Weekend with my Daddy

Daddy likes to show me off in public...he won't let Mama hold me at all!

Daddy thought this was so funny. Mama did not.

Here I am, just being cute! I am not always this serious. I just get dazed when the camera comes out.

All is well....

We have (knock on wood) survived weaning from the pacifier, and now much prefer our two fingers on our right hand.

Cold Turkey

As if Mondays weren't bad enough...we endured a bad break-up today. After a two month-long love affair, we threw out all of Madeleine's pacifiers. AHHH!!! Why, you may ask? The sad truth is that she has become a pacifier crack-head and was well on her way to celebrity rehab if we didn't step in and stage and intervention. I've heard the best way is to go cold-turkey...meaning she is in her crib screaming as I type. We'll let you know how we survive the rest of the night. Wish me (I say me and not "us" because Bryan can sleep through anything) luck!!!

SHOTS

Maddie went in for her 4 month check-up today. She is 13 lbs, 3oz and has joined the "2 foot club" by measuring in at 24 inches. Today's round of shots were much tougher than the last. Maddie screamed, screamed, and screamed some more...and then the nurse gave her the shots! She eventually settled down and was smiling by the time I put her in her carseat to head home. She has been asleep ever since! The doctor said everything else seems to be going great! You go, baby girl!

O-Yeah!

BEFORE TONIGHT'S BIG PRIMARIES...

AFTER TONIGHT'S BIG PRIMARIES...

What a difference 3 months makes....

CALIFORNIA!!!

Maddie and I just got back from visiting my sister and my niece for 10 days in warm, sunny California. We had a great time and we cannot wait to go back in April when my sister has her baby!

Maddie discovered her thumb one hour after we got off the plane. She rediscovered it many more times througout the trip.

Southern California

We took a road trip to visit my grandparents over the weekend. 80 degrees and sunny!

It was warm enough that we took Maddie to the outdoor pool for her first swimming lesson.

Disneyland

We decided to hit up Disneyland while we were in SoCal. The weather was PERFECT and we had a great time! Nanno (my dad) joined us and watched Maddie so I could actually hit up some rides.

This is how a 3 1/2 month old does Disneyland...

Maddie does the "Thriller Dance" while she's waiting for us to get off the rides!

So, Lulu's favorite part of Disneyland was the "princesses". We spent quite a bit of time covered in glitter and fairy dust, but she had a great time. So great, in fact, that my sister decided it would count as Lulu's birthday party! And Lulu bought it! Check out the "Badger" tongue in this photo...

SoCal continued...

Madeleine and Lulu with their great-grandparents, George and Wini Badger. How cool is it that Maddie has SIX living great-grandparents!

When we got home from Southern California, we completed Lulu's impromptu early birthday party with cake and presents, followed by some crazy before-bed shenanagans with the two girls. So cute!

Infant tylenol drops are located along the back wall under the pharmacy counter at the Safeway on Union Avenue in San Jose - not in the pain relief or baby section like you might think. Trust me, you want to know this piece of information. It may come in handy some day. Like, say, oh, I don't know... last Tuesday night, perhaps, when Madeleine spiked a 102.2 fever at 12:30am. Four stores and a wide awake aunt and uncle later, Maddie got her drugs and was happy as a clam. I, on the otherhand, couldn't fall asleep due to my loathing of Safeway stores everywhere....boo Safeway night stock people!

Home, Sweet Home

We made it home yesterday to cold, cold Chicago. Okay, so my daughter can officially sleep anywhere. This child did not wake up the entire flight until we were on the ground, at the gate, and the captian turned on the lights and came over the loud speaker. Anticipating my daughter's cooperation, I commandered an entire row and slept a little myself! Here's the trick - on the flight out I strategized by taking an aisle seat of an empty row. I made sure Maddie was fussing so no one would want to sit near us. No such luck. On the return flight, I took the same position, but this time I made sure Maddie was sleeping soundly in her Maya Wrap (I will post a picture of her in it when I get it from my dad. It is, by far, one of the cutest things youv'e ever seen - she is all wrapped up in there with just her little peanut head sticking out!) She was so cute and serene that no one dare ask me to stand up to let them in. Worked like a charm!

We stayed home today, trying to recover from our last few sleepless nights. As you can tell by Maddie's first run in the Bumbo seat, we were both a little sleep deprived and fussy!