Maddie's Fancy Dress

A friend and co-worker of mine gave me a beautiful dress for Maddie at a baby shower I had last year. The dress has been hanging in Maddie's closet since before she was even born, waiting to make its grand appearance.

The day finally arrived.

We pulled out the fancy dress on Sunday, as Maddie and I were deciding what she wanted to wear to church. Words cannot even describe how beautiful she looked in this dress. The tag on the dress says, "Cinderella," and yes, she definitely looked like a little princess. The ladies, young and old, at church were oohing and ahhing over our sweet girl. I couldn't complain. :)

So, as if this is a shock, we had to take pictures when we got home. Here are a few of our favorites.

Guess who is 10 months old?

It certainly isn't Brant! You guessed it. Madelyn is 10 months old today! She is growing up so fast and is in constant motion. I am not exaggerating. Our baby girl is crawling all over the place, over anything in her way and through spaces I didn't think she could maneuver through.
Every morning we tear down our living room and create a large play pen area for her to freely roam. No kidding; we have suitcases out to barricade our entertainment system, as she has successfully discovered how to pull one of the knobs off of the amplifier and stick it into her mouth. :) Ah, the joys of rearing a mobile 10 month old. And it is a joy! We are so in love with our little Maddie Mae and are equally blessed by her blooming personality that is overflowing with bubbly excitement, happiness, and loud vocal chords! Yes, it is true. My daughter appears to be taking after me; she loves to be heard, she enjoys being the center of attention, and she will do anything it takes to get you to notice her (which in turn equates to her voice becoming loud, louder and loudest)! What can I say? The girl's got a lot to say! :)
This past weekend, Maddie discovered the joys of responding to us asking her the question, "How big is Maddie?" Let me tell you, she is "SOOOOO big!" We have not been practicing this little game at all, and on Friday, she threw her hands up in the air while she was sitting in her high chair. So, I decided to respond to her actions by exclaiming how big she was. That's all it took. She was hooked! As are we. It is ridiculously adorable to watch her little arms fly up into the air and frame her cute face, as it looks back at you with a smile that can't be beat. :) She is showing me how big she is in this picture, but holding on for safety's sake!
Speaking of smiles, if you look at Maddie smile these days, you will notice that she has two more teeth trying desperately to poke through her gums. She is about to start sporting two bottom teeth, one on either side of the two existing teeth in her mouth. Who knows how many more are just about ready to make their entrances. But for now, it looks like we are about to have 4 total.
Happy 10 month birthday, Maddie Mae! We love you!!

Easter Pictures

This post is simply for the pleasure of our adoring blog readers who love to see super cute pictures of our baby girl. Be warned: she is really cute in these pictures. Get excited!!

Easter Sunday. As told by Miss Madelyn Mae.

Look at my pretty hat!! I'm so excited about this hat!!
I love how it keeps the sun out of my eyes!
I could lounge outside in this hat all day long.
Whoa! Check out my cute pink shoes!
I can't believe how much fun it is to get all dressed up for such a special Easter Sunday!
My Daddy and me. He's just the greatest! But I'm still the cutest!
Did you notice the pretty bow on my hat?
I just can't decide if I want it to be on or off!
Yay for Easter Sunday, and pretty white dresses, and for clapping!
Here's a good picture of my Mommy and me, without so much sunlight. It was such a pretty day!
We ate a yummy Easter dinner at our friends' house. Everyone was clapping for the camera right before the picture was taken, and it made me really happy!
He is Risen!! Happy Easter, everyone!

I Heart Oregon

A few weeks ago, Maddie and I had the fabulous opportunity to travel home to Oregon to visit our family. My parents blessed us by flying us home for a week-long visit (truth be told, they really needed to see their granddaughter - I was the bonus! :)). We started the trip off with a wonderful time in Sunriver. My sister, her husband, and their 1 1/2 year old daughter, Ellie, joined us for the fun! The only bummer about the whole vacation (besides Brant not being with us), was the terrible chest cold I was fighting. I got sick a few days prior to flying out to Oregon, and as I sit here typing, I am still not feeling myself. Maddie caught the cold halfway through our vacation, and is still fighting the virus. Unfortunately, I believe we spread our sickness to a few of our family members as well...I suppose that is the risk you take when an adorable, yet sick 9-month-old baby is just begging for you to play with her and love on her. What else are you going to do? :)
Here are some picture highlights of our time in Sunriver!
Maddie and Ellie sharing a bath. Maddie had lots to say, and Ellie was fascinated.
Mohawk babes.
Sarah bought matching t-shirts for the girls, that read, "One Cute Chick." They are pretty cute! Its amazing to think these girls will be in the same grade in just a few years, when they are at such different developmental stages right now! They had a blast together!
Grandma Kris bought her granddaughters matching Easter outfits (watch for upcoming Easter post for adorable pictures!).
Grammy and Pop-pop came by for a visit. Maddie and I were also able to enjoy a longer visit with them in Eugene later in the week.
My baby girl loves to swing. This was her first experience, and it was a big hit! We have been swinging at the playground in our neighborhood everyday since we returned!
Sisters and our girls.
Some pretty happy grandparents!
While we were in Oregon, as I mentioned above, we visited my grandparents in Eugene. I was really happy to be able to spend good time with all of them.

I was also very fortunate to be able to spend time with the other side of my family, the Himes crew. We had a great day together, which was kicked off with fabulous pedicures for the ladies, while the men held down the fort with the kids. The only downside, again, was Brant's absence. I was really missing him by this point in my trip, and to be at his house with all of his family made this particularly difficult. Regardless, we still had a wonderful time! Maddie's three girl cousins had an absolute ball being "little mamas" to her. It was so endearing to watch. Here are the highlights of our day!

Adalie (7) and Maddie having a great conversation, catching up after months of not seeing each other.
My time to get away from life for a little while, and feel pampered. Ahhh. This picture is hardly posed...I really was feeling this way. :)
Amber and Martha, in their element!
April, also taking advantage of being away from the little ones for awhile. So nice!
Toes!...because you always need to get a picture of your toes after a group pedicure! :)
Photo opportunity!
Family Picture!
And this is how everyone felt that Brant was not with us...I think his daughter was the most upset!
On the last day of our trip, we went to the park again, and took some fun pictures. Of course, we had to do the same set of family pictures as I had done with the Himes.
And how does everyone feel that Brant is not with us?
We had such a fantastic trip!! We can't wait to see all of again you in just a few months, this time, with Brant! :)