Good Things Come In 3's

So...they say good things come in threes. Well, I'd have to say that whoever "they" are, were right! In the past month, I've hit three MAJOR milestones.

On November 17th, I SAT UP by myself!


Then, On December 7th, I learned how to CRAWL!



And then...today...December 16th, I learned how to PULL UP!!!

Wow!!! Look at me go! I wonder what's next...standing by myself, walking, talking, asking daddy for money...we shall see. Get ready Mom and Dad...I'm becoming quite the busy bee these days!

6 Month Check Up

I went to see my favorite doctor today for my 6 month check up. I'm not so sure she is still my favorite doctor anymore though. She made me get 3 shots and THEN she made me get my stinkin' finger pricked, too! Ugh! I don't understand why they have to poke me every time I go there. I am always such a good girl. I laugh and smile at all of the nurses and always love on Dr. Naylor and what do I get in return?!?!?! POKED!!!

Although I did not enjoy my time at the doctor today, I did get a good report! I weigh 16 lbs., 11 oz, and I am 26 1/4 inches long. This puts me in the 75% for height and the 50% for weight. I am very healthy and still growing stronger and stronger everyday. Here are some of my latest accomplishments:

*I started CRAWLING about a week ago and I love, love, love it!!! Mommy and Daddy are not so sure that they love it though. They are having a hard time keeping up with me!



*I recently discovered how to splash in the bathtub! I have so much fun picking my arm up and slamming it down into the water. I think it's soooooo funny when the water hits my face.

Things are going great down here in the Valley, but I am getting super excited to go to Waco for my 1st Christmas! Mommy and Daddy let me open one gift early tonight. I got a really neat mermaid doll. My friend, Grier has one and it is super special to her. I hope my mermaid and I form a life-long friendship. She's pretty darn cute! I'll try to get some pictures of her on here soon!

What's on your mind?

Many of you without gmail accounts have expressed an interest in leaving comments on the blog, so I'm here to give you a quick tip. Go to "Choose an Identity" and select "Name/URL." Insert whatever name you want to use, and don't worry about the URL part. Your comment will appear as "so and so said...." Easy peasy Japanesy!

Sitting Pretty

Well, I did it...I learned how to sit up ALL BY MYSELF! Check out my skills...!

Bring On The Veggies

Hello friends! My mom has been telling me for awhile now, that when I turned 5 months old she was going to give me something special. Well......last week was the big 5 month milestone and guess what....I got to try veggies!!! I started out with green beans. My mom and dad were convinced that I was not going to like them, but boy-oh-boy, those things were GREAT!!! The first bite was a little rough, but I wound up eating the entire jar and I didn't understand why they wouldn't give me more after it was all gone. I grabbed that container, held it up as high as I could, and started making all the crazy noises I could think of, but my darn parents just sat there and laughed at me...Ugh...how rude! I really wanted more of that green stuff!!! Unfortunately,on day 2 of green beans, mommy and daddy quickly realized that I am allergic to them. I get a bad rash on my head, but it goes away about 20 minutes later. Dr. Naylor says that I can't have anymore green beans until I'm 8 months old. What a bummer!!!
Yesterday, I got to try sweet potatoes and I quickly got over the disappointment of not being able to have green beans anymore. Wow, those things sure are yummm-o!!! I definitely think I am a vegetable lovin' girl. I can't wait to find out what they plan on giving me next!

This morning, mommy took me to the doctor because I had a bad bug bite on my right forearm. She first noticed it on Friday, but it got bigger and bigger over the weekend, so she thought it would be a good idea to take me in to have it checked out. Apparently, I got bit by a mosquito and then developed Cellulitus around the bite. No big deal though...Dr. Naylor called in an antibiotic cream to put on the infected area and she says I should be good to go in a few days! While I was at the doctor, I went ahead and got my 5 month check up and a few shots too. This way I will only have to get three shots at my 6 month appointment instead of six shots! I weigh 16 lbs, 4 oz and I am 26 inches long. This puts me in the 75% for both height and weight. I am super healthy and still growing like a weed!

Waco, Pumpkins, & Halloween

Hello friends!!! Believe it or not, I just returned from ANOTHER road trip! I swear...my parents can't stay in one city for more than a week at a time!

My aunt T flew down to McAllen on Friday, October 23rd. I was so excited to see her! She is super funny and she sure does love on me a lot! No complaints here! Anyway...she stayed at our house for the weekend and I assumed she was flying back home to Waco on Sunday like usual. But NOOOO....much to my surprise my mom started putting my clothes in suitcases and stuffing bags full of my things -again! Next thing I know, she was putting my exersaucer & bouncer in the car too! At this point, I knew I was going somewhere for the long haul. Well, a few minutes later she was putting ME in the car! Ugh! This time was different though. My daddy did not get in the car with us and I was really confused. Apparently he had to stay in McAllen for something called work. I was sad to leave him for a whole week, but excited for my trip to Waco to see Mimi & Poppy!

I spent the entire week in Waco and while I was there, I discovered these things at the end of my legs....my mommy calls them feet. I loooove to play with them. I'm still trying everyday to get them into my mouth. No luck yet, but I know I'll get them up there soon. I can't wait to chew on those things!

Daddy flew in on Thursday night and boy was I sure glad to see him! On Friday I went to another pumpkin patch and this time, mommy dressed me up in a giraffe costume. Everyone was smiling at me and saying how cute I was, but I did not like being in that silly thing! They are lucky I let them get a few pictures before I lost it! Then, Friday evening I went to my mom's 10 year class reunion but didn't last long before Mimi & Poppy had to come pick this sleepy girl up and put me to bed!

We got up Saturday morning and drove to San Antonio to see Nettie, Pappy, Missy, Grant, Ava, Grayson, Peggy & Kathy. They were there for the National Sporting Clay Shoot. Once again, my crazy parents put me in that silly Giraffe costume and the picture taking began. They said I had to wear it because it was my very 1st Halloween- whatever that means! I thought Halloween meant getting to knock on people's doors and ask for lots and lots of candy. I sure didn't see any candy. What a bummer! Maybe next year!

I am back home in McAllen now and my parents promise me that we won't take anymore road trips until Thanksgiving! We'll shall see...........

Busy Girl

This past weekend my crazy Mom and Dad put me in the car for another loooooong trip...8 hours to be exact! This time we headed to San Angelo for my Daddy's 10 year high school reunion. I must brag on myself...I was an absolute champ the entire way there...sickness and all. Yes, after almost 3 miserable weeks, my cold has still not gone away! Yuk! This runny nose and cough business is really annoying. At least the fever is finally gone!!!

Anyway, we got to San Angelo on Friday afternoon and spent the weekend with family and friends. I had so much fun playing with Nettie, Pappy, Daddy G, Crystal, Ava, Grayson, Grant, Missy, Chad, Jill, Cayson and many, many more! I even got to meet my cousin, Shauna. My mom and dad have been telling me about her since I was born, but she's been MIA (aka...in New York) for a long time doing some "stuff" for school.

On Sunday, I got to go to my very first pumpkin patch! Mommy & Daddy thought this was a prime opportunity to take lots and lots of pictures. Don't I look cute?!?!




We made the long journey back to McAllen on Monday and once again, I was a trooper! I didn't fuss one bit until that last stinkin' hour....geez louise....I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted out of that car!!!! I can't wait until we get to move somewhere where I don't have to ride in the car for hours and hours to go see my peeps! Ugh..this car business is getting old!

We've been taking it pretty easy ever since we got back home. Mommy put me on the floor for some play time on Tuesday and I showed her my newest trick...SITTING UP!!! Don't get all excited yet...I can't quite do this on my own, but if my mom puts me down in the sitting position I can stay there for about 20 seconds before I topple over like a bunch of bowling pins! I can't wait until I can sit up by myself. It's a lot more fun than laying on my belly all the time!

Yesterday mom broke out my new highchair since I am now a big girl who eats cereal on a daily basis! I really, really like my bright and colorful chair. It's super fun to sit and play with my toys and watch mommy cook dinner. I'm still not exactly crazy about the food that is shoved in my mouth while I am sitting in this chair, but I'm getting more and more tolerant of it everyday! I hear veggies are in my near future...maybe I'll enjoy those more than that white stuff they call cereal!

4 months old!!!

Hello friends! First off, let me tell you that I've decided to take over this blog business since my mommy can't seem to come up with anything interesting to say these days.

We went to Grant and Missy's house in Austin this past weekend since my daddy had a 3 day weekend. I had sooooo much fun playing with my cousins, Ava and Grayson. My aunt Tara came and spent the night with me and Mimi and Poppy came to have lunch with us on Sunday. I also got to meet one of mommy's good friends named Ashley and her 15 month old son, Jace. Wow...he's a quick little fellow. Maybe someday I'll move as fast as he does!

Today was my 4 month wellness check-up!!! Can you believe I'm already 4 months old! Whew- that time sure did go by fast! Dr. Naylor said I'm growing like a weed. I weigh 14 lbs, 5 oz. and I am a whopping 25 1/2 inches long. Holy moly...that puts me in the 90th percentile for my height. Apparently I'm going to be very tall like my mommy! I'm also SUPER excited because I get to start eating real food now.....well, that is if you consider rice cereal real food! Mommy is going to wait until daddy comes home today to give me my first "bite". I'm pretty sure a video will be coming soon to show you how I do with the new grub.

All-in-all, I'm doing great! I love to "talk" and smile at mommy and daddy. I've recently become quite interested in holding my toys and putting everything I touch into my mouth. I also love, love, love to chew on my hands. Mommy thinks I might be teething, but I sure hope not! I am so NOT looking forward to that business!

Thanks for stopping by and checking in on me! Hope you enjoy my "new and improved" blog!

Look at me go!

Madelyn's latest accomplishment! Sorry this video is so long... You really only need to watch the 1st 30 seconds or so. I haven't quite figured out how to just put portions of videos on the blog yet!!!

Smile Big

Here are a few recent pictures of our precious little girl. She's getting so big and developing so much personality. She's just a little over 3 months old this week. At this point, she's able to roll over from tummy to back and back to tummy, smile, giggle, reach for and grab toys, and she makes lots of cooing sounds. I swear she's trying to talk to us sometimes :)

Roll over, Roll over...

I took this picture yesterday (9/21/09) and made the comment to Garrett that Madelyn was so close to rolling over. Well, boy was I right! She rolled over today!!!!!!! She has rolled over from her tummy to her back already, but today was the first time she rolled over from her back to her tummy! This is a much harder accomplishment, so mommy was very proud! I was also thrilled that I actually saw it! I missed her first roll over from tummy to back and I also missed her first giggles. I was starting to think she would "perform" for anyone BUT ME! We are so proud of our little girl!

Riverwalk, Tummy Time, and Smiles

I don't really have much to report on, but I'll try to squeeze as much out as I can....

Garrett had to go to Kerrville last week for work. He was only going to have to be there for an hour or two, but we figured we should make a trip out of it since he was having to drive there anyway. Madelyn and I hopped in the car and followed Garrett up the road. (We are not allowed to ride in his government vehicle!) We stopped in San Antonio and Madelyn and I checked into the hotel which was right on the Riverwalk! Garrett went to Kerrville for his work business and then came back to San Antonio that evening. My dad just happened to be in San Antonio for work as well, so he met up with us for dinner that night. This was Madelyn's first trip to the Riverwalk! She absolutely loved looking at all of the scenery and listening to the many noises all around! She is a very attentive and alert baby. The next day, Madelyn and I went to Waco with my dad and Garrett came back to McAllen. We had a wonderful time in Waco with my family for a few days.

Other than our trip to San Antonio, there has not been too much going on around here. Madelyn is growing and reaching new milestones everyday. She absolutely LOVES tummy time! We opened up her new tummy time mat the other night and she played for a good 45 minutes. There is a little bear that lights up on the mat and she loves to stare at it and smile! She smiles so much now and has started "cooing" quite a bit. She makes the funniest noises sometimes. We are loving every minute with our precious little girl!

It's been awhile

As I signed on to begin typing this blog, I realized that it's been almost a month since my last post! I guess having a newborn around doesn't allow for as much blog posting as I would like! A lot has happened in the past month....

We took Madelyn on her first road trip and headed to Waco for a few days, then we drove to San Angelo and stayed there for a few days and then headed back home to McAllen. We were so surprised with how well Madelyn did in the car! She was an absolute angel! We only had to stop once on the way to Waco, she slept the entire time on the way to San Angelo, and we only stopped once on the long 7 hour drive from San Angelo to McAllen. It was such a wonderful trip and we truly enjoyed getting to see all of our family!

Last weekend we took Madelyn to the beach for the first time! She loved it! Madelyn absolutely loves being outside. Our friends Chad, Jill, Wade and Angela came down and went with us. We had a great time at the beach, swimming in the pool at our condo and just hanging out and spending time with such great friends. I'm sure there will be many more beach trips in our future!

Today is Madelyn's 2 month birthday! I can't believe she is already 2 months old....time really does fly! We went to the doctor this morning for her check up. She weighs 10 lbs, 11 oz and is 22 1/2 inches long. Dr. Naylor says Madelyn is in the 50th percentile in both weight and height. Everything is right on track and we have a beautiful and healthy baby girl!

Hope this post helps to catch you up on what's been going on in our lives lately. I'll try not to go so long before my next one!

1 Month Check Up

Madelyn went to the doctor this morning for her 1 month check up. She weighs 9 lbs and is 22 inches long. (She only weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz just 12 days ago!) She is growing so fast! The doctor said she is in the 50th percentile in weight and the 75th percentile in length. Everything is right on track! She had to get her second round of Hepatitis B shots....I think mommy cried more than Madelyn did :(
Dr. Naylor said that Madelyn is ready to be put on an official schedule so we are attempting to begin that today. I'm supposed to feed her every 2 1/2- 3 hours during the day and let her sleep as long as she wants throughout the night. We'll see how the new feeding schedule goes...she's been wanting to eat every hour lately, so we might have a fussy baby until she gets used to longer periods between feedings.

That's all I've got for now! 4 days 'till our trip home!!!

Happy 1 month birthday!

Yesterday was Madelyn's 1 month birthday...can you believe it??? It seems like this past month just flew by! Wow!

We woke up and started our morning off by singing happy birthday to our little princess. She proceeded to thank us with a major blow out in her diaper! Believe me....it was NOT pretty! So, mommy and daddy gave her a bath and then let her enjoy her new giraffe bouncer in her "birthday suit". She absolutely loved it!

Once we had Madelyn all cleaned up and ready to go, we headed to Cheddars for lunch. Yum! Then we ran errands at Target and Babies-R-Us (Mommy's new favorite store)! Madelyn was sleeping like an angel when we got home, so mommy decided to make her a birthday cake. Strawberry pink cake with vanilla icing...YUM!

As I think back over this past month, I can't help but smile. God has blessed our famliy in so many ways. We are so happy to have our health, happiness, our beautiful new baby and eachother. What an adventure we have begun...!

Catching Up

Well, my plan to write at least every other day has not panned out as well as I planned. Madelyn is keeping me very busy these days, but I am by no means complaining! She is such a good baby! I thought I'd post a quick blog while she is sleeping to catch everyone up on what we've been doing lately:

July 1st- We went to have our first official family photos taken. We wanted them to resemble Anne Geddes pictures and we definitely got what we asked for. They are amazing! Madelyn did so well during the photo session, minus a few "accidents". She was naked for the entire shoot and we defintiely left our mark at the photo studio! Oh well, I guess that's to be expected when you are dealing with a naked newborn. Jenny Hollis, the photographer, was so wonderful and could not be happier with our pictures!!! Here are a few...

July 2nd- We took Madelyn to the doctor today for a weight check. She weighs 7lbs., 13 oz!!! Wow, our little girl is growing fast! I don't really know why I was surprised...she eats ALL THE TIME!!! I'm sure she will be well over 8lbs. at our next appointment. The doctor also assured us that the jaundice is completely gone and we have a healthy and thriving baby on our hands. What great news!

July 8th- Today was our 3rd wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been 3 years

already. Our wedding seems just like yesterday in some ways and it seems like a century ago in others! We have been through many trials and tribulations these past few years. We've moved 5 times and have had 4 job changes between the two of us. Nevertheless, I am so happy to be happily married to my best friend and I couldn't have chosen anyone better to go through this journey with. We are truly blessed!

Events coming up-

July 13th- Madelyn's 1 month check up! Mommy is NOT looking forward to her getting her

shots, but I know it has to be done :(

July 16th- Mommy's 1 month check up!

July 17th- We are going on our first road trip since Madelyn was born! We leave for Waco
today! We will be in Waco from July 17th - 22nd and then we head to San Angelo

and will be there July 22nd - 26th. This might be quite an adventure with a

newborn baby on board! Wish us luck!