Fun at the Fair!

It's somewhat of a tradition for businesses to eat lunch at the East Texas State Fair. You can get into the gates for free until 2:00 pm on weekdays. We have done it a couple of years and decided to go again this year. There were five of us this year, Alan, Marty (Alan's legal assistant), Lexi (our new part-time employee), Madeline, and me. They always have REALLY interesting things to eat! We saw chocolate nachos, chocolate bacon, fried brownies, fried pickles, fried BUTTER - actually just about anything fried!

Madeline sporting her first pair of blue jeans! I was trying to keep her little legs from getting sunburned because she can't wear sunscreen yet!

We ate at a new place this year called "Smokin' Like You Like It" because of a reccomendation from Joel Baker, a friend of Alan's who also happens to be a county judge. He has been to the fair to eat SEVEN TIMES this week, and has posted what's good to eat on his Facebook page.

"Smokin' Like You Like It". I had to get a
picture of the black and white pig!

The girls (excluding Madeline) got HUMONGOUS stuffed baked potatoes topped with barbecued brisket. YUMMY! Upon Joel's recommnedation, Alan got a Tamale Slammer and a Cowboy Mignon. I got a picture of the potatoes and our homemade cherry lemonade, but didn't get any other pictures of the food. Alan let us all take a bite of the Tamale Slammer and we all agreed that we should have gotten it. It was delicious! I can't remember everything that was in it, but it was basically a Frito pie made with tamales, honey bbq flavored Fritos (never seen those in stores before!), cheddar cheese, barbecued brisket, and a sweet bbq sauce. Sounds weird, but it was good! The Cowboy Mignon is basically a filet mignon on a hamburger bun with pickles and a sweet Vidalia onion sauce on it. It was good, too, but not as good as the Tamale Slammer!



Stuffed baked potato and homemade cherry lemonade!

Marty and Lexi



We went inside (for the air conditioning!) and walked around visiting the booths and other displays.

There's also a root beer stand that will fill your cup with ice-cold root beer, a root beer float, or a root beer freeze for ONE DOLLAR if you bring your cup back from a previous purchase. We keep our cups at the office and bring them back every year - it's a GREAT deal!

The Three Musketeers and their root beer!
 Lexi, Alan, and Marty



Veggie #3 - Carrots = BIG Thumbs Up

We ventured into the orange/yellow vegetable family today with carrots. Madeline seems to REALLY like carrots. She did well with the green beans and peas, but she was VERY eager for each spoonful of carrots and opened her mouth extra wide! We have a wittle wabbit in our family, which is good, because carrots are one of the few vegetables that Alan will eat!

Lovin' Carrots!

Later this afternoon, I had a "hairbow lesson" at the house of a sweet friend of mine. Check out Mandy's blog, Burkett Blessings, when you get a chance. It's GREAT! Hairbows are ridiculously expensive to buy! Mandy makes beautiful bows for her daughter, Mallory, and she graciously agreed to teach me how! Now I can hopefully make pretty bows to match Madeline's outfits. We'll see! Here is a picture of my first try. What do you think?

I had to take a few pictures of Madeline in her little red outfit today. It's the first time she's really worn red, and I think she looks great in it! She received several compliments from ladies today at BSF saying that red was her color. I will have to keep my eyes open for red clothing for her!

This is her "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A RECALL ON SIMILAC?!?" face!

Veggie #2 - Peas = Thumbs Up!

Alan's Clone

Okay - this is scary. That GLAZED look that comes across Alan's face when I'm trying to tell him something while he's watching sports on TV? THIS IS THE SAME LOOK! What am I going to do? Alan has a clone.

My parents came over for the afternoon to get a "Madeline Fix". This picture is Madeline sitting in my Mom's lap watching the Cowboys on TV. Wow.

Veggie #1 - Green Beans = Thumbs Up

Alan put Madeline's new highchair together today. We've been waiting for one of those 20% off coupons at Babies R Us, and we got one this past week. Her highchair is another great product that will "grow with her" through different stages. We love it so far. Alan did the research on it and picked it out himself. Wouldn't you know if would have red in the color scheme...his favorite color?


Madeline's new highchair!



Madeline tried her first vegetable today - green beans. She made a strange face at first, but then swallowed them and eagerly opened her little mouth for more! Yahoo!



Green beans! I tried them, Alan was a chicken. :)



Four-Month Checkup

Miss Madeline went to her 4-month checkup this afternoon. She weighed 16 pounds 1 ounce and was 26 inches long! She's in the 91st percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. Dr. Barret said she's doing great! She had another round of immunizations. She cried more than Mommy and Daddy did this time - she was MAD!!! She got over it pretty quickly though as soon as she got her paci. Dr. Barret's nurse, Ashley, is so wonderful. She is SO FAST with those shots! We LOVE Dr. Barret and he makes her appointments fun. After using the tongue depresser, he gave it to Madeline to hold and told her she could use it as a sword to keep her occupied. Then he held her up for a picture and told her to swing it like a baseball bat. So funny!

Batter up!

Dr. Barret doesn't think we need to switch her to a new formula in light of the recent Similac recall (remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product produced in one production area in a single manufacturing facility). Our concern wasn't so much in the quality of the product, but how soon Similac would have new product on the shelves. We have enough good powder and liquid concentrate to last her about a month, so he thinks we'll be fine. As a side note, Madeline finished off a container of RECALLED formula Wednesday night before we knew about the recall. She hasn't been ill or sprouted wings, but she's strangely attracted to bright lights for some reason (wink). We are thankful she hasn't had any signs of illness.

He also said we could go buy that girl some groceries! He wants us to start her on 1st foods, which are basically pureed vegetables and fruits. He wants us to start with a few vegetables before she tries any fruits. So I had fun at Brookshire's tonight checking out the baby food aisle! The first vegetables she'll try are peas, green beans, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. This should be a fun adventure! We can't believe she's already at this stage.

After her appointment, we met Alan's parents and our two nephews, Bret and Gregory, at Jason's Deli for a little dinner. 


Mimi, Madeline, Papa

After dinner we went back to Alan's parents' new home. They haven't moved yet, but they were doing a little bit of work while they were in town watching our two nephews. Alan's sister, husband, and our niece, Elissa, were on a short trip visiting a prospective college. Madeline took a little nap in Papa's lap and then had fun playing with cousin Elissa when she got back to Tyler.

One other quick note, Madeline is NOT teething. Dr. Barret said that the white we were seeing on her gums was actually a little cyst - nothing to be alarmed about - it would go away. He said if she was teething, we'd feel the tooth before we actually saw it. First time Mommy mistake. :) So, we think we can attribute the fussiness and the early wakeup times this week to HUNGER. Bring on the green beans! 

Papa playing with Madeline



She fell asleep like this while rubbing her eyes.
She was SO tired!

Madeline LOVES her cousin Elissa!







It's a TOOTH! Maybe...

Madeline has been pretty "drool-ey" for the past month or so. We thought she SURELY wasn't teething yet even though everything I've read says it can happen as early as 3 months and as late as 12 months. We never saw anything going on in her mouth that would lead us to think she was teething, so we decided she was just going to be "drool-ey" for a while.
After being on a pretty predictable schedule for 2-3 weeks (finally), she threw us a curve ball this past weekend and decided she would mix everything up on us. After sleeping until between 6:30-7:00 am every morning for quite a while, she's been waking up FUSSY at totally random times. Even as early at 3:00 am - YUCK! She usually wakes up happy and plays and talks to herself in her crib for a while, but not these past few days. She's been fussy and hungry. Feeding her at weird times has completely messed up her schedule. We've added rice cereal to another feeding around lunchtime which has helped the past two days, but she's also been cranky off and on - mostly in the afternoons - and very clingy. She just really wants to be held and cuddled. Needless to say, I haven't gotten much done this week!

We decided to really check her mouth out good on Sunday night, and sure enough, there's a little tooth starting to make it's way through her lower gums! She and her paci are suddenly very best friends! It really soothes her, along with some refrigerated teething toys. Hopefully her first tooth will make a full appearance soon, and she will be MUCH more comfortable.

*If any of you have ever tried to take a picture of a 4-month-old's gums, you'll know why I don't have a picture of "the tooth"

Nipple-Paci Stew!

Okay, I may be a little twisted, but I think this is really funny. Most of you know I'm a "rule-follower" and try my best to follow directions exactly, so every couple of weeks I boil Madeline's pacifiers and nipples just to get them "extra clean". I laugh every time I get my "stew" going on the stove.

Madeline at 4 Months

This is the first time I've posted milestone "stats" for Miss Madeline, so I thought I'd give it a shot! Madeline turned 4 months old TODAY!!!


Madeline, at 4 months you:

• Eat 30 ounces of formula per day (5 bottles at 6 ounces each) and eat 2 tablespoons of rice cereal. You eat about every 3 hours.
• Are still wearing a size 2 diaper, but probably not for much longer!
• Wear mostly 3 month clothes, but can still wear some 0-3 month and are starting to wear some 6 month. You started wearing 6 month footed sleepers a few weeks ago. You now look like a little stuffed sausage in your 3-month ones!
• Weigh between 15-16 pounds (according to our rough calculations at home)
• Drool like CRAZY, but show no other signs of teething. You've been doing this for about a month already. Your Gran calls this "sugar water".   :)
• Still just take "catnaps" during the day (usually about 3 naps at 45 minutes-1 hour long), but we're not complaining, because you sleep GREAT at night!
• Go to sleep between 8:00 - 9:00 pm and wake up smiling between 7:30 - 8:00 am. Madeline, we appreciate your thoughtfulness. You must know Mommy and Daddy are no longer in their 20's. You have actually been sleeping that long for about a month as well! You began sleeping in your crib at night in your room on Labor Day, September 6th.
• Enjoy holding Mommy's hands to pull yourself to a sitting position and then pull yourself up to a standing position. Your little legs are SO STRONG!
• Love hearing Daddy's voice when he comes home from work and you turn your head to find him!
• Make your "razz" sound all day long.
• Are SO observant. You never miss ANYTHING that goes on around you.
• Smile, smile, smile! The nursery workers at church and at BSF say your'e such a happy, smiley baby!
• Giggle HYSTERICALLY when I wash your little hands and wash the rolls of your neck with a warm washcloth. One of my favorite things to do with you.
• Still enjoy watching ceiling fans. I think all babies do!
• LOVE chewing/sucking on your hands. Not a thumb, not a finger - your WHOLE fist. Usually your right one.
• Have recently "discovered" Bond. Until this past week, you never seemed to be aware of him, but now when he's near you, you follow him very closely and watch what he does. He is anxiously awaiting the day you can play ball with him.
• Grab and reach for anything close to you and immediately try to shove it in your mouth!
• Love grabbing Mommy's necklaces and hold on for dear life!
• Recently "discovered" you have feet and enjoy staring at them and reaching for them.
• Sit and play in a Bumbo seat for a while, but not for very long. It's too restrictive for you! You like playing in your exersaucer more. We have to put a towel in the seat with you to help keep you steady, but you're so tall we've already had to raise the height to the second position!
• Roll from tummy to back and back to tummy, but not very often on your own. You're pretty content wherever you are!

Happy 4-Month Birthday, Sunshine! God has blessed us with such a precious baby girl! We can't wait to see what this next month has in store for you!

Love,

Mommy

A Quick Catnap



Madeline taking a quick catnap on Daddy's tummy.



Good Morning, Sunshine! She always wakes up smiling!



Praise to the Lord, the Almighty!

Yesterday was the first day of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for this year. We are doing a brand new study of Isaiah this year and I think it will be very interesting. I had heard about BSF over the years while I was still working full-time and heard what a wonderful program it was. When I "retired" in 2004, beginning BSF was one of the first things I did! I started the study of The Acts of the Apostles halfway through the class year in January. I LOVED it! I have grown more in my personal walk with Jesus Christ through BSF the past 6+ years than I have by doing anything else. I cannot recommend this program enough! The following year we studied Genesis, then Romans, Matthew, The Life of Moses, and then John. To complete the program, I still have to study The History of Israel and the Minor Prophets, and then do the other half of The Acts of the Apostles. So, the addition of Isaiah has now made BSF an 8-year program instead of a 7-year program. I will hopefully "graduate" in December of 2012! If you want more info on BSF, check it our here.

One of the BEST things about BSF is their children's program that's offered during the Women's Day Class on Wednesday mornings. Until recently, the program was offerred to children from age 2 through preschool, but NOW they have classes beggining at birth! Just in time for our sweet little MadelinE! Since BSF members usually help with the children's program sometime during the year, I know firsthand what wonderful things are offered for these little ones. I am SO EXCITED about what Madeline will get to do this year! Children in the "Under-Two" program are not there for just nursery care. Madeline will be nurtured in a loving environment by women who not only love God, but she will be taught a Bible story, she will be prayed for, and she will hear BSF hymns sung to her as she is held and rocked! Wow! There is even a CD with her BSF songs on it that we can use to help her learn the songs. Her teachers will also teach her some basic sign language signs like eat, more, sleep, please, thank you, etc. Madeline did great on her first day and her teachers seem like very sweet loving people! So grateful for their willingness to teach these sweet babies!

I have to say that I pretty much "lost it" when I walked in the church building yesterday. For some reason a HUGE wave of emotions just hit me. I'd watched a gazillion women take their children to BSF for years, but I was FINALLY getting to do it myself! I was overwhelmed with such gratitude to our Lord that we have the opportunity to expose her to something so wonderful. Madeline was actually born on the last day of BSF in May and I hadn't been able to share with a lot of the women (face to face anyway) that we had even been chosen by a birthmother (much less already had a baby!) because we found out so close to her birthdate. So many friends I have met through BSF have prayed for us throughout our adoption journey! The emotions that hit as I walked down the nursery hallway seeing the looks on these ladies' faces when they saw me with precious Madeline was just too much. I was a mess! I'm sure some of the nursery workers that don't know me thought I was having some REAL hormonal problems!

I finally made it to the worship center where we begin each Wednesday morning singing two hymns. The first hymn we sang was "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty". Well, needless to say I couldn't sing until we got to the third verse, and then I just mouthed the words! So overwhelmed with joy! It was a great morning.

Here are the words to that hymn:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty - Joachim Neander

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!

All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;

Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen How thy desires e'er have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;

Surely His goodness, and mercy here daily attend thee.

Ponder anew What the Almighty can do,

If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!

All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.

Let the Amen Sound from His people again,

Glady for aye we adore Him.

Posh Piggy Bank

Last week I found a mysterious package on my front door. I hadn't ordered anything recently, so I wasn't expecting any deliveries. The box was about the size of a box that a pair of boots would come in. I opened the outer brown box and I immediately recognized the unmistakable shade of blue that meant the contents were from Tiffany & Co.! Then I knew for sure who sent the box - my sweet aunt and cousin that live in New Jersey. My aunt is a consumer reporter for WNBC (NBC 4) in New York City and my cousin is in school at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. They always send very classy and unique gifts, so I was very excited to see what was inside.

It was a handpainted ceramic piggy bank from Italy with the "Tiffany & Co." trademark on the bottom. By FAR the nicest piggy bank any of us piggies has ever received! I know Madeline will treasure it someday just as we treasure the ones who gave it to her. Hey, I think the BOX it came in is pretty cool by itself!

Madeline's New Best Friend, Her Exersaucer

Alan and I (mostly Alan) put together Madeline's exersaucer last night hoping she might be able to use it soon. Our pedi said we could try when she was holding her head up well and, if needed, we could stuff some towels in the seat to help her fit better. She has been holding her head up really well and grasping and reaching for lots of her toys, so we thought we might give it a try.

As we were putting the toys on it, I commented several times how fun some of them looked, but was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to manipulate them yet. I just didn't think she had the motor skills necessary yet. Boy was I wrong!

We put her in it for a little while this morning before Alan went to work to see what she would do. She went to town BIGTIME! The look on her face was priceless - a whole new world was opened up to her! I was very surprised to see she could play with pretty much everything that's on it to some extent. She LOVES the music that some of them play and especially loves the alligator toy that's on it. We anticipate many fun hours with this wonderful toy!

Many thanks to the hostesses of one of her showers who gave us this FABULOUS gift!

FINALLY! Tummy to Back - AGAIN!

Miss Madeline FINALLY rolled over from her tummy to her back today - AGAIN! I say again because she did it for the first time by herself on July 30th. Yep - over a month ago - and hasn't done it again until today!

We were excited when she did it for the first time in July and were amazed because she just did it all of a sudden while we were playing with her on the floor. Alan and I were both there when she did it and looked at each other like, "Did we really just see that?" We thought she'd do it again the next day, or the next day, or the next, but she never did! In fact, she's been closer to turning from her BACK to her TUMMY lately which is supposed to come after TUMMY to BACK. So weird! We started to question ourselves if we really saw her do it or not, but we know she did! Anyway, we've had lots of extra tummy time this week practicing rolling over and over and she's finally done it again by herself! So proud of her!

I have a GREAT video, but I'm still having trouble uploading it. More to come...