Happy 12 months, Madison!

Madison's Monthly Highlights

Weight: Well, our little Cinco de Mayo baby has officially made it to the one-year mark! I am a little late in writing this because one-year-olds are constantly on the move, y'all. And it has been a overwhelming, incredible, amazing, exhausting and wonderful 12 months and counting! Maddie weighs over 21 pounds now - right at 21 pounds, 7 ounces at her last doctor's appointment. Although she isn't growing at quite the same rate as she had been a few months ago, she just looks more grownup. I still see some of her babyness when I look at her and then other times, I get a glimpse of the beautiful girl the Lord is growing and shaping her into.

Clothing: We do a lot of little dresses/boxy tops with leggings or bloomers underneath. She is starting to try helping to put her clothes on - so sweet. Unfortunately, bows are something she is more adamant about helping to pull off these days. But we're not giving up hope yet! One day, when she has more hair, the bow thing will stick! Madison still really likes to try putting on her little silver sandals, too.

Because it is sprummer weather here in Columbia (that would be not quite just spring, and not quite summer yet), I can't get too advantageous with layering like I want to. We have to make it lightweight and breathable around here!

Sleep: Still hovering between 10.5 and 11 hours a night with two naps during the day. Some teething has interrupted her sleep. She has not one, but two teeth now! Which is a big deal since up until this point, she had zero teeth. Now she smiles more with her mouth open and you can see those little pearly whites popping through.

Eating: Fruits, veggies, a little protein, grains and dairy are on constant rotation in our home. Maddie still loves munching on oatmeal for breakfast, diced pears and bits of cheese during the day, baked/smashed sweet potato and veggies for lunch or dinner. Goldfish crackers and these veggie puffs are her go-to snacks for at home and when we're on the go. We often have midday smoothie with spinach and yummy fruit and she is all about some watermelon slices! Also, she maaay have heard her first lick of ice cream not too long ago. And she had too much energy afterwards! Just from a little lick!

Personality: Madison is a little bundle of energy and joy. She is constantly laughing, smiling, babbling and giving hugs. It's funny that she didn't seem to like cuddling much when she was littler but she enjoys snuggling a lot now. She loves dogs as much as ever and still really likes to move - scootching, walking with her push walker, clapping her hands, shaking her head, bopping to music.

She may seem a little shy in larger groups or when we're in a store and someone stops to say hi, but she quickly warms up to others. Madison is really silly and loves it when Daddy and I try to "get her" by chasing her and trying to tickle her as she scootches away. Her wants/dislikes are becoming more vocalized as she figures out how to express something she sees, wants or doesn't want.

Madison is still a true adventurer but is still really content to sit and flip through the pages of her books for the afternoon. She is repeating a lot of the words I say and will give a big open mouth smile when she's really happy. One of the cutest things she does is peak around the corner from her play room into the living room, or in the kitchen, as if to say, "Peekabo!" Just the sweetest.

Firsts: She went to her very first baseball game with Daddy while I was shooting a wedding. Though they only stayed for part of it, Dean said she really liked cruising around the railing near where their seats were.

She had her first birthday celebration! We did a big Mexican fiesta theme - plenty of photos of her party to share soon! With that, she also had her first (healthy) homemade birthday cake.

She also went to her first Rhythm and Blooms night at the zoo. She loved bopping along to the live music and playing with our friends' kiddos that we shared picnic blankets with.

Madison also cruised through the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets while standing! I guess you could say it is time to babyproof :)

Likes: Balloons! As if the photos above weren't enough of a give away :) I surprised Madison with a big pile of pink balloons to play with on the morning of her birthday. That girl had so much fun grabbing them and watching them bounce in the air. Oh and candles! When I light a candle in the bathroom or on the table, Madison will drop whatever she is doing and scootch over so she can see the flame.

Her second main attraction right now is standing up with assistance and using her Fisher Price walker to walk through the house. She is pretty close to standing/walking by herself!
 

When she isn't zooming from room to room, she likes pulling things off of shelves, putting her books back on the shelf, rocking her car seat back and forth (as well as when she's in the car seat!), reading her books, play with her musical stuffed dog toy, dancing, making cute little sounds, lots of babbling, trying to climb our stairs (!!!!), hanging out on the front porch, tickle time/hugs with Daddy, taking baths, clapping to sign for more food, getting snacks out of her snack catcher and throwing them on the ground (we're working on this), talking to DaDa on the phone, cruising around from chair to table in the house and holding out my debit card to help pay whenever we check out!
 

Dislikes: If Dean or I leave the room for a minute, being told no, laying down for naptime, itchy skin and having her nose cleaned out.

What I want to remember: All of the sweet in between moments. Not just the big, showstopping ones but how it feels to snuggle Madison at naptime, how she giggles when we're playing and how blessed we are by God's precious gift in our lives.

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You may also like: Madison's 11-Month Highlights | Follow our daily adventures with #sweetmaddiegirlgram

Happy 10 months, Madison!

Madison's Monthly Highlights

Weight: Since we've been off a month for her checkups (our doctor's office was so busy, the earliest they could see Madison for her 6-month appointment was when Madison was 7 months!), we went to Maddie's 9-month checkup this month. She weighed in at 19 pounds, 6 ounces.

Clothing: She got to wear her first little Easter dress! And bunny ears! Of course we absolutely keep the focus on the Lord's resurrection. He is the reason we celebrate! It is so sweet to have the same tradition I did growing up. My sister and I got a new dress to wear to church each year and we just adored the fun frocks we got to put on. Dressing up in your best clothes and twirling around just reminds me of how much God adores us, His children, and delights in us.

Sleep: About 11 hours each night with 2 naps a day. We have started rocking her not quite as long and putting her down in her crib drowsy but awake for naptime. It has been difficult to hear her crying and crying for those minutes (that feel like hours!) until she settles down and falls asleep but her naps have been so incredible since introducing this method!

I think crying it out is hardest for mamas and daddies because we think, "Oh no! My baby is hurt/in pain/needs me!" It's hard to allow the space and time for a baby to get it out of their lungs, while we're feeling helpless and like we're making the wrong decision. I'm so grateful Dean and I have been able to talk it out and continue allowing Madison to learn to fall asleep on her own as she grows. It makes for a much less tired mama and a very well-rested baby!

Eating: Madison is still eager to try new foods. Most recently, it's whatever is on Daddy and Mama's plates! We generally give Maddie some Cheerios, cut up pears or a fruit and veggie teething wafer for breakfast followed by a squeeze pouch for a late morning snack. Lunch is usually some variation of shredded cheese, plain Greek yogurt, more cut up pear bits or the latest thing - almond butter bites. (Basically I smother a whole wheat wrap with almond butter, fold it over in half and tear it into small pieces for Madison to devour). Her dinner usually consists of the items mentioned above she didn't already eat that day along with bits of what Dean and I have for dinner - maybe some whole wheat pasta, cooked veggies, baked sweet potato fries, bits of chicken.

I've also given her some smoothie (usually frozen banana, frozen spinach and a handful of strawberries/mangoes with some water or almond milk for the base) through her sippy cup with a straw. I already feel like an undercover food smuggler by trying to sneak greens and veggies in her food when I can! haha not that she won't it otherwise but some things do taste better in the guise of a smoothie, you know?

Personality: Madison has become quite the little explorer! Since she doesn't do much crawling, just scooching as we call it, she really hasn't been able to maneuver around the house on her own. Until now. I think she realized that she can scooch from place to place just fine, thank you. No need to wait for that crawling thing to all come together, let's just move around on our bums - across the nursery, out of the play room and under chairs.

So in the Fairweather house, baby proofing from the ground up has officially kicked off! We are finding ourselves saying no and putting those things on a higher shelf/off the ground more and more. It is just delightful to watch Madison move around and find new, exciting things in her world though - such a large pile of decorative yarn that quickly became tangled around her leg or peeking into cabinets in the kitchen.

Madison has also started dumping things (namely her books) and pulling out everything from bags or containers (like my purse or a box of tissues). I gave her the tissue box so that was my bad. I honestly didn't think she would pull so many out! Dean was like, "So you get to use all these, since you allowed her to pull them out." haha :) Maddie is also communicating more - shaking her head no, saying yeah along with dad, dog and mama as well as fussing/grunting and pointing to tell us she wants something. She is standing with assistance and has almost starting cruising from the outside of her crib. She has loved getting to take steps while we hold her hands.

Firsts: She got to see a horse up close at a family portrait session for our dear friends. She also attended her first birthday party for twin girls we know from church, and she tagged along for not just one, but three portrait sessions (one for my head shots, two that I photographed).

This month Madison also rolled over onto her tummy in her crib. She has been a pretty still sleeper up until the rolling started. She also had some eczema pop up on her chin and neck, which has been itchy and unenjoyable as you can imagine.

We bought foam letters and numbers for her bathtime so this was her first experience with more than one toy in the tub. She only had a rubber ducky up until now. I dumped a handful of the letters into her bath and Madison was definitely overwhelmed by them all. We know to only give her two at a time now.

She also celebrated Resurrection Sunday for the first time and we read the story of Jesus to her and explained what it meant. Madison also participated in a sweet backyard Easter egg hunt with all her cousins! My mother-in-law is SO smart. Each of the 7 cousins were assigned a specific color egg to hunt for and they all had the same number of eggs. Perfectly done so that no fighting - or hoarding - could take place.

Likes: Pointing at everything, looking at all the lights (lamps, window light, ceiling lights), all doggies, giving kisses to said doggies in the books we read (it is JUST as cute as it sounds!), standing up with assistance, taking steps while we hold her hands. She also loves being tossed back into a pile of pillows on the bed, trying to look at Mama and Daddy's phones, saying, "Da. Da!" everytime I get a call (because she thinks every call is to/from Dean). Maddie also is giving us more kisses, waving hello and bye-bye to people and things, snuggling, giving hugs, turning the pages of her books (she especially likes her Record-a-Story book from Grammy and Grandpa!). Bath time and when Daddy comes home are still two highlights of each day :)

Dislikes: Itchy skin and having a stuffed up nose.

What I want to remember: Madison motioning for me to read to her, watching her bop and clap to her tropical piano music, spending Easter weekend with the Fairweathers and the wonder and amazement of life through the eyes of our sweet child.

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You may also like: Madison’s 9-Month Highlights | Follow our daily adventures with #sweetmaddiegirlgram

Happy 9 months, Madison!

Madison's Monthly Highlights

Weight: Around 18 pounds. She is pretty long and lean! Although her sweet baby face has some roundness to it. At this rate, I doubt her weight will ever catch up, or pass, her height.

Clothing: Madison is still rocking her 18 month and 2T bottoms! We were blessed with lots of pretty dresses from her grandparents so I’m trying to make sure she wears them before they get too small. We do lots of onesies with leggings or a casual dress with a cardigan. Still trying to get her to wear shoes for more than 28 seconds. Madison, 1; shoes, 0.

Sleep: We’re back up to almost 11 hours :) And she’s still taking her 2 naps each day. It’s great to see her really getting comfy in her crib. Now that she’s just in footies + sleep sack, she takes advantage of the real estate and squirms to one side of the crib or will scooch until her head is resting up against the crib. Although she is a great sleeper, the hardest part is actually getting her to sleep at night. Instead of our 9 PM bedtime, she ended up actually getting to sleep around 9:30 or 10 PM on various nights.

Eating: She tried bits of a quesadilla and really liked it. Shredded cheese is apparently also one of her love languages :) And Cheerios. Madison is really getting the hang of her pincer grip and those little grabbers do a fantastic job of getting her finger foods in her mouth! Which is so fun because my grandma (Big Betty to our Little Betty) likes to mention how I wouldn’t go anywhere without my cereal snack bag when I was little. Like mother, like daughter!

In addition to purees, we have given her some squeezy pouches which she also seems to enjoy. Hello, talk about convenience! When we’re out running errands, I would much rather give her a pouch than try to spoon feed without making a mess, or Madison trying to grab the spoon, leaving trails of green peas or mashed squash in her wake. (Btw, while pouches can be expensive, Aldi has them for CHEAP! We’re talking a pack of 4 for $1.79! They are a tad bit smaller than the standard 3 oz. but a whole lot less expensive. Go – buy them now!)

Personality: She makes the most fun little sounds and movements. Saying “Ugh la la” while wiggling her tongue back in forth, or cupping her hand over her mouth and singing are just a couple of in her repertoire. She is giggly, loves dogs (I think it’s a growing fondness for them), likes to move (bounce, clap or wiggle) although she is also perfectly content just to sit (no crawling yet for us). Madison will be really expressive in a small setting, like in the car or at our house, and then will be more reserved or inquisitive in a larger setting, like in a restaurant or when we’re with a large group of people.

She is a true Southern belle – all ladylike in public almost all the time. She really doesn’t fuss unless it’s in private (aka in the car with me or Dean or at home). We didn’t really have too much of a separation anxiety phase (praise the Lord!) and she still does pretty well when we drop her off at church nursery and when our babysitter, who is incredible, comes over to watch her. She really enjoys other babies and is constantly chattering and trying to touch or wave to them. Such a people person :)

Firsts: Her first times riding around in our jogging stroller for a family jog. It was a little chilly the Saturday morning we ran through campus but we bundled Maddie up and she seemed to really enjoy the view from the front. Plus – snack tray for Cheerios and a cup holder for her sippy cup. Who wouldn’t like their own tray and holder for goodies?

February was also the month she laid in a hammock for the first time. Dean and I have been eyeing the Eno DoubleNest for quite some time and found it for a great price at a store in downtown Columbia. After Dean strategically hung it in our backyard, we all piled in for a swing. And actually, Madison was really the one swinging! She sat up on Dean’s stomach and rocked back and forth, moving the hammock for us.

Her first time playing peekaboo with a hat! She really seems to get the idea of taking off something (go figure!) and hiding her face.

And at bath time, Maddie figured out how to scooch around in her pink plastic tub to face the other way. It will only be a matter of days before she tries climbing out of it!

Our big girl also graduated to sitting in a grocery cart for the first time! She has been big enough to ride in the cart for a while but honestly, sometimes it’s still easier to bring her travel system and keep her in her car seat. During a trip to Aldi, I decided to give it a try. And she loooooved it. A little too much, perhaps, as she tried to twist around in every direction, figuring out what this new thing was that she was in, how she could reach everything we passed (!) and trying to get her legs out and up over the cart handle (talk about f-l-e-x-i-b-l-e!). So we now need to work on staying *in* the cart.

She has also discovered her headbands/bows and will pull them down L Trying to encourage her to keep them up! Otherwise I hear her crying as we’re driving because she now has an accidental blindfold on.

Likes: Riding in the jogging stroller, sitting in the hammock, clapping her hands, pulling her headbands off, feeding herself, petting doggies, blowing bubbles with her mouth, flipping through her books, hugging her daddy, being thrown up in the air, bath time, shaking our car keys, saying “mama” and “dada,” shaking things, scratching different textures, pointing with her little pointer finger, babbling, sticking out her tongue, grabbing her feet

Dislikes: Having her nose or face wiped off, sleeping well when we travel, being put down, waiting to eat

What I want to remember: Family hammock time, our trip to Florida for my dear friend Laura’s wedding and Madison meeting her twin sister Lynsey’s baby and rolling around with him, her daddy reading to her at bedtime.

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You may also like: Madison’s 8-Month Highlights | Follow our daily adventures with #sweetmaddiegirlgram

Happy 8 months, Madison!

Madison's Monthly Highlights

Weight: We don't go in for her next well visit til next month. As of 7 months, Maddie was 17 pounds, 14.5 ounces. So definitely bigger than that now, my tired arms would say :)

Clothing: Still wearing a few 6-month tops and onesies and but mostly 9-12 months. For bottoms, on a whim, I bought a few 18 months and 2T leggings, and y'all, they FIT! We have one long baby :) Also, our cute little girl likes looking in her closet with me! She tugs at different sweaters and dresses. I like to think it's because she's already developing great taste, not just because the colors and patterns jump out to her. For shoes, she's wearing Size 4 and we are having even better success with keeping them on her feet (yay!).

Sleep: About 10 hours a night. We're still working through some of the difficulties of transitioning out of her marshmallow suit to just a sleep sack (aka wearable blanket). But overall, Maddie is still sleeping pretty well, with the occasional mid-night wake-up or skipped day nap.

And God continues to remind me, over and over and over again, that our daughter's sleeping/eating/fill-in-trait-or-behavior-here is not a reflection of me directly, nor should I be bound by fear that she "won't ever go to sleep again ever" or "this other thing may be so terribly wrong" or whatever other anxieties I allow to creep into my head. He is Sovereign and it's in Him I find my security, my identity. He is my all in all.

Parenting is so much about trusting in our Father above than I ever could have imagined. What a humbling thought - to have a little child who completely counts on you for everything? And for us to have a Heavenly Father who takes us under His wing, and in His hands, and completely takes care of all our needs.

Eating: Madison will try just about everything once so it's been fun to have her slowly but surely try new foods. This month she tried some string cheese (she gobbled that up faster than an ice cream melts in the dead of July!), rice cakes, purple carrot teething crackers (which sound yuck but she likes them a lot). She's still eating lots of avocado, bananas, apples, squash and a few other fruits and veggies. AND she has started to be able to feed herself! It is the sweetest thing. She has really gotten the hang of picking up crackers and jamming them in her mouth :)

Personality: This child learned to shake her head no! All by herself! As in, I certainly did not teach her that ... we haven't even learned yes yet :) What's funny is after spending time with her older cousin Shiloh on vacation, she starting shaking her head furiously back and forth. But the funny thing is, Shiloh says, "Yeah!" all the time, not no. So we're not sure how/where Maddie got it from but it's her new thing. And it's not connected to not wanting more food, or reading another book or actually answering a question. Just to practice moving her head side to side it seems.

During our vacation, we spent afternoons at an indoor water park. Madison was somewhat hesitant to get in the wave pool (during the non-wave time) which is kind of out of character for her. She is usually pretty eager to lean and look and see and move around in new things/places. Maybe the vastness of the water made it uneasy. Either way, she still ended up splashing around, going down a few slides with Daddy and having some fun by the end of the week.

Madison definitely has a good idea of the things she knows, what she likes and doesn't like. She is SO giggly, loves it when we dance around the living room and just adores her Daddy.

Likes: CLAPPING with a capital C. She mastered it and we spent a good week or so just clapping our hands throughout the day. So cute! Other things she likes: squeezy pouches, snuggling on her grandpa's lap, hanging with her older cousins, making new baby friends on play dates and in the nursery, flipping pages of books, looking out the window, helping me get the mail, assisting in pulling open the blinds in the morning, wiggling around on our California King bed, being worn in the Ergo, sucking her paci at nap times, trying to pull her socks off, kicking off her car seat blanket and laughing.

Oh, and DOGS. The first few times she was ever around dogs they were big and loud and she was so little. But now that is bigger, she is crazy about dogs! We visited our good friends in Tennessee and their big dog Shep was like her BFF! Although I don't think Shep quite got the memo and was like, "Who is this small person that keeps smiling and flailing her arms at me?" No hurt feeling, Shep. We understand it's a lot to take in :) She also loved seeing my parents' dogs, Emmy and Lillie, and squealed with delight when she would pet Emmy and she would try to lick her face in return.

Dislikes: Having her nose/eyes/face wiped off at all, getting ready for bed after her bath (it's like she doesn't want the play party to end), when I leave the room. And when we had to leave the dogs behind to go home :(

What I want to remember: Madison's first trip to a water park, visiting with the Fairweathers and Madison laughing hysterically for MINUTES during dinner one night, without being prompted. Y'all, it is too much!

This was also the month Madison played peekaboo back to me! As in she hid and then popped back out. Melt my heart, why don't you! Oh goodness, I could go on ... but these are the highlights :)

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You may also like: Madison's 7-Month Highlights | Follow our daily adventures with #sweetmaddiegirlgram

Happy 7 months, Madison!

Madison's Monthly Highlights

Weight: 17 pounds, 14.5 ounces as of earlier this month. She has the cute chunky baby face and a little bit of a tummy but is pretty lean overall.

Clothing: She is getting longer/taller still! At 29 inches, we are finding a lot of her bottoms, leggings and sleepers are quickly getting too short. Maddie is mostly wearing 9- or 12-month bottoms and a few of her 6-month tops and sweaters. Socks and shoes are staying on her feet a little better this month! I think it's mainly because she's discovered there's a whole big world of more interesting things to touch/pull than what's on her feet.

Sleep: About 10-12 hours a night, and as of last week, we just started transitioning her out of her amazing magic sleep suit (seriously, if you have a baby that doesn't roll in their sleep yet, get thee one of these!). Because she's sprouting up like a little bean stalk, we knew the day would be coming where we couldn't just zip her into her cozy sleeping bag and call it a night. As silly as it may sound, I found myself getting so worked up about it! What Madison doesn't sleep ever, ever again?? What if she's up all night long?? After talking to a dear mama friend, I was reminded that it would be all right. What, like God isn't sovereign over everything except how Madison goes to sleep? It's the little AND big things we have to turn over to the Lord.

Since cramming her into a too-small suit was quickly not becoming an option, we purchased a Halo SleepSack (a wearable blanket) to keep Maddie feeling snug as a bug when her marshmallow suit was gone. I decided the best time to start the transition was when Dean was off work so I had him there during the day in case things went poorly and I didn't get adequate sleep at night so Christmas break it was! The first two nights we tried it, putting her in a zip-up onesie and the SleepSack, and Madison did wake up. We put her back in the sleep suit for the rest of the night each time. Since then, she has slept through the night. Cue the hallelujah chorus! Although she has been sleeping about 10.5 hours which is less than before, it's great that our baby girl is sleeping in her cute little sack like a big girl!

Eating: She is SO interested in food, y'all! Like if we're eating and I'm giving her baby food, her eyes will follow over to my plate and look at me like, "Seriously, when do I get some of that??" And Madison just is so excited to have her own sippy cup! We fill it with water and has gotten pretty good at picking it up and bringing it to her mouth with both hands. She has tasted some more solid food, too - a nibble of crust twice. And we've added a few more fruits and veggies - pineapple, prunes to name a couple. After giving her organic brown rice cereal for a couple nights, we realized the necessity of prunes since near-constipation became an issue. Thanks to the ABC's of remembering what to feed her in moderation! What to feed/not feed to babies is a whole new world!

Personality: Still as sweet as ever! Definitely a little explorer, Madison is grabbing, swiping, hitting, pinching, poking, reaching for and kicking everything in it. Her sweet innocence and curiosity are just the best to watch in action! She giggles all the time, is always alert, active, moving, rolling over, patting us on the shoulder, practicing her clapping. She's been a bit more fussy than usual. We're thinking it's teething related, which my MIL reminds me, "You can use teething as an excuse to do/not do something for the first two years!" So sweet to hear her wake up on most mornings with cute little sounds (Goo, gah, ma, da, sss). And she said her first word this month - Mama :) And no, that is not a biased-mom perspective. She's even said it in the nursery at church when I drop her off. Her second word - Dada! She practices them over and over, along with high-pitched trilling and rolling of R's and G's.

Likes: Her daddy, being thrown up in the air, bouncing, looking at books, shaking everything, splashing at bath time, sitting on our laps, looking in the mirror, playing peek-a-boo, looking at and interacting with other babies (so fun to see!), her singing apple toy, holding and shaking little balls, sitting in her high chair. She also likes food, my water bottle, anything she shouldn't like (she tries to grab at wires, cords, plastic bags, electronic devices - you name it, she's probably reaching for it).

Dislikes: Waiting to be fed, having her nose/eyes/face wiped off at all, getting ready for bed after her bath (it's like she doesn't want the play party to end), when we say no, when I leave the room.

What I want to remember: Everything. She is growing so much each day. This is of course a given, and a natural part of life. I want to recall the moments that may not seem like much at the time, but looking back, made up the days, weeks, months and years of our lives. This month, there were lots of firsts - trying on all her pretty first Christmas dresses from Granmom and Grammy, went to her first Singing Christmas Tree production, attended her first Christmas party, heard the story of Jesus' birth for the first time, joined us for a candlelight Christmas Eve service and opened presents of Christmas morning for the very first time.

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You may also like: Madison's 6 Month Highlights | Follow our daily adventures with #sweetmaddiegirlgram