Ella is 1!

Madelyn had a blast with her friends at Ella's first birthday party! It was super cute and sweet and the perfect way to celebrate a precious little girl. I can't believe Madelyn has been to so many birthday parties for her "friends" already. Happy Birthday Miss Ella!!

tubes

Last week we made trip #2 to the ENT. The last time we went in, her ears looked perfect and he wanted to wait on the tubes. Three days later, she had a raging ear infection.

The ear infection was still raging for appointment #2 even after five days of antibiotics, but she was still in a good mood.She kept giving me LOTS of kisses and climbing up and down from the big chair.
We scheduled the tubes for today (less than a week after the appointment). I was a little nervous, but hospitals aren't exactly new to our family.

We had to be there at 5:45 this morning (but we were running late as usual) and Madelyn kept looking around like we were crazy for being up so early. Despite that, she was in a great mood!
She smiled for all of the nurses and was as sweet as could be.
The nurses gave Madelyn a blanket from the sweet ladies behind Project Linus. I was thankful because I forgot to bring her one.
It was short, sweet and she woke up just as happy as when we left her!
She was definitely ready for a snack and sucked down a whole sippy cup full of juice/water!
I'm so thankful that Madelyn did so well and I am praying that the tubes help her ears.

a few things I've learned recently

Meal times are just going to be messy at our house for a while. Matted hair. Crusty nose. Sticky cheeks. Yep, that's meal time at my house for the next year. There are three ways to get lots of strange looks when you are walking through Target:

1. Let your toddler walk around on their own and be totally OK with it.2. Do an interview the night before on the local news station. Everyone either stares at you or stops you and says, "I saw you on TV last night!". One of the funny things about living in a smallish city.

3. Let your toddler stand up in the buggy portion and not safely fastened in the seat as they should be. It was a one time thing that I am not ashamed to admit I may resort to again in the future as long as I'm comfortable with it.I used to get SO stinking embarrassed when my mom would drive me to middle school (and high school as a freshman) with rollers in her hair. I have no idea why, but it mortified me and I would rather walk from the farthest corner of the campus than have my mom pull up through the drive through with them in. As if everyone at the school was going to be waiting by my car and had never seen a woman with rollers in her hair before. I cannot believe how retarded that was. I'm sorry mom for all the whining I did about it and I am glad you never gave in to my pleas to take them out. Hopefully Madelyn won't hurt me later for posting this picture on the internet, but the truth is...we all fix our hair (on good days at least). So here I am with the very things that I used to be mortified for my mom to be seen in and I am more than OK with it.

I have so enjoyed learning to sew and creating fun things for Madelyn and others. My favorite thing to create as of late: messy fabric flowers. They are easy and a nice change of pace from all of the bows. Madelyn makes the perfect little model.

I love watching Madelyn play with her cousins. I didn't really learn this recently. It's not new, but Madelyn's ability to actually play with them instead of just along side them is new.



And last but not least...if your throat is "tickled" and your chest feels like it's collapsing in every time you take a breath, go to the doctor. You may just have bronchitis and a couple of small spots of pneumonia on your lungs. Going to the doctor during the work week sure beats a copay to the emergency clinic that is over twice as much as that of a doctor's visit. More than that, going before it gets really bad may save you from having to get a shot in your hiney. Talk about humiliating. During the whole prego phase, you lose your sense of modesty because of all the "checks" and doctor's visits, but once you have the baby it quickly returns. Thankfully, between the steroids, antibiotics, cough syrup and inhaler, I can breath again! Woo hoo!

What have you learned lately??

Madelyn, Matilda and the doll bed drama!

I have this thing (my husband calls it a complex) that I have to do every night before I go to bed (and about 10 times throughout the day). Madelyn's baby doll, Matilda, has the cutest little doll bed that her Grandma and Grandpa gave her for her birthday. I habitually make Matilda's bed, put her in it, cover her up and lay Matilda's baby doll in her arms. I sleep better at night knowing she is tucked in.

Madelyn does not share in this feeling. As a matter of fact, she doesn't think Matilda belongs in the doll bed at all. To Madelyn, it's just one of her favorite reading spots. About 13 times a day (usually just after I have made the bed and tucked Matilda in) Madelyn lifts Matilda up by her feet, throws her down and climbs in the doll bed herself.

She loves that bed.

But at the end of the day...when MK is fast asleep...I always make sure Matilda is tucked away for the night. At least until turbo toddler wakes up and relocates her to the floor once again.

just another Sunday afternoon

Red White and Blue Festival

Saturday afternoon we ran a few errands and then made our way down the road to Bullard's annual Red White and Blue Festival. It was a beautiful afternoon to be outside and there were a lot of people who had the same idea!They had live entertainment on "the big stage", different dancers and performing groups on the dance floor, arts and crafts vendors, food and carnival rides.
Even with all that they had going on, the most important "attraction" was the tribute to the veterans. I was so completely humbled by the sheer number of names. The display for the War on Terror was much larger than I anticipated. Names of thousands of men and women, sons and daughters, husbands and wives.
I want Madelyn to have a healthy understanding in the future of how much she has to be thankful for and that there are so many who have given their lives serving our country.
She was so dirty from sitting down in the dirt and grass. I love this picture because it shows just how dirty her little bottom was.
The wall was so long and contained so many names that it was almost hard to look at for long.

After we walked by the wall and through the memorials we ate lunch at a great little meat market. Luke had bacon wrapped quail, I had sausage on a stick and Madelyn at some of her snacks. We sat outside at the picnic table and Madelyn had a good time people watching.
There is a great little coffee shop in Bullard that also sells antiques and other neat finds. We saw this cute red table that is perfect for Madelyn. It was a great price and I know she will have lots of fun coloring at it in the future. As for now, she has just been taking her books over to it and reading them as if it's her little podium!
The Red White and Blue Festival might just become a tradition for us. Happy (early) Veterans Day!