Hair today, gone tomorrow

About a month ago we finally got up the nerve to take M for her first real haircut. She had a home bang trim twice, but nothing else. Well, it was occasionally taking on the appearance of a mullet. Yes, we live in Texas. And that probably seems like it should be ok for this part of the country. But I couldn't take it any longer. Not to mention I was stumped on how to "style" her hair. So off to Cool Cuts we went.


So, this is the before shot. She was pretty excited. Even though the child in the seat behind her had BOTH parents holding him and he was still kicking and screaming.

She never cried. Not even one tear. {And I didn't either.} Having her own personal TV with Dora playing probably helped. This was when the stylist was trying to make bangs for M. She literally had bangs coming all the way from the back of her head prior to this haircut.

The after shot. Still a little wet and probably too much hair goop, but MUCH better.

Yay for first haircut! The hair on top is pulled back to try and encourage it to lay the "correct" way - these are the things they don't tell you about little girls and their hair! I mean, don't we all just come out of the womb with bangs and correctly styled hair? :)

{These are the bangs that were laying/growing forward and should really be part of the rest of her hair.}

Two

The table decorations and fun cupcakes we made. M had some great party helpers this year - thanks to everyone!

This girl could live on juice - especially if Big Bird is on the box. And no, she's not dressed in only a hawaiian lei. But she REALLY liked wearing several at a time!

Playing a fun beachball game. Yep - we made it up on the fly. One creative family! {And I found the beachballs on sale for 50% off! We already had the large beach towel.}

Opening presents. She was definitely excited about her party moreso this year than last year. She would say "Oh boy! Oh boy!" over and over again. Her voice is the sweetest. :)

Telling her about her presents. She was very excited about all of the gifts and so were her friends! They were all so cute and sweet. {Side note: it appears I am growing a balloon string out of my nose. Hehehehehe!}

We're horrible about remembering to take pictures, and thus - this is probably the only and best picture of momma & M on her birthday. Dang balloon ribbon. {I guess this means I need to hone my Photoshop skills.}

M & her "boyfriend." He was the only guest she cared about being at her party. And she's looking forward to his party, too! They used to go to daycare together and are only a month apart in age. Two little sweeties!

Everyone's favorite gift - M's new play kitchen. The boys were showing her how to use all of her gadgets and knobs. So funny!

{Another side note: Blogger and I are not getting along right now. It's not playing nice with spacing out my pictures the way I would like it to. Grrrrrrr.....}

Who swims like a little fish?

I know all of you blog addicts are anxiously awaiting someone's 2nd birthday pics, but we're still playing "catch up" around here, so you'll have to wait a little longer. :)


After loads of researching and collecting opinions, we're doing swim lessons with Emler Swim School this summer. These photos are from her second class (once a week for 11 weeks!) She's now going underwater for 5 seconds and the goal by the last class is underwater for 10 seconds. She loves her class and her teacher. She acts very confident - maybe a little TOO confident - everytime she's in the pool. We're very pleased with how it's going and love our little fish!

Waving 'hi' to Daddy on the sidelines.


Working with the barbell floaties. These are her favorite!

Rockin' the pigtails!

The 'bye-bye song' - complete with a jump to Mommy.

New bed

Ok - it's not really a new bed. Just a new rail.
M moved up to a "big girl bed" exactly one month ago. We fully anticipated a brutal transition, so we made the switch over Memorial Day weekend. Well, it's been nothing but easy and seemingly no big deal. As you can see, she was pretty excited and it seems as though she really loves the fact that she can take her "fan club" (i.e. Minnie, Big Bird, Buddy Bear, etc.) in and out with the greatest of ease. We did have one nap incident where she was trying to play instead of sleep, but quickly reinforced that it was "nap time, which means it's time for sleeping and not playing." She's definitely not a baby anymore. A fact which blows my mind...

22 months (a little late...)

If you know me, you know that June is the busiest month work-wise, so I'm trying desperately to catch up.
On May 24, Madelyn and I went outside to just plain have fun in the sprinkler {and water our trees.} As you can see, she loved every second of it. So much that I don't think she cared how wet her little feet, leggings and dress ended up. She even started paying so much attention to the camera that she fell face first into the sprinkler. I think it just shocked her more than anything. She's growing so fast and is such a sweet, little lady.

Look who's....

...sitting at the table in a booster seat now!

The first meal in the booster seat was dramatic, but she immediately took to it for snacks and coloring time!

Check-up

Madelyn went for her 1 year check up (and shots.) For those keeping track, she weighed 23 lbs. 11 ozs. and was 30 1/2". She's really growing up so fast! She received 4 immunizations (2 in each thigh.) She cried. And screamed. But survived. I had grand plans to take her to get ice cream afterwards, but apparently it's silly to think that ice cream places open before 11am. Don't other people eat ice cream whenever they want?

Oh well. We'll have to go another day when I'm off work.

We decided to go ahead and turn Madelyn's car seat to face forward. We're really enjoying getting to interact with her now. This is her on Sunday going for her inaugural forward-facing ride in the car!

Madelyn got a special package in the mail today. Uncle Ryan sent Madelyn a Domo!! You know you're jealous. I'll have to admit that I was afraid that she might be scared when she saw Domo, but she just smiled!

Walking - sort of...

She's a pro at taking this back and forth across the living room. Shouldn't be long now before she walks! Happy Independence Day, from our home to yours!

Anticipation

You know you've been waiting for this video. And I told you it was coming. So, here it is.

TA DAH!!!

She's been pretty sick - you name it, she's got it. Except Swine Flu, that is. It's amazing what a different and EVEN happier little girl she is when she's feeling better. I'm just glad that the doctor gave us something this time that seems to really be helping her get over this persistent congestion. I'm afraid she's inherited my mucus gene. Although a nebulizer is no fun for a 9 month old. She has much better and more exciting things to be doing - playing with her maracas, wrestling the cats (I'll post that video tomorrow) and crawling all over the place looking for things she's not meant to play with. All the world is her playground now.

As for us, we're both staying pretty busy with work. We're working on the yard and flower beds and starting to think about improvements to both the interior and exterior of the house.

Oh, and I have an iPhone now. I think Jonathan would say I'm addicted, but I'd just say I'm loving the advances in technology and convenience. In case you want to know, there's pretty much an iPhone app for ANYTHING. My favorite: the AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner. It's starting to get me excited about cooking. Baking I can do and love (if I have the time.) Cooking - never been that exciting to me. Thanks to Dinner Spinner, I made Toasted Ravioli on Monday night. Yummy!

Changing all the time

So, I'm going for a record: two posts in a row with video! She's changing a lot these days and I'm trying to get better about having the video camera close by. Unfortunately, she knows what's up when I have it out, so she can get distracted by it at times.

This is her new favorite thing to do - clap! She will do it anytime, anywhere!

She went to the doctor today for a follow-up visit. Her ear infection is definitely gone, but she's got some persistent congestion. So, we got a prescription antihistamine+decongestant (most OTC decongestants aren't approved for infants) to try and prevent another ear infection. We'll see if it knocks it out. I think she takes after my side of the family on the mucus/allergy issues!

8 months and still growing

Not crawling yet, but trying oh so hard!

It's official - she's our sweetie.

Trip to the Zoo

Auntie Em & Uncle Outlaw came to visit this weekend. We decided to brave the Spring Break crowds on Saturday and take Madelyn on her first trip to the Ft. Worth Zoo. We got there as soon as the zoo opened and it really wasn't too bad. We didn't have to park miles away and we started at the back of the zoo first and worked our way forward. This way she could experience all of the "close-up" exhibits without too many kids around. Things did get crowded after lunch and we were glad to have arrived as soon as the park opened that morning. The weather was great and we all had a great time!



Checking out some lizards.






Madelyn and I had the whole carousel to ourselves. She loved riding and watching the other horses go up and down around her.




Checking out the Gorillas.



With Uncle Joe and Aunt Emily by the giraffes. Can you believe the zoo has 7 giraffes?!



We had a great time and Madelyn loved getting to see her Aunt and Uncle!

St. Patrick's Day Fun

So, Madelyn got a new shirt yesterday in the mail from Grandma Dolly and we had to wear it today. The not so good news - Madelyn participated in snack time for the first time today at daycare. Evidence: All over her shirt collar!




I know I've posted that she has her first tooth. We finally got a fairly good shot of the new tooth. It only took Jonathan holding her mouth open and me taking the picture. It felt more like a dental exam than a photo shoot.



Madelyn and Gracie have a very special bond. I swear Gracie was never this affectionate with even me! She will intentionally lay next to Madelyn just so she gets rubbed and cuddled. Here's how it played out this evening.

Lately

It's been a while since our last post. Lots of new things going on around here. Grandad and Nana came to visit. We had a good time and Jonathan and I got to go see our first movie since Madelyn was born - "Slumdog Millionaire." Highly recommend it!


This was before we all went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel - a Queen family tradition! Madelyn even tried some pancake. She wasn't real thrilled with it, but she did pretty good in the restaurant.

She has her first tooth (it's on the bottom left.) I'm still trying to get a good picture of it, but she's constantly covering it with her tongue.

She caught a cold, then a brief stomach virus, followed by an ear infection in both ears. We're professionals now at dispensing antibiotic and she's great about taking it. At the doctor's visit last Wednesday she weighed in at 18 lbs. 14.5 ozs. They didn't measure her length, but she's almost outgrown her infant carrier. We'll be purchasing a "real" car seat within the week.

She also feeds herself fingerfoods now. This consists mostly of puffs, yogurt melts, and cheerios. We haven't tried anything else yet, but it's exciting to see her developing so quickly in this area.

Now that she's feeling better, we took advantage of it to take some pictures.

She almost looks cross-eyed in this one. You can't read her shirt, but it says, "Mommy's Lucky Charm." Do you see Gracie in this picture??


A close up...


My favorite. Enough said.

Stats

Yesterday's visit to the doctor was fairly uneventful, apart from the 4 shots and one oral vaccine. She did great and I got a lot of questions answered. She's had a cough/runny nose for about 2 months straight and the doctor reassured me that this was normal for this time of year. The doc checked to make sure there wasn't any sign of infection in her nose, lungs and airways and she looked great apart from the runny nose. She is drooling a LOT more and we think teeth are on the horizon, especially with the way she has been sleeping the past few nights.

She weighed in at 18 lbs. and was 27" long. She's still in the 90th percentile for both categories and the doctor was impressed with how well she is sitting by herself. We also got the green light to start some new foods, including Cheerios! Yay!

Here are some pics of her "battle wounds." I LOVE the fact that they put pink camo bandaids on her every time. So cute...

6 months

Beautiful girl. Then and Now.


July 24, 2008 - 11:17pm




January 24, 2009 - 6:02pm

Where has the time gone?

For Uncle Ryan

Madelyn loves her penguin now that she can sit up better. We're working on it with her along with her daycare teachers. She's pretty close. She can sit by herself for a little while, but as soon as her focus changes, she tips over.

One sick family

So we all went to the doctor together today. I have bronchitis. Just call me "Itis" now, cuz I've had just about every "-itis" that's going around the block right now. Or the daycare for that matter...
Jonathan was pretty much feeling better when we went, we just wanted to make sure his persistent cough wasn't anything to worry about. Madelyn seems ok apart from the runny nose and occasional cough. We're experts at the bulb syringe and saline nose drops, which is about all you can do for a baby her age. Does anyone ever wonder why you can't find the hospital style syringe in stores? I've looked everywhere. Needless to say, I'm glad I "stole" ours from her hospital bassinet. They wouldn't let me leave with her hospital blanket though. I swear - not like anyone would notice or care. I'm not bitter. I'm just sayin'...
Madelyn has mastered rolling over - tummy to back and back to tummy. In fact, she went back and forth a couple times last night. She's also become a big fan of her rice cereal. She eats it all! And knows how to open her mouth and attempt to say "ahhh." It's weird to watch babies figure things out on their own. You don't even have to teach them. It's like they just suddenly figure it out. This baffles me and amazes me everyday.
Here are some recent photos. Thanks Shelby for the cute dress, although I don't think it will fit much longer!

Playing in her jungle gym. Her favorite place to play right now.


She loves to "stand."

A week of progress

So far this week has been all over the place. Madelyn rolled over from her stomach to her back on Tuesday night. Yay! She had been so close to rolling from her back to her stomach that we'd kind of been focusing on that. Just goes to show you that kids will do what kids want to do. She hasn't done it since then, but she's definitely raising up more on her arms when she's on her tummy. She's still determined to roll from her back to her tummy, but her shoulders keep getting in her way, so she seems content to make it on to her side.

(I affectionately call this picture "Thunder Thighs.")

She also had her first accident report at daycare this week. One of the "older" babies had a toy near her on the playmat and the toy fell out of the child's hands and hit Madelyn on her right temple. She doesn't have a bruise or anything, but she does have a slight pin prick size scab where she must have bled a little bit. I was a little worried, especially since I was home sick that day and I wasn't the one to pick her up. Jonathan said she was fine and ready to go home and see how mommy was feeling.

(I'm not sure what I like better in this picture - her expression or the large amount of drool on her shirt.)

We're headed to Norman this weekend. It's our last football weekend, which is good and bad. Good because it's tough traveling with an infant. I used to be able to pack in about 10 minutes. Now it has turned into at least an hour. I guess it's bad cuz the season is almost over. Go Sooners!

(Hanging out on a Saturday, watching football!)

Home Alone

So Jonathan left for an engineering conference (aka dork convention) on Monday after work. Which means Madelyn and I have been on our own since then. I guess I was more worried about taking care of the 500 things in the morning that make things so hectic at times. Boy was I wrong. Mornings - not so bad. Evenings, especially Tuesday, were a bear! Monday night I thought to myself, "ok, I can do this! She's being great." Well, Tuesday she made me eat my words. For one reason or another she would not stop being fussy or crying. She didn't nap very much at daycare that day. So that was problem #1. Problem #2 was that she got hungry approximately 1.25 hours before she normally does. I was not prepared and figured it had to be anything but that. She wailed. I finally gave in and fed her at 7:15. She took her bath pretty well and fussed a little while I was rocking her. Needless to say, she wore herself out. I didn't hear her stir until 4am. It's definitely been a lesson learned in how important it is to have a teammate in this game called parenting!

We had our usual Wednesday night pizza (no yoga though.) I took these of her trying to sit in her Bébé Pod. I love the fact that she sits to one side and that Gracie thought we were there to rub her tummy.

Trying to smile while focusing on sitting!