Day #150

Wow, 150 days of pictures. It's so nice to have kept track of 2013 this way and while some days it can be a pain, it's also really nice to look back through the years and see all the milestones and fun we've had. 

Tonight Maddy and I played after work/daycare before I met a friend for dinner. We especially had fun playing with play dough on her little table. 

Day #149

Maddy likes to pretend to be a crab and pinch with her fingers and say "cabby, cabby, cabby." It seemed especially appropriate in her crab jammies tonight. She kept cracking up and in between "cabby" she would say "cheese" and smile like a goon. Fun times!

Day #148

Maddy was being silly and wearing all her beaded necklaces while racing around the house pushing her stroller. She kept getting the necklaces wrapped around the handle of the stroller and then would shout "STUCK" until someone came and "rescued" her. Cute kid!

Day #147

Maddy and Gina had a great time hanging out this weekend. Maddy started calling Gina GiGi which stuck and then we all started using (so cute!). Here they are eating strawberries on the couch!

Day #146

We went to a Mariner's game today. Maddy was great and made it through all 9 innings (too bad it went 13 innings due to a tie and we missed the game winning homerun). We invested in an all-you-can-eat bucket of popcorn which was huge and we filled up twice. Maddy probably ate one whole container herself. This kid LOVES popcorn! We went to a local restaurant on a pier after the game. The Crabpot is a fun place where they dump a boiled seafood feast on your table and you go to town. Crab, shrimp, mussels, sausage, potatoes, corn, etc. Maddy LOVED that as well (I think she's going through a growth spurt). Fun times as tourists!

Day #145

I got back from Colorado Friday evening and my friend Gina came with me to visit and hang out in Seattle/Tacoma. We went to Pike Place Market on Saturday and had a great time. Maddy really enjoyed all the people watching and of course all the good food (donuts, chowder, etc.). 

Day #144

Maddy and I used FaceTime (kind of like Skype) last night to chat and had fun playing games, singing songs and being silly. Here's a photo when we were sticking out our tongues. I can't wait to see her tonight (she'll be sleeping but it will at least be nice to be reunited). 

Day #143

Maddy and Ted have been using Skype to keep in touch with me while I'm gone. Now that Maddy can talk pretty well and understands that the other person is "in" the phone and can talk with her, it's really fun. Tonight we Skyped while she was in the bathtub and we had a great time. She kept pointing at the screen saying "MaMa" and then at herself and saying "Maddy." It was very fun (although I'll be excited to be with her in person very soon). Here's a photo of our Skype screen from last night.

Day #142

Maddy and Ted are still on their own in Washington. They have rain and generally gross weather whereas I have sun and 75 degrees. Yay for Colorado. Maddy and Bailey were hanging out today with a new lion toy that Maddy picked out for Bailey at Petsmart. Say cheese!

Day #141

I'm still in Colorado but am lucky enough to have a friend with a very cute baby in my program. Baby Robby  has been with us this week and I've appreciated the baby snuggles in lieu of missing Maddy. Tonight we went out to dinner when we got back to the Residence Hall Baby Robby and I posed on a moped. Don't worry, we didn't really take it out for a spin.

Day #140

Maddy had school pictures a few weeks ago. We got a new outfit and practiced smiling. When we picked her up from daycare we were told that she did AMAZING and was very smiley and looked SO cute. They came in today so we could decide how many pictures we want to buy. Needless to say, we will NOT be buying these photos. 

Day #139

Maddy and Ted are on their own while I'm away in Colorado for my last trip for my PhD (we're SO close). Here's a photo from story time tonight. 

Day #138

I had to leave for Colorado this afternoon so Maddy and I got some good quality time in together before my flight. She ended up crying when I left saying "Mommy no bye-bye." It was very sad but soon after she was fine and we've enjoyed Skypeing while I'm away. 

Day #137

Maddy loves her bananas. She shouts NANA a lot and then will eat an entire banana in one sitting. Tonight she was especially excited about her banana :)

Day #136

Tonight Ted was cutting the grass in the backyard which was very interesting to both Maddy and Bailey so they stood at the screen door and watched him work. 

#135

Maddy transitioned to the next room at daycare (for kids close to 2 through close to 3). She's a little ahead developmentally so was ready early and has been doing practice runs in the big kid room but was finally ready to move all the way. They have a lot more structure in that room and focus a lot more on manners and respecting each other. The teacher in that room is great, and we are really excited. The only downfall with the transition is that Maddy has been extra tired from more playing and more activities. So...early bath tonight so we can do early bedtime. 

Day #134

We went out to dinner tonight for Mexican food (because we had long days and didn't want to cook). We had a fun time and Maddy ate like a horse (enchiladas, beans, rice, chips, etc.). She loves her Mexican food!

Day #133

We bought Maddy a basketball hoop yesterday which she really likes. She knows how to make a basket and gets so excited when it goes through. Here's to a love for sports!

Day #132

Today is Mother's Day and while I can't be with my Mom today, I figured picture of the day should represent us! Here's a photo taken last year with Mom, me and Maddy!

Day #131

We had friends over for dinner tonight. They have two little kids (Lane is 3 and Layla is 1). Lane and Maddy had a blast playing and hanging out. They played for a long time in the backyard, riding bikes and using chalk. Yay for play-dates!

Day #130

Maddy and I went to the park today to soak up some of the wonderful sunshine. She had a blast (thanks to all the trips to the park with Grandma, now she's a pro)! Such a cute little girl, we are so lucky!

Day #129

We got back from the Bahamas today and boy were we glad to see Maddy. The trip back was a nightmare at best but at least it's over (until Mom leaves in a week for Colorado). 

Day #128

Tonight was our last night in the Bahamas. We got to have dinner down on the beach which was really fun. It was a great trip overall and it was really nice to spend time together just the 2 of us (even though we missed Maddy like crazy). 

Day #127

Today we spent a good part of the day on the lazy river. This is no ordinary lazy river. While there certainly are parts that are relaxing where you just lay on your tube, there are also other parts with rapids and even shoots off to water slides. It's SO fun! We've all commented that we'd like a lazy river like that at home.

Day #126

We are still in the Bahamas and are having a great time. After an amazing day playing in the lazy river and then a phenomenal dinner at Mesa (Bobby Flay's restaurant) we decided to gamble for a little while. We started with $100 and were both playing $10 a hand (whoa, that's double what we usually play) blackjack. After about 90 minutes we had turned our $100 into $240. Yay, go us! Very fun time. Here I am waiting in line to cash in our chips. 

Day #125

We've been video chatting (FaceTime) with Grandma Merlene and Maddy a couple of times a day. It's helping Mommy not miss Maddy so much (who am I kidding, every time I see a kid under the age of 3 my heart swells and I say, oh Maddy, I miss you!). Grandma also has sent a few pictures of their adventures together. Luckily for them the weather in Tacoma right now is rivaling the Bahamas (minus the humidity) and is over 80 degrees today. Maddy and Grandma headed to the park. Here's Maddy on the big kid swing!

Day #124

Ted and I (and his brother Max and girlfriend Tiff) caught a red-eye flight Friday evening to head to the Bahamas for 6 nights. Grandma Merlene and Grandpa Rick are keeping Maddy (and are so excited!) while we're gone. We arrived in Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday morning to 85 degree weather and beautiful beaches and the most amazing resort, Atlantis. We had a great first day which ended by going to an off-site Italian restaurant rated #1 on the island. It was amazing!

Day #123

Maddy had developed what we thought to be a pretty bad diaper rash. Ted took her to the doctor to find out that it wasn't really a diaper rash it was actually a staph infection (UGH). They are a little worried because of the amount of antibiotics she's been on lately for her ears that she may be resistant to that kind of treatment so for the next 3 months we have to give her bleach baths (which sounds way worse than it is). Basically you mix 1 tsp of bleach for every gallon of water and she has to sit in it for 15 minutes. It's less chemicals than are in a pool (whew!). Hopefully this will help clear things up. We got out her baby bathtub to help with the process and day #1 went really well.

Day #122

My best friend Kendra and her son Case and her parents are visiting us for the next few days. We had a great time tonight hanging out and catching up. It's so nice to see each other even though we don't get to as much as we used to. 

Day #121

We got pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) tonight but Maddy had already eaten dinner. Ted put extra hot sauce in his and started eating. Maddy insisted on having some so we let her have a bite. She loved it even though it was extra hot (Ted was sweating it was so hot). She's crazy about food!

Day #120

Ted and Maddy hung out tonight because I was in class. Such a happy girl :)