Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Madelyn's first airplane ride
On Wednesday, June 18, the whole fam packed up and went on a day trip out to YYC in hopes of meeting up with some friends, potentially visiting with Grandpa O (if he was in town), and doing some shopping at Ikea. Leaving in the morning, coming home in the evening.
We completely expected Maddy Roo to not enjoy the plane - the take-off and landing, the change in the cabin's air pressure, popping ears, etc. We were prepared for, and hesitantly anticipating, a screaming little girl, and we loaded her up with all her friends, links rings, toys, ANYTHING we were armed with, so as to distract her as best we could from the horrific experience that lay ahead.
Strapped in her carseat beside the window, Maddy Roo looked slightly confused at her surroundings, and mildly amused with our attempts to keep her playing. With one hand caressing her marshmallow cheeks and a thumb on her plug to keep it in her mouth (so she'd continuously suck and swallow, and hopefully avoid the popping eardrum syndrome), and the other hand squeezing Donovan's knee with suspense, we started barrelling down the runway, the scream of the engines right outside our window, the force of the speed pushing us against our seats.
I heard a couple of other babies on board beginning to get upset, their excruciatingly loud cries drowning out the roar of the engines. I looked at Maddy Roo, and she looked back at me, sucked on her soother, and turned to look out the window at the world rushing by outside.
No reaction.
NO REACTION??!
Yup, that's right! You'd never know my girl was on board this plane! No cries, no fussing - in fact, no peeps, except for the few minutes of gurgles and bubble-blowing she entertained us with mid-flight! A couple of quick naps, a bottle, and gazing around occupied her time, and completely confused Donovan and myself!
Surely she would be a handful once we landed - we'll pay for her good behaviour on the plane with fussiness the rest of the day.
NOT!
She was an absolute DREAM! Happy, laughing, sleeping - just a sweetheart the whole day, the flight back home included.
How on earth did we get so lucky?
Now that we know she travels well, we're hittin' up Hawaii!!!!
Here are some pics of our girl on the plane:
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Happy Father's Day, Donovan!
To a wonderful father and incredible husband - we're lucky to have you! Hope you had a memorable first Father's Day!
:)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
"Did you get up?" "No, did YOU get up?"
That was our dialogue at 7:20 this morning - neither of us needed to tend to a fussy baby with a missing plug. which means either one of 2 things: 1., she cried and screamed for hours and we were just in such a comatose state of slumber that we weren't able to hear; or 2., she slept through the night.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Success!
Last night was a breeze!
Ok, so my eyes were glued to the video monitor all night.... and I eventually fell asleep like that! She was out so cold, that I studied every inch of the image of my baby on that screen to see if I could tell if she was breathing or not!
I even went so far as to send Donovan downstairs to make some noise in hopes that she would stir. But she didn't. That was a bit unsettling - until Donovan convinced me he had heard her breathing, and I felt better.
With a couple of stirs throughout the night (only because her soother, or "plug" as we call it, fell out and she needed help finding it in the dark), she did quite well!
At 5am, she was stirring again - methinks because the morning light was trying to stream through her curtains and it was an unfamiliar sight for her - from that angle in that room, anyways - so I scurried (yes, I actually DID scurry!) downstairs, poked my head over the rail of her crib, was greeted with THE most enthusiastic propeller arms and giggles and beaming toothless smiles, and I just scooped her up and carried her upstairs to our bed to snuggle and sleep!
After what I had anticipated being the worst night so far, it was most certainly the best morning so far! :)
So now, she's asleep in her crib, we'll see how things go this time.... *ding ding* Round 2.....
Ok, so my eyes were glued to the video monitor all night.... and I eventually fell asleep like that! She was out so cold, that I studied every inch of the image of my baby on that screen to see if I could tell if she was breathing or not!
I even went so far as to send Donovan downstairs to make some noise in hopes that she would stir. But she didn't. That was a bit unsettling - until Donovan convinced me he had heard her breathing, and I felt better.
With a couple of stirs throughout the night (only because her soother, or "plug" as we call it, fell out and she needed help finding it in the dark), she did quite well!
At 5am, she was stirring again - methinks because the morning light was trying to stream through her curtains and it was an unfamiliar sight for her - from that angle in that room, anyways - so I scurried (yes, I actually DID scurry!) downstairs, poked my head over the rail of her crib, was greeted with THE most enthusiastic propeller arms and giggles and beaming toothless smiles, and I just scooped her up and carried her upstairs to our bed to snuggle and sleep!
After what I had anticipated being the worst night so far, it was most certainly the best morning so far! :)
So now, she's asleep in her crib, we'll see how things go this time.... *ding ding* Round 2.....
Monday, June 9, 2008
The only person who probably won't sleep like a baby WON'T be the baby....
At 5 months and 1 day, this is the first night we're putting Maddy Roo in her crib for the night.
In her room.
Without me beside her.
For those of you unfamiliar with the layout of our house, we live in a 1 1/2 storey - the whole upper level is our master bedroom loft. The main floor is home to Maddy Roo's nursery.
We've attached the baby video monitor to her wall above her crib so that we can watch Maddy Roo TV all night long from our bed. One floor up. So far away.
She's out like a light - for now.... I may be the one who has the restless sleep tonite!
I'll check in with a full report tomorrow - who knows, I may be reporting on how I asked Donovan to move her crib upstairs to our room at 2 am!
Ok, well, here it goes......
In her room.
Without me beside her.
For those of you unfamiliar with the layout of our house, we live in a 1 1/2 storey - the whole upper level is our master bedroom loft. The main floor is home to Maddy Roo's nursery.
We've attached the baby video monitor to her wall above her crib so that we can watch Maddy Roo TV all night long from our bed. One floor up. So far away.
She's out like a light - for now.... I may be the one who has the restless sleep tonite!
I'll check in with a full report tomorrow - who knows, I may be reporting on how I asked Donovan to move her crib upstairs to our room at 2 am!
Ok, well, here it goes......
Friday, June 6, 2008
Dead tired, waiting for pillow cases that are still in the dryer, and completely in love
I love my little girl.
I've always loved her, but lately, it's just been completely overwhelming, this feeling that I just love her so much I want to bawl my eyes out!
We have so much fun together, she makes me laugh every day, she makes my heart swell with pride and passion, I think it's safe to admit that I'm absolutely addicted to my little girl!
Even her crying little face melts my heart! (Don't worry, I quickly rectified the problem that was making her cry right after I snapped this pic!)
I think the dryer's finally done with my pillow cases now.... G'nite!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Innocence!
Donovan here, making a rare blogging appearance! I'll let Cat take a break this time around!
Cat and I were busy getting Madelyn ready for her bath tonight going through the usual routines, when we came to a new level of understanding of our love for her, and our bonds as a family. It dawned on us the true meaning of innocence.
Madelyn can't lie.
She doesn't have the ability to hide her emotions, mask her feelings, or act one way when she feels another inside.
What you see is what you get with her, and tonight we came to the realization that every movement, every cry, every thought, is pure, 100% honest.
Cat and I are incredibly blessed to have a child who can't control her smiles when we walk in the room, her laughter when we tickle her, and her excitement when we pick her up, or sing to her. She doesn't have a care in the world, and when she smiles, it comes from a place so deep within her, it's impossible to not be inspired and uplifted.
It almost makes us feel that after all the worrying, sleep deprivation, and formula stained clothing, the two of us must be doing something right!
Correction.
The three of us....
Time to put my family to bed.... Feeling incredibly lucky tonight. Goodnight everyone!
- Donovan
Cat and I were busy getting Madelyn ready for her bath tonight going through the usual routines, when we came to a new level of understanding of our love for her, and our bonds as a family. It dawned on us the true meaning of innocence.
Madelyn can't lie.
She doesn't have the ability to hide her emotions, mask her feelings, or act one way when she feels another inside.
What you see is what you get with her, and tonight we came to the realization that every movement, every cry, every thought, is pure, 100% honest.
Cat and I are incredibly blessed to have a child who can't control her smiles when we walk in the room, her laughter when we tickle her, and her excitement when we pick her up, or sing to her. She doesn't have a care in the world, and when she smiles, it comes from a place so deep within her, it's impossible to not be inspired and uplifted.
It almost makes us feel that after all the worrying, sleep deprivation, and formula stained clothing, the two of us must be doing something right!
Correction.
The three of us....
Time to put my family to bed.... Feeling incredibly lucky tonight. Goodnight everyone!
- Donovan
Yup, here's proof!
As stated in yesterday's post, my baby can now successfully roll on to her tummy from her back. 
WOW!!!
Today I put her on her back on the rainforest mat, went to put her bottle in the dishwasher, and came back literally 32 seconds later (yes, I timed it!), and this is how I found her:
She can only roll right, but I have a sneaking suspicion that soon she'll be rolling every which way! She's a baby on the move! Watch out!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Has it REALLY been 2 whole months....
Since our last post?
Well, that would make sense, since every day is filled to the brim with the joys of nurturing a 21-WEEK OLD BABY!
Our little Maddy Roo is absolutely the joy of our lives. I truly believe she's an old soul in the body of a healthy, 16.5 LB, 25" LONG baby!
Yes, you read that right!
Maddy Roo had her 4-month immunization shots on May 21 (again, cried a bit during the actual needles themselves, but was a completely content baby afterwards), and the numbers don't lie - Mommy's little Reesey Poo (yes, I'm a sucker for cutesy pet names that rhyme with each other!) measured a whopping 25" long - gaining 1 inch since her last appointment 2 months ago. Makes sense - at 3 months, she was wearing 6-month sized clothing. Now, at nearly 5 months, she's comfortable in 9-month-sized sleepers.
It's astounding how much her personality has developed, and how much she changes from day to day. Since she hit the 3-month mark, she (for the most part) sleeps through the night - her routine consists of bath time at 9pm, feeding, cuddles and kisses, and in bed by 9:45'ish. We awaken to her coos and the swooshing sounds of her sleeper-covered feet kicking against the material on the inside of the bassinet between 6 and 7am.
Her eyes hold a wisdom beyond her years. It's hard to explain - maybe it's because she's just incredibly alert and curious about her surroundings, but when she locks eyes with me, I just feel as though she knows so much more than we think she does. She's very smart, very funny, very cuddly and very precious. And that makes us VERY lucky! :)
Let's see....Maddy'isms...so many to catch everyone up on!:
- she laughs! LOVE her laugh! Caught her first laugh on video, and I think she caught herself off guard when she did it, but it's certainly developed into a hearty belly laugh! And she also has the cutest (I'm not biased) giggles, accompanied by the most beautifully big toothless grin you'd ever be lucky enough to see!
- she's discovered her fingers, loves watching them in front of her face! Subsequently, she's also discovered her toes, and as of recently, enjoys immensely shoving them in her mouth for a good gumming!
- she's started teething! Drool, red cheeks, a bit of a fever, EVERYTHING goes in the mouth... no teeth have cut through yet, and some days, you'd never know she was teething at all.
- as of this past weekend, she's rolled over onto her tummy (when Mommy left the room)! But luckily Mommy got to witness it first-hand today!
- she hugs us back
- she gives kisses (big open mouth kisses!)
- chirp, chirp, chirp....she's such a chatterbox! She started off by chirping, and then started hooting like an owl! (Along with all the other pet names Mommy has for her, she's also dubbed her Owl or Birdie, for this reason alone!) Now she babbles and babbles and holds conversations quite well!
- she's started to look behind her...but not in the conventional way you or I would; she looks behind her by tilting her head as far up as it can go, so she's looking at you upside-down!
- she lies in bed and sings to herself in the mornings, waiting patiently for Mom and Dad to feed her!
- she has a favourite song: Winnie the Pooh! Whenever Mommy sings it, in the heat of a really horribly fussy crying fit, Maddy Roo instantly stops crying and begins to smile!
- recognizes words and names - as in, when Mommy asks, "Reesey Poo, would you like to have snuggles with MOMMY?", she breaks into an uncontrollable giggly fit. Or when Mommy says, "Reesey Poo, guess who's coming home to see you? DADDY!" her mouth opens as wide as it can get and the cutest little high-pitched squeals come out, and her eyes just light up like fireworks!
- still loves bath time
- can sometimes put her soother (plug) back in her mouth if it falls out (and she just happens to be holding it)
- loves the sunshine and the wind in her face!
- does well on road trips (took our first out to Sifton to visit Grandma this weekend - success!)
- she's already said her first word! Well, kinda - not like she really KNOWS, but she says Mum... of course, she says "mmmmummm" when she's crying, and she's picked up on "dada", but says his name when she's laughing. Go figure!!!! lol
Here are some updated pics! On April 12, Madelyn Reese was baptized. Isn't she an angel in her gown? Auntie Leanne is her godmother, and Richard Borys is her godfather - he came in all the way from Okotoks for the event! It was so special to have him there, we're so honoured he accepted the role!
Then there's a pic of Maddy Roo in her track suit - we all went out for our first family walk together, and Mommy had to make sure she was dressed for it!
Next there's Reesey Poo in her bumbo seat - what a big little girl she is!
Then, here's her reaction to the damn peacock that shrieked so loud it scared the bejeebus outta my baby! First trip to the zoo - hope it's not our last!
And here's the most recent clip we've uploaded to YouTube: May 25 - she's having fun exploring her vocal range, and for the first time, she's not camera shy! In fact, she hams it up for the lens! LOVE IT! Enjoy!
Well, that would make sense, since every day is filled to the brim with the joys of nurturing a 21-WEEK OLD BABY!
Our little Maddy Roo is absolutely the joy of our lives. I truly believe she's an old soul in the body of a healthy, 16.5 LB, 25" LONG baby!
Yes, you read that right!
Maddy Roo had her 4-month immunization shots on May 21 (again, cried a bit during the actual needles themselves, but was a completely content baby afterwards), and the numbers don't lie - Mommy's little Reesey Poo (yes, I'm a sucker for cutesy pet names that rhyme with each other!) measured a whopping 25" long - gaining 1 inch since her last appointment 2 months ago. Makes sense - at 3 months, she was wearing 6-month sized clothing. Now, at nearly 5 months, she's comfortable in 9-month-sized sleepers.
It's astounding how much her personality has developed, and how much she changes from day to day. Since she hit the 3-month mark, she (for the most part) sleeps through the night - her routine consists of bath time at 9pm, feeding, cuddles and kisses, and in bed by 9:45'ish. We awaken to her coos and the swooshing sounds of her sleeper-covered feet kicking against the material on the inside of the bassinet between 6 and 7am.
Her eyes hold a wisdom beyond her years. It's hard to explain - maybe it's because she's just incredibly alert and curious about her surroundings, but when she locks eyes with me, I just feel as though she knows so much more than we think she does. She's very smart, very funny, very cuddly and very precious. And that makes us VERY lucky! :)
Let's see....Maddy'isms...so many to catch everyone up on!:
- she laughs! LOVE her laugh! Caught her first laugh on video, and I think she caught herself off guard when she did it, but it's certainly developed into a hearty belly laugh! And she also has the cutest (I'm not biased) giggles, accompanied by the most beautifully big toothless grin you'd ever be lucky enough to see!
- she's discovered her fingers, loves watching them in front of her face! Subsequently, she's also discovered her toes, and as of recently, enjoys immensely shoving them in her mouth for a good gumming!
- she's started teething! Drool, red cheeks, a bit of a fever, EVERYTHING goes in the mouth... no teeth have cut through yet, and some days, you'd never know she was teething at all.
- as of this past weekend, she's rolled over onto her tummy (when Mommy left the room)! But luckily Mommy got to witness it first-hand today!
- she hugs us back
- she gives kisses (big open mouth kisses!)
- chirp, chirp, chirp....she's such a chatterbox! She started off by chirping, and then started hooting like an owl! (Along with all the other pet names Mommy has for her, she's also dubbed her Owl or Birdie, for this reason alone!) Now she babbles and babbles and holds conversations quite well!
- she's started to look behind her...but not in the conventional way you or I would; she looks behind her by tilting her head as far up as it can go, so she's looking at you upside-down!
- she lies in bed and sings to herself in the mornings, waiting patiently for Mom and Dad to feed her!
- she has a favourite song: Winnie the Pooh! Whenever Mommy sings it, in the heat of a really horribly fussy crying fit, Maddy Roo instantly stops crying and begins to smile!
- recognizes words and names - as in, when Mommy asks, "Reesey Poo, would you like to have snuggles with MOMMY?", she breaks into an uncontrollable giggly fit. Or when Mommy says, "Reesey Poo, guess who's coming home to see you? DADDY!" her mouth opens as wide as it can get and the cutest little high-pitched squeals come out, and her eyes just light up like fireworks!
- still loves bath time
- can sometimes put her soother (plug) back in her mouth if it falls out (and she just happens to be holding it)
- loves the sunshine and the wind in her face!
- does well on road trips (took our first out to Sifton to visit Grandma this weekend - success!)
- she's already said her first word! Well, kinda - not like she really KNOWS, but she says Mum... of course, she says "mmmmummm" when she's crying, and she's picked up on "dada", but says his name when she's laughing. Go figure!!!! lol
Here are some updated pics! On April 12, Madelyn Reese was baptized. Isn't she an angel in her gown? Auntie Leanne is her godmother, and Richard Borys is her godfather - he came in all the way from Okotoks for the event! It was so special to have him there, we're so honoured he accepted the role!
Then there's a pic of Maddy Roo in her track suit - we all went out for our first family walk together, and Mommy had to make sure she was dressed for it!
Next there's Reesey Poo in her bumbo seat - what a big little girl she is!
Then, here's her reaction to the damn peacock that shrieked so loud it scared the bejeebus outta my baby! First trip to the zoo - hope it's not our last!
And here's the most recent clip we've uploaded to YouTube: May 25 - she's having fun exploring her vocal range, and for the first time, she's not camera shy! In fact, she hams it up for the lens! LOVE IT! Enjoy!
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