Splish Splash!

 

Bath time was so much fun last night!

 

         

Not even sure what was making her laugh, she was just laughing…

it was great!

    

Before she gets out of the bath,

she’s always gotta put a letter in her mouth!

 

 

We bathed her earlier than usual, at 8:00, instead of our usual 8:30 or later. She seemed much happier and playful.  Not that she’s not usually happy in the bath, but if she is really tired, then she can be especially irritable.

After her bath we brought her downstairs to play and she drank her milk. She went to sleep at 9:30pm.  Eventually we want her bedtime to be 9:00, but 9:30 is much better than 10:30 or later. 

loves her mama

Tonight, I had a special moment with my daughter. We were on the couch and Madelyn was sitting on my lap facing me. She lifted my glasses above my eyes, placed them on my head and put both hands on my face, as if she was admiring me. She repeated this several times. She was so gentle. She kept smiling at me, rubbing her hands on my face and said “soft” a couple times. She then put a hand on each cheek and turned my head to my right (almost abruptly), so the left side of my face was facing her, and she gave me a great big kiss on my cheek! It was so intentional. Then she turned my head back to face her and continued looking at me for a minute, giving me some sweet smiles. She ended our special moment with a heart felt squeeze.

Madi loves her mama, I say this proudly. I can tell that she understands what love is. Of course, only to a certain extent, but enough to know that she loves others and she knows we love her. Madi’s heart is so pure and innocent. She is so compassionate and loving. She is so gentle and caring. I’m sure she is going to be an amazing big sister.

Moments like these are the best thing a mother could ask for. They will never be forgotten.

it’s not just me

I found out that Blogger editing has been having some problems and glitches and that’s why I’ve been getting so frustrated.  It’s been my new “project” every night after Madi goes to bed to figure out what the heck is wrong with my blog.  I was one of the people their glitches were messing with! I feel better now.  I thought I was just not smart enough for my own good and couldn’t even post a darn photo or have less than 10 spaces between a paragraph.

Ahhh…now I can sleep.

First Picture Post using Writer

I am loving how easy it is to post pictures!

(compared to using Blogger editing)

Blogging using Windows Live Writer

Gerry, a guy that replied to one of my questions in the Blogger Help Forum, told me about Windows Live Writer to edit/blog. I am testing it out! So far I really like it! Now, my blogging world will be made easier….I hope.

Thank you Gerry!

20 Months Miss Madelyn

Madelyn turned 20 months on January 4th. I don't know how times flies by, but I feel like we just celebrated her first birthday. Not a day goes by where she doesn't do something new, say something new or learn something new and I think to myself, I should record that or make note. So, let me search deep into my brain and try to remember the last 240 days...I haven't written a single thing down. I always think I will remember or "get to it later" and never do. Now, if I would have kept up on blogging, I would have a fun, photo filled, online memory of our daily lives (that's why I am starting now (catching up first).

 

Here are some recent Madi Memories:

Tells us when she has a booger:

About 2 months ago (at 20 months old) she started telling us when she has a booger in her nose. Jose was putting her to bed - holding her, lights off - and she said, "boogey, boogey!". I came to the rescue with the lovely booger sucker (I heard her on the monitor) and got it out and she was good to go...went right to sleep.

 

No more singing:

Christmas Eve we stayed at my parents house and my mom turned on the radio and started dancing and singing with Madi. Everytime my mom started to sing Madi would put her hand over my mom's mouth and say "no more!" She did that several times and it was hilarious! (almost 20 mos. old)

 

Froggie:

Around New Year's Jose, my mom and I were all talking and hanging out in the living room. All the sudden Madi comes in the room saying "F&#@!" several times and then says "F&#@ It!". We were in shock, looking at each other wondering where she learned that or what she was saying. Eventually, we figured out that she was saying FROG and FROGGIE. She wanted Jose to put her on his shoulders and take her for a ride, hopping along like a frog saying "ribbit". Haha! (20 months old.) She still says the F word for Frog and now Fork also.

 

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star:

Last Night (Thurs, Jan 27) I was putting her to bed. I was singing to her in her room and she started trying to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She said, "tink tink...dar...up above...dia (diamond)...and she opens and closes her hand(s). It is so cute. Today, after she woke up from her nap and was playing in her crib, I can hear her singing it again.

 

Madi's Language at 20 Months (not in any order):

 

Madelyn will pretty much repeat (or attempt) anything you say or ask her to say.

 

There is a large number of words she will say consistantly, so I included what I could think of below:

 

I put an * by the words I know she was saying at 14 months (give or take).

 

Hello (pronounced Ellooooo)

*Hi (usually with a wave)

*Uh Oh

Oh no!

Bear (shows us the bears in her crib every morning)

Blanket (banke)

Sleep

Diaper

Air

*Up

*Down

*Up and down (Up a da)

Change (diaper)

Back (put back)

Mess

Booger (boogey)

I love you (she says "I loooove...")

*Bye-bye

Kiss

*Mommy (mama)

*Daddy (da dye)

*Grandma (ma ma, with a pause compared to mama)

Abuela (Ab e lalalalala, being silly)

*Grandpa (ampa)

Uncle

Aspen (Apen)

Mishki (Micky)

Dog

*Puppy

Pup

Woof (ooof oof)

*Cat (cat or ny ny ny)

Pig

Mickey Mouse (Mouse)

Donald Duck (Duck)

Dora (Dory)

Handy Manny (An Man)
Sponge Bob (Bob Bob)

*Princess (usually referring to "Enchanted")

Alice (A lalala)

Letters (le le, referring to Letter Factory)

Nemo (elmo)

Grinch (ginch)

Nite Nite (ny ny)

Door (dooooo)

Potty (po-ee)

*Food (num num)

Comida (num num)

Clean (cip)

Spill (pill)

Snack (Nnnnack)

Butt

Bath Time (Ba time)

Soft (sof)

Lotion (ocean)

Hot

Cold

Vavava (shivers)

*More (Mo - ee)

Mas

*Please (peas)

Thank You (Tay coo)

*Yes (si)

*No

No more (no mo ee)

*All done (a dye)

Happy

Sad

*Clap

Jump

Stomp

Stop

Go

Play

Sit

Hand (haa)

Baby

Cry

Help

*Bib (biby)

Strawberry (ta berr)

Chicken

*Yogurt (o gurt)

Banana (na na)

Soup

Oranges

Peach (poach)

Pear

Cheese

Turkey (chicken)

Milk

Juice

Water (ammm, for agua)

Pancakes (pacay)

Potato

Bread

Eggs

Oatmeal (oatmeat)

Crackers (cok or coker)

Cookie (cook)

Ice Cream

Phone

Push

Outside (ou sy)

Wait

Mail

Car

Scared (ecare)

Shaking (she says sakin, which she also says when she is scared of something)

Eye(s)

Nose (no)

Mouth

Teeth (tee)

Cheek

Ear(s) (air)

Hair (air)

Head (ed)

Shoulder(s) (soul)

Toes

Hand(s) (hah)

Arm(s)

Bow

Close (cose)

Open (opit)

On

Off

Out

Bless You (bess you)

Sorry (sowy)

Light

Car

Carpet (cup it)

Hat

Fix (sick)

Zip

One (will count on her own)

Two (will count on her own)

3-10 will repeat

She will repeat colors & shapes and I think she knows them, but won't say them on her own.

She knows the SOUNDS of the whole alphabet (from Leap Frog Letter Factory).  I will say "The A says..." and she will say the sound it makes.

 

I will write more about the “latest” of Miss Madi…I’m just happy I got this much done and I’m figuring out a better way to blog and edit!

a blog of a goal

"Blog" has been in the back of my mind for a long time...well, since my last post almost a year ago. I've been wanting to nurture my blog for so long and me not doing anything with it is driving me nuts. The primary reason I want to be consistent with blogging is for memories, a record, something to look back on. I've always enjoyed reading old journal entries or looking at old letters. It's just so real. I also need an outlet to write, share, express whatever is on my mind or whatever I'm experiencing. This day and age I doubt that I will ever journal in a notebook again. The problem with me jumping on board with blogging again (not that I was ever much of a blogger before) is that I feel like I have missed out on so many opportunities. If I would have stayed consistent, I would have made so many posts and included some wonderful moments. But I figure, there's no sense in crying over spilled milk. I've been extremely busy. I'm about to be even busier, but if I have good time management I think I can do it! I do not plan to blog every day, but at least a few times a month would be awesome and pretty serious, in my opinion. I think my next several entries will end up being "catch up" entries to make myself feel better. Here's the thing...I'm about to dive into the world of blogging, with TWO FEET this time, and most of my posts will be about the baby I'm expecting and the entire process (baby belly, labor, new addition to the family, etc.) and I can't help but feel bad that I didn't do that with Madelyn. Bear with me, as my next entries will be from the "past" to recap the last year.

just the girls

Last night was our first night without jose being home. He is in tampa for a Driver's Edge program. It was very hard to take him to the airport yesterday morning, however, I am surprised I wasn't a complete mess. I got teary eyed on the way to the airport when we prayed together, but at the airport I think I realized that the next few days I have to step up to the plate and act as a single mother and take care of my daughter with not even 5 minutes of help - there's no time for boo hoo's & crying for jose to not go. I'm a mama now!

The only thing I could compare dropping off Jose at the airport to was when I was a complete emotional disaster in 2008 - pregnant. I was leaving on the morning flight and Jose was going to work and then flying out that nite. My hormones got the best of me and I started crying, a lot! I was such a wreck. I hugged Jose 1,000 times & proceeded to the dreaded check-in line. Jose called me and expressed how hard it was to see me like that. He had called his boss, parked the car and rescheduled his flight to leave with me! Of course, there was only ONE more seat available on the flight - just for my wonderful husband to support his hormone raging, red-eyed, tears of an ocean, hyperventilating, supporting a human in her belly - wife. I was so hysterical. It was, by far, ridiculous. Now having a daughter in the mix, I expected yesterday's drop off to be a real failure.

Last night I could not sleep too well and Jose called me numberous times not being able to sleep either. I associate jose being gone with our negative experiences of the past. Some of you many know the ins & outs of what the Nobles have endured previously. When I am without him, familiar anxious feelings of distress stir up inside of me reminding me of the times he only found trouble when we were apart. We've had a long, hard road, which I have had many, many a heartbreak from. However, our Lord has helped heal the horrid wounds of the past. God brought me to a safe, trusted place that I never knew existed....and would have never existed without Him. He brought us out of a deep, dark pit of hopelessness to a beautiful, uplifting place where His light continues to shine upon us to keep us from the depths we once knew. I suppose this is part of the healing. I am trusting God in this. Having Jose gone is more than "my husband is out of town". This is an emotional marathon for me. The last time we were apart from each other has nothing to make positive mention of (which was just over 4 years ago).

Praise our Lord for all He has done.

The nite: Last night we felt like little high school sweethearts talking on the phone late into the night. Jose couldn't sleep and neither could I. We talked until 11:30, which was 2:30 in the morn for Jose. He had to wake up at 5 for the program. I was just about to fall asleep until, Madi woke up! I nursed her back to sleep. But just 10 minutes after putting her back in her crib she started to cry again. I tried for a half hour to rock her back to sleep, but she didn't have it. So....back into mommy's bed. Nursed her and we fell asleep for a short time. Shortly after she was back in her crib. I think I went to sleep around 4. 6am my mom calls stating that online check-in (new thing) was a no-go. I had to get out of bed and make some calls and send some emails. So.....long story short, Jose and I are both like zombies today on a few hours of sleep. We aren't used to this anymore! With Madi, we usually try to get to bed at 10 or 11.

And they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder....

My little bedhead angel

Going into Madelyn's room and seeing her smiling face with her hair a disaster is the cutest thing.

Love my daughter

I am just so incredibly in love with my daughter. In love with motherhood. In love with watching her learn & grow. In love with the idea that I created a human being! Well, Jose kinda helped....and God was in the mix too! God brought Madelyn to our lives as such a surreal reality. I am still waiting to wake up from this miraculous, but undeserving dream. I close my eyes and all I see is this gift from God.... a beautiful, happy, glowing, adorable face that melts my heart - constantly. Motherhood is nothing short of rewarding & it is truly indescribable. I cannot get enough of my daughter. I love the way she clings to me when she is scared. I love the way she plays with my hair while she nurses. I love when my laugh makes her crack up hysterically. I love when she plays peek-a-boo. I love to see how happy she gets when she sees her daddy come home. I love hearing her giggle & talk. I love watching her sleep. I love that she smiles when I sing to her. I love when she says mama. I love rubbing her back or playing with her hair. I love waking up to hearing her playing in her crib. I love my daughter with all of me. She makes my life....life. She brings me to life.