Madison Meets her Cousins

The day after Christmas Madison got to meet her cousins for the first time. She was mesmerized by Lisa Marie and Noelle. She is looking forward to meeting their dad, her Uncle Danny, (Daddy's brother) when he comes back from Iraq. Madison got to hear his voice on the phone though. The three Shemenski cousins seem to get along great! She enjoys watching them and they enjoy entertaining her.

Oh, What a Christmas!

Madison's first Christmas was so fun. Grandma and Grandpa Shemenski and Grammie and Pop Luty came to visit for the holiday. They were here a week before Christmas to ensure optimal playing time. Christmas Eve we had dinner at the house where they are all staying just 15 minutes from Madison's house. We made it home in time for Mommy and Daddy to help Santa put together Madison's new stand up and bounce BrightStart toy. She woke up happy Christmas morning with Mommy and Daddy- she must have known Santa came. We were good and waited for the Grandparents to arrive before opening presents. Madison slept thru half the event (morning naps are important for growing girls) but when she woke up Mommy helped her open all her new toys and gifts. Madison got to hang out in her PJs longer than usual, she loves the Baby's First Christmas sleeper Nana (Mommy's Nana, Madison's Great Nana) got for her. When all the presents were open Madison changed into the pretty Christmas dress Gramm got for her. The tights and black shiny shoes had to wait until evening though- it was a HOT 80 degree first Christmas. Madison enjoyed pulling on some of the paper, but was more interested in the bright colors of her toys than the paper surrounding them. She LOVES the growling polar bear from Gramm and her cool new Steelers onsie, stocking, and feeding set from Grammie and Pop Luty. She spent a lot of time in her fun bouncy toy from Santa. Grandma and Grandpa Shemenski got Madison a high chair. She had so many presents from so many friends and family including fun squeaky toys, a piggy bank with her name on it, lots of ornaments, a Raggedy Anne doll, a toy hammer to help Daddy around the house, and a squeaking phone to call her Grandparents so far away. She also got a pretty baby doll from Great Aunt Dar and Uncle Mike. The only thing that would have made Madison's first Christmas better was to be with ALL of her Grandparents and relatives. Santa was so good to her this year.

Christmas Photos

Madison had a great time on December 18th in her photo session beneath the tree. She even managed to wander into one of Mommy's Longaberger baskets (with a little help from Mommy). Gramm says Madison should be the Longaberger spokesbaby! Click for more photos of our photos session

Month Four

This was a fun month. We started it in Florida with Gramm and Grandpa and wrapped up the month with Grandma and Grandpa Shemenski and Grammie and Pop Luty coming to visit for Christmas. Madison had her first all girls sleepover at her Uncle Daniel's girlfriend Abby's apartment in Gainesville, FL on November 16th. It was a stop over on the way to Athens with Mommy and Gramm. She learned her MMmmm sound this month (practicing saying MaMa) and played with the fish on her cool Aquarium swing at Gramm's house. She also learned how to grab her pacifier and take it out of her mouth. Once she even managed to put it back in...only once though. She had her first rice cereal but doesn't want it regularly yet. She's still enjoying nursing with Mommy. Madison also gave herself her first owie this month. She hit herself in the face with her favorite crabby rattle and left a little bruise under her eye. It healed quickly but made Mommy and Daddy so sad. She loves her tummy time and puts most toys, burp clothes, and blankets straight into her mouth now. Madison weighed 14 lbs 8 oz when she went to see Dr Brooks December 4th with her first sinus infection. Bath time is one of Madison's favorite times. Mommy and Daddy's too- we love her chubby thighs and belly. Our little girl is growing. Click for more pictures of this month.

Madison's First Christmas Tree

Madison went shopping with Mommy and Daddy last weekend for her very first Christmas tree. She had fun shopping from lot to lot looking for the perfect one. She looked so cute all bundled up. We're not sure if she had more fun tree shopping, or supervising the decorating when we got home. Decide for yourself in the photos.

Mmmm...Rice Cereal

On November 28th Madison tasted rice cereal for the first time. She was a little confused by the spoon, but before long this little one was chowing down! It didn't take long for Madison to figure out the hands in the mouth help the rice cereal go down, or so she thinks. She makes quite a mess with it. Mommy likes it because Madison takes long naps after she eats it!

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa Shemenski

During Madison's visit to Florida her Grandma and Grandpa Shemenski went to Florida for Grandpa's work trip. On November 26th all the grandparents got together at Gramm's house to meet for the very first time! It was also the first time Grandma and Grandpa Shemenski got to meet Madison. What a fun day!

Madison Meets her Great Grandparents

While Madison was in Florida she met her Great Grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Lackey and Nana and Grandpa Shoop. She was just as excited to meet them as they were to meet her.

Thanksgiving Trip to Gramm and Grandpa's in Kissimmee

Our Thankgiving trip turned into almost the entire month of November! Mommy and Madison stayed from November 13th until December 4th. Daddy flew to Florida in time for Thankgiving weekend. Such a busy trip. Madison met lots of family and friends. Mommy and Gramm did lots of shopping and Madison was showered with clothes from Mommy's high school friends. The temperature dropped while we were there so Madison needed warm clothes. Good thing we went shopping because she outgrew most of the clothes we packed! She is wearing 3-6 month outfits and 6 month sleepers now. She is so tall! Daddy is convinced she grew a foot while we were in Florida! Mommy, Gramm, and Madison also took a crazy overnight trip to Athens, Georgia to see Mommy's best friends, Aunt Kimberly and Aunt Kristi. Madison had her first (2nd, and 3rd) trip to Fat Boys Bar-b-que restaurant- a Kissimmee staple. She had a great time out to eat with Mommy's high school friend's too. Thankgiving afternoon was fun. All the boys fell asleep but Madison was awake so Uncle Daniel fought off his nap to keep Madison entertained. Madison experienced her first 'Black Friday' shopping with Mommy. She was not as crazy as Uncle Daniel and and Daddy though, they were in line at Best Buy at 1am! After shopping Madion had fun helping Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Matthew decorate Gramm and Grandpa's house for Christmas, then helped Gramm wrap some presents for under the tree. Grandpa loves bath time and was sure to step up to the challenge throughout the trip. She had a great time hanging with Uncle Matthew too, who was constantly asking her 'who's your favorite uncle?'. Gramm's favorite times were early in the morning when Madison got to snuggle with Gramm and Grandpa in their bed before they had to leave for work. Madison got to meet lots of family on her trip including Aunt Darlene and Uncle Michael and Mommy's cousin Rick. Mommy and Madison were so sad to leave Kissimmee. Click for more photos of Madison's Thankgiving trip.

Shake, Shake, Shake

Madison waited until she got to Gramm's house to pick up a rattle and shake it. November 15th, just before her three month birthday. Our little girl is growing so fast!

Month Three

We started this month with Madison's two month visit with Dr. Brooks. Our little eater has grown so much. She weighs 11 lbs 8 oz now. This appointment was no fun for anyone as Madison got her first 4 immunizations. She screamed like we've never heard before. Mommy and Daddy were so sad. Our little girl is growing so much. She's starting to show signs of teething, drooling and starting to put things in her mouth. We finished up the month by packing for our Thanksgiving trip to Florida to visit Gramm and Grandpa. Madison helped Mommy pack and stood by herself holding onto the laundry basket. If we're not careful this little girl will walk before she crawls! Madison had her first plane ride just before her three month birthday on the way to Florida to visit Mommy's family and friends. Click for more photos of this month's events.

Madison's First Camping Trip

The whole family left for Barstow Friday morning for Madison's first camping trip. We were going to join Mommy and Daddy's friends to watch the MDR (Mojave Desert Racing) 250. After a 2 1/2 hour car ride we arrived. There was so much to see Madison couldn't get enough. She was so afraid she was going to miss something exciting on her first desert trip, she hardly slept a wink. Madison didn't nap much, didn't sleep much at night, and didn't eat much. She did enjoy sleeping by the campfire while Mommy and Daddy visited with some friends, and liked watching the fast trucks go by in the race. We stayed with the Daub's in their trailer for the night so we didn't have to rough the wind and blowing dust. Madison finished up her trip by sleeping all the way home Saturday night. When we got home, Madison had a bath then went to sleep for the night. Guess she was tired from her two long days in the desert...she slept 11 hours! Click for more pictures of Madison, Sierra, Mommy, and Daddy in the desert.

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin...

Madison is rollin! From her tummy to her back, she only rolls to the left. It's so fun to watch. She tucks her left shoulder, turns her head, and around she goes! She's rolled over on an incline before, but yesterday was the first (and second) time she rolled on a flat surface. Here is a photo taken right before her second roll over of the day. We're working on capturing this new talent on video for all to see.

What a Great Weekend!

We put Madison's new Univeristy of Georiga mobile on her crib this weekend. She LOVES watching her puppies go round and round while she listens to the Bulldog fight song. She smiles and kicks like crazy! Madison also learned a new trick. When Mommy went to pick her up out of her crib from a nap Friday, this is what she found! Our big girl was sitting up on her elbows checking out her ladybugs and dragonflies. Such a strong girl. Madison loves her tummy time. She holds her head up strong and kicks her legs like she wants to crawl already! We also had a great time on Madison's first trip to Topanga Canyon with Mommy and Daddy to visit Uncle Chris. She had a great time watching the trees blow and listening to all the pretty birds. Madison finished up the weekend Sunday evening by showing Mommy and Daddy that she can hold her toys now. She grabbed her butterfly from Mommy like she'd done it a hundred times before. Our little girl is getting so big! Click for more pictures of our fun weekend.

Madison and the Great Pumpkin

Daddy had a great time nuturing and growing his very first giant pumpkin this year. The pumpkin began growing around August 9th. It topped off at 187 lbs! Good thing Miss Madison didn't grow at that rate or Mommy would have been a very unhappy camper. We had fun taking pictures with the whole family to celebrate Madison's first Halloween!

Madison Can Drive

With a little help from Daddy, Madison drives her first viper. OK she just sat in it, but it makes for a good story, right? Mommy and Madison went to Vortech to have lunch with Daddy and Uncle Chris Whalley on October 25th.

Our little Halloween Ladybug

Mommy and Daddy are so excited about Madison's first Halloween. Mommy even made her costume for the event. Cute as a bug! Click for more photos of our cutie bug.

Homecoming at Cronies with Grandpa and Spencer

Madison watched the Georgia Homecoming game vs Vandy at Cronies with Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa, Megan, John, and her boyfriend, Spencer Snee. A happy day until Georgia lost. Even Spencer wore his Georgia colors for luck!

Grandpa's Visit

Grandpa came to visit for his fall break in October. He met his new granddaughter for the first time! We had a great time with Grandpa. Madison went to the Huntington Library, Pink's hotdogs, and went to Aunt Kristi's favorite place, IKEA for the first time during Grandpa's trip! Above all else her favorite part of the visit was cuddling with Grandpa. Madison was so sad when we took Grandpa to the airport. He must have worn her out as she slept all the way to the airport and all the way home. An hour and a half car nap! Click for more pics from Grandpa's visit.

Month Two

Madison started this month with her 5 week check up with Dr Brooks. He says she is still perfect and is gaining well. 9 lbs 14 oz. She is cooing regularly and loves to tell Mommy and Daddy stories. We upgraded to size one diapers this month and are still loving her newborn clothes. In the middle of the month Madison had a big milestone. She slept in her crib all night for the first time! She woke up once for a feeding and diaper change, but stayed in her big girl room all by herself! No more bassinet for this baby. This month marked Mommy's first real worry. Madison had a small red rash and funny green poopy, so off to the doctor we went. Her first unscheduled visit. Luckily it was just heat rash and apparently green poopy is normal (who knew). Madison ended the month with a big surprise. Grandpa came to visit. Madison honored the occasion by sleeping thru the night for the first time! 9pm-4am. That's more sleep than Mommy got the entire week before Madison's arrival! Click for this month's pictures.

Month One

What a happy baby! Madison is smiling crazy and has been since we brought her home from the hospital. We're slowly learning the difference between 'hold me' cry and 'feed me' cry. We hear the 'hold me' cry more than any other. She is a snuggler!Madison has been out and about quite a bit already. She saw her first Georgia football game at Cronie's, ok so she only saw the second half. We're still working on getting everybody bathed, dressed, and ready to go in a timely fashion. She's been to dinner at Lalo's, Outback, PF Chang's with Mommy and Daddy's friends, and to her first Steeler's football game at the Daub's house. Much to Mommy's surprise, Madison already developed a regular sleeping habit. By her one month birthday she was only waking once to eat at night. She still loves to eat and is enjoying nursing with Mommy. She's outgrown the preemie clothes and moved on to her cutie newborn cothes. One thing is for sure, Madison is in control of this place. When she wants something, boy does she let you know. Her lungs work just fine. In fact, this month she adopted a new nickname, Miss Fussipants. Click for this month's photos.

August

Madison's first few weeks at home were quite eventful. She came home on August 17th. The doctors recommended Mommy and Madison stay an extra day so the nurses could help Mommy learn baby basics. Mommy decided home would be a better place to learn as there were no nurses at home to take blood or wake us up in the middle of the night! Daddy, Gramm, and Mommy managed just fine the first few days. On the 18th she picked her head up to look around and hasn't stopped lifting her head since. She is so strong. Daddy changed his first poopy diaper on the 19th. Unfortunately, Daddy had to go back to work on the 21st but Gramm was still in town to help. Miss Madison's umbilical cord fell off the 22nd, one day before her one week check up with Dr Brooks where we learned she gained 7 oz! She's an eater. The rest of the month Madison had her first outing to Mommy's office, first trip to Target, first bath and shower. Gramm stayed in town until August 30th. We were so sad to see her leave on Madison's two week birthday. She rounded out August with her very first manicure (Mommy trimmed her finger nails). Madison's earliest nickname was 'Little Burrito' since she looked just like Daddy's favorite treat when she was all swaddled. She was so tiny these first few weeks she had to wear preemie clothes! Click for pictures of August.

Madison is Here!

She arrived August 16 at 9:41am. Matt teased about Madison waiting for his birthday (She was due the 10th). Low and behold- she WAS waiting for her Daddy's birthday. Gramm (Meagan's mom) arrived the evening of the 14th and we started having contractions the morning of the 15th. Perfect timing Gramm! The doctor offered to induce when we went in on the 15th, but we wanted to give Madison a little more time to figure things out for herself. The decision was made to induce the morning of the 16th so we headed home. Mommy labored at home all day the 15th. Contractions weren't too bad until just around dinner time. Things got intense, Daddy drove to the hospital and by 10:30pm we were checked in and working toward Madion's arrival. An epidural helped Mommy get some much needed sleep. Madison started down her long journey, broke her water herself and Mommy started pushing around 8:30am. Before you know it, the little angel was here! 7 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long. No induction needed. Dr Brooks confirmed she was perfect a few hours later during her first check up in the nursery. Her lungs started working right away. She was quick to tell the nurses she wanted her Mommy and wanted her NOW. Would we expect any less knowing her parents? She ruled the roost from the second she arrived. What an amazing little miracle. Madison's Album