3 years old!

Unbelievable. We just celebrated Miss M's 3rd birthday. Where has the time gone? I truly don't know.

It was a fun day! We had a family party plus one of her best buds, and this year she didn't seem to mind being the center of attention. Well, not that she ever has...but she certainly wasn't shy about opening gifts or anything like that. She did, however, voice her opinion that we were NOT to sing the birthday song. So we chorused a hearty "Happy birthday Madison" instead.

I'm not thrilled with a lot of the pictures I took this year, so I'm anxiously awaiting to see the ones my dad shot. When I get a few from him I'll probably add those here as well. Speaking of pics, I know why you all visited this blog, so here goes...

The theme was ladybugs...as you can see from the cake and accompanying cupcakes!

Make a wish...

Getting some help from her buddy Karsten, when opening gifts.

A nice shot of my dad and Miss M.

Loving the bouncer she got!

And these are always fun...comparison pics!

1st birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

and baby will make 4!

With this post I have some exciting news to announce...come August, the star of this blog, the one and only Miss M, will become a big sister!

We've just started telling folks other than family. I still feel safer waiting until the first trimester is over, and now that I'm almost 15 weeks we're more comfortable sharing the news.

When I was pregnant with Madison, I kept a journal of how things were going. It was a separate blog, actually, posted to keep family and friends updated on our progress. I was looking though the printout the other day and realized I started posting at 13 weeks. Since I’m already worried about giving Baby #2 equal time—you know, where there are a zillion pictures and videos of the firstborn but half as many for any subsequent children—I figured it’s only fair to keep a pregnancy journal for him/her, too. I'm doing that in Word, but I may post entries from time to time here as well.

So far this pregnancy has been nearly identical to my first. I have had no morning sickness (didn’t think I’d be that lucky!) and have only the tiredness/exhaustion that comes with the body working extra hard to grow a little person during the first several weeks. I’m coming out of that now, so I’m feeling really good. I had my 12 week appointment two weeks ago and everything is going fine. Dr. Dutta (my new OB…Dr. Galvan, who took me when I was pregnant with M, left the practice) caught the baby’s heartbeat right away and it was perfect, at 160.

One think I’d like to do (but keep forgetting) is take pictures of my growing belly, week by week. I’ve seen people do this and it’s a really neat way to document growth. I’m just now showing a bit, so this would be a good time to start!

I do have ultrasound pics from the 8 week mark but haven't scanned them yet. If I don't get around to that (quite possible!) I will be sure to post the ones from the big u/s, which will occur around week 18, I believe. That's the one where we'll know if we'll have a girl or boy.

Hope everyone is surviving the winter doldrums. The good news is that Feb. is almost over...March is right around the corner! I know that doesn't mean warm weather necessarily, but at least "March" *sounds* springlike!

my funny valentine

You know the best part about almost-3-year-olds? They're pretty much game to try anything new and exciting. I made some sugar cookies the other day for Valentine's Day with the idea in mind that Miss M would get a kick out of decorating them.

We invited her friend Karsten over to help, but I forgot to take pictures of the kids that day. They both enjoyed using (and even more so, eating) the icing and sprinkles. M and I finished the rest yesterday, and I was on top of things enough to get the camera out this time. Here are some pictures from our artsy, edible event!

Mustard/ketchup squeezy bottles work wonders when you're trying to keep a mess at bay!

The sprinkle Queen

Ta-da! The completed batch.

we're goin' to the gym, gym, gym...

...And we finally got to take Daddy along! Since he was on break, we were able to all go to to the Open Gym at Rising Stars. What a great resource to have in town when you're looking for ways to burn off excess energy in toddlers/preschoolers...especially during these winter months when we're stuck inside all the time.

The gym has several in-floor trampolines, a big foam block pit, hula hoops, giant balls to chase around, stuff to climb, ropes to swing from, etc. I really think they need to have one day a month dedicated to adults, however. I'd LOVE to play on everything without having to worry about stepping on a stray kid!

Kevin thought it was cool, too. We took some pictures, but the lighting isn't great so they're a bit dark. Still, you can see some of the fun things to do...and you can tell how much Miss M loves this place!

Hmm, is it safe to jump?

The foam pit! Watch out, it eats socks....

Maddi and Daddy pose

january blues

Is it spring yet? Now that Christmas is over, the excitement of get-togethers and decorating and cookie baking is over. We're left with really cold, really cloudy, really depressing how-much-longer-can-I-take-being-stuck-inside days for the next few months. Well, good thing at least Miss M has a new stash of toys to pass the hours!

Here are some snapshots of our latest activity, dabbling in Play-Doh with fun accessories.







Winter is also the time for illnesses. Seems we three keep passing stuff around. Right around Thanksgiving we shared colds and M had a bout with strep throat, and now there's some weird stomach bug going around. Hopefully we'll all feel 100% before the week is up. And hopefully everyone out there is staying healthy!

happy holidaze!

It's been a while since I've posted. Between the holidaze that's setting in and the illnesses we've recently endured (colds for Kevin and I, strep throat for poor Miss M) I haven't had a lot of time. But now I have a reason to post...we took pictures for our holiday cards this weekend--which I am supposed to pick up tomorrow and hope to get in the mail early this week!

You'd think that we'd just use the professional pic for these cards (which we have yet to have taken for 2008...yikes, better get on that), since every year it's a job and a half getting M to sit still AND smile. Last year we took, like, 100 shots and she was blurry in every single one of them. This year was challenging as well, but finally we captured one that was ok. Kevin did a little fine-tuning, and we're all happy with the results. So, without further adieu, happy holidays from the Harts!

big girl pics

If I've learned anything in the past 2.5 years of being a parent, it's that there's a milestone around every corner. They just keep coming...and while many are bittersweet, they're all exciting. Here are two of Miss M's newest achievements...the first is....

The move to her big girl bed! This furniture is part of a bunk bed set, where the beds can be used also as two twins or a trundle set-up. Right now I want to use a single bed, as I'm sure bunk beds would only instigate trouble (climbing, jumping from the top bunk...shudder). This is part of a matching bedroom set that I had in my room as a kid. (There we go, recycling again!)

I put on the blue bedspread first but after picking up a yellow one from my folks, decided to use it as it matches the room's decor better. Both were used by me as a kid, too!

The second milestone is...*drumroll please*...and I'll let the pic speak for itself:

YESS!!!! Finally, M's hair is long enough for pigtails! I don't have the right kind of bands for little girls' hair, but you can bet now that we can use them I'll pick those up on my next shopping trip.

pumpkin fun

This year I was super excited about Halloween. I've been preparing Miss M for the big day, explaining how trick or treating works, doing practice runs (sans candy), making decorations, etc. So when yesterday morning hit I felt like *I* was the kid! After decking M out in full ladybug attire, we went to the library for a special parade and story time. Later in the day we headed out for tricks or treats on our street, then headed to the mall for an indoor ToT adventure. It was a blast, she really "got" it this year (even if she got shy when it came time to shout "trick or treat!") and seemed to enjoy dressing up. The fun isn't over yet, because we have a kiddie Halloween party to go to later today.

Here are some pics of our pumpkin carving experience. I haven't uploaded photos or ToT yet, but will do that soon and of course post 'em here. Hope everyone had a safe, fun Halloween!

Helping Daddy carve the pumpkin.

Maddi and "Buddah" (she named it).

Maybe we should use this for our Christmas cards?

Ready to canvas the street for goodies. It's strange to out when it's still light, though...

Trick or treating at the mall with best bud, Karsten the Pirate.

Halloween fun continues on Sat. at friend Katie's party.

craig n' me

I have a new best friend. His name is Craigslist...I'll call him Craig for short.

Craig has turned me on to some wonderfully awesome deals recently. The first was an ad for toddler-sized clothing, for sale by a local mom of 3. I went over to her house one sunny Saturday morning and picked through a pile of clothing in Miss M's size. Came away with a big shopping bag of stuff--including a great winter coat--for just $13!

The second deal Craig hooked me up with was a halloween costume. I had been planning on making a no-sew ladybug outfit for M until I saw a listing for a 2T ladybug costume, mint-condition, for just $5. Picked that sucker up yesterday (cheaper than I could have made one!).I LOVE getting good deals. It means you can save money for other things (gas, food, gourmet coffees).

I know some folks refuse to buy secondhand anything for their kids, but I figure what the heck? Most little ones grow so fast that they don't get a full season's wear out of clothes anyway, and you can get stuff--sometimes brand-name--waaaay cheaper than buying it new. Plus I'm in the recycling loop, using things that otherwise might be thrown away.

So, thank you, Craig! I'll be turning to you for more advice--I could really use a few things for the house and maybe, just maybe, you can help me out with that, too.

FALL!

It was a beautiful weekend to engage in fall-type-stuff, so that's what we did on Saturday. There are a couple of farms on the edge of town that join together to hold a fall festival, complete with pumpkin picking, hayrides, petting areas for the kids & animals (kids pet the animals, not the other way around :), and more. We visited both farms and enjoyed just about everything there was to offer. Miss M had a blast. Here favorite by far was the "corn sandbox"--a giant tub filled with dried corn and stocked with lots of little shovels, rakes, and dump trucks. When we got home I had to dump the corn out of her shoes, pockets, and even the hood of her jacket!



Feeding the calves.





Way cool hay stacks to climb. She went all the way to the top with Daddy later!




"It's just the right size for me!"





The awesome corn-sandbox.








And finally...what's fall without pumpkins? (We brought home 2.)



Later that evening we went to an outdoor movie...The Wizard of Oz. Surprisingly, M sat thru the ENTIRE movie!! The first half of it she stared, wide-eyed, at the screen, absently dipping her hand into the popcorn bag that she was hoarding. The second half she spent on my lap, snuggled under a blanket (it was a chilly night). We don't have pics of that, but, true to form, Kevin took plenty of video.

Hope everyone is enjoying the season as much as we are!

sleepless days

I think it's happening...really happening this time. Miss M has been hit or miss in taking her nap for the last 2.5 weeks, and I really think she's close to giving it up. AAAAGH! Tell me, experienced mothers with older children...how did your kid go about dropping the afternoon (and only) nap? How old were they? Did they quit cold turkey, eliminate it gradually, or what? And how much earlier did you put them to bed once the daytime naps were history?

This means, of course, that I am doomed as a WAHM. There will be no time to work unless I get up at 6 am to do it. I'm probably going to have to lean on a few folks who have been offering to help out, I think.

Other news? It's been rainy as HECK here. Everyone gets a little cranky when the days stretch out endlessly (especially when those days are no nap days), so I've been trying to find ways to keep life interesting and fun. Here are some of our adventures!

Singin' in the rain





Tiptoe thru the downspout






After an afternoon of fingerpainting, a bath was the only way to get all the goo off. Combine blowing bubbles with bathtime and there you have it, a solid hour of entertainment!

holidays and harvests

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Ours started out pretty busy, but ended on a relaxing note. Sunday Kevin and I had to go to Chicago to play for a wedding reception, so Mom & Dad Hart came to stay with Miss M. They had a great time by all accounts...M was a perfect angel (or so was reported) and Grandma Joanne and Grandpa Ronnie got to spend some one-on-one time with their granddaughter.

Monday we had a Labor Day gathering with the family. It was a bit steamy out but it's been much worse, so we braved the humidity and hung outside for a good part of the afternoon. The trick is finding the best way to cool off. Here's what M does:

And my dad's cool-down technique:

It's also time to reap the benefits of gardening with late summer veggies:

little lady

Just wanted share a quick pic captured at my friend Nikki's wedding recently (and congrats to Nikki and Cory, BTW!) of our little lady. Isn't it hilarious how she's got her legs crossed?