Madison is O-N-E

How is this even possible.  It is crazy to think that she is one already.  I see her still as a tiny baby.

Her smile and that twinkle in her eye lights up my world.  She is the sweetest little thing.  Her grin gets me every time, and she is ALWAYS smiling.  Don't get me wrong, she has found her temper.  When she doesn't like something or doesn't want something--she will let you know.  She gives the stink face and I secretly love it.

Her appetite has picked up this month and she is chugging an 8oz bottle when she wakes up and then the rest of the day they are 6-7 ounce bottles.  She still can put away the cheerios and we've added lucky charms (she only eats the marsh mellows and throws the cereal part on the floor), fruit loops, apple jacks and gluten free pop tarts for breakfast.  I've been giving her more new foods lately and she seems to be handling them fine.  She snatched 2 chicken nuggets off her sisters plate the other day and had such a death grip on them that I just let her eat them.  That was a hit.  She loves bananas, strawberries, apples, blueberries, and all the baby food fruits as well.  I will cook her noodles and rice and she loves beans and peas with carrots.  She has discovered the fun game of throwing her food on the floor.  Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on her.  I learned my lesson with that game.

She still for the most part sleeps all night.  I lay her down about 8'ish with her baby and her blanket and she will sleep normally all night until around 7:30/8 in the morning.  Some nights she will wake up crying and I let her cry it out and she goes back to sleep on her own.  On the rare occasions it is crazy crying I will go in and get her and normally bring her to my bed.  I can tell a difference with her cry.  Last night around 3 she woke up and would not go back to sleep so I brought her in with me and we went to sleep....I thought.  About an hour later I hear Scotty yell "what was that" and jump out of bed so I run and turn on the light.  Poor Madi had crawled over her daddy and fell off the bed.  Scotty didn't even know she was in the bed with us.  Rough way to start her birthday.  She was fine and barely even cried.  I rocked her and she went right back to sleep.  She would like to take a nap around 10:30'ish, but that isn't always possible.  If she does she will sleep about an hour and then will take another nap around 4 for about an hour as well.  If we are out and about and she skips the morning nap she will take a 2 hour nap around 3. (if I can keep her sister quiet enough)

She has learned so much this past month.  I think she understands what we say more and more.  She recognizes her toys by name and will get things when we ask for them, sometimes.  She loves to play pat-a-cake still and laughs so hard on the "roll it up" part.  Peek a boo is another one of her favorites especially with her sister.  Her little hands barely cover her face up.  She tries so hard to blow kisses and almost has it.  She isn't a big kiss giver so when she does lean in for a kiss I go to town.  (hmmm maybe that's why she doesn't offer to give kisses to me....)  Her favorite thing still is to play with her sister.  She follows her around and wants to do anything she does.  She is starting to hold her ground more when her sister tries to take things from her.  I see lots of fights in their future.  But they are also so sweet.  Madi loves to lay on her and Kenzie always defends her "little baby sister", as she calls her.  (The other day Madi was trying to grab my scissors and I told her if she didn't stop I was going to cut her baby fingers off.....proud parenting moment right there....Kenzie came running over and hugged Madi and said "no she won't Madi because your my baby sister and I love you").  I love the way her eyes light up when she sees her big sister.  She is still super attached to me and panics when I walk away.  Her comfort circle is expanding as we meet new friends and spend more and more time with them.  You have to work to earn her trust.  I would say she is pretty needy but her sweetness over compensates for it so I don't mind all the extra snuggles and holding her.

She wants to walk so bad but just isn't sure about it yet.  She will stand up on her own and stand for a long time but will not take any steps.  She will walk holding my fingers and even only 1 finger but the minute I let go and she realizes it she plops down.  I "think" when she can walk maybe her attachment issues to me with get better (or it could get totally worse and she will come running after me).  With Kenzie I pushed it and we practiced everyday, but I'm letting her take her time with it and explore.  I'm not in any rush.

I love her so much and she makes my life complete.  She is such a sweet baby and makes her daddy and sister so happy.