Happy Holidays!

I don't even know where to begin....I feel like things are happening so fast that I can't keep up!  Will someone please tell the child to stop growing up.  Madie is all of 34 inches tall and only 23 pounds still with a vocabulary about 50 times her size.  She is talking and I don't mean just words.  There are sentences, other languages and plenty more I have yet to recognize.  She knows all her colors, shapes and just started to learn letters.  However, thanks to Mimi's efforts to teach her how to write the letter "M", it has now been renamed to "Up, Down, Up, Down" when you ask her what letter it is.  She picks up books she recognizes and reads (from memory) them to us.  The two favorites are "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and "Moo, Baa, LA, LA, LA".  And most recently, while we were counting the acorns from our evening walk (for some reason, the child has an obsession with acorns) she just randoming spout out "uno, dos, tres, quartro, cinqo....." and I looked at Ryan and said --  Did I really just hear that?  So, I'm sure there is plenty more that she is saying that we're not understanding....  My most favorite things is all the little songs she sings throughout the day.  Any time we see a sweet treat she sings Happy Birthday and blows out a fake candle or when she sees Christmas stuff she sings Oh Christmas Tree.

http://youtu.be/hyOWRVSNf1o

 

So this was the first Halloween where she could actually participate. We did trick or treating at mommy's work, but she steered clear of getting the candy from people and searched out the un-attended candy buckets to get her candy from.  Then for Halloween she wasn't feeling well so we stayed in doors and carved pumpkins with MiMi!  She did really good with it and really wanted to help by poking the holes for the outline, scooping out the inside and helping mommy pick out the sicks so we could make Uncle JC a snack!  And since she wasn't feeling 100%, instead of trick or treating Halloween night in the neighborhood, we handed out candy in our costume.  Anything she saw during this month or that was orange resulted in "Halloweeeeen!!!!"  Which is what she would say as we answered the door for our trick or treaters.

Right now, she is really big into airplanes.  I think it was the sign language of the week at school and she went crazy trying to see airplanes in the sky.  So, we decided one weekend to go to the parking garage at mommy's work that is right next to Tampa International and have an airplane picnic!  We sat on the roof of the garage and watched them take off and land over and over and over.  She was so excited to see them it was halerious as she over and over would say "Oooohhhhh".

A few weekends ago, we decided to break out mommy's "Toddler Bucket List" and we decided to go to the Largo Park and ride the miniature trains.  She did so good sitting still and really enjoyed waving to all the people all over the park as we road through.  We even ran into little Miss Ettie (the daughter of a good friend of mine) and had snacks in the park.

We'll post again soon to catch everyone up on the holidays!  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.......

How Big is Madelyn…..Sooooo BIG!

We’ve been asking her this before she was even one; however, now more than ever it is reality.  This little firecracker has grown up so much and has blown us away by all that she is doing.  We’re getting more teeth (second set of pesky molars), weighing about 23 pounds and is about 34 inches tall.  Eating well is a hit or miss and appears to be slightly picky like her father, yet loves condiments like her mother  :o)  She will eat handfuls of nothing but ketchup.  Although it makes daddy gag, I completely get it--Ketchup is mmmm…mmmmm…..gooood.  Definitely doing really well with feeding herself with a spoon, but still working on which hand she prefers.  She actually does pretty well with both, so we’ll have to wait for that verdict.

http://youtu.be/25codzkA1CU

She’s a year and a half and about one or two months ago we were playing in mommy’s closet when she pulled one of my black see through dresses in front of her face and said “I see you”.  It was that moment when she said her first sentence and it hasn’t stopped since then.  My grandparents had been working with her saying “I – looovveee – youuuu” and so I wasn’t sure if she knew what she was saying when she would say it, but that sentence that day in my closet made it clear she knew how to put the words together to say what she wanted.  Now that I know she understands, nothing is more fulfilling than when she walks over to me in the middle of playing and says “I love you” out of the blue.  She counts to ten, somewhat says her ABC’s and is on a roll with her colors.  We’ve also started to experiment with the potty training.  She’ll sometimes tell us or even go and sit on her potty by herself, but it’s not consistent yet.  We have lots of work to do in that area.

And nothing beats her putting herself in time out.  She gets very easily aggravated when trying to do something and it doesn’t work as she wants it (like putting a lid on the Tupperware or getting the cart to go in the direction she wants) and then screams at the top of her lungs and throws stuff.  Little bit of a short fuse….  But she also will pinch and grab at you if you try to make her go or do something not on her terms (we’re leaving now or time to get a clean diaper while playing).  We would gently slap her hand, tell her no and put her in the corner.  Then she would walk up and pinch me, tell me “not nice” and then go sit in time out.  So hard not to laugh!  The fun has only begun.  One day in her room, she took all the extra packs of wipes of the shelf and threw them on the floor and then an after I picked them up she did it again and I said “Oh really” and she looked at me and said “Oh really”.  I think we’re in trouble…..

 Recently, we took our first beach trip to Clearwater with Nana & Poppy to celebrate a friend of ours birthday (Tom).  We got all geared up and then started walking down the beach when it wasn’t long that we found the most happy thing that a beach can offer……sea gulls!  Sea gulls everywhere and sea gulls that would let you get so close before flying away really made for a great start.  She was so excited to see “bird, bird, bird”.  As we walked down the beach on the wet, firm sand all was well and then we walked in the soft, sugary beach sand that sticks to you and all broke loose.  Turns out she hates things sticking to her (including something as joyful as bubbles in a bubble bath…. I thought all kids loved bubble baths).  She loved the water and most of all she loved playing in the sand and making sand castles with her Poppy.

 

 

My most recent and fond memory is from our recent trip to the LegoLand water park.  There was a whole area devoted to little kids and she couldn’t get enough of the toddler water slides.  There was a flat and very wide yellow slide and then a blue tube type of slide that had no top to it.  She kept saying “more slide” and then saying yellow or blue to pick which one.  The yellow we could slide next to each other but the blue she had to go down alone.  The first time down the blue was a huge success and then the second time she slid around like a star fish almost.  I didn’t want her to stay scared of it so we went down one more time, but the whole way down she said “No, No, No”.  Then we stuck with the yellow.  That it when it happened…...  So often I’m playing with her that I don’t “witness” what we’re/she’s doing.  I’m caught up in the action and not able to just enjoy in a remembering way the moments we have.  Then I was standing at the bottom of the slide and looking at her & Ryan at the top and it hit me with a rush of emotion.  I see my little girl sitting next to daddy and she’s so itty bitty and she’s got on her pink long sleeve surfer girl swimsuit with her white bucket hat and those little chiclet front teeth peeking out and cheeks perked up so much that her eyes were squinting from the huge grin she has on her face while rocking forward trying to scoot to go down the slide and she’s looking at me with such happiness.  I was able to really take in the moment to keep it in my heart forever.  It was like an outer body experience where I was witnessing our lives happening.  I will never forget that moment and find myself recalling that cute little face over and over each day.

The Many Hair Stylings of Miss Tolle!

Ok, so it was known from the start the child wasn't going to have long locks of hair as a child......I was practically bald until I was like five and, well, have you seen Ryan lately  :o)  Oh, but what little we have sure makes for a fun game.  I thought I would share photos from as early as five months up to just a few weeks ago.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

MY FIRST PONY TAIL!!!!



It's a ZOO out there!!!

It’s a ZOO at there!

Being that the 4^th of the July fell in the middle of the week this year, we had to think of something we could do for just the day.  So, we decided to visit the Lowry Park Zoo.  Madelyn’s been doing so good with recognizing animals and making the animal sounds that we thought it could be a good time to go.  Although she didn’t respond to seeing the animals as I had imagined, I still think she really enjoyed it.  I was expecting so much excitement that she would be crawling out of our arms; however, she would point at it like “Ya, look – a whatever it was”, and look at me like I was crazy to be getting so excited about it”.  Overall, it was really a great day with something for all the senses that really made it FUN. 

We saw “rhinoceros snort and snuff” (a line from one of her favorite books)

We touched sting rays (they would come right up to the edge and flap their wings out of the water for you to touch)

We played with the manatees (it just came right up to her and was doing ballet flips)

http://youtu.be/mrOmzD9kF7E

We fed a giraffe (first piece she wasn’t expecting the long tongue to come out to take the food, so after that she was quick to let go of the lettuce)

http://youtu.be/jFxv-j_ud5o

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And even fit in some time after lunch to dance to some music (it was some really wild jungle music, but she loved it)

Just when it got hot (a popular word these days—everything is hot and gets blown on), we stopped for a cold treat (so we’ve been working on learning cold)

I don’t have a picture for it, but they even have a mini splash mountain and we stood in the “splash zone” and got all wet!

OTHER EXCITING NEWS!!!  We moved up to the toddler room this week and she loves it!!!  The room is much bigger and the play ground is about three times the size.  On the second day I dropped her off and she ran over to the play kitchen area immediately.  So, I said “OK, Bye Madelyn???” and she replied without pausing or looking up “BYE!”.  A little sad, I followed up with “Aren’t you going to blow me kisses good-bye?” and she quickly smacked her hand and threw her hand into the air without even looking my direction!  Although I was a little sad like that toy that becomes forgotten, I smiled the whole ride to work knowing how happy and excited she was to be there.

Rain, Rain....Don't Go Away?

So my mom shared something fun for us to try while we are rained in for the past day or so; yogurt finger painting!  Just add food coloring and then the little ones can have fun without worrying about them sneaking a taste.  AND not sure how, but the colors don't stain!!!  So let it rain all day because we are still having fun anyways  :o)  Here's some pictures and a video from our fun today.  At the end of the video she heard thunder and that's what she does when she hears something.  Can't really see her face, but she makes the "Ohh" surprised face while pointing to her ear.  P.S.  Does her outfit look familiar to anyone???

http://youtu.be/ewalLwSV_3M

Love Everyone and stay safe during this storm!

4, 3, 2, 1 and new baby!

So this past month, my family had the opportunity to have all FIVE great-great grandchildren together.   They are all a year apart (ages 4, 3, 2, 1 & new baby) and it was amazing to have them all together.   One from Florida, one from Kansas and 3 from North Dakota. Just wish we had our cousin, Gunner, who is in Germany :o(   So my grandfather gives out nicknames to everyone and I thought it would be cute to get shirts made with all the names on them and then to get a picture…….shirts – easy………names on them – easy…….picture of all of them together – NOT so easy!   But they are kids and this just adds character to all these memories we capture!!

 Well, it is June and it is hot and Madelyn is talking up a jibber-jabber storm!   Sure, we have no clue what the child is saying, but by golly she is telling it!   She weighs approximately 22 pounds and is 31 inches tall.   She is on the go, go, go and is talking the whole way there.   She repeats single words you say like duck, yes, bird, nana (not sure if this is banana or NaNa…..), PaPa or making animal sounds like the horse, duck, pig, etc.   We even got her to say I love you along with hand motions but it is more of the hand actions than the actual words that makes it right.   And then with all that; she’ll then just start talking using her own little language.   It is honestly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.   She’ll also do it when she pretends to read a book or to talk on the phone.   For any that knows, she’s said the word “DaDa” for a loooonnnngggg time and I guess MaMa just wanted to believe that it was babble, but I have come to accept that it was the first word. Enjoy DaDa :o) She also starting winking at people, or so she thinks she’s winking…..

http://youtu.be/INUIyAiscaE

http://youtu.be/-o1MBnMLAG8

Lastly, at about 14 months the child brought in 4 molars and I had no idea what all the fuss (literally) was about because I was looking for the next side (canine) teeth to come through.   Little did I know that the molars come in first. Boy were things rough there for a little bit until during a crying rage I saw them shining bright! Geezzzz—there should be a flag or something that pops up to let you know :o)  We’ve been spending a lot of time in the water.  I think she’s part fish since she absolutely loves it!I think the best was when she figured out how to splash in the water herself.  So funny her little kackle :o)

http://youtu.be/k98mcYO8ZRY

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Hoppy Easter!

So this wasn’t Madelyn’s first official Easter, but this was her first Easter where she could actually hunt for Easter eggs! Her school had an egg hunt, so we brought in eggs and a basket and all the young toddlers got to hunt for the eggs on their little playground. She immediately ran out and went right to them. It was so awesome to see her in action. She would pick them up and then hold them up in the air with excitement. Mommy and daddy’s big girl! Then the fun wore off real quick for the youngsters and all they wanted to do was play with each other’s baskets. Needless to say, the mickey mouse basket was a huge hit with the kids. On Easter Sunday, our little family went to breakfast that morning and then came home and did a little hunt in our yard at the house. I think it was the best Easter ever!

As a general update, we haven’t grown any inches, but we have put on a few pounds (now she weighs a whopping 22 pounds)! She still looks like a thin string bean to me :o) I think the biggest new milestone for her is communication. She’s been doing animal names/sounds when you ask her, but now she’s using her sign language that they teach at school to tell us she wants more, wants food or butterfly (fake butterfly in a mason jar we bought at Aunt Lou Lou's Heritage House). It is so neat to have her communicating with us. She is barely saying words, but she clearly understands everything that we are saying. I can ask her to go get me something across the room and bring it to me and she understands! She even mimics you when you do things.  Below is a video of her laughing with.....or at me when I was acting to laugh.  It is so awesome! I think this is the part that I am most excited about; to teach her things. 

http://youtu.be/uvIntqNj0c4

 Lastly, she taking a liking to a few new things.  Dancing--appears her body just can't help it to move when she hears music.  She use to do just a sort of squat up and down when dancing, but thanks to my mom….she stomps one foot and claps like she’s at the barn dance!  And we've found a new love for fruit....strawberries and watermelon to be exact.  You can't feed the child enough of either of them!  Below are some pictures of our weekend at the community pool and our afternoon snack  :o)  The last picture is her "Mmmm...mmmm....good" move she makes when she really likes what she's eating.  She does the "Mmmmmmm..." with her head tilted back.  So funny!

 

My, My....How Time Passes By...

And just like that, in a blink of an eye.....she turned ONE!  So much to remember that makes us smile and yet so much more to look forward to!  She went from our little baby Tolle of 7 pounds 8.6 ounces and 21 inches long to a 21 pound and 31 inch BIG GIRL!  Her small and carefully steady steps have turned in to a confident....really almost sprint.  And her two lonely bottom teeth had to wait a full six months for some company.  And all FOUR top teeth came in at once!  But I must admit that other than a few fussy days, Madelyn really handled the process well.  There were a few restless nights, but the hard part seemed to really interrupt her appetite.  But now we are on to filet with our potatoes the doctor said!  Maybe not so quick....I can tell the next group of friends to come will be here soon.  I just hope it doesn't get worse because we are about to give up the bottle and pacifier and I really want her to eat well so that I know she's getting all the nutrients that she needs. 

We also graduated from the infant room to the young toddler room.  I think it was really just a hard transition for me (as I cried every day for about one week after I would drop her off in the morning).  She was ready though and had actually for a few weeks been visiting the room to help with the transition.  But she was so lonely in that infant room with all the babies that would just lay on the floor or in the bouncy chair...she needed action and some other kids to play with!  It is so amazing how she sits at the snack/lunch table with the other kids and sits in these short little chairs like big people while feeding themselves their snacks and lunch.  And at nap time there are no cribs, just these little fold up cots that they sleep on.  I was in complete disbelief that she would ever sleep on a cot....but she does.  We were also invited to our first birthday party for two little twins that are "friends" of Madelyn's at school.  It was at Gymboree and it was ten times better than our visit since she's older and more interactive AND she got to play with her school friends instead of random people that were at our individual visit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGWFZQfXalA

And I mean this is in the truest sense; Madelyn is not a baby anymore.  She is this awesome little person who understands what we say and she is learning to express herself with shaking her head "no", crinkling up her nose and mimicking things we show her how to do!  We are excited more than ever for this summer to go and do fun things and show her all sorts of new things in the world!  This month we got to hang out with Miss Evie, which we had our very first play date with.  Miss Evie is only two weeks older and getting these girls together is so much fun!  We shared toys, had a great lunch, tried to break the dogs free and went for a walk through the neighborhood.  On the walk the girls were leaning over their strollers and talking to each other.  It was sooo cute!

So, this first year I had made the greatest effort to make Madelyn's "first" everything to be festive and a big deal with a special outfit.  Naturally, the first birthday is going to be a big deal.....but I may have gotten a little out of control.  I did become addicted to searching for the perfect everything online for about two months straight.  It all started when the best invitation to fit all 12 months of pictures was found.  Really it was the only one and so the theme was no choice but cupcakes.  The weekend of the party I noticed my baby shower invitation on my mom's refridgerator and by coincidence cupcake was the theme of the shower too!!  After the invites were sent all that was left was the decorations!  Ryan came home from work each day to a new box on our doorstep.  He said he knew it was bad when he would ask what it was and I wasn't sure because there were so many coming......So, from there I had a onesie, banner (actually banners because the first wasn't showing up and the lady wasn't responding to me emails), and cupcake toppers made.  And then to top off the cupcake theme, I made a huge cupcake for her smash cake.  I found the cake pan, which came with NO directions and gave it a whirl.  I started with the first trial run and found that it took TWO cake mixes instead of one.....then when I baked it I filled it up too much and while baking it rose up so high it baked the next oven grates into the top...so the second trial run went much better and then the day of was complete success!  I was such a wonderful day to have all our family there to share such a special day!  AND to top it all off, her new cousin Brantley Gapp decided to arrive on her birthday!  So a big thank you to the Gapp family for the best birthday present ever!  I just love that her and her cousin will share their special day together going forward.  I love family being close :o) 

Thank You to everyone for everything; it was a perfectly unforgettable year!