recall what exactly I did, with my day?" I suppose this is one part of Motherhood that you only understand, once you're there.
I had been praying about my job, wondering how I would find the time to devote (even part time) myself to both Maddie and work. I imagined working late into the evening and waking at 7:00 to feed and care for our daughter while juggling emails and design tasks, not wanting to short-change my daughter, nor my employer.
Well my prayers were answered and quite clearly. Simply put, Ginger sent an email, explaining that there was no work for me, at Web Weavers. She was sorry (yada, yada, yada) but business had slowed to a crawl and she just didn't have anything to send my way. At first I felt that sickening, panic, thinking "I don't have a job!" But quickly reminded myself that I had left it in God's hands and He had delivered a clear answer. (Sometimes His ways are not so "Mysterious".)
Well, It's been nearly two months now and somehow we've managed to not only keep up on our bills but even pay some things off, (which is pretty amazing, since we never really had "extra" money when I was working). So God has provided for our needs and continues to show Himself daily (why do we forget His graces so quickly... Why do we doubt?) Hmm.
since I am now an official "Stay at home Mom", I have been able to tend to other projects (such as our Church's site redesign) that had been pushed aside, in the past (although it should have been a bit higher on my list of priorities). I have just completed a patchwork-style chenille and satin blanket for David's new little boy (Michael Curtis, the first boy any of us Dowd-kids has produced) and I'm really looking forward to beginning some more sewing projects (quick someone, get pregnant, so I can have good cause for buying fabric)!
It's amazing how one's day can fill with simple "to-do's" like laundry, dishes, vacuuming, baking and (of course) diapering, feeding and simply tending to one's child! Honestly, I rarely (and I mean rarely) cook dinner. However, this truly does bother me (I would love to be the "perfect" wife and mother, with a full meal on the table, when Ron came home) but I have yet to figure out how to work that into my day, without leaving something else out? If anyone knows, please fill me in!
Luckily Ron (like myself) is pretty happy with simple dinners and even luckier, Ron enjoys cooking and has more often than not, been known to serve up a fabulous shin dig, on his own! (Ya I'm a pretty lucky chic, what can I say?) :)
Summer Visitors: Ron's Mom and step-Dad spent four days with us, last month, meeting Maddie for the first time. It was absolutely wonderful having our home full of life and being able to spend some (real) time talking with Carmen, over coffee in the mornings. You know there always seems to be that Mother-in-law "stigma". "Will I do things the way she does?" "WIll she think I'm a flake?" But ya know, every time I talk with her, I realize what a great woman she is. I truly enjoyed her's and Billy's company and was quite sad to wish them farewell, once their stay had come to an end. It's difficult being so far away from our families, especially now that Madison is here. But although Ron and I dream (aloud) of moving from North Pole, it is surely some years out. We have both agreed to pray and just work on God's time, not ours. Till then, we miss our families but are also quite content in our home here, as well.
Celsea spent last week with Madison and I (which was an absolute BLAST)! I taught her how to build a web site and she taught me a movie editing program (the girl is a 12-year old computer whiz). By the time she left, she was a pro with Madison (carrying her around, soothing any tears). She changed a diaper, picked out her clothes for each day and even shampooed her hair. We had a ton of fun and Madison surely loves her cousin!
Let's see, new happenings: Madison rolled over for the first time today (at exactly 4 months old). It seemed almost an accident. I had her on her tummy and she had worked that little arm under her body just enough that with one push off, she tumbled onto her back! I tried and tried again to get her to repeat it, but with no luck. I honestly don't know why I want her to crawl so bad. I can see what this will mean and must be absolutely crazy to be helping her figure this one out.. I just get so excited with each new day! :)
Trips: On the 31st of this month, Maddie and I will be making our first road trip to Anchorage! It's the annual "Dowd-family fair-day and BBQ" and we just couldn't miss out. So I'm planning for one LOOOOOONG road trip (usually a 7-hour ordeal, so I'm planning for 9 with feedings and changing's on the road-side!). It should be fun though (once we get there). Maddie has out-grown all of her pants and is in great need of HUGE clothing! So we'll have some fun at Burlington's (never too early to get them started shopping, right?) My family is also missing Maddie, so it'll be great to have them see her again.
Uh oh, crying child... Must tend to Minnie me. More to come!
I try to remember all the details, knowing one day (with my memory, that day could be tomorrow) it will all be a blur. So my to-do list now includes, "Update Maddie's web page", so that I can jot down her new happenings.
I have hands!
Last week, I finally r