Post Party Prettieness

Eating Birthday Cake for the First Time

Happy Birthday to Maddie!!!

Our Family

Maddie and the boys

Hangin with my friends while I unwrap my present

Reaching to touch the candle

My first taste of cake, and so dainty am I!

We can NOT believe its been a year since our little sweetness came into this world! 

We now love like we have never loved before. Its funny, Josh and I were talking the other night, and you really don't "get it" until you have a child. This crazy, "Ill do anything for you" "Ill give my life in a second" "sleep, who needs sleep" "shower, who needs a shower" "food, who needs to eat". Everything changes the moment you look into those crazy eyes that are screaming "what the heck! Who just pulled me out of my nice little dark warm world! Now you're gonna pay with sleepless nights, creative rock-a-bye dances all night long, and lots of poo diapers!" And pay we did. 

Looking back on this year, you never remember the tough stuff though. Its all the incredible moments that stick out in your mind like the first diaper, and how incredibly cute Josh looked trying to get her little cheeks up in the air high enough to wipe her lil brown buns, and the first time she locked eyes with us and how the whole world stops, and you hold your breath because the moment is just numbingly surreal, and then the first time she smiles, and I don't care if people say "its just gas" its a smile damn it, just give us that for gods sake. I carried her for nine months, don't swipe a genuine "there's my mamma" smile that makes all I endured for near a year worth it all, away. Then you get home and it gets hard, and there's a lot that no one tells you about, and your marriage gets tested...really tested, but it brings you back around and closer to one another too. To witness Josh become a father, and as a father has been like watching someone become what they were meant to be all their life. Fatherhood fits him, and he is outstanding with Maddie and they have this special, secret bond between the two of them. I know for a fact she already wants to marry him. Her gorgeous little green eyes just sparkle and glimmer with excitement any time I say his name, and she immediately begins searching the room for him. He has taken every tough time, every trial, and really stepped up when I needed him the most. All that just makes me wanna have more babies with this man!

Madelyn is pure Joy through and through and this year has been the most rewarding year of our entire lives. Its funny how this little romance between us and Maddie, its all give-give, and no where else will you ever find a relationship so one sided where one person just gives, and gives and gives all the love and affection they possibly can while the other side just takes, takes, and takes, and will probably never reciprocate the love and affection as much as we'd like, and will never love us as much as we love her. But she has taught us everything about being parents for the first time. It was just her and us and we got through it all together and there just couldn't be a more blessed two people on this earth. 

Deep Sleeper

So this is how I found the little one in her crib just a few days ago. We have always jokes that we never thought she would be the kind of baby that just fell asleep in random places, but we might be wrong on this one.

Maddies First Camping Trip!

Maddie had her first camping experience this last week. We took her to a spot I grew up camping at called Spring Canyon on Lake Roosevelt. The weather was perfect, and Mad's stunned us with her ability to be an out door girl. We had everything you can imagine to prepare for the worst, including her battery operated swing. Miss thang took a two hour nap every morning, and slept through the night every night! We were stunned, and couldnt be more blessed with such a versatile child.

Our little babes basking in the sun. Just look at those thighs! Who wants a piece!!! 

Me and my beautiful beach baby

Hailey and Mad's just chillin havin some girl time

She could stay in her "little mermaid" floaty all day. She's a water baby for sure!

The beach we discovered where we spent most our time. The only way to get there was by boat, but we could let Mel run free, and it was quiet and clean. I think we'll camp there next year away from all the hu bub of the campgrounds. 

What a Doll!

I really hate to brag, but in instances like this, I just have to. My little sweetness is just about the cutest little thing to grace this earth. She just melts our hearts to little puddles every day and we just cant get over how amazingly incredible she is. And on top of that, she really loves having her picture taken.

Madelyn is crawling abolutely everywhere these days, and shes really fast! She loves the stairs, and knows no bounds when it come to hurling herself over them. Luckily were always there to keep anything bad from happening. Just to be safe though, we have since installed a gate, and it really entertains her to play with Melvin through bars. She just laughs her little head off.

Maddie can do so much these days. She waves bye bye (when she feels like it) and says Da Da, Mamma, and Meman (Melvin) She signs more when shes still hungry and the cutest thing is she has this bunny (Tina) who she is in love with! She rubs Tinas little velvety ears on her cheeks and chin to calm herself down right before bed time and during the day. Its a great cue to tell me when shes ready for bed, which she seems to love as well. This past two weeks, she smiles when we lay her down and tuck her in. If she has her "Tina" and her "Nappy" what more could she need in this world.

Blowing kisses to Mamma!
Riding the pony at Gigi's!

This girl has the biggest and brightest smile ever!