Daddy Daughter Play Time

Today Billy got an unexpected Saturday off! Perfect for playing with Madelyn. I love that we are now beginning to be able to interact with her.

3 Months

At 3 months, Miss Madelyn is beginning to be such a big girl! She is holding her head up and is noticeably more steady. She is tolerating tummy time and holds her head up so well! She even enjoys looking at herself in the mirror on her activity gym. She is outgrowing her clothes - so we are slowly putting away her 0-3 month outfits. She recognizes Billy and I when we walk into the room, and gives us that gorgeous smile that lights up our world. She has full on "conversations" with us...or so we like to think. She is starting to suck her hands, and, as you'll see in the last video below - she even got her thumb in her mouth today. 

We are hoping stomach issues which we blame for her fussiness will start to turn a corner - a lot of people say 3 months is the magic number. So far, we haven't seen any magic though. :(  We know; however, that when her digestive issues finally do subside, she is going to be one happy, smiley baby. 

We can't believe it's been three months since she entered our world. She has grown so big - it's amazing and mind blowing to imagine where the future will take her. We are excited to lead her on her journey. Everyday we marvel at how much she is taking in, learning, and growing.

 Much to Billy's protesting, I had to post this video of him singing "Happy Birthday" to Madelyn today. Her reaction is too cute not to share.

Finally, Madelyn's new favorite toys are her hands, which she licks and sucks all the day long. Today she actually stuck her little thumb in her mouth and sucked away. I was so excited to capture it on video. 

...God is so good - everyday he amazes me with the miracle of life, which I love witnessing through our baby girl.

A little chuckle

I don't know what the weather is like "in your neck of the woods", but here...it is a dreary and gloomy kind of day. 

So, I thought I'd share a little video of Miss Madelyn to brighten the morning. Her smile always brightens any day for me. 

I love how much she's starting to react to her environment - so amazing. She definitely shows her emotions all over her face. You know exactly what this little one is thinking at all times.

So, here she is about two weeks ago. (Please ignore the amateurish shaking of the camera, and the annoyingly fake sing song voice I have to use to get some smiles!)

1 Year House Anniversary

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of our house closing. With the way life has changed since then, it's hard to believe it's only been a year. 

Owning a home was something I had dreamed about my whole life. When we started looking for houses, I threw myself into it, like I do most things, and I became obsessed with finding the perfect home. I spent hours upon hours scouring the internet, hoping to find that hidden gem that was newly listed. I didn't want to miss out on our dream home.

 

The hunt for our house was beginning to draw out when we turned into our little Countrytown neighborhood, full of charming little houses on large, private lots with shady trees. Pulling into the driveway, I felt a tickle of excitement in my stomach. I remember looking at Billy and whispering excitedly, "I think this is the one!", before we even exited the car. When you are home, you know. 

Upon entering the house, we knew it was different than the others we had spent our time examining during our house hunt. It didn't have the open, modern floorplan and updated details which were listed near the top of my extensive wishlist. However, that feeling I got pulling into the driveway didn't leave me, and I found myself visualizing the updates we could change to make it ours. 

After much deliberation, negotiations, and time, we finally got the house and were so excited to make it the house of our dreams. Being handed the keys, I had the visions of hosting family events, parties, and raising our children and watching our family grow in size and love. 

 

We immediately began making some of the changes we had in mind, including lots and lots and LOTS of painting, which was made easier by the help and support of some key family and friends. 

 We knocked down walls and installed new countertops, we tore out carpet and installed new hardwoods throughout the entire first floor.

In just a few short weeks, not only were WE exhausted, but so was our budget. Although our list of to-dos was growing by the moment, our bank account was not. Plus, we had a fast approaching deadline of hosting Christmas for Billy's family, and were anxious to move in.

So, we stopped with what we had gotten done so far, and excitedly moved in and continued making our new house our home. We were thrilled with the progress we had made so far. The house was beginning to feel like it was OURS.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(minus some painting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naively, I was certain the renovations, painting, and improvements would continue. Little did we know, God had other plans in store for us, and just two weeks after moving in, we learned we would be welcoming a new addition to our family. The house took an immediate backseat to preparing for baby.

 A year later, we love the improvements we've made to our home, and I love how much I've gotten to use our home to entertain and spend time with family and friends, although it's never enough and I wish I could do more. 

Owning a home is most definitely a never ending money pit. My to-do list is longer than ever, and every time I step into a room, I envision how I WANT it to look. Getting our house that way will most certainly take many more years AND paychecks.

Although I have to admit I've entertained the idea of moving from time to time, (I know, it's only been a year - but that's just how I am), in the end, I know how fortunate we are to  have a warm house with a roof over our head in which to raise our daughter. 

I'm looking forward to the future and the memories we will make in our home.

Madelyn's First Halloween

So, I know it's a few days late, but I wanted to post pictures of Madelyn's first Halloween. We went to Aunt Julie and Uncle Scooter's house and had some delicious subs and tomato basil soup. I ordered a dozen cupcakes from Pearl's Cupcakes which were yummy! I wanted to go over to Scott and Julie's because I knew they would have more trick-or-treaters than we would at our house...plus, we got to spend time with them!

I had to dress Madelyn up for her first Halloween - even if it was just for an hour. She hated the costume - especially the hat - but she was overall a good sport. By the end of the night, she had had enough and was ready to go home!

NOT a happy girl!

Nap update

These days Madelyn is either super HAPPY or super ANGRY. She's a baby with two extremes, and it's hilarious and frustrating to watch all at the same time.

We are still having difficulty napping, although I'm strictly following the Eat, Wake, Sleep routine as much as possible. She is doing a lot better about going to sleep - most times I simply put her down still drowsy, rock a minute or two, and she's out...although she doesn't go down without a fight. Many times there is a lot of crying going on as I rock her. However, she's still waking up screaming in increments of five, ten, or twenty minutes without fail for her entire hour and a half nap time. Since she's still not able to settle herself, I'm trying to help her by reassuring that I'm there without letting her see me or hear me. I mostly stroke her head and put her pacifier back in. She usually drifts right back to sleep - for a few minutes, at least. 

It is definitely a frustrating process, and the only thing I can think that continues to wake her must be her acid reflux. I'm praying the medicine will continue to alleviate her symptoms and I know she will eventually outgrow it. 

The only thing I know that would work better would be holding her until she's in a very deep sleep (I did that once the other day and she slept straight through for two hours!) However, I refuse to do so because I know she's getting to the age where she'll come to expect it. Plus, I need to get her straight before she heads to the daycare provider in just a few short weeks. :(  So, however challenging it may be, I'll be sitting here by her cradle waiting to help her fall back to sleep every few minutes. (Who needs to take a shower, anyways?!)

The sleep routine is so dysfunctional, and we know it!