Scaring and swallowing

I love when it is really quiet to suddenly let out a big roar to see if I can surprise Madeline. I can't help myself because I really like the results. Either she jumps and then starts giggling with me, or she jumps, whines, and comes and hugs me because she's startled. I really should stop, but it is so fun. Part of the reason we have Madeline is so that we can play lovely tricks on her. (Really there are a million other reasons too, I just like that one!)
Also, last night I had a dream about my throat burning in my chest. I woke up and had the same pain. I think I'd swallowed a pill and it got stuck and started dissolving in my esophogus. It was so painful! So I got up and ate a bunch of applesauce and tortilla chips (we didn't have bread or anything) for about an hour and then it finally died down to a dull pain. It was miserable to be awake for 2 hours and not get anything done. Still this morning I feel like I'm swallowing a bubble all of the time. At least it doesn't hurt! Aren't you glad I blogged today?

2 Month Summary

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Blogging diet

Yes, Raymey graduated. Yes, we've had a lot of visitors. Yes, we're moving tomorrow. Yes, Madeline has been saying and doing silly things that I really should record. No, I'm not a consistant blogger. I'm on a blogging diet, but when we get things settled down I'll probably do a blogging binge to make up for it. We have a lot of pics to post but they're not on the computer, they're packed away on the hard drive. Just thought I'd let you know this blog is still active.

The bear went over the mountain

Madeline snuggles with Grammy and reads a story.

Madeline with her new best friend "Bear Mountain" that she named herself, because, of course, "The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see."

Bear Mountain must be getting fussy, so Madeline applies the "pluggie".

Madeline's invention, the sippy-cup-cup. I'm not sure why, yesterday she had an obsession with eating things out of this cup.

Last week Madeline's favorites were songs like, "The Bear went over the Mountain", "The Candy Man", "Billy Boy", you get the idea. After our road trip to Cincinnati (where we just couldn't stand hours and hours of her "Kidsongs" CD) her interests have broadened. She likes certain songs by: Sting, Cake, U2, and No Doubt (it isn't like we're listening to wild music!). We tried to pick out words she knows and we sang them really loudly so she'd like the songs. It worked, but now I'm not sure if it was my best idea ever. Yesterday at the dollar store Madeline started calling out "Hey Baby! Hey Baby! Hey Baby! Girls say Hey Baby!" and the 8 people around me started staring at us, probably wondering why I'd taught her to pick up strangers. I tried to explain that it was a song, but I don't think they'd heard that one.

Also, I noticed a couple of days ago that her little dog that she'd named "Bingo", I'm sure you know how she came up with that one, had a new name. She now calls him "Psycho little dog". I didn't even know she was listening to my Cake song where it says, "take your economy car and your suitcase, take your psycho little dogs, take it all away." My, my, they grow up fast;)! Jesslyn, are you still sure you want your kids to listen to "normal music" someday?

An apple a day...

We had only taken Madeline to the doctor for sickness once before last Sunday. However, last Sunday began our long adventure through sickness. Madeline got conjunctivitis in both eyes and had an ear infection, so the doctor started her on antibiotics and her symptoms cleared up. The following Sunday she came down with a bright red bumpy rash ALL OVER every inch of her skin. We took her into the doctor again, and were advised to stop the antibiotics because she had a sensitivity. He told us the rash would fade, so when it was larger and redder the following day I took her back in. I'd hate to keep her home and then find out that there was something seriously wrong. This different doctor said that he wasn't sure if it was an allergy or not, but that since she wasn't itching or in pain, she was fine. The rash did fade and we thought we were through with our visits to the doctor. This morning when Madeline woke up her eyes were glued shut with goop. I couldn't ignore it so we took her in YET AGAIN. We found out that thankfully it was not an eye infection (and that she's not contagious), but 2 ear infections, and that her congestion is leaking out of her eyes. So Madeline is on medicine again, and should be back to normal soon.
The good thing about all of these visits is that Madeline has learned to enjoy the doctor's office. She screamed her head off when we went 2 weeks ago, and I had to hold her down so they could check her out. We've been reading the book "Corduroy goes to the Doctor" and learning all of the things that happen at an appointment (this is one of her current favorites). By Monday and then again today, Madeline enjoyed being "tickled" under her arm while the nurse took her temperature. She held still and breathed slowly while the doctor checked out her lungs with the stethoscope. She said "aahhhhhh" before the doctor even wanted to see in her mouth, and she "reminded" the doctor to look in her eyes and ears. She also told him "I sick."
I'm glad she enjoys the visits now, but I really hope that we're done for a while! We don't feed her many apples, but she does eat applesauce daily. I guess it just doesn't count.

Happy Birthday Raymey!!!

We had a crazy busy day filled with errands, meetings, and apartment searching in Cincinnati. We're extending Raymey's birthday to the next few days so we can get in some celebrating! Madeline gave him a great present tonight by saying the following during her bedtime prayer:
Raymey "Bless us to be like Jesus."
Madeline"Bless us to be like Jesus--and and and Daddy!"
How sweet is that?!

Out of my comfort zone...

I'll probably never be one of those moms that goes out and plays with her kids in the mud. I'm trying to be a little more spontaneous. We went to a nature trail today. I just bit my lip and laughed when Madeline fell in the mud (less than an hour after her bath) and messed up a cute outfit shoulder to toe. I didn't sanitize her hands after she played with the community animal pillows. I let her dress up in the animal costumes for a full 45 seconds until I just couldn't fight away the thoughts of "what kids wore these last, and were they sick?" When she ate her bread off the ground I just forced a smile and thought about how she must be bolstering her immune system. I trudged through a quarter mile of muddy trail with her for "fun" and when she wiped her muddy shoes all over my pants and jacket I tried to be chill because, hey, it's nothing a washer and dryer can't fix. See, I made a conscious effort to be a laid-back, "cool" mom. I was trying to give Madeline some wiggle room and let her wander several feet ahead of me. But I lost my cool when she and her friend Eli bent down to pick up "mud" that was actually made by a puppy. AHHHHHHHHH It got all over her fingers and a little on her jacket. I think I'm much more comfortable being germ-freak, over-prepared Mom.