what we're up to these days

Maddie is very fond of climbing these days, as demonstrated on the tree outside Tutu and Boppa's house:

Daddy used to climb this tree! Maddie is also fond of the monkey hang, as demonstrated below:

It's always a relief when Daddy is there to catch her!

Another great love: coloring. In a given week, Maddie will spend 1-2 hours each day coloring away. Mama and Daddy were able to take her to dinner last week and actually feel like they were out on a date! Conversation, little distraction, all thanks to a handful of crayons and a coloring book:

Though left on her own, Maddie forgets that colors "are for paper only" and leaves her mark on couches, in books, and even the outside table:

teeth = no sleep. duh.

So the "mystery" of not sleeping at night? Poor Miss Maddie has cut four teeth in 13 days, and she has two more right behind. Can't hardly blame the poor little thing.

The good news? After those last two, we only have a couple molars until the mouth is full of teeth! Hooray!

twenty months

My Dear Girl,

You are now twenty months old. Hard to believe that in just a few months, you'll be two. And then there will be two, as in two children. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's just recap the last month, shall we?

It's been a little rough, to tell you the truth. For the first time since those early weeks we brought you home from the hospital, you've had trouble sleeping through the night. Many nights you wake up multiple times, crying out for your "Mama," and you can't always get yourself back to sleep. This month we have two colds, separation anxiety, and four pressing teeth to thank for that. Thanks a lot. Add your sleeplessness to Mama's, and the two of us are sort of a sorry pair. But we get by. You, me, and the Cinderella music DVD.

Your absolute favorite things these days are stickers, princesses, and pirates (though not necessarily in that order). This month I could be found scraping stickers off the cupboards and your skin (ouch!) or singing the "princess song" (A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes) many, many times a day. We read your pirate book at least once each day and you love to point out their hooks and hats and earrings and boots. 

You amaze me with how smart you are and how quickly you learn new things. Tonight as we took a bath I said, "Where are Mama's toes?" as I hid them beneath the bubbles and you said, "There they are! One, two, three, four, five!" I joked to your Daddy that I might have Noggin to thank for your newfound counting skills. TV isn't all bad, you know, especially when one is suffering from pregnancy-related nausea or trying desperately to get dinner on the table. 

You've started calling us "Mommy" and "Daddy" all on your own, and it makes me a little sad, though I know that as long as we have our middle-of-the-night wakeup calls, I'll continue to hear "Mama!" when really needed. You are saying all kinds of sentences and making us laugh with your word combinations and the things you repeat. At night you've started to "read" to us, naming objects and animals and identifying emotions in your books. Every time we read your Cinderella book, when it gets to the part where our beloved princess cannot go to the ball, you get a tissue or blanket to wipe the tear on her face. You love to read your Bible and to hear stories about Jesus. Almost any time you hear his name, you say "Jesus...So much!" (Maddie speak for "Jesus loves me so much!") It makes us smile, inside and out.

Despite the struggles of a sleep-deprived month, you've managed to maintain your sense of humor and easygoing personality for most of the day (except when you're whining, which, in my mind, has started way too early). You love to laugh and make us laugh. In this last picture we're watching a fly buzz around the table and saying, "Shoo!" You thought it was hilarious and I was able to capture a classic Maddie face on camera. You are wagging your finger at that pesky fly, saying, "don't bother me," and cracking yourself up. Madeleine Noelle, you are one spunky girl. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.

Love you bunches,

Mama/Mommy

new hobby

Maddie and Daddy go longboarding...

in the summer, in the city

Last Friday we headed to SF to "beat the heat," only to discover it was nearly ninety degrees! A rare day for the usual fog-filled summer days. A trip to the city wouldn't be complete without visiting our favorite restaurant, Caffe Sport, where Maddie checked out all the decor. Then we headed around Little Italy and played at a local park. Afterward, Maddie got a ride on Daddy's shoulders:

Then we headed to Golden Gate Park, where we rode the Carrousel and enjoyed the warm sunshine while playing at the children's discovery and play area. 

Fun day for all in the city!

another Maddie anecdote

On Sunday Maddie had a bit of a cold, so instead of putting her in nursery I took her to church with me. Ben was preaching and I didn't want to miss it. We stood in the back for the worship songs, Maddie swaying and singing along. When she started to get too noisy, we moved to the chapel where a live feed of the service plays. Because we were the only ones in the room, Maddie had the freedom to run about while I watched the service. 

She was very interested in the large stained glass image of Jesus at the front of the chapel. I explained to her that it was a picture of Jesus, and that He loves her very much. She smiled as I spoke and soon began to say, "Hi, Jesus!" over and over, waving and smiling and pointing at her friend. Next thing I knew, she was in the second row of chairs, squatting down, and then jumping up shouting, "Peekaboo, Jesus!" This continued for some time.

I offered her a snack. She hurriedly opened the package, withdrew a single snack and held it up to toward the front of the chapel. "Here you go, Jesus," she said, offering to share her food. Still later, she lifted her sippy cup, "Here you go! Jesus! Here you go!" 

It is so silly, but the whole spectacle brought tears to my eyes. Here was my tiny child, interacting with a stained glass image of Jesus, playing peekaboo and offering snacks. It warmed my heart to know just how pleased her Heavenly Father was with her in that moment, delighted in the simple way His creation, a toddler, showed love. 

night-night everybody

One of our bedtime routines is saying night-night to the people we love. The first time I remember doing this with Maddie was back in June when we were on the houseboat trip. As Maddie had some trouble going to sleep, I would sing a little song called "everyone is going night-night." I'd run through a list of her beloved family and friends (some stuffed), assuring her that everyone would be going to bed soon, she wasn't missing out.

For some reason tonight she was having a really hard time settling down so I held her in the rocking chair for a bit.  She soon broke out in a spontaneous round of night-nights to her loved ones, including: Mama, Dada, clock, Mickey, puzzles, books, princess, Jesus, Grammy, Papa, Uncle Joe, Tutu, Boppa, Jennie, Susan, Wyatt, & Tyler (not an all-inclusive list). She fell asleep shortly after, drooling on my shoulder.