Cufaude Family :)

Too long

2007-07-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

Oh it's been entirely too long since I've posted. Life has been crazy busy and passing us by so quickly. Every few weeks, I have every intention of updating our blog, but time slips by...so here I am making a ditch effort at catching up on the last 7 months! Here goes........

Madison, our darling little girl. Just a tiny peanut the last time I posted, now growing into such a "big" girl. She took her first steps in January at 10 months old. During this month, Madison attempted to stand up by herself, waved hi/bye to others, clapped her little hands and gave me a hug & kiss. She also cut another 2 teeth this month.

At 11 months, Madison began walking throughout the house with her little walker, she said "daddy" for the first time and waves hi with one hand and bye with both hands. This month, Madison added another 4 teeth this month!!! She weighed in at 18lbs 8 oz.

This month, I ventured back to work and Madison began Daycare, Feb. 13, 2007. It was definately an adjustment in the beginning for both of us. Then as the days went on, she quickly adjusted to her new surroundings and really enjoyed her new friends. :)

March was peanut's first birthday and boy, was it fun! We had a little party with family & friends and of course, lots of birthday cake! This month weighed in at 19lbs 2 oz 29" long and continued cutting more teeth. Madison said "mama" and "baby" for the first time this month. "Cruizing" around the furniture and attempting to chase the dogs was our daily entertainment! Madison was also learning to climb and stand on her tip toes to see items on higher shelves.

By Madison's 13 month, she was very mobile! By mid April, she was walking much better all by herself...beginning to explore the house! Her daycare teacher said Madison was becoming more independent and progressing very well :) What a proud mom I was! :)

In May, Madison weighed 20lbs 7.5 oz...she's getting to be a big girl now. She's eating well on her own and making great strides at using a baby spoon. When we ask her "who's Madison?", she points to herself :) She also began to shake her head...oh so cute! Out of nowhere one day, Madison said "Monday"....for the life of me I still can't figure this one out! LOL

Last month, our little monkey was born! Our child would attempt to climb on anything & everything she could! I would find her pulling magazines out of baskets and then sitting in them, pulling the kitchen table chairs away from the table to climb up to the table...when I say she'd climb on anything, I mean anything! LOL Madison was placing objects in & out of containers, stacking objects, pulling items out of the trashcan and flusing the toliet...who knew we could have so much fun!

Madison was making awesome progress in Daycare....she was now developmentally ready for the Pre-Toddler room. I can't begin to tell you how proud I was of our little girl!!! She was taking the next step 2 months ahead of their "normal" schedule by moving forward at 16 months.

July has been full of excitement so far, too :) We bought a boat and took Madison for her first boat ride on the 4th of July. We also went to her first birthday party, but Madison was a little shy with all the new faces. This month she's said "hi Chase", "bye bye" and "no". Madison also LOVES to smile and show her new teeth!

As for Darren & myself, well we stay busy & entertained, too. He's still instructing and I'm still managing the Thrift Store on Post. We hope to take a trip to the beach soon and maybe plan a Disneyworld trip for the winter/spring.

We miss everyone so very much!!

Moving, moving, gone!

2006-12-05T20:09:00.000-05:00

Well, our little sweetpea turned 9 months and is on the go! She started crawling and we haven't been able to stop her since! Madison finally got her little belly off the ground and made her first few moves on Saturday. It took her a few days, but now she's really got the hang of it. It's so funny to watch her, she'll crawl around a bit, then stop and situp like she's soooo worn out! :)

Another recent milestone for her has been pulling herself up completely on her own. Yep, that's right, all by her big self! A few days ago, we were laying in bed and we hear a rattling in her room. Well, low and behold, guess who's sitting up in her crib! Yep, little Miss Smiley has sat up and is now making noises with the crib rails. She also loves to do this while she's standing up in her crib.

Her second tooth finally came in all the way. Now, we've got two little shining pearls :)

Not much new with us.....
Darren has been hunting quite a bit on his days off. When he's not in the woods, he's out in the yard working on removal of trees & brush from the yard, hanging Christmas lights, etc.

I've been doing a lot of project inside the house. We finally finished painting the living room, kitchen & Madison's playroom. I picked a sweet marzipan (yellow) for the lv room & kitchen. Madison's playroom is a soft lavender/gray mixture, Tunnel of Love. How approriate! Now, I'm working on getting everything back on the walls...re-arranging some. My next set of projects will be the bathrooms...they desperately need some color, too.
Recently, I joined a mom's group for Ft. Benning/Columbus moms. Madison & I went to our first playgroup today and met some really nice gals and their kiddos! It's so nice to finally get out of the house and meet some new people! :) And you should've seen Madison with the other kids...she's a little social butterfly already !!!

We are heading out in a few weeks for the holidays to visit our families. We'll be in IL first, then venture down to IN. We hope to see everyone on our trips. :)

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!

Slobbers & all...

2006-11-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

<~Our little sleepy shopper (before Strawberry Shortcake, we had to entertain her with a pillow)

Madison Michelle turned 8 months old last week and acting like such a "big" girl :)
She's jabbering in her own little language so much more now. She's even added a few real words...Dada and Mama. We hear Dada most often and Mama when she's upset.
Her first little tooth is pocking it's sharp little head up through her gums. We just noticed a second one right beside it. So you can imagine we've had some good days and some cranky ones. She has discovered it with her tongue and it's so cute to watch her wiggle it around. :)

Madison still hasn't crawled but has learned to scoot herself around the living room on her bum. When we lay her on her tummy, she scoots herself backwards. She does love to stand up (still with our help), but she loves seeing the world in a different view.

Speaking of different views, you should see her when we go shopping! Madison is now able to sit up in the shopping cart and thinks she is the little queen bee! We bought a cute Strawberry Shortcake shopping cart cover with attachments for her toys, so she is stylish and having fun!
No matter where we venture, this child attracts the attention! Everyone loves to stop and talk to her....she "talks" back and offers her big smile! :) Most people comment how beautiful her eyes are and ask if she's always this happy. I eagerly respond, yes! We're such lucky parents to have little girl with such a great disposition!!

Fall is in the air and pumpkin patches awaiting..

2006-10-14T08:32:00.000-05:00

Fall has finally hit us in the deep South. We love it!!! Madison is getting her first taste of cooler weather and doesn't seem to mind at all :) We're determined to turn her into a snow bunny yet!

This has to be my favorite time of year, when I believe Mother Nature is truly at her best! The leaves begin to turn, the air is crisp, the smell of neighborhood fireplaces. Then of course, the local Oktoberfest, Halloween, and Thanksgiving! If we're lucky we may see a bit a snow this year, but it's unlikely :( Another favorite of mine...playing in the snow! That first snow fall is absolutely wonderful....my mind begins to think about Christmas, family and sharing. This year we'll have a lot more sharing and more to be thankful for...our little girl :) What a blessing!

We ventured out last night and went to Madison & Darren's first Oktoberfest. The MWR at Ft. Benning organized it on Post and it was nice....small, but nice. Growing up in a predominately German area, Oktoberfest is a big annual event for our family. I remember the excitement and anticipation of this wonderful weekend. You get to wear your new fall clothes, walk around with your family & friends to discover all the great crafts & gifts, taste wonderful foods (yes, I always overate!), and ride the carnival type rides. Well, when I got older the carnival rides stopped and we discovered the beergarten..hehe ;) Now, my friends & I make this our annual reunion weekend. We all meet back in Seymour for a weekend of fun & catching up! Unfortunately, since Darren & I have been married, we haven't made it back for the 'Fest. BUT I'm going to make it happen next year :)

Madison picked out her first "baby" pumpkin last night...well, I scouped up the prettiest, brightest little guy, and we took him home. She didn't have a clue, but continued to smile at all the kids running around picking out their little treasures.

7 months old and growing fast

2006-10-03T07:26:00.000-05:00

Madison is now 7 months old and growing up so fast! She's such a happy little girl, always wearing her beautiful smile with those bright, blue eyes shining :) Well except of course, when she's hungry or tired, then she's quite cranky...shh, I think she gets that from me ;)

Madison is so curious about everything..she's always "studying" things, people, etc. Oh and now the big thing for her is anything she gets her little chubby hands on, goes straight for her mouth.
So, you can imagine our job of parenting, just got a bit more difficult! LOL Besides trying to "eat" everything in site, Madison loves to sit up (completely by herself now) and is beginning to stand (with mommy or daddy right behind her). Those chubby little legs are pretty strong and she loves to give them a good workout. Oh you should see her on the bouncy swing!

When I can get a free minute, I've been trying to work on some projects around the house. I want to do some redecorating and put a little spice in our home! First things first, Madison's playroom needs some updating. I'm in the process of stripping the wallpaper (horrible 1980's design), then I will paint with a new fresh color. Our living room along with the rest of the house (except our bedroom & Madison's) is a plain eggshell color.....trim, walls, baseboard and all. It's a nice, conservative color, but dang, its' a little bland on all the walls! A little paint and this will look like a different house!
b gnnnnnnnb jx zjkds.k <~Madison's work, she loves to help mommy!

Darren is doing well with the exception of a little cold this week. His job is going well and he seems to really like it. Since his schedule is crazy, he's not fishing as much as he'd like. But the good thing about GA, it's warm most of the year, so he'll have more time to "throw the line".

Chunky Monkey

2006-09-19T08:47:00.000-05:00

Our little chunkey monkey (Darren's nickname for Madison) has gained another pound in 2 short weeks!! We had to go back to the peditrician for a follow-up last week, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the scale hit 16lbs & 5 oz. It must be all the solid food that she's eating. LOL Madison loves prunes, carrots, pears, applesauce & bananas. Oh, you should see her face with the prunes! :) Since I'm still nursing too, she has to take a vitamin D supplement until she's able to drink cow's milk....12 months old. So, now we're all set on the dr's visits & shots until she turns 9 months...I'm sure she'll be happy about that!

Darren & I took a stroll through the toy department yesterday at the PX to get our little brains thinking about Christmas. It seems unreal that it's September and we're thinking Christmas! But WOW, there are so many little toys & games for her age!! We both got so excited looking at the things we could surprise her with...what fun!! We love to give gifts especially at Christmas, but this year will be different. Since we both have large families, we're used to buying toys for kiddos. I can't wait to see the look on her little chubby face when she begins to ripe through those wrapped packages!! :)

Growing up fast

2006-09-06T17:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe how much time has passed since my last post. Well, to say the very least, we've been a bit busy the last month. First things, first...I know you're all dying to hear about our little sweetpea :)

Madison is incredible! She has grown and changed so much just in the last month! We had her 6 month well baby visit last week, and as always she's progressing very well. Her weight & height have blossomed to a whole 15lbs 5oz and 25.5" long. She's mostly still wearing 3/6 month clothing...we know she'll be a petite little girl :)

We now feed her "solid" foods 3-4 times a day. By solids I mean, pureed foods..bananas, squash, applesauce and oatmeal. She seems to love it all except the sweet potatoes...I think she takes after daddy on that one! LOL;) We'll sit her in her little highchair and she knows it's feeding time. If I don't feed her fast enough, she grabs for the spoon.

Within the last month, Madison has turned over on her own several times. She's wiggling her legs like she wants to crawl, but she hasn't figured out what to do with those little chubby arms.
She's doing very well at sitting up..still with a little help. Madison loves to sit up and look around...such curiousity!

Madison's latest love (besides her beloved butterfly) is the bouncy seat. She has figured out how to use her legs to bounce up and down. When she gets going, watch out!!!

Darren & I are doing well, we're just exhausted at this point. We've had a lot of fun the last few weeks with our families visiting and our trip to Indiana. We miss everyone so much and it's such a pleasure when we finally to get visit (or be visited by) our family & friends. :) Now, it's time to do some much needed housework...oh, let's not forget about the yardwork, too.

At the end of August, Darren passed the certification boards. He's now offically a Ranger School Instructor!!! YIPPPEEEE!!! As soon as he passed, they put him right to work. While a class is in session, the R.I.'s (Ranger Instructor) work crazy schedules....super long days. But despite the long days, little sleep and missing us, Darren seems to be enjoying his new job :)

Nothing new with me...same ol' same ol'. Which believe me, I don't mind a bit. Madison always seems to keep me on my toes. :) I absolutely adore her and love being a mommy!!!

5 month old Munchkin

2006-08-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Our little munchkin is growing up fast! Anyday now, she'll be rolling over and crawling. She still loves "chewing" on her little fingers & toes, playing with her toys and tasting my banana creations. :) Madison is doing such a great job at eating with a spoon. She's not an expert yet, but give her some time.

Madison now weighs 15 lbs and is almost 24" long. She's outgrowing a lot of her clothes...yes, I'm a little sad when I have to put them away. But at the same time, I love rediscovering all the new outfits awaiting us both!

She's become so fascinated by our dogs recently. We'll sit with her on the couch or floor and she will just watch them with a huge smile. Harley will let out a playful bark and Madison bursts out in laughter. It's truly the cutest thing! :)

Not much other news on our end, but please drop us a line. We miss everyone!

When we don't understand

2006-08-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

"My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Sometimes we simply don't understand why God allows certain things to happen in our lives. Why does he allow diease & pain to enter into our bodies, why does he take a young person's life, why do some live in such poverty? My mind has been racing with these thoughts the past week.
I've always believed that everything in life happens for a reason. A reason we may not understand at that very moment, but a reason God has created. Sometimes it takes days, months or even years to figure it all out...sometimes we never do. I've struggled with the "not knowing" part of life for such a long time, but now I take peace in knowing that He will take care of me. He will take care of us all.
"So don't worry because I am with you. Don't be afraid because I am your God. I will make you strong and help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you." Isaiah 41:10

At this point, I'm sure you're wondering what happened in the last week to make me reflect and dig so deep into my thoughts. Well, I found out that a family friend has cancer that's spread into his bones. There is no cure and he's been given 5 years to live. He's lived a good life, but deserves to live a lot longer. Of course the question that first comes to mind...why? Why him, why now? Then I turn to my faith. God will provide the reason one day.
Last Friday I received a call from a friend in NY and was told that another good friend had passed away the previous night. She died of a massive heartache at the fresh age of 23. She leaves behind a precious 3 year old daughter and a loving husband. Almost a week has passed and it all still seems so surreal to me. I want to pick up the phone and her tell me it's a prank, but I know it's not. Darren tells me to remember the good times with her. The crazy times we had while living in NY. That brings a smile to my face. She was a good woman, a good friend, a great mother and loyal wife. She didn't deserve to die at such a young age, but He holds the reason. I can no longer ask why, I must trust Him.
"Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and He will give you success." Proverbs 3:5-6

Little Miss

2006-07-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

Happy as can be, our little miss smiley sits and entertains herself. She continues to discover new things and amaze us every single day.

Madison's lastest accomplishments are rolling from her back to her side then onto her belly. I was so excited for her, she just gave me a big Madison smile :) We're still working on her "tummy time"...trying to build up more time each week. She's also starting to lift her head up a bit while she's lying down. One day soon, she'll be sitting up and rolling over all by her little self.

This week I also started her on real bananas. We've tried the Gerber brand, but I want to make as much of her food as I can. So I busted out the food processor and wala..a quick & easy meal. She seemed to like it as much as the Gerber and is eating a lot more.

Welp, that's about all the exciting news we have here. Darren & I are doing well :) We love & miss everyone!

Munchkin on a mission

2006-07-20T10:33:00.000-05:00

As I sit and read through my emails, our little munchkin is in her playpin "talking" up a storm. She can entertain herself for quite some time talking to herself & her stuffed toys, chewing on her fingers, or just staring at the ceiling fan. Wouldn't life be wonderful if that's all it took to entertain ourselves! LOL

Yesterday, Madison turned 20 weeks old. Darren & I have a discussion each month about her age. Do we say she's now 5 months old or do we wait until August 1st and say she's 5 months then? If anyone could help us clear this up, we'd appreciate it! :)

Madison is getting so much better at eating with a spoon...with mommy's help of course. She loves bananas and ate quite a bit the other night. I'm still nursing, but gradually I want to introduce new foods to her. New tastes, textures & colors..how exciting :)

We're still working on rolling over, not quite there yet. Madison will lay on her back and scoot herself..it's adorable to watch. She hasn't realized that if she turns over, she'll go much faster! And probably scare the dogs LOL

Speaking of our little 4 legged kids, Chase & Harley are doing great. Chase has his 4th birthday next week and Harley turned 2 in May. They are so curious about Madison, but boy, when she lets out a big cry, watch them run! Madison has recently noticed them and will just stare at them trying to figure it all out. What curiousity & determination she has!! :)

Bouncin' good time :)

2006-07-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

We decided to break out the bouncy seat and saucer for Madison today. Since she's doing so well at holding her head up and is constantly trying to sit up when she's in her regular swing & carseat, we thought it was time to introduce her to a new type of excitment !
Madison took right to both new toys...I wish you could've seen the huge grin on her face :) Priceless !!!

What an adventure !

2006-07-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

We had quite an adventure this past week with Madison. She tried "solid" food for the first time....well, actually she wore most of it. We tried baby oatmeal with bananas. I think she loved trying to eat more than she actually liked the taste. At first, I tried feeding her with a spoon, but she kept grabbing at it, so I handed it over to her. Sure enough, little Ms. Determined grabbed the spoon and attempted to feed herself. How adorable it was to watch her take her first nibble.
After watching the entire bowl of oatmeal find it's way all over her face, bib, arms, legs and about 30 pictures later, we decided to call it quits and save some of the fun for another day.

Madison has recently discovered her feet. She grabs at them and will hold on until something else catches her eye. I'm waiting for the day her little toes end up in her mouth. :)

That's about all the excitment we've had lately...same ol' same ol' with us....just enjoying our little family :)

Changes

2006-06-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

Little Ms. Smiley is at it again! Madison is such a happy baby, we feel so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.
Madison turned 4 months and is amazing us every single day. Her recent discoveries are pulling her suckie (pacifier) out of her mouth and smiling. She tries hard to get it back in her mouth, but that doesn't always work. It's so cute to watch!

We had her 4mth well baby visit last week and it went well. She's grown to 12lbs 10 oz & 23.5" long. Her Peditrician said she's in the 25% for her age and that she's developing very well. Madison is able to hold her head up by herself without any problems and loves to sit up (with help from mommy & daddy). She hasn't turned over yet, but we're working on it. She also seems to get a little frustrated when she's on her tummy (she's got her daddy's patience hehe). But the Peditrician said that's OK, and what's important at this stage is that she holds her head up. We're so proud of her accomplishments! :)

Darren & I are doing well. We took the leap last week and bought a more "practical" vehicle for our little family...a Chrysler Pacifica. The Jetta was just too small for us, the carseat, baby stroller....let alone if we wanted to take Chase & Harley anywhere or buy groceries! LOL We actually both love driving the Pacifica...it's so roomy and drives/rides so smooth. Madison loves it, too....she falls right to sleep!

One last thought for the day.....
I was reflecting on how wonderful God truly is...how He answers our prayers & wishes when we need them the most. A good friend of mine from NY recently found out that she's pregnant after quite some time of trying. She's such a good-hearted, Christian woman and will make an amazing mother!! I just wish I could be there with her to share in her moments of joy! :)

Madison at 15 wks

2006-06-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

<~ Madison's determined look. She's trying to grab her butterfly.

Madison Michelle is growing so much ! Everyday, it seems that she discovers & does something new. She's now grabbing at her toys or other objects that are near her. Madison's latest love is a spider that sings the alphabet song. She can press (well, she swats it) the spider's belly and it sings. Madison absolutely loves this toy! She will lay in her playpin and just keep watching it :)

She's also "talking" a lot more now. A lot of O & A sounds. Sometimes it even sounds like she mumbles MA or MOM. I'm sure that's just wishful thinking right now. I'm continuing to read to her and she loves that too. We recently purchased the Dr. Suess books, so she loves to look at all those bright colors.

We're working on the "tummy time", but that seems to mostly frustrate her. She's doing well keeping her head up by herself, but when she's on her tummy she can't keep it up long enough for her to look around. Madison is a very curious and alert little girl. She loves to situp and look around the room. We recently discovered that she likes the Elmo movie. I put it on for her one day and she lay in her playpin quiet as can be and just watched! Amazing! :)

This week is Madison's 4 month well baby visit with her Peditrican. We'll find out how she's progressing and how much she's grown! I can't wait!!! And daddy & grandma Debbie will be with us!!! BUT that also means another round of shots....we're not looking forward to that.
We'll put up another post after her visit with her "stats"! LOL :)

Milestones

2006-05-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

Little Ms. Smiley is at it again...always has that million dollar smile! :) We're so lucky to have such a happy baby. Just this morning, I heard her laying in her crib "talking" away. When I peeked in on her, she was all smiles and giggles.

Madison turned 3 months old last week. We honestly can't believe it's been 3 mths since we brought her home! She continues to grow and gain weight as normal....she's got those chubby little legs now :)

Last week, we hit a milestone with Madison. She was laying on her side and turned over to her back. Another day, she was also on her side then rolled to her stomach. She's holding her head up by herself so much more now and loves to sit up. Well, she can't sit up by herself yet, but she loves to sit on our laps and look around. She's so curious about everything and wants to watch us, the TV, the dogs, etc.
Madison has one swing that has Mickey & Minnie Mouse that dangle in front of her while she swings. The other day, she was watching Mickey, then starting swatting at him! It was so cute! You could see this determination on her face....wonder where she gets that! LOL

Darren & I are doing well. We're still working on all of our projects for the house & lawn....it's seems a never ending task! I have a feeling Lowes & HD will become our new "best friends".

Well, I guess you could say that I hit a milestone myself yesterday. I cut 5" off my hair!!! :) My hair has been my "security blanket" for so many years and I was always afraid to take that step and cut it too short. Well, I found a fantastic stylist and took the leap yesterday. I wanted a short, trendy cut that was easy to fix. I mean having a 3 mth old, who has time to spend an hour getting ready for the day?! After hours in the salon, I came out feeling like a new woman. I absolutely love my hair....cut, style & color. Darren couldn't believe I had the courage to "wack" it off, but I sure did....he loves it, too. LOL ;)

Little Miss Smiley

2006-05-04T13:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I know it's been awhile since I've written about our sweetpea, but dang she keeps me busy! Her 2 month well baby visit was on April 27th. Her pediatrician said she's doing very well and growing as she should. Madison weighed 10.5 lbs and was 22" long. Since she's hit the 2 month mark, she has been smiling contantly! Well, except for her screaming fits...but I think then she's just testing us to see her limits.

Madison really seems to be "studying" objects, the dogs, and us a lot more now with her eyes. She still loves her butterfly but is amused by many other objects now, too. Recently, Madison "discovered" her right hand. She's got that thing in her mouth half of the day...and let me tell ya, the girl isn't quiet about it either!

Most mornings she wakes up with a smile on her cute, little face. Despite how wicked tired I might be, it always brings a huge smile to mine! :) Usually once you get her babbling and smiling, there's no stopping her! We've been working on small words...mama, dada, etc. Sometimes I swear I hear a real word in all that babbling.

Today, we celebrated my first Mother's Day...it was wonderful :) We went shopping and out to dinner. My greatest gifts of all.....having Darren home & safe with us and having Madison to share our love :)

Darren's big fishing adventure

2006-05-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

Darren has been in complete heaven since we moved to GA...(well, besides the fact that he has a new baby girl ;)....with all the lakes, ponds and the 'Hooch to fish on here. He's recently joined the Ft. Benning B.A.S.S. fishing club and will be fishing tournaments each month. He mostly fishes for large mouth bass and there seems to be an abundance of those around.
<~8lb large mouth

Besides being cautious not to get fried in the Southern sun, Darren has to watch that he doesn't lose a limb while fishing because of the gators down here. I couldn't believe it when I saw the signs at the ponds on Post...CAUTION: ALIGATORS MAY BE PRESENT $200 FINE FOR FEEDING THE ALIGATORS. Now, who in their right mind would feed those darn things!?
You wouldn't catch me walking the banks of these ponds & lakes, but it didn't seem to phase my brave husband!!!

Growing like a weed......

2006-04-19T10:27:00.000-05:00

We can't believe our lil pumpkin is now 7 weeks old!! She's still growing, changing & learning daily...how amazing! :) Not much news this week, I just wanted to share some recent pictures. Next week is Madison's 2 mth well baby visit, so we'll have more to chat about then.
We hope everyone is doing well....we miss you!!!

Our greatest gift

2006-04-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

Our little angel is now 1 month old and growing like crazy! Last week we visited the doctor and she weighed in at 8 lbs & 5 oz and 20" long. We've recently noticed that Madison has a case of the "infant acne". We thought it might be a rash of some kind and being the new mom that I am, I had to take her in to the doc. They suggested Baby Aveno body wash and lotion. So, we did and it's starting to clear up.
Madison is starting to lose her dark brown hair, but we know it will come back even more beautiful. We can definately tell a change in her appearance...her little face is filling out, her arms & legs are getting chunky and some of her clothes are getting a little too small. It's amazing to see her change each day!!! And of course I can't forget about her personality! Boy, does she have a good set of lungs on her! LOL ;) I'm really beginning to determine when she's hungry or just plain mad....it was hard at first, all the cries seemed similar. And yes, she takes after both Darren & myself with the little temper.

Since Darren is back to work now, it's just the two of us girls during the day. So between the diaper changes and feedings every 2-3 hours, Madison & I find other things to occupy our time. I try to read to her every day...sometimes it's nursery rhymes, articles from the baby magazines, and short stories. I've also started to sing the alphabet to her...that really seems to calm her down at times. Madison also seems to really enjoy listening to music. We keep a local country music station playing in her room when she's in there.

Yesterday, we played with her little butterfly toy. I wanted to see if Madison could follow the butterfly when I moved it and sure enough she did!!! I would hold it up and move it slowly and she would turn her little head and follow it. Of course when daddy came home, we had to show him what we had learned! :)

Having Madison is certainly the greatest gift of all! :)

Our new home

2006-03-13T19:10:00.000-05:00

Well, with all the excitement of Madison, I completely forgot to include a post about our new home! Our house search began while we were still in NY. We wanted a house near Post that would accomodate our growing family :) We stumbled across a house online that seemed perfect and a friend gave us the name of a great Realtor in the area. We scheduled a viewing of the house on our first visit to Ft. Benning and feel in love with it! We knew when we walked into the house that it was meant for our family :)
During my extended stay at the hospital, Darren closed on the house. Within the same week, with the help of his wonderful mom & step dad, our household goods were delivered and quickly this house was becoming our home. Darren would bring pictures to me at the hospital of his progress in the house & yard...he was so proud and I was extremely proud of him!! He made a promise to me before we moved down here that I would have a home to bring our daughter home to...he definately kept that promise to us! Once again, God has truly blessed our little family :)

Our home is always open to all of our family & friends, so when you venture down South, please stop by to see us! :)

Madison...a true blessing

2006-03-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

Madison Michelle is finally here!!! She was born March 1st at 7:37 p.m. at Martin Army Community Hospital at Ft. Benning, GA. Madi weighed 6.5 lbs and was 18.5 inches long. As we suspected, she came out with a full head of dark brown hair and chubby checks!! :)

My OB made the decision to induce my labor even earlier than planned because my Preeclampsia progressed into the severe stage. They certainly didn't want to take any
additional risks for Madison or myself, so I was induced Feb. 28th. After 29 long hours of labor, our little bundle of joy arrived! On Friday March 3rd, we were to be discharged from the hospital; however, the doctors discovered that Madison had jaundice. As you can imagine, Darren & I were scared and felt completely helpless. They assured us that it wasn't a severe case and she would be OK. I was discharged that evening, but we stayed at the hospital with Madison until Sunday when she was released. As you can imagine, it was a very rough few days! To me, I could handle and cope with my health issues, but when it came to Madison, it was very very
difficult. Seeing your child sick and knowing there's really nothing you can do, you feel
helpless. Darren & I continued to pray and God answered our prayers that Sunday morning.

I can't begin to explain how incredibly amazing she makes me feel! Everytime I look at her,
think about her, hold her, I realize what a truly amazing gift God has given us.

We want to thank everyone for your continued support and prayers throughout our journey with Madison!! :)

Hospitalization/Madison update

2006-02-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

<~ Madison on Feb. 1st

Hey! It's been awhile since I've posted anything. But as I'm sure you're aware, I spent 2 wks in the hospital diagnosed with mild Preeclampsia. Unfortunately, there's no cure for the diease and there's no way to prevent it...or prevent it from escalating to the severe stage. However, it will "go away" once I deliver Madison. Since the diease increases blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling, my OB doesn't want to take any chances of me carrying to full term. So, they will induce my labor at 37 wks, which will be March 3rd.

The great news is that Madison is doing very well :) Her heartbeat is very strong and all the OB's said she has a lot of great movement. My last ultrasound was Feb. 1st and she weighed
5 lbs 11 oz. Her weight also reassured my OB and us....one of the negative aspects of Preeclampsia is babies born with low birth weight. So, you can imagine how happy we were to see that our little girl is such a good size!!

During my stay at Martin Army Hospital, I had a lot of time to think, reflect and most importantly pray! God truly does work in wonderful ways! The only thing that Darren & I have asked of God is that Madison is healthy. We didn't care if we were to have a girl or boy, but that our child is healthy. I guess that's what every parent wants. Also, knowing that we have such wonderful families and friends, made all the difference. I felt truly blessed that so many people reached out to us with prayers, cards, phone calls, and flowers. God has been wonderful to us and brought all of these truly amazing people into our lives. We feel blessed that in 2 short weeks, we will be able to share all those terrific relationships with our daughter, Madison!
She will be our greatest gift of all :)

Madison's progress

2006-01-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

Well, our OB appointment went well. I was a little nervous about getting a new doctor/nurse, but God was with us!! At this hospital, they don't have Midwife Nurses, but Nurses and Residents. We were assigned to Captain Wilson...seems to be a great guy! Darren & I both really like him :)
Cpt Wilson explained Madison's growth is right on target and her heartbeat sounds excellent!! He won't do anymore ultrasounds unless he detects a problem. :( I really wanted to see my baby girl quirming around, but it won't be long!
Now, I start going for bi-weekly visits until I'm 36 wks, then on a weekly basis. Today, I'm 31 wks going to 32 this wknd. I can't believe in as little as 7 weeks, Madison could be here with us!!! It's such a wonderful feeling, I can't describe it! God has created this wonderful, exciting little being that continues to grow inside of me!! How completely blessed we feel to have this experience!!! :) OK, now I'm fighting back the tears just thinking about her!
Darren & I went shopping today at Target! YIPPEEE Thanks to our wonderful friends in NY at Neighbors of Watertown, we were able to get a lot of the baby (& mommy) items that we still needed. They were awesome to us....throwing a baby shower with lots of great gifts and a Target gift card! Once again, we feel very blessed to have friends like them! :)

Relocation Trip Part 2

2006-01-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally made it to GA! We've been staying with my parents in North Georgia and venturing down to Ft. Benning a few times a week. The weather is so nice....sunny & warm. Boy what a change from upstate NY! And of course, Darren loves that he doesn't have to shovel anymore snow! hehe ;)

Currently, we're in the process of locating a home. So, in the interim we'll stay here or at least until Darren has to sign into work. The commute from North GA to Benning is 2+ hours so it's just not feasible to do very often. And for those of you that have experienced Atlanta traffic, you know how entertaining that can be! NOT!

Baby Madison is doing well :) We go to the OB Wednesday, so hopefully I'll have more ultrasound pics to share. She's moving around now more than ever...it's so exciting to watch my belly move and know she's in there squirming around :)

Relocation trip part 1

2006-01-09T11:18:00.000-05:00

Darren & I are now on our second leg of our journey to Ft. Benning, GA. We spent last week in IL with his family and had a wonderful time :) We're now in IN visiting my family. Boy, is it good to get back to our old 'stomping grounds' and revisit our roots. I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it is at times to be away from the ones that you love so much. But we've been very fortunate that we have this time to see our families & friends. :)

We're all doing well! Lil Madison is moving around like crazy now :) I'm so excited to go to my next ultrasound and see how much she's grown!!! When I have those pics, I'll post them.

We miss everyone!!!

Office Christmas Party 12/16/05

2005-12-17T18:21:00.000-05:00

Is it really a Christmas party until a bottle of wine is uncorked, Reg stuffs his shirt w/ the bread bowl and Geno displays his favorite pair of thongs????? LOL ;)
Today was my last day at Neighbors and our Christmas party. As you can see, we had a great time! I only worked there 9 months, but it was a good experience for me. I will truly miss the people I worked with....they're all exceptionally good-hearted individuals. God truly blessed me when he brought them into my life. There were certainly days when I felt challenged, but I feel in the end, each person taught me something different and important about life. I will never forget my co-workers at Neighbors!!!!

Christmas kisses

2005-12-13T19:47:00.000-05:00

Darren thinks I'm nuts, but I love to see our doggies in the festive spirit, too! ;) Chase is our lil Reindeer and Harley is the Christmas Angel. Boy, is Madison going to love these two!!

We know what we're having........

2005-12-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

It was confirmed today, that we're having a baby girl! We decided to name her Madison Michelle. We both love the name Madison and Darren decided on Michelle because that's my middle name. Pretty cute, huh!

Today's appointment went well. Madison is growing and starting to move around a lot!! She should be about 1 pound and 10+ inches in length at this point.

We can really feel her moving around and for the first time, we just saw my belly move. This was such an exciting moment!! I wish you could see the look on Darren's face!! Priceless!!!! He's so excited to be a daddy....and now that we know we're having a girl, he's on cloud nine!

Ultrasound 8/24/05

2005-12-11T15:56:00.000-05:00

Our first ultrasound was today at 10 weeks along. The morning sickness has really set in and hits me mostly at nights. Darren has been great and helping out a lot. We're both so excited about the pregnancy!!!!

As you can see from the ultrasound pic, our baby is a little peanut right now weighing in less than a half ounce and 1 1/4 inches long. What a little cutie already!! OK, OK, I guess I'm a little biased!! LOL ;)

Ultrasound 10/24/05

2005-12-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm 18 wks into our pregnancy and starting to feel better. The morning sickness has pretty much passed, and I'm really starting to enjoy being pregnant! :)

My Midwife says our baby is doing well and mommy looks good, too. The baby is growing rapidly and developing more & more every day. At this point, our baby is about 5-6 inches long and 8+ ounces. :) Still a wee one, but growing strong.

Here's a picture of mommy & baby at 18 wks :)

Move to Ft. Benning, GA

2005-10-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

In 3 weeks, we'll be moving from NY and stationed at Ft. Benning, GA. Darren will become an Instructor at Ranger School! :) I'm extremely proud of him for this accomplishment, and I know he'll do a terrific job.

I'm also excited about the move and being in a new place. We will be about 2 hrs from Atlanta, so I'll get to see all my parents, old friends, and finally get some Mexican food!!!!

When we arrive at Ft. Benning, we'll obtain military housing until we can locate a good neighborhood to purchase our first home! As soon as we get settled, we'll let know our new address and numbers.