Big Snow 2011!

Unfortunately we were all sick the day it snowed. We got about 7-8 inches, which of course is huge around here! It was so beautiful outside, but we didn't get to get outside to enjoy it until the next day. We tried to go sledding, but the snow was just not the same as the day before. We were a little bummed, but Maddie still enjoyed getting outside and walking around in the snow and OUT of the house. The roads were so bad that Gabe didn't go to work Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, so it was nice having him around (even though I think he was ready to get back to work). It is a hard job being a stay at home parent and I think he realized that even more after spending 5 days at home with me! The snow is almost melted. It is pretty, but I am glad to see it go!

Maddie watching the snow fall (obviously the squirrels didn't mind it)

The BOB stroller even comes in handy on ice!
Attempting to sled down the hill (didn't work out too much)
Our snow bunny

Sharing lots of germs lately...

We have had a rough few days to say the least in our house! Maddie woke up screaming last Saturday and we found her covered in throw up. It was everywhere! We thought maybe it was a one time thing, but she threw up for about 2 hours until she finally went back to sleep until 5 am. Thank goodness for my mom, because Maddie only wanted her. Maddie felt better in the morning, but she was definitely sick. She started having diarrea as well, so we went through quite a few outfits, blankets, and sheets all day.
We thought we had bypassed getting sick ourselves, but on Sunday afternoon all hell broke loose. Gabe started first and then me and my mom followed a few hours later. It was horrible. What made it even worse we still had to take care of Maddie. We were all snowed in, so nobody could help us!

So nasty, horrible, no-good virus, please GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK TO THIS HOUSE AGAIN!

11 Months old!

This is the last of the month signs before the big ONE year old! Our big girl is doing SO many new things these days. Maddie took her first steps on December 22nd (so she was actually 10 1/2 months old). At 10 months I wrote that she didn't seem interested in walking, but oh I was wrong! Once we started making a huge deal when she would attempt to walk she decided that she would show off for us! We stood real close for a few days and let her just fall into our arms...we clapped and cheered and she would get so riled up and excited that she just started wanting to do it on her own. One night, we decided to play the game and she all of the sudden just started taking steps on her own. She did about 3-5 before falling, but now she has balanced herself pretty well and just takes off unannounced now! After a couple of weeks of practice, she is officially walking (although she still crawls to places more than walks) Oh goodness, just imagine the things this child will get into now....

At 11 months she is:

• walking
• standing alone for short periods of time (this came after her taking her first steps)
• nodding head for "yes"
  
• shaking head for "no" (sometimes she gets confused on which is which)
• rocking her babies
• giving kisses & hugs...also knows how to give "eskimo kiss" with her nose
• interested in feeding herself with a fork/spoon
• eating lots of table food now...we let her try whatever we are eating for the most part
• points to a ball in a book on command
• will smack her lips when she sees a picture of someone eating or if you say "what is the doggie doing?" (in this book she has it is a picture of a dog eating) and she will smack her lips
• attempts to throw a ball

White Christmas!

It started snowing on Christmas day and by the end of the night we had about two inches on the ground (which qualifies for a white Christmas). It is the first one in Greenville since 1962, so it was a BIG deal! It kept snowing throughout the night and we woke up to about 5 inches of snow! We bundled Maddie up in one of my old snowsuits from over 26 years ago and took her out to play. We even were able to find our old sledding disc and pulled Maddie around on it. She LOVED it!