Wednesday, November 28, 2012

She's 8 Months!

Life as I know it just changed...
I was just told by Blogger (when trying to upload eight month pictures of Madelynn) that I have used all the picture space allowed on Blogger. 
WHAT?!?!?!? 
I'm not really sure what my plan of attack is but I will figure out a way to continue using my blog.  But for now you just get to read my ramblings without any cute pictures of my sweet kiddos.  I'll try to put more on facebook while I figure out my blog.

Now on to my sweet and spicy Madelynn Grace.  She turned eight months a few days ago and is just as sweet as ever with a little sass to add to it.  She is smily and giggly, loves her brother, loves her mama, loves her daddy, and is now crawling all over the house. 

Her crawling is still army crawling but it gets her everywhere she wants to go.  She even gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth like she is going to just take off any second.  I don't think it will be long before she is crawling officially.  But army crawling is working great for her.  I now have to sweep the living room floor daily and check the carpet for small things throughout the day because this girl can find anything and everything that she shouldn't have.  Yesterday I heard a sucking sound that sounded different than normal...she was sucking on a little bead that fell off my Christmas wreath and was on the floor.  That could have been interesting.  It was small enough that she wouldn't have choked on it but it would have been funny finding that in her diaper in a couple days.  Carter didn't really put things in his mouth much plus we didn't have a two year old leaving things around the house for him to put in his mouth.  Madelynn puts everything in her mouth and has an older brother leaving her all sorts of fun things for her to play with.  We are working really hard to keep the floors clean and teach Carter that small things aren't safe for Mady. 

She loves to eat.  Anything.  She loves to nurse and does that probably more than she needs to at eight months old.  She discovered her LOVE for turkey on Thanksgiving and ate a ton of it!  She loves any and all of the pureed baby foods that I make her...apples, bananas, strawberries, peaches, pears, green beans, carrots, zuchini, butternut squash, and sweet potato.  This week she is going to try blueberries and avocado. And boy does she love cheerios.  She could eat them all day long.  I was just reading past blog posts about Carter at this age and he wouldn't touch cheerios or puffs.  I actually remember that now that it took a long time for him to really start eating food that wasn't pureed.  And Madelynn wouldn't eat anything pureed until six months but started out with cheerios and puffs and loved them from the second I put one in her mouth.  It is so funny how different two kids with the same mommy and daddy can be.  I actually love it!  They are each their own person with a personality that I adore.   

Sleeping is improving.  She usually wakes up only once in the night now.  I know...this is one time too many at eight months old but it is so much better than what it was a month ago!  At six months old she was still waking up every hour and a half to two hours all night long.  I am now getting six to eight hours at a time from her.  I starting the process of weaning her off of any night time feedings but haven't gone hard core yet.  We have even had a few nights in a row now where she wakes up, I put her blankie back over her, rub her back, and go back to bed.  And miraculously she is actually falling back to sleep without eating!  Praise the Lord!  She is very unpredictable with naps and still naps in her swing.  I don't even like admitting that on here but I am going to anyway.  Morning nap is usually great and at least two hours long but the afternoon nap is hit and miss.  Sometimes only 30 minutes but sometimes better.  She is a cry herself to sleep kind of girl and I have just had to come to terms with that.  I hear some moms say that they can just lay their happy baby down in their crib and they fall fast asleep.  That just isn't my Madelynn and that's okay.  She fusses for a few minutes, sometimes even screams for a minute or two and then will usually crash.  Since I started this post (a few days ago) we have been doing most naps in her crib!  And she is doing pretty well napping in her crib.  Sometimes I get a great nap out of her and sometimes is is far too short.  We will keep at it though! 

She loves her brother and loves watching him play.  They even do well playing together sometimes.  She loves his toys and would actually rather play with his toys than her own.  The other day while I was getting ready I put Madelynn in his room to play.  He sat down next to her with the magnadoodle thing and started drawing her pictures.  He would draw a picture and then say "see Mady."  It was great.  I am so excited for the two of them to really play with each other. 

She is still in a size two diaper and six month clothes.  She is tiny!  Carter was already in three month diapers at this age and was already moved into a big boy carseat.  Madelynn has a ways to go in her carseat!  I am thankful for that because when she needs to move up then we have to buy another one for Carter.  I love seeing the differences in my kids though!

She isn't super snuggly.  She loves to be held and she is a happy girl but she isn't the baby that just lays her head on my shoulder all that often.  Even when I try to rock her in her rocking chair she is always sitting up checking things out. 

She gets so excited to see her daddy when he gets home from work everyday.  It really is precious.  She starts squealing and jumping up and down.

I tried standing her up next to the couch and letting go this week and she did okay.  She isn't quite there yet to just move around the furniture yet but it isn't too far down the road.  She is super fast at army crawling though.

She is so sweet when people talk to her.  She starts off a little sober and then breaks out into a sweet smile.  She has beautiful eyes that are fairly blue but a little darker than Carter's.  She has petite features.  She now has four teeth.  It is fun seeing her smile with all of her teeth showing.  She doesn't have much hair but it is starting to come in a little.  I need to get her cradle cap cleaned up and then maybe it will grow in faster.  I still love to put headbands on her head but she has started pulling them off now. 

We love you Madelynn Grace!  We are so thankful for you!  We love your sweet spirit and how much you adore your brother.  You really are beautiful! 

Monday, November 19, 2012

MIA

Seriously, I have been gone from my blog forever.  Our computer has been freaking out and I couldn't figure out how to upload any pictures to anything for a few weeks.  I couldn't put pictures on here, facebook, order Christmas cards...nothing.  So frustrating!  But I finally figured it out and felt very "I am woman, hear me roar" when I finally conquered this dumb computer!  Yes, I figured it out myself!  I kept saying we were going to have a friend look at it who knows computers but it just wasn't happening and I was so tired of not being able to do my pictures that I spent a LONG time and figured it out.  Okay, enough about that.  Can you tell I am a little proud of myself!  I am so not computer savvy!

Since the pumpkin patch outing and blog we have done quite a bit.  All of which will get put on here soon.  We are now three days away from Thanksgiving, exactly one month away from our four year anniversary, and one month and six days away from Christmas.  It amazes me every year how we end up back to the holiday season so quickly.  This is honestly my favorite time of year and I really do love that it seems to come quickly. 

Yesterday was the 18th.  Exactly five years ago (yesterday) I met Jay.  That day changed me forever.  I am so thankful for that day!  I can honestly say that marriage is not always easy but I can honestly say that saying yes to being set up with Jay was the best decision I have ever made.  I am one incredibly blessed girl to be married to my husband.  Blind dates really do work people :)  We are living proof.  Thankfully it wasn't exactly a date but rather a get together with a few people who all wanted Jay and I to meet.  So I guess it was a blind get together.  Love you babe!

I'll be back soon with lots of pictures!  But here is one to tide you over :) Carter decided a nap on top of his rocking horse was a great way to nap that day.