300....

As many of you know, I am sort of "into" numbers. Well I came up with a one that has a little significance today! The number "300". No, it doesn't have to do with Leonidas or about how many MLB pitchers have over 300 victories (23 if you're wondering). It has to do with a girl that was born 300 days ago. I've got to tell you that this beautiful little girl has really opened my eyes and helped me understand realize what is important in life.

As many of you know, I am probably one of the biggest sport fans that you will come across. Once the college football season rolled around, I didn't have that same "fire" that I had the past few years. I honestly hated leaving Madelyn and Bethany at home while I was out for a "few" hours at a football game. I also noticed that I didn't get as upset over a loss (yes, I know there were many). Being able to see my little girl roll over, crawl, or eat rice cereal for the first time was such an awesome experience (and meant much more than a win or loss)

Over the past 300 days, Bethany and I have really become a "team". I cannot thank her enough for all that she has done and what she has taught me. I've got to say that making me change those first diapers wasn't fun, but I realized that it would allow her a few minutes to unwind.

A few unforgettable experiences over the past 300 days....

-1st bottle...A few weeks after Madelyn was worn, I was able to bottle feed her. There were only two things that she was focused on at that time, the bottle and me. The "connection" was something I will remember forever.

-Bath time...Giving Madelyn a bath each night can get interesting. It's absolutely amazing how quickly she moved from a sponge...to a "tub" by the sink...to hanging out in a regular bathtub. Who thought bath time wouldn't be fun?

-Coming home...I love watching Madelyn's face light up when I open the back door and see her. She is so anxious to get out of the car seat and hold on to me for a few minutes. Or nowadays when I come home on Bethany's day off and Madelyn will crawl quickly to meet me. I honestly can't describe how great it feels to see my baby girl crawl as fast as she can with her eyes glowing and a big grin.

-Clothing...I really enjoy buying clothes for Madelyn (maybe a little too much). I still remember a couple months ago when Bethany just shook her head when I came home with a few outfits for Madelyn.



Some things I've "learned" over the past 300 days...

-If the Madelyn is sleeping, don't mess with her! That means don't open the door to watch her sleep or make any noise in the area. I've learned this the hard way......too many times. What can I say? I love taking a quick peak at my little girl before I go to sleep.
-Cook, clean, do the laundry, grocery shop......I know those aren't "fun" things to do, but they removed a lot of stress from my loving wife.
-If you are going to eat out with the baby, eat out early! I used to laugh about eating out early, but Madelyn's attitude was great (and it was funny seeing 8 other couples with babies doing the same thing).
-Go to sleep early. I used to stay up until midnight playing video games or watching tv. I quickly learned I wasn't as productive the next day if I was staying up doing "nothing".
-DVR. Catching up on tv shows is a lot easier when Madelyn is sleeping.


.....well 300 days have already passed and I look forward to many more days with my little girl. It feels like yesterday we were bringing Madelyn home from the hospital and freaking out about how on earth we were going to raise a baby! I've got to say that time flies by........and I thank the Lord for every minute!

I'm stuck............not really

From a few weeks ago....





BTW, this exersaucer is great, except for the fact that one of the songs it plays is "The Eyes of Texas" (also known as "I've Been Working on the Railroad").

They see me rollin' They hatin'.....

Madelyn loves riding in her '08 Chicco cruiser (picked it up during model year closeout). You can often see Bethany cleaning up the house while Madelyn rides around listening to the latest Taylor Swift album on her MP3 player (not really.....but she is a big fan of Ms. Swift).

....the bearded baby?!?!?!

Madelyn dipped her face in the bath and came out with a new look....


So we decided to give her a new hairstyle.....

Santa Pics

We took Madelyn to see Santa this week. She did pretty good, no crying but we could not get a smile out of her either. She just stared at the photographer ringing the bells.

Chaz......................and Madelyn

Whenever I pull into the driveway at our house, our youngest cat (Chaz) enjoys greeting me at the door. I actually think he can hear me drive around the corner and he anxiously awaits my arrival. Finally have a pic of him waiting......

I'd also like to mention that he enjoys "meowing" right in front of Madelyn's room when she is asleep.......and he knows exactly what he is doing!



.....and what would a blog be without Madelyn.

Heading to the Big D.....

A couple months ago Bethany had a weekend full of continuing education (which meant that Madelyn and I got to play around in Dallas while Mommy was learning).

Our first stop was a rest stop outside of Huntsville. Madelyn was hungry....so everyone ate lunch and headed down the road. Below is a pic of Madelyn's first "rest stop." BTW, we only made it about 30 miles.......Madelyn had a "blow out" (fortunately all four tires on the 4Runner were ok).


Below is a video of Madelyn's thoughts about her first road trip.


Here's a pic of Madelyn "snacking" as we approach the Dallas city limits.


This was Madelyn's first planned getaway (thanks IKE)....which meant it was also her first time to hang out on a large hotel bed. She had a pretty good time!!!!!


We stayed at the Fairmont Hotel (which was also the hotel that Sarah Palin spoke at while in Dallas (below is a pic of the "protest".....there were two sides of course).


Finally, below are some pics of some places we stopped while in Dallas.