Helping Mom....

Usually I do photo shoots by myself... this morning I took Miss Madison.  She usually begs me to come along and this morning I gave in.  I told her that she was just going to have to tag behind and help when I needed here.  She was great and actually a bit helpful.  She was my model in this picture... Love my little lady...

Wonderful sleep

This little lady just slept all night long... for the first time.  Yay for you pretty little lady.  Please continue to clap for yourself.

Yay for being little

I think it took until #3 for me to enjoy the 'littleness' of my kids... I always knew to enjoy them while they are little, but I don't think I really did until now.  Maybe it's because I have experienced the fact that they actually do grow up (as I watched Madison rocking and putting her own baby to sleep :)).  For now, yay for being little Miss Taylor Sue.  Nothing more care-free than a sleeping baby.

Sweet Taylor Sue - six months!

We have learned much from each other in this short six months of your sweet, sweet life.  Life as the third has it's high's and low's and you have fit into our family perfectly... and when I say 'perfectly', I don't mean that everything is easy and smooth...

You are just starting to really get into everything you can within an arms reach and a stretch.  You aren't crawling yet but you are close.  From sitting, you 'crawl' over to your hands as if you are about ready to go.  If I prop you up, you can stand while holding onto something.

If I try and hold you while doing something (cook dinner, etc), you immediately lunge out of my arms after whatever it is you see.  When I sit you down, you usually want back up into your favorite spot... Mom's arms.  You like your Daddy very much, but other than that you are very much a Mommy's girl right now.  It is rare that you let someone else hold you happily for very long.

You are very quick to make smile and laugh... and you are quick to let us know if you don't like something.  You go from a scream to a laugh in the same breath.  You are quite daring as you love it when I toss you in the air or turn you upside down.

You are still very much in love with your big sister and brother.  The other day in the grocery store, T was throwing something into the air behind me.  I was holding you up on my shoulder while you watched him and belly laughed harder than i have ever heard an infant laugh.  People were coming out of the adjacent aisles to see what was going on.

You have yet to sleep through the night.... not even one time.... not really even close to sleeping through the night.  You wake up often and sometimes just need your binky while other times it takes a bit more.  I think we're wearing each other out so we are working on this...

You have had teeth come in like crazy.  You started with the two on the bottom and now have the two outside ones on the top in.  You are so very close to having the two front top teeth pop through.  Poor little lady...

You aren't too crazy about anything I have given you to eat... other than a banana.  You will open your mouth wide for those.  Therefore we have tried several 'banana' combos which you have taken... banana/avacado, banana/papaya, banana/apple...  If you try something and don't like it, you go into 'lock-jaw' mode and refuse any more.  I have made most of your food and haven't had much luck getting a smooth consistency so I think that's part of it.  You did like your carrot/potato combo tonight so maybe you are getting a bit more open.  We'll keep trying.

You are sweet, and playful, and very loveable.  We are very much in love with you little Taylor Sue and I love watching who you are unfold each day.  We are very blessed by you.  Happy six months!

Cousins

Berry reunion... Quite the crew.  Wish they all lived closer!

 

'cows'

T was trying to tell me something tonight about the 'cows' outside.  After several tries I figured out that he was saying 'cars'.  Madison then went on a long rant to Eliott about the pronunciation of the word 'car'.

"T, when I say 'cows' I try and say 'cooooows' not 'cows'... you know, like the 'cows' that drive around. Try and say 'coooows' next time."  She's got a bit of a teacher in her... the 'r' sound will come someday I'm sure

:).

Kick Ball

We took the kids down in the backyard yesterday and told them we were going to play a round of kick ball.  Madison has shown very little interest in sports so far and I was excited that she was excited.  T was just along for the ride.  I explained to her in detail how the game was played and we played a few rounds. One person would pitch while another would kick and the other two would try and get the ball and throw it at the runner.  Madison kicked it a few times and made it around the bases without getting out (a few purposely over-thrown balls by her Daddy and I).  Let me also tell you that I ran a few times and got pelted by Matt as did he.... so everyone had seen how the game worked.

Madison was having a great time and was begging to play longer.  I was very pleased she was so excited about a sport (other than dance and gymnastics :)).  She got up, I pitched her the ball, she waited for it to come to a complete stop and then tried her hardest to kick it.  It rolled right to me where I decided to pick it up and give it a throw.  It hit her right in the leg just before she reached the first base.  She looked a little stunned while Matt followed that with a loud "Yoooooou're Out!".  Let's just say that the fun game took a turn for the worst.  Madison looked at Matt and I with a look of complete devastation and broke down into an utter sob.  I have very few times seen her cry so hard.  Once Matt and I gathered ourselves (after attempting to belly laugh without showing it) and I got Madison calmed down, we both concluded that she would rather play the game of 'kick the ball and just run around the bases for fun'.  I still haven't figured out what was so terrible about that moment... that she got out, that her own mother would purposely throw a ball at her and hit her, or her Daddy yelling that she was out...

I'm pretty sure this may have been her last game of kick ball for the summer.  Oh well.

Paradise...

I was singing the Counting Crows song, "... they paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot..."  Madison asks, "What's Paradise?"  I answer with, "Paradise is a really great, great place."  She says so matter-of-factly, "So that means that we live in Paradise!"  "Yes we do little Miss... "

We all need to take attitude tips from our children every now and then!