Nine months old

Mady is already 3/4 of a year old.

At nine months Mady...

* weight 18 lbs, 4 oz. and is 27.5 inches long
* has two bottom front teeth
* learned how to clap
* does not eat baby food anymore, except oatmeal cereal that we are trying to use up
* loves chicken noodle soup
* eats just about anything
* likes to feed herself, especially fruit, snacks and bread with jam
* is getting closer to walking, has taken a few steps at a time on accident
* loves other little kids
* went to the county fair and was scared in the bird building and the sheep building because they were both so loud
* plays shy
* "talks" as loud as she can, especially in rooms that echo
* the only way to keep Mady still on the changing table is to give her the chime toothbrush she got as a gift
* has figured out how to open cupboard doors and entertainment center drawers
* loves to help to do laundry... aka throw it all over the floor
* knows when she has something she shouldn't and when we go to get it from her, she runs away as fast as she can crawl

Mady's First Word!!

So Mady has been babbling for a while... dadadadada...bababababa... but never connects them to anyone or anything. When someone asks her where Dada is she definitely knows to look at Eric and has done that for a while now. On the Fourth of July, Eric, Mady and I were sitting out on the front lawn, looking out at the lake when Mady crawled over to Eric and stood up and said "Dada" plain as day and just once. I wish you could have seen the look on Eric's face! It was the best!!!

Fourth of July

We spent our Fourth of July/family vacation up at Grandpa Roger and Grandma EJ's house. While we were there we went to the Duluth Zoo. Mady absolutely loved the petting zoo and Momma and Daddy loved watching Mady get so excited about the animals. Momma's favorite parts of the zoo were seeing the Kookaburas and singing "Kookabura sits in the old gum tree..." to them (which I'm sure they've never heard before). Daddy's favorite part were the creepy bats that made lots of creepy bat noises.

Grandpa Roger took us and Uncle Terry out on the boat on Thursday night for a while. That was fun.

On the Fourth of July Grandma Sylvia and Grampy Lee came down to visit as well. We all went out on the pontoon for a trip around Island Lake. Mady slept... she seems to like to do that on pontoons. :)

Mady and Momma didn't make it out on the lake for the fireworks that night, Mady was in bed by 9 (her usual time) and I didn't want to wake/get her off her schedule.

The trip home was long, but it was nice to be away from home for a while.

While it was nice being away, it was wonderful to come home. Mady went around to each of her toys Sunday night when we got home and touched them all. Then she found her baby doll and kissed it over and over (more like sucking on its head, but you get the picture). She also was THRILLED to see Ella and walked back and forth on the futon cooing and screaming for Ella. :)

Weekend in Battle Lake

We had a very nice weekend in Battle Lake with family for Grandma Helen's burial. Grandma Sylvia, Grampy Lee, Auntie Toni, Auntie Gail and cousins Mike and Andy were all so good to Mady. Mady had a tough time sleeping, therefore Momma had a tough time sleeping too. During the day Mady was very well behaved for being around so many people and off of her routine. Mady also went on her first pontoon ride out in Battle Lake. She slept for the first hour and then crawled around a bit and drove the boat with Grampy Lee. Daddy took her swimming in Battle Lake too. It was very important to Daddy that we got to see where he spent a lot of his childhood and I'm glad that we went.

Big Road Trip

This weekend will be Mady's first big road trip away from home. We're going to Battle Lake, MN to bury Grandma Helen. We're driving to Great-Aunts Gail and Toni's home on Thursday night and then going to Battle Lake the next day. We'll be spending the weekend with Grandma Sylvia and Grandpa Lee, Great-Aunts Gail and Toni, and cousins Mike and Andy. On Saturday Grandma and Grandpa rented a pontoon so we'll actually get to go out on Battle Lake and see where Grandma Helen lived.

Momma's going to have to bring a load of ear plugs along since she has to stay in a hotel room with Snore 1 and Snore 2. :) Mady could definitely give Daddy a run for his money in the snoring department!

Daddy's first Father's Day with Mady will be spent driving six hours home. Not the best way to spend Father's Day, but glad we get to spend the weekend with family, celebrating Grandma Helen's life.

Eight months old

Mady is eight months old already! Can't believe it.

At eight months Mady...

* just got her first tooth! There's a second one that's just about through too.
* wants to eat anything that Eric or I have.
* stands next to the futon and walks back and forth.
* likes to watch Daddy exercise and laughs at him.
* loves going into any room she's not supposed to, so we have to shut every door.
* likes the bathroom toilet and would hang out in the bathroom all day if we'd let her.

Visitors

This weekend Grandma Linda and cousin Malayna visited. Poor Grandma, Mady really has stranger danger and would cry every time Momma left the room or when Grandma held her. On Saturday we took the girls to have their pictures taken together at Penneys. They turned out really good, I'll post them when I get them back. Saturday afternoon we went to the Children's Museum of La Crosse and had a blast. Malayna loved playing dress up and playing the piano. Mady liked that they had a foam area for her to play in. She and a little boy played in that area for a long time. Malayna also climbed the rock wall... she's so adventurous.
On Sunday we went to visit Sand Lake. Mady crawled all around Momma's classroom without having 30 little faces looking down on her. Malayna loved the keyboard and drawing on the whiteboard.
It was so nice to spend time with Grandma Linda and Malayna!