Month 8

This month has been full of summer fun, check out some of what we have been up to!

Just a little summer reading.

Fun times with cousins Mary Rose and Clara.

A hot Milo 4th of July parade.

Swimming at Clear Lake with Daddy.

Fun with the power cord.....

Madden and Mommy on RAGBRAI.

Sleeping in a suitcase on RAGBRAI in the tiny camper with AC.
 No room for a bed..... :)

Big girl in the high chair!

Month 7

Madden had another followup appointment with her surgeon this month.  The outcome was that we were finally able to take her off of the reflux medicine. (She had been on a generic prilosec since her surgery to keep stomach acid from bothering the repair site)

Madden also had followup appointment with the cardiologist.  She was born with a murmur and a small leak in a valve.  After some x-rays and ultrasounds, it was decided that she still has a murmur and a slight leak, but both are so small that there is no real reason to continue to pursue them.  She has been cleared from one of her specialists!

On a very cute note, Madden has learned how to be quite the little charmer.  Whenever we go to doctors offices, she smiles on cue and takes all the poking and prodding in stride.  She has won over every nurse and doctor we have seen, and I am quite certain she knows what she is doing. :)

Here are some of the new things Madden has learned this month:

Just starting to sit on her own at the beginning of the month.

Not sure why she thought this was a good idea!?

Swimming with Joel.

No Hands!

She has mastered eating from a spoon, but it has taken a LOT of practice.
The tongue reflex was strong in this little girl.

"Baby Madden" loved playing with cousins from Montana. (Aida and Eric)

Happy first birthday Caleb!

Just loving summer with Mom and Dad at home!  

Month 6

Madden has had another big month, check out some of the highlights!

She learned how to hold her own bottle.

We broke out the summer clothes!

Jogging with Mommy

First experience with hair ties

Napping, or not, with Daddy. :)

First Veggies, and absolutely loving it.

She became a tummy sleeper, and you never quite know how you will find her in the AM

She enjoyed her first swim over memorial day weekend.

Month 5

This month Madden has learned how to roll over in both directions.  She is a very inquisitive little girl and loves to take everything in with her big blue eyes.  Madden laughs a lot and is super ticklish.  We enjoy doing whatever it takes to get the big belly laughs out of her.  Here are some photos from this month.  Enjoy!

3/25 First attempt at eating rice cereal.

4/8 Easter Dress!

4/8 The best seat in the house.

4/15 The beautiful Tulips in Pella

4/20 Mesmerized by her hands

4/22 Before Bath Time....

4/22 After Bath time

4/23  She slept for 2 hours straight after her first day in day care. :)

Madden's 4 month progress

Madden continues to be a complete delight with an easy going attitude and still sleeping though the night. :)  We have been very fortunate to have such a calm and happy baby.

We took Madden to the ENT after experiencing some rather scary episodes where Madden couldn't breathe after she had spit up out of her nose a couple of times.  The ENT then referred us on to an upper GI specialist who followed though with a dye study.  We were told that Madden still has some Acid Reflux, and that when she has congested airways we need to be very careful about keeping her elevated.  It has been so important for her to stay healthy this winter/spring so that she doesn't have to put her trachea through any extra work.  Basically, the doctors have told us things on the inside are really looking pretty normal.

Madden also had a NICU follow-up appointment this week to make sure developmentally she is meeting all of the milestones.  We were told that she still has a couple of physical milestones she needs to work on since she sits elevated most of the time.  We are now performing stretches, squats, and pushups daily with her. :)  We love it, and Madden is learning to love it too.

She has really changed a lot this month!  Take a look.

2/29/12 - our little super baby.

3/3/12 - smiling a lot more now.

3/5/12 - starting to figure out her arms and hands.

3/10/12 - too cute for words

Crazy hair!

3/16/12 - loving every moment of Spring Break

3/21/12 - Daddy and Me

3/25/12 - 4 months old now.

3 months

Our little Valentine 2/14

Madden's baptism on 2/19

3 months old today.  2/22

Not just the thumb- the whole fist is in the mouth. :)

Madden and her little friend Lane 2/26

2months and counting.....

2 months old today!

I love being naked.

Yum

Family photo.