Wigging out!

For a child who HATES anything on her head, this was an entertaining evening! I brought home a wig for MY Halloween costume and Maddie was obsessed with it! It's funny to see her with any kind of hair, especially synthetic, black -as- night, curly hair! She knew she was entertaining us, and we, her audience, laughed on cue. My little show-off....

Not so rosy....

Apparently, Maddie has the Roseola virus. A few days ago she had an inexplicable high fever that got to 104 degrees! She was very clingy and cranky but no obvious symptoms. I took her to her Pediatrician and he said he thought she had a virus of some kind an she should be fine in a few days. Three days, no sleep and pierced eardrums later, she still has a fever! She barely eats, is so pale (as though she weren't fair enough) and is sleeping for hours an hours and hours....not like her at all! Today she developed a rash that has gotten progressively worse through the day. I called the Nurse on call and she guessed Roseola based on the info I gave her. Sounds right to me! Poor thing...she is absolutely miserable! Taking her in tomorrow for an official diagnosis. We had to miss Oktoberfest with the family for Monique's Birthday but got to go over for a quick bite to eat and cake! Here's hoping I get some rest and my angel gets all better!

UPDATE: We took Maddie back to the doctor because her fever would not abate and the rash seems worse. He did confirm a viral rash, probably Roseola and a double ear infection! :( At least now we have some antibiotics to hopefully ease her discomfort.

Chatty Cathy!

As previously stated, Miss Maddie is quite independent. She reaches milestones with lightening speed at times and at a snail's pace other times. One place she seems to excel is in her speech. She talks all the time (much to my dismay :), usually in her baby-babble but will most certainly repeat words said to her repetitiously. Her first word was "hi". We would pick her up from her crib and she'd greet us with a big grin and a "Hi!". Since then, she can say (in no particular order):

1. bug (usually referring to ladybugs)

2. dada

3. mamma

4. Tig-Tig (my sister's dog)

5. ball

6. bye-bye

7. baby

8. poopie (hee hee..that one's my fault)

9. D-D-D-D (the beginning of the Dora The Explorer theme song)

10. ba-ball (for Meatball, our silly pug)

11. Night-night

12. baboon (balloon...which she is currently obsessed with!)

13. uh-oh

14. Belle (for her cousin Bella)

15. Oma (German for grandma)

16. Momo (my sis)

17. Shoe

These are the words we can make sense of anyway! She really loves books an being read to so I hope a large vocabulary and a love of reading is in her future! We know jabbering away will be...if she's anything like her mother! Ha!

I miss fall...

I am always complaining about Florida (why do I live here again??)...to the point of annoyance to anyone in the vicinity of my soapbox. I am just not a fan of summer. All year. Sure, we have a few chilly days here and there, but the scenery NEVER changes. Fall is probably the season I miss most living in the great white north. The changing leaves, the crisp air....it's delicious. Here, it is still hot (as per the usual) and green. I like green. But some burnt orange, golden yellow and crimson red would be fabulous.

Soooo...it is always my goal to do as many corny (get it? Fall? Corny?...) fallish things I can find, even if it is in shorts and a tank top. Pppfffttthhh...

First activity: the Fall Festival at Lakes Park. Second: Oktoberfest. Third: pick out a pumpkin and carve that sucker! And finally, the culmination of all this fun...Halloween!! Here are some pics of the good times....even if it's not exactly ideal.

But look how cute I am!

I am being played. I can just feel it. How does a 15 month old know how to manipulate an adult so blatantly?! Maddie has become so sneaky it's frightening. Her newest who-is-this-baby move is to act initially wounded when being reprimanded then looking you dead in the eye, crinkling her little button nose and smiling the sweetest smile while cocking her head ever so slightly to the side as if to say, "How can you possibly resist this face? You are slave to my charms...". I have fallen into the trap a few times, I must confess. And just as quickly, it passes. The elixir to the spell is mine and I am back in mommy-mode. I am just flabbergasted at the ability of a baby to make me forget all the lessons I am trying to teach her. I have scolded Garret more than a few times for falling victim to the charms of his sweet baby daughter who clearly knows how to manipulate her weak daddy. Now, I too am too easily played. Well my dear...it ends now! I have you figured out and it's back to mommy being the boss and baby learning how to NOT be a terror-toddler that I wished I had a stronger will with. Dun, dun, dun (cue the sinister music....)

FSU game!

Ok, so my first experience with college football was, well, lackluster to put it mildly. Garret was so excited to take me to Tallahassee, to his Alma Mater, show me where he lived, introduce me to friends (we were newly dating) and to my very first college football game. I can't decide what was worse...that they lost or that it was a scoreless game (with the exception of the opposing team's field goal for the win). He was determined to change my lack of interest in ANY football, more or less college football. We went to a game in Miami and had, well, a great time AND FSU won! YAY! I still think the sport is kind of dragged out and boring at times but this is one heck of a group of fans! Go Noles!! I'm so on the bandwagon....

WHOO-HOOOO!! Maddie is finally walking! I knew she would...eventually! As I mentioned in a prior post, this child is on her own schedule! Rules and timelines do not apply! I am still deciding if this means she's independent and strong-willed or just plain lazy. Hmmm.....

Now, don't misunderstand...she's no pro just yet. It's clumsy. It's intermittant. But where she preferred her speedy crawl before, she now clumsily navigates on two feet, applauding her actions with each step. I think she finally realized it's a whole different world up here. So much to grab and get into (gulp). Lord help us.....

Oma's Big 6-0!

Me: "So mom, what do you wanna do for your 60th?" (partially expecting an extravagant answer...like a cruise or something spendy of the like). Mom: "I wanna eat real German food." Huh, that should be easy, I think to myself. I surf the Internet, ask around, check the local papers for recommendations and happen upon a newer German Restaurant in town. Perfect. Orrrr, not. The service was awful (the server spilled beer all over my sister's new expensive phone that, P.S., was in her diaper bag on the floor not on the table!), the food was eh and the bill was outrageous. At least we had yummy cake and she had a good time! Oh, and no seasickness.

Just a swangin'...

What can I say? The child loves to swing and finds it utterly hilarious! Oma got her the swing for Christmas last year and while she has always enjoyed it, she now pounds on the sliding glass doors to get to it! It's so sweet to hear her little giggle that draws out our neighbor who peaks in just to catch a glimpse of the hilarity!