Countdown to Easter...

Here comes easter (and spring) and this house could not be any more excited!

Madigan got her first swimsuit, and here's the pictures to prove it! She's such a ham for the camera- she will even be grumpy then start smiling when we get the camera out. I think she's trying to avoid any proof that she's ever been a grump!! 

I think that the small ruffle really detracts from the thigh rolls. Somehow the rolls are cute on her- when I wear my swimsuit and my thigh rolls are showing, nobody tells me how adorable that is... At what age does chubby legs stop being cute? Hmm..

I think I'm about 20 years beyond that age...

As far as lent goes, Brett gave up his beard (!) and I'm giving up swearing. Don't get me wrong, I don't swear a LOT, but I'm going to try to cut out all the things I don't want to hear come out of Madigan's mouth. Which I have a feeling will be coming out SOON, since she is starting to mock sounds that we make, I have a feeling it won't be long before I hear her repeat a lot of different things! 

She just had a ball at ash Wednesday services too! Cooing, clapping, making faces at the couple behind us... She seemed to generally detract from the repentant, somber mood that our minister was trying convey. She's generally a big "hit" at social functions- the more eyes on her, the happier and more lively she becomes. 

I wonder where she got her love of attention?  :)

Where's my baby?

Thank goodness we are healthy again!!

With antibiotics, nebulizers and tylenol, we made it through. It really made me appreciate having a healthy, happy baby 99% of the year. Mothers of chronically ill children have so much respect from me...

Bath time with Madigan is so much fun! She can be a grumpy little girl, but the second you put her into a bathtub full of toys she squeals with delight! She would love to stay in there for hours if you'd let her. I can't wait until she's old enough for the pool this summer. (I've already bought her the first swimming suit- I'll post pictures of it some other time...) I hope she loves the water like I did- her dad is a bit water-shy, so that might be hard for me to handle in a child!! Brett jokes that I'll be dragging her to the pool so that I can swim- and she'll be saying "Can we go home yet?"

(Madigan in my great-grandpa's chair)

I have also been playing with my camera, lights, and backdrops again recently. This picture really cracks me up! Madigan is wearing a onsie that my friend Monica made for her. There is a tiny, pink bow sewn on the front of it, and Madigan can't leave it alone... she knows she isn't supposed to eat it, but she can't help it. 

She got "caught" grabbing it, and tried to play it off as her thumb-sucking maneuver. Just too cute!

This is a picture of Madigan and her little friend Giana. My friend Monica (who made their onsies) is Giana's mommy- I'm so lucky to have a friend with a little girl Madigan's age! There is one more mommy/baby combo to our trio of "July Moms" as we call ourselves, but she was sick that night and couldn't make it. Hopefully we'll have a pic of all 3 of the wonder-children soon! 

I'm contemplating making a "go" of a real photography business, so I've been busy gathering info on that, and Brett is busy with school, tests (March will be his LAST midterms!!), working on his resume, applying for jobs, and working. Madigan is of course busy practicing all the things that we aren't ready for her to do. She is crawling a few "steps" at a time, just one or two little lunges at a time to get a toy. She also pulls herself up to her feet if she has something to hold on to right in front of her (!!!!). I'm definitely not ready for the pulling up thing- that means steps are not far behind, and this house is no where NEAR baby-proof!! She's also quickly outgrowing jammies, growing into her spring and summer dresses, and coming up with so many more sounds, consonants, and syllables than before. Before we know it, we will have a walking, talking child on our hands. Where did my baby go?

Sick, sick, sick!!

Poor baby has been sick, sick, sick!! She got a cough this weekend, and it was just dry and

 infrequent. Monday when I picked her up from daycare she sounded barky. She was also coughing up stuff, and the staff told me that a full HALF of the kids in her room were out with either ear infections, pneumonia, or RSV. Great... She coughed through the night, and Brett was home with her in the morning Tuesday. He called to let me know she was running a temp (101) and he didn't want to take her to daycare. When I got home she looked terrible! She had big red rings around her eyes, she had a runny nose, drooling, and coughing up gunk. Brett did the best he could to make her feel better, but this was beyond kisses and hugs! 

I took her to the doctor and after a bunch of tests (have you ever seen them do a chest x-ray on a baby? It involves a plastic tube thing to hold her down...) we left with a few new things to worry about: she has a right ear infection, and pneumonia, and RSV.

So now we're doing nebulizers, antibiotics and tylenol to help keep the fever down. She's been really grouchy, and I can't blame her. This is too much for her little system to handle! She's out of daycare for the rest of the week, so Brett & I are switching off work/school schedules. The good news is that we got her 6 month pictures back FINALLY! We ordered them yesterday so hopefully the prints will be in soon so everyone can have their pictures. Here's a few to sneak a peek at:

Have a great week! Happy Valentines day!!

Happy Groundhog Day!

It looks like Cheeks McGee saw her shadow, so 6 more weeks of winter... Oh, what's that? Who's Phil? Nevermind him... I know this isn't the clearest shot, but it definitely outlines her beautiful cheeks. The cheeks that help put her head in the 90th percentile. Her weight is in the 90th percentile too... as far as length... well... two outta three ain't bad.Little miss curious enjoyed playing with the camera this weekend about as much as I did. She's such a poser! She had her check up and shots on Friday and did pretty good. Brett had to work so I had to field the needles myself. You think as a nurse I'd be ok with shots. I hate them for her! She is always so happy and laughing at the nurses... until they jab her and she cries, then I'm as big of a mess as she is. But an hour later we're both over it, so I guess we will survive them afterall. These are some pictures I took on Saturday morning after we all crawled back into bed together. 

I'm still waiting (less and less patiently) for her "six month" pictures to come back, and YES, I'm well aware that she's seven months old by now.  I keep reminding the photographer of that too... He doesn't seem to mind. Last time I talked to him, I told him that I have 2 sets of grandparents that need new pictures, and my next step is to just give his phone number to them and let them harass him...   

She is eating like a champ (wonder where she gets that?) and moving up through the stage 2 foods quickly. He said in the next month or two we can start soft foods like mashed potatoes, cooked veggies, and yogurt. Yummy! 

Here's a shot of her in the jumperoo (thank you, Cadorets!!) I know she looks slightly pained, but honestly she just enjoys the heck out of that thing! Usually she's got ahold of the grab bar in the front and she's letting it buck her all over. We may have a mini-PBR chick on our hands!

Have a great week!