Petting Farm

Yesterday Jordan and I took Carter and Madelyn to a petting farm! It sounded like lots of fun, but wasn't quite what we expected. They were only able to actually pet the goats (and the donkey because we let them without the staff there), but there were some other animals to see...deer, turkey, bunnies, cow, sheep, etc. Madelyn loves animals and would start to smile/laugh as soon as we got near one. We will have to go to the zoo when it cools off a little.

There was a playground outside of the farm so we stopped to let them play a bit. Madelyn kept wanting down to crawl at the farm, but with the obvious poop covering the ground, I decided it wasn't the best idea.

Peek-a-boo

And the highlight of the day may have been that we went to Braums twice during the outing (it's not even that good)... once before for lunch (at 10:30 a.m. ) and then after for ice cream!! Pretty sure we made a mess both times, so I don't think they were too excited to see us back...and it doesn't help that I dropped my milkshake into the trash the second she handed it to me...and then handed Madelyn her water cup without properly screwing on the lid...we were having a messy day! (Yes, I got a second shake for free)

9 month photos

I took Madelyn for her 9 months photos yesterday! Cristina was nice enough to go with me...thank goodness! It was a much different experience with a crawler! Also, the place was packed so by the time we waited, had our pictures taken, and picked out the ones we wanted, we had been there 3 hours!! Cristina entertained Madelyn though while I picked pictures, and I am so grateful to her for accompanying us. We got some great shots...they don't seem to come through as clear on the CD as they look in person, but here they are...my chubby monkey in a tutu!

I Can Drive!!

Playgroup Pictures

Together again!

It had been a while since our playgroup got together, and it was so nice to see everyone. Since we have mostly crawlers now and even a walker, we decided to meet at a play area. The kids enjoyed the freedom and had lots of fun. This play area is great...everything is made of a soft material (including the ground) so even if they bump their heads, it's ok! I asked an older gentlemen to take our picture and I don't think he held the camera very still so it's a little blurry, but at least we got everyone together...not an easy task now that the kiddos are mobile! (notice we had to hold a few of them down!)

Elizabeth and Mac, Lauren and Hudson, Jordan and Carter, Katie and Reed, Madelyn and I, Patrice and Olivia

Rody

Ever heard of a Rody? Madelyn got her inflatable Rody for Christmas from her great-granny and papa and is now old enough to play with it. She loves it and finds all different ways to play with Rody (other than just riding her)...these include hitting her with a wooden spoon (giddy up?!), chewing on her tail, and climbing completely over her...we thought Madelyn would surely bust when attempting this one, but she made it safely over Rody (top pictures). We know she will continue to love Rody for a long time...thanks Granny and Papa!

and thanks to Aunt Jen and Uncle Gui for the Texas shirt M is wearing in a few of the pics!

Meals with Friends!

Saturday night we had dinner with the Scotts...all of them. Landry and Clint met in grad school and Landry's dad was our realtor when we bought our house! We had dinner with Landry and Amy and Landry's parents, Keith and Cindy. His sister Lauren came along too. She is about to start grad school in Austin so we had plenty to talk about. We left really missing Austin! And I should also mention that Keith was my Uncle David's roommate in college...we discovered this when my dad found out who our realtor was... It's a small world!

Landry and Madelyn

Then we had lunch with the Skipworths on Sunday at a diner. Here is Madelyn wearing one of the hats they give you...

...and stealing Aurora's when it was her turn for a photo opp!

9 month well-check

We went to the doctor this morning for Madelyn's 9 month well-child check. No shots today...yay! But they did have to prick her foot for a blood test...twice...apparently she wasn't a very good bleeder. All the results came back fine.

Madelyn was 28 inches long putting her in the 75th percentile for height. She weighed 19 pounds (50th percentile). There was nothing too exciting to take a picture of at the doctor's office, so here are some older pictures. I just love looking back at pics of M in her swaddle...she always looked so cozy!

By the way, our doctor is moving to a new location...farther away from us (and she is not close as it is). So I may be looking for a new pediatrician between now and our 12 month visit. If you know a good one anywhere near me, please let me know!

Swimming

Aurora and Olivia came over to swim with Madelyn!

Madelyn in her adorable new cover-up...thanks Gramma! (And it's M's favorite colors...pink and green!)

Then 2 out of the 3 took a bath...Aurora went home to eat

Introducing Mr and Mrs Wells

This weekend we had the pleasure of attending Brittney's wedding. Brittney is my cousin and she married Travis Wells.

here we are at the ceremony...outside in July...in South Texas!

Madelyn with the beautiful bride

...the cakes!

Everything at the wedding was beautifully done!

Aunt Linda and Bubba...I should owe them for babysitting services...they entertained M for most of the reception and she couldn't have been happier...very much appreciated

This was Madelyn by the end of the night...covered in dirt from head to toe...such a lady! She looked pretty funny with her dress tucked into her bloomers (so she could crawl around), and she was very busy exploring the courtyard.

Madelyn with the boys...and Jaime...on our way to the rehearsal dinner...a backyard BBQ...very fun!

Jaime, Major, Clint, M, Robert, David, Kyle

hanging out with Papa Jo...

and Major and Jaime...M was quite the thief stealing Major's hat and Jaime's necklace repeatedly

Home of the World's Largest Squirrel...that's right Sinton is known for this giant squirrel outside a boutique on Main Street

We went inside to browse for a bit and Madelyn loved the dolls. This one got a huge smile and then a big hug. By the way, everywhere we went people already knew who Madelyn was! They said my grandparents (especially Papa) was always talking about her...it was very sweet...did I mention it is a very small town?

Madelyn loved Daisy...my Granny's dog. Daisy wasn't as crazy about Madelyn though, so playing through the glass door was the best option.

Considering I did not get a picture of the groom, my grandparents, or Brandy, I'd say I failed as a photographer! Good thing my other cousin, Major, marries Jaime in October, so we can all get together again.

Package from Aunt Nicole

It is always such a nice surprise to step outside and find a package by the door! Not that the contents are ever for me anymore, but I love seeing what someone has sent Madelyn :-)

Yesterday a package arrived from my Aunt Nicole! Madelyn loves playing with things when she feels like she is "getting into something", so she had fun taking everything out of the box.

There were books and puzzles (the cute Melissa and Doug wooden ones)

and magnetic letters for the fridge

Thanks Aunt Nicole and Alexandra!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a wonderful day planting flowers, swimming, and grilling...the typical 4th of July activities minus the fireworks. The shows didn't start until 9:30 and neither Clint nor I cared enough about seeing them to keep Madelyn up way past her bedtime.

Here are lots of pics of Madelyn in her 4th of July dress!

We planted begonias around our trees!

here is the final product (before the mulch)

M joined us in the yard after waking from her nap...she played on a towel and ate watermelon, which seemed appropriate for the blistering heat.

She is starting to feed herself chunks of food now, which meant watermelon dripping all down the front of her.

Then we went swimming to cool off. Madelyn has always loved the pool, but she was extra brave today and quite the wild woman. The pictures don't really capture it all, but she was splashing and putting her face in the water squirters, and she enjoyed being bounced on the fountain of water! She was also crawling around the waterfall ledge splashing in the water and playing with her toys...she had a lot of energy today!

Daddy took my float!

Then Clint grilled us some dogs for dinner...he grilled regular hot-dogs and "gourmet hot-dogs." Not exactly sure what was in them, but I know they were stuffed with jalapenos and wrapped with bacon. He served them in a tortilla with cheese. They were delicious so I took a picture...