The Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch

We took a family trip to Briley's Pumpkin Patch so that Maddie could pick out her very first pumpkin.  She loved the pumpkins, especially the miniature ones that she could hold.  She picked out a mini pumpkin and held onto that thing for the rest of the day!  Cody and I picked out a big one for us to carve so that she can have a jack-o-lantern.  (We'll post pictures of the carved pumpkin later!)

 

 

 

Milestones and Maddie-isms

Taking more steps....

She is able to put some shapes in her shape sorter.  Although she doesn't get it in every time, she is pretty good with the circle.  She has also put the square in a time or two.  Still working on the other shapes.

She can point to certain pictures in her ABC book when asked.

For the first time today, she pointed to 3 correct colors (blue, green, red) in her colors book when asked.

She is starting to hold up books and ask me to read them to her pretty frequently.  She'll hold up a book and bring it to me, I'll put her in my lap and we'll read together.  She really likes Ricky the Raccoon (Chick-fil-a kids meal prize book), Elliot the Elephant (another Chick-fil-a kids meal prize book), ABC's with Elmo and Friends, Richard Scarry's Nursery Rhymes, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Her 5th tooth peeked through her little gummies this morning!

Oh, Baby

I am now 8 weeks pregnant.....and still in shock that it happened.  What a wonderful gift from God! 

We went for a dating ultrasound with our reproductive endocrinologist about a week and a half ago .  Although we are no longer under his care, he offered to get us in for an ultrasound a LOT sooner than the regular OB office.  At that time, we were 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant.  He's going to do another ultrasound at the end of the month to get a more exact measurement and due date.  With the baby being so small at the first ultrasound, the dating may not be as accurate, so that's why he wanted to do another one when the baby is a little bigger.  It was such a blessing to get that ultrasound--it provided reassurance and made me smile to see that little baby and hear his or her heartbeat.  There is nothing like it!

I go back for another ultrasound on October 30, followed by the typical initial nurse visit.  I'd schedule with our midwife, Monica, for the next appointment.

So far this pregnancy has been similar to when I was pregnant with Maddie, although not quite as intense.  I've had nausea, pretty much all day and night....just not as bad as I did with Maddie.  I've had indigestion....just not as bad as I did with Maddie.  I assume some of that is due to the fact that I had all those extra hormones from IVF in my system with Maddie, and of course the fact that all pregnancies are different.  I've been tired, and sometimes completely exhausted.  I try to take naps during the day when Maddie is napping, which means that not much is getting done around the house.  Thank God for an awesome husband who is more than willing to take up my slack!

11 Months

Madelyn is getting to be such a big girl!  I can't believe she is almost one year old!  Each month brings a whole new kind of fun because she changes so much! 

Here's what Maddie is up to (as of her 11 month birthday):

• wearing size 3 diapers
• wearing 6-9 month clothing and size 3 shoes
•  She is very good at standing on her own and can stand for long periods of time.  She can even squat to pick up a toy and stand back up on her own.  She can go from standing to a sitting position easily.
• She is a little mover!  If she is awake, she is on the go.  She even kicks her legs a mile a minute while she is in her high chair. 
• She loves being outside.  We take a walk at least once a day and will often take a blanket outside to sit on while we play.  She also likes sitting on the front porch to blow bubbles or going to get the mail.  She also loves going on jogs with Daddy.
• Maddie likes Hershey.  She loves when he wants to play with her.  She will hold up one of his toys and he will nose around at it and eventually get it.  She thinks that is so funny and she will just laugh and laugh.  She thinks it is funny when he wags her tail in her face.
• Madelyn still enjoys books a lot but doesn't sit still long enough for us to read one to her most of the time.  She just wants to turn the pages and look at them on her own.  Occassionally she will hold up a book to one of us and ask us to read it to her.
• She laughs when she gets powder put on her bootie during a diaper change.  Daddy makes her laugh even more by saying, "Bootie, bootie, bootie, bootie!"
• Maddie's eating habits have changed this month.  Due to her getting teeth, we are starting to wean her from nursing.  She is down to nursing at only breakfast and dinner; she is offered a cup of milk instead at lunch and snack times.  She has done great with transitioning to a sippy cup.  I know she is not drinking as much milk as she was, but I think she is making up for it with her meals and snacks.  However, she is starting to be somewhat of a picky eater.  (Wonder where she gets that from?)  She doesn't like meat, except turkey lunch meat.  I'm assuming it is the texture.  She doesn't like green beans--which we eat a lot of in our house so she better start liking them!  Some of favorites are yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese, broccoli, cheese, bread, and corn. 
• Maddie has 4 teeth--2 on the top and 2 on the bottom.  She is working on getting another tooth on the bottom.  Her little gum is white, but the tooth hasn't popped out yet.
• She is taking some steps on her own.  She will take 4-6 steps to one of us, but she has to get her balance first.  She gets so excited that she will take off running before she has her balance and end up falling.  During the past week or so, she has gotten brave enough to take 1-2 steps towards the couch, coffee table, or to a toy she wants.  She is a little more slow and deliberate with these steps so she tends to do pretty good.
• She is still taking 2 naps--one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  She naps for about an hour in the morning and around 1 1/2 hours in the afternoon.  I am able to lay her down, turn on her Sleep Sheep, and rub her back while she goes to sleep.  She may cry just a little bit, but she does a good job most of the time.  We are so proud of her!
• Nighttime sleep habits have also gotten a little better.  We have started laying her down instead of rocking her to put her to bed.  Although she does really well with this method at nap time, she still has some resistance to it at night.  She cries more, but usually settles down within a few minutes.  I rub her back, turn on Sleep Sheep and usually end up singing "Jesus Loves Me" while she falls asleep.  For the past week or so, she has been sleeping almost all night, usually only getting up once.  We even had a couple nights where she has slept all night long.
• Madelyn found out she is going to be a big sister!
• New words she can say are:  "milk" but it sounds like "mamamama", she is now using "I'm done" to mean "I'm hungry" and "I'm finished eating" which can get a little confusing, and  "okay"  
• She understands the word "no" and will sometimes stop what she is doing.  Other times, she thinks it is funny when we tell her no so she will laugh and keep doing it.  What a little stinker!
• She makes a motorboat noise when she gets mad or is not getting her way. 
• Maddie goes back to the doctor next month for her 1 year check up.

Sweet smile!



Wild child!

I'm a big girl!

Here We Grow Again!

Cody went on a medical mission trip with our church during the week of September 22-29 (more to come on that later), and while he was gone, Maddie and I went to stay with my parents.  So thankful to my dad for coming to pick us up and for Cody's mom bringing us back home!!

Cody's return flight was to land in Raleigh on Saturday night around 11:30 p.m.; since Sherri was going to stay the night and could watch Maddie, I decided to go pick him up at the airport.  I had missed him so much over the week and couldn't wait any longer!  Plus, I had some huge news to share with him.

Saturday evening around dinner time, I decided to take a pregnancy test--although I knew I was NOT pregnant.  I mean, what would the chances be considering we had to do IVF to get pregnant with Maddie and we weren't even really trying to get pregnant?  I was completely floored when it turned out to be positive.  I couldn't believe it!  I was shaking with excitement and shock!  I think Maddie thought I had gone crazy.  With God, all things are possible!  {Matthew 19:26}

Sherri had gone out to pick up some Chinese food for dinner when I took the test, so I had a few minutes to compose myself before she got back.  I didn't share our good news with her yet, because I wanted Cody to be the first to know.  Cody called a little later to let me know he had gotten into Miami and they were getting ready to board their next flight to Raleigh.  Oh, how I wanted to tell him so bad, but I wanted to share it with him in person.  This secret was such a huge and wonderful secret, I was about to bust because I wanted to share it so badly.

It was finally time for me to leave to go to the airport.  Of course it was raining like cats and dogs, but I was thankfully able to follow another guy from our church who was going to pick up his wife.  The whole way there I just kept thinking about how Cody was going to react when I told him.  I knew he'd be excited, and I just wait!  I decided to wait and tell him in the car when it was just the two of us.

I felt like we waited and waited after we got to the airport for their plane to land.  Finally the group arrived, and it was so good to see Cody!  We hadn't been away from each other for that long since our sophomore year of college.  Life just wasn't the same without him!  As much as I missed him though, I was so proud of him for going on this trip!  It took a lot of sacrifice to go on this trip, but I know it made him a better person and deepened his walk with God.

We unexpectedly had to take another person back home with us.  I usually wouldn't have minded, but I didn't know how I was going to be able to keep my secret much longer.  I wanted it to be just the two of us when I told him, so my secret was going to have to wait a little longer.  We dropped Dr. Watson off at the church and started home.  We hadn't gone about a block when I told Cody he needed to pull over so I could show him something.  Before he even got off the road he said, "Are you going to tell me what I think you are going to tell me?"  "What do you think I am going to tell you?" I replied.  "Are you pregnant?" he asked.  What?!?!?  How did he know?  It took me completely by surprise.  I told him I was pregnant and showed him the pregnancy test.  I wanted him to see it to make sure I hadn't looked at it wrong--I was still in disbelief.  The crazy thing is that Cody proceeded to tell me that he had a dream while he was in Belize that I was pregnant!  I guess that just goes to show that God talks to us in all kinds of ways.  It's funny because Cody technically knew I was pregnant before I even knew. 

We are so excited and blessed to be pregnant with this baby! 

Baby Kinley

I have a new little niece!  My sister had Kinley Elizabeth on September 27, just a day after her own birthday.  What a great belated birthday gift!  I just so happened to already be at home when she went into labor (not that I wouldn't have traveled home to be there anyway!), which worked out perfectly!  I was able to see sweet little Kinley just moments after she was born.  I love this sweet baby!

Aunt Mel and baby Kinley

My beautiful sister and me

Maddie was so interested in Kinley--already best buds

Congratulations, Mary, Jeremy, and Connor! 

Maddie's First Steps

Maddie took her first steps on September 19!  We're in trouble!!!