Eleven

(Wrote this weeks ago and just finally got around to posting it..)

Dear Maddie,

I have no idea where my baby girl went. This month I feel like you officially became a toddler. You have said goodbye to crawling for good and you confidently walk (and run) all over the place. You squat down to pick things up and stand right back up. You can turn on a dime and you spin in circles. You love to play tag and other games with your cousins. Somehow you manage to hold your own while playing with all your older cousins. You are one tough little girl.

You are getting more confident in communicating. You still say "Momma", "Dadda", and "Hi". This month you have started to say "ByeBye" when you wave goodnight and you sometimes say "Boo!" when you were playing peek-a-boo with Daddy. You also say "Yes" and "No". You also say "Nanas" for Bananas. You are also starting to string together a couple words you know. On Father's Day morning you said "Hi Daddy!" when you woke up. I've been teaching you some baby sign language and this month you mastered "all gone", "more", "milk", "soft" and "food". It's been fun for you to be able to communicate better! You also blow kisses!

You love to pick up cell phones and put them up to your ear and say "hi!"

You love to point to things and ask "Whaz dis?" You also like to play a game where I ask you to tell me where certain things are. When I ask you "Where is Daddy's nose?" you gleefully point to or grab your daddy's nose. Or if I ask you 'Where is Grandpa?" you point to your Grandpa Birkeland. It is so fun to realize how much you really understand. We brought home a big box from Costco and you love to play in it. Grandma was visiting and I told you to show her how you play in your box. You ran over to your box and climbed in. It was too cute.

You love trying new foods and you are far from a picky eater. You love watermelon, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, (I guess we can just stop this list and say that you like all berries and all fruit for that matter). Some of the more odd things you especially love and can't seem to get enough of are salmon, bell peppers (green, yellow, red, and orange... you love them all), pickles, and lemon wedges. Yes lemon wedges. You eat them like oranges. You gnaw them down to the peel without making even the slightest sour face. I discovered this at a recent family barbecue when I gave you a taste of a lemon expecting you to make an adorable sour face. Instead you snatched it from my hand and chomped it down to the peel. You eat whatever we are eating and you are losing interest in baby food.

You have become quite the little water baby. We got a season pass for the three of us to go to Raging Waters. We go quite often. You love to run around in the wave pool. When the waves come you run right into them. You also love to lay on your tummy where it is more shallow with your hands touching the bottom. You'll lean over and blow bubbles into the water! You also love to jump in to the pool from the side (even without holding on to Mommy!). You have learned to hold your breath under water. You and Daddy love to go down the kid slides together. One time you and Daddy went down over and over and over again because you kept signing "more!" After you went down well over twelve times together we decided to call it a day. You couldn't stop gabbering in the car on the whole ride home. (We suspect you were telling us all about how much fun that slide was!)

Your top two teeth cut through and you look so grown up! You are truly growing up right before our eyes!

Love,

Mommy

Ten

Photo by Jamie Turner

Dear Maddie,

What a busy girl you've become! You walk, walk, walk whenever you can. You took your first step on Easter, a few steps on your nine month mark, and by the time April 25th rolled around you were officially walking, taking between 10 and 12 steps! Now you're walking everywhere. You can stand yourself up without holding on to anything, so if by chance you do take a stumble, you get yourself right back up and you're off again.

When you walk you hold your arms above your head and you look like a little chimpanzee. It's the cutest little thing. That's not where the comparison ends, just like a little monkey you love to climb all over the place.  We have to keep an constant eye on you because you are quite the daring little girl. Sometimes you will climb onto kids chairs and then stand up on them.

You are quite the talker. You still say "Momma", "Dadda", and "Hi". This month you have started to say "ByeBye" when you wave goodnight and you even said "Boo!" when you were playing peek-a-boo with Daddy. You have started to make the cutest little trumpet sound lately. You also love to point at things and talk about them in your baby gibberish. It seems you have paid attention to all the pointing and talking Mommy does to try to teach you about the world. Today at the Zoo, you were pointing at the giraffes and saying "Dooo doo dooo bo la ba da da!" you were quite excited about it all.

Photo by Jamie Turner

You love reading books. Your favorite book is Goodnight Moon. You always point at the mouse when we get to the "goodnight house, and goodnight mouse" part. You love books so much, that we have started to keep a book with you in your crib. (This is after you managed to grab three books off of the bedside table near your crib and maneuver them through the bars when you woke up one afternoon from a nap.) You love to read on your own when you wake up in the morning or wake up from a nap. You don't cry to alert us that you are awake anymore, we finally just hear you talking jibberish and when we open the door you have a book open on your lap.

You love to copy whatever Mommy and Daddy are doing. If we are eating dinner you demand to sit at the table and eat with us. You also love to help with dishes and laundry. (Though you definitely prefer emptying the dryer than filling it).

It's so fun to watch you grow up baby girl. Thanks for making me a Mommy. I can't imagine my world without you.

Love,

Mommy

The Graduate Part II: Photos

The Graduate

Although Brett received his degree months ago, he will don his cap and gown to walk with his fellow BYU graduates tomorrow. It will be a great way to cap off Brett's educational experience at Brigham Young University.

Brett is graduating with a bachelor's degree in special education with an endorsement in mild/moderate disabilities. I knew when I married Brett that he would excel in whatever degree/profession he decided to choose. I admire him for choosing a degree that fits him and our family so well.

Brett is an incredible teacher and coach. He is compassionate, patient, selfless, organized, driven and personable. He is perfect as a special education teacher because instead of teaching a class, Brett teaches individuals. He works well with small groups and knows how to motivate each individual to do their best. Brett also creates a comfortable learning environment where students aren't afraid to say they don't understand a concept. Brett loves making a difference in the lives of young people who especially need supportive teachers and good role models.

Besides making Brett a better teacher, a degree in education has also taught Brett to be a better father. He has learned patience, consistency, discipline, and how to set clear expectations. While teachers are not paid the highest salaries, Brett recognizes that being a teacher includes non-monetary perks that are priceless, like spending more time with our family, ending the work day at 3:30, and enjoying summers off with our children.

We can't wait to see where Brett ends up teaching this fall. We could end up on a military base in a foreign country teaching for the Department of Defense. We may move out of state, or we may stay close. We may know very soon! Brett has had multiple interviews this week. He actually has an interview on the way home from graduation tomorrow! Don't worry, I'm sure he'll leave his cap and gown in the car.

I'm excited to celebrate Brett's graduation tomorrow. It marks the end of the "poor college student" chapter in our lives that I will always look back on with fondness. It's with excitement that I look forward to enjoying all that will come.

Nine

Dear Maddie Girl,

We've hit a few fun milestones this last month. You got two teeth, you started standing without holding on to anything, you learned to click your tongue, and you even took your first steps.

You are getting more and more confident with walking. You cruise around the room using the furniture for support and you make the transition from one object to another seem effortless. You have become very confident with standing. You will often stand on your own (without holding on to anything) for thirty seconds to a minute (as long as you don't get bored). You love to walk back and forth between Mommy and Daddy and you sometimes take a step or two on your own in the transition between our safe arms. You took your first step on Easter and you took two steps yesterday! You love pushing your walker all over the house. Sometimes you push it one handed, sometimes backwards, and sometimes you push it while you hold onto a toy in each hand. If your walker isn't handy, you will often push chairs around the kitchen to get to and from whatever catches your eye.


At eight months you were starting to wave goodbye occasionally. Now at nine months, you wave hello and goodbye whenever you have the chance. Seeing your cute little hand open and close is the cutest thing. Sometimes you use two hands when you are extra excited and decide a double wave is necessary. You are also starting to imitate whatever we do. You'll shake your head, bounce, click your tongue, wave, clap, and wiggle if we do it first.

You love to jabber. You still say "Momma" and "Dadda" and "Hi". Lately you've been working on your "R" sounds and and "La" sounds. You like combining different sounds together. You also talk in a cute high pitched voice when you are really excited about something.



You have such a playful spirit. You love to play hide and go seek and tag. I'll hide around the corner of the couch or behind your pack & play and you'll get all excited and start chasing me. If I peek around the corner you giggle and put your head down and start crawling faster and faster. Once you reach me you squeal and start climbing all over me. You also like to hide. Sometimes when we are visiting in the family room you will crawl through the kitchen and sit and wait around the corner in the hall. Once someone comes to peek around the corner you take off crawling as fast as you can down the hall, giggling as you go.

You are eating more and more food. We often share whatever we are eating. For baby food, we still use your baby oatmeal or some baby food as a base and add bits of whatever we are eating. You also love to eat whole peas on your own, bits of carrot, pineapple, blueberries, apples, noodles, etc.

Your growth has slowed down a bit (for the first time in your life). You've been moving around so much that you haven't gained much weight at all. You are exactly 20 lbs and you are 28 inches tall. You are no longer in the 98th percentile, at the moment you are in the 75th percentile. There is no need to worry, the pediatrician said that you have trimmed down from all the activity and that you will likely have another growth spurt soon. Even though you haven't gained much weight you still have healthy baby chunk on you! You are mostly wearing size 12 month clothing and some 18 month clothing. Your size three diapers are fitting much better now that you are becoming more lean.



We can't wait to see what this next month brings! We love you sweet Madeline!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Trigger Thumb

So a few months ago when Maddie first started feeding herself snacks, I noticed that she was using the tip of her thumb and pointer finger to grab things with her left hand (the pincer grasp), but that she grabbed things in an odd way with her right hand (using the side of the knuckle on her thumb and the side of her pointer finger). I figured that she was just getting the hang of the pincer grasp and didn't think much of it.

Then last night after a very busy day, Maddie fell sound asleep in my arms. Amused by her complete exhaustion, I started playing around with her limp arms and hands. I noticed that although every muscle in her body was limp, her right thumb was stuck in a bent position. I gently pressed on it to see if it would go straight but it did not budge. I pushed harder and harder, until I was putting a lot of pressure on it and it still stayed bent. I also felt a bump at the base of her thumb. I wondered for a moment if she had dislocated it playing or if she broke it. But as I pressed she slept soundly, oblivious to any pain.

Concerned, I looked through my computer at all my photos and videos of Madeline and realized that in every single one her thumb was bent. I googled "baby's finger stuck in bent position" and found information about pediatric trigger thumb, (thumb is stuck in fixed, flexed position due being born with a tight fibrous band). I pushed up Maddie's nine month check up to get an expert opinion.  The pediatrician checked it out and made the diagnosis almost immediately.

While I am relieved that Maddie's thumb isn't broken or dislocated, I am still broken hearted for my sweet girl because she will most likely need surgery. While spontaneous recovery does happen, our Dr. said that it was rare in babies and children. So we will "wait and see" and massage her thumb daily to hopefully loosen the tendon naturally. The good news is that it shouldn't interfere with her development, though she may end up favoring her left hand and becoming left handed. She also may need to do therapy to correct the muscles in her right hand.

While I am sad that Madeline has to deal with trigger thumb and likely need surgery, I recognize how blessed we have been when it comes to Madeline's health and well being. Besides a minor case of the sniffles and eczema she has been a very healthy girl. I just feel so bad thinking that she may be in pain, that it may be holding her back, or that it may hold her back in the future. I also feel bad for not noticing it sooner!

If Madeline needs surgery it is a relatively easy procedure that has statistically very positive outcomes. It would be outpatient and she would wear a soft cast for a couple weeks. My main anxiety about surgery is the idea of having Madeline put under general anesthesia and dealing with a potentially traumatic experience at a young age. 

So please say a little prayer for our baby girl. We hope that she can recover from this without surgery.

UPDATE:
It's been a long time since that first diagnosis. Our pediatrician was very helpful and encouraged us to continue waiting it out and not do surgery when she was 1 year old. I am so glad we decided to wait it out. When Madeline was 17 months, her thumb spontaneously went straight! She is now 2 1/2 and it is still straight. She has been doing great with writing and with other fine motor skills. She does sometimes move her thumb around to where it sticks for a second and then she unsticks it herself by bending her thumb. It doesn't hurt her at all. Our pediatrician is not concerned and says she is doing great.

Easter

A Step Closer to Walking

I bought this cute walker last month, when Maddie first started standing up, walking with support, and cruising around the furniture. She wasn't quite tall enough or coordinated enough for it at first, but last night we broke it out again and she was a pro. After I finished shooting film, she even started turning the walker on her own. The funniest was when she made a high speed 180 turn in the kitchen. One second she was cruising towards the fridge, the next she was on her way back. By the end of the evening she was practically running with it.

Last week Maddie also finally cut her first tooth! Her bottom right came in last Friday and her bottom left isn't far behind.

Eight

Madeline,

You are eight months old and full of spunk. Now that you are mobile you are always on the go and the days of being content to hold still have passed. You love to pull yourself up and walk around the room using the furniture. You can pull yourself into a standing position using anything, whether it's a baby wipes container, a rocking chair, or just a flat wall. Sometimes you even let go and stand on your own for a few seconds.

Last week you also figured out how to climb stairs. I was cooking in the kitchen and you were playing in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs in eye sight. I turned around to stir something and then popped it into the microwave, when I turned back around you were gone! I figured you had crawled down the hallway, but then I heard some coos coming from the stairway! I rushed to the bottom of the stairs and low and behold you were on the third stair smiling ear to ear incredibly proud of yourself. I about had a heart attack. It was then that I realized that I need to baby proof things before I even think it is necessary.

You are quite the communicator. You are saying "Momma" and "Dadda" more and more and it seems like you understand what those words mean. You love to clap your hands. You clap your hands whenever I come in to get you from a nap. You also clap your hands if you fall down. I think it may be a habit you adopted because daddy and I always clap and smile when you fall down so that you don't cry.  You are also starting to wave goodbye.

You are eating more and more food. You love oatmeal, avocado, pears, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and peaches. You also like grapes and apples. You aren't sure about peas, but we're still trying. We're starting to grind up whatever we are eating. Last night you had some carrots, potatoes, and pot roast. 

Your new favorite toys are things that aren't meant to be toys. You love shoes (especially the shoelaces), paper cups, water bottles, rugs, remotes, spoons, and baby wipes containers. 

You are still sporting your adorable natural mohawk and toothless grin. We are so happy you came to our house to be our baby girl. 

Love,


Mommy & Daddy

A daughter's touch from a dad's perspective

Having a daughter has changed my life in so many ways. For instance, I look forward to coming home from work because when I poke my head into the family room and say hello, I know Maddie will hear my voice, make eye contact, and flash me a gorgeous smile.

I love pouring water over her head in the bath once Haley has washed her hair. I love seeing her fall down after standing against the couch and start to clap as if she's applauding herself for landing without injury. I love when Haley dresses her in her cute little overalls and shoes and she looks way older than she should. I love seeing sweet potatoes in her eyebrows after she has enjoyed a tasty lunch.

I relish the simple moments when she will touch my face or neck with her delicate and tiny hand. This morning I laid in bed with her as she slept, all the while soaking up the feeling of her little hand rubbing my face, touching my longer than usual beard, and scratching my lip. I love that she knows that I am her dad. With those soft touches to my face as she looks into my eyes and smiles, it reminds me that nothing in the world is better than family.

A daughter's touch is one of the most precious things in this life. I am grateful to have such a wonderful little family and especially a beautiful daughter who melts my heart with her tender touch.

The Amazing Maddie Jaye

Maddie has been pulling herself into a standing position for a couple weeks. Well on Monday she took it a step further... literally.

She used my arms to pull herself up and then without being prompted, she started taking steps! This video is of her second go around. Four days later, she's cruising the furniture. Oh dear baby girl, this is way too early! You are only 7 months and one week old!

Here are a few other video highlights from this week: Be SURE to watch the last one. It is hilarious.

 Standing Up

 

 Crawling

 

 

and Laughing (with Mommy)

Seven

Sweet Maddie Jaye,

At seven months you are a busy busy girl. You are really starting to get around now that you are crawling. You are also strong enough now that you can sit up from laying down all on your own. Your newest trick is pulling yourself up into a standing position using furniture or toys. Sometimes you will even try to stand up from a crawling position. You straighten your legs so that your cute little tush is straight up in the air. Then you slowly back up your hands as if you are trying to stand up completely. Even though you can crawl and move all over the place, you are very content to sit and play with your toys. (I realize this won't last long, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts!) When you do crawl, it's usually to get to your favorite toy. Once you reach it, you crawl backwards while holding it and back yourself into a sitting position.

Earlier this month you started to clap your hands. You clap whenever you get excited or happy about something. You also clap your feet if your hands are busy holding a toy. Grandma Holly likes to say "I love you!" and she uses sign language when she says it. Whenever she signs "I love you" you bring your hands together and move them around as if you are trying to sign back. It's so cute to see you try to imitate Grandma.

You love food. Since you started solids a month ago you've had avocado, pears, sweet potatoes, and squash. You also gnaw on apple slices sometimes. You haven't refused anything yet which makes Mommy and Daddy really happy.

You have completely lost your interest in bottles. When you are being babysat you refuse to take it and instead wait for me to get back home to nurse. However, you LOVE water bottles. You like to steal my water bottle whenever you can get your hands on it. As soon as you get it you put the mouthpiece or straw into your mouth and gnaw on it for a while. You haven't figured out how to drink from it, but you still like to imitate Mommy. We may just get you your own waterbottle or sippy soon and put the bottles away.

Your hair has been growing a lot on the top and not as much everywhere else, so you have the cutest little natural mohawk. It's my favorite thing in the world besides your laugh.

Love,

Mommy

Stay tuned: I'll be posting more pictures very soon!