Madeline's Blog

Well, it is officially summer, and we have been really enjoying doing "summer-y" things with Maddie, including giving her teeny tastes of our popsicles, feeding her a "popsicle" of her own (thanks Grandma Lea!), and GOING SWIMMING!

Maddie looks so cute with all of her fat rolls hanging out of her summer clothes, and she REALLY enjoys munching on her "popsicle" teething ring -- she even cries when you take it away (something she has begun doing ANYTHIME you take ANYTHING she wants away, or even when she can't reach a favorite toy or a novel object):

Gimme that popsicle!

This past Saturday it was the perfect day to go to the pool -- warm but still overcast -- and we took Maddie swimming. She actually seemed to like it! Or at least, she didn't mind it too much. It was a bit challenging getting two adults and one very wiggly baby into their swimsuits, slathered down with sunscreen, and out to the pool, but we managed, and we had a great time! Thanks for the swimsuit and cover-up Aunt Rene and for the swim diapers and float Grandma Lea!

Here are some pictures of Madeline as we were getting ready to go:

We took some "before" pictures at the pool just in case the venture didn't turn out too well:

Getting in the pool for the first time (she wasn't too sure about it):

Because Matthew and I are both extrememly overprotective, we bought a life-vest for Maddie to use during her first dip. As you can see, while she tolerated the jacket, she wasn't overjoyed with it:

After trying out the life-vest, we moved on to using Maddie's new float, and that was when Maddie really started liking the pool (oh yeah, and is there ANYTHING cuter than baby sunglasses?!). Matthew and I enjoyed watching her kick, playing "baby catch" with her, and nudging her around in the three-foot side of the pool:

After trying the float we got brave enough to carefully holding Maddie in the water ourselves. While she smiled for the camera, we think she liked using the float better.

We didn't want to push it, so we only spent around 20 minutes in the pool. But we had fun drying off, too, and took some pictures of our little "water baby" relaxing on a pool chair:


Ah! This is the life!

After swimming we took Maddie back home, gave her a bath, fed her, and relaxed while she took a nice nap. Matthew says that now we know how to get her to sleep when we really need to.

Happy summer all and we hope you are enjoying your own warm-weather fun!

Well, it has been an interesting month!

Maddie is just shy of five months now, so I'll try to bring you up to date on everything that's happening . . .

Maddie had her four-month check-up on June 9th, and all went well. I got terribly lost in D.C. on the way there because I was so nervous about her shots, but I called Matthew and he guided me there fast enough that I was only a few minutes late. Anyway, Maddie was 18 lbs, 1 oz, and was 27 inches long. She is right along her growth curve, and the doctor said that breastmilk alone (up until she hits six months) is the healthiest thing for Maddie. She had reached all of the milestones she was supposed to reach (keeping head in line with body when pulled to sitting, saying "Ahgoo," getting her head up off the ground while on her tummy, bearing some weight on her legs, etc.), except for rolling over, which she did only a few days after the appointment!

Maddie had her shots that day, too, and while the actual administration of the shots did not go very well (1 VERY SLOW nurse + 4 separate shots = 1 VERY unhappy baby), she didn't seem to have any reaction to them this time.

The day after the appointment, we decided to try switching Maddie to PrevAcid solutabs, which are easier to give than the Zantac. For the next four days, though, Maddie began screaming only a few minutes after I gave them to her and remained in a general funk all day. So, I stopped giving them, called the doctor and made an appointment, and since we didn't have any Zantac in the house, she didn't have meds for several days. And she did fine! Apart from a bit more spit-up, she was a MUCH happier baby! I began to think that maybe the meds (which I think I mentioned we had upped to 1.2 ccs of Zantac three times each day) were actually HURTING her stomach! So, I talked with the doctor, and since she had gained a little weight since her shots (the weight gain while not on the meds is our main concern), we took her off of any medication completely! So far it has been great! Maddie is much more comfortable and engaged, so I think maybe the reflux stuff might finally be over!

Nowadays, Maddie is an absolute ball of energy. She does NOT like to nap, and only does so in three or four little catnaps (20-30 minutes each) throughout the day. She reaches for things, pulls things, tries to eat thing she shouldn't eat, and generally makes caring for her a very busy and tiring (though enjoyable!) endeavor.

Her main pursuit the past week has been rolling over at EVERY opportunity. Anytime Maddie is on her back, she rolls over. She even tries to roll over in the stroller, in her bouncy seat, and on her little changing sled. Matthew or I will be changing her, and suddenly be left holding only an ankle connected to a leg connected to a body that is completely turned over except for said leg. It sounds painful, but somehow she never seems to mind.

Maddie also turns over in her sleep, which scares me to death. She will NOT NOT NOT sleep on her back anymore. At first I tried turning her over every time she went onto her stomach, but that resulted in me waking up 15-20 times a night to flip her and then try to get her back to sleep. I still try to flip her when I notice her on her stomach now, though not as religiously, but this morning Maddie started CRYING when I try to turn her to her back. That, of course, results in a really rough wake-up and another 45 minutes trying to get her calm enough to go to sleep. So, I've put in a call to Maddie's doctor back in Fayetteville to ask them what I should do, and until then I'm putting her down on her back and letting her turn to her stomach. After all, she has to sleep. And, for those of you who are worriers like me, we have an alarm system that will sound if she stops breathing. I'll let you all know what the doctor says.

Well, although this is such a brief update on Maddie's growth compared to all that she is doing, I'm going stop writing in order to work on the next post that includes pictures of Maddie SWIMMING! Yay!

Last weekend our good friends Brandon and Rachel came to visit, and we really enjoyed touring around D.C. Maddie slept through much of it, but we took pictures anyway. And here they are!

Friday evening at the Smithsonian:

She's ready to go!

The Hope Diamond: I told Maddie to get used to seeing this kind of thing; she'll be a rich woman one day. Or maybe she'll be a scholar who works at the Smithsonian -- how fun would that be?! I didn't realize that the National Gem Collection actually belongs to the American people. So I guess Maddie does own a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage of the necklace.

And we're on our way home!

On Saturday on the National Mall:

-The WWII Memorial:

What a chunk!

--The Lincoln Memorial:
Walking along the pool towards Mr. Lincoln:

As you can see below, Maddie and I nursed at the top of the Memorial overlooking all of the monuments. At this point, I can't really be embarassed about nursing in public anymore, and I figure hey, I'm doing my part to help people understand that nursing your baby is a natural thing that people really do and that they're not ashamed of. In this picture, however, I had just realized that Maddie had pooped through her cute little shorts. She was changed on the floor in the museum part of the memorial. How many people can say they pooped their pants on top of the Lincoln Memorial? I think that's a distinction we'll have to remind Maddie of when she's oh, sixteen or so.

--The Vietnam Memorial:
This picture was taken from far away because we didn't feel right about taking one close up. Maddie, however, had no reservations about once again pooping her pants at the very bottom of the memorial. Now, any of you who've been to there know how quiet the memorial itself is. So, lets just say Matthew and I were not the only ones who heard it. We were pretty embarassed, but hey, it happens, I guess.

And on the way home, we passed by the White House, which you can see in the background of this picture:

Once home, Maddie unwound during some naky playtime on her gymini. As you can see, she enjoyed the day!

Going to the National Mall was fun, and we certainly laughed over Maddie's pants-capades, but visiting those monuments with Maddie was a very moving experience. Both Matthew and I had been to a few of the memorials before she was born, but with her, we can better appreciate the sacrifice those memorialized made. First, because we know what they, and their families, gave up. Along the ground at the Vietnam wall were photos family members had placed near their soldier's name, and I can remember one that included the caption, "left one wife, three girls." I don't think I need to write what an impact that had on me when I looked down at Maddie in the stroller. And second, we know what their sacrifice meant. We have a physical, laughing, babbling, pooping reminder of what they fought for. I mean, as individuals we certainly appreciate the freedoms secured for us by those men and women. But, in the end, that sentiment pales in comparison to how much we value freedom for our child. We would have lived out our lives under tyranny simply so Maddie could enjoy the life she has now, but we don't have to. Those memorialized made certain of that. When we were at the Vietnam Memorial I wished that I could have let the people rubbing soldiers' names onto papers know how I felt, and have shown them Maddie so they could understand what an impact their relative or friend had, but it would have been rude to break into their own solemn moments. Maybe they already know. Anyway. Julie, tell your son and his friends how much we appreciate them and think of them and pray for them every day, whether they're at home or abroad. Maybe show them a picture of Maddie, and little Ariana. Or send us some addresses where we can send letters and pictures, and thanks, ourselves.

Well, that's all for now, folks. Stay tuned for Maddie's 4 1/2 month update and pictures from Fathers' Day. We love and miss you all!

It's official! Maddie is mobile! She ROLLED OVER for the first time on Saturday, June 13th, as if she'd been doing it forever. Maddie rolled from her back to her tummy, and it surprised us so much that we don't have any pictures of that first time. We do, however, have some pictures we took tonight. I'm sure we'll have even more soon, because now she rolls over almost every time you lay her on her back!

Getting ready . . .

There she goes!

Gathering her strength . . .

And she's over!!!

And there she is! Our little roly poly!

I took these pictures yesterday while Maddie and I were playing. As you can see, she's enjoying play time and tummy time a lot more -- and she's starting to get her tummy up off of the ground!

Getting her bottom up!

Yay, up on all fours!

Such a sweet smile!

On Friday, June 6th we went to the welcome party for the Summer Associates at the firm, and we had a wonderful time! Maddie took her first taxi ride there, and it was by far the fanciest party Maddie had ever been to! The best way to describe it would be as a wedding reception -- waiters in tuxedoes, candlelight, rose centerpieces on the tables. It was lovely, and Maddie did very well. And, of course, she looked beautiful in her little dress and matching hat. Mom and Dad had a good time, too. It was really nice to get out of the house and talk to some other adults for a little while, and, as you can see below, we got a centerpiece out of the deal. We ARE from Arkansas, after all. BUT, at least we didn't pick the Calla Lilies out of the main arrangement one by one like a certain D.C. resident did. After we left the party, which was in Union Station, we walked out into an empty building and took pictures of each other. All in all, it was a pleasant evening.

Our centerpiece.

Maddie the next day; she was worn out!

Here are a few pictures we took of Maddie before Matthew went to work one day last week. He usually gives her a diaper change before he leaves, and then some snuggles, which, as you can see, she loves!

Well, as promised, here are the pictures of Maddie in her new ExerSaucer!

I put it together while she was alseep one night last week, and when I sat down to nurse her the next morning she was entranced by the box it came in. Great, I was thinking, this fancy new toy and all she wants is the box. But then she caught sight of the real thing and she just stared and stared. When I put her in it she seemed very confused, then warmed up to it some and started playing. She still hasn't figured out that she can put her feet down and stand up, but she's becoming better acquainted with her "saucer" every day, and she's liking it more and more.

We bought it for her because she seemed so bored with all her other toys, and I wanted another place I could put her while cooking/doing laundry/etc. However, she's so cute when she's in it that I can't help but just sit right down and play with her. Oh well. Better to spend time with her than clean; she's growing up, and the dishes sure aren't going anywhere!

Her first time in her new toy.

Checking out the bells and whistles.

I'm not too sure about this!!

Okay, it's getting better . . .

Hello giraffe!

Talking to the car.

Oh, hi Mom! I'm pretty busy right now . . .

Feeling the soft zebra fur.

Okay, I admit it, this is pretty fun!

It seems like Maddie wakes up bigger every morning, and discovers new things every day. Grabbing objects with her hands, now, has become much less of a complicated task for Maddie. She no longer thinks about how she will move her hand to get at things, but reaches and holds with amazing accuracy, even turning an object over and around to see it from all sides. No, her hand fascination is waning and recently she has moved on to figuring out her feet. Playing with them takes up much of her time during the day. She knows they’re there and often lifts her legs up high into the air in order to grab her toes, but she still acts surprised when those little tootsies actually enter her field of vision, and she stares at them as they wiggle. Sometimes this leg-lifting motion makes her roll onto one side and then the other, resulting in a motion we’ve dubbed “the roly-poly” as well as in some very wet pajama backs. Madeline also tries to actually manipulate objects with her feet and legs, and it looks VERY strange to see her trying to grab things with her toes, or at the very least push things up where she can get at them with her hands (when she does this it looks like she’s playing with a toy with all four limbs -- very odd). We’ve nicknamed her “Monkeytoes Madeline,” an apt nickname, as you can see.

Maddie grabbing and manipulating her "Ephalant."

Pushing at her blanket with her toes.

Touching my toes!

Check out those feet!

Maddie playing with her hands AND feet!

Madeline is SOOO close to rolling over. A few nights ago we waited anxiously as Maddie tried and tried to turn over, but to no avail; every body part but her arms got turned over, and Maddie only ended up getting stuck. She wasn’t too happy with the experience, but one day soon I know she’s going to make it!

Stuck!

While on her tummy Maddie can now lift her chest a little (not just rest on her arms), play with toys, and even draw her legs up under her until her bottom is up in the air. After getting into this position she tries REALLY hard to push off with her legs, but alas, her large stomach holds her down and she only makes it a few inches if any. Her trunk is so heavy that most of the time her little knees just slide across whatever surface she’s on, a phenomenon that is endlessly frustrating for her. I debate about whether to put my hands down behind her feet to help her get some traction or to simply let her figure it out on her own, as I know she has to. I guess I do a little of both, right now.

Maddie checking herself out in the mirror.

Her bottom isn’t the only thing Maddie can hold up in the air now -- she can also hold herself up in a sort of “tripod” position. To help her do this we sit Maddie down on the floor and put her hands down between her legs. She balances this way, sitting up, unless something makes her jerk her head around, and she seems to enjoy the change in perspective she gets from viewing things from this higher angle.

Tripod sitting.

Look at those baby blues!

But Maddie is not content to just sit up; she likes to stand up, with a little adult help. She can now hold all of her weight for brief periods (a few seconds) if an adult is there to keep her from falling over. Matthew and I really enjoy watching her try to stand over and over; Matthew says it looks like she’s doing an Elvis dance, with those shaking little hips.

The past few weeks have marked a change in Maddie’s vocalizations. In a way, she’s “discovered” her voice. She yells occasionally for no reason at all, talks to herself when she’s bored (this rather sounds like someone humming), and laughs like crazy. At first we had to act very silly to get her to laugh really hard, but now she does it at random times like when she’s staring at Matthew or if she sees the vertical blinds rustle. She laughs especially hard when you scare her by jumping out and saying boo or just making any loud noise. “Peekaboo” has become one of her favorite games, as have “parent wearing underwear on his/her head” and “letting things fall.” Stay tuned for a video of Maddie laughing for your viewing enjoyment (we even figured out how to turn the mpegs vertical! But we have to use the business center downstairs to upload it since it's such a big file.).

Maddie is starting to mouth things a lot more, and this includes the bottle and her paci. The paci she’ll suck at just a little, but mostly she just bites and chews both until Mom or Dad gives up. She can now get her thumb to her mough as well, but she only chews on it on the side of her lips. But, at least there’s hope, right? Below is a picture of Maddie mouthing her paci and one of her "sucking" (eating) her thumb:

Of course, Maddie continues to be spoiled rotten, that’s nothing new, but she has enjoyed an especially lucrative week this past week since Mom has gotten tired of trying to entertain a thoroughly bored four-month-old (we went to Target and bought her more toys ). Her most-preferred toys are “Tigger,” the tiger attached to her swing, her “Nanner,” a crinkly banana baby toy whose plush “peel” you can actually peel away, and her Exersaucer, pics of which will be forthcoming.

Watching Tigger bounce against the side of the swing.

Love that Nanner!

And, always fashionable, Maddie wore a beautiful dress from her Aunt Rene to church this past Sunday, and it was a BIG hit (thanks Aunt Rene!). Take a look:

SOOOO pretty!

We also found a great sale at one of the malls here in D.C. (we did three malls in three days over memorial day -- can you believe it?! Fayetteville only has ONE mall, PERIOD!), and bought Maddie some summer clothes. Can you believe she’s in twelve month outfits already?!

Maddie in her red, white, and blue!

Yep, she’s a big girl, and healthy, despite a slightly stopped-up nose earlier this week and some pretty significant reflux problems. The nose pluggage has cleared up, and a large increase in her dosage of Zantac per the doctor’s orders has reduced her vomiting frequency from ten times to perhaps one time a day. Look how big she is and how well she can hold onto LaLa!

Well, everyone else is asleep but me, and I’m getting pretty sleepy. I’ll post sometime soon about Maddie’s first exposure to her Exersaucer, until then please take note that Maddie’s four-month check-up and shots will be on June ninth. There we'll learn her weight, discuss her reflux, and I'll ask the doctor specifically about her naptimes and starting solids. I’m especially nervous about the shots since the last ones affected her so much, so please pray that all goes well. Toodles!

The week after we arrived here in D.C. Madeline and I went with Matthew to a dinner with other summer associates and associates from the firm. Afterwards we went to a trolley tour around the District, and we had a great time! Madeline slept through most of the dinner and was so good through the trolley tour! The weather was cool but comfortable the whole time, so Maddie and I just sat with Daddy in the front of the trolley and enjoyed the sites and the breeze (well, Madeline also enjoyed a snack whenever the lights went out). We saw various buildings and sites in downtown D.C., the Washington Monument, Iwo Jima, the Pentagon, and of course, the Lincoln Memorial, which is Matthew’s favorite. He especially enjoyed introducing his little girl to Mr. Lincoln and photographing the event:

That last picture is one of my favorites. The text on the painting reads, "It is not merely for today, but for all time to come that we should perpetuate for our children’s children this great and free government . . . that you may all have equal privileges in the race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations." I thought it fitting to take Maddie and Matthew's picture in front of President Lincoln's sentiment.

Okay, here we go folks, the long awaited posts! And why, might you ask, have there been no posts for so long? Because of Verizon phone and DSL service! We keep LOSING our dialtone. It has NOT been fun. But, things seem better now, so, here's an update!

On May 9th our childbirth class held its reunion, and we had a fabulous time! It was so wonderful to get to see all the little people who only appeared as tummies to us a few months ago. Maddie, of course, was fascinated by the other babies. Forgive my appearance in the pictures. It had been a long day. Here are the pics!