11 Months

Here we are, the last monthly post before my baby turns one. The next time I post, I will have a one-year-old. SO crazy!

Unfortunately, Madelyn tested positive for strep throat yesterday. Eric and I were just talking about how we had already forgotten how hard those first few months were, but Madelyn has definitely reminded us of that time during the past couple nights! I almost forgot what it was like to rock my baby to sleep, and although I would prefer not do it at 2, 4, and 6 a.m., I do enjoy it and miss it. 

Madelyn communicated her first words this month - with her hands. I started baby sign language with her when she was about nine months old and a few weeks ago she began to sign "eat". She can also sign "baby" and "dog". When a dog is either seen, heard, or said, she says "riff riff riff" - well, she does this when she sees any animal.

Madelyn has become quite the little crawler, especially if she
sees an open door. This was an open door opportunity,
and she took full advantage of it.

Gates are everywhere because we live in a townhome and this baby loves to climb, the stairs to be exact. I was hoping this skill would take her awhile to learn, but she seems to be a fast learner. She will wave "bye-bye", but you have to watch very carefully because she only moves her fingers ever so slightly.

You can't get her out of bed anymore without
her sitting or standing up.

Madelyn loves to reach out her hand. She isn't always sure
what she is reaching for, but she will find something that
she'd love to touch.

She has officially been sleeping through the night consistently
for two months now (13 hours that is). I was afraid to say
something sooner because I didn't want to jinx it.

Her tummy is still unable to handle eggs and dairy but being
able to lick the bowl while I am baking(egg free that is)
is an added plus. And she loves it!

Happy 11 months, sweet girl!

Deliberate Spontaneity

 A post from Eric . . .

The spontaneity of a marriage relationship is supposed to die when a baby comes along. The demands of child rearing don't leave room for weekend getaways and late nights out. Bringing a child into the world is a life-changing event, but we've found that the spontaneity is still possible, only it requires a babysitter, and just a little preparation.

Recently, we wanted to see Ron Pope when he was in town but it was a Thursday night, and we had a small group meeting at our house that same night. With a 9 month old baby, and other commitments, we had a million reasons not to go, and we almost didn't. At the last minute we decided to send Madelyn home with Nana, grab a quick dinner, facilitate our small group, then hit the road around 9:00 p.m. We rushed to Midtown hoping we didn't miss a single song, and we got there with plenty of time to spare, even surprising my sister Laurie by showing up! After the show, which was incredible, we headed back to Nana's to pick up our sleeping girl, then arrived home around 1:30 a.m. The next day we were both spent, but we were grinning ear to ear. We were so happy that we took the opportunity to spend a night dancing to some of our favorite songs, and relishing in the moment.

Another recent jaunt found the two of us in St. Pete Beach for a friend's wedding. While this trip did require some planning and wasn't completely spontaneous, it did provide the opportunity for plenty of impulsive behavior - wandering to a neighboring hotel bar late at night, finding the local breakfast hotspot, barely making it to the wedding on time because we were determined to stay at the beachside bar as long as possible. We found ourselves lost in great moments, continuing to make memories that we'll laugh about for a lifetime.

Our sweet girl is only 10 months old and life will change a lot in the years ahead, but hopefully we can always hold onto a small piece of the joy and excitement that comes with being carelessly spontaneous.