Has it been a week already??

According to my blog page, it seems that it has been a week since I last blogged. No good excuse other than the fact that life got in the way. LoL.

I also have been without my laptop since Saturday. (Apparently it's very sick... a couple of viruses and a trojan... Let's hope it comes home feeling better... and SOON!!) I'm currently using Bryan's laptop, so I won't be posting any pictures today. If you only read my blog to see pictures of the most perfect baby in the entire world, then I'll catch you next time, and you can go ahead and close the window. ;)

Speaking of the most perfect baby in the entire world, she's napping at the moment... THANK GOD!! Our morning got off to a rough start... and didn't really get better until a friend of mine stopped by for a little while. As my friend was getting ready to leave, Maddy dozed off. That was about an hour and a half ago!! Thank goodness for distractions! :)

Mostly I just wanted to check in with everyone. Since we've been home from the beach, we've given up on feeding Maddy baby food out of jars. We realized that we were throwing away more than she was eating, so we're done with that. We've moved on to table foods. So far we've tried lots of cookie/cracker type foods... bread of several varieties... lasagna (that was a sight to see)... peas... sandwiches (jelly, cream cheese, melted american cheese)... Does anyone have any other suggestions?? I think I'm going to try mashed potatoes soon. Tonight, Bryan and I are having marinated chicken, some type of veggie and maybe some pasta or something. I am hoping to give Maddy a little of everything that we're having (no marinade for her, though). If anyone has any suggestions of things to try, I'm all ears (or eyes as the case may be). Miss Maddy is getting more independent by the day, and thoroughly enjoys feeding herself, so finger foods are QUICKLY becoming our friend!!

I hope you all are wrapping up the week nicely. I know I'm looking forward to the weekend!

Love you guys!! :)

We're Home

Well, we made it home safe and sound yesterday afternoon. I have just a few more pictures and videos to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy this third, and final, installment of Maddy's Great Adventure!!


Maddy enjoying her graham cracker breakfast the last morning of our vacation!! :)

Relaxing at the beach our last morning! :)

What?!?! I didn't try to put sand in my mouth!!


Gives a whole new meaning to the term "bucket hat"...

Playing in the sand with Daddy.

This is Maddy in the car seat as we were getting off the interstate yesterday afternoon. She has a diaper wipe in her hand, which she kept waving around (like a white flag). She was ready to surrender. If you look closely, you can see her poor little tears in the corner of her eye. You could stick a fork in her yesterday afternoon... SHE WAS DONE!! She did, however, sleep pretty well last night.

Bryan noticed another tooth in her mouth today at lunch. Yes, you read that right... ANOTHER TOOTH!! The grand total of teeth that have broken through is 8 now. Two more teeth and we'll be halfway there!!! Crazy, huh?!?!

We went and picked Nash up from the kennel today, and he is thrilled to be home. He's just relaxing on the floor.


I wanted to share this video with you. If you are stressed out, maybe the sight and sound of the waves crashing will relax you!! I plan to use this video often for myself! :)





After we got home yesterday, Maddy was ready to play... and play she did!! Bryan had her giggling like CRAZY!! ENJOY!!





One last little note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!!! I hope you have a GREAT day!! Give Mom and Dad a hug for us!! Love ya!

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! We're planning a BBQ with some friends on Monday.

Love you guys! :)

Day 2 of Maddy's Big Adventure

Since I last blogged, we've been BUSY!! Right after I posted the last blog, Maddy woke up, had a snack, and we hit the ground running. We drove to the Texas State Aquarium. Once again, Maddy SHOCKED me. She was so intrigued by the aquarium!! We could just stand in front of a tank, and she would just stare in awe at the fish. I was LOVING watching her!!! After the aquarium, we went to dinner. The restaurant was much better than the one we went to the first night (please note that I didn't even mention it in the last blog... That should tell you something!). Once we came back home, we played for a little while, then Maddy CRASHED. There's an adorable picture of her sleeping last night to follow. Maddy slept all the way through the night until 6:30 this morning!! YOU GO GIRL!! Once she was up, we had a little breakfast, then headed to the USS Lexington. I'm glad we didn't try to rush through that yesterday. There was so much to see that I feel certain that we would have had to sprint through. After the Lexington, we headed back here, to the condo, for some lunch. Once lunch was finished, we went out to soak up a little sun. Maddy got a little fussy, and we decided that a nap was well over-due, so we're back in the room again... hoping for a nap, then we'll head to dinner!! Here are a few more pictures and videos of what we've done since I last blogged. ENJOY!! :)

Maddy and Daddy checking out the dolphins...


... Checking out the sting rays...



In a bubble looking up into one of the tanks...



Hanging out with Mommy...


Looking at some fishies!!

Totally mesmerized!!



All worn out from the day's adventures!!

The USS Lexington

Posing on one of the models...

Playing with guns with Daddy...


Driving the boat!! :)



I think this is authentic Aeropostle gear from WWII, don't you?!?! HaHaHa!!


Only in Texas will you find cacti on the sand dunes at the beach!! :) (P.S. There was a note in our welcome package from the condo that suggests you NOT walk through the sand dunes as there may be rattlesnakes... SERIOUSLY?!?!)




***Please note the hat in today's beach pictures... DAD...*** :)




Hanging out at the sting ray touch and feel exhibit...




Aren't these jellyfish cool?? They have little lights that run through their bodies!! Can you see them?!?!




I hope you've enjoyed this installment of Maddy's Big Adventure. There should be one more to follow... We, unfortunately, must head home tomorrow, but I hope to get a few more pictures tonight!

Love you guys!! :)

First Beach Day

Well, we made it safe and sound yesterday to Port Aransas, TX. Last night we went to dinner then headed to our favorite hang out, Wal*Mart, to get some needed supplies for our stay here (i.e. food, chairs, beach umbrella, etc.). The trip to and from Wal*Mart involved a ferry ride (pictures to follow). After that, we headed home and Miss Maddy was so exhausted that she refused to give up. After an hour of fighting sleep, she finally relaxed and dozed off (it was 10 PM by this time). She was so tired that she wouldn't eat before bed, so she woke up at 5:15 this morning, but once I fed her, she went back to sleep until 9!!! Yes, you read that right!! Our little girl OBVIOUSLY understands what vacations are all about... She slept until 9 AM!! WooHoo!! Once we were all up, we ate a little breakfast and headed out to the beach. Maddy wasn't too fond of the water because it was a little chilly, but she enjoyed sitting on her towel playing with her new toys. She also surprised me by reaching off the towel and playing in the sand a little. After the beach, we went to the pool. Once she got used to the water temperature, she was like a little fish!! We are back in the condo for lunch (and hopefully a nap). This afternoon, we plan to go see the USS Lexington (an aircraft carrier) and maybe the Texas State Aquarium. If we don't do the aquarium today, we'll do that tomorrow afternoon. Here are just a few of the pictures we've taken so far:

Bryan and Maddy at dinner the first night!!

My pretty little face in the rear view mirror on the ferry ride!!

Maddy and me on the ferry ride. Maddy wasn't too sure about that whole thing...

Bryan "driving" across the water...

Almost across the water!!

Waiting "patiently" for Mom and Dad to get ready to go to the beach.

Maddy and me on the beach...

Maddy and Daddy on the beach...

Toes in the water... Not too sure, but not crying... yet... HaHaHa

Enjoying playing with her new sand toys...

Standing up almost all by herself on the beach! Boy was I surprised that she didn't have an aversion to the sand!! :)

Self portrait...

Family self portrait. No, I'm not sporting a side ponytail... The wind was just blowing THAT hard!! :)

Standing on the steps in the pool...

Splashing on the steps of the pool!! :)















I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into our vacation. Maddy has been napping for over 2 hours now. We may miss the USS Lexington and the aquarium today. We'll just have to see. I can't believe she's been sleeping this long, but she obviously played pretty hard today!!

I'll try to post some more pictures tomorrow!

Love you guys!! :)

Mommy's Little Helper

Hey everyone! I just wanted to leave you with a quick note and picture before we leave for our vacation in the morning. This is Maddy "helping" me with the laundry. Isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen?? Too bad she knows it!! ;)



We'll be leaving for the beach in the morning. Our plan is to let Maddy wake up on her own, then when she's ready for her nap, we'll get in the car, take Nash to the kennel, then get on the road. We should be there by the early afternoon that way. Maddy and I both have new bathing suits... and Maddy also has one of those shirts with the SPF 50 built in. I'm really worried about her getting a sunburn... seeing as how her genes have made her pretty opaque. LoL.

A couple of updates since my last blog:

We went and saw our friend Heather again last night. She said that yesterday was a good day for baby Isabella. The last time there was a drop in the heartrate was at 6 AM, and we were there until about 8 PM last night. If the good heartrate continues for another day or 2, they will move her to a different room where she is not monitored quite as frequently. Then, if all goes well there, they'll let her go home. She's not getting her hopes up, but at least there's mention of that!!

Also, Maddy's medicine seems to be helping. I think we may have found a solution!! :) I'm just thrilled that she's finally feeling a little better!!

Bryan and I have now done the Baptism classes at our church. The next step is for us to choose Godparents (any suggestions or volunteers?? HaHaHa) and choose a date. We know it's quite a haul for everyone, but once the date has been chosen, watch your mailbox for an invitation. We will certainly understand if it's not possible for you to attend. We'll be sure to take lots of pictures so you can feel like you're here!! :) We're pretty excited to be ready to move on to the next steps!! We plan to have the ceremony this summer sometime!!

Oh well... I better get some packing done if we really plan to leave in the morning!

Love you guys!

Have a GREAT week... I know we will!! :)

Baby Blog

Today's blog will cover all things baby... Some of it good news... Some of it not-so-good news. We'll start with the not-so-good news...

(1) You may recall a recent blog of mine talking about Kayleigh... The one pound preemie whose blog I was following. Unfortunately, Kayleigh has passed away since that blog. One of her last procedures actually wound up causing some brain damage, and she just, plain did not recover from it. Her family seems to be doing relatively well... all things considered. Please keep them in your prayers.

(2) Other scary baby news... Bryan has a friend who is another navigator in his squadron who is pregnant. Heather is due to have her baby girl Isabella on July 9, but was admitted to the hospital earlier this week. Bryan, Maddy and I went to visit her at the hospital yesterday. She seems to be in good spirits, but I asked her what was going on. She told me that she was having some contractions, so she went in to have it checked out. Once she got there, they realized that with every contraction, Isabella's heartrate was dropping. They put her on an IV to stop the contractions, but the medicine gives Heather some pretty bad headaches. Heather also has to stay hooked up to a monitor and watch Isabella's heartrate. If it begins to drop, she has to change positions to try to get it to go back up. The doctor (who is the same doctor that I had) believes that the cord could be wrapped around her neck. They are hoping that she will hold out for another 2 weeks, but have told Heather that she may have a baby this weekend. They believe that Isabella is somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 pounds currently, and feel that she'll be past the 5 pound mark in 2 weeks. Either way, they are prepared to deliver at a moment's notice. Please keep Heather and her little family in your prayers, too.

(3) On to Miss Maddy... Maddy has been all but inconsolible for a little over a week now, so on Thursday I took her to the doctor. The doctor gave us some baby Allegra for allergies and Elidel cream for yet another rash. The doctor said that the pecan trees are in bloom right now, and he thinks that could be what her allergy is. April, you're not alone with the pecan allergy apparently. Also, he thinks that she just has extremely sensitive skin and that's why she keeps getting the rashes. The Elidel seems to be working a little bit better than the previous cream we have used, but she's still not 100%. Maddy was in a little better spirits this morning, but I can tell that she still isn't feeling completely up to par. I'm hoping that our beach vacation (and a change of environment) will help Maddy to clear up the allergies... at least for a couple of days!

(4) I have learned what it truly means to be a mom... Here's a run-down of this week's "gems"...
(a) Wednesday morning Maddy got sick while sitting on my lap... I had to walk to the sink, and let's just say that the "sick" didn't stay put while I walked across the room... :(
(b) After getting sick on me, I thought I should take her temperature. Let's review how you take a baby's temperature... Yep, in the bum... So, I go to take her temp, and yep, you guessed it, I got pooed on... :(
(c) Maddy is getting too big for her little tub in the sink, so it's time to move her to the big tub. Night #1 she cried the entire time. Night #2 we tried putting her baby tub in the big tub... she still cried. Night #3 I got in with her and held her (out of the water) for her entire bath... Night #4, by the end of the bath, she was able to sit in the water, however, I put too much water in the tub, and she kept floating to the top. LoL. I had to drain some water before it was low enough that she could actually sit without floating to the top. HaHaHa.
(d) I was at Target the other day and need to use the restroom. The handicap stall was FILTHY, and Maddy was in her stroller. So, what did I do?!?! I used the next stall down, pulled Maddy in the doorway and used the restroom with the door open... Fun times!!

Needless to say, we've had a couple of long days here in Texas, but in the grand scheme of things, our life isn't too bad. Maddy's napping at the moment... I'm relaxing and Bryan has gone to run an errand. I have hope that things will start looking up soon. Bryan has taken vacation next week (Monday - Thursday), then he has Friday and the following Monday off for Memorial day, so he took 4 days of vacation and got 10 days off!! Talk about a good deal!! :)

Well, I should go hop in the shower since Maddy's sleeping. Please keep those families in your prayers, and I'll do my best to update you on Heather when I hear something more!

Love you guys!! :)

Have a GREAT weekend!! :)

P.S. I'll try to post some pictures on the next blog... :)

Where to Start?!?!

It's been so long since I've blogged, I'm sure that I won't remember to include EVERYTHING that's happened...

Let's start here, though...

As I'm sure you're all aware, my parents just came to visit for a long weekend. We had a BLAST!! I was very sad to see them leave yesterday, but such is life. While they were here, we took some pictures. Here are just a few:





While they were here, we went to the Buffalo Gap Historic Village. Here are a couple of pictures from there. I'll let my mom tell you more about that. It's just an old town that is set up. Buffalo Gap used to be the county seat. Here are those pictures:


(Check out the sign behind Bryan and Maddy in the above picture!! LoL.)


I was posing with the cactus... Impersonating it's willy-nilly-ness!! :)


Maddy was pretty much ready to go home at this point in the trip...


Grandmom was teaching Maddy to use the phone. Thanks, Grandmom!!


This one should give you a good little chuckle... We like to call this the "Maddy-Go-Round"...





On other news, we had a MARVELOUS Mother's Day. Bryan and Maddy gave me some fun new picture frames... and a FANTABULOUS ring. I would love to show you pictures of the ring, but we are having to get it repaired. One of the stones fell out on Sunday night. Once it's repaired and back in my hot little hands, I'll try to remember to take a picture of it to share.

Another Mother's Day gift that I received on Friday afternoon came in the form of some good news. We found out that Bryan will NOT be deploying this summer. Yep, you read that right. Bryan will be staying in the states this summer!! I think that deserves a GINORMOUS WOO-HOO!!! :) He will be going to instructor school in June to become an instructor navigator. That is a 6 week school, but that sure beats the pants off of a 4 month deployment to the desert!!!

Please keep Miss Maddy in your prayers. She has 6 teeth that have come in... and has 4 more on their way. Once these 4 come in, she'll have half of her teeth... In case you're trying to count, she's only 7 months old!!! At this rate, she'll have all her teeth before her first birthday!! Crazy, huh?!?! Maddy is pretty fussy this time around. She's had a little elevated temperature (nothing to call a fever, just a little above normal) and isn't sleeping well because of the teeth. I know that in the end we'll be thankful that they have all come in so close together and this whole process isn't dragging on for months or even years, but right now it's the pits for all parties involved. So, long story short, please say a little prayer for Miss Maddy that these teeth come through quickly!

One last little tid bit. Bryan, Maddy and I will be leaving Monday morning for a little mini vacation. We planned this trip when we thought he was deploying. We decided to keep our plans after we found out that he was not going. We are going to the beach at Port Aransas, TX. We'll give a review once we're home. We are both certain that this beach will be different from Tybee and Destin (the two beaches we frequented as children with our families), but we feel certain that we'll still enjoy our time there!!

I guess that's about it for now. Thanks for the visit Mom and Dad. We had a GREAT time!! Enjoy your new cowboy boots, and Mom, find somewhere special to hang those Nashville pictures we gave you for Mother's Day!

I hope everyone is having a great week!! It's hump day!! We're on the downhill slide!!

Love you guys!!