23 Weeks

Hooray, it's February vacation!  It's so nice to know that we'll always have vacations together as a family.

We kicked off our free week with a trip to New York to see Eric's side of the family.  Everyone was very happy to see Madeline, and Madeline was happy to see them!  Eric and I even got to sneak away for an afternoon in the city on Monday afternoon while Nana and Poppy watched Madeline.

Madeline is talking all the time these days.  She's quite vocal.  She's learning to make raspberries with her tongue this week too.  It's fun blowing raspberries at her and watching her try to figure out how to make them back.   So cute!

She is still. not. rolling. over. which. is. still. killing me.  She's so close!  It's actually starting to worry me a bit.  I know babies do things at their own pace, but I see lots of babies Madeline's age doing kart wheels, and she can still only lay on her side.  It's hard not not to make comparisons.

Maddie has zero interest in being on her belly.  Therefore, she has no motivation to flip from her back to her tummy.  When she's on her tummy, she spends the whole time crying instead of figuring out how to roll onto her back.  She's like a little turtle happily spinning on its shell.

On the bright side, she's quite good at sitting up.  You can let her go for a few seconds before she tips over.  She's also learning how to balance on her arms....monkey style...to prop herself up.

Madeline also is intrigued by her books.  She likes to sit on your lap and try to turn the pages herself.  She's such a big girl!  My little bookworm.  She'll be reading Dustin Diamond: Behind the Bell as soon as I'm finished with it.  (No joke, I'm totally engrossed.  Thanks for the loan, Carol!)

She's been a great sleeper lately, (knock on wood,) so we're going to attempt moving her to her own room this week.  Since Eric and I don't have to get up for work in the mornings, it's a good time to experiment.

Also, I'm planning on whipping up some baby food this week.  I don't necessarily have anything against the jars of baby food, but I'd rather attempt making our own.  It's cheaper.  I'll know exactly what's going into her body, and I feel that it the homemade variety will more closely resemble food she will actually be eating as she grows up.

So far, I know she loves bananas and hates avocados.  However, if I mush up the avocados with the bananas, she will eat it all up.  Nom, nom, nom....

Madeline will someday murder me for sharing this little tidbit of information, but even since she started eating solids??  Her poops are N.A.S.T.Y.  It's true that breastfed babies have sweeter smelling poop.  When she was solely on the breast, her poop was gross, but just kinda, "Meh, whatevs..." gross.  Now?  I literally gag.

We'll be spending the rest of the week getting over our colds, cleaning the house, watching reruns of Saved By the Bell in a whole new light, making baby food, hanging out with family, catching up with old friends, and of course, cuddling the Maddie Bear!

What, Maddie?  You mean, you don't want to eat this scrumdillyumptious bowl of vomit-colored food?!?

Avocados are nasty, Mumma!  Sob, sob, sob.  

Seriously!  Good God, Woman, what are you feeding me?!  Gag.