June

The month started off with Steven in CA for a week. We weren't alone for too long though! My brother and youngest sister came up for a visit. I loved spending time with them! Madelyn loved having playmates (and an audience for her recently learned tantrums- just 2 so far!)



She started to get the hang of balancing and learned to sit up when we put her down! (A sitting baby makes things easier for Mommy!)

This month Madelyn started playing with a sippy cup. I say "playing" because that's what this teething girl likes to do- chew on the straw. But once she figured out how to suck through the straw she loved it! We like to take water breaks throughout the day. :)

We would catch Madelyn rocking back and forth on all fours in her crib and sometimes on the floor. Not crawling...her preferred method of movement was no longer rolling, but creeping! She kind of looked like a seal at times pushing and pulling herself with her hands while little legs and feet trailed behind. She's getting closer to being mobile!

In mid June, Aunt Shelley and Uncle Hans stopped by for a visit on their way to/from Bham. They had not seen Madelyn since Thanksgiving, so she sure appeared to be a big girl! Madelyn loved playing with them!

FYI: We love purple! ...

On June 14 we celebrated Steven's first Father's Day. He is such a great dad! Many of you know Steven as "Mr. Tough Guy," but not around his baby girl. He is patient and kind with little Madelyn and loves her so much. She smiles so big when he enters the room; she sure loves her daddy!

Towards the end of the month Madelyn learned to sit herself up. I figured this out when I went in her room during naptime one day...oh my!

Here's how I learned to sit up in my crib!

1. start out on all fours...

2. hit the splits...

3. walk hands back and push up...

4. sit up! (and play instead of sleep!)

Teething!! Going in to June Madelyn had her two bottom teeth. At the start of the month she cut two on top and by the middle of the month she cut another! So the June count is 5!

We ended the month of June with a trip to the beach! Much more on that later! :)

May

May moved right on by!

We continued our journey through the world of solid food, trying all kinds of fruits and vegetables. While super messy at first, Madelyn (and Mommy) got the hang of it and meal time became something we look forward to. :)

Madelyn did find something else she likes to eat...her feet! As soon as she found them, those piggies were in her mouth just as much as her hands.

Our roly poly kept right on rolling and began to do so with purpose. She learned to roll and wiggle in the direction she wanted to go, usually towards something the wanted to get her hands on. It seems like once she hit the 6 month mark she just kept right on going, doing something new everyday! Madelyn's personality keeps developing and so far the words "sweet" and "funny" are the words we use most often when describing her.

On May 10th we celebrated my first Mother's Day, and more importantly it was Dedication Day at church. Words cannot describe what it feels like to be Madelyn's mother. And everyday I am reminded that I do not deserve her, but the Lord blessed us by bringing her into our lives. For that we are so grateful!!

Towards the end of the month we made a quick trip to Bham for my youngest sister's high school graduation. The funny thing is that I received my reunion invitation just weeks before receiving her graduation invitation- talk about feeling old! We enjoyed seeing our family and they of course loved seeing Madelyn!

6 months

Here I am once again disappointed that it has been so long since my last post. The bottom line is that blogging comes at the bottom of my "to do" list (which seems to get longer every day!) Believe it or not, there were a few times I got on the computer to blog and something came up...someone decided not to go to sleep, the internet was down, etc. Oh well. So the next couple of posts will be catching up. And we'll start with Madelyn of course!



On May 1 Madelyn was 26 weeks old, as in 6 months, as in half of one year! I just couldn't believe it! We went to the doctor for her 6 month visit and she was 27 inches long (90%) and weighed 16 pounds 13 ounces (55%) Right at the six month mark she cut her two bottom teeth, began rolling all over the place, started reaching for anything and everything in sight, and began to eat solid food.



Here are some pictures of our 6 month old girl...

being silly...as usual!

hands in her mouth...as usual!

First highchair, spoon, food experience.

She was more interested in the spoon than the food!

sporting Daddy's old hat

playing with Mommy

A few 6 month portraits,

wearing her special dress from Nana:

Derby Delights

"We're not from these parts..."

That's what Steven and I have said to each other numerous times, especially on the first Saturday in May. As Derby approaches it is quite obvious we're not from Kentucky because we're just not that into it.

Now, when our kids are older we'll be more into it I'm sure. It will be a lot of fun because there are so many activities going on during Derby time! But for now, we just watch events on TV and read about it in the paper.

So, today we sat down and watched coverage of the Kentucky Derby 135 all day long (and I mean ALL day long!) It was fun to see the horses, hear their stories, and above all see those hats! That's my favorite part...the hats!

If you know me, you know I love "treats." So I found a couple of Derby Delights that will be repeats at our house for Derbys to come!

"faux" Mint Julep

"faux" Kentucky Derby Pie

(this pic was prettier than mine!)

*faux= no alcohol

You should try them sometime. YUMMY!!!!!