10-months old

I can...

* "cruise" and crawl.

* feed myself Cheerios, yogurt melts, toast with margarine, bagels, and bananas.

* wave and clap.

* say "uh-oh" and "hi".

* stand up in my crib.

* dance when the mood strikes.

And, she crawls

This week has been a monumental week in our house. Since last Sunday, our little Madelyn has figured out she can clap, wave, walk while holding on to something (ie. stool rungs, the wall, kitchen cabinets), and, finally, crawl.

I've begun following her around the house and plugging the outlets with safety caps as we go. The cabinet under the kitchen sink also has a lock on it now. Although, I'm not sure how long the lock will last as the "fun" thing to do is hang from the lock itself. It's only a matter of time before the weight of an infant/toddler hanging from the plastic is stronger than the plastic itself.

Hope you enjoy the wave. Please pardon the cough. We're all getting over a cold.

Still not crawling, but...

Yesterday, we received a video of our cousin, Emery, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. It was the sweetest video. We look forward to the day our Madelyn can sing her own version, root-root-rooting for the Rockies. (And, we're still sad Rocktober only lasted 13 days.)

At any rate, while this is no Take Me Out to the Ballgame, I thought it worth sharing and knew not only the grandparents but her aunts and uncles and Internet friends in Kansas would enjoy.

Baby, it's cold outside

The great pumpkin

Our inaugural visit to May Farms pumpkin patch in Byers, Colorado. We opted out of the hay ride and corn maze this year. How should we carve Madelyn's ghost pumpkin?

Goosebump

Madelyn has a small goosebump on her forehead today. Being 8-1/2 months old and wanting to pull up on everything has it downsides...those arms and legs don't always cooperate and do what you want them to!

Last night during bathtime, I was downstairs washing the dishes and enjoying all the conversation I could hear between Madelyn and Dad upstairs. Then I heard a thump followed by crying. Sadie went running up the stairs to check on Madelyn and see what was wrong. When I arrived with ice pack in-hand, my suspicion of what happened was confirmed.

Madelyn had tried to pull herself out of the infant bathtub and bonked her head on the edge of the normal bathtub. (Now that she's a good sitter and is pulling up on everything, the infant bathtub has become a launching pad for her. And, in case you don't remember, a wet baby is really hard to hold onto!) Fortunately, it's just a little bump and a small bruise and she seems to be just fine. Unfortunately for us, though, since she's decided that crawling isn't her thing and she's determined to go straight to walking, we're doomed with at least a few more goosebumps.

Do they make baby helmets? And, do I use the bunny ice pack directly on her skin? Or, do I put a wash cloth underneath? What is the proper first aid for a minor head wound? All these questions as we enter the next phase.

8-months old

I can...

* Sit up by myself

* Stand holding onto something (ie. my crib or playpen, the couch, Mom and Dad's hands)

* Get into a table top position and rock back-and-forth -- the next step is crawling!

* Wave

* Participate in a conversation even if no one else understands my language

* Grab and hold onto things with my hands and feet

Pic-a-nic basket

We had no pic-a-nic basket but rather a few coolers. To my knowledge, no pictures were taken. However, this evening, we had a date with The Dukes at our local park, Central Park. And boy, did we have fun.

The delightful two-some explored the playground and played on all the features. Madelyn sat on the ground while we ate and played with our empty sandwich container. She's getting so grabby lately and wants to hold on to anything within arm's reach. Gran (The Dukes' Grammy) and Grandad helped her swing on the bucket swing, and, later, she enjoyed her very first picnic meal -- carrots and a bottle.

Henry and Ian are the cutest two-and-a-half year olds around. Their exploration and amazement of all the different toys was so fun to be a part of and watch. We were lucky, too, that Ian took the wheels off our BOB and inspected them for us before left. He gave us a clean report. And, he taught Madelyn how to give a high five as we said good-bye for the walk home.

It's too bad they live in Lawrence and we only get to see them every so often. We like our friends from the east and look forward to seeing them again.

Happy birthday, Dad!

Our weekend travels were uneventful. Madelyn did well on the airplane and, both times, made friends with everyone sitting in the rows around us. We're lucky she's such a sweet, happy girl. And, I think next year she'll be more than happy to help blow out candles and indulge in a little birthday cake herself.

It's Miller Time!

One of the stops on Griff's 30th birthday trip? The Miller (Coors) brewery tour in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although we didn't partake in the brewhaus part of the tour -- advertised as 56 steps and 105 degrees...who wouldn't want to partake?! -- we still enjoyed our trip and complimentary post-tour samples.

Birthday week

After a dark week on the blog last week -- Madelyn was under the weather -- we are back. She's feeling much better and the little bit of what's left of her rash is fading quickly.

This week is Dad's Birthday Week. It's sort of like Shark Week, only different. At any rate, we are stoked for the big celebration on Friday and Madelyn's first out-of-state trip.

We're going to Chicago to do some fun Summer time activities. And, as a bonus, we get to stay and visit with Honey and Poppie. Thursday afternoon, we fly out. I've been grilling our neighbor on travel tips and am as prepared as can be. Honey and Poppie are more than prepared and very excited for our arrival.

Tomorrow's our Friday...let the vacation begin!

Ah-1, ah-2, ah-3!

Introducing the newest bleacher bum! The hand-me-down jersey fits and she's all set to root, root, root for the Cubbies this weekend. We have tickets to Sunday afternoon's game so Madelyn may get to officially attend her first baseball game.

If Harry Caray were still alive, he'd make sure this little Cub fan got on TV.

The newest game in our house

The sing and play stage is no longer just for singing and playing. It can also be used as a tool to practice standing up all by one's self.

My weekend

Friday
Meghan came over and stayed with me while Mom and Dad went out. Meghan is my morning instructor at daycare and I really like her. We had lots of fun.

Saturday
I got up extra early at 6:00 am so that I could maximize the weekend with Mom and Dad. We went over to my friend Gray's house. His mom and dad fought over who got to hold me. I like them a lot. They had to go out for an hour so Gray and I read books and played while his parents were gone.

Later, Mom and I went to a ladies' lunch with her friend Brooke. I had only seen her in pictures and heard stories about her. She's really nice in real life and I'm glad I finally got to meet her.

And, because I didn't want to miss out on any of the weekend, I only napped for an hour-and-a-half...all day!

Sunday
We went to the SuperTarget to get our groceries. Guess who we ran into there?! Ethan and his mom and dad. Our moms were both picking out food for us. I got peas and sweet potatoes. He got all sorts of fancy stuff. Some of it included compote but I don't know what that is anyway. I like my vegetables.

Then we were down by Grammy and Grandad's house so we stopped in to visit. I got to say hi to Grandad. My Uncle Lee is going to be on Wheel of Fortune sometime soon, too. I can't wait to see him buy a vowel!

After all that, I'm pooped and headed to bed. Being a six-month old is hard work but it sure is fun.

Boo - Green beans

Day one of green beans was not as successful as Madelyn's other solid food adventures. The face she made was not pleasant and we only got through half of the serving. Hopefully she grows to like them a little more each day as the week progresses.

Perhaps we'll go to a yellow/orange vegetable when she's done with the green beans.

Water baby

As soon as Dr Brandon cleared Madelyn for swimming and sunscreen, it was imperative that we make our first family trek to the swimming pool.

Her buddy, Gray, and his parents were going to the pool, too. So, the six of us headed off together.

Madelyn is living up to Kerkhove and Anderson family traditions of being a good little water baby. She splashed and smiled and laughed and talked and even had half of her lunch bottle at the pool. And, when a little boy jumped into the pool and splashed the three of us, it didn't phase her one bit. She just made a funny face and then kept on enjoying herself.

Now that we're members of the parent club in our neighborhood, I completely get and appreciate all the family friendly touches especially those at the Puddle Jumper pool with all the water features and zero-depth areas. I know Madelyn appreciates them, too.

Hopefully Uncle Jerky won't be too disappointed that she hasn't mastered the cannonball...yet. The summer's not over.

Happy 6-month birthday!

I can...

...sit up by myself.
...eat solid foods (rice cereal and oatmeal).
...recognize Mom and Dad (and Sadie and Felix).
...roll over from back to front and, sometimes, front to back.


I can remember what I was doing six months ago tonight but I can't remember life without you. Happy six-month birthday, Madelyn.

Thank you, Luke's mom

Luke is one of Madelyn's buddies at daycare.

Quick tangent: There are three or four little ones in Madelyn's class all within one month of each other -- Ethan, Luke, Ollie, and Madelyn. Addie used to be Madelyn's best girl friend but her family moved to Boston. Ethan and Ollie are really good on their tummies but hate sitting. Luke and Madelyn are semi-pros at sitting but don't really like being on their tummies.

Back to the main story.

The other morning when I was dropping Madelyn off, Meghan (the morning instructor) and I were discussing the crinkle boxes and how they're so popular. Meghan mentioned that Luke's mom gives him crinkled up wax paper at home and how it's the perfect toy. First and foremost, it crinkles. Secondly, it's non-toxic. And third, the wax keeps it from getting soggy after having been played with (and stuck in one's mouth) after a while.

We don't have wax paper but we do have parchment paper. Tonight, I gave Madelyn a crinkled up piece of parchment paper...and the rest is history.

By the way, she had her Cindy Lou Hoo hairstyle when I picked her up from daycare today. Apparently, she's "our favorite little girl" so I guess that means she gets fancy hair-dos from now on.

Petite Picasso

They do a fair amount of arts and crafts at daycare. I'm always impressed with the different things the babies can make with a little assistance. So far, Madelyn's made a flower for me for Mother's Day, a card for Griff for Father's Day, a butterfly, and a fabulous painting not to mention the countless going away and happy birthday cards she's signed (with her footprint).

What impresses me more, however, is how she never comes home covered in paint. Every once in a while I'll spot some paint on a foot or on her sock...now I know their secret.

That big smile and the paint on her belly are priceless!

Rice cereal - Day 2

By popular demand...video of Madelyn eating rice cereal.

Her first venture into solid foods was on Sunday -- Father's Day. Lucky for us, Father's Day fell right in line with our schedule so that we could commemorate Griff's first Father's Day accordingly.

My new favorite picture

Thank you, tummy time.

Splish-Splash Friday

Fridays at daycare during the Summer are Splish-Splash Fridays. We had to make sure Madelyn's swimsuit fit her so she could participate today. It's a little big but works just right for the splishing and splashing of little hands and feet in cookie sheets filled with water.

We were told she was a good little participant. (That's no surprise.) She happily kicked her feet in the tray and splashed the water all around. Next up -- butterfly.

Big-girl chair

We caved last weekend and bought Madelyn a high chair.

After realizing that sitting in her bouncy chair near the table during dinner was no longer sufficient -- she wanted to be up at table level with us -- we got the old Anderson chair down from the garage. To a little girl without good sitting muscles, the wooden chair wasn't very comfortable.

Her very own high chair is a hit. Even though she looks tiny in it, she sits nicely during dinner. More importantly, she'll be all set to start solid foods in a few more weeks! And, the Anderson chair will go back to Grammy's house so Madelyn has a seat at the table for dinners at Grammy's.

33-ounces!

That's how much Madelyn ate yesterday.

Poppie thinks our quart-a-day gal has a hollow leg. Honey and her teachers at daycare think she's having a growth spurt. I think she's determined to double her birthweight by her six-month birthday which is still a month away. As of Tuesday, she weighed 14-lb 1-oz so she's got another pound-and-a-half to go to reach that milestone.

Based on my estimate of the milk bricks we've accumulated in our freezer, at 32-oz a day, our milk would last another 12.19 days. If you've seen our freezer lately, your estimate may be higher or lower than mine but I'm guessing conservatively.

Either way, she's definitely growing and continues to be the happiest, most giggly, and talkative little girl around. For those of you out-of-towners that we'll see this weekend, we're happy you're coming/here and we'll see you soon. For the rest, we'll post pictures as soon as possible.

Ahh...

Post-bath lounging feels good.

Welcome, New Cousin Camden!

Camden Michael Kerkhove arrived at 0917 on May 20 at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California.

We're so happy you're here! We've been talking about you and anticipating your arrival for so long. Madelyn, Uncle Griff, and Aunt Mollie can't wait to give you a big hug and kiss. Welcome to the world!

Memories of Memorial Day weekend

Two of my favorite memories of our Memorial Day weekend trip to Grand Lake. Other notable memories include:

• Madelyn playing tirelessly with her crinkle-book in the backseat on the way to Grand Lake
• Pulling into a parking lot to turn around because we were lost only to realize the parking lot we were in was that of our destination
• Accidentally deflating 2 of 3 stroller tires but then triumphantly filling them up at the gas station in town after summoning the owner lady for help
• Enjoying grizzly-burgers at The Bear Den
• Watching with Madelyn as the horses from Sombrero Stables walk up the road past our house
• Griff and my nice afternoon walk being cut short by a torrential downpour of rain and small hail
• Spending the weekend in a rental house with Madelyn's Grammy and Grandad and half of her aunts and uncles

I made this for you.

Madelyn's class made flowers for the mothers yesterday. The teacher put paint on each baby's hands and gave them a paper coffee filter to crinkle (and color). When I picked her up yesterday, Ann handed me Madelyn's flower and said, "We made this for you for Mother's Day."

My flower is definitely going in the keepsake box once I'm done enjoying it.

Tummy time

Little Miss Muffet is no fan of tummy time. Fortunately, and unfortunately, one of her day care instructors, Ann, is a strong believer in tummy time and doesn't take no, or Madelyn's protests, for an answer. Our daily discussions involve tummy time.

On Tuesday, when I arrived to pick her up, I was told she was mad at Ann for all the tummy time. To be fair, I don't honestly envision her being forced to lay screaming on her stomach all day long. I know they stop when she's truly had enough. But, I do know that when we used to practice at home, she would only last 5-10 seconds. However, that was when she was younger and not as strong as she is now. (Now she can stand, bearing some weight on her legs if we hold her!)

At any rate. each day they tell us how she's doing so much better at tummy time. We even practice at home now, too, and she is getting better. The expression on her face while she lays there with her head up, looking around, is just the cutest. I'm told she'll be rolling over in no time...just hopefully not off the changing pad so Mom and Dad won't have to learn that one the hard way!

Just a normal day

And, no emergency clothes were required today either.

Emergency clothes

Today is the first day Madelyn's emergency clothes at day care were called into use. Almost three weeks without a diaper malfunction is pretty good!

When I arrived this afternoon to pick her up, I thought, "That's not the outfit she had on this morning. Oh..."

Fortunately, it wasn't even a Class 1 blow out and her fancy little jeans are salvageable.

ABC's Make Me Giggle

Honey and Poppie, this one's for you. Hopefully you have sound...and this is posted before you make it to the liberry!

Heaven on Earth

Who wouldn't be happy about sitting in the Boppy recliner surrounded by all your favorite toys?!

Easter

Daycare

Thank you to all for your kind thoughts and words last week as we embarked upon the next stage in our development as a family. To answer your thoughts, daycare (and work) is going well.

Every day the instructors jot down notes on Madelyn's daily sheet to let us know how and what she did. Her daily sheets have all had very nice things to say, including -

"I was a little shy at first but all my new friends & teachers just loved me!" (Day 1 - Last Thursday)

"...I was such a sweet girl." (Day 4 - Yesterday)

"...loved 'talking' and laughing for my teachers!! I loved my naps and ate a lot. I had such a great day!" (Today)

Clearly, she's doing well and we made a great decision in choosing her daycare. She even has a friend named Ethan. He's about four weeks older than Madelyn and helped show her the ropes these last few days. His parents have be-friended us, too, which really makes the daycare seem like an extension of our neighborhood.

The only downside is that she's exhausted in the evenings but she's still sleeping through the night. If that's our only complaint then we really have it pretty good.

Happy 3-Month Birthday!

Where did the last three months go?!

I know I've said this numerous times already but I have no idea how it's gone by so quickly. I think back about the 8th of each month and what we were doing at each point --

February 8 - Honey and Poppie had just left to return home to Chicago after a wonderful two-and-a-half week visit. Now Griff and I were on our own to figure out our new life together.

March 8 - We were getting this parenting-thing down a little more and were adjusting well. Both bedtime and bathtime were becoming easier for everyone. I was cleared for exercise and Madelyn and I were pros at running errands and visiting with friends. We even made a trip to the Museum of Nature & Science!

April 8 - Madelyn lights up when she sees her dad. And, she's discovered her hands and keeps us laughing and smiling with her excited squeals and coos. She's napping on a quasi-schedule and getting into a routine which not only helps me but will help in her transition to daycare.

It's amazing to look at how much she's changed in such a short time. Back when she was only 5 weeks old and wouldn't let me put her down during the day, it seemed like time stood still. Then one day I remember thinking to myself how I needed to appreciate this because she won't always be this little and/or willing to be held. Yes, she's still a little girl but not that tiny little baby that Grammy and I brought home from the hospital in January.

Today is the last day of my maternity leave. Tomorrow morning, Team Anderson will leave home a little before 7 a.m. to drop Madelyn off for her first day of daycare. I'm not sure who will have more separation anxiety -- me or her...probably me.

I had no idea 12 weeks could go by so quickly. I'm in awe of our little girl and can't wait to watch her grow even more.

Happy girl

Tell me about your day.

Griff: How are you? What did you do today?

Madelyn: I had a nap and I went to Dr Brandon's and got weighed. And I stopped by daycare and I went to SuperTarget. I learned how to use my right arm and grabbed my caterpillar. I set off the music-star all by myself and I went for a walk and I took another nap.

Felix, NO!

We're still a long way off from Madelyn's first words but there's a good possibility her first words may be, "Felix, NO!" He really means no harm. And, generally, he's a good boy but sometimes he just can't help himself.

Lately at night when Madelyn goes to bed, he'll sneak in behind Griff or me and run under the crib. Without knowing he's in her room, we shut the door only to hear "Meow!" several minutes later through the baby monitor. She has my sleeping genes though which is good. Once she's starting to doze off, noises like the washer/dryer or a cat walking along the railing of her crib typically don't disturb her.

The fun thing about Felix will be to watch their relationship grow as Madelyn gets older and he really becomes her cat. He may eventually grow tired of this toddler chasing him around but I don't think so. He's got as much energy as a two-year old and I'm sure they'll be a good match. For now, we'll keep checking under the bed for the Felix monster before tucking Madelyn in at night.

Madelyn's first snow storm

After 11 weeks without any significant snow, we FINALLY got some -- about 12 inches at our house -- last Thursday and Friday. I was beginning to think that the cute snowsuit we bought for "Baby A" last fall would go unused. Not wanting to miss out on a perfect photo opportunity, and suffering from a little cabin fever, I dressed Madelyn up and we headed out front for a few pictures. Luckily, Griff worked from home on Friday so he was around to play with us.

There was no romping in the snow nor snowball fights nor sledding. She is, after all, only 11 weeks old. However, it was fun to have her outside. And, to see that she didn't mind wearing her snowsuit even if it was just for 10 minutes. Next winter, weather permitting, we may get more opportunities to play outside together.

What am I doing?

I got the idea of using a blog to post Madelyn updates from a friend of ours with twin two-year old boys, aka the "Dukes of Lawrence". Like us, her family and friends are scattered across the country. She told me one time that, for her, the easiest way to keep everyone updated is through a blog. Over the last two years, I've enjoyed reading about her family and watching the boys grow.

Taking a cue from our friend, I've set up a blog for our family. I will attempt to update it semi-regularly with pictures and stories of Madelyn's development. Plus this way, no one has to feel obligated to look at pictures I would otherwise e-mail out...but really, who wouldn't want to see pictures?! (Who does not want to wear the ribbon?)

It took me long enough to figure out how to use Facebook. Hopefully it doesn't take me as long to figure out how to update a blog every once in a while. After twenty or so minutes of throwing out ideas yesterday, I finally settled on "Mile High Madelyn" as a name. I may change it down the road but at least I have a place from where to start and this is my blog.