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

Happy 4th of July

We had a wonderful week and weekend with friends and family. Aunt Iva (my sister) and her four beautiful girls were here from Colorado. There is definitely a mutual love between Maddie, Allie, Lauren, Katie, and Melanie. They had such a wonderful time playing and Maddie was tuckered out every night.

This being the weekend of the 4th of July was definitely different from our first five Independence Days in this house. Since there was no Freedom Fest at the Goshen Airport this year, we didn't have a party this year. While it didn't seem quite right, it ended up being a good thing as it would have been just too much with all the other activities this weekend. Hopefully by next year Freedom Fest will be back and we will once again have our annual party.

Being around the four older kids so much this weekend has resulted in Maddie starting to imitate EVERYTHING! She started repeating what we say this weekend. Time has run out.... gotta clean up the language NOW! Katie taught her to wave her finger and say, "No, no, no!"

Maddie is so close to walking. She now stands next to furniture and "forgets" to hold on. She no longer falls when that happens. We have been working on colors. This week she started saying "purple" and picks purple letters out of a stack of different colors. I'm not 100% convinced that picking the purple letter was for real... coulda been a fluke because it doesn't happen consistently. However, she does manage to grab a purple letter more than 50% of the time when we ask her to find purple. She also says "orange" and "blue" quite clearly. She also learned how to flip a light switch this week. She loves to turn lights on and off.

Maddie helped me do laundry today. She LOVES to help with whatever she can get her hands on. It's amazing to watch her transition into this stage... less baby, more little girl. I just cannot say enough about how much fun she is right now. Every day is an adventure in learning new things. When she looks at me with those big black eyes and giggles, my heart melts into a puddle. I thought I knew love before Maddie but never dreamed of a love this intense.

We are in the process of transitioning her off formula and onto cow's milk. She has had some digestive issues return so we are feeding her lots of apple juice, prunes, and other fruits. On Friday we went to the Zoo. On the way home, Maddie exploded in her car seat. Aunt Iva was wonderful... she disassembled the carseat and we washed everything. There was even poop on her carseat toys so it all went into the washer. It even oozed through the cracks in the carseat and onto the back seat of our car. Anyone need a ride anywhere?! Needless to say, we made good use of soap, water, rags, and Fabreeze. Everything is once again fresh as a daisy.

Lauren would like to get on a plane every morning and come to Indiana to babysit for Maddie. She was a wonderful helper while they were here!

Melanie and Maddie had a great time playing in her car.

Katie and Lauren got to babysit for Maddie on Thursday while I was at work. They must have worn her out because Maddie slept like a log that night!

The Graber kids (and one Snow kid) at the Zoo.

Maddie has quickly become very fond of her Uncle Dave. To see more photos from Iva's visit, visit our Picasa web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/grabersnow/200907. Thanks for checking in. Much love to all of you...

Beth, Doug, and Maddie

Summertime is Here!

It has been another busy week. Time is flying by and our precious daughter is growing like a weed. She is learning so many new things every day. She is now walking along furniture like an old pro and occasionally stands without holding onto anything. New words this week: book, bubble, blue (she likes B words).

Maddie had her one-year checkup with Dr. Chris this week and she is a very healthy girl. She is in the 95th percentile in height (by American growth standards). She has gained four pounds since we've been home (feels more like 40 when I carry her!). She got two shots and cried for five seconds. She has a high tolerance for pain! Her daddy stood by the door of the exam room, ready to split as soon as she started to wail. But, it was such a mild cry that even Mr. Wimpy stuck around!

Whenever she eats, whether in her high chair or when she is drinking a bottle, one leg goes up. I like to have my feet elevated when I'm relaxing, but she takes that concept to a whole new level!

Much to Squirt's dismay, Maddie takes great delight in chasing the cat. This afternoon the cat walked by her - sauntering lazily. Maddie immediately dropped to all fours and ZOOM... she was after her in a blue streak. I have never seen anything crawl as fast as Maddie does when she is chasing the cat. Funny thing is that she is usually squealing and giggling the whole way.

Our friend Bryan from Ohio was here for the weekend. Maddie had her first introduction to a Harley. She also had her first exposure to Nascar this weekend. Our friend, "Uncle Dave", moved into our basement this week and he is determined that Maddie is going to be a Tony Stewart fan. We'll see...

Last weekend was Doug's birthday. We had a bunch of friends over for steaks on the grill, and ice cream cake. Maddie enjoyed polishing off Daddy's ice cream. The next day, Doug got deathly ill with the stomach flu... we're not sure but we think Maddie may have had a touch of it and passed it along to him. Having a kid that doesn't feel well is one thing, but having a hubby who is as sick as Doug is yet another. By the time the weekend (and Monday) was over with, I was one tired mama! I just kept chanting our wedding vows... "in sickness and in health" and plowed through it. We all survived.

Kris, Shawn, Kaycee, and Kya were here for Doug's birthday. Maddie and Kya had good time together. Kya, like Maddie, is flourishing and has definitely emerged from her shell. She is such a sweet, charming little girl... more reserved than Maddie by a mile, but I can already see these two getting into some trouble together in the years to come!! Next week, we're going to start working on the phrase, "Kya made me do it." This will be Kris's payback for all the times she says, "Beth made me do it!"

Kaycee, Maddie, and Kya

Maddie and Kya both had a fantastic time on the slide!

Kya on the slide

Maddie on the slide

We are looking forward to spending time next weekend with my sister Iva and our beautiful nieces from Colorado. Normally, next weekend is the time that we have our annual party - airshow and fireworks - but that has been cancelled this year. The airshow as cancelled early this year due to a lack of sponsorships. So, we're not having a party this year. While that is usually the highlight of our summer, we are also somewhat relieved. For those of you who usually come over for the party, we still want to see you this summer - just not all at once!! :) So, give us a call and let us know when you want to come over and we'll have burgers ready to toss on the grill! Hopefully by next summer, when Maddie is a little older and a touch more independent, we can resume our traditional bash.

Thanks for checking in. Happy Independence Day!

Much Love,

Beth, Doug, and Maddie