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!

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.

Here’s to the next year! I know it will be even better then 2009.

Mads’ Goals for 2010

• 
  
  Start solid foods
  
• Start to form words
  
• Learn crawl/walk/stand
• Learn how to swim
• Help Mama &Daddy decide if they want to give me a baby brother or sister

Christmas!

Well, we have put up Madeleine's first Christmas tree and what a pretty tree it is!  Patrick and I picked out our family ornament as well as Maddie's first ornament to put on the tree.  We hope by the time she has her own home she will have enough ornaments to at least decorate a small tree and then she continue the same tradition with her family.  Nana and Papa were here to decorate the tree with us and we hope that is also a new Carpenter family tradition for our Maddie.

I still need to get the personalized stockings for the fireplace, but as usual I am second guessing my choice, so heres to hoping I make a choice before Christmas is over!  I haven't done much decorating this year other then the tree..I can't seem to motivate myself to take the week it normally takes to decorate the house for the holiday.  I know this is the last year I can get away with hardly any decorations as Patrick and Mads will hold me to it every year. She will love the Dept 56 Villages as much as I do, our own little village that we create to celebrate our family Christmas!

We are so blessed.

 I thank God every day for the love that he has blessed me with in my life.

Halloween and the start of November

We decided to dress up Maddie as a lobster for Halloween, we originally wanted to dress her as a piece of sushi, but figured we will wait until next year when she is mobile.

We also carved our first Halloween pumpkins as a family.  We used the pumpkins we got on our 1st Annual Carpenter Family Fall tradition outing to Patterson Farm.

Maddie is cooing up a storm and likes to let her voice be heard with little shrieks.  She has a great little laugh and smile that we will do anything to see!  She was 11lbs 11oz and 24 1/2 inches long at her 2 month visit last week.  She is getting so big!

Mads is 2 months old already!

It is hard to believe that our little ladybug is already 2 months old! it seems like only yesterday we were bringing her home for the first time, time is flying by too quickly already.

She is smiling and cooing now and is almost able to roll over by herself..she gets about halfway and then can't go any further, but she tries very hard.  She had her first "conversation" with her daddy on Sunday which was very special and heartwarming for all 3 of us. He would talk to her and she would coo back or he would make a face and she would try to copy him, she would even laugh when he did! It was a very special moment for our little family.

She loves to sleep on her tummy! This was so hard for me to do at first, but after a many daytime naps on the tummy and a few comforting words from my other mommy friends I let her go a night on her tums...she went out like a light! she has to rub her face on the bed a few times before she passes out, but according to Patrick he did the same thing as a child.  I just think she looks like Stevie Wonder and want to put sunglasses on her for the full effect!

We also went on our 1st annual Carpenter family Fall tradition this past Monday to pick our pumpkins for our Halloween Jack-o-lanterns.  Maddie was not a very happy camper, but she did enjoy walking around Patterson Farm on a beautiful Fall day.

Next step Thanksgiving!

Enter mommyhood

So, Patrick and I have officially decided that I will stay at home..it was something we had thought about for  quite some time, but only decided Tuesday.  I sent my notice into Footprints yesterday morning..sad about not working anymore, but "working" for Maddie is the hardest I have every worked in my entire life.

I my try to be a contract employee with Footprints, but it may not work out depending on what HR says..we shall see.

In the meantime Mads is getting so big and changing everyday..She is starting to give little smiles (unless her daddy is in the room and then she gives huge smiles!).  She is also finding her voice..I think she sounds like a terradactyl, but at least she is starting to make a noise other than cries.  Her eyes are still dark green and I am hoping they either stay that way or go hazel, but she does have the gene for brown eyes so only time will tell. The one thing that has stayed is her hair! that child has a ton of black hair and it is only getting thicker!

We are finally getting to try her cloth diapers as she is big enough now. I hope they work out well, if not we have found a brand of diapers that are biodegradable and do not have any polymers in them or that will stay around for 500 years.

She is also going through a rough spot with sleeping she is also at 6 weeks so she is also going through another growth spurt..at least I may get 2 weeks off between 6 and 10 weeks when she goes through another one..all I know is this kid sure can eat! but when you are as cute as she is, it is okay :)

I am researching mom groups and have found one through my friend Janis called LKN moms based in Mooresville.  We are also starting infant massage classes at the end of the month!