Video of Maddie at 6 wks :)

Discovery Museum!

Last sunday we headed over to the local kid's museum.  Since Steve has been traveling so much with his new job, it was nice to spend the day together.  Maddie slept in the carrier the hole time and Olivia loved trying out all the different activities that the museum had to offer.

Olivia at Gymnastic's video

Splash pad and pool fun with Caroline!

 So we have had a few really hot days recently so we have found a few fun ways to keep cool :)  We had our friend Caroline over for Popsicles and set up the kiddie pool. Both girls will be going to the same preschool in the fall and are the same age.  They were wicked cute playing together, and Liv followed Caroline around the yard as they looked for rocks.  They had a blast spraying each other with the hose and it was perfect sunny afternoon :)

The town has a cute little "splash pad" that is meant for toddler's to go and play on hot days.  We headed over there to check it out. Olivia was a little scared of the spraying water and pretty much danced around the outside of the fountains the whole time.  We stopped for some ice-cream on the way home!

Manny and Sadie!

We've had a few requests for updates on the dogs so this one is for all of you animal lover's that love the dogs.  Manny is still a lunatic, at almost 5 years old he has not mellowed out at all.  He does love our big bag yard, loves eating all the different bugs in Tn, and has showed signs of OCD when harassing the squirrels in the neighborhood.  He still sneaks outside off a leash and has a few new friends in the neighborhood.  His new favorite person is Olivia because she loves to feed him from her highchair.  He has developed a taste for just about everything except peas and popcorn.  He is terrified of the vacuum and attacks the hair-dryer. He has gained a few more pounds and has a strong hatred for the mailman and UPS truck!  Sadie is as good as ever, however has recently become very protective over the girls.  Until she knows the person entering the house, she stands between them and the girls and will not let them close.  She follows Olivia everywhere in the yard and is constantly looking to make sure it is all clear (you never know when a rabid animal could attack!J/K)  Sadie now sleeps next to Liv's crib, and loves to give her kisses through the crib bars after nap is over.  She still loves to chase the ball and chase birds in the yard.  Both dogs wait at the window every single day in the afternoon waiting for Steve to come home from work:) Here's a few recent pic's, Enjoy!

Manny sun bathing on the deck

Both dogs helping Olivia look for Easter Eggs, (sadie thought they were balls)

Sadie posing for the camera

Manny interested in Maddie's bath!

Manny helping Mimi pull Liv in the sled this winter!

1 month old!!

So our little Madelyn is getting very big, very quickly! Olivia and I brought her to her check-up today, like a typical mom I was afraid she wasn't eating enough, was underweight, and basically worrying about every little thing....I thought this would go away since she was my second child and then I realized it would never ever go away.....I would worry about how her first day of school would be, the first time she would drive her own car, and what college to choose.  This little epiphany I had just happened to be when Olivia was trying to take of all her clothes in the doctor's office, Maddie was screaming, and I realized I had forgotten my purse, so needless to say it was a short lived thought:) Anyways Maddie is a whopping 10 pounds, 21.5 inches long, overall healthy....... and has colic.  Yes the screaming sessions for hours for no reason finally have a name.  After trying numerous different formulas, numerous gas drops, burping techniques, and complete exhaustion the first month of her life we have an answer.  In a weird way it makes me feel better,  knowing that it is not our parenting, rather a symptom that goes away over time.  Tonight, since Steve is traveling for work, I was on duty alone, however instead of getting overwhelmed and stressed about her crying...I rocked her, shushed her, and cuddled her as she screamed her head of I thought that much sooner than I want she will be going to prom and I will wish anything that I could turn back time.

Goodbye Pacifier, Hello Potty Training!

     Clearly the 3-4 hours of sleep I have been getting since Maddie has been born has made me delusional and come up with these ideas without thinking them through...hence getting rid of Olivia's pacifier while there is a newborn in the house.  It started out as a great idea, or perhaps I thought it was a great idea after a glass of wine. Moving on, we told Olivia the Princess Binky Fairy was going to come last weekend and in exchange for all of her Binky's, she would receive a gift.  Again, didn't think this part out because I was searching the house for all of her Binky's, however the tricky part was trying to take the one out of her mouth without waking her up. The next morning she could have cared less about the sticker's the princess binky fairy had brought and didn't mention her binky until nap time.  She then proceeded to scream for 30 min. before falling asleep.  That night proved more difficult, Steve was out of town for work ( I had planned it that way, he tends to see Liv cry and he can't say no.....I know I know.. wait until she's a teenager then he's really in for it!) As I was trying to get her into her crib, and put pj's on Maddie, Olivia started screaming for her binky and ripping her wall stickers of her wall.  Three hours later, she was sleeping in my bed and I was defeated, however no binky!!  I peacefully slept for about 20 minutes before Maddie woke me up to eat.  Now, a week later she is sleeping through the night in her crib...that's the great news..... Instead of her pacifier, she now cuddles with a book...yes I said a BOOK.  Not just any book, a hardcover princess book that she sleeps right next to with her arm around.  If you put her to bed without the book, expect a war.  But at this point a book is better than her being 16 with a pacifier!!
     Now, moving on to my 2nd bright idea.  I decided to start the process of potty training in the middle of the binky situation, having a newborn at home, and being extremely sleep deprived.  We bought a new princess throne potty that when you "tinkle" a princess song magically plays.  We also bought princess pull-ups and stickers for bribery.  Well..none of it works....Olivia sees the pull-ups and runs the other way screaming "Mommy scared mommy scared of potty!" Seriously I am beginning to think that she is never going to get out of diapers.....

Gymanstics!

Since the weather is so hot down here this summer, Steve and I were looking for indoor activities that I would be able to keep both girls inside.  A friend suggested the gymnastic class so we tried it out! I was nervous that Olivia wouldn't leave my side and thus a waste of money. Well I couldn't have been more wrong, she walked right onto the floor and said Bye Mumma! She did wonderful listening to the teacher and had a blast doing the trampoline, balance beam, and bars.  At the end of class, I told her to say thank-you, and she says "thank-you lady," to the teacher....it was soo funny! Here are a few pictures!

climbing the ladder

one of the balance beams

listening to the coach!

Just did a roll!

the bars!

jumping

ready to practice!

she told the coach to "no touch" lol

not going to lie this made me nervous!

Sisterly Love!

Here's a few new pictures:)

Olivia trying to get Maddie to play barbies

Notice the barbie laying next to Maddie now!

I'll admit it I LOVE dressing them the same!!

Big smiles!

Liv helped feed the baby!

Ok so this next set of pictures is Olivia posing for the camera. Clearly I have been watching too much Real Housewives because I have taught Olivia that when I say"Fabulous" She starts a series of posing...can we say Diva in training?!!

Neighbor's and Baseball!

 This past weekend we had some neighbor's over who have a daughter around Liv's age and a baby boy about 3 weeks older than Maddie.  We had some great burgers and the kid's played nicely together:)  The girls played dress-up and were excited to sit at their own little kid table during dinner! Both Chad and his wife Nicole are from the south, so we learned some new terminology like what limousine is (not the vehicle) and of course we watched the Bruins game:)

 On Sunday Steve took Liv to see the Nashville Sounds baseball game, which is a minor league team to the Brewer's. Olivia loves the mascot Ozzie, and spends the majority of the game either singing "Take me out to the Ball game," or searching for Ozzie and screaming his name!  It was nice to have an afternoon to myself and Olivia loved that her Dad bought her popcorn and spent the next 3 days asking for popcorn

!