little elf

Todd and I are always calling Madison our "little elf." When we're driving along, we look in the backseat and she's sitting there smiling like a little elf. When we put her in the high chair, she stares up like a little elf. And when she's sleeping, you guessed it- an elf! Took this picture this morning too- ha!

She especially seems elf-like in the hood.

So, I know a lot of people read this blog but never leave comments, because they tell me they read it! You know who you are.... So I am asking you to leave a comment! it's really easy to do (these instructions are for my mom..), just click the comment button below. You can do it anonymously- you don't have to have a login or anything. Trust me it's super easy! And-- I have a request- let me know what you want me to write about! All these entries are always about Madison these days, but let's say you want me to write about asteroids or something.. put it in the comment! And I'll write a blog about it! Could be fun. :)

Tooth~!

Rainy day girl

Sittin on the porch watching the rain this morning......

I was trying to get Madison to talk on camera. It's funny, she babbles and talks what seems like constantly now, and yet I feel like we never have the camera around or the battery is dead, the memory is full, etc! It's the story of my life! Batteries and me do not agree. And then when the camera is actually around she clams up. Ha. But this was a pretty cute impromtu moment this morning.

A few things I left off of the 6-month update the other day are:

Sleeping:
Amazingly, this girl is a sleeping champ! For those who remember my last blog about sleep, we spent months of being sleep-deprived and I like how my friend Jenny put it, it was like "Chinese Water Torture"- ha. But around 5 1/2 months she turned a corner, and much to my persuasion (golf clap here for Mommy!) we were able to get her eating only once a night. Which ultimately resulted in her waking up only once a night! So now our nighttime schedule is:
8:30pm last nursing and bed
5am wake up and nurse
8:30/9:30am wakeup for real
Naps approx 11-1, 3-5
Of course, it's not always an exact schedule *every* day, but so far so good!!! Eventually we'll probably have to move the bedtime up so morning can start earlier. Daycare and all. Ugh. Not Mommy's choice!!

Talking:
Within a few days, "words" like "ba" have become "blabla," "baba," etc. I know it doesn't seem very monumental to those without kids, but it's cool to see how quickly she picks things up and develops it into the next new thing.

Walking:
OK we are nowhere close to walking yet (thank goodness!!!), but when we were at the Minsons' last weekend, she tried out her first time in a walker. It was cute- you could see the wheels churning in her head as she realized her little steps equalled movement. She mastered the backwards step/push pretty quick!

That's all the mommy brain can remember for right now!

6-Month Update

Yes, it's true. Madison is 6 months old already! Actually, she has been for a few weeks and now is pushing 7 mos! Sheesh, where does the time go??
So I guess I'm a little behind in my update.
Where do I begin?! Madison is definitely developing more of a personality now that she's getting older. She loves the water, loves baths, loves the pool, likes being outside and seeing people and dogs. She loves grabbing faces (bonus points for beards!), is sitting up, rolling over, and completely cracks up whenever anyone does a fake sneeze (altho a "real" sneeze is still a little bit scary). We discovered the fake sneeze effect while up in Keystone -- a guaranteed laugh! She has also discovered her "voice" and can babble and "talk" for what seems like hours! Of course, she can cry louder than ever before too -- and she knows how to work it!

Favorite activities:

Watching the kitties

Banging together any two objects that make a noise

Playing her toy "piano"

Riding around in her Moby carrier

Watching trees (yes, she "watches" trees- blowing in the wind, etc)

Watching kids on the playground

Saying "oooh" every once in a while when something is REALLY cool

Favorite words:

"boo"

"ba"

"ka"

"goo"

"la"

Along with several variations, and the occasional squeak!

We had her 6-month doctor's appointment last week and got her 3rd round of shots. :(

Weight: 16 lbs, 3 oz, around the 50th percentile

Height: 26 1/4" which is around the 60th percentile

Head: 17 1/4" which was I think the 70th percentile. Maybe she inherited her daddy's big head!

She's eating solid foods twice a day now as "breakfast" and "dinner." Usually a fruit + cereal for breakfast and a vegetable for dinner. I've actually even bought a blender so I can make some of her own baby foods. You can just set it on "puree" and it makes a good soft blend. I have a feeling soon she'll be moving on to cheerios and whatnot and leaving my pureed food in the dust, but for now it's fun.

We have a playgroup we go to on Wednesdays with some of my other mommy friends, many of whom I met thru the Boulder breastfeeding group. It's a great way for the babies to socialize and the mommies to swap stories. And drink lattes!

I'm slated to go back to work on October 1st, and have a "practice" session with the Daycare person, Jan, next week. I'm not looking forward to it but she seems so loving with babies and excited about Madison that it makes me feel a little better.

Here are a couple pics from last weekend!

Swingin

First time in a real-people swing! I think she liked it!