Its okay Patriots... its almost Red Sox season

Maddie is going to be a baseball fan. I know it seems like a boring sport, but nothing says springtime than an afternoon in the sun, listening to the crack of a bat and the roar of a crowd. I love Spring Training, when players are warming up for the big season in front of them. I have always watched baseball with my Dad... some of my earliest memories are of watching baseball with him and my mom. I can even remember a Halloween where my mom dressed up as a baseball player to take us Trick or Treating! For my 18th birthday my best friend Steve took me to a Red Sox spring training game in Ft. Myers. I can even remember going to see the semipro team the Ft. Myers miracle playing while growing up.

And who an forget all of the Gator baseball games that Ive been to, all of the afternoons I would walk over to the stadium after class with my books and and sit and study while the Gators played. We will definitely be taking Madalyn to some games this season (with lots of sunblock and a hat for her of course!)

And doesnt she look adorable in this little onesie from Savannah? Go Red Sox.....

Even More Silver Springs Photos

Smelly Giraffe

Maddie and her Papa Swanson

Papa and Josh

Baby and Daddy

Silver Springs

More Silver Springs Pictures

Pink Flamingos

Yummy... juice!

Silver Springs from up high

Yummy french fries Mommy~

You get good luck for 5 years for standing under this tree!

Under the Good Luck Tree

Silver Springs Adventure

On Saturday we went to Silver Springs with Madalyn's Papa Swanson and her cousin Josh who is in town visiting while his Mom and Dad go on a cruise vacation. Josh will be 3 in May and was so excited to see all of the animals and alligators at Silver Springs. Shawn had been there a long time ago but I had never been, so it was a new adventure for our family. We (accidentally!) chose to go the day Brenda Lee was playing in concert so the place was packed and we were by far among the youngest people there!

We started off the day by walking around the park and seeing all the it had to offer. There were lots of gators, which looked like statues because of how still they were lying in the sun! Then one would move ever so slightly, as if to prove it was real! We took two boat rides, one around all of the springs and another out to an outpost where they rehabilitate birds that have been injured. Madalyn really liked the boats, especially the glass bottom where she could look through and see fish. We also took a Jeep ride around the park to see the wild animals. I didnt know how many old movies were filmed out there!

We didnt get to spend much time at the petting zoo because it was getting late, so we will have to plan a trip back for that. We did get to see the giraffes though... which are amazingly beautiful animals that stink to high heaven! I didnt know that each giraffe has its own scent, much like a human has their on distinct look. That is how giraffes recognize each other!

Josh and Madalyn had a great time (thank goodness for strollers!) Madalyn got her first taste of french fries and LOVED them! Shawn stuck some fries on her snack tray to "save for later" and she grabbed a handful in each hand and proceeded to munch on them while being pushed around the park. The kid isnt afraid to eat things, thats for sure! And for someone without teeth she certainly manages to eat!

Everyone was tired at the end of the day. Madalyn conked out by the time we left the parking lot, and Josh nodded off somewhere around Micanopy. He sang to Madalyn the whole way home. On the way there, Maddie did her typical crying when we stopped at a stoplight, and Josh kept telling Shawn "dont stop Uncle Shawn! Madalyn cries when you stop!" It was so cute.

Silver Springs was definitely an adventure that we will be doing again sometime soon. I think next year we will look into getting the super saver passs when the offer comes at work to get them a a discount.
"Lets hold hands Madalyn!"


Boat ride with Josh


Looking out the glass bottom boat


Hi Mommy! 9 months old


Look Uncle Shawn!

Look Uncle Shawn!

Playing and Kissing

Madalyn has learned to "kiss" which she has done before, but she has started closing her lips and making a smooching sounds. This is a HUGE step up from the slobbering she has done in the past. Tonight we went to dinner with Shawns parents and Josh is here visiting and he gave Madalyn a hug. Maddie "kissed" him on the lips... it was so cute. She is such a loveable, cuddly baby.

She also can drink from grown up cups with some help, and after getting a sip will smack her lips and say "ahhhhhh". It is too cute.

Madalyn is so playful... and at such a fun age! It is amazing to see her interact with her toys and the things in her life.

Allie and Maddie' Early Valentiens Day present

Allie and Maddie celebrated Valentines Day early this year with a new puppy! We had been thinking about getting a puppy that would hopefully be more of a guard dog than Allie. Allie, bless her heart, loves everyone so much and cowers when she gets scared! She is a big baby and we love her to death, but we would feel a little more protected with a dog who actually barks when there is someone at the door.

We went to Gainesville Pet Rescue and rescued an 8 week old Shepard Mix named Ava (we are keeping her name... Ava and Allie go well together!) She is an absolutel doll, and both Madalyn and Allie love her to pieces. Madalyn kept trying to pet her and kiss her like she kisses Allie. (More on the kissing later.) Allie keeps trying to play with her... even when the puppy is napping she brings toys over and tries to get her to play.

We will be crate training Ava to get her housebroken, which will hopefully happen sooner rather than later! Luckily we have tile and wood floors to make the process a little easier!

Savannah the Big Sister

I wanted to add these pictures of Savannah that we took while we were visiting Brad and Jenna in the hospital. She is such an amazing little person.... so incredibly smart. Its hard to remember she isnt even two years old because she has such a big vocabulary and she talks all the time! She kept pointing at Landon and saying "Baby Landon!" She is so incredible.

Welcome Landon Dale Martin!

Our new nephew Landon Dale Martin was born on January 29, 2008 at 1:48 in the morning. He weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. Mommy and baby are doing well, and I am breathing a sigh of relief that the blue outfits that I bought didnt go to waste. I believe Jenna is going home from the hospital sometime today.

Savannah is very much excited to be a big sister!

Madalyn could have cared less about her new cousin. Just kidding, but she wasnt too thrilled that we wouldnt let her crawl on the hospital floors. She was absolutely fascinated by Savannah, however, and this time Savannah wasnt scared of her so that was good!

Our Family Tree

This is a wedding gift from my parents best friends, Maureen and Tommy Archambault. Isnt is absolutely gorgeous?

9 Month Update

Well I know this is a few weeks late... especially since Maddie is closer now to 10 months than she is to 9, but I realized I never posted about her visit to the doctors office. Apparantly we picked a super busy day to take her in, because I waited almost an hour and a half to be seen, which is not normal for that office. Usually we are in and out fairly quickly.

As of 9 months old Madalyn weighs 18.1 pounds and is 26.75 inches long. That puts her in the 37th percentile for weight, down from 70th percentile when she was born. She is in the 25th percentile for height... so our little girl went from being on the big side to being on the small side.

Sick Baby

Madalyn is sick... poor baby. It started off as a cold last week with a little bit of a runny nose and a little cough, then she seemed to get better. Last week she never acted like she didnt feel well. But last night she came home from her Nana and Papa's house and was fine... then about an hour later she was sitting on my lap and threw up all over the place. So I put her in a bath and changed her, then put her into bed with me to snuggle and she threw up again. We finally got her settled down into her bed and she woke up at 3 am and was sick again... poor baby. Today she seemed like she felt okay all day but this evening she started running a fever again. It was so hard for me to come to work tonight knowing I was leaving her behind when she was sick! I gave her Tylenol before I left and Shawn will give her some motrin when she wakes up if she still has a fever.... but it was so hard to leave her! She looked so tired and just like she felt horrible.... just laying back on our laps and laying her head there. She didnt even try to fight me when I took her temperature... a sure sign that she doesnt feel well! I guess we will see how tonight goes and if Shawn needs to take her to the doctor or not.... if she is still sick tomorrow I think she should go rather than try to make it through the weekend.

Its so weird... I see sick kids all the time... and its way different when it is your own baby!

She's Walking! (With some help!)

Madalyn is so close to walking... she constantly crawls over to her walk behind toys and then pushes them around the house. She can take about two steps on her own... so Im sure soon she will be walking all over the place!

No teeth yet.....

Some Family Photos

These were all taken at our Luau in October 2007, when Madalyn was 6 months old.