Strawberry Farm

On Wednesday, we went to a strawberry farm with my cousin Kristi and her playgroup. Although it was a little chilly and cloudy that morning, Maddie and the rest of the kids seemed to have a blast! They had a tour where they got to play on the playground with slides and even a strawberry ride they got to spin around in, feed the goats, ride in a barrel train, and pick their own strawberries to take home. Maddie was really good at picking the red strawberries (rather than the green ones), but they never seemed to make it into her basket, just into her mouth! She ate the berries the whole time I picked! By the time we left, she had strawberries covering her clothes and face!

Preschool & 32 Weeks

Maddie started preschool today with my cousin, Kristi! I am so excited for her to go and do her thing without "mom" always being right there with her. Even in nursery, it's my calling, so I have to be right there by her side. Thanks Kristi! Maddie had a great day, she is still talking about it!

I am 32 weeks today. I had a check-up yesterday, and the doctor said I was measuring small. For those of you who have seen me recently, you'd probably be laughing with me! I have also been cramping a lot, and had quite a lot of braxton hicks... so, they sent me in for an ultrasound at 8am this morning to make sure this baby was still growing ok. She is! Everything looks great. She is measuring 31 weeks and 2 days (which is only 5 days less then my actual due date). She weighs over 3 pounds (I can't remember the exact weight) and is in the 25th percentile. Maddie was only 6 lbs, 10 oz when she was born, so I guess I just have small babies! What's funny, is it didn't take long before she was on the top of the charts for weight and height! Crazy!!!

They tried to get some ultrasound pictures, but couldn't get anything that looked good, not even a foot. And I thought Maddie was stubborn... we are really in trouble now!!! Her head is so far down, she couldn't even get a good face shot, and had trouble measuring the head! Which could probably explain all the cramping I've been experiencing lately! So all in all, we are doing good! Just very uncomfortable, and ready for this baby to come... when she's big enough, of course!

Styled Haircut

Here is a more "styled" look of Maddie's haircut after her nap. My friend Nicole, who I've known since sixth grade, is getting married next Saturday, so we went to her bachelorette party tonight!

Maddie's First Haircut

So, Maddie's mullet has really been bugging me lately, but I also have not brought myself to cut it (as I've mentioned many times before). But I finally decided just to cut the back to even it out with the sides. I actually took a teeny, tiny bit off the sides too, just to freshen up the ends. Maybe that will help it grow. I figure with summer being here, it'll grow back before long! It's a little shorter than I probably should have cut it... maybe I shouldn't have quite made it even with the sides... but, I think it's cute anyway. It actually is a cute little bob, but with her hair being curly, it curls up quite a bit so it's hard to tell! Here are all of her little curls we cut off..... :(

The finished product... she just bumped her knee on the chair, so she's not very happy!

And another...

These two are both after too, but they are scrunched up with her curl. I had to make sure her curl didn't go away... that was my other worry about cutting her hair!

All better! No more tears!! I will get some better pictures of it after her nap. There was no sense in making it all cute if she was just going to mess it up in her bed anyway!

First Day Of Summer

Today was the first day of summer, and we definitely took advantage of the beautiful, and I can maybe even say, 'HOT' day in Seattle! It was absolutely beautiful outside! Maddie has been constantly asking to 'ride a boat', and everyday I tell her 'when it's sunny'. She has even started answering her own question by telling me, 'ride a boat, a sunny outside'. So, my mom, little brother Christian, and I finally took Maddie on a boat ride today. We took one of those Argosy Harbor Cruises in Seattle, and it was perfect! Maddie was in heaven! She loves doing anything with grandma and Christian, and especially being on the boat... finally! The weather was perfect!After the harbor tour, we went back to grandma's house and Christian and Maddie played in the sprinkler for a while. Christian is so good with Maddie, and she just adores him! She copies his every move!! It's pretty cute to watch.
And for a little update on Mike... he shot his first bear on Thursday afternoon. He was the first in his group to get a bear, and the same night, the agent he went with shot his too. As of last night, they were the only two from their group to shoot bears. I guess you can only shoot one bear, so they were done for the trip. So... they left to go back to Bob's house in Maine this morning. I haven't gotten to talk to him too much because he only had slight reception when he was up in the tree... when you're supposed to be very quiet, so I'd only talk to him for a few minutes most days, one day, not at all. And most of that he spent asking me how Maddie was doing, and how me and the baby were doing. He made sure to keep telling me that I needed to just lay down and relax and not do so much!

We are so anxious for him to return home on Sunday evening! It's been way too long! The other day, Maddie asked me if we could go to daddy's house. I don't know what she meant by 'daddy's house', I guess she just missed him and wanted to see him... poor girl!

Evening At The Park

It was such a nice evening out, and Maddie has been wanting to go to the park across the street every time we drive past it.

So tonight, I finally gave in. We were home pretty early, and the weather was perfect! It was such a nice night to go for a walk. Maddie loved going across the "wiggle bridge" and going down the slide, especially the "twisty slide".

We are finally getting a taste of summer here in Seattle!

Sunday Best

It's funny how when Mike is home, we have a hard time making it to church on time. But when he's been out of town, Maddie and I always seem to make it to church on time. The weird thing about this, is that it's not usually Mike that makes us late for church.... strange!

Here are a couple pictures of Maddie all ready for church, watching her cartoons, while I get things packed up and ready to go.

Happy Father's Day

Well, since Mike isn't around to let us celebrate Father's Day this year, I thought I'd do a post instead! Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the world!!! And it's a good thing he is, he'll need to be to raise two daughters!!! :) Lucky me, just as I was writing this, Mike was out on a back road somewhere in New Brunswick and happened to pick up reception on his phone (which he doesn't have in the lodge) so we got to talk to him this morning! Yea!!! Happy Father's Day, Mike! We love you!!! (And miss you too!)

Hair and Tantrums

Most of you know that Maddie has had a lovely mullet for a long time now (this gene I can blame FULLY on her dad... I had a head full of hair when I was born and never had that "mullet" look!) When her hair is so short on top, it's hard to do anything to it because the back is so much longer... and I just can't cut it yet! I'm afraid if I do, her curls will go away!!

Anyway, she is two years old, and I'm proud to say I can finally do some stuff with her hair now. I'm not the best at doing hair, but it works! Sometimes she likes to have it done, and sometimes she doesn't.

Speaking of Maddie and being two... she has completely started acting like a two year old. We've been having these constant tantrums over everything, all day long! The biggest fit she throws is if Mike or I give her a kiss. She will smack her face over and over to "wipe" it off and throw herself on the ground and cry. Life is pretty rough when you're two!!!For a baby update... I started having too many braxton hicks contractions on Wednesday afternoon/evening, so they sent me into the hospital to have a stress test done and monitor me and the baby. They pretty much slowed down to almost nothing by the time I got all hooked up to monitors. We waited there for about an hour or so, and then they sent me home and on "bed rest" for the next day or two. I had some more yesterday, but I wasn't about to go sit in a hospital again for the exact same thing (they hadn't gotten worse) and I'm glad I didn't, because these ones only lasted for about an hour. On top of all this, Mike just left for Maine this morning!! He is going up to New Brunswick, Canada with an agent to go bear hunting. We had to take him to the airport at 4:45am this morning! So not only am I supposed to be "taking it easy" (ya, haha, with a two year old!), but my husband will be out of town through next Sunday!

Enough of my complaining, it really isn't so bad! I am feeling much better today, and we are all just glad that the baby is still doing great!!! I'm barely passed my 30 week mark, so it's way too early for her to come out yet. Just keep cookin' baby!!! :)

Bathtub Swimming

Ever since Maddie went swimming in a pool in La Grande, she is constantly bringing me her swimsuits asking to go jump in the pool with Heather (her auntie that took her swimming). This morning, she took Mike two bathing suits. One for Maddie, and one for him! I was laughing pretty hard! So, as usual, daddy gave Maddie just what she wanted (well, part of what she wanted anyway... no, he didn't get into a bathing suit for her!) And next thing I know, she is in the bathtub with her Tinkerbell swimsuit on, "swimming". I guess I should just be grateful she is satisfied swimming in just the bathtub and not throwing a fit to go to the real pool!

Bowling

Maddie went bowling for the first time (to actually bowl herself). She loved it! We took the girls I nanny for, and Maddie beat both girls! She did use the little "cheater ramp" where you just push the ball down the ramp for about half the time, but the other half, she just pushed the ball down the lane. It was cute to watch her. And she LOVED the shoes! I thought that was too funny, she was so excited to walk around in her bowling shoes!

La Grande, Oregon

Maddie and I had a great trip to La Grande... mainly for Benjamin's graduation, but we love any excuse to go visit Parker, Brooklynn, and Jackson. Daddy couldn't make it with us this time, he was too busy at work, and we left way too early for him! So, Maddie and I got to hitch a ride with grandma on Wednesday morning, and didn't come home until Monday.
The kids had so much fun playing in the sprinkler together, going to the park, and swimming at the hotel pool where grandma and grandpa stayed. Maddie is a little too brave in the water... she didn't want anyone to catch her, and she wanted to jump in when nobody was around! I ended up buying her a life jacket/floating device so I wouldn't be so nervous about her "no fear" she has for the water! Maddie loved spending time with her cousins, Miles and Jackson. She is still talking about them! It was also fun spending Brooklynn's birthday with her. Happy 26th, Brooklynn!!!! We are very excited for Brooklynn & Parker to move to Portland area in a couple weeks! Maddie and I will definitely make a trip down on the train to see them this summer!
Although we had a great trip (minus Maddie having pink eye... yuck!), it was so great to come home and sleep in my own bed. But best of all, it was so nice to come home to my house spotless, laundry done, the stoves completely cleaned out (they needed it REALLY bad!), and I even had flowers waiting for me on the table! Maybe it's not so bad to go away for a couple days!!! Thanks Mike!!!!! You're the best!!! :)