Monday, December 29, 2008

Madison's First Birthday-Preperation Begins!

Ian's Cake 2005 (Shelby's didn't turn out the way I wanted so no picture will be posted)

Shelby's Cake 2006 (Ian's didn't turn out so well, so no picture will be posted)


Twins Cake 2007 (Pregnant and not able to stand for that long to decorate 2 cakes, they got 1)

Now that Christmas is over it is time to start planning Madison's 1st birthday party. I found a Blue's Clues cake pan on E-Bay a few months back that I won. I made Shelby and Ian's cakes until this year. Madison wouldn't allow for the 2-3 hours it takes to decorate 2 cakes! We are going to keep it nice and simple. Baby's first birthdays are really for the parents anyway. I don't know of any adult who remembers their first birthday. I know I don't. This day is to watch them stick their little hands into the cake and smear it all over while taking lots of pictures. I want it to be a day I remember and enjoy for her. When she grows up I want to be able to tell her about her day. I want her to be with the family she knows and loves and not be overwhelmed. In 2006 when we started our process trying to have a baby through IVF, we had only our prayers as a certainty. We had no idea if we would even have a first birthday to celebrate. We are grateful of our gift from GOD. Medical proceedures gave us the chance, our faith & prayers gave us Madison. In 2006 around July or August, John and I ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in Louisville. I purchased a onesie with a guitar on it, with hopes we would have a baby to put it on. From July to October we hoped and prayed for success. Our care team knew when to say "enough is enough" for this cycle. They didn't give us false hopes of a positive outcome. They gave us hope of trying a different medication plan when we were ready. 2006 would not be the year we got pregnant. We gave ourselves time to reflect and regroup before trying again. It is a long and emotional process. In March 2007, we decided it was time for a second try. We began my new treatment plan in April 2007. The rest as they say is history. May 3, 2007 I found out through a home pregnancy test. My official blood test was still a week away. I thin I took at test everyday for that week just to make sure! I remember the morning of my blood test very vividly. I'll never forget the phone call from my doctors office confirming the results. I loved every moment of being pregnant. I never thought 7 years ago when I met John and learned about Cystic Fibrosis that I would ever be pregnant again. So now that I have given a condensed version of how Madi came to be, I am back to planning her birthday. You can see why just being able to celebrate her 1st year of life is enough for us.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Calm after the holiday

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas over for 2008, we are settling back into our daily lives. I officially took the tree down Friday night and packed it away for next year. I don't think I have ever taken a tree down so quickly after Christmas. I enjoyed it while it was up, but it was taking over Madison's play area in the living room. The once oblivious attitude toward the tree had changed and she had begun to pull ornaments off. I was afraid that with the hooks we were heading for disaster. This weekend at church was Victory Weekend. It is the last weekend of the year that everyone who was baptized into Christ or transferred their membership to Southeast is recognized (not individually of course!) Praise GOD we had 1,700 people to join Christ and the church this year. I am humbled to say that I was one of them. During the "ceremony" everyone at the service who had been baptized or transferred walked down the center aisle and sat on stage while Dave preached. I was sitting next to my mother-in-law who was also baptized this year. Her sister was too, however she sat in the sanctuary with her husband who is having knee trouble. John (aka my hubby) was also sitting in the sanctuary with his Aunt & Uncle. Not because he had already been baptized, not because he is a member... because he has not yet made that decision to be baptized into Christ. We went forward during the invitation back in March of this year. That was step 1. Step 2 was the baptism. I made my step in September. John is still working on his. I pray that for him each night before bed that he may find peace in his decision to follow Christ. It's not an easy decision to step out of what we want and follow in the path of Jesus. While I have no pictures of this event, you can visit our church website and listen & watch the sermon from this weekend. www.southeastchristian.org.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Eve 2008




Madison Brooke Christmas Eve 2008







Trouble with the pants!








Madi & Daddy













Grandma Judy & Madison

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Action News Live at 5

Good things happen when bad things happen. Bad thing was the lovely ice we had this afternoon at 4:30 when it was time to leave work. I actually get off at 5 and at quarter of I was going to go out and defrost the car so it would be nice and toasty when it was time to leave. I was also going to move it closer to the building. This is completely safe in our parking lot because we can see our cars from the large drive-thru window we have. The building is an old bank and still has the drive-thru because we still use it. Kind of neat. Anway, I knew it was icy outside so I was going to walk extra cautious across the parking lot. I never made it. I took one step off the sidewalk and the next thing I know I'm staring at the side of our building laying on the ground. I fell pretty hard. Hard enough to cry, but I didn't. I laid there a minute to catch my breath and make sure I was okay. If the fall wasn't bad enough, our building faces the main road through town. 2 cars stopped to see if I was okay and one of them actually pulled in our lot to help me out. It was a very nice man and his 9 month pregnant wife. He helped me up, took my keys and pulled my car to the building for me and started it up. During this process his wife had rolled the window down and asked if I was alright and began telling me she was 9 months pregnant and had a doctor appointment today and her husband helped her along the way. So I went back inside after they parted and proceeded to check my self out. Pulled up my sleeve and was like WOW. I have a pretty nasty bruise and my elbow was bleeding a little. I thought for sure I would have a bruise on my hip which took a part of the fall, but nothing. So 5 o'clock rolls around and I head to the car. I called John (my hubby) to advise him of the dangerous conditions and tell him about my fall. He decides that he is going to meet me at Madison's daycare so that I don't have to worry about the icy parking lot there and carrying her across in the heels I already fell in. I got to her room and started packing her stuff up. I sat down in a rocking chair while she played on the floor. She stood up next to a toy bin, holding on the side and digging for a toy. Then it happened. She turned away from the tub and let go. She's been doing this bravery trick for a week or so. Nothing could have prepared me for what took place next. She took a step, then another, then another, and then one more! I was in tears of joy! My baby girl is starting to walk. Once she lost her balance and sat down I headed over to pick her up, but before I got to her she got plowed by a toddler and started screaming. Her nursery worker picked her up and calmed her down. Shortly after Daddy arrived and it was all better. So had I not fallen and decided to hang out at daycare waiting on John, I may not have seen my baby take her first steps. I can't believe how fast she is growing. **sigh**

Monday, December 22, 2008

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Time

The Host & Hostess
The lovely food

Madison and her party dress


Marcie and Madison

Bill and Madison


Ericka and Suzanne

Suzanne and Bill

We had a wonderful evening yesterday. Our friends who had moved away Christmas last year to the windy city of Chicago moved back home. We missed them so much! Another blessing was having Bill home from Iraq. We hadn't seen him since last year and he had never met Madison. He was preparing to deploy when she was born. She had the best time playing with him. I know Suzanne is glad to have him home. They were married the day after Thanksgiving and he left just a few short weeks after that. Their first year as Newlyweds was spent apart. Madison did really well with all the new people she met and also with the decorations that were sitting on the tables in her reach! I dressed her in her Christmas Party dress. She looked lovely! We also enjoyed seeing our other friends who we don't get to see as often either because of John's schedule and having Miss Madi. We can't exactly take her out to a trendy restaurant at 8pm at night. That wouldn't go over so well. So it is nice when we get to spend time with them. We enjoyed a turkey and a cranberry sauce/jelly from Whole Food Market. Best Turkey I have ever eaten! Best Cranberry anything I have ever tasted! The rest of the food was brought by the party goers. Everything turned out wonderful! After dinner John took Madison home. It was getting to be both their bedtimes. John had worked all day and Madi goes to bed around 8 or so. After they packed up and headed home, the rest of us played Cranium. What fun! I didn't take any pictures of that- sorry. However, for the record I would like to say that our team pulled out the win. Suzanne, Bill, and myself were on a team. It came down to the last question, it was a close game.... but in the end there can only be one winner! I look forward to a rematch. It was a great start to our holiday season.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Snow and Foam

Better than if a little boy would have written his name in the snow...
May I introduce you to Mrs.Snowman

I feel like I'm missing something...


Oh, there it is!



Notice how the center of the 'P' is missing...




A few weeks ago we had a dusting of snow. Though it was small, it was the perfect mix to make a snowman. Actually Shelby made a snow woman! She used pieces of a toy that has hair and shoes to stick in the snowperson she made. She also found a way to write her name in the driveway, which I was able to see from our security camera. The way our driveway comes to the house makes it hard to hear visitors, so when my grandma lived here she put a camera in to see people coming up the drive.

Now for the foam part of the story... Madison has a set of the foam letters you can put down for safety and for fun. She loves to play with them! She has more fun taking the smaller pieces out of some of the letters. Like the middle of the 'A' and the parts of the 'B'. She's been teething for what seems like FOREVER and is chewing on any and everything we'll let her have. These pieces are the perfect fit for her. The downfall is what happens when you get them wet... they get sticky!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Having Fun





















I'm glad that I let Shelby's dance teacher talk me into taking a class too. I am having so much fun and I look forward to my class on Tuesday nights. Our recital song is Matchbox 20, Look How Far We've Come. It is fast paced and high energy. Having not danced in many, many years (and never tap) this has been a learning experience. It's one hour a week that belongs all to me! As a working mother, I need some "me" time. The kids have their activities and I now have mine. Shelby has been dancing at this studio for 4 years. We love it there! She is going to be in 3 numbers this year. Last year was the first time she did 2. GOD has given her the talent of creativity. She can dance and create art work effortlessly. I don't want to feel like I am leaving Ian out here. He is very involved in his Scout troop. They do a lot more activities when the weather is warmer. Madison is still learning and growing each day. In the past few weeks, she has learned to clap. She has also learned to "love" her stuffed animals and us. We tell her "Love your bunny Madison" and she will pick it up and wrap both arms around it, squeeze it tight and swing side to side. If we tell her "Love your Ian" she will lean her head to touch his and reach out for him. Each day is amazing at what she can do!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Let your light shine




Such a wonderful message this time of year. In our sermon at church today, Bob Russell spoke about the true meaning of Christmas. It's not about what you give, it's about what you do. Jesus was born to show us what it means to be selfless. Give your time to someone who does not have someone to share this season with. Give your money (if you have extra) to someone who needs it more than you do. Give your life to Christ and he will give you eternal life. Think about the many blessings the Lord has given you this year and years past. Be thankful and delight in those gifts. We are most thankful for the life he gave us in our children. What greater gift could we be blessed with. As you approach 2009 and are making resolutions, I encourage you to find time to fit the Lord into your life if you haven't already. He is our Savior and the reason for the season of Christmas. It is a celebration of his birth into this world that we are living in.