New Feature added to our Blog

At the bottom we've added a slide show with some of our favorite pictures. We'll update the show from time to time so occasionally check it out. I also added a growth chart so everyone can track Madison's age. Enjoy.

Ft. Smith Arkansas

Yesterday I spent the day in Ft. Smith Arkansas working on a deal with one of our clients. Another associate and I left Tuesday evening for our 5 hour drive and returned last night. I had never been to Arkansas let along Ft. Smith so it was not only nice to have somebody to talk to during the drive, but also somebody who had been there before. Arkansas is a nice state to drive through. The tree covered hills and deep valleys make for a very scenic drive. Ft. Smith is a town of about 80,000 people located in the Ozark Mountains. It is surrounded by numerous other small towns in Arkansas and Oklahoma which give Ft. Smith a regional presence. They hold an annual blues festival in Ft. Smith as well as a bi-state fair with Oklahoma. It is an old south town that also pays tribute to the old wild west. While I'm not sure I'd vacation in Ft. Smith, the town does have some charm. Regardless, I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Ft. Smith in the upcoming weeks. Not only will I need to get used to the drive (you can't fly into Ft. Smith nor can you fly directly to Fayetteville from KC so driving is actually faster) but also spending time in the Ozarks.

I love my Ocean mat

Not sure what I'd do if I did not have my Ocean mat. From my understanding its like being on a cruise- there are fish, turtles, coral reefs, music, water, starfish and even a blue whale. I believe that I overheard mommy and daddy say they were going to take me on a cruise (Disney?) in the near future. However, the batteries on my Ocean mat "died" and I thought I was going to go on my cruise a little sooner than anticipated. Well, my luck, mommy, daddy and I made a trip to Sam's Club for a pack of batteries. Of all things, a pack of 48 batteries. Guess my cruise will be awhile.....Grandma and Grandpa, could you help?

In Carl we trust

Below is a link to an interview with Carl Pelini about trying to share some of the spotlight with his younger brother Bo and why the Nebraska fans need to talk about the Head Coach instead of Carl. Be sure to click on the video after you click on the link below.


http://www.ketv.com/sports/17525763/detail.html

Help for the Weekend

Jen's parents came out this weekend to see Madison. Leroy helped me with some yard work yesterday and Jen and her mom got their toes done. Jen and I also took some time away to buy some mask for a Masquerade ball we are attending on October 4th. This year, we got masks that did not cover our mouths. Very annoying to continually lift your mask to eat and drink. I really like Jen's choice. It is red and has a touch of feathers, just to be fancy (you'll see why I used fancy below). In all it was a nice relaxing day watching college football, running a few errands and going for a nice walk around the community and our new community pool. Today we are going to go shopping. It will be my first time out with Madison so we should have some fun. At least now when I'm waiting in a store I'll have someone to distract me.

I've also used this weekend to catch up on a couple of things. My cousin Jenny in NY had sent us some baby gifts, including a book called 'Fancy Nancy'. I actually wanted to read it because I assumed Jenny sent us something very unique. We received a lot of great gifts from friends and family, but Jenny nailed my future. The book is about a little girl who wants to be fancy and how you need to dress up fancy, use fancy words and fancy colors. About 3 months ago, Jen's mom was showing me some old letters and schoolwork of Jen's when she was very young. Absolutely amazing the similarities. From the fancy colors to sprinkles on everything, there is zero chance of a tomgirl now.

Another thing I did was read up and talk to friends about Madison's sleep patterns. Basically, she likes to be held all the time. We fell into that first time parents rut really fast. She loves to sleep on my chest. That is the only time she sleeps for hours at a time outside of just being so tired, she crashes. Madison should be sleeping more and without crashing. Plus, she will fall asleep while eating. It is a back and forth tug of war between hunger and sleep that is caused by her dependence to be held. A lot of things to think about and how to get our lives onto a schedule while still being there for her.

Lil Miss Madison is ONE Month Old!

It's really unbelievable, but Madison is One Month Old. We see changes in her on a daily basis. She is still kicking- loves her Baby Einstein Ocean mat, starting to laugh, saying, "Ahhh" and eating very well. Next I think she'll be saying, "Daddy" or "Sonic". Guess Mommy will be #4.

Some Humor for the day

http://perezhilton.com/2008-09-14-must-see-tina-fey-and-amy-poehler-do-sarah-palin-and-hillary-clinton-on-snl


All political opinions aside, this was a very funny impersonation of Palin and Clinton on Saturday Night Live. Fey's impersonation of Palin goes right up there with Dana Carvey's GHW Bush and Phil Hartman's Bill Clinton. While I can't wait for this election to be over, I do enjoy SNL's interpretation of the elections.

Out and About

Yesterday, I thought it was time for Madison and I to venture out of the house. This was one of the first times being out of the house besides going to Dr. appointments and neighborhood walks. The first place we went to was Panera. I've been craving a Panera tuna salad sandwich for over 10.5 months. As many of you know, I am a huge tuna salad eater and I cold turkey stopped (due to the levels of mercury) when we found out we were pregnant. So I am sure after the past 10.5 months Panera's profits have suffered a bit, but I am ready to change that again. =)

After Panera, we went to Babies R Us to get some sleep sacs for Madison. Then we went to Target for some odds and ends and groceries. We were out and about for about two hours. The whole time Madison was asleep in her car seat and did a wonderful job, she's been super.

I was so happy to get out of the house and feel much more refreshed. I think we'll plan on continuing to do things like this on at least a weekly basis.

Madison's First Walk

Well, we took Madison for a walk last night. It was pretty funny how she went from crying to sleep once she hit the fresh air. We walked around our community for about 1/2 hour and then hung out with a couple of our neighbors. When we finally made it inside, it was three hours later and Madison was still asleep. She also didn't want to wake up to eat. In fact she reminds me of myself when I'm tired and trying to get out of bed. And like me, she doesn't like to sleep at night.

We're also learning that she loves to be held. This one is probably my fault. At night I'll hold her as she sleeps but then when we're ready for bed, she still wants to be held. We'll have to fix that in the future, but for now, she's being held. I also think she was smiling at me last night, but Jen says it was just gas. I guess she really is my child....

Feeling Better

Well, Madison has been on her medication (treatment for Thrush) since Thursday. She seems to be doing better. She's much more "perky" and eating better. Darin and I have started to determine her "stable" sleep patterns and her time to stretch her lungs. She's already 19 days old and we see changes in her everyday. This weekend she started to push her legs against Darin's chest. She has been holding her head up when on her tummy. We also found out she has found Mrs. Thumbkin...yes at times she is sucking her thumb.

Husker Volleyball

On Monday Jen and I attended the Husker Volleyball game vs Oral Roberts. It was the first time for us to use our new season tickets and I'm really glad we got them. An hour before the match we had the opportunity to hang out with some University officials and enjoy some food and soda's. They had an area blocked off behind the arena for us to gather. Then we were escorted to our seats which were above the first level, but below the second. Last year they had folding chairs sitting in this space. This year, they added some nice seats with padding. Not only were they comfortable, but we had a great view of the match. In between sets we were able to go back to our reserved location to get more food or beverage. We really enjoyed seeing Diane Mendenhall again.

As for the match itself, the husker team was suppose to be rebuilding but after victories over #2 Standford, #4 USC and Oral Roberts, that label doesn't fit. While the team may not have 4 all-americans like last season, they seem to play more as a team and I think they have a better defense. Larson is an amazing all around player and really can dominate from anyplace on the court. But the real difference on the team is Sydney Anderson. For just transferring in this summer, she dictates the offense and keeps everyone organized. You wouldn't know she's brand new to the team.

I never imagined that I'd enjoy volleyball matches, but Jen was right. When the quality is there, the matches are interesting. Then again, everyone loves a winner.

Thrush

Last night we went to the emergency room because Madison wouldn't eat and wouldn't stop crying. Turns out we have a case of thrush. I guess thrush is a yeast infection that causes white patches in the mouth and on the tongue. Supposedly, it is quite common. We may also have a case of acid-reflux, but we're not sure. The doctors are waiting to see how Madison responds her new medication.

From my perspective, it was a rough night. I'm still not use to the feeling of not being able to solve a problem. At work I solve issues and help make things happen. With Madison I can't help in these situations. I'm just glad Jen decided to make some calls.

I think Jen was irritated because yesterday she took Madison in for an appointment. Our pediatrician spent her time worrying that we were feeding Madison when she was hungry rather than on a schedule and as a result, in her eyes, Madison was gaining weight too fast. The doctors last night and today all disputed that and said the opposite. I guess we're changing pediatricians.