My Princess

It has been a while where I have put something out here.... But it has been hard for me to believe that this Friday my princess will be 2 years old. It is hard to believe this blog has been around for 3 years now. It feels like yesterday I was keeping vigil over the blog letting everyone know that the induction didn't work out like we planned the first time and then we had to go back etc. I remember updating everyone the day that Maddie forever changed our lives.

She is going to be 2!!!!!!!! The hardest part for me is that I travel a lot for my job. I bust my butt flying all over the west half of the US to give my Princess and my Queen anything they want. As I am doing this I miss out on a lot. The last year has had so many changes. When I would leave in the beginning of the week and return on Friday I can see that Maddie's face had change, her hair got longer, she got taller, she says new words, she has new tricks, she eats new foods, she has new friends, she has new classes, she has a new favorite movie, she went to the potty, or she can say "Daddy was on an airplane or Daddy is in Cali".

When I return from these trips I have to spend as much time with my princess because as silly as it sounds I feel like she will forget me if I don't. She is my big girl. She is my Princess. Happy Birthday in Advance Babygirl!
Love,
Dad

My BIG girl!

I took our BIG girl to her first class today at the Y without me being in the room with her. She is now an official "Teddy Tumbler." I assumed that she would be ok, but you never know when you get 6 2-year olds in one room! I walked away like I normally do when I leave her in kidcare so she wouldnt think anything different. It was a different feeling for me this time though. . . .I know that it is only a 30 minute class, but this is one step closer to dropping her off at preschool for a few HOURS!! (for the record, preschool starts in Sept!) I got some work done while she was in there, but came back to watch the end of class. I watched her and the teacher jumping on the trampoline and when Maddie jumped off, she screamed "I DID IT!" Hearing and seeing her excitement filled me with so much mom pride that I couldnt help but stand there smiling from ear to ear. Maddie managed to see me watching her out of the corner of her eye and ran to the door to say hi.

Maddie - "OH, HI Mama!!!"

Me - waving back at her

Miss Ann (her teacher) - "Maddie, come back to class please"

Maddie - "But thats my mama out there!"

Miss Ann - "We are almost done Maddie"

Maddie - "Mama, I be back!"

The other parents sitting there were laughing at my little, excuse me, BIG girl! She sure knows how to make me smile.

Whenever we make a drastic change in our lives, I stress about it and wonder if we made the right decision?!?! Today proved to me once again that Pat and I made the right choice for me to be at home with Maddie and find a part-time job that we could all benefit from. During the last few minutes of class I had multiple people come and stand next to me so excited to see Maddie having so much fun in class. Those are the same people that have stood next to Maddie and I as we started utilizing the Y when she was 6 months old. I joke around all the time that Maddie walks around like she owns the place. . . . .when I said that today, one of my co-workers responded with, "Jamie, she has spent the past year and a half here and has so many people that adore her!" Hearing that filled me with so much joy. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people at the Y.

After class we spent the day shopping and hanging out since daddy is in Cali (as Maddie would say). Who heads to the mall and doesnt get a shake for good behavior?!

Germs/Bdays/Haircuts/V-Day

Well, the last 4 days have been packed full!!! I hate to say it, but Pat's walk into the house on Friday after being gone for a week was not what he wanted to walk into. The smell of barf in the air. . . .a sick little girl on the floor. . . . .and a stressed out wife! We headed straight to urgent care to have Maddie checked out. After tests and chest x-rays, we found out that she had pneumonia. If there is a silver lining to this, it would have to be the way Miss Maddie handled the chest xrays! She was strapped into this machine and the woman warned us that ALL kids scream. Maddie was confused for the first film, but then when the woman said, "ok I am going to take the 2nd picture" Maddie decided to turn around and smile for the "camera." Both Pat and I couldnt help but burst out laughing. . . .thats our girl!!!

Snuggles at Urgent Care

After a good night sleep we took Maddie to Horicon for "Hama" (aka Grandma) and "Hampa" (aka Grandpa) to watch her so that we could go to dinner to celebrate my birthday! It was not an easy decision to hand off a sick kiddo, but we knew that she was in good hands! **THANK YOU MOM AND DAD**

Birthday Dinner

Sunday we got our little critter back and were so excited for her first haircut!! She was so excited and thought she was getting the royal treatment in her Barbie car!



The Urgent Care Dr we saw Friday wanted us to follow up with our normal Doc on Monday to see how Miss Maddie was doing. . . . . .well, she told us that she has a double ear infection! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?! Off to Walgreens we went for more drugs. . .with a little girl under the weather I decided that there was only one thing to do. . .make cookies for daddy's Valentines Gift! I think my silly idea came from lack of sleep and Dr Office insomnia. I should have taken the opportunity to put in a movie and snuggle with the monkey. . .but that would be WAY too easy!!!

Maddie with part of her valentine from mom and dad!



Let the MESS begin!!!

The finished product!!!!!!!!!!!


Here is hoping that this week is BORING!!!!!!!!

Mini Me . . .

Another long week has come to a close, well almost! Pat was in CA this week and Maddie and I had the house to ourselves! It is never an easy job holding down the fort by yourself for a week, but we survived. I have also learned just how much of am impact I am having on Miss Maddie.

Example #1 -

Me -"Maddie, what do you want to do today?"

Maddie - "Go to Y, sleep, Elmo, Pedi"

First of all, she already knows our schedule by heart! Secondly, what 2 year old requests a pedi daily? Yes, I have painted her toes before, but every time I ask her what she wants to do, she requests one! I may have to start charging her!

Example #2 -

Me - "Maddie lets go to the grocery store!"

Maddie - "Wait Mama, I need my purse!"

I dont carry a purse around much anymore. If I am heading to work I just bring a small pouch with my license in it, so she doesnt see me with a purse all the time. HOWEVER, when she saw me and my purse ready to go to the store, she dug through her toy bin and found hers. I put her in her car seat and she starts digging through her purse searching for something. . . . .finally she says to me, "Mama, I drive!" She pulled out her plastic set of keys!

Example #3

Without Pat being here to keep her occupied, I rely on Mickey and Elmo to entertain her so that I can get ready for work! (dont judge!) Apparently they were not doing a good job, because I found Maddie in the bathroom with her step stool starting at me. I asked her if she needed something and she says, "No mama, I just want to watch you!" She climbed up her stool and stood there as I put on my make-up and did my hair. When I was finished. . . . "Oh mama. . .beautiful!!" Melts my heart every time.

Where does she get that stubborn, sassy, loving behavior from . . .ME! She is my little mini-me!

Spunky lil' rascal!

DIVA

Now this is one thing I didnt teach her how to do . . .EAT! She is messy like her daddy!