The price of sharing a baby blanket: fist in the face

On Tuesday nights I work at the MTC until midnight.  Often when I come home Lauren is still awake doing something productive like she always does (I really admire that about her).  Last night I got home and found the most heartwarming scene.  Madison and Lauren were both conked out on the bed, both so tired that neither cared that Madison's hand was in Lauren's face.  Lauren has also been getting over a cold, hence why her mouth is open.  Here are the pictures that I had to take!

Take notice of Madison's bald spot.

Breathing on Her Own

Someone made this hat for her and I'm glad she gets the chance to use it before it doesn't fit anymore.

We have taken Madison into the health center to see if she is ready to come off the oxygen.  It's a 48 hour test and we have never made it out of the health center off the oxygen until today (her tube is still on, but not attached to any oxygen).  We have to go into the health center every day for checkups.  This is the most she has gone out of the house on a consistent basis.

Sprouts had peppers on sale.  You can't find red peppers any cheaper than this: $1 for 4.  The only person who could find it cheaper, and wouldn't surprise me, is my mother in law Lynn.  She could probably get the red peppers for free some how.  We stocked up, chop up, and froze most of the peppers.  I also made some roasted red pepper sauce to go with pasta.  It was pretty good.  Next time I am going to roast the peppers before I chop them up.

We have learned that Madison likes to listen to Tyler playing the guitar.  She will calm down once he starts to play.  In fact, she likes it so much that she will even listen to me make noise on it.  Maybe it is time for me to learn how to play the guitar.

3 Months and Growing

Bored

Sleepy

This seems to be a common look on her face.

Puzzled

Surprised

Happy

Today Madison is 3 months old.  How quickly time flies!  She is just a few ounces short of doubling her birth weight and weighs 14 lbs 6 oz.  Madison has quickly jumped from the 40th to the 92nd percentile in weight.  Boy does she like to eat.  We now have to lift up her chin rolls to wash the gunk out during bath time.  She is fitting into 6 month old clothes. I think we skipped the 3 month clothes for the most part as her neck is quite big.  She smiles on occasion while she is awake, but most often when she is eating (food must make her really happy) and when she is asleep.  She also laughs in her sleep and is starting to coo and talk back.  Her hair has thinned quite a bit and now wears headbands more than previously.  

Apple Crazy

How many things can you do with an apple?  Sprouts was having a great sale on all apples--$.50/lbs.  We bought about 25 lbs and got a rain check for the pink lady apples.  We decided to dehydrate this batch. 

Sweet potato chips--sliced and then baked in the oven with a little olive oil.

 
Gillian needed some extra pillow cases for her dorm room, so I made her this one out of some material Jeni gave me.  Glad I could finally use the material up.

Madison's Blessing

       

We blessed Madison at the Ame's house in Idaho Falls.  I was going to put her in my baby blessing dress, but it wasn't very flattering as she looked like a pioneer baby.  Also, her neck was a bit big for the dress while the bloomers were huge on her.  Good thing I brought a spare dress.  Instead she wore a dress someone made for me when I was a baby.  We were lucky that one fit, or else she would have been blessed in her diaper and headband.  The plan was to bless Madison today and have Richard and Camille's baby girl, Hazel, blessed tomorrow in Pocatello.  This way my parents would only have to make one trip for two blessings.  Unfortunately Hazel's blessing had to be postponed for a while.  Tyler pronounced the blessing on Madison.  My dad taped it, so we have a recording on our computer.  I have a copy of my setting apart as a missionary thanks to my dad also taping that.  I'm sure Madison will love to read her blessing in the future.  After the blessing we ate a delicious dinner, which Lynn made--lasagna (from scratch), salad, garlic bread, and this apple dessert.  Then everyone chatted for a while.  Apparently Jackson stole the hearts of all my sisters and my family spent the whole drive to Pocatello talking about Jackson's bucket list. 

Uncle Jacob loves his pictures with the nieces and nephews.  Guy just got a soft heart, I guess.

Our Second Christmas

Tyler is always excited to start pulling out the Christmas decorations.  Last year we began in early November.  This year we started decorating on Tyler's birthday as it was what he wanted.

Tyler fixed the bottom of the snow globe so that it rotates once again.

I bought this nativity the day I was induced.  I have been eyeing it for years and decided to purchase it before I knew how much having a baby would cost.  I was afraid I would rationalize that I couldn't afford it after Madison was born.  I also locked myself out of the car twice at Costco with my purchase.

We had to do a little rearranging before we could put the tree up.  Space is limited at our place and I wasn't even sure we would be able to put the tree up.  It ended up inches away from my face when I slept.

One of our Christmas traditions is an ornament each year from my mom.  It was nice to have ornaments to put on our tree after being married.  This year my mom bought Madison a Lenox giraffe for her first Christmas.

Christmas Season

Our first date after having Madison (two months later).  It was the Christmas party for my work and they took us to the theater to see A Christmas Carol, which was amazing.

She is starting to put some weight on.