No news is good news...supposedly

It has been a while since I posted, but not much has changed.

Our baby girl is growing so fast! She has discovered her feet. She has always pulled and kicked off her socks, but now she is fascinated by her stinky little toes.

She has also discovered how to scoot around on her back...which has resulted in a big bald spot on the back of her head that I'm not crazy about, but what can I do? She still is not a fan of being on her tummy, so the crawling thing is still a way off (thank goodness!) The dog's bowls are safe for a little while longer.


For Christmas we headed out to Northern California to visit Kallen's family. Madison was an awesome little traveler....but a STINKER once we got there! No sleeping for this little girl. We were making some progress in the sleep department before we left, but being away from home and her schedule just totally threw her for a loop.

Waiting for her first plane ride!!

Our awesome little traveler- that's right- I put her on the tray tables to sleep until we had to return them to their upright and locked positions.

She was all smiles with Great-Grandma Bernice right before I pulled out the camera.

That was it for the Christmas pictures. It was nice to be with family, and Madison absolutely adored her cousins-especially Tessa and Mya. She was instant laughs and smiles whenever they came around. She got in some good snuggle time with Nana Marie, but for some reason I never had my camera out. (Probably had something to do with the sleep-deprived fog I walked around in) We got the chance on Christmas Eve to drive around town and look at Christmas lights, and pretty houses, and mountains, and the stars....about 4 hours worth of driving around. Kallen was a champ and took a few of those hours on his own (with Madi) so that Grandma and I could get a little sleep. That was the only way to keep our little darling happy. We took lots of walks out in the COLD fresh air during our stay and even had a little snow the morning we left.

Kallen got a lot of fun time with his cousin Chad and even talked him into staying a few extra days so they could play. He had video games and an awesome RC car that the boys had fun building jumps for....and I had fun chasing the kids with. Overall it was an interesting first trip with a baby. I was so embarrassed to have the screaming miserable infant at the in-laws house, but we survived. We're back home and fighting tooth and nail to get back on some semblance of a schedule. :)

This is us back home and happy opening her one present I got for her but didn't bother to bring with us to Cali. She never knew the difference. In fact, we opened her presents there while she was taking a little nap.

She did her best to help Daddy unwrap her gift.

A new pacifier technique?? Poor little thing had those stubborn teeth bugging her over Christmas. They still have yet to come in.

I rang in the new year working on my primary lesson and watching the countdown. Kallen was catching some much needed sleep and our little one was just screaming and crying. I finally broke down and consented to the "crying it out" technique. Hasn't worked yet- this girl goes for 3 hours straight without any sign of tiring. (the 3-hr. mark is my limit) *sigh* At least I didn't miss the fireworks new year's eve. On a bright note, they took me out of Sunbeams and gave me the 7 (turning 8) class in primary. It's only been one Sunday, but I L O V E it! The sunbeams were funny, but they stressed me out! I am so excited for this new class...and they can READ and focus for more than 4.7 seconds. It is fabulous.

Sometimes Madison does this. And we cherish these times.

Isn't she beautiful? I laughed when I downloaded the few pictures I did have and several of them are of our daughter sleeping. I take them to remind myself that sometimes she DOES sleep.

Enough of the negative Nelly act. 2009 brought us so many blessings and opportunities to learn and grow and increase in love. Madison is really a content, happy, adorable, funny and loving little girl and would be the perfect baby if she would sleep, so we are so blessed to have her entrusted to us in this life. We have good friends and awesome families, good health, and the awesome gift of unemployment benefits so Kallen can be home with our baby and go to school to completely switch careers. He is so dedicated, smart, and a HARD worker! Madison and I are so blessed to have him in our lives and he is so patient to put up with two crazy girls. Here’s to an exciting 2010….now if only I could get around to making those resolutions….