This and That

Last time I wrote, it was one month after Maddie's big surgery. Today, almost two months later (wow, has it really been that long?) Maddie is no longer our baby -- she's turning into our grown-up little girl! And let me tell you, she has quite the little attitude. Her favorite word is no. A few examples: Maddie, lets change your diaper. "No." Maddie, do you want to eat? "No." Maddie, please pick up your blocks. "No." Maddie, are you ready for bed? "NOOOOO!" But really, it's pretty darn cute. She is really just talking up a storm now, and while she still won't put two words together, she's really trying to repeat everything and she even starts little conversations with Tim and I. She's getting really good at telling us what she wants ("Eat" when she's hungry, "Blue" when she wants to watch Blue's Clue's, "Mommy" or "Daddy" when we ask her to do something and she wants us to do it instead) and she responds when we talk to her.

Her most recent obsession is bees. Everything is a bee. Yesterday, she watched Bee Movie five times. No, I'm not even kidding. Char, the woman who does Maddie's Early Intervention, taught us a song that goes, "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee....OUCH! He stung me!" And now, I have to sing that song 124 times per day. She'll come running up to me, her hands folding together (that's how you sing the song -- hold your hands together like you captured a bee) and say, "Mommy! Bee bee bee!" She laughs hysterically every time I sing it, but let me tell you, I am really, really sick of that song!

We're also starting to work on potty training. Maddie has her own little potty chair as well as a little seat that sits on the big potty, but the little potty has quickly become just a toy. If she goes to the bathroom in it, the potty sings. Except Maddie has figured out how to make it sing WITHOUT peeing in it, so instead of using it for what it's supposed to be used for, it's her new raido. She makes it sing, then stands in front of it and dances. Yeah, she loves music. She's even figured out how to work our iPod and iPod dock to pick the songs she likes. See? Not a baby anymore!

A whole new girl!

We're out of the woods and oh-so-happy about it! On June 8th, Maddie had surgery to remove her tonsils. AND her adenoids, which had grown back since her surgery in November. The doctor also went in and enlarged her sinuses which, for whatever reason, weren't growing/forming properly. The reason Maddie could never get rid of a cold or a runny nose was that her sinuses were very small and didn't allow for any draining, so everything always just kind of stayed where it was. The first 10 days after surgery were very rough. Maddie was very lethargic and she basically refused to eat or drink anything. A week after she got out of the hospital, we were back in again because she was dehydrated. She spent the night there (and was misdiagnosed with pneumonia in the meantime -- VERY frustrating!!!) A few days after we got home, though, she was just fine, and she's getting better every day. She's even starting to talk a little bit! Included in her little vocabulary: Mommy, Daddy, Nani (my mom), Nini (my grandma), NOOOO (her favorite), Elmo, Dora, more, milk, ball, book, hi, and bye. We're working on getting her to put words together now, but she's resisting, as she tends to do when she just doesn't want to do something. Early Intervention is coming out for her first official appointment on Tuesday and I'm very confident that her speech will just take off pretty soon and we'll all be wishing we could go back to the days where she only had one or two words!

Time sure flies!

Wow, I've been a big slacker with this blog, haven't I? Maddie is so full of energy that I don't have much time to sit down and make a new post!

Lots has been going on since my last post -- two months ago! Our trip to Florida was great. Maddie was SUCH a trooper. She acted like she'd been flying her whole life! She didn't cry once on the plane, can you believe it? She was such a good girl all week, only one major tantrum to speak of, and she was so tired that I couldn't blame her. She's definitely a beach baby -- she loved playing in the sand and getting her feet wet in the waves. We'll have to take her to the beach this summer so she can play!

Our next big event was Maddie's second birthday May 4th. We had a party for her on May 3rd. Dora, of course, since she love love loves Dora. She took a nice big bite out of her "2" candle -- apparently she likes wax, who knew? It was a beautiful day for a party, and we were all able to sit outside in the sun while the kids ran around and played in the yard. Tim manned the grill and cooked up some yummy burgers and hot dogs for our guests. Mads got some awesome presents -- a pool and her very own outdoor bench from Grandma and Grandpa, a slide from Nani, a sandbox from Auntie Jackie, Uncle Tom and the kids, Backpack and some adorable outfits from Auntie Kelly, a baseball glove from Auntie Erin and Tyson...the list goes on and on. Thank you to EVERYONE who came to party with Mads and for all the great prizes, she loves them all!


In health news, it's looking like Maddie will have to have her tonsils taken out. She just can't shake that runny, congested nose, and we switched to a new pediatrician to get a second opinion about it. She informed us that Maddie has huge tonsils -- almost touching -- and barely has any room in the back of her throat to swallow. We have an appointment with the ENT next Thursday and we're hoping she'll recommend that Maddie have surgery to take the tonsils out. We need to do something to give the poor girl some relief. She's having trouble sleeping, her nose is constantly running, and it's likely that the tonsils are playing a big part in the reason that she's not talking.

I PROMISE to update more often from now on. Mads is getting so big all of a sudden and she does something new every day, so we have lots to update about! (She's getting a little bit of an attitude too. She's learned to fold her arms at Tim and I if we tell her no. It's hard not to laugh when she does it because it's just so cute!)

Here Come the Terrible Twos!

Has it really been almost a month since I last posted? It really is crazy how fast the time goes by.

Maddie just got over a bout with strep throat, which wasn't fun for any of us. She was one sick little girl -- definitely not her busy self. She LOVES getting her temperature taken, and as you can see from the picture, she also likes to do it herself. She is getting to be such an independent little girl. She likes to get herself dressed (although she has a much better time taking her shoes, socks, pants, and diaper OFF), feed herself, and pretty much do everything herself. A couple weeks ago we took her to get her first hair cut. This was a big step for Mommy and Daddy because Maddie has had her long, curly tail since the day she was born. But it was time, and we didn't get that much cut off. We're happy with the result because her hair is a lot easier to work with now. AND she still has her curls! That's the main thing I was worried about.

Still no new words. She does a LOT of babbling and can say pretty much every sound there is to say, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she starts forming those sounds into meaningful words.

Right now, she's in a hitting/throwing phase. She hits people in the face, arms, chest, wherever, and she throws pretty much every toy she picks up. We're trying everything we can to get her to stop, but as most of you know, she's quite stubborn and just throws a fit when we tell her "no". We're trying a few different things, so hopefully SOMETHING will work. Her new favorite activity is coloring. She will sit and color all day if you let her!

A week from today we're taking Maddie on her first big trip! We're heading down to Cocoa Beach, Florida, with my mom, Anthony, and my brother. It'll be Maddie's first time on a plane, so I'm hoping she does ok. (I HATE flying and have been known to have a panic attack upon takeoff, so I need to keep myself calm for her sake.) I'm a little bit worried about her ears since she's had so many problems with them, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to keep her comfortable on the plane, I'd love to hear them!

Can you believe she's going to be two in just a month and a half? Where did the time go! I remember when she was still wearing preemie clothes and slept 21 hours a day! Now she's running around, almost talking, and getting her own little personality. What a big girl!

Big Girl!

My lovely sister-in-law pointed out that I haven't updated in awhile, and some big things have happened, so it's about time I filled everyone in!

A couple weeks ago we started swimming lessons! The water is pretty cold, so I was worried that Maddie would hate it and want to get out right away, but she LOVES it. She kicks and splashes and laughs and just has a great time. The great thing about swimming is that in the pool, she doesn't mind getting her hair wet, and that has transferred to the bath tub! Before we started swimming, she would freak out every time we washed her hair. Now she laughs whenever we pour water on her head. She gets pretty mad when swim time is over (and for a tiny little thing, the girl knows how to throw a fit!) but at least we know she's enjoying herself!

Last week, Maddie started trying to climb out of her crib. We weren't too worried about her actually getting out (because as you all know, she's quite a peanut) but she was getting her legs and knees stuck in the rungs of the crib and ending up with bruises. After talking it over and asking the advice of many wise parents that we know, we decided it was time to try out "big girl bed". I admit, I cried a little bit when Tim took the crib apart. My baby isn't a baby anymore! When did that happen? We were a little bit nervous the first night, thinking she'd probably be up and out of bed. But she didn't get up at all during the night and she didn't wake up once! She's been doing really well in her bed, though getting her to stay in there when we first put her down is a struggle. The third time is usually a charm when when it comes to getting her to finally fall asleep. As I type this, she's sound asleep on her side with her Dora doll tucked under her arm.

And one more piece of big news -- yesterday, Maddie FINALLY used words to tell me what she wanted! We were getting ready to leave for daycare and she ran over to the door, grabbed for the doorknob, and said, "Go?" As many of you know, the only "word" beside "uh-oh" that Maddie uses is "Eh?" So I looked at her and asked, "What, honey?" She pointed to the doorknob and said, "Me? Go?" I was so excited! This morning she ran into the kitchen for the door yelling, "Go? Go? Go?" Could she be any cuter?

Uh - oh

Maddie's new favorite word (well...her only word really, besides "eh") is "Uh-oh." It's "uh-oh" in the morning in her crib, "uh-oh" when she's getting dressed, uh-oh this, uh-oh that. She actually does know how to use it correctly, like if she dumps her Legos all over the floor or drops her cup from the table. It's very cute, actually, and MUCH better then the "eh eh eh" that she normally uses. Let me tell you, that gets pretty annoying.

She's definitely getting a big appetite. She LOVES sloppy joes and wolfed one and a half the other night when we had them for dinner. It's so funny to see such a big belly on such a tiny little girl!

Oh! This is Tim's last week of second shift at work! On Monday, he goes on the day shift! YAY! Maddie and I are really looking forward to having him home at night. Normal life!

All bundled up

Today felt like a heatwave compared to the awful, freezing weather we've had for the past week, so Tim and I decided it was a good day to bundle Maddie up and let her play in the snow. Last year she was too little, so this was her first experience with the cold white stuff.

She LOVED it! She was eating it, kicking it, picking it up and brushing it off the steps. After we came in, she had a nap, and when she woke up, she went right to the front closet and tried to pull her snowsuit down -- she wanted to go out again!

Lets hope the weather stays "nice" so we can do this more often.

Tell me what you want!

Those of you who know Maddie know that she is a girl of very few words. None, actually, unless you count "mama" and "daddy", and even those she doesn't really use very often. We've been trying to get her to talk by not responding to her pointing and grunting. Instead, we tell her to tell us what she wants. Usually this just results in a temper tantrum on her part, but she really got me the other day. We were eating dinner and Maddie decided she wanted more. I said, "Ok, tell Mommy what you what." She pointed to the food on the counter and made her typical "eh!" sound. I tried to convince her to TELL me what she wanted instead of SHOWING me, but she wasn't having it. Finally, she got so frustrated that she looked me right in the eye, pointed into her empty bowl, and pointed to her mouth. Think she's just a little stubborn? Ha! She does have a new word though -- "Nooooooo!" Great!

We're battling the dreaded runny nose again, and her ears are also draining a little bit. We had a good two and a half weeks of no runny nose, but it's back with a vengence. It's very frustrating, but I'm hoping she'll get rid of this one on her own.

Maddie's really into hiding lately. She hides behind the end tables, she hides on the side of the couch. But her favorite place to hide is under her crib. She even has toys under there to entertain her. I went into her room one day and could hear her giggling but didn't see her. This is what I found.

Maybe she found her calling?

Tim sat down today and put together the kitchen Nani (my mom) got for Maddie for Christmas. It took awhile, but it was worth it. Maddie LOVES it! She's been in the toy room all afternoon banging around the pots and pans and putting a sheet of cookies into and out of the little oven. We also assembled the Disney Princesses tea cart Papa (my dad) got her, so she's been pushing that around the house, filled with all the toy food she got from various people. She's a little chef in the making!

Cleaning up after her is a constant battle. I swear, the minute I put something away, she's pulling it, and twenty other things, back out. I've decided that I'm going to just let her do her thing and then before naptime and before bedtime I'll clean up. Otherwise I'm cleaning up twenty times a day and I'm exhausted!

A New Year, A New Blog!

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new blog!

There are so many of you that we don't get to see as often as we'd like, so I thought this blog would be a good way to keep you all updated on the new and exciting happenings in our lives.

Tim and I just celebrated our second Christmas with Maddie, and it was great. She got two carloads full of presents (all of you are so generous!) and now has a ball pit (thanks Erin, Tyson, & Andy!) set up in the spare bedroom, which has now been converted to a toy room because of all the stuff she has. She loves all her new toys and books.

Maddie is a smart little cookie, that's for sure. She knows what EVERYTHING is. Tell her to go and get her lotion, she goes right to the closet and gets it. Same for diapers and wipes. She likes to take my keys now and bring them to the front door and put them in the lock. She loves to build with blocks and will bring you ten books at a time (but she never lets you finish a story -- she wants to move on to the next one as quickly as possible.) But as smart as she is, the little peanut refuses to say one single word. She babbles a lot, and she says "Dada" all the time, but other than that, she just points at what she wants. I guess she figures, why talk when Mom is just going to give me whatever I want anyway? Ha!

Tomorrow, she'll be 20 months old, which means in only four short months, she'll be TWO! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by.

Tim and I both finished school in December -- finally! -- so we're both really happy about that. Right now we work opposite shifts, which isn't fun, but we're hoping that Tim will get switched to the day shift in the next couple weeks and we can fall into a normal routine.

Well, that's all for now. I'll try to post new pictures as much as I can, because it's so much fun to see how much she's changing as the weeks go by.

Happy New Year!