Blessed

Thank you for my husband. Thank you for loving me, taking care of me, and always making me feel safe. Thank you for building me lots of furniture, fixing everything, and cooking outside on the grill because I don't know how to use the grill. Thank you for always making me feel beautiful, even with extra pregnancy weight, spit up on my blouse, and smeared makeup (from sloppy Madeline kisses). Thank you for showing me every day what amazing man and father you are. Thank you for knowing what I want or how I feel by the look on my face, without me even having so say a word. You have made this mama and our baby girl very happy. I love you.

Thank you for my Madeline. Thank you for your hugs, snuggles, and previously mentioned sloppy kisses. Thank you for letting me dress you up like my personal barbie doll without any complaints. Thank you for bringing out that strong, capable, crazy protective mommy in me. Thank you for your sweet baby giggles. Thank you for mastering my name this week. It was clear as day earlier today - MA-MA! Every day you show me something new, but that distinct Mama today was extra special. I thought my heart was going to burst. Thank you for changing my life. I love you so much it hurts.

Thank you for my family back home. Even though we don't see each other much, I think about you ALL of the time. All 100 of you (haha... um that number probably isn't too far off though!). What would I do without you? I have never been so proud to be a part of this ever-expanding family. In this fast-paced world, everyone always has some place to be or something going on, but when it comes down to it, we are there for each other, 110%. Thank you for always being there. I love you.

Thank you for my friends, the ones I see just about every day and the ones I only speak with a couple times a year. Being so far from "home" makes all of you Washington people more important than you know. You ARE my family, my Washington family. And my friends back home, thank you for always picking up right where we left off. Thank you for understanding that I'm trying to balance mommy time/work time/wife time (which is much more difficult than I ever imagined, I find myself losing that battle sometimes) and so I don't call as often as I really want to. I love you.

Thank you for everything else... my home, my job, my sweet pups, and all of the little things. At the end of the day, I realize how lucky I am and I know I have been blessed. Thank you God for everything, especially this year. 2010 has been more than I deserve.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

my baby love

Dear Madeline,
You are almost 8 months old. Where has the time gone? How did you get so big? I feel like just yesterday you were my newborn baby, all snuggled up and napping on my chest. It's blowing my mind how fast you grow and learn. Your daddy and I are trying our best to record and remember each moment, each expression, every giggle and sound, because we know that in a couple days you might completely change things up.

We love you more than you know... When we were pregnant, friends and family would tell us to get ready for a new kind of love, the love for our child. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. We were so excited to meet you. Your room was ready. The car seat was in my car months in advance. Your clothes were washed and hung in the closet. You were always the most important and first consideration as we prepared and made plans.

Then you were born. And it turns out we had no idea whatsoever what this love would be like. Being your mother is a completely consuming, heart wrenching, never ending, life-changing experience of love. I can never get enough of you. I'm watching you sleep on the monitor, and I just have the urge to go upstairs, scoop you up, and let you sleep with me tonight. I miss you when you aren't in my arms. I know I'm "not supposed to" let you sleep in our bed, but I love waking up at night to see you sleeping soundly next to me or snuggling closer.

You own my heart. My love for you runs down to the core of who I am, deeper than anything I ever imagined. And I know I will love you even more tomorrow, and more the day after that. I thank God every day for blessing my life with you.

Truest Love,
Your Mama

Getting ready for Christmas...

Sweet Princess

Modeling is hard work!

Awww!

Baby in a basket

Mamarazzi

Saturday I decided to put Madeline in lots of different outfits and take lots of pictures... prepare yourself.

Bama Baby

from the wedding

Thanks for these pictures, Christy!

A couple "firsts"

Scooting
Madeline can scoot - backwards!!! I first noticed that she can do this while we were in South Carolina a couple weeks ago. When she is on her belly, she straightens her arms to push herself up on her knees so that she is on all fours, the she straightens her legs and scoots backwards.

First Tooth
Also when we were in South Carolina, Madeline was kind of a fussy baby. I thought that it was all due to seperation anxiety. Well, during the flight on the way home, I let her gum my finger and she bit me! I couldn't see it, but I knew that bottom right front tooth was there. So, that was Sunday the 24th of October. I just took these today (Nov 6th) and you can barely see it, but it's definitely there!

Happy Halloween

If you didn't get enough candy on Halloween, here is a little more sugar.