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!

Maddie - 23 Months

This is the last Maddie update before she turns 2, hardly seems possible if you ask me. She finds a way to amaze me each and every day, and this month she has managed to take my breath away on a few occasions!

Favorite Foods at the Moment -

*Chips w/ Dip (salsa)

*HOT DOGS

*Pickles

*Choc Pudding

*Crackers

*Grilled Chicken

*Baked potato w/ dip (sour cream)

*Spaghetti w/ sprinkles (parm cheese)

All about Maddie. . . .

*Beast (aka - Beauty and the Beast) is still #1 in this house, but we have gotten her to watch Cinderella now and she is liking that! And of course Mickey and Elmo. . . .but if the Beast is on, she WILL sit still for the entire movie! And what is a movie w/o popcorn!

*She would live in her bathtub right now if we let her. . . .why might you ask? Well, because her bath water is colored to her liking and she has bathtub crayons to draw all over the place!

*She loves to sing, and her newest song is her ABC's . . . .she can do the entire thing!

*For Christmas Maddie got a puzzle of the USA, she will now show you where Papa lives (Florida), Aunt Crazy (Traci) lives (Colorado) and where she lives with mommy an daddy (WI)

*She is making little friends at the Y and it melts my heart. There is one little girl there that screams when I drop Maddie off and Maddie does the same. They run to one another and exchange the biggest smiles. . .it is precious!

*Little Miss Sassy Pants loves to repeat what you say, but not right away. The other day she tossed cereal on the floor and I yelled at her. . . . her reply. . . ."Chill out Mama!" I have told her to chill out before when she was getting all worked up! That one came back to bite me didnt it!?

I think that I am having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Maddie is going to transition to a big girl bed sometime soon. After what happened this past week, it may happen sooner than we had planned! I got up early Tuesday morning and was enjoying a cup of coffee in the living room when I heard Maddie start to talk in her crib. She normally does this every morning for a good 5-10 minutes and then I go get her. Well, her talking lasted about 3 minutes and then it was followed by a LOUD THUD!!!!!!! I went running into her room to find her standing in the middle of her room smiling. "I ok mama, I just climbing!" I think my jaw was on the bedroom floor! That little ___ found a way to get out of her crib! I was shocked. . . .I didnt know what to say. . . .and she walked right past me and proceeded to the living room like nothing happened. This chain of events made me nervous for her nap after lunch! I decided to go about our normal routine when it was time for her to go down for her nap. Instead of running downstairs to workout, I sat in the living room holding her baby monitor like it was my first day home from the hospital with her listening to any sound that she made. Sure enough. . . . . .THUD!!!! I took off running again and was greeted by the same smiling toddler I saw earlier that day! Out of fear I raised my voice and scared her too. . . . .but I was scared! Its funny and cute that she is trying to escape, but what if she landed the wrong way and got hurt? I gave her a big hug and told her that it wasnt ok to jump out of her crib. . . .and while I was holding her so tight, I saw who helped her get out. . . . .her doggy pillow!!! She had him angled on the frame of the crib and walked right up his back. How the heck does a 23mo old know how to do that!?!? Needless to say, she hasnt tried to escape again, but I make sure she is out cold before I run off to get things done around the house!

This past month has been hectic with it being a busy time at my job, but I am doing everything I can to soak up all of the hugs, kisses, and love she shows me each and every day. There are days when I am stressed out, but picking her up after her nap and hearing, "I missed you mama" makes everything seem so right. . . .thank you for keeping me grounded baby girl. I love you so much! Time to start planning the party of a very special 2yr old. . . .

Waddling like a duck around the house

She insisted I see the top so I knew she was a duck!

Getting ready to run errands, notice her purse that HAD TO come with us. DIVA!

Like mother. . . .like daughter! Pedis!

GO PACK GO!

An early bday present from Nana and Papa

Look at the size of her eyes. . .she was so excited!

Maddie - 22 Months

I know that I am a little late posting this, but better late than never, RIGHT? Once again she has learned new tricks, words, and managed to pick up a little extra sass this month - I blame it on Pat all the way!!

Favorite Foods -

*Hot Dogs are still top on the list

*Pickles are a new addition

*Crackers have never fallen off this list

*Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

*Lasagna

*Sausage Sammys

*Deer Sausage

Favorite things to do:

*RUN RUN RUN

*Play Get-you

*Color all day everyday

*Playing pretend with her food and cups

*Watching movies - new favorite is - Beauty and the Beast

We are approaching the lovely age of 2, and with that is a bit of added sass and independence. If you say something she doesnt like, there is a chance you will get a dirty look or a possible mini tantrum. We are working hard to minimize these, but at the same time, she is a toddler pressing our buttons.

Here is our sass but adorable 22month old:

Cousin Ceanna's B-day party, look at her sit there with all the older girls!

Petting the bunny with mom


Spends a lot of time in her bean bag chair. . . .even a small snooze!

Her hat from New Years. . . .what a ham!

Sleeping on her dog pillow like a big girl!!!

It is so strange watching her act more and more like a big girl each and every day. She is a sponge and WILL repeat anything and everything you say. When I picked her up from child care the other day I saw all of these older girls playing with her and waving good-bye when we were walking out. Maddie turns around to the girls and says, "Bye friends!" I just about fell over hearing her say that. Time sure goes by fast. . . . .

New Year's Eve

This New Years we got to celebrate the wedding of my cousin Melissa and her new husband Adam! I had mixed feelings about coming to the wedding due to an accident that I had a few days prior. I took a nasty fall in our driveway which left the right side of my face raw and swollen. After seeing the stares I got at the Dr's office and at work, I sat wondering if I would want to go to the wedding. I decided to put my fears behind me and not worry about what I looked like. I put on a cute dress, even cuter heels, and threw caution to the wind! Watching Miss Maddie start the party with all of her dance moves was enough for me to realize that I made the right decision. It was nice to be able to spend time with family no matter what I looked like.

Dancing Queen

Her first dancing partner. . . .GRANDPA!!!

You didnt think she would forget about Grandma did you?

Bustin' a move!

Daddy and Maddie

PURE Entertainment! He makes me laugh too Maddie!

This is her serious dancing face!

Well. . . .here it is, the one picture of Pat and I

Kari handed me back the camera after she took this and I instantly wanted to delete this picture because I was so mortified. . . . . .but then I thought to myself. . . . .this is the ONLY picture of us on New Years Eve 2010. I had to remind myself that I need to count my blessings and thank God that all I have is a scraped up face. 2010 was definitely a year for change, struggle, and excitement for us. I cant even begin to imagine what 2011 has in store for us!

Christmas 2010

WOW, what a whirlwind few weeks of holiday celebrations!!! Pat and I knew that this Christmas would be different than last year, and we were right! Maddie was a blast and really got into it! I could post a million pictures from it all, but I decided to pick out some of my top favorites!!!

Christmas with my mom's side! Maddie and Aunt T are all decked out!

Froh Sledding on Christmas Eve!

Daddy and Maddie in the snow!

Nana's turn down the hill with Maddie!


Cookie decorating wouldnt be cookie decorating if you didnt get to sample!

Maddie with Mom's new scarf on!

Opening gifts with Nana and Papa

Christmas Day at the Tammingas! Here is Maddie in her sled, but she thought it was a boat so she started to sing Row Row Row your Boat. . . .

More gifts with Grandma T

Watching cartoons with her friends in her new bean bag chair!

Finally home to celebrate with mom and dad!

Pat and I had a wonderful time celebrating the holiday with our family. The only sad part, Maddies face when she woke up and saw that the Christmas tree was gone.