Happy Thanksgiving!

We had some of Marty's family over today for Thanksgiving. Here is Marty with his big brother Barry and his nephew Tommy.

Puppy Einstein?

Our silly dog does not like the puppets on Baby Einstein. He barks, he growls, he bites at them. It doesn't seem to bother Maddie. She is 3 months old today! As you can see, 3 month clothes are still too big for her. She weighs 12 lbs and 2 oz. Marty was 12 pounds when he was born! I am personally very thankful that she didn't come close to that.

Oh, Michigan

We let Maddie watch Baby Monet for the 1st time tonight. Marty and I had a great time watching her!

Maddie will know the Michigan fight song before she knows her ABC's.
She couldn't stay awake through the big game. Marty made sure that we all had Wolverine gear! Even though we lost, it was a great game.

Pictures, finally

So sorry that I haven't kept up with the blog. I have been back to work for two weeks, and it has been a big adjustment. Maddie is sleeping better, but I miss the extra sleep that I got on maternity leave. My parents came for a visit the first week that I went back to work. They enjoyed having Maddie all to themselves.


Maddie has learned to hold a rattle.


She loves to look at herself.


We went to Maryville for the weekend. DJ got to ride in the front seat with Daddy because we were afraid he would fall on Maddie in the back seat. He kept an eye on Maddie the entire ride.

Mirror, mirror

More Congrats!

Congratulations to Mary Beth and Steve and to Suzanne and Joel. Both couples have just found out they are expecting!

Halloween Pics

Micki and Micah had their annual Halloween party. Here are some pics.

Comments

Many of you have told me that you tried to leave a comment and the blog wouldn't let you. I think the problem is fixed. Let me know if you have trouble.

Our little ladybug

Ready for the Halloween party!

More Pumpkin Pics

Trent and Christa with Maddie and Landon. We all hope they have their own by next Halloween!

Maddie's 1st Punkin

We went to Kim and Scott's last night to carve pumpkins. Daddy carved a funny face for Maddie. Here are some pics of all the pumpkins.

Maddie in her Bumbo Seat

Staring at the ceiling fan




Look at those cheeks!

How cute is this girl? She is holding her head up pretty well, so I put her in the Bumbo seat today. She is a little young for it, but she liked being able to look around.

I am going to be in trouble...

...with my husband. I was out shopping today, and I found a Batman suit for DJ for Halloween. Marty will kill me, but I knew it would be hilarious. Take a look... DJ is less than thrilled with his costume.

Things motherhood has taught me

1. Cereal is a bad breakfast choice...you will never eat it before the milk makes it soggy
2. Baby wash is a good substitute for shampoo
3. Lotion is not a good substitute for conditioner
4. The Diaper Champ is worth its weight in gold
5. When changing a diaper, always open a clean one and slide it under the baby before removing the dirty one...backup is a must
6. A trip to the mailbox is now considered an outing
7. Brushing your teeth is a luxury
8. You never feel guilty for hanging up on a telemarketer
9. A baby has more laundry in a day than two adults have in a week
10. Dogs get their feelings hurt
11. Park next to the cart return at the grocery store...you can put the infant carrier in one of the carts outside and save yourself the strain of carrying it inside
12. Sleep is not necessary
13. Pacis are a good thing
14. The excuse "I just had a baby" works for everything
15. You need a lot of batteries
16. I could write a book on what I've learned about poop or the lack there of
17. Baby Einstein is going to help me get some sleep in a month or so
18. The best part of the day is when daddy comes home
19. I love being Maddie's mommy!

Mommy's baby girl

So many babies...

Congratulations to Dwight and Wendy who are expecting baby # 2. It is so exciting to add them to my list of pregnant friends...Anya, Jennifer, Heather C., Anne...am I leaving anyone out? I have 11 friends that had babies in the last year (one being Anya..hehehe) and one that had triplets. So many babies! I think it's great. I have 2 friends that I am hoping will be pregnant soon...hint hint...you told me you would wait 7 years when you got married...it's been 6 and 1/2!

That mean nurse

Maddie received her 1st shots yesterday. She handled it better than I did. She cried for 15 seconds. I cried for 2 minutes. Marty sat on the table with her while I looked away.


She has 3 purple bandaids...look at those legs.



















She is fascinated by her play gym













Playing with daddy

Meet Rocco

For those of you who think DJ is big, I want to introduce you to his brother, Rocco. DJ weighs about 85 pounds. Rocco weighs between 115 and 120. There were 14 puppies in the litter, and I am guessing that Rocco is the largest. He is very sweet and playful like DJ.















Rocco, Sam, Marty, and Maddie

poor DJ doesn't get to go on trips with us anymore because there is no room for him with the car seat









This picture doesn't do him justice

Maddie Grace's Grin

Maddie has had a lot of firsts in the last 2 weeks. She is smiling at us now, and she rolled from her tummy to her back last week. She is fascinated by ceiling fans, which makes changing her diaper go a little smoother. They are a great distraction. I can never get to the camera fast enough to catch her smiling, but here is a pic of a half smile. She is 7 weeks old today!

Meet baby Landon

Our friends Scott and Kim had their baby boy 2 weeks ago. We were able to meet him Sunday. He looks just like his daddy.

Maddie meets Great-grandpa

This was a special trip home because Maddie Grace met her Great-grandfather for the 1st time. He is 94, and he recently started radiation for bladder cancer. He is doing great, and he really enjoyed meeting the newest addition to our family.



















4 Generations































Maddie Grace and Aunt Robin

1st trip to Grandma and Grandpa's House

I know ahead of posting this that I am going to be in a lot of trouble with some of my close, very dear friends. Before you call and tell me off, let me say that our pediatrician made it very clear that she does not want Maddie around school age children until she has her shots at 8 weeks. I made only one exception during our 1st trip home, and that was with my niece Hailey. However, I all but hosed her down with Lysol, and she will verify that. The doctor told us that there is a peak in illness in September/October because school has just started. So to my friends, you know how much I love you and your children. You have done so much for Marty and me in helping us plan for Maddie Grace's arrival. I am planning to come back to home in a few weeks so that Maddie can meet you. Please don't be upset with us! Now on to the pictures...


Maddie Grace and Anya (who is expecting Baby #2 and looks great!)













Gerand and Kenny were Maddie's 1st visitors














Maddie and Howard (Howard's son Daniel scored 22 of the 32 points scored during his basketball game last weekend!)











Maddie and Kelly...hey guys...Kelly is single!