First Thanksgiving

Dear baby girl,

We've been super busy and bad about posting lately. Here is a picture of you on your first Thanksgiving to catch up:

On the way to Thanksgiving dinner at Uncle Mitch and Aunt Stacey's house!

Purpose in the midst of sadness...

 We drove to McKenzie, Tennessee on 11/1/12 to attend my grandfather's funeral.  Your great grandpa Bateman would have loved you to pieces. He would always say that "there could be no wrong in the world when you were holding a cute little baby." While it was very sad to say goodbye to him, he hadn't been living a good quality of life and we know he is now in a better place.  You were such a joy to have at the viewing and funeral alike. I really think you brightened people's spirits. When we visited great grandma at the nursing home, she smiled so big when you sat in her lap!

The weekend was emotionally draining, but the preacher who spoke at the funeral really left me thinking. He spoke about purpose and how Grandpa was a man of purpose.  He lived for God and thought about His desires before proceeding with any action.  Grandpa always thought of others first and I always saw this, but never thought of the purpose of this.  Like all other aspects of his life, he chose to think of others first, even when it wasn't the easiest thing to do.  He chose to attend church every Sunday. He chose to invest in his marriage that lasted for 60+ years.  He chose to lead by example in his town. He chose to put family first. He chose to read scripture and share it with others.  He chose to laugh every day to spread joy to those around him. I always saw these things, but just thought that he did these things because he was a good person. When the preacher spoke at his funeral though, I realized that he had a purpose everyday that was larger than himself.  His purpose was to know God and help others know Him, and I believe that he succeeded and is with Him in heaven now.

All the thought of purpose got me thinking about you.  You have brought a new meaning to the word purpose. I pray that Dad and I can live with a purpose and model this to you. I pray that you will learn to live with purpose. I pray that your purpose ties directly to God's purpose for you. I pray that you will analyze and think before you act. I pray that you will be a good example to those around you. I pray that you make the right choices for your life, whatever they may be. I pray that you live life to the fullest and appreciate the small things. Mostly though, I pray that when you inevitably lose your way as we all do from time to time, that you will know and experience the love, forgiveness, and guidance that comes from the One who gives us all purpose.

If we didn't see it we wouldn't believe it

Well, you continue to amaze us. You crawled early and now you have started pulling up too! Mommy was on the phone with daddy on 11/5/12. We were sitting on the floor and Mommy was resting her arm on her knee. You reached your little hands up and pulled yourself up to standing! We were both shocked. Since then you have pulled up on several tables and your crib like the picture below (we have now moved your mattress lower). You have only had one major problem since starting this new venture: you slipped off a side table and cut your lip with your new tooth. There was a little blood and a few tears and then you were right back up again!

Moving and Shaking...

5 months has come quickly and you are surprising us each day with new and exciting things! You are quite sturdy when you sit up now and you are absolutely loving peek-a-boo right now. You cackle with delight! Just yesterday (10/15- I'm late in actually publishing this post) you crawled for the first time.  Grandmommy put glow worm out in front of you and you took two big strides to get to it.  We can't believe how fast you are moving around (we better get baby proofing soon). You have about half of a bottom tooth sticking out and your top two teeth are working hard on popping through.  You are eating rice cereal regularly and now eat both carrots and green beans. We can't wait to have you try more options in the upcoming weeks!

 Here you are modeling your new hats for the cold weather we've been having:

4 months and lots of changes...

We can't believe you are already four months old (actually closer to five since I'm late posting this). Your four month appointment was on 9/19 and you were a champ for everything (except the shots). You were laughing and smiling and talking to Dr. Dewling, but then you screamed when the nurse gave you your shots. Poor thing, you had a tough time this round. We kept you out of daycare the next day as you had a fever that just wouldn't break and you looked so pitiful. Normally when you're sick, you're still a smiley and happy baby, but not this time! You wanted to be held close all day, so we enjoyed the snuggle time with you!!

At four months, you love to play with your ball from Uncle Rob!

This month you started eating rice cereal.  You didn't love it at first, but have gotten really good at eating from a spoon and now eat it at daycare in the morning and with us at night.  We're excited to start some other veggies with you this weekend. We'll see how that goes...

First time eating rice cereal! 

This month you also started "sitting up." We won't give you full credit yet, as you can't sit up for long periods of time, but your back is strong and you will sit up for stretches of 20-30 seconds on your own and bend to play with toys and come back up on your own. We can't believe how strong you are!!!

Four Month Stats:

weight: 15 lbs 8 oz
height: 25.5 in
head circumference: 16.6 in
likes: bouncing, baths, playing with balls and toys on your own/ using your hands, trying to sit up and pull up
dislikes: sleeping during the daytime, being reclined (put into a sleeping position), basically sleeping anywhere other than someone's arms, tummy time

Bounce, bounce, bounce!

Daycare let us know how much you love the bouncer there, so we bought you one this weekend to have at home.  You love it so much and it makes us so happy to see you having so much fun!  We made a rookie parent mistake, though! You rubbed your poor little toe raw, so we will move it to the carpet and make sure you have socks on from now on.  You didn't  let a hurt toe slow you down though! You bounced and bounced and bounced!

Sniffles and such...

Well, baby girl, you've gotten into the routine of day care.  Mommy cried before even leaving the house on the first day, but it's been smooth sailing since then. That is except for the germs. You made it 1.5 days before you got a stomach bug (which then hit Dad and me). As soon as you were over that, you had a nasty cold, and then had an issue with your bottom. However, you are such a happy baby no matter what. It's hard to tell if anything is wrong because you just smile and laugh and coo.  You are such a joy always!

In spite of your recent illnesses, you've done a lot of cool things this month. You're a rolling champ right now. You chew on everything and have found that your feet are fun to play with and hold. You cackle with laughter when we play with you, especially when there is an element of anticipation.  Your favorite is "getcha" with dramatic pauses in between the tickles.

Daddy and I pray that your happy, carefree nature lasts forever and that your life is filled with laughter always.

The video above is right before you started rolling over. You are so close, and we love how excited you get when you kick your arms and legs.

Hands and H2O

Dear baby girl,

You have discovered two, well technically three things you love over the last couple of weeks. First off is your hands.  You love to chew on them. You love to look at them.  And you just recently started to realize that you have the power to move them. You are slowly reaching and touching things on purpose rather than randomly as before.  You even helped to turn the pages on the book we read the other day (not really, but you touched them and flipped them back and forth at random) Daddy and I have so much fun watching you learn new things. You get so excited and have such a proud look on your face.

The second thing you have discovered is water. You have liked your bath for a while now, but we tried your tub without the sling for the first time this week and you realized that you LOVE being submerged in the water completely instead of on the surface with your sling.  You kick and splash and laugh. It is so fun to watch.  You also went into the pool for the first time this week.  You absolutely loved every second of it. You kicked just like you already knew how to swim. You were not afraid at all.  It's been a fun couple of  weeks in our household as you've hit two big milestones. We can't wait to see you hit many more fun milestones in the future!!!

Two months old!

Dear Madison,

You celebrated your first Fourth of July by turning two months old! Your two month well check up was a little late (7/13) and your stats are below from that. You were a champ even though you were not a fan of your first shots!

Weight: 11 lbs. 13.8 oz. (75%)

Height: 22 3/4 in. (50%)

Head circumference: 16 in (75-90%)

likes- "talking" to mom and dad, walks in the stroller, tummy time, your bouncy seat and swing, baths, looking at fans

dislikes- wet diapers, going to sleep (you've figured out the positions that usually mean sleep time and do all you can to keep out of them!

Like father, like daughter...

I'm sure you will one day be embarrassed by this, and I'm sure your daddy isn't too happy about this post, but I couldn't resist. I took this shot the other morning while you were both sleeping. It cracked me up! Ya'll looked just like each other. Then, the video confirmed that you are so much like your daddy that you snore just like him.

What you've been up to lately...

You've grown and changed so much lately! Mommy and Daddy have really gotten used to this parenting thing and we're relaxing more to enjoy every minute with you. We are starting to understand what your different cries mean (high pitched screaming for a wet diaper, short strong cries followed by a sigh of defeat when you're tired, etc.) You have begun smiling in response to our smiles and are looking so intently on items around you. You love to look in the mirror as well.  On your one month birthday, you rolled from your tummy to the back for the first time! I have videos to post of your first tummy time, rolling over, and your first bath, but the video camera and computer aren't cooperating. We'll get them up soon enough though. I find that I get few things done on my checklist each day, but you'll know one day that it doesn't matter. What matters is spending time with you and watching you learn and grow each day!

One Month Old!

Madison,

Today you turn one month old. Here is a picture of you at one month and some stats/ info on what you've been up to:

June 4, 2012- One Month Old

Height: 21.5 inches

Weight: 9.6 lbs

Likes: being held, tummy time, your glow worm, baths are growing on you, pacifier (sometimes) walks in the stroller, "being a gremlin" (grunting and squeaking)

Dislikes: baths (sometimes), sleeping without being held during the day, pacifier (sometimes), wet diapers!!!!

Milestones: On your one month birthday you rolled over from your tummy to your back for the first time!

Your Arrival!

Hi precious girl,

You enriched our lives so much when you arrived on Friday May 4, 2012 at 8:47 pm. You weighed 7 lbs., 7 oz. and were 21 inches long. We fell in love with you right away.  I enjoyed speaking with my mother (Grandmommy) and mother-in-law (Grammy Bec) about their experiences when I was getting close to delivery, so thought you might like a brief run-down of your birth. Here goes:

4/17: left work early with strong contractions that were very close together. They lasted into the night, but then stopped. Thus began a very long period of regular contractions that were not the real thing.
4/18: we were checked into the hospital for observation as you weren't moving like you should be. After a long day of watching and waiting and another ultrasound, you were declared perfectly healthy and we went home to wait.
4/23: we had a doctor's appointment and I was one centimeter only.
4/30: we had another doctor's appointment and I was still only one centimeter. We scheduled induction for the night of May 3rd with the hopes of delivery on May 4th.
5/3 and 5/4: we checked into the hospital at 7:30pm and got cervadil. We slept through the night and at 7:00 am pitocin was started. My water broke on its own at about 8:15 and contractions started very strong and very close together. I got an epidural at noon which slowed down the contractions. We labored all day, but by 4:00 pm I was still only 5 centimeters. Dr. Godwin was not too optimistic about my progress, but she came back an hour or so later, and I was fully dilated and ready to push. I started to push at 6:30 with not so much progress. At about 8: 20, Dr. Godwin declared we'd only be given about 20 minutes more and we'd have to go to a c-section to make things safest for you.  Your daddy really stepped up as the hero of the day then and motivated me to keep going and let you be born naturally, healthily, and quickly! At 8:47 you arrived and our lives have never been the same. We love you so much and can't wait for all the joy to come in the years ahead.

5/5 and 5/6: You have so many people who love you and stopped by to see you.  Over these days, you met: Grammy Bec and Tom, Uncle Mitch and Aunt Stacey, Grandmommy and Grandaddy, Mama, Uncle Jon and Aunt Mandy, Uncle Rob, and you got a peek at cousin Brooks (he wasn't allowed in the room).

Grandmommy and Grandaddy

Mama and Grandmommy

Grammy Bec

Aunt Stacey

Uncle Mitch

Uncle Rob

5/6: we were able to bring you home from the hospital today (well, tonight). Because I had a fever during delivery, you had to have blood work done at 24 and 48 hours of life. Since you were born at night, we had to wait until night for your 48 hour test and then got to leave at 11 pm.  Grandmommy and Grandaddy were waiting on you at your new house and welcomed you home with a yard sign, all the flowers and balloons people had delivered to the hospital, and most importantly lots of help!!! You wore home the same dress that I wore home 31 years ago to the week.

Heading home!

Belly!!

Dear Madison,


As your arrival gets closer and closer, we wanted to document your growth inside of my belly. Here are some pictures at various stages for you to see:

24 weeks

27 weeks

                                             

29 weeks

                                                                             

31 weeks

34 weeks

                                                                            

39 weeks

40 weels

Baby Showers!

Dear Madison,


We had three awesome showers given for us. On March 4th, my good friends Dana and Elizabeth hosted a shower for us.  It was at Miss Mittie's Tea Room in Roswell, Ga and was absolutely adorable! Lots of family and friends attended and you received so many wonderful things for your nursery and to wear/play with. On March 24th, my co-workers showered us with tons of gifts and delicious food and beautiful decor at Martha's house.  Lastly, on April 5th, Daddy's work threw a shower and gave you wonderful things! You are being born into a family that is blessed with many people who love us! Here are some pictures from the showers:

 All of the great guests! 

 Adorable cupcakes and lollipops that Dana made out of blankets, onesies, washcloths, and spoons! 

Opening gifts for you, sweet girl!

The adorable diaper cake from daddy's work shower.

Babymoon

Dear Madison,


We can't believe you will be here in about two months! We are so excited to meet you and share you with the rest of your family. Everyone is so excited to see you and hold you.  Daddy and I took a "babymoon" to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina this past weekend.  We were happy to get away and rest together one more time before your arrival. However, we couldn't stop talking about vacations to come that will include you.  We love you already!!