Just Call Me Mother of the Year

Yesterday morning I took Maddie to the Dr. because we weren't sure whether or not she had pink eye and just wanted to be safe.  Turns out our little munchin has pink eye in both eyes, a double ear infection and a sinus infection.  Now, I'm not sure if the Dr. was trying to make me feel like a bad parent for not knowing all of this, or if that was just the guilt that overwhelmed me and made it seem that way.  At any rate, I feel like the worst Mom ever.  How did I not know that she was so sick??  She must have an extremely high tolerance for pain, because she hasn't complained at all and the Dr. said her little ears look like strawberries they are so red and irritated.  If anything she's been a little clingy and cranky - but that's it.  I'm just glad that we went to the Dr. yesterday so that she will hopefully be feeling much better by Christmas.  I don't want her to miss out on one single solitary ounce of fun on Christmas morning!

In other news, I'm sure that Santa is finding a new home for any presents that he had designated for me.  In their place, I got one big huge helping of guilt - minus the bow and all.

Hold On Tight

Tonight we are taking Madeline to have her 9 month pictures taken and I can hardly wrap the notion that she is already 9 months around my head or my heart.  This morning I was looking at Laura's website and I clicked on the month of March and found Maddie's first photos at 7 days old.  It seems so surreal. Can it be that the same tiny sweet baby in those pictures is the same fightsy little nugget that took 8-9 steps this morning - walking from my arms into her Daddy's?  Time is not just passing us by it is flying and it's all I can do to hold onto each moment. At time, I feel like I'm in a race running just trying to keep up with her. Every morning I hug her tight and tell her that I can't wait to see her at the end of the day, but in my heart I really just want time to stop so that I can linger in the moment for say, uhm, forever. 

Our Little Star

So some of you may already know about Maddie's first venture into modeling.  She took part in a photo shoot yesterday for my company.  We make furniture for designer Joe Ruggiero using Sunbrella fabrics. We did a photo shoot to show that the furniture line is family friendly and used all of the kids in the company as models.  Here is the link to a video of Maddie in her modeling glory that Joe's wife shot:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1229407885&ref=nf

Photos to follow soon....

If the link doesn't work - go to Facebook and search for Joe Ruggiero Sr.

Maddie's First Wake Forest Game

You're Invited

You are invited to view the rest of Maddie's 6 month pictures at www.laurabrettphotography.com. They are located at http://www.laurabrettphotography.com/clients.

When you go to the website click the Access Gallery link and enter in the access code below:

Access code: madeline

After you do that you will be able to view these pictures.

Where did that come from?

My precious, darling daughter is exhibiting some minor (and by minor, I mean MAJOR) signs of a temper.  Not sure when she decided that the smiling 24/7 thing wasn't gonna cut it for her deck of personality traits.  We were quite fine with happy versions 101 & 102. 

Recently, when we don't give her something that she wants - like my cell phone or the TV remote - she balls up BOTH fists, shakes them and bears down with this scowl on her face and screams. Go ahead, check the address of this blog, check the sender of the email, call and ask me if I'm mistaken or just simply crazy.  Cue the denials from the grandparents.  But the answer is yes, I'm talking about one Miss Madeline Emerson McCormack, the happiest, easiest baby on the block and her recent development of a temper. 

Now, as to where she got the temper trait, I have no idea.  None.  I can't speak for Mike, but easy going and level headed-ness have always been some of my better qualities.

(I'll pause here and allow those of you who just spewed coffee all over your screen to go get a papertowel to clean yourself up)     

Where ever it came from - it's here.  One straight-up alive and well, fist shaking, red-faced, screaming temper has arrived and reared it's ugly head this week. We are currently working on returning it to it's rightful owner.

Maddie's 6 Month Photos...

Are here! Click on the link below:

http://www.laurabrettphotography.com/blog/2009/09/baby/sweet-six-months-high-pointgreensboro-child-and-family-photographer/

Playing Catch-Up

So, a while back I posted some pictures of Maddie and the first half of our summer.  Since then the rest of summer has just flown by and so much has happened.  It would take me forever to post about each event and I really don't have time on my side lately.  So here's a catch-up post with the highlights of the rest of summer.

First up, my brother's wedding to Miss Vanessa (now a Mrs.) in our hometown, in the church we grew-up in:

The Happy Couple - Mr. & Mrs. J. Douglas Whitaker

The beautiful bride

 Maddie hanging out with her Uncles & the Groomsman

 

Maddie with the Bride & her cousins Briaunna, Jay-Jay & Justice

 

 Maddie & MeMe

 

Maddie & Justice enjoying the reception

The Monday after the wedding was Maddie's first day of school.  Here's Mommy and Maddie that morning:

Just before taking her in to her class, are you excited Maddie?

Not longer afterwards was Maddie's first 4th of July:

Bathing Suit & Festive Hat

 

Having fun with Daddy

 

Watching the fireworks

Fun on the boat

 

Family Portrait

 

Maddie, Briaunna & Jay-Jay

 

Maddie and her Great, Great Aunt Hazel

Ok - I'm going to have to pick-up with this tomorrow night.  It's bedtime for this Mama.  Night all!

Fall Shopping Trip

Mike and I decided to take Maddie shopping for some fall clothes.  I cleaned out Maddie's closet a couple of weekends ago and packed away the clothes that were getting to small for her.  I realized that everything we have for the next size is short sleeved and for summer.  So, on Saturday we got up really early, got dressed and met Laura Brett for Maddie's 6 month photos, then when we went and had breakfast at Breuggar's Bagels and then we went shopping! It was really the first time that Mike and I have bought clothes for Maddie since she was born.  It was really a lot of fun.  If you all lived closer we would have driven to everyone's house to show you Maddie's new school clothes.  Instead I took pictures of them to share with you here (clearly the new Mom thing hasn't worn off yet so you'll just have to indulge me). 

I couldn't convince Maddie to model them for you so you'll have to settle for them on the hanger:

 

  

  

  

We had so much fun hanging out with Daddy all day. We really haven't had a day like when it's was just the three of us and we didn't have the day booked full of things we had to do in a really long time.  Now I just can't wait to post pictures of Maddie in her new school clothes!

In the Eye of the Beholder

Hanging on my refrigerator is one of the best pieces of art I have ever owned. I didn't pay a penny for it and the artist is only known in certain circles, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
 

Coming through...

Maddie has been crawling for some time now.

See exhibit A:



Now she's starting to get into everything. When she gets tired of crawling, she rolls to get from point A to point B. She's started trying to pull herself up too and sees everything as a means to get vertical:



We keep her books under the cocktail table and she now likes to pull them ALL out one by one onto the floor. She likes to chew on a few of them and she plays with one or two that have attachments. I've been worried about the cocktail table since we brought her home. I can just see her falling and hitting one of the corners and having to rush her to the ER for stitches. I didn't quite guess that there would be other issues though. We were playing one day this week when this happened:



She was stuck and couldn't figure out how to put things in reverse!

Alright Already!!

I waited until Mike got home on Tuesday night, got out the baby cookbook that Aunt Melissa and Aunt Meredith gave us (which is awesome by the way) and brewed up some homemade rice cereal. It really wasn't hard to make and it's so much cheaper than buying it in the store. We mashed up a little bit of banana in it and gave "real" food a whirl!

Open wide.....



Mmmmm......


Hey! Bring that thing back here....


Just one more, once it it hits your lips - it's just so good...


What is taking you so long woman????


Daddy feeding Maddie...



Mommy feeding Maddie:



One happy baby:

Cute as a Button

Maddie in her first pair of jeans, that's what:

Now Mom?

We have been giving Maddie a carrot to "gum" on to help with her teething discomfort. We peel it and then put it in the refrigerator so that it's cool on her gums. A kind of organic teething device if you will. Let me also remind you that we have been trying to wait until 6 months to give her "real" food.

Anyway, I put her in her highchair the other day so that I could make dinner, and gave her the carrot to "gum" on. She got quiet, I got busy - there is a definite window of opportunity that you have to capitalize on when you're home alone with an infant. Following is what I found when I turned around to check on her only a few minutes later:







Note the pieces of carrot all over her......it was as if she was saying "See Mom, I'm ready for REAL food. Either you offer it or I'm going to take it!"

Stop.The.Madness.

I.can.barely.keep.my.eyes.open.......Why you might ask? Because my darling, sweet daughter woke-up at 2:00 a.m. for the day. I'll repeat that last part so you don't have to re-read to make sure you understood correctly. She woke-up at 2:00 a.m. FOR THE DAY. Now, before you go all out asking me questions like - was she fussy? Nope. Crying? Nope. Were her teeth hurting? Nope. Ear ache? Nope. Did she sleep too much yesterday during the day? Nope, nope, nope. Hungry? NOPE - I fed her until I thought she might POP! She appeared to be fine, the only time she got fussy was when I tried to get her to go BACK TO SLEEP, you know cruel mother that I am and all.

She apparently was just ready to get things started bright and early, only it was still dark - for FOUR HOURS after she got up. So I laid there trying to figure out what I had done recently that would require this type of punishment. Meanwhile, she giggled, crawled all over me, pulled my hair, played with Annie (who at some point was up with us as well), kissed me over and over (which means she pinches my cheeks and open mouth slobers all over me, while hitting our heads together). CUTE? Yes, during normal human hours - but not so much at 2:00 a.m. I repeatedly told her no and laid her back down - over, and over and over and over to no avail.

So, was she cranky this morning? Nope. Dropped her off at daycare all smiles and giggles. Warned them that I had no idea what was in-store for them today. I explained what happened and told them - so maybe she'll take a really nice long nap today and then maybe not. Apparently my child needs no sleep to function. She did not inherent this trait from me. I, on the otherhand am suffering counting my blessings that Mike is coming home today. I've already informed him that he is on vampire duty, I mean Maddie duty tonight. I've also informed my boss and co-workers to come check on me if it gets really quiet in my office. I might just be face planted in my keyboard, drooling no less.

Nap Time

Guess it's time to say goodbye to the infant attachment on the pack and play. These were taken yesterday:

Hey Maddie...



what are you doing?



Are you standing up?



This last one is a little blurry - but look at that big smile:

Guess I Should Bring You Up to Speed!

Sorry to leave you hanging! Maddie's first day went great! Mrs. Courtney said that Maddie was too busy playing to eat the first few times she tried to feed her, but then settled down, drank her bottle and slept for 2 hours straight! She must have exhausted herself playing with all those new toys and new friends. So far this week, there are only 2 other toddlers in Maddie's class, but there will be a total of 7 by then end of the month. She's going to exhausted with that many kids to play with!

Mrs. Courtney has a board outside of her classroom that updates the parents on what they did in class each day. On Tuesday morning when I went in to drop off Maddie the board said "Today we welcomed Miss Madeline to our class! And we must have done a good job making her feel at home because she smiled all day!" And when I took her in the room that morning, true to form - she flashed a huge smile at the lady watching over the classroom (Mrs. Courtney had not arrived yet). When I left her that morning, Maddie had 3 women fawning all over her and she was still smiling that huge grin. Each day I get a report from Mrs. Courtney about how much Maddie ate, when she slept and what she did that day. On Tuesday, the report said that Maddie worked on her fine tune development skills by shaking musical instruments and that Maddie ate all THREE bottles by noon. She must have worked up an appetite!

That brings us to this morning, once again when I dropped Maddie off she was all smiles, leaning towards the floor - eager to get down and play. Can I tell you what a good feeling it is to know that she enjoys being there? I could just hug Mrs. Courtney for taking such good care of Maddie and for making her feel so comfortable. Courtney asked me again this morning - now how old is Maddie? I said 5 months and she said I thought you told me that but she's already holding her bottle and trying to crawl and I thought that just can't be right. I told her that Maddie has been eager to grow up from day one, and that it doesn't make Mommy to happy. I wish she'd slow down for just a minute - before you know it she'll be 18 and leaving home and I'll be crying the corner mumbling, you just had to crawl and hold that bottle didn't you!

So far our little Maddie loves school and this makes Mommy and Daddy so very happy. It warms my heart to know that she is enjoying this and it's not a negative experience.

4 Month Check-Up

Maddie's 4 month check up was on Friday with Dr. Anderson, whom we love. He has to be my favorite physician at this practice and there are quite a few. Now, I know that this will be confusing to some - like Pop-Pop Cary - who has a hard time swallowing your age when we refer to it by the weeks, but we had to wait 4 weeks to see Dr. Anderson. So even though Maddie is 5 months (or 20 weeks), this was her 4 month check-up. And she's still perfect! He said it - not me. She weighed 16 lbs. 2 oz. which puts her in the 80-85% for weight (up from 75%). She is 25 inches long - in the 75%. And I can't recall the measurement of her head, it was in the 80-85% range as well. He was really pleased with her developmental levels and surprised to see those first two teeth already. He said that we could start solids whenever we are ready to do so and I told him that we were going to wait a bit longer. Both he and the nurse couldn't get over how happy a baby she was - constantly smiling. In fact, Maddie got 2 shots that day and the nurse did not want to give them to her for fear that Maddie wouldn't like her anymore and wouldn't flash those huge smiles for her anymore. Maddie cried for just a few seconds after the shots, and then smiled at the nurse as if to say, no big deal - I forgive you. Her legs - which is where they gave her the shots - were a little sore Friday and Saturday but we gave her Tylenol to help.

We go back this Friday so that Maddie can get the other 2 vaccinations required at her age, but I expect those to go just as smoothly. I'm not sure her Daddy is excited about us going back because there is a young blond man that sits behind the desk that Maddie is particularly taken with. She smiles and stares him down to the point that I think he might have been a little embarassed about the attention since all of the other ladies and nurses in the office kept teasing him about it. Daddy was not happy to hear that Maddie was flirting in his absence. But of course, she smiled that million dollar grin at Daddy and then, on cue, he melted into a pool of blubber. That's usually the way it goes at our house these days.

First Day of School

Ok - so really it was Maddie's first day at daycare, but her center is so much like a school, that's what we call it (plus, it makes me feel better to say school). We packed her bag last night, put her favorite stuffed animal - a giraffe that plays lullabies, and a blanket that we used this weekend - so that it smells like home. I fixed her three bottles (she's only going a half day), but we all know that food is her comfort. Packed some extra outfits, and then a few more extra outfits (because if you've ever sat behind us in church, you already know that these might be necessary). I filled out all of her forms, picked our her outfit for her first day and we went to bed early. We laid in bed last night and talked about all of the fun she was going to have today. All of the new friends she would make, and how much fun she would have with Mrs. Courtney, her teacher. We said our prayers, and went to sleep.

We also got up early this morning, really early for Mommy - about 5:45 a.m. and Daddy basically had to make me get up (Me: I NEED a few more minutes). Everyone got dressed, had breakfast and we left for school. Both Mommy and Daddy took Maddie this morning (typical first time parents - right?) and here's the outcome - she LOVED it! She remembered Mrs. Courtney and smiled ever so big when she saw her - she couldn't get over how much Maddie had grown and how big she was! She eyed her room and all of the toys, fun carpets, climbing centers - you could just see her wheels spinning thinking about all of the fun she was going to have. Mrs. Courtney had a big bear cutout on the wall, dressed ever so cutely, and labeled with Maddie's name. They also had her crib all ready to go for naptime and labeled with Maddie's name. Mommy put her blanket and her favorite giraffe in the crib, so when nap time comes, she'll have a piece of home to snuggle with. When the first child came in, another little girl, Maddie greeted her with a huge grin - the other child was still sleepy though, and has been battling a cold, and was not so happy to be there. Didn't bother Maddie one bit. While Mommy and Daddy put her things away - Maddie was already busy playing on the floor. When it came time to say goodbye - we literally had to make Maddie give us love and say goodbye - she was too busy surveying her surroundings and playing to really cuddle. On our way out the door, Mike said - we don't have to worry about Maddie - she's already forgotten all about us! And to an extent - I think that's a little true. We might be worried about her, but I think that she is really going to enjoy this. It made me flashback to my own childhood and all of the times that I had probably upset my parents just a little. I was always the kid eager to go away on my own - I was the kid at camp who was eager to say goodbye to my parents and then I cried at the end of the week when it was time to go home. I think I got a sip of my own medicine this morning, when I had to make Maddie say goodbye while the other kiddies were cuddling with their parents, none too eager to say goodbye. That may have been a small glimpse into my future - and then again, maybe not. We'll see. I'm glad that she was happy there. It makes leaving her and going to work a lot easier, knowing that she is happy and well taken care of.

Anyway, she is only going for half a day all this week. My sister Maggie is going to pick her up at noon each day. So it will be a gradual schedule change. Looking forward to a full report this afternoon!

Now Accepting Applications

So, last week, shortly after the appearance of Maddie's first tooth - #2 arrived two days later. So she now has both bottom front teeth in place - and her little gums feel like they are peppered with more teeth getting ready to cut through her gums anyday now. It has to be painful because Maddie's been a little fussy lately and hasn't been sleeping through the night quite a peacefully as normal.

Apparently, our daughter would like to rush through the baby stage - straight through to toddlerhood. This past week she has started the early stages of creeping, which is the pre-cursor to crawling. She's got the army crawl thing going. BUT - don't be misled, it's still the early stages. She's creeping slowly - but it's definitely intentional not accidental. YouTube video to follow in the near future.

This past week we've been fortunate to have Nancy and Cary here with us, otherwise known as Noni and Pop. It has been wonderful. Not only are they watching Maddie, they wash clothes, do the grocery shopping, prepare lunch and dinner. Maddie is not the only person being spoiled. And I should note that before they arrived, my sister Maggie has been with us for most of the summer and she has been a major help as well. My house would be a wreck if it weren't for her cleaning efforts.

It's a lot to balance - being parents. Especially when one parent travels a lot. Poor Annie is getting a lot less attention these days. And it's about to get worse. Maddie starts daycare August 17th. Which means I'll be formally divorcing all of my household cleaning products and anything formally known as my plants outside. I'm going to have to get up at 5:00 in the morning to get Maddie to school and myself to work on time. And we won't get home in the evenings until 6:00. I love to cook but Lean Cuisine and other well known frozen products let me introduce myself. We're about to become best friends. It's going to be rough balancing everything and I'm a little bit worried about coming out of it without some liquid addiction or some crazy personality ticks. So, if you know someone who would like to be my personal assistent - send them my way. The pay is bad, no benefits, little vacation time and lots of housework to do - but room and board is included (I'm afraid if we let you leave the house, you may never come back). We're accepting applications effective immediately.

Wasting No Time

It finally happened. I woke up yesterday morning and like most weekend mornings, laid in bed with Maddie, talking and cuddling with her, when I decided to check her gums. We've been expecting teeth for quite some time now, as Maddie has been exhibiting all of the typical signs of teething - excessive drooling, low grade tempature, excessive drooling, diarrhea, excessive drooling, crankiness, chewing on any and everything she can get near her mouth, and did I mention excessive drooling?? She drools so much that on many days the front of her outfit is just dripping wet. Low and behold, I felt a sharp little tooth yesterday morning. It's her bottom front tooth on her right side. Really, it feels like there might be several more teeth coming in very soon. Which makes me feel really bad for her - I can't imagine getting all of those teeth at once - but maybe it's better to get it all over with at once? I'm not sure. I just can't believe that she already has a tooth. We are trying to hold off starting solids until she is 6 months old, which is only 6 weeks away. I recently read that the odds of developing allergies and childhood obesity go way down if you wait until 6 months to start solids. Who really knows if this is true or will help. It seems like the advice you read and receive for little ones is constantly changing. However, Maddie seems content right now with her current diet, so we'll just wait a little longer - can't hurt. When the time comes though - she's going to be more than ready to gobble down some real food. She's already eyeing Mommy and Daddy's plates. And drooling when she smells our food. You can just tell that she is eager to try the real stuff. At this point, in 6 weeks time, she might have enough teeth to tackle anything you put on her plate.

Videos Now Working

If you had problems viewing the videos in the last two posts you'll be happy to know that they have been fixed and are now working. The were taken exactly one week apart and it's amazing how much better she has gotten at new found skill. Enjoy!

Practice Makes Perfect

Looks like someone has been practicing her moves - check her out:

Milestones in the Making

The good news is that my laptop is finally working! So now I can bring you the footage of Maddie rolling over!! I apologize in advance for the overzealous coaching by Mommy. Enjoy!

4 Months & Counting

Maddie is now 4 months old - where does the time go? In some ways I can't believe that it's already been 4 months, and in other ways, it seems like Maddie has been with us for much longer because I can't remember a time without her.

Maddie's personality is really blossoming. She is such a happy baby. She loves to smile and her smile is so contagious and full of sweetness. She likes to sit straight up now so that she has a full view of all that's around her. She loves her bath time which she spends kicking the water and splashing Mommy. You wouldn't believe how much that little girl loves to kick and splash. She loves the pool, and spending time outside. When we walk outside now, she no longer wants to sit in the infant seat in her stroller, she wants you to carry her sitting straight up so that she's part of the group and can see everything. We think that she is teething so EVERYTHING goes straight into her mouth - even Mommy and Daddy's fingers.

I'm guessing that she weighs close to 15 pounds as we have already graduated out of the Costco size 1-2 diapers into the 3's. I bet by her next Dr.'s appointment she is about 16 lbs. Needless to say, her appetite is still in full swing.

The biggest and newest bit of news is that Maddie has started rolling over on her own! Monday night when I got home, Maggie told me that she had been rolling over when she put her on her mat. So I got out the video camera and put her down on her mat. Sure enough Maddie went from laying on her back to laying on her stomach! And Maggie says that she is also rolling from her stomach onto her back, but Mommy has yet to witness this milestone just yet. Just as soon as I get my laptop back and can figure out how to upload a video to You Tube, I'll debut the video of Miss Maddie rolling over. The cutest part is once she is on her stomach she starts scooting backwards!! I'm telling you this child is advanced! : ) I can't believe how big she's getting! It's amazing!

Maddie's Christening

Spread the word - Maddie's Christening is going to be Sunday, August 23 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in High Point. If you are traveling from out of town you can reserve rooms at the Crestwood Suites. The online link is:

https://www.crestwoodsuites.com/reservations.php?p=high_point

This hotel is very close to our house and the rooms start at $54.99.

Invitations will follow, but we wanted to spread the word because High Point University starts their semester that weekend, so hotels are booking quickly. If you need a room please book it now!

Photos

If you want to order any of the pics from Laura Brett - here are the instructions:

Go to:: http://www.laurabrettphotography.com/index2.php

Click on "Clients"
Then "Access Gallery"
Password is "madeline"

Summertime

We're leaving to go to Suwannee tomorrow for a week. Here's a few photos of Maddie's summer so far. Hopefully these will tide you over until we get back. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Maddie's First Boat Ride:

Relaxing with Uncle Doug, Aunt Vanessa, and Justice after the big boat ride:

Family portrait after Maddie's first boat trip in the Gulf of Mexico to Cedar Key (She loved the bumpy boat ride!):

Our First Family Vacation - we went to Charleston, SC - this is after Maddie's first carriage ride. Our tour guide/horse, Charlie, is featured in the background:

On the car ride home, the conversation went something like this:

Hey Maddie, what do you think about vacationing with Mommy and Daddy???

What do you say we go to the pool?:

And then the beach?:

And how about we go crash Aunt Mere's Bachelorette party???

Ok, ok - we'll just go hang out with them. How's that sound?:

Maddie's First Dip in the Pool:

Maddie's Thoughts on her first pool dip:

Playing in the pool is hard work!!:

Happy Hour on the rooftop in Charleston with Aunt Melissa:

And Aunt Meredith:

I'm tired guys:

Sunning on the beach - on Aunt Meredith's towel (somebody needs to get Aunt Mere a new beach towel!):

The McCormack Girls on the beach:

I'm having so much fun!