Tuesday, June 1, 2010

9 months

Mads is crawling! well it is more of a scoot crawl, but she man can she move! Her favorite things to move towards are Bear, Sam or Scooter. She also loves getting to her books, blocks, balls and her music instruments. Girl can make some music!

She has a budding love affair with the water, which I love since I have my own standing love affair with water myself. She has been on the boat 2x this season already! a trip to the neighborhood pool as well as a dip in Lake Norman and some fun times at the Birkdale Splash pad.

Here she is getting ready to go on her 1st boat ride! She insisted that her hat match her life jacket. Quite the little Diva!

Here she is on her 2nd boat ride and she is already trying to drive!

The neighborhood pool was a little cold at 1st, but after a few minutes she was splashing like crazy!

It has been another wonderful month and it just keeps getting better. June will be another great month without even trying! It will be Patrick's 1st Father's Day, a fun family trip to Marathon, and our 2 year anniversary. Love. I am so blessed.

Monday, May 17, 2010

8 months can you believe it!

because I sure can't! our little baby is now 8 months old! She is growing up too fast. I came to the realization yesterday that we are raising our daughter so that she is strong and capable enough to leave us one day. This makes me very sad as she will one day no longer be here for us to hug every day and very happy as she will be an amazing woman. So, basically I am trying to work myself right out my job! and what a great job it is. I count my blessing every minute because there are so many for me to cherish.

Like our 1st family 5K in April

Watching her "fly" with daddy after a bike ride and the Farmer's Market

Laughing while helping me fold laundry. Mad's baby laughs are so contagious, if I could bottle them up I would

Mads was baptized on May 2nd @ St Therese Catholic Church-it obviously made her very tired!

Enjoying the Davidon Concerts on the Green

Getting ready to watch daddy play golf or watch golf ;)

The fact that she would rather stand than crawl

and when she does try to crawl she would rather scoot backwards on her heiny

I worry about what we do, if it the right thing for our family and I am reminded of a long ago bible verse from days at Island Christian

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:34

She reminds us every day how important everything we do is, because everything we do affects her just as much as it does us if not more so. She is a precious gift. I have a great husband and baby girl. I have never been so in love.

A friend has a quote that I love and it goes like this "Enjoy these moments, because this moment is your life"

What a life.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Mads is 7 months old and a post is long overdue

Mads is officially 7 months old, which means I am a momma to a 7 month old. This makes me thrilled and very sad at the same time. I was warned that it goes fast, but holy cow!!

Maddie's 1st Christmas-hanging out with her Grandpap, Papa and Nana

December 2010

Mad's 1st time eating solids-January 2010

PS it has gotten much easier, so easy the kid doesn't want to drink her formula at all anymore!

Mads and daddy on his Birthday! I think we have a daddy's girl on our hands!

February 2010

Mid-February we went on Mad's 1st trip to FL to see her Yai and Papa Jack. This was also her 1st plane ride! Here she is with Yai watching her 1st FL sunset.

She decided to take a nap while we were walking Duval St in Key West. She was not impressed with the craziness, she is after all a Kerlin-Carpenter

Mad Baby and I on my birthday. Patrick arranged a spa weekend in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn.

One of my best birthdays so far and my 1st with my little family.

March 2010

Mads absolutely loves the swings!

Scooter is Maddie's best friend. If you see Mads, you will find Scooter.

Mads has no interest in crawling and would rather be standing or sitting.

Like I said, she is a daddy's girl!

Patrick's 1st Tri of the 2010 season.

Swim Daddy Swim

Bike Daddy Bike

Run Daddy Run

Daughter, Loudon Wainwright III

Makes me think of the Madders. She is the love of our life!

Monday, January 4, 2010

2009

This past year we found out I was preggers (on Jan 4 so Happy new Year to us!), we both worked our tails off, I spent the summer preggers which wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, Pat raced in 5 triathalons, I was preggers, Pat was promoted, oh and did I mention I was preggers?

The end of the year found me knee deep in the throes of motherhood and Pat wondering how it all happened so fast— the first few weeks of sleepless nights, feeding our baby every three hours, devoting every waking second to a sometimes demanding infant. It’s in that first few months of motherhood (and I am sure beyond) when you realize that simple things like grocery shopping will become a chore and that you will never pee alone EVER again.

2009 also brought me closer to my family and closer to old friends whom as the saying goes are the best. Mads has helped me understand even more so what truly matters in life. The year also brought some sadness as we lost our Beaner Baby to cancer shortly before Thanksgiving. I am so thankful that Madeleine was able to meet him even if it was for a short time. Our fur babies are a huge part of our life and those close to us know how true that is.

2009 found me deeply in love — with my husband and with our little girl who has totally captured our hearts. It’s huge love! A love that can never be explained even though I try all the time. I always asked friends with children to explain life with children and the one constant was "You can't understand until you have one of your own" and that is so true.

Madeleine has only been in our life for 4 months, but she has somehow made us forget the last *AHEM* years before her :)

This past year went by too fast! The year began with just Patrick and I, a newly married couple and ended with a wiggly, big-eyed, gorgeous, smiley three month old.