Random Photos from our Life

Madelyn is keeping us busy and always entertained. Enjoy some cute photos of our active daughter.

Loving the bubble machine from Eliza

The three baby dolls she got from her birthday (Stella, Scarlett & Hope)- She loves them all!

Meeting Fiona for the first time and giving her a kiss

Fiona, Katie and Madelyn (I wanted to bring her home with us!)

Biker Girl complete with her sunglasses which she loves wear!

Brian picks Madelyn up most days from school on his bike

Trying out the bike trailer for the first time--she loved it.

Brian told Madelyn she needed pants, so she ran upstairs and grabbed my underware & put them on. Too cute!

Trying out her slippers from Jen.

She recently became obsessed with pacifiers. I think she sees other kids use them at school and wondered what they were like. She is still our thumb sucker though.

Loving her house from Grandma and Grandpa Hartsell

Baby Girl #2

We are so excited to announce that Madelyn will have a little sister due January 22, 2014. So far this pregnancy has been good and both mom and baby are healthy. I was happy to learn that I passed my hour glucose test so I don't have to do the three hour one like I did with Madelyn!  Overall, I have just been more tired this pregnancy but I sure that has something to do with coming home to a vibrant two-year-old who wants to play with me.

Another positive thing is that my blood work is saying I am in fact Rh+.  My midwives suspect that I have a weak "Du" variant which gave a false negative.  What is a "Du" variant?  It is actually an Rh Positive antigen, which would make a woman "Rh Positive," but since it is very weakly expressed in tests, it's possible to be mistakenly read as Rh Negative. So this time around, I don't need to get rhogam shots! Too bad last time, I didn't get tested further for the Du variant.

We had to go a level two ultrasound because the level one saw kidneys enlarged by 2 ml (pyelectasis). Even my midwives didn't really understand why they wanted to look further at the kidneys but thought it was good to follow the advice of the radiologist just to be sure (even though there is NOTHING that can be done for the baby until they are born!).  We went to the level 2 ultrasound and again that radiologist questioned why we were even there but did the exam anyways.  Everything was completely normal and good.  The only good thing was the radiologist was very supportive of me trying for a VBAC so that was encouraging to hear from a doctor.

I saw my midwife for the last time this pregnancy because starting at 28 weeks, I have to start seeing the OBs in hopes of having a successful VBAC. I am not looking forward to meeting with OBs since I love my midwives but we'll see how it goes in a few weeks.

Madelyn seems to be understanding that a baby is in mommy's tummy. She came with us to the 20 week ultrasound and saw the baby on the screen. She was very good during the exam but seemed more concerned with making sure mommy was okay than looking at the baby. She liked holding onto my feet during the exam.

20 weeks

She likes her big sister shirt and LOVES her "When Madelyn was a Baby" book we made which talks all about what we did when Madelyn was a baby. She wants to read it every day and laughs hysterically at a photo of her and her daddy crying!

We've been taking photos from 14 weeks to document this little one growing.  I've been wearing a white shirt this time around.  I meant to start at 12 weeks but that was actually Madelyn's 2nd birthday week and time just got away. We plan on taking photos every 4 weeks like last time.



Here are the photos from when Madelyn was in my tummy!

Weekend with Three Kids

Beth and Joe went to Italy for 2.5 weeks and we got to have Connor and Juliana for two days and two nights the last weekend before they came home. We had a lot of fun with them but unfortunately the weather wasn't hot enough to go to the pool like we have originally planned so we had to improvise. We were also sad that we couldn't fit all three car seats in one car so anywhere we went, we had to take two cars and Madelyn always wanted to ride in Connor's car so Juliana and I were always without two-year-olds which she was sad about but I was okay with :)  Juliana and I did have fun listening & singing along to Madelyn's music together CD. Juliana loved the "Trot Old Joe" song. I think it reminded her of her dad.

Friday night, my parents brought Juliana and Connor (and all their stuff!) to Chipotle where we ate dinner. Just as we were ready to leave, we realized that we couldn't find Juliana and Madelyn. After some searching outside, we found them looking out the window in the back of the store, phew! Of all times for them to be quiet! Then we headed home and put everyone to bed early even Juliana, who was falling asleep as I read to her. The kids were exhausted from their grandparents house. Connor's been afraid of being alone so we tried him sleeping on the bed in Madelyn's room. Since they are used to sleeping with other kids around at daycare, we thought it might work. They did okay until about 2 am when each one kept waking up the other one.  Brian ended up going to sleep with Madelyn and Connor came to sleep with me which worked out okay for the rest of the night.

Saturday, we decided got up and went to get muffins on our bikes at a local bagel shop.  Brian took all three on this bike with one in the kangaroo seat and the other two in the trailer.  It was pretty funny seeing all of them on his bike but it was fun. Then we decided to go to the SciTech museum downtown Aurora. I had remembered it fondly from when I was a kid so I thought that it might be fun for the kiddos on this cold day.  When we got there, we were surprised to find it was a free day! Luckily it wasn't too busy.  Juliana seemed to like the science exhibits but liked the 3 wall-mirrors the best--she spent probably 30 minutes just looking at herself in all the different directions. Madelyn and Connor liked the rocket launcher, the photo wall and the kids area where Connor built a house with large blocks.  Brian even got us a special treat of popcorn for snack!

After nap, we decided to go hiking at a local forest preserve.  First we tried hiking in the woods but we were being attacked by the mosquitoes so we settled for hiking up a big hill and around the lake.  Madelyn wanted her blanket so we were at our cars when Connor announced that he was going to climb the big hill and proceeded to walk towards and up the hill no matter how much we yelled at him to stop.  He even crossed a small entrance road.  He pretty much got up the hill before Brian running with Madelyn caught up to him.  What a little stinker! Needless to say he loved climbing the hill. Brian, Madelyn and Connor climbed the hill again after Connor promised to "stop his feet" if Brian asked him to.  Juliana and I took Leia for a walk around the lake while they climbed the big hill again. After all that hiking, the kids were in need of a bath. They always love taking baths together in our big tub!  Saturday night we decided to try Juliana and Connor in the same room but Connor also woke up around 2 am.  Oh well!

Sunday morning Connor and Juliana helped me make waffles.  They were a great help and did a good job taking turns dumping in the ingredients.  Then we went to a fun park by our house. The park is neat because it's unlike most playgrounds because the slides are built into the surrounding area.  The kids had fun and had no problem squishing all three of them into the wagon.  We put the kids down for an early nap in hopes that they would get some good sleep before heading back to grandma & grandpas.  We were surprised that neither Connor or Juliana wanted to go back to grandma & grandpas--a place they usually love since they get lots of treats (I am happy to say that Juliana asked for no treats while at our house!).  Connor was obsessed with a ride-on musical toy so much that we brought it to my parents to appease him!  Juliana didn't want to go because she was going to miss Leia. She loved helping feed her,  throw balls to her and walk her.

All the kids reading their books! Beth would be proud!

Madelyn obsessed with Connor's water bottle

Telling the Green Monster to "GO AWAY"

Digging for bones at SciTech

Snack Time at SciTech!

Connor and Juliana playing with the water guns their parents gave them that day along with a note

Connor climbing the big hill all alone!

Connor!

You can barely see him way on top of the hill!

Madelyn, Connor and Juliana on the big rock on top of the hill

Running down the hill: Leia, Juliana and Connor

Three in a wagon built for two!

Infant Massage Birthday Bash

We celebrated our infant massage group turning TWO.  We were supposed to go to blackberry farm but the rain just would not corporate!  We ended up going to Bridget and Annabel's house last minute.  We were so grateful to them for hosting with no notice!  The girls each exchanged gifts.  Madelyn gave Eliza shape sorting cupcakes and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.  Alyssa gave Madelyn Think Fun Roll Play Board Game which is a game that teaches colors.  Most of the girls enjoyed eating their carrot cake cupcakes. After cupcakes, they had fun eating their picnic lunch on the family room floor.  They also entertained us by spinning and dancing and playing Ring Around the Rosie.

Eliza opening up the gift Madelyn gave her

Shape sorting cupcakes! -- She loved them!

The new additions: Sophia (Cecilia's sister)  & Bradley (Ava's brother)

Madelyn enjoyed her cupcake but liked the frosting the most.

Eliza being goofy and happy to have her cupcake!

Best photo of all 6: Alyssa, Annabel, Eliza, Ava, Cecilia  & Madelyn

Ava inhaled her cupcake. I think she was the only one that finished it completely.

Annabel liked it better without the frosting on top.

Eliza and Madelyn spinning!

Alyssa, Annabel, Madelyn, Eliza & Cecilia - Dancing

All 6: Alyssa, Annabel, Eliza, Madelyn, Cecilia & Ava

Ring Around the Rosie with baby: Annabel, Cecilia, & Madelyn

Cecilia's mom even joined in on the fun!

Brian's Triathlon

Brian did the Oswego Triathlon for the third time and Madelyn and I went to cheer him on again. Madelyn loved when bikers and runners would come by us. She kept saying "more bikers" or "more runners" and when they came by she would say "good running" or "yeah biker."  There's a little video of her cheering at the end.

Brian in the water with the blue top on dead center

The first wave of swimmers

Madelyn and her "go daddy" sign

Almost done biking

Madelyn cheering with her "clapper"

Almost done with the race

Madelyn and Daddy after the race

Brian wasn't the only one exhausted after the race

Brian realized he should have worn sunscreen. His number 189 was marked on him for awhile!

Here's Madelyn cheering saying "Yeah Biker!" and clapping her "clapper."

Hartsell Visit

Madelyn was lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa Hartsell come visit her for her birthday. Here are a few cute photos from our breakfast on Sunday morning before they headed back to Omaha.

Blowing on Grandpa's face

Grandpa, Madelyn and Grandma

Getting Madelyn back by blowing on her back!