Wedding News!

Madison, Mark and I have each been asked to be a part of Sarah and Dave's wedding! We feel so honored. Sarah asked me to be her Matron of Honor. She asked Madison to be her Flower Girl. And they asked Mark to be an usher. We can't wait!!

Sarah sent out these cute invitations a week ago with a very precious message.

What we've been into lately...

My first (currently) favorite toy...my jumpy blow-up fort!
It makes my hair stand up
My second favorite toy...my basketball hoop
What I did while Mommy was making dinner yesterday...(hey, at least it kept her busy!)
I like to poke out Tyson's eyes...every hour of every day...

Oh my gosh, it is SOOO hot here in southeast TX. I've lived in Florida and all over, and I can honestly say that this is the worst humidity in the USA. Hands down. It is suffocating!

We just got back from our wonderful playgroup, put Madison down for a much needed nap, and I wanted to update our blog. First, I checked my email...is it just me, or is anyone else inundated with Facebook friends requests? Seriously...this is about as much as I can keep up with, let alone a Facebook page? I just don't know...

Anyhow, aside from avoiding the steamy unbearable heat, we are doing well. Madison is everywhere. I mean, the only time I have to sit down is when she's taking a nap...IF then! She is walking everywhere. We laugh because she's so funny to watch...very unstable on her feet, still. She looks like a drunken sailor. It's hilarious. Gives us great entertainment during the evening! She is so busy and plays with every single one of her toys. When we move to our next house in a couple years, we will definitely have a separate playroom! So chasing her around is a little difficult while pregnant, that's for sure. I've been in lots of pain lately and have been warned by the doctor that I need to take it easy, or I'll end up in bed soon. (Actually, he said I need to be "a little paranoid, and a lot careful") And how does one "take it easy" with a one year old? Hmmm. Well, I will try my best because I definitely don't want to end up in bed for 90 days, as I did when pregnant with Madison. Besides that, we got new drapes in our dining room and breakfast room, plus roman shades in other rooms around the house. Ha, what big news. Looking forward to a neighborhood party this weekend...will be fun! Hot, but fun!

Madison's First Steps

Madison took her first true succession of steps this afternoon!!! It was so exciting to see!! She's taken several single steps in the past week, but this was her first time taking several in a row. We took video of her earlier today. By this evening, she was walking all around the kitchen, den and dining room. She just laughs and laughs...walking cracks her up for some reason! We're so proud of her! :)

My Sister and Dave are Engaged!!!

David and Sarah
Sarah's new engagement ring

Last week my sister, Sarah, and Dave got engaged!!!! We are SO excited for them!!! Wedding will probably be August '09. Mark, Madison and I are flying out there over Labor Day so I can go wedding dress shopping with her and attend their engagement party. I just wish I lived closer so that I could be there to experience this and help her plan in person!

Our trip to Illinois

Madison really prefered the larger animals to the smaller ones at the farm. She liked staring at the cows/bulls, but didn't really prefer the small kittens. Interesting, huh?
My grandfather, Danae, my Mom and Madison
Aunt Becky, my mom, Uncle Tom, me, Madison, Pappy and cousin Tara

Madison likes to climb in/on anything possible...here she is in our refrigerator...
Madison and Grammy out for a walk in our neighborhood
Amanda, Justin (my cousin), Danae and a very happy Madison...
Madison and cousin Ben
Madison and Uncle Charlie

Madison had tons of fun in Illinois. The trip was filled with lots of "firsts"... She got to meet many new relatives - great aunts, great uncles, second cousins, and her great grandfather! She also got to see many farm animals up close and sit in a real big tractor. I think I enjoyed watching her face more than she enjoyed the experiences! Overall, she did really well on the trip and we had a great time. However, we are definitely happy to be home now!

Madison has taken her first "steps" a few times now...although it's more like she steps and then dives into one of her toys. So, we'll see... Have I mentioned that she is 25 lbs now and 32" tall? I know, I can't believe it, either. She is at the 98 percentile for her age. The doctor estimates that she'll be between 5'8" - 5'10" when she grows up! Hard to believe, considering she didn't even show up on the doctor's charts for the first few months of her life.

I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up on our current baby-in-the-making. The baby is doing just fine and heartbeat is strong. It will be 14 weeks old tomorrow! We will find out the gender on Aug. 26th. We are overjoyed with so much excitement.

1 Year Old Portraits

Today, my mom (who flew in Sunday to visit) and I took Madison to get her 1 year old pictures taken. Here are a few of the shots.

It was a really rough weekend recovering from my procedure, but I am feeling a lot better now. We leave tomorrow to fly to Illinois and we'll be gone for a week. I'll post another update soon!

Thank you

We have several thank you's we want to extend...we are so grateful for such wonderful friends and family.

Micheala and Brent, thank you so much for Madison's new piggy bank - it is so modern and looks great in her room!

Mary, Jon and Vera, thank you so much for Madison's new plush tea set from PBK - with her very own name embroidered on it!!

Tana, Mark and Hayden, thank you for Madison's new car - she just loves it so much!

Grandma/Grandpa and Pappy, thank you for the money you gifted into Madison's college fund.

Dixon/Elaine and Mom/Dad, thank you for all the many wonderful gifts and money for Madison's college.

Y'all went above and beyond - we certainly didn't expect any of it!!! We love you.

Finally, thank you for your prayers for me on Thursday. I appreciate it!

And, thank you for your prayers for my family. My great grandfather, "Pop", died on Tuesday. Only one more week, and I would have been able to introduce Madison to Pop, her great great grandfather and get that treasured picture. I was pretty sad. He was 92 and had a lived a really wonderful, full life. We know he's joined my great grandmother and grandmother in heaven. I can only imagine what they're up to!

Happy July 4th!

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Baby and Mommy just fine!

Just wanted to update you and let you know that the surgery yesterday went really well. The baby is doing just fine and happily bouncing around everywhere. I was under total anesthesia, but woke up pretty quickly after the procedure. A little bit of pain today and yesterday, so just taking it easy. But, all is well! I can't hold Madison for a week. Thankfully, today is a holiday so Mark can watch her this weekend. Then, my mom comes to visit on Sunday, so she can take over then.

Oops...

OK, true story:
Last Wednesday evening, I was telling Mark how all the moms at our Mommy/Tot swim lesson wear one pieces, but I was not going to be a typical MOM and so I was happy wearing my bikini. Karma struck me the next day. While bending down and walking Madison from the shallow end of the baby pool to the deeper end, my bikini top suddenly snapped off. It didn't just snap off gradually, where I could catch it by closing in my elbows. It snapped so quickly, that it swung up and wrapped around my neck like a scarf. Well, my initial reaction was to cover myself up. In the process of doing so, I let go of Madison. Decision - do I expose myself and rescue my drowning child, or do I cover up myself? Obviously, I rescued Madison, all the while appearing like I was at a topless beach in Europe. So then I got her situated with one of my arms, while wrapping my other arm around my chest. I yelled out, can someone help me? Well, that drew even more attention. I look down, and my arm is covering up only part of myself. Nice. Our college age swim instructor was so embarrassed. I was mortified and actually got tears in my eyes. Another mom grabbed Madison for me, while two moms came to my rescue, unwrapping my bikini top from around my neck and pulling it over my chest and around my back. They told me it was completely broken. So, I had them tie the back in a knot. The bikini was not too small for me, it was just a cheap one from Target. Serves me right, I guess. Oh, did I mention that not only were we a spectacle for all the nearby moms and dads watching their older kids in their lessons, but also there was about 5 other college age guys about 6 feet away from me in the big pool? Glad I could entertain. So what did I do? I stayed and finished out the class like a big girl. Then, I went to the mall and bought a one piece suit. HA.

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby!

GUESS WHAT???

Madison has reached a new milestone...She's going to be a big sister! (her shirt in the picture was mine that I wore when we brought home my sister from the hospital...24 years ago!)

Surprise doesn't even begin to describe what we felt. More like shock....and then complete overwhelming joy and thanks to God for this miracle. You see, we got pregnant naturally, with no infertility help! At one time, we were told we had less than a 5 % chance of obtaining a pregnancy on our own. In the last 5 months, we tried two minor infertility procedures that were not successful. Then, a week after we move to Beaumont, we got pregnant. We are so excited. We are due January 23.

Because of our complicated pregnancy with Madison, my OB is also having me see a Perinatologist in Houston regularly. I've already had several ultrasounds and the baby appears very healthy so far. We are excited, but naturally a little (ok, more than a little) nervous. But God has been so faithful to us and we will trust and walk with Him.

Please pray for us this Thursday. I'll have a minor surgery that afternoon to ensure the baby stays in the uterus. However, there is risk (as we've been told several times) that if membranes are hit, it will result in spontaneous abortion. But, the risks of losing the baby later are much greater if I don't have this surgery done. So, if you will, please pray for us and I'll update y'all on Friday.

In addition to this post, I want to write a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to my cousin Nicole and her husband Pat on the birth of their precious baby girl, Averie Elizabeth. She was born on 6/22, weighing 7 lbs 14 oz and 21" long! We love you!

Happy 1st Birthday, Madison!

Happy Birthday!

Madison in her special birthday dress with balloons and her monogram and a special birthday bow to match!
Time to undress, blow out the candle, and eat the cake!
Mmm, Yum!
Some of the party decorations

We excitedly celebrated Madison's first birthday while at the beach. She had a Baby Einstein themed party and especially liked her presents and cake!

Our Beach Trip

I love it here!

Wrightsville Beach, NC: in front of the sand dunes EARLY one morning...because someone woke up extra early...

All nice and clean from a day on the beach

A pool just my size!

Having fun at Margaritaville at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, SC

Family pic
Would play in the sand, and especially the ocean, all day if she could!

We had a great time at the beach last week! It was SO wonderful to get out of town and relax. First, we drove to Houston to spend the night at a hotel near the airport. We caught an early morning flight to Wilmington, NC. We then rented a car (and rented a car seat - you can rent any kind of baby equipment, food, diapers, etc. from many companies these days that drop them off where you need them!) and drove to Wrightsville Beach, NC for Elam and Brynn's wedding.

All of the groomsmen (which included Mark) and their spouses/sig others stayed in a house on the beach. There was one other couple there with a baby. It was a very hectic weekend, juggling wedding activities and a baby - all by myself - because Mark was MIA with his friends hanging out and doing the necessary wedding stuff. We will only do it again if we have someone to watch our child! It was just too much. Anyhow, we did secure babysitters Fri and Sat evenings for a bit, which was nice. The rehearsal dinner was at a resort on the beach. The food was amazing, beautiful decorations, and a steel drum band to match. The wedding was gorgeous. The bride walked down the aisle to an amazing accoustic version of "Great is Thy Faithfulness" - it was so cool.

Sunday afternoon (6/15), Mark, Madison and I drove down to Myrtle Beach, SC and hung out at Barefoot Landing and then Broadway at the Beach. Madison loved eating at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant - so much to look at! We then met Mark's family at their house on Litchfield Beach. It is so beautiful there and we love going! We had great weather most of the time. I have to say, it is VERY different going on "vacation" with a child. We actually wouldn't call it a "vacation". :) Needless to say, I didn't come back with the fabulous tan I had wished for. But, Madison had a blast (and we enjoyed it, too) in the sand and on the water. She constantly wanted to be in the ocean and was not scared at all!

We celebrated Madison's one year old birthday (pics to come in another posting) on Friday with a Baby Einstein themed party. We can't believe she is ONE now already. We sadly left to come home on Saturday afternoon...and arrived home around 1 am the next day!

You can see more pics of our vacation here.

Mommy and Maddy

Aw, she's my little buddy

Yay! We found a playground with baby swings!
Every morning, Tyson comes with me to get Madison out of bed. He sits with me on the same chair to feed Madison breakfast (and every mealtime thereafter)...hoping to get some himself? Then, Madison "plays" with him. He's a great sport and lets her grab him, etc.
Hmm, I don't know about this slide yet.

I'm stuck...this happens on a daily basis. She's been known to do flips over toys, chairs, etc. And rarely cries!

Early birthday celebration

Think I'm wearing enough frosting... Okay, time for bath!
Tearing into the cupcake...before we could even start singing.

Not wanting to sit still for mommy's picture
Hehehe...I know I look pretty in my new birthday outfit.
Swimming with Hayden
Opening shower gifts
Yipee, this is fun!

We had a great weekend with some of our friends from Katy! We only had two days, so we plan on going back next month for a longer time. It was so nice to catch up with our old friends. We stayed overnight with Mark, Tana and Hayden. We swam, shopped, and played. Oh, and we ate fabulous food all weekend! I mean, crawfish fettucini, steaks, quesadillas, etc. So yummy. Anyhow, on Saturday night, we went to the Wittens house to get together with them, the Tuckers, the Carters, and the Quinlans. The kids played and played. Since Mark and I won't be able to attend their joint showers (yes, three of the ladies are due within a month of each other), we celebrated early with gifts.

And, since Hayden and Madison's birthdays are only a couple weeks apart (Hayden will turn 2 and Madison will turn 1), we celebrated today with cupcakes with hot pink icing. Madison tore into hers before we could even sing "Happy Birthday". It was all over her face, legs and tummy. Then she decided to sit in it.

Memorial Day Weekend

Mark's parents were in town for over a week and just left today. They KINDLY drove a U-Haul down all the way from the NC/VA border, where they live on Lake Gaston. The trip took about 24 hours, total. They brought us furniture we inherited from Mark's grandmother. We are now the proud owners of a beautiful dining room set, a bedroom set (finally we have a queen size bed for our guests to sleep in and they won't be cramped in a full!), and another bedroom set with twin beds - sooo cute, too, for when our kid(s) get older. They helped us out so much finally getting settled into our home. All of our rooms are organized and unpacked, except for our office. We bought new rugs, draperies, shades, and wall decorations. Everything is hung on the walls and decorated. We are SO relieved and SO thankful.

We had a fun Memorial Day cookout with our new fabulous neighbors. It was great to get together again and watch all the little kiddos play. Madison especially loved the blow-up jumping thing. I don't have any idea what it's called, but it was big and she loved it. Daddy bounced her in it. She is doing well and we celebrated her 11 month old birthday! I CAN'T believe how fast time has passed. I know everyone says it, but I didn't truly know what they meant until now. I can't believe she'll be one year old soon! She is still cruising around everywhere and doing a good job trying to walk with a bit of our help. :) Her new favorite thing is bouncy balls. She loves any type of ball - baseball, rubber ball, etc. And of course, her Daddy just loves that. :)

Unfortunately, Madison got another ear infection. Hopefully, they'll subside after she turns a year old, but if not, her doctor said she'll most likely need tubes put in. That sounds scary, but I know so many kids who have them. It seems like every time she's in the church nursery (oh yeah, we've been visiting churches here!), she catches some sort of illness. So, of course, I have it now...not an ear infection, but a sinus infection. It is fantastic. I love being sick in the hot, humid weather. Sweet.

Mark is still working like crazy and working late hours, but he really enjoyed having the long holiday weekend to spend with friends and family. He is going on a fishing trip with one of our neighbors - it's some kind of tournament - next weekend, so he's psyched about that.

Ryan's Graduation

We had a wonderful time in North Carolina last weekend! It was SO great to get back "home"!!! Man, you really learn to appreciate the place you came from once you move! We enjoyed the beautiful weather, the hills, the trees, the landscape...I mean, we love Texas! But, North Carolina will always be our favorite!

We all had a fantastic time celebrating Ryan's graduation with his Ph.D. It was fun to go back to NCSU's campus. We visited the school bookstore...this time with a kid in tow...which was a neat feeling. Of course, we bought Madison a few shirts and stocked up on some gear for ourselves! Now that we live a few houses down from Brian and Jamie Jones, friends from college, we'll be sure to get together for some football games - that rarely come on TV here! Anyway, we enjoyed going out to a wonderful dinner on Friday night. The next morning, we attended the big graduation at RBC, across from our football stadium. The ceremony was huge, but Ryan and the rest of the doctoral degree grads got to walk across the stage. After a great BBQ lunch, we attended a second ceremony for the college of Psychology - in which Ryan got his degree. The advisors of the doctoral grads said really nice things about them and it was really intimate. We were very proud of him. Afterward, we drove to Mark's parents house to spend some family time together on the lake. The next afternoon...we flew back to Texas!

Madison did so well on the trip - even with hardly any naps!! She's so good. And, she was a perfect angel on the plane rides. Thank you, Lord.

She just makes us laugh every day. She wants to walk SO badly! She is cruising around everywhere, saying "Dada" and talking in her own language.

We have been extremely busy since we've gotten home, trying to get more settled in. Mark's folks arrive on Tuesday - they are driving down some furniture for us!! Will write again soon.