Maddy is 21 months old

Maddy is growing like a weed! She has gained a pound in weight and a half inch in height since last month. She now weighs 25 lbs and is 33 inches tall. We've bought some fall/winter clothing in size 24 months so hopefully the clothes will fit her. Her feet also had a growth spirt. All of a sudden her toes and heels were hanging off her size 4 shoes. She is in size 5 1/2 to size 6 depending on the shoe style.
At the beginning of August we said goodbye to the Nuk! No small task, but we followed the byebyebinky.com method and it worked pretty well. Maddy isn't sucking her thumb either - thank goodness! However, she is chewing on everything in sight, including her fingers, because she is cutting her 2nd year molars already. The top left molar is already through the skin and we're certain the other 3 are working towards the same end. At the moment, Madeline is homebound due to contracting hand-foot-mouth disease. She has red patches on the soles of her feet and the palms of her hands. She is running a low grade temp, but doesn't have sores around or inside her mouth which is a big help. She hasn't been sleeping very well, but isn't in too much discomfort with this virus.
Maddy's vocabulary is booming. She is trying new words and says the mastered words in babble-like sentences. She puts a string of words that she knows together like she's trying to talk in sentences. Mommy, Daddy, no-no puppy, boat, Elmo, moon, blue, star, cloud, lake, toothbrush, etc. It is so hard not to laugh during these ongoing sentences. Debbie's first impulse is to tell her to take a breath! Besides becoming more vocal, Maddy is also becoming a bit more patient with certain toys. She is much better at doing puzzles and other fine motor/coordination type toys. She has a cash register and can put the coins in the slots of the register and push the colored buttons for different outcomes such as change or dropping into the cash register drawer. She uses her fork really skillfully too; a giant leap forward since last month.
We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary this month by getting away to the casino for one night. Maddy stayed with Grandma & Grandpa Escherich while we were away. She did really well and actually slept from 10:00pm until 8:00am the next morning. It's encouraging to know that we can leave for a night and not have to worry.
The campground is open for 3 more weekends. We close on Sept. 19th. Then we go into winterization mode. In addition to the campground work, we still have several fall projects that we would like to complete. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

After bath, gearing down for bed. Check out my smile.

Ta - da!!! I'm a little airplane.

Strike a pose.

Sleepy. I'm not supposed to be on the table? REALLY?

Funny faces.

Yee haw! Who me?

All hearts... Coming inside after playing.

Maddy in 3-D. Curious Maddy in the cabinet again.

Maddy is 20 months old

Summer is in full swing and so is Maddy. She is now 32 1/2 inches tall and 24 lbs so she gained a 1/2 inch and one pound since last month. She loves riding on the golf cart and 4 wheeler, swinging on her swing and sliding down her 2 slides. Her favorite activities are playing in the sand and SWIMMING! However, a close 2nd place goes to bathing in Grandma and Grandpa Escherich's large corner tub. We're not sure if she realizes she's getting a bath and not swimming because it's such a large tub.
On 4th of July the campground was a very busy place, but we took some time out to watch the annual Leaf Lake boat parade. Members of our campground took 1st place in both the pontoon and boat catagory. Grandma Huseby stopped by and made sure we were fed with chicken, potato salad, strawberries and watermelon. It was such a nice treat!
Madeline's last eyetooth is still trying to poke through. It is taking its own sweet time. She is also being "encouraged" to give up the pacifier. We are following a strategy outlined on bye-bye-binky.com. Basically we are cutting a bit off the Nuk day by day until it's no longer available to use. We'll let you know how it goes during next month's blog entry. Crossed fingers and toes that it works.
Maddy continues to enjoy daycare, but seems to be going through the separation anxiety phase. She fusses when Debbie tries to leave and of course recovers quickly after departure. She loves to sneak peeks at the brand new puppies at daycare according to her daycare provider, LeAnn.
Maddy was able to fingerpaint for the 1st time with her cousin BlakeLynn. They were artists on the back deck of the store on the new Little Tykes picnic table gifted by Grandma & Grandpa Escherich. Most of the paint ended up on anything, but the paper plates that were suppose to be the "canvas". It was really fun to see Maddy's reaction to this new form of expression.
Summer is slipping by with only 7 more weekends until the campground closes. We are going to try to take a boat ride before the end of August. We live on the lake, but haven't had a chance to get out on it yet this summer. We also hope to enjoy a s'more or two before we miss the opportunity. Cheers to campfires, fun on the lake and barbeques!
(Check out the video at the end.)

July 3, 2010. Stars and stripes on the golf cart.

Yankee Doodle Girl!

Backporch swing and front porch gossip. OMG!

Swimming in the lake. Ready for digging in the sand.

Outside is the best place to be in the summer.

Sliding and then stopping to smell the flowers.

Maddy on bubble wrap...

Maddy is 19 months old

Maddy is holding steady at 23 lbs and 32 inches tall this month. She has been either sleeping or moving. It's so hard to get a good picture of a moving object! Maddy also cut 3 out of 4 eye teeth this month. The 4th tooth may be arriving soon due to the puffy, red gums in the last empty spot. She took her first swim of the season. Now all she wants to do is get into the water. The waves in the lake make foam along the shoreline. She shouts out, "Bubbles!!!" everytime she sees them. We also had enough wind and time to fly a kite. It was her first time seeing a kite fly and she REALLY loved it. Another first this month was making Monster Cookies. Needless to say, they were a hit. Maddy is a major M&M thief. She kept trying to steal the M&Ms out of the raw cookie dough. It was surprising to see how much she enjoyed all the steps from measuring and mixed to baking and of course, eating. Look out Cookie Monster- You've got competition!

Poor Maddy was ill this month. She had Roseola. It is a virus that affects most children under the age of three. Most older kids and adults have already had it so it doesn't affect them. She had a high temperature for a few days and then a rash. No doctor visit required. It just had to run its course.

We will be at the campground for 4th of July. Please stop by and see us if you're "out and about". We hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July. God bless America!

Maddy aka the store clerk. Quilt dress in motion.

Pretty little petunia.

Peek a boo! Making Monster Cookies.

So tired she fell asleep on the floor. Denim vest.

Flower Power.

Madeline is 18 months old! A year and a half already!

The campground is open for business and Maddy has done well with all the changes. She is so active that she actually lost weight this month. At her 15-18 month wellness appointment her official weight was 23 lbs and her height has steadily increased to 32 inches. She took one more shot and is done with shots until just before kindergarten. Whoo Hoo!

Debbie's mom, Debbie, and Maddy went to Bottineau, ND to see Maddy's cousin, BlakeLynn, confirmed early in the month. We couldn't stay very long, but it was so nice to see everyone. Grandpa suggested a personal DVD player for the trip so we bought one. It was a lifesaver! Maddy loved watching her movies.

The day before the campground opened, we celebrated Grandma Escherich's birthday. Maddy enjoyed the cake and even attempted to blow out the candles. Once the campground opened, she started daycare. She seems very happy with daycare and her friends there, but still fusses when Debbie tries to leave. Her canine teeth are trying to make an appearance, but haven't popped through just yet. She now has a cute little double swing that was a donation to us. She sings while she swings or just enjoys the breeze. She enjoys helping with everyday chores, but especially likes to garden. She smells each and every flower. Thankfully, the bees have been kind so far. One of her greatest accomplishments this month has been learning to climb up the steps and go down the slide of the Rainbow playset by herself. We are still right by her side in case she falls, but watching her establish her independence is both exciting and a little frightening. Getting Maddy to go inside is a challenge. She LOVES playing outside whether in the sand on the beach or simply walking to the mailbox.

Maddy is saying a few words like mama, dada, ball, uh-oh, ta da, woof, moo, knee, elbow, and many others that she uses the same sound for, but not the complete word. She uses Mo for Elmo and the L sound for light. Her speech is coming slowly, but we know she'll make up for it later. ;-)

Hopefully, life will slow down a bit and we can make a video of her for the next blog entry. Until then we'll be enjoying life on Leaf Lake. Take care!


Climbing the steps on the Rainbow playset and going down the slide.

Smelling the flowers. Mmmmmm.

Relaxing on the swing. Maddy & Cousin BlakeLynn.

Eating cake at Grandma Escherich's birthday. Maddy & Daddy.

Working at the campground store. How do I get into the candy case?

Summer weather calls for shades and a good chair.

Can we go outside yet?

Bathtime is still a favorite. Bubbles!