Madeline at 5 Months

Madeline, you turn 5 months old today! At 5 months you:

 •Are eating less formula each day (4-5 bottles at around 5-6 ounces each) and eat 3 tablespoons of rice cereal. You are eating more solid food, so you aren't drinking as much formula.

•Are wearing size 3 diapers, and have for a while.

•Cannot wear anymore of your 3 month clothes and are wearing mostly 6 or 6-9 month clothes. I washed your new 9 month clothes this weekend and you'll start wearing some of them this week.

•Weigh 20 pounds today according to our rough calculations at home (November 8th - I'm posting this late), but I have no idea what you weighed on your 5-month birthday. Sorry, baby!

•STILL drool like CRAZY, but show no other signs of teething. I feel your gums every couple of days, but haven't felt anything yet. Dr. Barret says we'll feel your teeth before we see them.

•Still just take "catnaps" during the day. Every once in a while you'll take a LOOOONG nap...like 3-4 hours! Totally random and unpredictable when you'll do it, though!

•Go to sleep a little earlier now, between 7:30 - 8:30 pm and still wake up smiling between 7:00 - 8:00 am.
 
•Still enjoy holding Mommy's hands to pull yourself to a sitting position and then pull yourself up to a standing position.

•Are responding more and more to hearing your name - we will say your name and you will turn and look at us!

•Don't make your "razz" sound as often as you did, but you've developed a sweet little squeal when you get really excited. You're "talking" like crazy, and have especially deep converations with your Papa.
 
•Are still SO observant. Many people comment on how observant you are. It's pretty hard to feed you in public (with a spoon) because you're too engrossed with everything going on around you!

•Are still a smiley, happy baby! Daddy calls you Grinny-kins Chinny-kins!

•Are still giggling HYSTERICALLY when I wash your little hands and wash the rolls of your neck with a warm washcloth. I hope you will keep doing that for a long time!

•Aren't quite as fascinated with the ceiling fan anymore. Of course, you don't spend as much time on your back now!

•Still LOVE chewing/sucking on your hands. Sometimes a thumb or a finger, but usually your whole fist.

•Are more and more aware of Bond. One day recently, he hopped up onto the chair we were sitting in. I said, "There's Bond!" and you turned your head toward him and reached out your hand to touch him!

•Still mouthing everything you can get your hands on and grab onto Mommy's hair with your fingers sometimes. You have quite a grip, and it hurts sometimes!

  

•Still sit and play in a Bumbo seat for a while, but not for very long. You can play in your exersaucer now without us stuffing a towel behind your back.

•Can roll like nobody's business!!! You can get anywhere you want to going horizontally!

•Like grabbing both of your feet and pulling on them while you're on your back.

Love you, sweetiepie! This picture was taken on October 22nd, the closest one I have to the 19th. The Rangers were playing the Yankees that night in Arlington - you're doin' THE CLAW!

Madeline's Idea of Helping with the Laundry

A Three Hour Nap...A Three Hour Nap!

Madeline took a 3+ hour nap today! Woohoo! This is the first time she's really slept on her tummy as well. I think taking a nap after a nice warm bath helped, too!

 

Love those leg rolls and ruffle bottom!



Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

Hello, world!

Just Because She's Cute

Tah-dah!

Contemplative.

Alan calls this her "tee-hee" look.

Trip to Abilene

We've just gotten back from a LONG but fun weekend! We were recently asked to speak on one of the panels at an orientation for prospective adoptive parents at our adoption agency, Christian Homes and Family Services, in Abilene. They had actually asked us to come for an orientation back in July, but Madeline was still pretty small at that time and the prospect of travelling halfway across the state wasn't very appealing. So, we were honored when they asked us to plan to come to their next orientation in October.

We headed out on Friday afternoon, October 1st, and made a pit stop in DeSoto (Dallas area) to visit with Alan's parents and to give Madeline a break and have a snack. Her Mimi got to give her her first taste of squash! We made it to Abilene later that evening, checked into our hotel, and had a yummy dinner at Red Robin. We wish Tyler had a Red Robin - we really love their burgers and steak fries. It was fun driving around Abilene and telling Madeline that's where she was born. It was hard to believe that it had been 5 months since we'd been there! It seemed like yesterday.

We had made arrangements earlier in the week to meet with Elizabeth (Madeline's birthmother) on Saturday morning. We picked her up at her apartment and took her to breakfast at IHOP. It was SO GOOD to see her and see that she was doing well. Needless to say, she was THRILLED to see Madeline. She hadn't seen her since she was two days old. We had a delicious breakfast and enjoyed catching up with Elizabeth and letting her spend some time with our precious baby girl. We keep in touch with her through e-mails and send her pictures often, but it was great to be able to let her see and hold Madeline again. We know it was good for her and she thanked us many times for getting together with her. It may sound weird to people not familar with open adoption, but to us it is SO GREAT that Madeline will be able to have some kind of relationship with her birthmother and know that her adoption was a positive thing. Elizabeth loves her SO MUCH and just wants the best for her, knowing that she was not able to parent Madeline. After breakfast we took her back to her apartment and headed toward Christian Home's offices.

The prospective adoptive parents started their orientation Friday afternoon and were finishing up a little after lunchtime on Saturday. Toward the end of Christian Homes' orientation, they have three different panels of people come in to speak: older children who were adopted through Christian Homes, birthmothers who placed children for adoption through Christian Homes, and adoptive parents who adopted children through Christian Homes. We were very honored to be asked to be on the last panel to share our experience with the prospective adoptive parents. We had sat in the same chairs they were sitting in back in April of 2009, and it was a great experience to be able to share our adoption journey with them and calm some of their fears and answer some of their questions. The other couple on the panel was actually one of the couples that shared with us during OUR orientation. It was great to see them again. Their little boy was just a baby when we first met them, and now he's a growing little boy! They live fairly close to Abilene so they are asked to be on the panel fairly often. They have a  great story to share because they had a failed adoption before they adopted their little boy. Unfortunately that DOES happen from time to time, and it's a good thing to let prospective adoptive parents know that although it might happen to them, God will bring them through it and definitely has a plan for their family.

It was a LONG trip back to East Texas. We made another pit stop in DeSoto to see Alan's parents again and to pick up Bond. They graciously "dog sat" Bond for us. We went on to Longview that evening because Madeline and I were planning to go to a luncheon with my Mom at my parents' church the following Tuesday. Madeline did GREAT on the trip. She's a wonderful little traveler! Needless to say we're very glad we have a minivan now. We practically packed Madeline's entire room to go with us on the road! Here's a picture of baby girl totally zonked out on her way home from Abilene.

P.S. - I know we've said it before, but we LOVE Christian Homes and Family Services. They are a WONDERFUL agency. Their slogan is "A Christian Home for Every Child".

Christian Homes and Family Services

Madeline and Her Feet

These pictures were taken at my parents' house this past weekend. It was around that time that Madeline really discovered her feet. Since then, she LOVES playing with them - especially when I'm changing her diaper! Sadly, she can't wear these cute pj's anymore. They had little chickies on them. They were one of my favorites!

Gran & GG

We are so blessed that Madeline gets to spend quality time with all of her immediate relatives. Here are a few pictures of her with my Mom (Gran) and my Grandmother, her Great Grandmother (aka GG) when we were in Longivew this past weekend. I love Madeline's onesie - it says, "Mommy and I agree. Daddy's Charming."

Catch Up Time!!!

Wow! I'm a little bit behind...we've been CRAZY busy! There's so much to write about! I'll try and catch up over the next few days.

I'll start by summarizing the rest of the new foods Madeline has tried. As far as the ratings go, she gives a "thumbs up" to everything she's tried. She's never spit anything out or refused to eat any new food, so we're pretty pleased about that. However, we know her tastes could change any day! She has tried every Stage 1 food that Gerber has to offer except for plums. She definitely has some favorites. Right now they're carrots, pears, and applesauce. This blog is a scrapbook of sorts for Madeline, so I apologize in advance for posting so many pictures that might be boring to you!

Veggie #4 - Squash
October 1, 2010

Veggie # 5 - Sweet Potatoes
October 3, 2010

Fruit #1 - Bananas
October 5, 2010

Fruit #2 - Peaches
October 7, 2010

Fruit #3 - Applesauce
October 9, 2010

Fruit #4 - Pears
October 11, 2010

Fruit #5 - Prunes
October 13, 2010