My Hope

Maddie kisses

2011-08-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wonder how much Madalyn understands... and there are times I wonder why she does what she does. When we ask Madalyn for a kiss if her mood is right, she'll turn to kiss our cheek with her mouth wide open... and tongue sticking out. I was puzzled as to why she chose to give 'French' kisses... and then it hit me today... she's taking after our French Bulldog. Every time he licks her we tell her how sweet it is that Louie is kissing her. I can't believe it took me this long to solve that mystery. Now I just have to figure out how to teach her to keep her tongue in her mouth. Today she slobbered an unsuspecting little girl from her eye to her forehead. Poor thing didn't even see it coming.

Whoville hair

2011-08-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

My mom styled Maddie's hair one day after she played in the rain. I think she looks like a Who with her trident curls :)

On the road again...

2011-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

This summer has been crazy!! I thought I'd have the summer off and it'd be nice and relaxing... not sure what I was thinking- a one year old doesn't really equal relaxation- lol. Since classes ended I've sadly said goodbye to a friend who moved a couple of states away, I've tried to get the house more organized, we've spent time with friends and family, but most of my days consist of just keeping up with Madalyn. She is kinda walking now but can get around faster crawling still so that's her preferred method of transportation. Just before the summer session began I was offered a class to teach and took it, even though we were planning to leave on vacation less than a week after classes began. I'd cleared everything through my boss though and only had to cancel one class. It's web-enhanced (my first time teaching online- eeek) so I just added more web activities to balance the class time.

So after trying to get packed and ready and prep for class we hit the road running. Ok... so as my husband described it, we moved like a herd of turtles- but we got everywhere we wanted to go. Unfortunately I failed to take pictures everywhere but hopefully everyone we saw will send me the pics they got :)

We tried to time it so we were driving during nap time which worked out quite well- Madalyn isn't known for having the best demeanor in the car for long periods of time so I was nervous to say the least. We bought some new toys ahead of time and were prepared to buy a dvd player for the car (if absolutely necessary to maintain our sanity) but I'm happy to say we made it back without the need.

Our journey started early... though trying to make sure we were ready to go had me up a little too early- even for me. I'd been packing until 11 the night before... and then woke up at 4:30 totally unable to go back to sleep *yawn*. So I did what any normal person would do... I swept and mopped so we'd come back to an extra clean house. Waking up at 4:30 and then driving four hours doesn't make one the most exciting person to talk to- just a word of advise. I fear I probably bored my friend to death when we met up with her- but that's the great thing about friends you've known for forever- they tend to be forgiving... I hope :) Her daughter is 11 months old right now and the girls seemed to have a good time at lunch and playing but then it was time to hit the road again.

We weren't really sure where we'd stop for the night and just planned on driving until dinner time or until one of us got cranky. We found some places north of Nashville that looked perfect... until we tried to go get a room. The guy at the front literally laughed at me and told me there was no room in the inn. So... we went a block away and tried to get a room at a different hotel. This guy was a little nicer and told me they'd had a cancellation... but the price of the room was high and he wouldn't take my coupon due to the area's events. I looked at him blankly and inquired about what was going on... only we would stop across the street from Opryland (literally) and try to get a hotel room during the CMA festivities. Let's just say we sheepishly hit the road again and tried to appease Madalyn until we got to some exits further away.

When looking at the map Tommy saw that Fort Knox was pretty much on the way to our destination and having watched way too much of the history channel decided we should go check out the gold reserves. Yeah... right. They had a place for visitors to check in but I started becoming suspicious when they boldly stated that all visitors need to have their driver's license, registration & proof of insurance ready. We knew we wouldn't be able to get close to the gold itself but I'm not sure they're used to tourist style visitors at all. Let's just say we made a U-turn and checked out the Patton museum instead. Tommy didn't let it get him down though because we spotted his dream car along the way- a bright yellow Plymouth Prowler.

After two days on the road Madalyn was happy to see her Aunt & Uncle! It was the first time we've gotten to visit them- with the coffee shop we were never able to get away and this has been the first real opportunity to make the drive so it was fun for us to see where they're living now too :)

I love the town they're in- it's a college town with a lot of personality and charm. It seems really family friendly too though, and had a great playground close to their house.

After leaving there we started our trek to Knoxville and right around dinner time what did we see but a sign for the birthplace of KFC. Who could pass that up? Certainly not dorks like us! This was the first of the cookie pushers. I'm not sure what makes people think my daughter must have cookies... maybe it's the chubby thighs... but we had three servers that wanted to give Madalyn cookies. The first one asked if she was eating real food yet and when I answered that she was asked if she could give her a chocolate chip cookie. I think I may have offended her when I told her no but it just took me by surprise and I wasn’t sure if she was planning on handing it directly to her. I had no plans of prying it out of the chubby hands of a girl screaming for her chocolate. Not my idea of fun. I told the second cookie pusher that she could have a little piece of a cookie and that seemed to appease him… though the cookie started out the size of her head so a little piece ended up being quite a lot. The third pusher didn’t even ask. He brought out a huge chocolate chip cookie (and brownie) with the bill and said they were for Madalyn because she’d captured his heart. Apparently he knew the way to her heart as well- lol.

We took our time winding our way back home and got to see more awesome friends! It’s probably good that we took longer getting back than it took to get there since by that point Madalyn was growing tired of her car seat. We were able to avoid too many waking hours on the road which maintained all of our sanity I think. Overall though, I’d say the trip was a success- Madalyn did great in the car and in lots of new places and we got to see some friends and family that we don’t often get to visit.

I do think the trip wore her out though. She slept in this morning and napped much longer than normal. I only wish I could have done the same!

Officially dedicated

2011-04-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

We knew that Madalyn was in God's control even before becoming pregnant but we finally (officially) professed it in church this weekend.

Let her eat cake!

2011-04-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Madalyn's first birthday party- we had a blast!! Please click on each collage to actually see the smaller images.

Spring Pictures

2011-04-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

The greatest of these...

2011-03-04T10:46:00.002-08:00

I’m so used to hearing this passage read at weddings that it’s difficult to view it in a different sense than romantic love. It always bothered me when people talked about how they’d never experienced real love until they were married… or never known what it was to love until they had children. I don’t disagree that the love I have for Tommy is different than my love for my parents which is different than my love for Madalyn, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love before. I find it ironic that these verses which are quoted so often as people promise to love each other ‘til death do you part, was written by someone who never married himself and tried to talk people into staying single. I see where he’s coming from on that point too- I sometimes get so wrapped up in my own little world that I fail to live out the two greatest commandments as I should- to love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength and to love my neighbor as myself. Instead I find myself busy with the day to day tasks of being a wife and mother. I sometimes miss the hurt and pain in the rest of the world while my biggest concern is what I’m fixing for dinner. I don’t always focus on time with the Lord because I’m trying to get as much sleep as possible before Madalyn wakes up. I’m not saying dinner and sleep are bad things, just not the most important things. I am blessed with a wonderful husband and an amazing daughter and wouldn’t trade them for the world… but I also know that I cannot get so consumed with making my life the way I want it that I loose focus of living my life the way God wants me to live.

Anyway… I rambled a little but I’ve seen this passage with the new eyes of a parent.

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

We might do everything for our children… give them the world on a silver platter… but if we do not show them the love that we feel we might as well do nothing. It seems so basic and yet so often children are showered with gifts but not affection.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

My love for Madalyn must not be self-seeking. I must love her enough to give her to God and teach her to walk in His ways- not to chase a dream I might have for her. Even in her short life, I’m already finding that my love for her overrides any wrongs. Not that she has done anything, but I’m already finding myself forgetting about the sleepless, colicky nights.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

I always forget that verses 9-12 are apart of this chapter, at first glace they seem so out of place. And yet, they fit perfectly. Just as Madalyn doesn’t know the extent of my love for her, I do not clearly see the extent of God’s love for me. I know only in part. Oh for the day that I shall know fully!

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

Love is such a basic thing and yet, so often, we miss the boat completely. So often we forget to demonstrate the love that we feel. So often I forget to show love in the way I act, by being patient, showing kindness, keeping no record of wrongs. So often I don’t love as I should to the people I care about most, I know I fall even shorter in demonstrating love to my enemies in the way that I should.

But the greatest of these is love.

10 month letter

2011-03-04T10:46:00.001-08:00

Dear Madalyn,

It’s hard to believe a year is around the corner. I think of you as my baby, but when I look at pictures or see newborns in their mother’s arms I’m faced to come to terms with the fact that you’re growing up. I know it’s inevitable, but it just seems so sudden and way too soon. Of course I say that, but then when we’re around older children their mothers point to you and tell their children to be gentle with the baby. Time just seems to creep by when you want it to hurry along and flies when you’d rather take things slow. Such is life.

At ten months you are now crawling easily. You’ll crawl to get to something you’re interested in but you aren’t incredibly happy staying on your hands and knees and once you get to your destination quickly return to a seated position. I can’t say that I blame you, it’s not the most natural feeling form of mobility. You enjoy standing and walking and while you can only do those with assistance, it won’t surprise me if you soon gain independence in those skills too.

You have six teeth and I think a seventh is soon on the way. There are three on top and three on the bottom. I used to think teeth came in pairs- I thought wrong. The teeth have brought some added fussiness and sleeplessness but overall I can’t complain… ok, I can. Each time you get a tooth you cause me a lot of pain when you eat- but you’re worth it all! You also drench yourself in drool with each appearing tooth- I’m sure you’ll want future boyfriends to know these things- I love you too 

You love food- any food. You do prefer orange vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash) to green ones (peas, spinach, green beans). I’ve been amazed at what you’ll eat though- namely asparagus and Brussels sprouts. Your dad doesn’t eat his vegetables as well as you do, so I’ve told him he has to make major changes before you wise up. It’s been fun watching you try new foods. You’ll make faces at some but eat them anyway. There are times you’re happy and content feeding yourself with your fingers and times you want to be a big girl and only eat from your fork. It also cracks me up that you’re paying attention to the food on my plate. I’ve had to move your food close to mine so that you can’t tell which plate it’s coming from a few times now.

Somewhat related to your love of food- everyone loves your chunky thighs. I’m sorry, but I think you got those from me. I know once you’re moving around you’ll slim down a lot… but eventually they’ll be back- and when they are they don’t disappear so easily. Blame it on genetics 

You love people, but I’m your favorite. I have to sneak out sometimes to go to work. Grandma assures me that you don’t fuss after I’m out of sight, but it is hard leaving. You’re so much fun to be around. I do have to confess, sometimes I’m glad to hear you fuss when I’m going- it reassures me that you’ve bonded as you should but it does make it difficult heading out the door each time.

You’re pretty good about sleeping through the night. Daddy rolls his eyes and tells me I’m a softy but I always end up letting you sleep between us whenever you wake up. Typically that doesn’t happen until 5:30 or so and I’ll change and feed you and you quickly return to your slumber until 7. The last two mornings you haven’t joined us until 6 and then you’ve slept until 8:30! We’ll see if this becomes a pattern- as long as we don’t make a return to the midnight and 2 am wake up calls I’m ok with you waking up whenever you’re ready. You don’t have any type of rigid nap schedule either. Some days you’ll take four 15 minute naps and others you’ll take two 1 ½ hour naps. You do seem to be drifting towards two naps a day though. As long as you aren’t fussy and roll with the punches I can work around either.

You’ve discovered a fun new game lately, it’s ‘let’s find mama’s belly.’ Your dad and I are just hoping you don’t try to play this game with strangers- or just out in public in general. You’ll lift my shirt up and then slobber/kiss my stomach or side and just laugh. It’s adorable! What can I say- you’re just following what we’ve modeled- your belly is too irresistible not to kiss all the time!

You love reading… though there are times you’re more interested in eating the books than reading them. As much as I’ve tried to stop you I’ve found evidence that you’ve gotten some of your daily fiber from them. You know how to turn the pages and you will flip through them again and again.

You’re definitely a little girl and love all things shiny. Daddy’s watch mesmerizes you. Maybe I shouldn’t let you play with it as much as I do, but I always love it when you fiddle with Levi’s charm.

Your daddy and I love you so much and long to see the woman you become… but please stay our little girl for a while longer.

Love,
Mom

Too fast

2011-03-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

Madalyn is growing too fast!!! I'm not ready for her to grow up just yet! When did she stop being a tiny infant?

Spring breeze

2011-03-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

We went down for my cousin's baby shower and got to see my Grandma again. Madalyn got to enjoy some sand between her toes and the bay breeze through her hair. Soon she'll have a little cousin to play with when she goes down!! For those of you who are still experiencing snow... I'm sorry. You can rub in your cool summer days when we're sweltering in 103 degree heat.