Happy Easter

Maddox got to help us fill eggs for the egg hunt at church. She REALLY wanted one of those jelly beans but we promised her next year she could have all she wanted. She hasn't been feeling the best, although today she is much better. She has had a terrible sounding cough. But, we visited the pediatrician today ( YES....they have weekend hours) and she got a good bill of health. We are to just keep her filled with fluids to wash the mucous out. She ran a fever last night but hasn't had one today and Dr said her ears were still clear. She was pretty well back to her old smiley self today just with a cough. We have really been trying to teach her some basic sign language to aid in her ability to communicate with us. We've been working on 'MILK' and 'EAT'. She used to totally ignore us and just cry/fuss/get excited to drink and eat while we were waving our hands in front of her face making the gestures.....but now it seems to be more of an 'oh, I get it stare'.....instead of a 'what the heck are you waving your hands at me for' stare. We are probably far from her actually being able to sign TO US that she wants 'MILK' or that she wants to 'EAT' but, we'll keep trying. We are still working on waving bye bye too, but she hasn't quite grasped that concept either. She does think it is funny though when we grab her arm and wave it around frantically at the other, when one of us is leaving the room!! This weekend we were back chaperoning the nursery at church. She watched the 2 other 3 year olds run around the whole time. They have this great standy-up thing that is really bouncy. Much bouncier than our stand up device at home. She kicked her legs and bounced almost the entire time we were there. Good thing!! Wore her out so she still slept pretty well last night, despite her yucky cough. We have progressed from squash to peas.....and next are sweet potatoes. She is liking everything we've given her so far!!

Maddox Swims!!

We have had an exciting 48 hours!! Maddox went swimming, ate squash for the first time, had a play date with a friend from California AND had her 6month check up. WHEW! We are both tired. She is taking a much needed nap, so I thought I'd give you all the details. Yesterday, Grandma Jean and Grandpa Jim took us to the Bettendorf YMCA for our first swim. Maddox loved it!! We all had a really good time. Grandpa Jim took some great photos and Grandma Jean joined us in the water. Maddox was literally in awe with her mouth hanging open, taking in all the sites of the water, the people, the kids, and the fountains, for about the first 10 minutes, practically not moving a body part. But, once she got settled in and discovered a familiar looking red crab ( I had brought one of her bath toys with us for comfort) she was very playful...kicking, floating, splashing, shrieking out with excitement, smiling. I think she would've stayed longer if we'd have let her...but it was time for a nap. She was asleep before we even made it out of the parking lot!! You can see a big yawn in one of the pictures. Then after all the excitement at the pool we decided to try some squash. She has really taken a likin' to the cereal all last week so we decided to jump ahead to 'real' food. She scarfed down every bite and looked at me with big eyes when I walked away with the empty bowl, as if to ask for more. Then today we had a play date with a friend from California. Jen has a daughter, Sophie, who is 2 years old. Sophie was more interested in the steps to the second floor than she was Maddox....course Maddox is kind of boring to a 2 year old ( they have a one level home in CA). Then Maddox and I loaded up to go see Dr. Anderson for her 6 month check up and of course the dreaded shots. She is up to 13lbs 13oz and is 26 inches long. Dr. Anderson is still calling her 'petite' but isn't concerned with her weight and was happy that we had moved onto cereal and squash. He checked her over and was happy to hear she has been rolling over, standing and sitting with support and sleeping through the night. All good signs of normal development. We don't go back again until the middle of July for her 9 month check up. So it has been an extremely eventful 48 hours. We'll write again soon.

Happy 6 months Maddox

Can't believe it, but Maddox turned 1/2 a year this week. It seems like yesterday that she was born.  Happy 6 months Maddox. She is getting really good at pushing herself up when she's on her tummy. She  uses her little stick arms to really press up and sometimes she is even pulling one thigh under her to ALMOST start thinking about crawling! She loves to stand up with support now.  We've been putting her in the Exersaucer. She sort of jumps up and down playing with all the toys on the edge exercising her legs and her trunk muscles. There is a picture below ( I think). Blogspot changed it's format....I am still figuring things out. She can sit a little unsupported...if we position her just right with her feet touching each other in front of her making a sort of diamond shape but, as soon as she reaches for something she goes down on her noggin'. We need a little more trunk muscluature before she can go solo. But, she did discover the bathtub faucet this week.  She was able to sit up in the baby washtub, hold onto the side of the tub with one hand and then reach the other hand out and put it right under the faucet.  It was so funny....totally a new discovery. Our water comes out really hard from the bath faucet. She kept switching her hands, one hand on the tub and then the other in the water...letting each hand get the FULL experience.  Let's see what else...she is over the ear infection and done with the yummy pink amoxicillin. Luckily that seems to have cleared up her chronic morning congestion. We started her back on cereal last weekend.  We had given her the cereal way back before she turned 5 months...and it wasn't a great experience so we quit, to let her develop a bit more.   We started again last Saturday and she ate it like gang busters.  Loves the cereal now....opens her mouth, swallows well, lunges forward to get more, and scarfs down the entire bowl. She doesn't know it but Mom has squash and sweet potatoes in the wings.  Maybe we'll see how she likes them this week.  She has started making this new face, the one in the picture above...putting her lower lip up way under her top gums....kind of cute....but we're hoping it doesn't give her an overbite. I think her eye color has fully developed....and she definitely has Dad's eyes...sort of hazelly. She and I have spent a lot of time outside in the baby jogger this week with the weather so nice. She now sits in the REAL part of the stroller not up in the car seat.  So she faces forward and can see what's in front of her. Although it's a quick view because luckily the jogger lulls her to sleep....whether we're walking or running.  She also sat up in the REAL part of the shopping cart last week. She's a little small but I put this little cover thing in the seat so she doesn't fall through the leg holes. She seemed to really like it looking at all the people and the colors.   We go to Dr. Anderson on Monday for her 6 month check up and more dreaded shots. I'll write after the check up to give you the details. 

Maddox Razzing!

Below is some video of Maddox, Eric took last night. She has found her ability to 'razz'!! Well, I really think she just figured out to gargle the spit that she allows to fall down into the back of her throat. But, we'll call it razzing for now! She is a funny girl. Enjoy-Laura

First Solo Trip

Maddox had a bit of a long week this week. After a couple nights of not sleeping well and being unusually needy and fussy, we took her to the doctor on Friday afternoon. She has a mild ear infection and they prescribed some antibiotics to help her clear it up. The good news is that she is up to 13lbs 6 oz, which is 1 pound in about a month and a half. We don't notice the weight increase much, but she is definitely stretching out of her clothes!!! The ear infection seems to be doing a bit better now. She has been sleeping

much better in the pack-n-play than in the past, which means that we don't ne

ed to use the swing as much. She's been out with mom in the jogging stroller a couple of ti

mes this week and really seems to enjoy the fresh air. A little warmer and we might be

able to put her in the jogger facing forward so she can check out the scenery. We're planning to try cereal again here in the next couple of weeks, hoping for a more positive experience the second time.

Last weekend, Maddox and mom took their first solo trip without dad. They went up to Aurora to see Grandma Marti, Grandpa Dick and Great Grandma Christine. The trip went well, and dad managed to survive the evening alone. Take care. Eric