Back Tracking

I've really neglected the blog, and have no excuse.  So I am going to go back to 2011 and work my way forward.  This is a very long blog post...  Enjoy!

Back to October.

Halloween

 Madelynn and her cousins, Mikhaila, Alleana, and Andrew.

Madelynn Dancing with the Teens

 At the end of the night, Darth Vader and the Punk Rocker needed a bath.

On to November...

Handing out hugs.

Who's Coming A-Knockin'?


Madelynn finally has her Pooh bear from Washington.  She sleeps with him and Leemar every night.  My mother tried sending another bear, and Madelynn wants nothing to do with it....It is an ugly bear, sorry Mom.

Madelynn figuring out the laptop.

She found my glasses.

 Madelynn at Thanksgiving.

 Madelynn getting her dance on!

She hates headbands, but insisted on placing this on her head.

Remembering December...

Napping with Daddy

Just being a little cheese head.

Testing her bath water.

I took this picture because Madelynn was just un-happy with the whole situation.

Her daycare person, Janice, gave her purple rain boots.

She picked out this jacket. She had three options, and picked the silver one each time.

Madelynn got a princess chair for Christmas.

November Pictures

Madelynn and Jeremy playing with the camera on the iPhone.

At Thanksgiving

Madelynn dancing with Mikhalia with a special appearance by Andrew.

She put her head band on by herself.

Madelynn's Cupboard

Madelynn's Halloween Costume

I have more pictures to get from everyone's camera, but here are a few of Madelynn being a Punk Rock Princess.

Celebrate, Good Times, Come On!

Madelynn's 2nd birthday theme this yeas was "Rock Star".  Amber and I decorated the formal dining room with pink, purple, and teal decorations.  I think all of our hard work paid off when you look at the result.

Every one visited for a couple of hours, and watch the toddlers play with one another. Madelynn and Andrew love being around each other.  At one point Madelynn found Andrew to be the perfect subject to practice applying lip gloss.

It was time for presents.

Afterward it was time for the cupcakes.  Andrew and Madelynn thoroughly enjoyed them though one cannot tell by Madelynn's face that she did.

It was an amazing party for an amazing little girl.  Thank you for all who came, and all who sent their love.

Testing...Testing...

We are having Madelynn's birthday party next week.  We decided to do cupcakes again this year.  I decided to practice making them this weekend so I can get the coloring right, and the icing technique down.  I also thought it might be a good idea to have Madelynn try one since we remember what happened last year:

Today  was a very different experience... It is amazing what a year can do for one's ability to hold their cupcakes.

Our Diva Is Two

While this must get annoying after each section of time that I write and post little re-caps of her journey, its therapeutic for our family...So get ready for a public therapy session:.

 Two years ago today Madelynn came in to this world unexpectedly and without much hope.  Prior to the C-Sections the neonatal doctors were prepping us for what was potentially to come our way.  The baby will not cry. You will not be able to see her.  Turns out she came out crying for all to hear (Her cord had yet been cut.) , and Jeremy got a chance to see her before the doctors whisked her away.  She scored a high nine on her Apgar test

The next five months were a blur of tests, transfusions, numerous surgeries, oxygen tanks, monitors (which she is still terrified of. So if you have a cell that makes sounds like a hospital monitor please silence it before you watch our child :) ) and touching/holding her in longer increments.  Madelynn came home 5-months to the day of her birth.
She was hooked up with Miss Becca, a PT, and learned how to eat, sleep, roll, scoot, and crawl. 

By the time she turned one her gastronomy tube was out, and she was eating solids. She had made her first road trip, was babbling, and pointing to shapes, people, and body parts.


At eighteen months she became a little person, and not our little baby.  We made a big move, and took her to Washington.  She has grown and developed by leaps and bounds.  We walks, runs, had her first hair cut, teaches Andrew bad habits, and is in daycare.  Pretty soon, save for her size, you won't be able to see signs of prematurity.


She is now 19 pounds and 30 inches. A far cry from the 1 1/2 pounds 11 3/4 inch baby that came into our lives.











Our life has never been the same.  Jermey has become the father he had always wanted to be, and I have become the mother I never thought I was going to be.  With all the heartache, the PTSD, PPD (yep been diagnosised with those....) we would never trade her or the experience for the world.   We love you Madelynn.  You will never know until you're a parent the love we have for you. Your are our light, and purpose.

We love you baby girl.