Christmas Day!

So here are the long awaited Christmas posts! Below are the highlights from both Christmas Eve and Day! Enjoy!

It's Christmas morning! Look at all the presents Santa brought!

Madeline with all her swag.

Madeline playing with her new toys from Grandma and Grandpa!

Maddy sporting the Cards hat from Uncle Bry. (The pacifier is usually a no-no outside of nap time... but it was Christmas after all.)

Uncle Bry taking a snooze by the fire.

Madeline cuddling with Great Grandma Kirk and Rudolf too!

I am working on Madeline's needle-point stocking. I started this project last year when I found out I was pregnant. Let's just say I hope to have it done by the time she is 18.

Madeline in her Christmas dress!

mg

Christmas Eve!

We spent Christmas Eve at the McRauscher's. We had a great time with Granny and Grandpa, Uncle Elliot and Aunt Kathy, Great Grand-MA McG and the Koenig family!

The Family in front of the tree!

Madeline got a Radio Flyer from Granny and Poppy! She doesn't quite know what to do with it yet!

Madeline is quite skilled at opening presents... seconds after this photo was taken, the paper ended up in her mouth though!

This isn't looking good for my dad is it?

Madeline loved the bows!

Elliot sporting the shirt we got him for Christmas... Oregon Trail any body?
"What is dentistry anyway?" -Elliot

mg

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas too all our readers! We hope your holiday was as relaxing as ours!

**After a long day of celebration Madeline is all tucked into bed and Kev and I are pooped! There are many more photos from the last two days of holiday cheer... but that will have to wait! Rest assured that there will be a glorious and marvelous post in the coming days! For now, we rest!

Much love for a wonderful holiday and an even better New Year!!!

Love,
Kevin, Maureen, Madeline and Olive


mg

Day 2

The afternoon nap strike of local star, Madeline enters it's second day. After a long negotiation process the local Nappers 1:30 failed to reach an agreement with the 7 month old.

Although union negotiators have not given up hope that an agreement can be reached, Maureen, Madeline's mother is starting to wear thin.

"All I wanted to do was wrap some presents and unload the dishwasher. I guess that will have to wait for another day."

Maureen stresses that the rules have not changed, and that she will be putting Madeline down for her afternoon nap again tomorrow.

"One can only hope that she catches just a little bit of shut eye in the future."

With the holidays right around the corner, we wish them the best of luck.

mg

Happy, Happy

Merry Christmas to all! Look at that face!!!! :)

December 18

Our house decorated for Christmas!! Isn't it pretty with the snow?!?

I am going to throw a "first" in here too... I broke out the hair bow I bought for Madeline months and months ago. She finally has enough hair for a little "whale spout" on her head. I don't know if I will keep this look up... I should wait until she actually needs to keep it out of her eyes! But isn't it cute!

December 18

mg

My First...

Snow day!!!

I bundled up in my winter snow suit (thank you Wynns!) and headed out into the 7+ inches of snow in my front yard!



Dad and I were all bundled up and ready to head into the winter wonderland outside.



Once we got outside, Daddy got out my sled. I went so far! About 2 inches! It was awesome!



After the thrill of the sled I plopped into the snow. It is really pretty, but I just don't know what to think of it to be honest.



Dad helped me make my very first snow angel! It was awesome!



Then we came inside and decorated the Christmas tree. Dad and I put the star on top. It is beautiful and I love looking at the lights!



Then I chewed on a carrot stick as a "snack". I don't really eat any of it, but it sure feels good on my gums.



After my nap, Mom and Dad brought some snow inside so I could play without all the cold air. I wasn't all that interested. We did make a mini-snow man and he was pretty cool. (get it, "cool")


mg

Call the authorities...

I don't know if I ever said it out loud, but I know that I have thought, " I don't need a playpen, that seems a little over the top. Why don't you just watch the baby!?" Then Madeline started crawling.

All I wanted to do was make the bed.

No playpen...

I improvised.

December 15

At least I gave her some toys, right?

mg

Good mornings!

Madeline hasn't yet pulled herself all the way up, (she gets about half-way). Isn't she cute though!


mg

What's goin' on on this side?

Dec. 5

mg

Madeline is 7 months old!

And getting better all the time! She is moments away from crawling across the room. Currently she takes about two "steps" with her knees and sits back up. She'll get there I know. She is talking a lot too, saying things like "dadada" and "git git gat" and "hooo a." It takes her forever to fall asleep for her naps because she is talking to herself! It is really quite funny. There should be lots of photos this month. It is only 19 days until Christmas! We have lots to do between now and then!

Happy 7 months Maddy!

She looks a little greasy in this photo b/c we have to smear her face with Vaseline before bed to prevent her from getting a rash caused by dry skin. But look at that curly hair! (This was right after her bath and we hadn't combed her hair just yet.)

mg

Yumm-o

So this is our biggest mess yet. Maddy had her first taste of a biter biscuit. She loved it, so much that she cried when I tried to remove its slimy remnants from her hands. I don't know how well you can see the photo below, but the tray, her face, her bib and her sleeves are covered in mush. After dinner we put her right in the bath tub. I don't think we had any choice. She had mushy biscuit on the back of her head for goodness sakes!

mg

The "Gesa"

Maddy is sporting a hair style she learned from my best friend Jeanne's neice Gesa. (hence the name) It is a semi-mohawk to the side of course. Because Maddy has some curl to her hair it looks a little like an ocean wave. Look at those eyes! how can you resit such a cute little girl!?!?


mg

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day everybody! Although WG fell to Kirkwood, we were still able to have a wonderful celebration with Kevin's family. We will be celebrating with my family tomorrow, although Elliot and Kathy are in Rochester, MN celebrating with her family this year.

This has been quite the year. We feel like we have so much to be thankful for. Of course, first and foremost our new baby girl. I feel so lucky to have had a rather uneventful pregnancy, delivery and first six months. In just the last year I have two friends who have had children prematurely. I have seen their struggles and ups and downs and I am amazed by their strength, courage and faith. All three babies (one single and a set of twins) are doing very well despite their early arrivals, but I count my blessings everyday that I am home with Maddy.

Which leads me to the next thing I am thankful for. I left my job in August to stay at home with Maddy full time. Although it was a difficult decision, and I had my doubts I am so thankful for the opportunity to be with Madeline during these early months. She is growing so quickly and I love watching her grow right before my eyes each and everyday. I know that someday she will be all grown up, and I will have to be a grown-up again too and return to work. But for now I thank Kevin for working so hard so that I can take this time to be with our daughter and I thank Madeline for making everyday a little bit better than the last.

So to all our wonderful family and friends (for whom we are also very thankful) Happy Thanksgiving! Below is the real reason you logged onto this blog!

My mommy says I look like a porcelain doll in this photo! I think it's the dress.

I am so cute I can hardly stand it!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I don't know how I feel about this Turkey stuff.

From top to bottom my Thanksgiving dinner was: Turkey in Turkey gravy, homemade Sweet Potatoes and Oatmeal with Pears and Cinnamon for desert. Yum yummy!

Do cats use body language?

If they do this cat is saying, "Get that loud, grabby thing away from me."

And she's off

Further proof that Maddy is growing up very very fast, she is up on all fours now. She rocks back and forth and then slides back onto the ground but she is getting so close to moving it is kinda scary. Not that I don't want our little baby to become more self sufficient and self propelled; it is just that now we are going to have to watch every move she makes. Before we could have a glass of water sitting on the floor a couple of feet from where Maddy was playing, now WATCH OUT, or that water will be on the floor!

She really is a cutie as she scoots across the floor getting so close to crawling. Maybe by Christmas? (Oh, crap, the Christmas tree!)

We call this one downward facing Madeline.

My First...

...case of bed head!

Maddy on the morning of November 8th.

Who doesn't love a smiley happy baby in the morning?!?!

mg

Only....

And counting...

Granny Molly made Maddy this really cool hat! It matches her fleece so well! She was very warm and cozy today... the coldest day of her life so far!

mg

Fall project(s)

So one of our (read Kevin's) fall projects was to strip and repaint the front door of the house. The fruits of Kev's two day labor are documented below!

Our house before the door project. (I didn't think to take a closer photo before Kev actually started the paint stripping process!)

At the end of day one this is what the door looked like. There were at least three different colors on the door, white, off-white and mint green! Kevin was frustrated by the performance of the chemicals he used. So we bought a different brand and within no time on day two the door looked like this:

Isn't it sharp!

This is a view from inside the living room with the door open.

Our 6 month old!

Madeline is officially six months old!!! Can you believe it? The last six months have flown past for us. It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital.

We had our six month check up at the doctor on Thursday. Madeline is officially 16 lbs. 9 oz. and 26 3/4 inches long. That means she is in the 90th percentile for height and in the 75th for weight. She is eating all kinds of yummy pureed foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, squash, peaches, bananas, apples and pears. She seems to like them all, so it is no wonder she is growing strong! Here are some photos from her 6 month celebration!

I'm half a year old!!! And darn cute too!!

Momma made me a 1/2 birthday cake. (Chocolate with vanilla icing!) I didn't get to have any this time but she says I can have some at my next Birthday party!
That is uncle Bryan in the background... I let him have my piece!

Mom, can't you see I'm busy at work!
(and yes, she is bent in half not laying on her tummy. Even if we put the toy closer, she still pushes it away and bends over!!!)

Look at me drinking out of a sippy cup! I'm so grown up!

Momma gave me a carrot stick to gum on. Let's just say I am not a fan and I will stick to the pureed version!

mg