Maddie claps!

Maddie started clapping this week. It's so cute when she gets excited and starts clapping. She's just warming up her hands in the first video :)

Princess Maddie

Our pictures will be done in a couple of day, but here is a preview of what's to come.

Weekend with Nana

On Friday morning we got an email from Elaine asking if she could fly up that day to see Maddie. After my post last Thursday she got homesick to see her. Of course we said yes. Maddie had her 6 month pictures on Saturday. Jon couldn't join us because he was studying for his medicine boards all weekend (which he took on Monday). Maddie wasn't as happy as I thought she'd be but I think we got some great shots. I'll post a link once the pictures are ready.

Mother and son bathing team

Maddie trying to grab the soap dispenser

Being silly with Dad.

Eating some homemade baby food. Fish, carrots, and potatos.

She really liked it, maybe I should be as healthy as my daughter and eat some fish too.

Water baby

Maddie has really developed over the last two weeks. She can now sit very well. She likes solid food as well. She eats carrots, chicken and carrots mixed, turkey and rice, turkey tettrazini, bananas, and pears. This morning I fed her a pear/raspberry mix and she loved it. She ate almost the entire jar. I still haven't figured out how to feed her and not make a mess. She has two teeth. The first one popped up the week of July 19th and the other one popped up the week of August 4 th.

Also this week Maddie started waking up just once at night. This is a huge change from before because she was waking about 3 times. Now we put her to bed around 6 and she'll wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning. Hopefully this means she will sleep through the night soon. Unfortunately she has started waking up for the day around 6 am. She now refuses her 3rd nap so we moved her bedtime up from 6:3o to 6:00. I spend my evenings walking her around, trying to keep her up because she's so tired and fussy. It works best if we get out of the house between 4:30 and 5:30.

Maddie is great in the water. Jenn and I met at the Y this week and Maddie had a great time splashing in their kiddy pool. I was not able to find the special swimming diapers so I'm afraid they're already out of season. My dad (the diaper expert) said the only difference is that the swimmers have less padding. Now I see why. Maddie's regular diapers are so absorbent that they swell up. I'm sure it's uncomfortable so hopefully I find the swimmers because I'd like to take her to the pool again.

Ok, enough rambling. Here are a couple pictures from the week.


This activity served two purposes 1) to keep her happy before bedtime and 2) clean off her dinner that was smeared all over her body

Last Sunday we bought her a pool. Another fun activity for the hot Tennessee weather.

Notice her two pearly whites.

My family's visit

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I haven't been motivated to sit at the computer, especially with the Olympics on this week. There have been some exciting events. Anyways, my family's visit was great! My parents hadn't seen Maddie since she was 8 weeks old and my brother last saw her when she was 3 weeks. It was fun to see them interact with her, especially since she's so much fun now. The last time they saw her she just slept a lot. She enjoyed watching golf with her Grandpa and Uncle, going for walks with her grandma, her first swim lesson, and her first trip to the zoo.

"Cool iPhone, Uncle Jon!"

"Ok, I know I'm smart for my age, but do you really expect me to learn how to use this?"

"Swinging is fun!"

"Hey, what are these?"

"Mmmm, do you mind?"

Uncle Jon teaching Maddie some bad habits (nothing her dad hasn't already taught her)

The VHA board picnic.

Grandpa and Maddie going for a jog.

Helping Grandma garden

At the zoo . The birds were Maddie's favorite.

She was facinated!

Not that interested in the Giraffes.

Swim Lessons

Maddie had her first swim lesson on Saturday. She loved it! When we arrived at the Y we there were no other kids there so my mom asked a lifeguard. He didn't know about the lesson so apparently we were the only ones who signed up. The lifeguard offered to give us a private lesson. He basically just sat there and watched while I played with Maddie. He said the lesson was just to introduce her to the water. I think she's going to be a water baby. She splashed and splashed. It was really sweet.







The big finale, the half an hour was nearly up so the lifeguard suggested we dunk her. Usually they wait till the last lesson before dunking babies but since Maddie was so comfortable in the water he thought she was ready. We were gearing up to go when Maddie spits up in the water :( I point that out to the lifeguard and he jumps up and says we need to get out of the pool. They then close down the pool! I felt so bad. My parents ask how long the pool will be closed for and he said 24 hours!! I'm really embarrassed to go back for our lesson next week. I hope they don't kick us out. My mom took a picture of the empty pool because she thought it was quite funny. I hope too many swimmers weren't upset with us. :(