Madison woke up on Sunday, March 28th and decided this is the day she was going to walk ALL by herself!!! She's been holding on to objects and our fingers and letting go for about 10 steps or so for the past 2 weeks ... but she's doing the work all on her own now! Life sure has changed overnight from me being able to leave her in her walker and not worry too much for a few minutes to wondering what room she's headed to now ... FUN TIMES! Anyway, we are very proud of her and glad she's ready just in time for the Easter Bunny next weekend :) Here's a couple videos of our little cupcake!

Almost 14 months and MOBILE!!!

Little Miss Maddy is almost 14 months old!!! She's been trying to walk for about 3 weeks now and has about got it all down! Finally, she has gotten up enough self-confidence to "let go" on her own, rather than us holding her hand and then us letting her go. Talk about major "re-baby-proofing!" She is into EVERYTHING! Anyway, we are proud of her and she looks so cute walking ... like a tiny penguin waddling across the room! I put a short video at the end....

Mommy has been busy too --- between chasing little one on the run! I have finally opened up my own little baby accessory shop online! Maybe one day I'll have a real shop, but this is a starting point! I've had so much fun creating things and dressing up Maddy over the past 13 months, so I decided to branch out! My direct website is www.preciousbabybling.etsy.com Anyway, hope everyone is doing well and I'll post some new pics after Easter!!!

In my BIG-GIRL bathtub!!!

Happy showing off my 7 teeth!

On the run!

Giving some l-o-v-e

Look what I can do!

My new favorite thing is to pet Abby ... so far Abby's OK with it ....

Eating ICE CREAM on mommy's birthday - yummmmmm

Maddy took her first steps...

We had a great present from Madison on our 3 year anniversary this last week! We've been practicing walking from one person to another a few feet apart (holding her fingers) and we let go and off she went about 5 steps! The most was 8 little steps but we were so proud of her! She's still wobbly and tries to go too fast, which makes her fall over, but she's working hard! Of course, now in every store we're in she automatically bends over and wants down like she can walk ... but can't :) She can pretty much go anywhere holding on to one hand, flat-footed ... so we're getting closer to taking off permanently :)

A+ in swimming lessons week 2!

Mommy was terrified as I took Miss Madison to her swimming lessons this morning. Last week was a total & complete disaster when daddy took her. She fooled all of us and was happy, splashing water, kicking and even put her head under water for a second! I was so pround of this little fish! She even found time to flirt with a little boy in her class ... she kept scooting over along the side of the pool to get her hands on him ... it's already started ... LOL! Anyway, hopefully we are off to a great summer of fun in the swimming department :)

Smiling when my lesson was over!

... getting ready for take off .....

There may be fewer pictures like the ones below of Madison holding on to things standing up ... Just as of today, she is walking FLAT FOOTED and balancing with only holding on to ONE of my hands taking steps!!! I thought she'd never get off her tippy-toes! She still does when she tries to walk fast holding on to 2 hands ... but we're getting closer... any day now!!!

Swimming - Strike ONE

Oh, what stress. I have never felt like 30 minutes seemed like 5 hours! Madison went to her first day of swim lessons and didn't like the concept too well. Only one parent can go in the water with her so Chad went this time. She had a death grip on him (or his ears) the entire time and cried half the time :( I think she was just scared b/c it looked like a really BIG bathtub and she wasn't used to it. It's a very nice heated pool, so that wasn't the problem. They are teaching them important things like survival techniques etc ... and we have a lot invested in this ... so we'll be back! Anyway, I spoke to a couple other parents and they said their little ones did the same thing the first 3 or so times ... se we're gonna stick with it! Better luck next week!!! Here's a couple pictures and one video - the quality isn't too good b/c I had to take them behind a glass wall in the viewing room ....

Happy now, but not for long ....

Studying the situation ....

What a MESS I was after. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap this day ... which never happens!

Playground!

Well, after 10 hours of trying to assemble this playground .... it's finally ready! Maddy now has her own little swing, slide, picnic table and for later down the road, ladders etc. We still need to put some ground cover down eventually, but so far she seems to enjoy it! Now, if it would quit raining that would be nice!

All done!


Weeeeeeee

Buckle up!

Chad and Gammy figuring out where all 4, 999 pieces go.....

Rodeo Fun

Our little cowgirl attended her first rodeo and livestock show! She didn't quite know what to think of all those stinky animals but had fun trying to pet them like she's used to petting Abby! Here's a few pics...



Ready to get on the road!

Mommy and her cowgirl

Walking 10 miles from the parking lot ....

Forget the animals .... I'd like to eat this hay!

Gammy showing me the animals

Longhorn

Daddy .... I want a BUNNY!

Hatching ....

...andI want a chick for Easter....

What a turkey!

We didn't stay next to this one long ... he was angry!

Outdoor Fun

First news ... little one decided she might try out the sippy cup finally! Last month she so kindly growled and pushed it away. Now that she's teething she chewed on the nipple and then realized that there was some yummy liquid inside. She carries it around like a souviner in her walker!

Then, the weather was SO nice that we ventured out to the park yesterday for the first time ever! Madison LOVED the swing!!! She just giggled and giggled! So, daddy bought her a new playground for our backyard today and we'll put it together this weekend .... poor child has NOTHING :) More pics to come ....




My new big-girl cup!

So fun! I need my sunglasses!

Soakin' it up!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

13 Months Old!

Little Miss Priss is now 13 months old! She's so close to taking off walking across the room! She loves walking around the room (holding on to our fingers), transferring from object to object by herself and walking up and down the couch. She thinks is so funny to be mobile - she just laughs and laughs! She still has 6 little teeth, but is teething like crazy (like biting mommy's shoulder and legs!) so more are about to poke through anytime now. We are so excited that we start swim lessons in one more week! She is going to be a Baby Duck along with 3 other little Ducks. She loves the bathtub, so hopefully she'll love a heated pool just as well! All the sudden she's terrified of going through a carwash ... she had no problem the first 11 months of her life ... so we stay far away from those now, ha! We are getting ready to go to the rodeo this next weekend to see all the stinky animals and wear our new rodeo outfit I made her (surprising, I know)! Our biggest news this past weekend was that Maddy stayed in the church nursery for the first time ever! I know - it was only an hour ... but she's never stayed with anyone besides grandparents etc. I think it was harder on Mommy than Maddy! She did GREAT! Here's a few pics from this month...


Rolling right along ... month by month ...


Mimi and Maddy @ church

Madison about to go to the nursery ... thinking "do I like this idea?"

Picking her up from the nursery ... she already made a friend :-)

Daddy & Maddy

Walking around the edges of my play area ... I've become m-o-b-i-l-e!

I LOVE cabinet knobs and banging them open and shut ... even with safet locks...bad habit :(

First time I fell asleep on my own in the stroller ... shopping is exhausting!

Practicing standing on my OWN

walk - walk - walk!

Being cute, what I do best.