Happy 7 Months Maddie Grace 

 Say Cheese! 

Love her expression in this picture! 

Dear Madeline Grace, 

      Today is your 7th Month Birthday! People always said the time flies when children are young and boy were they right. Your daddy and I just find ourselves sitting back and staring at you in awe of everything you do these days. You love to sit up and play with your toys, anything that makes music is a favorite in your eyes. You also love to play with bouncy balls, your good at playing catch and rolling it on the floor. Since you were about 4 months you have loved to stand, and now you starting to show an interest in standing all the time! The past couple weeks your top two teeth are starting to break through, so you haven't been sleeping much, waking up at 5am everyday isn't easy for your mommy. Baby food is going well, I truly love making all the food that you eat and you have started eating puffs this week! In a few more weeks we are heading to the beach with your best friends and their parents. I can't wait! You will love the week long play date with the babies, and the older kids. Can't wait to see you in the pool with all of them. I love you baby girl, right now your asleep in daddy's arms so I should probably take a nap as well. 

       Love you! Xo, Daddy & Mommy 

Beach Trip

 1st time in the sand with Mommy 

 LOVING the pool 

 Cheesy smile 

Not so sure about the sand 

Maddie, 

     

     Last week we drove 6+ hours to Wilmington NC to visit your dad's great aunt and uncle. It wasn't such a great idea to leave at 7pm to drive but you did great in the jeep, slept the whole way there. After 2 days in the pool and walking around town we fell in love with the city. Even looked at a model home, if your daddy could find a job down there we would pack up and move tomorrow! Saturday morning we drove 7+ hrs to the Outer Banks, it was only supposed to be a 5 hr drive but we got stuck in traffic on hwy 12. You did such a great job in the car that we went straight to the toy store after lunch and bought you toy, you smile really big for your new butterfly that giggles. The 1st time we took you to the beach you weren't so sure about the sand in between your toes, it could be that it was your nap time. Once I put you in the water you had had enough, fell right asleep under the umbrella and took a nap for an hour. On day #3 you saw your first water spout and it started to rain, but it cleared up just in time for all of us to walk down to the beach. We all wrote messages on shells and through them into the ocean for your paw. You would of loved him baby girl, he sure was an amazing man, and you have his beautiful eyes. We love you sweetheart! 

                     Xo Daddy  & Mommy 

Happy 6th Month Madeline

 1st homemade baby food. Sweet Potatoes 7.19.12

 Happy 1st Fourth of July 

Bath Time after your baby food! 

Dear Madeline Grace, 

      I can't believe that your already 1/2 a year old, time sure does fly by! Every morning I walk into your room and say good morning while your still sleeping and I can't stop staring at you, your honestly the most perfect baby out there! I love that I get to take you to work with me and I get to see you learn new things. You haven't started rolling yet, but you love to sleep on your side, as soon as we put you on your back you roll right over! We are practicing sitting and standing and your doing a great job with both, before we know you will be moving around and we will all be in trouble. Yesterday you had your 6th month appointment and you were 19 lbs 3oz (96%) and 28 inches long (99%) and the Dr said your a very healthy and happy girl! We also got to the green light for you to start baby food which I am so excited about. You did great with your sweet potatoes so I have no fear that you will love all the new foods that you will be trying in the months to come. Last night was rough, as you officially have your 1st cold. Your little nose is so stuffed up its hard for you to breathe, so even with tylenol you were up every couple hours, and you seem to have a little cough as well. I will add your 6th month sticker photo later, once you wake up, and I will let you sleep as long as possible before we leave for the day. Next week we are headed to Wilmington NC to visit your dad's great aunt and uncle and then to the Outer Banks for a week! So excited to take you to the beach, hopefully you love it as much as your mommy does! There will also be a pool which you love don't worry baby, we will have fun even if we spend the week poolside. I should probably start planning your 1st birthday now because you know your mommy wants it to be perfect for her little girl! 

    We love you Maddie Grace! Heres to the best 6 months of our lives so far! 

                                                                Love, Daddy & Mommy 

Parenting theres no right way

3 Days after I had Madeline 189 lbs. I'm now down to 154

Being a nanny people always told me that since I've always been around children that parenting should be a breeze I should already know what to do since I've had years of experience. As far as keeping her on schedule and developmentally sure I know where she should be, but truthfully this parenting thing is a whole new ball game for me, and for matt as well. Over the last 5 months we have been blessed with a fairly easy baby, she's always smiling always happy and only cries when something is wrong. Matt & I have adjusted pretty well to communicating with each other on what we think is right for her which is great. As I sit here in bed while Madeline is soundly asleep in her crib taking her morning nap, I am thinking of how I can become a better person, mom and wife. I'm home sick today with a minor sinus infection as well. Honestly I could of gone to work today but sometimes its better for everyone if you just take a personal day to breathe. In my journey to become a better person I have set numerous personal goals, such as lose weight so I not only am as healthy as I can be but also so I can feel better about myself, go back to school to finish my degree, and to get our finances in order. I have lost over 35 lbs and I feel a lot better than I did when I started this weight loss journey but I don't feel satisfied with it so the journey continues until I can be at the healthy weight where I love to try on jeans. Every woman knows that trying on jeans isn't a fun task. Physicians Weight loss has been my key to success I would recommend it to anyone out there. As far as becoming a better mom I read this quote by Gwyneth Paltrow and realized we all have bad days its the story of life.  “When I’m tired, when my chips are down – that’s when I don’t parent the way that I want to parent. I can get impatient and at the end of my rope…. And I hate that and I hate feeling out of control, even if I’m just saying, “That’s enough!” Like, I can’t deal. It’s not the way that I would aspire to be. But then I think, I do really believe that part of our job is to equip them for the world. And we can’t make everything okay for them, we can’t take away all of their suffering. It’s not good for them. They need to be able to know that people lose their tempers and people have bad days and it doesn’t mean that you don’t love them, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just that we’re all human. But of course I beat myself up endlessly when [I do get impatient].






                                     

5 Months

Happy 5 Months Maddie Grace! 

Dear Madeline Grace, 

          This month you have discovered so many new things, its truly amazing how fast your growing up. Seems like just yesterday we were holding our newborn infant and now your rolling over and eating cereal.  This month you started rice and oatmeal cereal which you love, you open your mouth like a little baby bird every time the spoon comes close to your mouth. You have also learned how to blow raspberries which isn't very lady like but so very cute! You have gotten really good at rolling every now and then you can roll all the way over, but for now you love to lay on your side, and you sure do wiggle alot. If you are placed on your mat you have discovered a way to wiggle off it. We are in trouble when you figure out how to crawl! We updated your car seat to your toddler seat which mean yours officially not an infant any more, but your so cute in your pink poka dot seat! Also this month your great aunt sue and great uncle larry came to visit from seattle which you loved! They were here for grammy's 50th birthday! I'm so glad that you got to spend some quality time with them. We love you baby girl. 

xo Daddy & Mommy 

Happy 1st Fathers Day Papa! 

Fathers Day Matt spent the day doing what he does best, working at the firehouse running calls all day/night long. Maddie and I went over to my parents house in the morning and spent some time with her poppy and grammy, then went to the firehouse for some quality daddy time. During dinner though a house fire broke out so the guys left in a hurry! Maddie I can't believe tomorrow your 5 months old.. where did our little newborn go?? We love you baby girl and every day you brighten my day with the simple new things that you discover. Tomorrow morning I will weigh you and will update about all your new tricks! 

Love you!

Xo, Matt & Ashlie 

Madeline's Baptism 5.27.12

 Matt, Madeline & I 

 Pastor Chris, Matt, Madeline & I 

All the sweets! 

"When you called me be to a mama you didn't ask for perfection but with every breathe that I'd point them to you" Matthew 6:33 

This past weekend Madeline got baptized at our local methodist church, and it was a beautiful day. She was such a good girl, even though the ceremony was in the middle of her nap time, she didn't start to break down until the very end. We were surrounded by family and friends and matt's grandma made a ton of food! We also got some great photos as a family! I love you Maddie Grace and God Bless you sweet girl! 

xo, Daddy and Mommy