Demolition

Maddie is going through the "clumsy" phase. Last week, she fell at the babysitter's house and still has a bruise on her cheek from that fall. She also put her right hand on their wood-burning stove and blistered her fingertips. She falls about 75 times (or more) per day. Between drying her tears and cleaning up behind the tornado that is Maddie, it's difficult to get anything else done.

In addition to the tumbling, we are working on alternatives to whining. Yes, the girl whines and it drives me just a little nutso! I know that is a phase most kids go through and am trying to be patient with that. I think this is probably God's revenge for my impatience with OPK's (other people's kids) who whine. :) We have been working very hard on turning her whines into "Please" and other more effective forms of communication (like pointing and showing me what she wants). We're making progress. Score so far today: Maddie - 3, Mom - 10!

Last week, Maddie's babysitter asked me, "So, is Maddie bossy at home too?!" Since she doesn't have other kids around most of the time at home, we hadn't noticed the bossiness. However, she has an independent streak a mile wide. She refuses to be fed by either Doug or me. She has to feed herself. As Doug says, she thinks she has to "drive" in pretty much any situation.

If it sounds like I'm complaining, please know that I am not. I love my little girl with all my heart and wouldn't change a thing. She is pushing me to grow beyond anything I ever imagined!

Yesterday, we finally knocked out the wall between our kitchen and living room. The demolition part is done, but we still have some wiring and drywalling to be done. Once that's done, there will be lots of cleaning and painting to take care of. Then, after the first of the year, we want to put new flooring in the kitchen.

Yes - that felt GOOD!

Dave, tearing down the walls.

Too late to turn back!

I'm glad Dave has to deal with this wiring maze.

It's still a work in progress, but we're getting there.

Thanks for checking in.

Much love,

Beth, Doug, & Maddie

Trick or Treat

For Halloween this year, Maddie dressed as a duck. We took her trick-or-treating in the pouring rain and howling wind at a couple of merchants in Downtown Goshen. Nice day for DUCKS!

Maddie still loves playing with the dog's collar when he's not wearing it. She snaps it shut every time and does so very quickly.

Uncle Dave confiscated this Harley from the neighbor's garbage. With the exception of one dead battery, it works perfectly. Maddie absolutely loves riding it. For now, it's in the basement. I'm sure by springtime she'll be flying up and down the road on her hog!

Dave's nieces, LuAnn and Grace, were here yesterday and spent the day playing with Maddie. They all had a great time!

Maddie was introduced to McDonald's Play Place for the first time with LuAnn and Grace. She wasn't too sure about the slide at first. LuAnn held her while sliding down the tube. Each time, Maddie had the most terrified look on her face until they stopped. Then she would break out into a huge grin and shrieks of glee. She jumped up, ran over to the entrance, and wanted to go up again.

Maddie's favorite book right now is a scratch 'n sniff book with a bunch of different fruits. This video is of her sniffing the fruits. She makes the funniest scrunchy face when she sniffs the book.

This week, Maddie found a step stool in our bedroom closet. It is one that we had when we were little kids growing up on the farm. It's wooden, red, and had painted on the top, "This little stool is mine, I use it all the time; to reach the things I couldn't, and lots of things I shouldn't." She quickly figured out how to use it!

I was making dinner one evening last week and I heard her toddling into the kitchen behind me, grunting. I turned around to see her carrying that stool. She brought it over and put it down beside me at the kitchen counter, and climbed up to see what I was doing. Ever since then, when I'm in the kitchen, she puts her little stool right next to me and wants to get in on the action.

Saturday, I was transferring laundry from the washer to the dryer. She brought in her little stool and put it between me and the washer and got up again to "help" me. She's still a little too short to be able to reach anything but she had to feel involved.

After I was done with the laundry, I hurried into the kitchen to prep a couple of dishes for a carry-in we went to that night. Maddie followed and put her stool next to me. I was working at three different stations around the kitchen and she was having a very difficult time keeping up - she couldn't move her stool fast enough. So, she pulled two chairs over from the dining room table and placed one at each place where I was working. Then she could quickly climb up wherever I was working. I was stunned! How can a 16-month-old come up with a solution like that??!

Maddie is becoming more and more independent. She eats with a fork, not a spoon. If we try to feed her anything, she shakes he head no and completely refuses. Once we put it down, she feeds herself. She has a stubborn streak that definitely takes after her father's side of the family!

Maddie likes to walk around the house with a pen and small pad of paper. She walks, stops and writes, then walks again. It looks like she's walking around taking notes about something. I told Doug that we're lucky that she is learning to write on paper and maybe we will be able to avoid her writing on walls, etc. Not five minutes later I saw that she wrote on her sheet on her bed, the linoleum in the kitchen, and the table cloth on the dining room table! When will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut!?

Maddie is also a very loving little girl. She frequently wants hugs, kisses, and to just wrap her arms around my neck or her daddy' neck. That is the best feeling in the whole wide world!

Thanks for checking in on us.

Much love,

Beth, Doug, & Maddie

Grandma, The Wiggles, and Lucy

We went to Terre Haute to visit Grandma Patrick last weekend. They just got back from NM and bought Maddie this adorable hat.

Grandma's friend sent Maddie a bunch of play pots & pans, a tea set, and made her an apron. Maddie played with those toys all weekend.

Monday evening we took Maddie to see The Wiggles (a.k.a. WEE-WEE in Maddie-speak) live at the Morris Civic Auditorium in South Bend. What a show! It was enjoyable even for adults... what little I saw of it anyway. Most of my evening was spent staring at Maddie's backside as she stood on my lap and danced, jumped, clapped, and got all caught up in the show. The show lasted for an hour and 45 minutes and she was into it the entire time. I was afraid that she would lose interest, but no... she LOVES those guys! In one of their songs, they sing, "Bow to your partner," then pause and bow. Maddie bowed right along with them. I didn't even know she knew the song but it became evident that she knew almost everything they sang.

Maddie and her mommy enjoying the show.

Yes, Daddy adores his daughter!

Spectacular show!

When we were in Terre Haute last weekend, we met Lucy and her family for lunch before we headed home. Lucy was in the same orphanage as Maddie and we got to spend lots of time with them when we were in China. It was so cool to see how much little Lucy has grown and changed. She is a trip! She is a month younger than Maddie and is doing pretty much everything Maddie is doing. It did my heart good to see another mama darting after her daughter as she tried to make a run for it when we were getting ready to leave the restaurant! This photo is Lucy's daddy and the girls.

This is Lucy's beautiful mama and oh-so-sweet big sister, Anna.

Maddie is doing new things every single day. She knows animal sounds for cow, horse, chicken, pig, dog, and kitty. She loves to play with Legos. She can sit on the floor, taking them apart and putting them together for hours on end. She is also learning her numbers. The other night on the way home from the babysitters I was counting telephone poles... one, two, three, four, five... and she said six. I thought it was a fluke so I did it again and again she said six! The next count, after I said six, she said seven. She continues to amaze us with all the new things she is absorbing. Of course, along with the good comes the bad... she has learned her first 4-letter word and loves to spew it out... s##t. Hmmm... wonder where she picked that up!

This video is a great representation of Maddie's dancing throughout the entire Wiggles show. It's a little dark but you'll get the gist.

It's time to sign off for now. Thanks for checking in with us.

Much love,

Beth, Doug & Maddie

16 Months Photos

Maddie continues to grow and change before our eyes. Since she figured out how to clasp the dog's collar, she has to close all clasps she encounters... on her high chair, on her carseat, and even on her changing pad. She's getting quite adept at all of them.

Maddie loves to sing and play the piano. She also loves to play football with her babysitter's 4-year-old and 7-year-old boys. She runs, then drops and rolls just like the boys. She even tries to hike the ball! Yesterday we went shoppig at E&S Sales in Shipshewana. When she saw the tractors in the toy aisle, she got so excited that she almost jumped out of the shopping cart. She has become quite a tomboy. She loves to build things with her Legos. Everything she builds becomes a truck or tractor and she purses her lips and goes "brrrrrrrrrrr" as she pushes it across the floor.

We never thought it was possible, but every day we are more in love with our little girl. Every day she is more fun and more beautiful than the day before. We are truly blessed to have Maddie in our lives.

Enjoy the photos...

Much love,

Beth, Doug, & Maddie

Growing So Fast!

Little Miss Bed-Head getting her morning dose of The Wiggles.

This week we had Maddie's 15-month checkup. She has caught up in every way and is a healthy little girl. Since we have brought her home, she has gained 6 pounds and grew 6 inches. With her vocabulary, she is ahead of other kids her age. According to Dr. Chris, 4 words is the expectation by this age. Maddie's vocabulary consists of 15-20 words.

When we walked into the doctor's office on Monday, she immediately spotted the aquarium in the corner and pointed and yelled, "Fish!" I didn't even know she knew that word. She amazes us with new things like that every day.

Last night, Maddie spotted the dog's collar on the back of a living room chair. She climbed up, picked up the collar and studied it for a bit, then snapped the two ends together (it has one of those plastic interlocking clasps). She then brought it to me to separate, then worked at it a little bit and snapped it together again. She did that over and over until she had it down pat and could do it without hesitation.

At bedtime last night, once again doing everything she could to fight sleep, she handed me the TV remote and said, "Wee-wee!" (That's how she says Wiggles.) Our girl LOVES The Wiggles!

This was a tough week for Maddie's mama. I went to TN on a business trip for two days and had to leave Maddie at home with her daddy and grandmas. It was a great opportunity for Doug and Maddie to deepen their bond and they did! She is Daddy's girl like never before. When I first got back, she didn't want to have anything to do with me. That was hard. However, the next morning things were back to normal and she loves her mama once again.

While I was gone, we discovered that she likes raisin bran for breakfast! She picks out all the raisins and then eats the bran.

I have a very demanding toddler wanting my attention so this entry is done. Thanks for checking in.

Much love,

Beth, Doug & Maddie

Where Did Summer Go?

So, my blogging has once again falled by the wayside for more than a month. August and September have just flown by. Maddie continues to flourish and is growing up so very fast.

One bright update... Doug is feeling MUCH better than he did over the summer. While he is still dealing with residual muscle weakness on his right side (MS), his sugar is back under control and he is stronger than he has been in almost 6 months. We are very thankful for that. Maddie and her Daddy are bonding so much now that he has the strength to play with her and to help care for her.

In August, I went to FLto work with our team at our Sarasota branch. Grandma JoAnna went along to babysit for Maddie while I worked during the daytime. We stayed with my Aunt Enda and had a very nice time. Maddie loved the beach, the sand, and the waves.

Last week I had my first full day away from Maddie when I went to Indianapolis for a conference. Grandma Karen came up to take care of her then. It was hard going a whole day without seeing her. Next week I will be gone for two days on a business trip. This time, Maddie will once again stay home with Daddy and Grandma Karen. I'm not looking forward to being apart from my sweet baby for that period of time but I'm sure Doug and Maddie will bond even further if I'm gone.

Here are some new things that Maddie is doing:

• Climbing! Last week she climbed up on top of the piano keys and started playing the piano with her toes. Then, when she couldn't figure out how to get down, she freaked out.
  
• If she can't reach something, Maddie will push a kitchen chair up to it and climbs right up to get whatever her little heart desires.


• Maddie LOVES the ABC song. She sings along with me whenever we say that song. Her two favorite phrases right now are "ABCD" and "Happy birthday".


• Maddie has discovered The Wiggles and Barney. She gets so excited when those shows are on. We are taking her to see The Wiggles live in South Bend in a couple weeks (yes, I know... she's a little young. This one is more for her dad's enjoyment than Maddie's!)
  
• Maddie responds extremely well to positive reinforcement. She completely ignores or just doesn't get the meaning of the word NO. However, if we get her cooperation and tell her she is a Good Girl or Big Girl, she just glows and wants to do it over and over again.
  
• Maddie loves to be Mommy's helper. The best way to get her out of the dishwasher, refrigerator, kitchen drawers, etc., is to ask her to help Mommy close it. She's all over it. She also loves to help pick up toys. I'm milking this one as long as I can!


• Maddie FINALLY has enough hair for ribbons and bows. YAY!


• Maddie's favorite people are her cousin Cassidy, Uncle Dave (Frey), Erma and Jayden (her babysitter and son), and both Grandmas. She is a very loving and loveable little girl and is bonding with so many more people than just those listed here. We are blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives!
  
• She's only 15 months old, but we're already starting to see glimpses of those "terrible twos". Every once in awhile, when Doug or I take something away from her or tell her NO for whatever reason, she sasses back. Yes, I said SASSES! The words are not in a language either of us understand, but the tone is definitely there. YIKES... we are in for a FUN time over the next few years.


• Maddie is a VERY independent little girl. She does not like to sit still at all. Mealtime and church are real challenges.

Bedtime... enjoy the photos...

Maddie taking a walk in Aunt Kathy's shoes. She LOVES shoes. Her favorite pasttime is bringing her shoes from her bedroom into the living room and playing with them or shuffling around in whatever adult shoes she can find.

Maddie and her proud mommy at Lido Beach in Sarasota.

She likes playing in the sand... both on the beach and in her babysitter's sandbox. Every day when I pick her up a the sitter's, she is just filthy. When I undress her or remove her first diaper after getting home in the evenings, dirt and sand pour out. She has such a wonderful time and gets excellent care and lots of love at her babysitter's house. We are very fortunate to have found her.

It looks like she's chasing the bird but she was actually running away. She was scared of the birds on the beach.

Mommy, Maddie, and Grandma

Yes, she has 2 toothbrushes. Normally, she holds one while I brush her teeh with the other. Tonight, she decided to brush by herself - while sitting in the sink, no less!

Our neighbor was getting rid of this Harley so Uncle Dave rescued it and gave it to Maddie. Anyone starting to get the feeling that there many forces at work trying to spoil this little girl!?

Maddie and Red have become great buddies. She uses him as her horsey, stepstool, and companion. Red loves the attention.

We try to get together with Kya and her family at least once a month. It's so much fun to watch the two of them together. They are both growing and changing so fast.

Thanks for checking in with us. Things are just super here.

Much Love,

Beth, Doug & Maddie

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

It's mid-August and this summer heat is finally upon us... FINALLY! We attended two pool parties this weekend and Maddie had a wonderful time at each one... lots of doting fans to take care of her every whim... even a pool boy to float her majesty across the blue waters!

When it's hot outside, Maddie loves cold snacks... especially if Daddy is having one!

Of course, no really big weekend is complete without a meltdown. Poor baby... she was so exhausted that only sleep could fix this!

Last week we discovered that Doug has a Vitamin D deficiency... HUGE THANKS to Dr. Chris for suggesting on a whim that blood test!! Doug has started taking a prescription to rectify that deficiency and his strength is starting to return. Tomorrow we head to Fort Wayne to see a new neurologist who specializes in MS. Thanks for your continued prayers as Doug's health improves (Yes, those prayers are working!).

Much love,

Beth, Doug, and Maddie

Hello August!

Tonight, as Maddie fell asleep in my arms, I marveled at just how beautiful and perfect she is. My favorite time of day is when I'm holding her as she sleeps peacefully and I can drink in the wonder of my daughter. I pray that I will always cherish her as much as or even more than I do now. I shed some tears... tears of gratitude that we were chosen to be the parents of this very special little girl; tears for her first mother - the one who carried her for nine months and who gave her life. Does she still think of her precious little girl? Does she shed tears for her? I wish there was some way to assure her that Maddie is so very loved.

Waking up from Sunday afternoon nap time with Daddy.

Last night we went to the Eliases for dinner. It is so much fun to watch Maddie and Kya together. We have to watch that Maddie does not walk all over Kya. Maddie wanted every toy that Kya had, and Kya is just sweet enough to walk away and let Maddie have her way... it will be interesting to watch these two grow up. I can hear it now... "Maddie made me do it!"

We made whipped cream Saturday morning and Maddie had her first intro to licking the beaters.

Maddie does this gesture often. "Vo iss?" ("Where is it?")

Time's up... Monday will be here way too soon. Have a great week!

Much love,

Beth, Doug & Maddie

Perpetual Motion Machine

The kid has started walking and she is in constant motion. We are being revisited by some sleep disruptions and have had some very exhausting nights in the past two weeks. However, Maddie is still the best thing that has ever happened to us. Her daddy and I learn new lessons in selflessness every day and they are the greatest lessons we have ever learned. In spite of daily struggles with Doug's health issues, our home is filled with an infinite amount of joy and happiness - unlike anything either of us has ever experienced before. Maddie is sheer bliss. Every day is an adventure in learning new things, in seeing old things through her young eyes - in a whole different light. At times I'm still afraid someone is going to pinch me to awaken me from this cozy, love-drenched cocoon.

Last weekend we took a road trip to Terre Haute so Maddie could meet her Grandpa Snow and her cousins on that side of the family. Two hours into the trip, with both Maddie and me covered in baby puke, I was ready to turn back toward home. However, Doug wanted to press on so, thankfully, we did. It turned out to be a wonderful weekend (once the carseat was disassembled, laundry done, Maddie and mommy bathed, and carseat reassembled).

Oh, and let's not forget the trauma of Tim & Karen's beast of a weather radio. Even though they were gone for the weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Patrick (Tim & Karen) were kind enough to let us stay a her house. After all the chaos of puke, tummy ache, bathing, etc., everyone settled down for a good sleep. We were all drifting off into the first stages of REM sleep when the whole house exploded with shrill, piercing sirens. At first we could not figure out where it was coming from. After finally finding the culprit to be the weather radio, Doug pushed a few buttons and silence settled upon us once again. We finally fell asleep again - FOR FIVE MINUTES - and the damn thing started screamig again! Turns out, there were thunderstorms and tornado watches all around us. That darn radio went off at last 5 times before I figured out now to turn it off for good. The next morning, Maddie reprogrammed it and I'll be surprised if it ever screams again!!

Maddie loves anything with little buttons - remote controls, cell phones, weather radios, etc. Last week one evening she was playing with my phone. I said, "It's OK, just let her play with it. As long as she doesn't figure out how to push the power button on the side, she can't hurt anything." Five seconds later, she had located the teeny tiny power button that turned on the phone! I swear she understands absolutely EVERYTHING we say! She's even repeating some stuff. Funny thing was, the next morning at 7:30 AM I was putting on my shoes to go to work. My phone rings and it was my VERY GROGGY sister Cris. "Why do you keep calling me this early in the morning?!" Maddie had been playing with my phone while I was putting on my shoes and gathering up stuff to head out the door and had turned on my phone and called her 4 TIMES!!! I'm so glad Aunt Cris was the recipient of those calls. Couldn't have happened to a better victim!

This is Maddie's "cheese" pose with her Grandpa Snow.

Maddie and her Snow cousins - Justin and Emily. She had such a wonderful time with them and it is very apparent that she and Emily just adore each other! She took quite a liking to Justin too!

Maddie and Emily

Two Snow men and one very beloved little girl!

As evidenced by this video, Maddie has become quite the little cheeser for the camera!

Maddie loves to dance in time to music. It has taken some time and a little effort on her part but she has become quite good at fitting balls, blocks, etc. into appropriate slots. At times she still gets frustrated when things don't fit exactly as she thinks they should, or when the ring won't go on the post when she wants it to, and she starts to throw a small hissy fit! We are working with her, teaching her to not give up, and to keep trying until she accomplishes what she sets out to do. She's getting pretty good at following through and accomplishing what she sets out to do.

This week she started saying "A B C". That's about as far as she gets with the alphabet for now. She has a very inquisitive little mind and she spends lots of time studying her toys and trying to figure out how they work.

Please keep sending prayers and good thoughts our way. We need them right now. Doug has several doctor appointments coming up over the next few weeks so we hope to get a handle soon on his health situation.

Much love,

Beth, Doug, and Maddie

Growing Leaps and Bounds

We had some down time this past weekend so we finally made an attempt at capturing one-year portraits of Maddie. Our little girl is growing up so fast!

Yes Uncle Steve, Maddie IS reading Seven Little Rabbits! And yes, the book is upside down. But Maddie does not care. It's so funny to watch her with books. She opens the covers, turns the pages, and jabbers as fast as she can. She reads! I'm not sure what language she speaks when she reads, but I'm convinced that she's reading. LOL

The girl LOVES her prunes! We are transitioning her onto cow's milk and prunes are a necessity in her diet these days.

I really wanted to get some good frame-worthy shots in her beautiful purple dress from China. But, by the time we got her changed, all posing desires had left the building!

This was a week of more firsts for Maddie. She is closer than ever to walking on her own. She pulls herself up on anything and everything, and walks around everything. She loves to push her car around the yard. She pushes our chairs all over the kitchen. She has also started climbing! Last night I was lying on the floor in front of the couch. She stepped up on my leg and climbed up on the couch. She tries to pull herself up on furniture by throwing one leg up, and then grabbing at whatever she can find to pull herself up. We have to watch her constantly!

More new things: She can no longer be in the kitchen when I'm cooking. The second she gets into the kitchen, she heads for the pet food and water bowls. She seems to be quite fond of the cat food. If she starts hacking up hairballs, we'll know why!! She also LOVES to splash water - in the tub, in the pets' water bowl, in her babysitter's swimming pool.

This afternoon, we saw Grandma Jo (my mom). Maddie had her finger buried halfway up her nose. Grandma howled and said I deserved a kid who did that! Evidently she had a difficult time breaking me of that habit.

We have been working on learning colors. Maddie tends to pick a color and then stick with it. Last week, everything was purple. This week, everything is orgy! That's how Maddie pronounces orange. She just amazes us with how quickly she learns new things.

I hesitate even bring up the crap that is going on right now. However, it's a part of our lives and life isn't always a bed of roses. So, here goes...

Doug has been suffering for over a week with intermittent migraines (every five minutes or so he gets stabbing headaches that last for 5+ seconds) and numbness and tingling in his right arm. He is also extremely weak. After a stressful visit to the hospital to rule out life-threatening stuff (heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, etc.), we came to the conclusion that his M.S. is flaring up again. M.S. is such a cruel beast (not my "B word" of choice, but I'm trying to keep this family friendly). Tomorrow Doug starts a five-day regimen of daily infusions of a steroid to halt the attack.

For the most part, Maddie is a little trooper and such a bright spot during an otherwise difficult time. However, at night when I'm rocking her to sleep, it becomes evident that she too is feeling the stress. She has reverted to scratching her forehead and pulling at her hair when she is drifting off to sleep. She also occasionally claws at my face during that time. It's nowhere nearly as severe as it was in the first two months after we brought her home. However, it's just enough to remind us that she is no dummy and she feels the full impact of what is going on.

It's gut-wrenching to see my dear husband and our sweet baby girl dealing with pain and stress. However, I also know from experience that character is born and grows during times like these. So, in essence, these experiences are a gift. Ultimately, we become stronger, more compassionate, and learn to appreciate the things in life that truly matter.

OK, enough of that... no pity parties please. However, prayers and good thoughts over the next week or two are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for checking in.

Much love,

Beth, Doug, and Sweet Maddie