The Verdict.

53% of you said GIRL.

47% of you said BOY.

Ultrasound said...

Time to buy blue!

Pink or Blue?

We know.

But we're not telling. :)

We want to know what you think, first. Cast your votes (poll on sidebar), and stay tuned!

Maddi at Two

Disclaimer: This is one of those for-the-family-record posts. Feel free to skip it.  Unless, of course you think my kid is as awesome and interesting as I do.

I recently went back and read this post about Madison's 18 month mark.  Boy oh boy, how much she's changed in just 6 months!

For one, now she has some real, honest-to-goodness hair.

She's also gone from just labeling objects and people she knows to communicating in full-on sentences and understanding complex ideas.  She consistently says things like: "Mama eat cereal just like Maddi does," and "It's dark in there. Light on Maddi's room, please!"  and "Have nap first, then go outside play park!" (I have to be sure I mean to follow through when I promise her things, because she ALWAYS remembers.)

She's quickly grasping things like colors and letters and numbers; she can count to 14 (20 with prompting), and surprises me all the time by pointing out new letters and sounds I didn't know she's learned (largely in part to the PBS kids show, "Word World.")  She loves to line up all the magnetic letters on the fridge and tell me, "Let's build a word, Mom."

Madison is extremely sensitive to the emotions of others and very compassionate.  If I so much as frown or groan, she says, "Mama what's wrong? Mama need hug and feel all better!"  Through the (rather rough) first trimester of this pregnancy when I spent much of my time sick on the couch, Maddi would bring me her dolls and animals and blankets, read me stories and snuggle with me.  When other kids cry she gives them hugs and kisses.  Sometimes she's so sweet I just want to eat her up.

On the other hand (there's always another hand), she's discovered she has her own opinions and how much she likes to assert her independence.  She isn't one of those kids that screams "no," usually she just runs away or matter-of-factly says "mmm, nope" when she prefers not to obey.  Sometimes she'll grin and giggle and make a game out of the times we try to discipline- which irks me to no end- but all in all she isn't too bad.  What cracks me up is the fact that she hasn't quite figured out the phrase ""I don't want to," but she sure tries to use it.  Picture a two-year-old fighting and yelling, "I want to go bed! I WANT TO!"

Some things haven't changed much.  Like her love of singing. Loudly, unabashedly.  Only now instead of just gibberish, she usually sings about whatever she happens to be doing, to the tune of one of her favorite songs.  For example, the apple juice song, sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells:"

"Apples Juice! Apples juice! Maddi's juice in cup!..."

A few more things we love about Madison:

She is very well-rounded. The same day she will insist on wearing a tutu and jewelry and referring to herself as "Princess Maddi-rella," she will also beg me to play "football games" and want to "watch 'ports" with Daddy.

 

She has impeccable fashion sense.

She is pretty clean, as far as kids go.  She seems to have an innate desire for order and things being in their place.  If I don't make the bed by the time she wakes up, inevitably she tells me, "Mom's bed big big mess."  Kinda cute, until a friend of mine watched her for me one day and Maddi walked into their room exclaiming, "Bedroom messy. Clean it up!"  Sorry, Marcie.

Besides the fact that she would eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let her, she's generally a really good eater.  She'll try just about anything, even if she's tried it before and not liked it. 

She is a little social butterfly.  She likes to wave at everyone, and is extremely good with names.  If she's met you once, she will forever refer to you as "Maddi's friends."  She often flirts and plays peek-a-boo with people in line at the grocery store, and will ask me about strangers: "Mama, what's hers name?" (usually so loudly and repeatedly that they finally answer her).

We sure do love everything about this kid.  Can't imagine life without her!

Everything's bigger in Texas.

(Except snow.) 

When I was young, I walked to school in the snow uphill both ways. 
Really.
And when I was a little older, I drove to school in white-out blizzards on black ice. And then a few years later I tromped around campus up to my knees in slush.  A little snow doesn't scare me.

But half an inch of the stuff is enough to close all the major highways and shut down schools and businesses in San Antonio (fellow Rocky Mountain natives, try not to laugh).  You see, Texas is not prepared for any kind of snow. No plows. No salt for the roads.  Apparently people who got caught in the flurries early this morning just parked their cars and slept on the freeways until the sun came up.  Micah even got to work from home most of the morning.

Behold, the great snowstorm of 2011:

A whole lot of hype for not a whole lot of storm!  But I have to admit, it was pretty exciting, seeing as this is the most it's snowed here since before I was born.  And hey, I'll take a snow day any way I can get it.

Now, off to build the world's tiniest snowman!

December: Christmas.

We had a nice, quiet, simple Christmas at home this year.  I very much missed being with family. But I definitely did not miss the stress of traveling,  especially given the fact that I was pregnant-sick AND regular sick at the same time. It was sad in a way, being our first Christmas all by ourselves, but also exciting to just be together as our little family and start our own traditions.

 Micah got exactly what he wanted (perks of buying your own Christmas presents).  He did give me the "surprised face" now and then anyway.

He did surprise ME with a few things I've been wanting for a long time:

And Madison was perfectly content to play with one new thing at a time, which made for a long, lazy, relaxed morning. I'm thinking next year will be a little more chaotic, assuming she remembers what Christmas morning is all about. 

 I loved watching Madison open presents- with each one she would tear off a little corner of paper, then say, "Ooh! Oooh!  Oh my!  Ooh! Oh my goodness!"  before even seeing what was inside.  She's easy to please.  One of her most favorite and well-used gifts has been this Dr. Seuss book from Grandma and Grandpa.  She's had us read it to her so much she has most the pages memorized. 

After presents we had a big brunch and all took naps.  The IDEAL Christmas day activity, I must say. 

Later we shared a simple pot roast and potatoes dinner with some dear friends, and watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" while eating peppermint brownies.  All in all we had a wonderful, relaxing, stress-free holiday.  Hope yours was just as nice!