The Ladewigs

Daddy's home!

2010-01-16T10:45:00.003-05:00

"Daddy, daddy, daddy!"

Maddie was very happy to see me when I returned home from my class trip to Dubai. She gave me five big hugs right after this picture was taken. When we got back to the car, the only way to calm her down was to give her one of her presents, a stuffed animal camel!

Have you been looking for me?

2009-09-30T10:46:00.002-04:00

I am going to try to post some more pictures. Mommy's pretty useless since she's hurt, and now that I know how to walk, I don't like the computer as much.

Happy Father's Day Jon!

2009-06-21T20:59:00.000-04:00

Madeline is 13 months old!

2009-06-18T20:43:00.005-04:00

Madeline is 13 months old!

She has 6 (almost 8) teeth. She bites when she's over-tired. So far, she only bites Mommy and Daddy.

She vigorously shakes her head no -- and knows what it means!

She says Maaa to me, and Daa to Jon. She also says Da to pictures of dogs in books. The other day we think she said iPod. Lots of babbling and shreiking in general. She giggles, laughs and says a lot of things that we're not quite sure what she means.

She still gives a hearty round of applause for a good diaper change, meal or song at church.

She leans in and gives real hugs.

She is no longer the youngest baby at daycare. She was jealous of the new baby and cried and pulled at the sitter's leg when she was giving the new baby a bottle instead of her.

She really likes to play with diapers. I let her take one in the tub the other day. See how absorbant it is!

Ladewigs Take the Midwest! (Part 2)

2009-06-14T15:58:00.003-04:00

On the way back to Milwaukee, Mommy & Daddy stopped at the Harry Potter exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. The exhibit had all kinds of props and costumes from the movies. No pictures allowed, except for outside with the sign and the car the boys drove to school in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Madeline also got to experience some more Wisconsin-style eating with friends, including custard at Kopp's.

Ladewigs Take the Midwest! (Part 1)

2009-06-14T11:47:00.005-04:00

Our trip to the Midwest was very action-packed, in a very short period of time. Sen Herb Kohl (D-WI) and some other politicos were on our flight to Milwaukee. Madeline had a great time meeting all of her Grandma Nora's friends. She also enjoyed racing Daddy around Grandma's house. Mommy and Daddy went to Chicago to celebrate the wedding of friends Shannon and Keith.

More fun at the pool

2009-05-30T16:12:00.006-04:00

We have realized that it's going to be a long time before we bring something to read at the pool again.

Memorial Day Ponies

2009-05-25T22:01:00.002-04:00

Madeline's birthday party -- part 3

2009-05-25T21:41:00.003-04:00

After the barbeque, cake and presents, Madeline and her guests all needed naps! So we went home for a break, but came back for a twilight swim.

Madeline's birthday party -- part 2

2009-05-25T21:24:00.002-04:00

Maddie liked opening presents, but she did not like moving on to the next one. She didn't understand why we kept opening toys and then taking them away.

Madeline's birthday party -- part 1

2009-05-25T21:00:00.004-04:00

Madeline had a lot of fun with friends and delicous cake at her birthday party!

More from Madeline's Birthday

2009-05-18T16:38:00.004-04:00

Hat from Daddy

Lunch at Cosi

Doctor's Appt

Relaxing with Mom

Happy Birthday Madeline!

2009-05-18T07:16:00.002-04:00

Madeline is 51 weeks old!

2009-05-15T07:33:00.002-04:00

That's almost a year! Her week has been a busy one ... she now sits up, pulls herself to standing and cruises! She is getting very independent and loves to feed herself.

I had a busy weekend!

2009-05-10T22:38:00.004-04:00

1) I helped mommy make a present for Baby Thomas

2) I learned how to sit up in my crib.

3) I got a hotel room with my friend Clare and we partied down.

Things that make sense now that I'm a mom

2009-05-10T08:41:00.000-04:00

Mom jeans
Mini vans
How my fellow Weight Watchers members have gained weight by eating off their kiddo's plates
How much my mom loves me

Madeline is 50 weeks old!

2009-05-04T20:38:00.006-04:00

Here are 50 facts about 50-week old Madeline:

1) She likes to laugh.

2) She tries to say a lot of different words ... like:

3) Hi

4) Yeah

5) Dada

6) Maaaa

7) Verde (Spanish for green)

8) Her favorite food is Cheerios.

9) She also really likes blueberries

10) And peas.

11) Her least favorite food is (are?) lima beans.

12) She didn't like peek-a-boo until I used the shower curtain for the peeking.

13) Madeline loves to grab the shower curtain.

14) She now institutes her own peek-a-boo time.

15) Another favorite thing to hide behind is mommy's clothes.

16) If you ask her, "Who's number 1?" She'll hold up her pointer finger.

17) She will also do the "ET" thing and touch her pointer finger to yours.

18) She shakes her bootie to the alphabet song.

19) She will lean in for a hug.

20) She gives her baby doll a hug.

21) She rocks her baby doll.

22) Her baby doll would have serious shaken baby syndrome if it was a real baby.

23) We have to wake her up in the morning to go to daycare.

24) She loves sleeping in.

25) Madeline is starting to get the hang of playing her keyboard.

26) Sometimes she hits a few notes instead of just banging.

27) Madeline hates getting her diaper changed these days.

28) She will try to buck off the table.

29) At physical therapy this week, she played in front of a mirror.

30) She gave herself a kiss in the mirror.

31) She also gave herself a hi five.

32) And pointed.

33) And waved.

34) She has a love-hate relationship with the Jumparoo these days.

35) She loves jumping, but does not like not being able to get into things while jumping.

36) This leads to some angry jumping.

37) She tries to be mommy's best helper.

38) She is great at unfolding laundry.

39) Madeline is also very good at emptying boxes.

40) And if you need anything banged together, she's your girl.

41) Daddy and I have plans to wrap her in swiffer wipes and use her to clean the floors.

42) She has 4 teeth.

43) She is cutting 4 more, and having a hard time with them.

44) She likes to sing along to the radio.

45) Madeline likes to turn the pages in books.

46) She also has books that she prefers.

47) Tonight she grabbed a different book off the shelf to read when she saw the one I selected.

48) She still hates to have her nails clipped.

49) We distract her by brushing her teeth at the same time.

50) She weighs over 19 lbs, which is more than 3x what she weighed at birth. Where did my tiny baby go?

Madeline is 49 weeks old!

2009-04-30T22:14:00.001-04:00

Catching up with Madeline

2009-04-27T22:16:00.003-04:00

Madeline is getting to be such a big girl! She has 3 1/2 teeth: the two bottom, the top right, and half of the top left.

She can pull herself up to sitting, which is a big accomplishment, thanks to Miss Shirley and physical therapy. She has also been motivated by the cool music table she received as a gift to pull up to "tall kneeling"!

She has been moving on to advanced army crawling, and rolling around like a champ. She also really likes to stand up (with help).

Madeline is very verbal and a big flirt. She has started doing a pagent wave (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist), instead of waving with the whole arm. She loves to clap her hands and give a "low-five". It is much more rewarding to change a diaper when you're getting a round of applause for doing so.

Madeline is 46 weeks old!

2009-04-08T22:06:00.007-04:00

More from the weekend ...

2009-04-08T22:06:00.005-04:00

Daddy is 30 -- Cherry Blossoms -- Family Party -- Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T23:34:00.005-04:00

The Ladewigs packed this weekend full of photo-worthy activities! Daddy turned 30, and we celebrated with a night out as a couple. Fortunately, our friend Alex volunteered to babysit Madeline as a birthday present to Jon.

This was also the first weekend of good weather for the cherry blossom festival. Note to Texas readers: cherry blossoms are the DC equivalent of bluebonnets. Not that they're wildflowers, but that it's an annual floral photo opp.

It was very crowded and very windy, but fun!

Madeline is 45 weeks old!

2009-04-01T22:52:00.009-04:00

Madeline is now 45 weeks old! She is getting to be

such a big girl. She eats all kinds of food. She even ate a grilled cheese sandwich this weekend.

We think she might want to be a dentist when she grows up. One of her favorite things to do is stick her hands in people's mouths and say, "Ahhhhh."

In other news, I have lost almost all of the 60 (!) pounds I gained when I was pregnant. Remember, Madeline was born at 37 weeks ... I wonder how much weight I would have gained if I had gone another month!

Here's a couple of pictures of us from a year ago and today so you can compare how much Madeline has grown, and I have shrunk!

Look at these Ladies!!!

2009-04-01T00:14:00.002-04:00

How can I say no to these two????

So Dad, tell me about Free Cash Flows

2009-03-30T23:53:00.000-04:00

This past week, we received L-3 Communication's annual report in the mail. Naturally, Maddie wanted to know how her inheritance did the past year. I think she came away impressed that her Dad was a savvy investor.

Madeline is 44 weeks old!

2009-03-26T10:04:00.002-04:00

Madeline is doing really well on her physical therapy exercises. All of her friends at daycare do them with her and it is really cute! For some reason, she does them all perfectly with no complaints when we go to see Ms. Shirley, the physical therapist. She usually complains a little more with mommy. She got on all fours to try to crawl yesterday, but she still prefers rolling and army crawling.

Let me see some ID

2009-03-23T05:16:00.001-04:00

I don't let just anyone change my diapers. That's why when dad helps me get dressed and change my diapers in the morning, I make sure to check all his IDs to see if it's really him.

I'll show you who's hungry, caterpillar!

2009-03-20T22:09:00.003-04:00

Today is the 40th anniversary of the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. I celebrated by eating my hungry caterpillar.

http://www.eric-carle.com/events.py

Happy St. Patrick's Day from your favorite 43-week old!

2009-03-17T21:06:00.004-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Madeline is modeling some of her shamrock crafts that she made at daycare today. She went to daycare in a green outfit, but of course she did not come home wearing the same thing.

Rock & roll!

2009-03-15T18:04:00.003-04:00

Madeline enjoys playing her instruments. Do colleges offer tambourine or triangle scholarships?

Madeline is 42 weeks old!

2009-03-10T21:35:00.002-04:00

Now that Madeline is 42 weeks old, she is old enough to help out with the never-ending piles of laundry.

Here she is trying to figure out how to get her bunny out of its protective lingerie bag.

I am 41 weeks old!

2009-03-04T21:31:00.003-05:00

I have been looking at my blog, and I can't believe Mom dressed me in the same outfit for both the 39 & 40 week pictures! I insisted on a different outfit for this week.

Here are some things I like to do:

Sing along to the radio and at church

Play instruments, like the tamborine and triangle

Eat cheese, beans, fruits and veggies of all sorts

Grab jewelry and try to get it in my mouth

Here are some things I do not like to do:

Exercise, especially my sit-ups and yoga

Eat garbanzo beans

Have my fingernails and toenails clipped

Madeline is 40 weeks old!

2009-03-01T19:49:00.002-05:00

Madeline is 39 weeks old!

2009-02-26T19:38:00.000-05:00

Hats!

2009-02-25T20:40:00.000-05:00

9 month doctor's appointment

2009-02-18T16:26:00.000-05:00

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T00:35:00.000-05:00

Madeline is 38 weeks old!

2009-02-13T20:37:00.002-05:00

I am flying like a big person!

2009-02-05T12:25:00.000-05:00

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

I am 37 weeks old!

2009-02-05T09:07:00.002-05:00

Mom won't let me eat my sign!

I like peas!

2009-02-01T22:03:00.002-05:00

Zucchini!

2009-01-29T23:48:00.007-05:00

Lately, Annie's been making fresh baby food for Madeline. This includes such staples as potatoes, blueberries and zucchini. (Sorry Wisconsin, no cheese just yet!) Madeline has been a good sport and tried all the new stuff her parents keep feeding her. Luckily for her parents, she's even enjoyed it, even the Zucchini!

Catching up

2009-01-28T23:50:00.004-05:00

Mommy has been such a slacker with posting my weekly pictures! How am I supposed to update my fans?

Here are a few ... more to come soon!

Madeline is 32 weeks old!

2009-01-01T21:16:00.003-05:00

I don't know how much longer we'll be able to have signs...

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 12

2008-12-23T23:08:00.003-05:00

You know I'm a Smart Cookie!

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 11

2008-12-22T23:04:00.001-05:00

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 10

2008-12-21T17:44:00.002-05:00

I'm no Grinch!

Baby's First Tailgate

2008-12-21T12:32:00.003-05:00

Madeline went to her first football tailgate yesterday, as Daddy's Wake Forest Demon Deacons prepared to take on the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy at the Eagle Bank Bowl at RFK Stadium.

A difference from Aggie games was that she was the only baby in attendance. However, Aggie babies were left to wonder, was Texas A&M even bowl-eligible this year? Is Madeline going to live a life of Wake Forest football games and Aggies making it to March Madness?

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 9

2008-12-20T21:33:00.002-05:00

A special Christmas bath with the three wise ducks, Mary duck holding Baby Jesus duck (left) and Joseph duck with lamb duck (right).

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 8

2008-12-20T08:04:00.001-05:00

"Mom, are you serious?"

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 7

2008-12-18T20:40:00.001-05:00

Have you been Naughty or Nice?

Madeline is 30 weeks old!

2008-12-17T22:20:00.001-05:00

Madeline is now 30 weeks old! She enjoys eating cereal, peas, sweet potatoes and peaches.

She likes to talk. If only we knew what she meant!

Madeline enjoys pulling off her socks and putting everything in her mouth.

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 6

2008-12-17T22:18:00.002-05:00

The best present ever!

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 5

2008-12-16T22:25:00.001-05:00

Uh-oh, we don't have a chimney!

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 4

2008-12-15T20:59:00.001-05:00

Enjoying the sweet tastes of Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 3

2008-12-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

Visions of sugarplums dancing in her head ...

My first visit to KD!

2008-12-13T19:06:00.002-05:00

Today I went on my first visit to the Kappa Delta house at the University of Maryland. Everybody said I was very cute and well-behaved. Obviously those KDs are great judges of babies! I am looking forward to rush in 2026! Here is a picture with Nikki, one of my Kappa Delta friends.

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 2

2008-12-13T17:30:00.000-05:00

"Santa, what do you mean I have to write a letter? I uploaded everything to my amazon.com wish list!"

12 Days of Christmas Photos: Day 1

2008-12-12T21:47:00.002-05:00

Hoping for Silent Nights ...

Madeline is 29 weeks old!

2008-12-10T21:42:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Calla!

2008-12-03T19:06:00.004-05:00

Today my friend Calla was born in Dallas. Her blog is here. I'm sure she will be making her own posts soon!

We have a lot in common. For example, we have the same taste in clothes. She has the same outfit that I am wearing in this photo, because her Mommy bought them for both of us. My Mommy bought some matching clothes for us, too.

Madeline is 28 weeks old!

2008-12-02T20:45:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving Video

2008-11-30T11:47:00.003-05:00

Without further ado, I present a clip of Madeline's first meal!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T18:54:00.006-05:00

Today was my first Thanksgiving and it was AWESOME! My Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Tommy came over for dinner and we ALL ate food -- even me! I ate some rice cereal and sweet potatoes. Mommy and Daddy have been holding out on me. Food is so delicious! Mommy tried to feed me with the spoon, but I'm pretty sure I can do it myself. After dinner, I was so stuffed that I took a long nap. Then when I woke up, Mommy brushed my teeth for the first time. I'm pretty sure I can do that myself, too.

Madeline is 27 weeks old!

2008-11-26T20:49:00.003-05:00

Madeline is 26 weeks old!

2008-11-18T23:31:00.003-05:00

Madeline is 26 weeks old! That's ...

6 months ... or ...

Half a year!

She weighs 15 lbs, 2 oz, and is 26 1/8 inches tall.

Madeline is 25 weeks old!

2008-11-13T22:53:00.001-05:00

Madeline is 24 weeks old!

2008-11-06T22:13:00.003-05:00

My First Election Day!

2008-11-04T17:11:00.002-05:00

Best pictures from Halloween

2008-11-02T21:43:00.004-05:00

For her first trick-or-treating, we took Madeline to the Halloween parade in the Fredleys' neighborhood. This is actually my 3rd Halloween parade, and I guess technically Madeline's 2nd, since she was in my tummy at the parade last year. The Korn family also joined in the fun, and between the 3 families, there were 2 3-year-olds and 2 little babies, or a ladybug, NASCAR driver, horse, and bunny.

Madeline slept through some of the parade, then woke up a little confused about why we were taking a walk in the dark. When we got back to the Fredley's house to hand out some candy and have some grown-up treats, she was back to her usual happy baby self.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T00:15:00.001-04:00

I am 23 weeks old!

2008-10-30T22:40:00.003-04:00

I am now 23 weeks old! It has taken me some time to get this up because Mommy has been sick, so I have been taking care of her when we get home at the end of the day.

I am excited because tomorrow is Halloween! I get to wear a snuggly bunny costume and be in a parade!

Madeline is 22 weeks old!

2008-10-23T20:14:00.002-04:00

Madeline is 22 weeks old and such a big girl!

She is very engaged in her world. She enjoys interacting with us and her toys. Madeline is fascinated by pictures of animals and babies.

The baby books say she should be making ma and ga sounds by now, but she would rather shreik. It must be because she has such an exciting life!

Madeline is 21 weeks old!

2008-10-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

Madeline is 20 weeks old!

2008-10-08T22:52:00.006-04:00

Madeline is now 20 weeks old! She laughs and smiles and today when she sneezed, we said, "God bless you!" and I could swear she said "Thank you!" afterwords. Naturally, she is very well mannered!

Madeline showed us a trick she learned on her first day at daycare: sticking out her tongue and blowing out, trying to flutter it at us, to some success!

She still loves playing on her Gymini and of course thinks her parents are hilarious ... obviously she has a highly advanced sense of humor.

I have been busy! (Part 3: Starting Daycare)

2008-10-08T22:14:00.004-04:00

This week I started going to play with other kids during the day. I love big kids! I have lots of fun watching them play. They all like me, too. The big girls have hair! I wonder when I will have hair?

Here are two pictures of me one on the way to play and one on the way home. Mommy thought it would be funny to take a picture of all the stuff she brought with her that day. There's a bag for me, a bag for her, my lunch, her lunch, and the milk maker.

I have been busy! (Part 2: Grandma Nora visits)

2008-10-08T22:07:00.002-04:00

When Mommy and I rode the airplane home, Daddy and Grandma Nora were there to see us! Hooray!

I have been busy! (Part 1: San Diego)

2008-10-08T21:35:00.005-04:00

This has been a busy fall for me so far! I rode on an airplane with Mommy, and then we saw Grandma Ann and Grandpa Tom and ALL of us rode on another airplane together!

I'm not sure what I think about airplanes, but I did like seeing my Grandma and Grandpa.

When we finally got done with airplanes, we were in San Diego. Mommy took care of the homebuilders, and Grandma and Grandpa took care of me. Our hotel looked out on the water, and we took lots of walks together and relaxed by the pool. Mommy could see us while she was inside at her meetings!

On our last day, Mommy, Grandma, Grandpa and I went to the San Diego Zoo. We saw lots of animals, but I was exhausted by the end of the day!

Madeline is 19 weeks old!

2008-09-30T20:54:00.002-04:00

IMG00037.jpg

2008-09-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

Hello from San Diego!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Madeline is 17 weeks old!

2008-09-17T21:21:00.002-04:00

This was a difficult picture to get because Madeline is so wiggly these days! She is moving and shaking all over the place. Madeline is well on her way to crawling. When we put her on her activity mat on her back, she rolls all the way over, pops up, and starts to crawl off. It's time to babyproof!

Probably?

2008-09-13T10:24:00.002-04:00

I am 16 weeks old!

2008-09-08T21:57:00.008-04:00

I am now 16 weeks old! In this week's official photo, you might notice that I am in a different location. The Boppy was not available to be photographed. If you can guess why, leave your answer in the comment section of the blog. The person with the first correct guess will get a special greeting from me and the admiration of all of The Ladewigs blog readers!

I have had a very busy week. Thursday morning I woke up and decided to work on rolling over. Unfortunately, my arm got stuck in the process, so I started to cry. Mommy came in and took a picture.

Then on Friday night I was hanging out with Mommy, and I tried to roll over again. My arm got stuck again, but since we had some time to play, Mommy unstuck my arm and I crawled like a big girl back and forth on my mat. Crawling is a lot of work, especially when your head is in the 75% and your body weight is in the 25%.

Then on Sunday, I finally rolled over and got my arm unstuck myself!

All this rolling and crawling tires me out! I have been sleeping a lot at night time, but not very much during the day, since I want to get in as much practice as possible.

Happy Grandparents' Day!

2008-09-07T22:03:00.002-04:00

The Granddaughter has had a rumbly belly today, so no picture with a sign. Here is a recent cute one.

Oh what a difference

2008-09-07T21:53:00.004-04:00

Same outfit, same carseat. First photo taken 5/22/08, second taken 9/6/08.

Madeline is 15 weeks old!

2008-09-02T22:05:00.004-04:00

Madeline is now 15 weeks old! She is sleeping a lot longer at night ... sometimes 8 hours in a row! I've heard her wake up in the morning and she's just chilling in her crib, laughing at the animals on the bumper. It's pretty funny!

Another development is that she is trying really hard to roll over. She's almost got it!

Madeline is 14 weeks old!

2008-08-25T20:54:00.006-04:00

Madeline is now 14 weeks old and she's tired! She had a very busy week hanging out with her Daddy.

She also had her baptism, and had visitors from Wisconsin & Texas. It was a little overwhelming for her, but she is looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Where are you Mom???

2008-08-18T14:27:00.004-04:00

Mom,

If your reading this, than that must mean your close. I miss you. Dad's OK. He made me do tummy time. He also read me a story and changed my diaper a few times. Come home, I'm hungry.

Love,

Maddie

Madeline is 12 weeks old!

2008-08-15T00:24:00.004-04:00

Madeline is 12 weeks old & has started to sleep through the night!

Note: the American Academy of Pediatrics defines sleeping through the night as midnight - 5 AM.

Other fun things include dressing up with matching outfits with her Mommy and reading the Bible with Daddy to get ready for her upcoming Baptism!

Lunch with Daddy

2008-08-09T23:30:00.003-04:00

Madeline practices eating with a bottle to get used to her upcoming month of being home with Daddy!

I am a summer baby!

2008-08-06T16:16:00.001-04:00

Madeline is 11 weeks old!

2008-08-05T21:27:00.003-04:00

Madeline is now 11 weeks old! She was pretty sleepy in this picture.

Madeline is beginning to giggle. This is ahead of schedule, but makes sense because her parents are much funnier than your average parents.

She also gets to see lots of amusing things like Mommy trying to exercise and Daddy trying to assemble various baby gear.

Madeline can Army crawl like a champ! She can escape over the wall of her Gymini every time now. I think the recruiters will be looking to sign her up any day now.

Another one of Madeline's developments that we got to see in action this week was that she turned her head to follow me as I went to Communion at Mass this week (she stayed with Daddy and the stroller).

Things I like to do

2008-08-01T21:12:00.004-04:00

I like to play on my Gymini

Sit in my carseat

And ride on my swing!

Madeline is 10 weeks old!

2008-07-28T21:43:00.005-04:00

Madeline is 10 weeks old now! She is getting bigger and stronger every day. She weighs more than 11 pounds now! She gives us lots of smiles, which we love.

She is making the most of her "tummy time" and wiggling all over her mat. She lifts her head up to look around and does the "superbaby" move where she balances herself on her tummy, lifting up her arms, head, and legs.

She definitely likes playing in the warm water of the bath. She does not like Mommy and Daddy scrubbing her and getting her clean.

Madeline has had some very special visitors, her grandparents from Texas.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-07-27T22:58:00.003-04:00

Madeline is 9 weeks old!

2008-07-22T23:46:00.004-04:00

Madeline is 9 weeks old now! Some of her social developments are that she sort of likes taking a bath, she smiles a lot and she is starting to like her toys ... and getting a sense of fun!

I'm all smiles!

2008-07-19T14:21:00.003-04:00

Madeline is 8 weeks old!

2008-07-14T23:01:00.003-04:00

Madeline is now eight weeks old!

She is definitely a smiler now. Don't get me wrong, she still has some major complaints about the service around here, but she is definitely smiling because she is happy about things. She also does a funny thing with her eyebrows -- raising them both at the same time twice, kind of like she's saying, "hey, how you doin?"

Another development is her transition to size one diapers. It's been a messy one, trying to figure out what brand works best and whether or not she was big enough for size one. So far we think she's a Pampers girl.

Madeline is 7 Weeks Old!

2008-07-09T22:47:00.007-04:00

We have had a busy week! Technical difficulties have delayed this post.

Madeline continues to grow and get stronger, both physically and in personality. She is almost too big for newborn clothes, which makes me kind of sad, but happy because she is healthy and gaining weight at the recommended amount.

Our July 4th was very eventful. The power went out around 3AM, and by 5AM the Dominion Virginia truck and crew were outside working away. Around 10 we realized that we had better get a move on if we wanted to leave our apartment at all that day, because they pulled up a backhoe and had marked all the different lines with spraypaint on the pavement. We headed over to Mass at the Knights of Columbus and then on to the pool and barbeque.

We headed home from the pool around 3, and came back to a huge hole (with 6 workmen inside) and a blocked driveway. Of course, no power means no air conditioning, so we decided to go get ice cream at the local parlor, we swung back around to check out the progress at 5, and there was a bigger backhoe and more men in the hole. We decided our next activity would be the most American thing of all, go to the mall (note: not The Mall, the one with air conditioning and 4th of July sales). The stores were all closing by the time we got there, so we hung out at the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble. I read People, Jon read HBR, and Madeline napped. We were leaving for home with the intention of checking out fireworks, but by that time it had started to rain, and as we drove by our fireworks-watching spot, we noticed many cars were already parked dangerously on the on-ramp to the freeway. We watched fireworks on TV and out our window instead, which we were able to do because THE POWER WAS BACK ON!

Saturday we met our cousin Kelly out for brunch. Don't these two girls look pretty in pink?

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-07-02T17:23:00.003-04:00