It's Been A Good While...

    So, it's definitely been a minute since I've posted. In my defense, my pregnancy got more complicated, and then the birth and afterwards were a little hectic as well. Happily, though, we are BACK! :)

This is our brand new daughter--the Duckling. Or, as her Daddy calls her, "Duzzy".
   

The Chicken loves our little Duck. I, for one, was super concerned prior to the birth that she would be extremely jealous, or that the transition to a two-baby family would be something that she would hate. Instead, she's surprised me by ADORING her sister. If anything, I have to watch to be sure she's not trying to wake the baby--one of her new favorite activities is to stand over Sister's swing or bouncer while she's taking a nap and "talk" to her. 

Her first few moments after meeting the Duck in the hospital, she was a little unsure. There was ample thumb sucking and snugging into me, her dad, and her grandparents. Then, she decided that this new baby wasn't too bad! We've been (mostly!) giggles and fun times since then!!

The Chicken especially loves to touch Sister. She likes to touch her feet and unfurl (with close supervision, obviously) the Duckling's little hands to look at her fingers. I'm delighted with how things are going between them!! I think my two little girls are going to be close! :) 

Rice Paint

  My Mom says that tidiness skips a generation. She is immaculate, well-organized, everything in her house has a home-a place it belongs. I hear that her grandmother was the same way. My grandmother and I, however, are a little messier--more cluttered, more tolerant of messes. (After all--a towel, a little cling-wrap, some kitchen/floor/multipurpose cleaner--looks like the mess never even happened, right? :P ). Mom swears that Madelyn is destined to be neat and tidy.

After yesterday's little adventure, I'm almost starting to believe her. A friend of mine--see her blog over at "A Little Piece of Paisley"--and I have decided to, through the holiday months (October-January), take a picture a day of our little ones. They grow so, so fast! So, yesterday, to start things off, I decided it had been too long since Madelyn had enjoyed a bit of sensory play. And, if I could make it Halloween/October/Fall-ish...all the better!

Now, we've done some home-made paint before. It was incredibly runny, however, and Madelyn was quite a bit younger. This time, I mixed some rice cereal and water together to create a sort of globby paste, then mixed it with food coloring. In the spirit of keeping it Halloween-y, I used green, black, and orange. Then, I took six sheets of plain white cardstock--an item my house is rarely without--and taped them together on the back to make one big canvas of sorts. I laid down some towels and globbed my sticky paint all around the page in different places so she wasn't trying to dig it out of the bowl and then get it to the paper. (Since she's in the pick everything up stage, I hoped this would save some of the mess--at least she couldn't spill it!  {See, I'm more mess conscientious than Mom might think!})

Then, I handed Daddy the camera, reasoning that I didn't want to be trying to control a project of that kind of messy potential, and brought Madelyn into the living room, where her new game awaited.  At first, the Chicken seemed smiley and excited.

Then, she touched the goopy rice cereal paint. And she froze. She wiped it on her leg, then stared appalled at the glop on her knee. She tried to scrape it off one hand with the other and was unsuccessful. She looked between me, her Daddy, and the paper in front of her several times with a slightly confused, slightly disgusted look. She does NOT like to get messy (a definite sign that my mother could be correct!)

 She scooted over to me, and I started swiping through the rice paint with my own fingers. Whereas she never really got into playing on the paper, painting Momma turned out to be a blast! She'd scrape paint off the paper and then put it on my hands. Then, she wiped it off onto her own again.

 That is, until Daddy let her taste it. Once he showed her that it was EDIBLE. Well...anyone who knows Madelyn knows that eating is one of her passions.  She loves it. After that, she really lost interest in playing with the paint and stuck, instead, to trying to get it into her mouth. And nose. And hair.

At that point, we decided a bath was in order. I'm not totally sure Madelyn agreed as we were trying to get her TO the bath....but once there--well, there's squirty toys, bubbles, and red cups to be had.  What else is there even to say about that?                                 

So, It Stains...

  I know it's been a hot minute since I've posted anything--but it's been an extremely busy time for our little family. Today, though, I had my nephew, Chase, along with Madelyn, and I pulled out an idea I'd been saving....a jello sensory bin. I love bright colors, so I had stood in the grocery isle for some time contemplating the various pros and cons of every color of jello imaginable. And, now, today, my time had come! It was finally the "right time" to break out the jello!!

 I tried putting it in a mold, but even after several hours in the fridge, it wasn't completely ready to serve. So, I popped one of the little jello cups out and tried that. At that point, Chase didn't have a lot of interest in the goings-on, and Madelyn struggled to pick it up. She tends to grab things very tightly, and it mostly squished through her fingers. Personally, I thought she'd like the feel, but it irritated her more than anything else, since she couldn't seem to get a good grip.

 Madelyn couldn't figure out what I was doing with the camera, so she patiently indulged my attempts to capture her interested expressions. (P.S., aren't our boys handsome in the background?? They were really just being vultures, in the hopes that I would look away and give them half a chance to eat the jello.) I finally decided that the jello in the mold didn't HAVE to be completely ready, since the intention wasn't to eat the jello anyway. Honestly, it turned out way better to still be partially liquefied. The thick, squelshy mess drew Chase's attention, and Madelyn loved moving it all around in the bin.

 It helped that there were some big, thick chunks that were pick-up-able--Chase really liked pinching it off in pieces, and Madelyn was into whatever Chase thought was cool!

Whatever he was doing HAD to be at least as much fun--if not more--than what she was doing. I had a little trouble trying to keep her from taking it out of his hands--and a little trouble convincing him that sharing his clumps was a good plan. But, overall, they played in the bin really well together. Especially considering this was Chase's first go 'round with the sensory bin at my house.





Overall, this was  great game and held their attention longer than I might have expected...one little caveat, though. The jello seriously stains the skin. Madelyn's whole bottom, from waist to toes, was stained bright red, even after a bath. After the second attempt to get it off, though, it was light enough to mostly not notice. :)

Hot and Cold

 Before I even get started--is this girl and her Daddy not the cutest pair you've ever seen?? I love how excited she gets to be with him. :) It's presh. And, an added benefit--she was standing up "all by herself", which always makes her so incredibly proud of herself. You have to kind of watch her when she does, though, because she gets so excited that she starts bouncing up and down and her balance goes straight in the toilet. Sweet baby.

Today has been an especially pregnant-feeling day for me; I've been tired and sick to my stomach and just wasn't feeling up to anything terribly elaborate. Thankfully, I saw on Pinterest that the simplest games entertain the babies, and so I figured a game of hot and cold might be just the trick. I got out our--admittedly Christmas--platter and threw a few ice cubes on it to start. Madelyn was immediately fascinated. They were cold and delightfully wet. She loved touching them, and, at first, even enjoyed how they scooted away from her questing fingers. After a moment, though, that got a little frustrating for her. She kept at it though, because I guess she just knew they'd be tasty if she could get them up to her little mouth. Notice the look of intense concentration on her face when she tried it!

Once that got a little old, we switched it up and put a bowl of warm water in front of her. Sidenote: we didn't put a towel down. Our oversight, I assure you. Thankfully, we have some kind of weird fake hardwood that's a cinch to wipe up.  I really think she preferred the warm over the cold; I'm not sure if that was because it was warm, though, or because it was splashable. Daddy did offer some ice cubes back to her at one point. Those were easier for her to grab, since they weren't trying to escape on a slippery platter. The cubes wound up in the warm water, where they, predictably, melted.  Madelyn really enjoyed trying to catch them in the water, and she looked for them for quite some time after they had melted away.

But, as all things must, game time had to come to an end. Partially because it was nap time. Partially because she was over it, and I try to wrap things up right before she gets bored, in case I need the game for a later date and time. I still loved her look of "Ok...now what do I do? I've touched it, splashed it, tasted it...hmmm." Funny girl!

The Obstacle Course--Sort Of

     So, I know it's been nearly a week, but it has been a happenin' one, and so I haven't gotten the chance to really do a whole lot with Madelyn other than basic care/play. There's been a lot of medical stuff going on in my family, and so, truthfully, she's done more visiting than even being with me. So, yesterday, since her Daddy is currently a gimp--we decided to try something that would be easy to make, easy to play with, and easy to take down with a torn hamstring. And, since the Chicken has been working on her crawling, I decided an obstacle course would be JUST the thing.

  It wasn't.

  Madelyn had zero desire to crawl through all of my carefully crafted ideas--from the Box of Beads over Pillow Mountain to the Laundry Basket of Mismatched Balls. It is my opinion that her desire to move forward failed her, since the first stop (the Box of Beads) was such a hit. We took an old cardboard box, opened both ends to make a tunnel and hung cheapy beads from the top. Since it was a tad dark in there, we went ahead and threw in a couple of glow sticks on the side, like runway lights. (They did not stay to the side.)

 Mostly, I think she thought the beads were wonderful for eating. Matt stood at the top of the box sometimes and shook it, yelling, "Oh, no, Madelyn! It's an earthquake!" She thought that was especially funny.



She spent a good few minutes trying to decide just what the purpose of the glowstick was. This, below,  is her, "What in the gravy sakes is this?" face.

When she got a little fussy, she went down for a nap, but thankfully, the whole idea was still somewhat novel to her when she woke up! (The difference in her hair between before nap and after is significant. Don't judge. :P )

 When she woke up, I made the executive decision to leave her next to the Laundry Basket of Mismatched Balls,instead of going back into box. Without the beads, the balls became far more fascinating.  She especially liked the blue with polka dots. 
Daddy had found a squishy, green, sort of ball with almost slimy green arms. The Chicken has developed a love hate relationship with that sort of ball. It totally grosses her out, so she will touch it and then make the awfullest face! She pulls on the arms, then wipes her hands on whatever is convenient around. And, yet, she couldn't seem to stop touching it!

All in all, the obstacle course as a course was not successful. As individual play stations, however, it was a great game! Definitely Chicken approved!

7 Month Birthday

  So, the 30th was my beloved Chicken's seventh month birthday. It seems utterly crazy to me that she's already getting to be such a big girl--I was considering that just the other night, in fact. I was reading her a story, and she kept reaching out to touch the pages(translate to tear-if-she-got-a-chance), and I was thinking proudly how adept I've become at dodging tiny hands just enough to not damage a book and yet still allow her to touch the pictures. It crossed my mind then that just a few short months ago, my girl was just learning to sit up without assistance and, a couple of months before that, was learning to hold her head up. And, now, my little munchkin is eagerly reaching for pages and grass and anything else her little hands can grab. She's taken to grasping the spoon for bites tightly, unwilling to let you do it all by yourself anymore. (And, mostly, I don't mind--unless we're out and about and her clothes need to stay relatively clean. Then, again--Queen of the Dodge here.) So, anyway--that's where we at: the downhill slide into a year old territory. Crazy.

   To celebrate, Madelyn, her Daddy, and I all took a trip to Cades Cove to take seventh month birthday pictures. Especially since this girl is an outside lovin' girl, it seemed the perfect little day-trip to take. She LOVED it! She happily drank a bottle and kicked and watched all the trees pass. She stared with interest when we stopped to look at deer grazing near the road. Each time we got out was a brand new venture, complete with babbled commentary and smiles.

 Naturally, the very first stop was at the Primitive Baptist Church. We have several cute shots of her on a pew, with the faint light shining in from a window, barely cutting through the black darkness that blanketed most of the church, even in the broad daylight. And, yet, of all of those, my total fave--as usual--was a foot picture. Now, normally, I hate feet. But her little feet and her little hands are so absolutely beautifully perfect that I can't stand it. I loved how she was standing on her little toes.

 I'll be honest: it never would have occurred to me to let Madelyn grab onto this old, slightly rusted wire to hold on to and stand, but it was one of her favorite parts of the trip. The wire had enough give to allow her to wriggle, but enough strength to keep her from toppling. This girl was so stinkin' proud of herself. She'd go back and forth between heart-warming grins (usually straight at the camera, even with little to no effort from Daddy--little ham) to model striking poses where she stared off into the stormy mountains nearby. I swear, she was doing it for the camera.

 It WAS, however, my idea to take little rocking chair pictures in the woods. I have to give credit where it's due, though--the rocking chair was Matt's relative's of some sort, I believe. And, I think when she's old enough to rock in it, she is totally going to dig it. Because she LOVED sitting in it, period. And that was with sticks used to prop it up so that she COULDN'T rock it; with the recent topple from the bed still fresh in our minds, we weren't taking any chances...the frames are so close because I was less than six inches away, poised to catch her should she even think about leaning too far forward. I think my previously posed question--who was more traumatized by the bed incident?--has been answered. She has recovered with absolutely no alteration in her curiosity or hesitancy to her lean. I have not. And, yes, in the picture above and to the left--she is standing totally by herself again. I'm telling you--seven months have passed too quickly. We are so, so proud of our gorgeous girl--she is the brightest, most cantankerous, easily excited, quick to giggle ray of sunshine to have ever shone on my life. She is her Daddy's pride and joy and the sweet little love of my life. Merry Seven Months Birthday, sweet Chicken!

Lollie's Birthday!

  Today is my mom's birthday!! Merry Birthday to our Lollie! She isn't the type to want to do a big shindig or anything, but I think birthdays are so super important. Today, years ago, my mom was born. Without her, there would be no me, no Madelyn, no Lilah. Every person she has even had the slightest relationship is different in some way for having known my mom. That's weighty. And, when the Bible talks about being salt and light in Matthew ("You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ...You are the light of world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that it may give light to the whole house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:13-16), it's talking about my mom. She is light and flavor to everyone she meets. She is an example of encouragement and Christly love. She is kind and generous and stunning, inside and out. I am so, so grateful for her and her influence on my life and that of my kid(s).

   And, so, to celebrate without "celebrating" today--Madelyn and I did a project! We made her a card. (Please ignore her bed-head! :) )

 Priss was totally fascinated by the paint on her hands...getting her to open them up so I COULD paint them was a little difficult, but she ended up enjoying it.

 Daddy took the pictures today, so she got distracted by his camera. :) Which was actually a huge help, since it enabled me to manipulate her hands more easily.

She did try to eat the paint brush, but we rescued it before it got insider her mouth. :)

He Who Is Mighty

     I have a beautiful, strong-willed daughter who needs me like crazy. She is vocal, volatile, funny, sweet. She is a daily challenge. There are times  where I really have to remind myself to just "enjoy" the moment, whatever that moment is, because it's never coming again. Each minute is a fresh moment to build relationship with her, to pursue her heart, to help guide her, even at this young age. I pray often that I will be a good example to Madelyn, that I will shepherd her heart wisely. That she would see Christ in my life and love Him.

   She's had a day that's definitely been out of her routine today. She's spent much of it in the car, hasn't had her normal naps, and is still a little congested. She had been eating peaches out of her mush spoon, and they'd wound up in her hair and everywhere else. I was desperately trying to entertain her and still find her Daddy's jersey to wash before tonight's game. The house is a mess, with tile and trowels and old bathroom drawers everywhere, to say nothing of the clutter that my husband and I (both naturally...uhm,....poor, let's say, at housekeeping) accumulate. My Dad called this morning and needed me to take him to the doctor, quite unexpectedly...and then to the bank...and then to the pharmacy...and then back home. It has definitely been a stressful sort of day. I was rocking back and forth, and she wouldn't quiet. I closed my eyes and started to pray silently, pleading with God to give me some kind of patience or something to deal with all of the things going on.

  It was in that moment that I had my epiphany. Madelyn has never heard or really seen me pray. I've prayed so hard that I would be an example to my daughter--and my little girl on the way--and she's never seen/heard once of the most crucial things I could possibly show her! How can I later explain a relationship with Jesus to her, if she never sees me talk to Him? If I want to tell her that it's a daily walk, and a daily desire to know more about Him, and that knowing more means asking Him to show me more of Him, then how can I explain what looks like silence on my end away?

   I felt dumbfounded, absolutely struck. After a moment or two of stunned contemplation, I decided that was a situation that needed to be rectified immediately. I pulled her back and looked into those big, teary blue eyes and apologized, whether she understands what I'm saying right now or not. Then, I explained how important it was that we talk to Jesus, the man I've been reading to her about and telling her about. Then, we had a prayer time that was so, so sweet and comforting to my soul. She lay quietly on my chest while I rocked and prayed with her and over her and for her. I explained after how important it was to worship God--to thank Him and sing to Him and tell Him what an incredibly cool God and Savior he was, so we sang He Who Is Mighty.

   Thank God today for showing me an area I was definitely lacking, for having grace and mercy on me in that place, and for being the ultimate Parent and the ultimate Life-Guide and Partner.


  ((Sidenote: I'm super aware that these pictures have NOTHING to do with anything. I just like pictures in my posts lol.))

Balloon Bath Fun

  First, before you see any of the pictures, I have a confession. Madelyn fell off the bed last night, so if you see some bruising/scrapes, it's not the lighting, it's legit. And, believe you me, I am SO aware that it happened. I'm not sure who came out of the situation more traumatized--Madelyn or me. I think it was rough on the both of us. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be hurt, other than the mild scrapes/bruises on her face and knee. The drop wasn't far, praise God, and she recovered pretty quickly. (I felt terrible about it, and I think I spent the majority of the night getting up and checking that she was ok...I woke her up a couple times, just to be sure. I think I got on her nerves more than anything else.)

    She's still a little fussy today, so I thought we'd do something fun as a treat for her. (And, to prevent us just sitting on the couch like logs, reading stories--fun as that is (and don't worry, we did that, too!)--and watching an episode of Little Einsteins--since I'm usually pretty anti-TV for her, that's saved for special occasions.) Still, my daughter is the active, loves new things type, so I wracked my brain for any idea that I've ever seen on Pinterest, Google, a Mama Blog, whatever, that would be special for her. The balloon bath seemed the most fun to me!

 That being said, we're still in the middle of the bathroom remodel, so I loaded her up and took her to my mom's. (Conveniently enough, Mom also has tons of balloons!) I filled the bath up with bubble bath and got her cleaned up first; then, I started adding balloons. At first, Madelyn didn't know what to think of them. I definitely got some odd stares. Then, she learned that if she splashed next to the balloons, they moved--and if she hit them, sometimes, they'd bounce up out of the water and around the bath water! Plus, I mixed up the colors so they'd be visually intriguing--and once she got going, she had a GREAT time. We will definitely be doing this again!

 I think the green balloons wound up being her favorite. She played with the other colors, definitely, but she would reach out and try to grab the green ones. The others were more of a if-it-was-right-in-front-of-her kind of thing.

 Madelyn LOVED pushing the balloons around the water. I loved all her expressions, from the "oooh, what's this" face to her bright toothless smiles.

I picked some of the balloons up and dropped them down (not a splash, seriously). Watching them go up and come back down was definitely a cause for extreme concentration, apparently. This is going to be a game we do more often!