Madelynn playing

Hopefully I have figured out how to put video on our blog. Thanks in part to Andy for teaching me how to capture the video on our computer. Here is a clip of Madelynn I took at the end of January.

Madelynn's first friend

Charley and Madelynn

Madelynn has her first friend, who was born just three weeks earlier than Maddy. Her name is Charley and she is a very sweet baby. We have done a couple playdates and it is great because their family has a girl who is Hayden's age and they also have a girl who is 3 years old. Hayden enjoys playing with the older girls, Maddy enjoys playing and I have fun chatting with the other mom. It is nice to find other mom's in the same stage as I am.

Valentine's weekend

Great Aunt Darlyne's Adorable outfit on Maddy

Hayden and Nana hanging out.

Nana and Maddy

Papa and Maddy

Papa and Nana (aka my parents) came up for a visit over Valentine's weekend, they arrived on Thursday and left on Sunday. Hayden had a count down to their arrival with the last day being a heart since he knew they were coming for Valentine's day.

Auntie Heidi was missed but was at home with the four puppies, they are now about 5 weeks old and so cute to watch. They are now able to play and walk around. If you haven't seen them on the web cam, go to http://www.cavaliercam.com/ Hayden loves to watch them.

Last Friday Hayden had his Valentine's day party and family was invited. So Nana and I went to the party, it was lots of fun. That night Andy and I went out to dinner while Nana and Papa watched the kiddo's. It was so nice to go out and know we had great babysitters at home. Andy and I also went to a movie on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile Hayden had a blast playing with Papa. While Nana had fun putting Maddy down for a nap and then running to her the minute she cried. Well I think she said she waited 3 minutes, then went and rocked her back to sleep:) Then that night we all went out to eat. Madelynn had a blast because she could watch all the people and make noise. It was a fun night.

I didn't get many pictures of Hayden with Nana and Papa because he was too busy playing:) The visit went by too quickly but it always does.

Madelynn's Teeth

Maddy's two bottom teeth

Madelynn has had her two bottom front teeth since mid January. But I only recently was able to get a picture of her showing her teeth. I think she is done teething for now, I am sure the top front teeth will be here before we know it. She seems to teeth like Hayden did, gets a couple at a time and at the age the experts say she will.

Madelynn's 6 month check up

Maddy and her mirror

Madelynn really loves to play with toys. In the picture above she is holding one of her favorite toys, a mirror that came with the fisher price purse. She loves to chew on it and look at it. Her other favorite toy is a plastic book with pictures of animals in it.

Madelynn had her 6 month check up on Wednesday. Hayden came with since he didn't have preschool.

Our peditrician says she is doing great. Ready to move on to table foods like Cheerios or Gerber puffs anytime. She said we could wait untill 7 months but she thinks Maddy is ready. She said she won't be on baby food for long since she sits up so well and is very curious about food.

Madelynn at 6 months:
Weight = 19 lbs 10 oz (96%)
Height = 28 inches tall. (98%)

Hayden at 6 months:
Weight = 19 lbs 1 oz
Height = 27.75 inches tall.

Crazy I know that she's just a bit taller than Hayden was at 6 months. I really thought she'd be smaller than Hayden. She started out smaller than him when she was born.

I plan to scan in a picture of Hayden at 6 months this weekend so you can see if you think Maddy and Hayden look similar. I don't think they do, and it isn't just the hair that makes them look different.

54 days off the Thumb and counting

Hayden and his No Thumb Sucking Chart

Actually I would say Hayden is about 2 months off the thumb now. It all started back on Friday night December 5th. This is the night that sealed the fate for Hayden and his thumb. It was that night that Hayden knocked one of his front teeth loose. The tooth is fine and has not had to be removed thank goodness.

But because Hayden knocked his tooth loose, he had to stop sucking his thumb at least for a few weeks. So we looked at it as an opportunity to get Hayden off the thumb. I suggested to him we make a chart and he coud put a sticker on every day that he didn't suck his thumb. At the end he could get a small prize for his accomplishment.

Hayden wasn't so crazy about this idea at first. He missed his thumb and wanted to know when he could suck it again. Afterall his thumb was a part of his comfort. That and a rattty blanket that has been very well loved and a stuffed pug named Munchie.

But after about 4 days he came around and we created the chart together. I really am not sure why I made it so big. I knew it had to be at least 30 days so he wouldn't want to go back to sucking his thumb. In the end it ended up having 54 spaces and he wanted to fill them all in.

He no longer misses his thumb, and hasn't for quite awhile. We are so proud of him for accomplishing this feat.

I am both happy and sad about the thumb sucking. Happy as I know it is best for him and his teeth. Sad because it was the last thing that seemed to tie him to his babyhood. He is our boy now and looks so very different from even a year ago. He doesn't have the young toddler look to him anymore. It is amazing to look back at his pictures and realize just how much he has changed in so many ways.