The Donahue Family

OBX Wedding - Ryan and Rhea

2011-09-19T18:37:00.001-07:00

We were honored to join Ryan and Rhea as they got married in Hatteras, North Carolina in the Outer Banks. It was a great weekend of celebrating and relaxing. My parents flew out for the wedding, and my brother Brian was a groomsman. Ryan is a close family friend that lived just down the street from us while growing up. The could not have had a more picture perfect setting for their wedding and reception! Thanks for letting us celebrate with you!

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The happy couple!!

Just after the ceremony was finished these jets flew over.

Brian and Hilary

Hailey working the camera.

These girls made out with so much loot at this wedding it was unbelievable!

This is just a glimpse of what they got.

Sunset at the reception site.

Gorgeous!

Back to Summer... Ocean Breeze Water Park

2011-09-19T18:31:00.001-07:00

Dave parents came out to visit during August and while they were here we went to Ocean Breeze Water Park to cool off during the hot weather. Although Hailey was a little timid at first, by the time that we left she was going down the adult water slides on her own. We were so proud of her, and it was so fun to see her, because she was so excited to do it on her own!! Madi also loves the water and loves to jump into the water wether you are waiting for her or not.

Daddy's girl

Enjoying the lazy river.

Hanging out in the wave pool!

White Play-doh...

2011-09-07T17:25:00.001-07:00

Once Madi got into her classroom, she put her bag down, and she had to choose a seat at the table. Ms. Grippo and Ms. Piper had Play-doh already set up at each chair and the kids got to choose where they sat. Madi said to me "Mommy which one is my seat?" I replied, "Madi you can choose any seat you want." Madi then says "I want the white play-doh because... it matches my shirt!!" (Those that know me well, know that she is definitely my child). =)

Madi with her white Play-doh, coordinated with, of course, her shirt!!

Summer Catch-Up Interrupted by... Madi's First Day of Preschool!!

2011-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

Madison started preschool!!!! It was an exciting day in our house this morning. In fact Madi was so excited that she actually got herself completely dressed by herself, came downstairs with this outfit on, and a brush in her hands and said to me "Mommy I can't make piggies, can you please help me??" Awwww, my baby is growing up too quick!! She had a great first day.

I love these backpack pictures when the backpacks are as big as the kids!!

Sister love

This is nothing but pure happiness!!

Look at that smile, she was so excited to be at school.

Chronological Summer Catch-up... Fourth of July

2011-09-06T18:14:00.001-07:00

This year for the 4th we drove down to Charlotte to spend it with Brett, Cinder, and Tori. My parents flew out too, so it was nice for all of us to be together. (We just wished that Brian and Hilary would have been able to be there...) I am a little bummed that we did not take many pictures, but here are a few!!

First Day of Dance

2011-09-06T18:08:00.001-07:00

The girls actually took a few dance classes this summer, but today was the official start to dance for the year. Hailey is taking a ballet and tap class and Madison is taking a ballet class. They both love dancing!! Tonight was my first experience with two hours at the dance studio, this is just a glimpse of what is to come... but the girls love it, so it is worth it.

Hailey's First Day of Preschool

2011-09-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it is fitting that the last post I posted was Hailey's last day of preschool, so now you will have the first day this school year to compare. It is amazing how quick she is growing up. She had a great first day, loves her teacher, and loves having a classroom filled with NINE little girls and NO boys!! (Please say a special prayer for her teacher Ms. Bragg!!) ;) Madi starts tomorrow and is equally excited, so stay tuned for pictures of her first day...

Our little preschooler

Ready to go!

Sisterly love...

On our way

Backpack hung up, little yellow duck put in the pond, and name tag on...

she is ready to go!!

Hailey's Last Day of Preschool

2011-05-31T12:52:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that Hailey's first year of many school years is over. She had a great year, loved her teachers, and made some really great friends!!

Madison is looking forward to going to school in the fall!

My sweet girls

Hailey singing "He's got the whole world in his hands..."

Preschool 2 1/2 year olds!

It's The Little Things...

2011-05-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

My two little girls and a wonderful, loving, supportive husband... these are the best gifts that I could have!!

Madison who carried her "night-night" around all morning in her nightgown,

so that she was able to have two free hands to cause mischief and keep herself entertained!! Great problem solving if I do say so myself.

My sweet Hailey, with a hair-do a-la-Daddy!!

Check out that braid...

Lets just say that she was just as proud to tell me that Daddy braided her hair,

as Dave was to tell me he braided her hair!!

(This now means that I can officially go on vacation, as Hailey has always said that I could not leave because Daddy does not know how to do her hair.

That is not the case now!!)

Mother's Day

2011-05-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Now that I am a Mom, Mother's Day has a much different meaning, for obvious reasons, but also because, even though they always tell you, just wait until you have kids, you will understand once you are a mom...

You really do not know what it is like to be a Mom until you are!!

The unconditional love that you have for your children.

The never, ever, ever, ending job of being a Mom.

The work, energy, love, work, energy, work, more love... that it takes to be a Mom.

All of these things make me appreciate my own Mom so much more. There are not enough words for me actually to express that appreciation, but what I can say is "I love you and Thank You." All I can hope is that someday Hailey and Madison will be celebrating their first Mother's Day and that they too will realize that being a Mom is the most amazing, yet challenging thing that we can do!!

"While we are busy teaching our children all about life,

our children are busy teaching us what life is all about."

Two and a Half Months...

2011-05-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ha, ha, to those that thought I was going to spring great news of a baby, yeah right!!

That is how long it has been since I have posted anything on the blog. I know that some of you religiously check this, so sorry for the day after day disappointment. I really will try to be better. I have a lot of pictures just waiting to be downloaded from my camera, if only I had a lot of time!!

Here are some of our most recent pictures from Easter. We had a wonderful day complete with church, lunch with great friends, and an egg hunt of course!!

My girls... sisters!!!

Anxiously awaiting the egg hunt

Go Madi go!!

This girl is a serious egg hunter, actually she is just seriously competitive...

Hailey and Addy

Playing at the sand table, thanks to the Easter Bunny!!

A Little Overdue

2011-02-28T12:57:00.001-08:00

We had a beautiful day here today, temps in the mid 70's!! It was a little windy, but we will take what we get. The girls enjoyed playing at a new park followed by a picnic. We are so ready for spring!!

I think that Hailey is going to be a rock climber!!

Crib Climbing ... Edited

2011-01-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the same video with a little video editing from Dave. Make sure your volume is up. Enjoy! Also, take note at Madi's face, the reason that she has that look on her face is that Dave is filming her with his phone, and she thinks that he is taking a picture of her. She is making what we refer to as her "cheeeeese" face!!

Big Girl Bed... Just In Time!!

2011-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had gone out and picked out Madi's new bedroom furniture complete with a big girl bed. We just decided that it was time to get rid of the crib. The bed arrived today, and to make a long story short I ended up not putting her into her bed for her nap; well I tried and it didn't work for various reasons... Her crib was still in her room, she kept climbing out of the bed because I hadn't put the railing up, I finally decided to put her back into the crib hoping that I would at least get some sort of nap out of her, only to hear her pounding on the door when I thought she should be sleeping!! Which means, that if I left her in her crib, she must have climbed out of the crib.

She gives a very good demonstration on how to climb out of her crib in the following video!! Needless to say as I type this, she is fast asleep in her big girl bed, complete with a railing, but I will not be surprised to hear her knocking on her door in the morning!! (She has to knock because I put a door knob safety thing on it so that she won't open it, because she also does that now!!) I am finding myself saying much more frequently, "Oh Madison..."

Winter Blast 2010

2011-01-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

While it is pretty rare to have a white Christmas around here, the snow started falling Christmas night and kept coming. It is rare for a white Christmas, and it is nearly unheard of to have snow accumulation of nearly 14 inches!! It was beautiful. While everything was shut down for about three days, we took full advantage, of playing, shoveling, and making snow angels. We had to physically carry Hailey inside she loved the snow so much. Dave and I were thrilled at the thought that we could possibly have two little snow bunnies!!

Hats on and round little faces ready,

only accentuating the fact that they are sisters!

Daddy was just as excited to jump in as the girls were!

Hailey is thrilled and

Madi didn't miss the opportunity for a little snow tasting.

Mommy demonstrating a snow angel.

Madi working on hers.

Hailey's in process as well!

Santa Came!!

2011-01-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

The excitement and anticipation of Christmas was such a great experience this year with the girls. This was the first year that Hailey truly understood not only the true meaning of Christmas in celebrating Jesus' birthday, but also the fact that Santa would be visiting and bringing presents. Hailey sat on Santa's lap this year and asked for a dollhouse, while Madi sat on his lap and asked for a horsey. The girls must have been pretty good, because Santa delivered a dollhouse, along with a horsey!

It was a good thing that we opened gifts leading up to Christmas

as well, as I knew that come Christmas morning it would be pretty

hard to get the girls away from Santa's gifts.

Christmas Eve

2011-01-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Although we were not able to spend Christmas with family this year, we are very blessed to have such wonderful friends here in Virginia to be able to celebrate with. We spent Christmas Eve, with our dear friends the Haakes, who also happen to be neighbors just down the street. We had a wonderful time celebrating with them!

Our precious girls.

The "kids table" at dinner.

Matthew, Daylan, Hailey and Madison

Total Lunar Eclipse

2011-01-02T16:06:00.001-08:00

As you all probably recall, we had a total lunar eclipse a couple of weeks ago. Dave took a few pictures of it and they turned out pretty neat. Although total lunar eclipse's are not that uncommon, they are not always as well viewed as it was this time.

Full moon about 10:00 p.m.

Total lunar eclipse in progress at about 3:15 a.m.

Dave set his alarm, so that he was sure to get a picture of the actual

eclipse. It just so happened that Hailey woke up to go potty

just as his alarm was going off, so I too was awake, and was able

to catch a quick glimpse, and then I quickly returned to bed.

St. Andrew Christmas Program

2011-01-02T15:58:00.001-08:00

Hailey had her first Christmas program at preschool. It was adorable. What a difference it was between the 4-year-olds and the 2 1/2 year-olds. Hailey acted just as I expected her to. She stood on stage and didn't sing a single word!! That being said, there were too many of the kids that did a whole lot of singing either!!

Hailey is the second from the left (tallest in the picture).

Mommy and Madi awaiting the show!!

Hailey with one of her closest friends Daylan.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Last week we got together with friends and decorated sugar cookies. The girls had a great time, rolling out the dough, cutting the cookies, and then "painting" the cookies with dyed egg whites. I don't know if the cookies were really worthy of sharing with others, as the girls have not quite learned the etiquette of cooking, meaning, a lot of "tasting" was done during the whole process!! That being said, we all had a great time.

It is not uncommon for Hailey and Madi to be dressed alike,

but when we arrived at Molly's, Madeline matched the girls too!

What a crew, hard at work...

Oh Madison...

Hailey loves to bake!!

"Painting" the cookies.

Not only did Madi eat most of her cookies as she made them,

she also licked the egg whites... oh, Madison!!

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens

2010-12-13T13:41:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we went up to Busch Gardens and went to Christmas Town. We went last year, and hope to make it a yearly tradition as long as we are living here. We had a great time watching the shows, having dinner with Santa, riding the rides and even got to see a few snowflakes!!

Hailey patiently waiting for the Sesame Street show to start.

Madi's famous "cheeeeese"

The Sesame Street Christmas gang.

I found a hole in a tree and got caught trying to entertain the kiddos!!

Riding the train.

The Gang!!

These are some of our closest friends here.

Thanks to Shannon and Molly, I stay fairly sane.

We are so lucky to have met such wonderful people.

On the left is The Floyd Family and on the right is The Emerson Family.

(Of note, there are six adults and seven kids ranging in age from Hailey who is almost 3 to Emelyne who was about six weeks old, needless to say, we had quite the group!!)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

From: Hailey, Madison and Santa

Happy Halloween!!

2010-11-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

And finally... Halloween night!! No, you are not seeing wrong, and no, we did not drink too much witch's brew... yes, the girls decided to switch Halloween identities!! Again, I am biased, but Hailey was an adorable little black kitty and Madi a cute little witch!!

The trick-or-treating clan!!

Madi, Hailey, Daylan, and Matthew

Trick-or-treat!!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Carving pumpkins with Daddy was a lot of fun!! Daddy did a great job cleaning out the pumpkins and getting them ready to carve!!

Daddy and his helpers!!

The girls with their kid friendly "carved" pumpkin.

Hailey can even pull off the hand on her hip sitting down!!

(We are in trouble!!)

Me and my sweet girls!!

The lighted pumpkins!!

I carved the pumpkin face

and Dave did a fantastic job on the skeleton!!

Trunk or Treat

2010-11-01T13:01:00.001-07:00

After the fall festival, the girls came home took naps, and then headed out to go trunk-or-treating!! (They trick-or-treated at the decorated trunks from MOMS club.)

A little spunk was added to Madi's "spitfire-ness"

when she woke up from her nap!!

Enjoying a treat!!

Hailey too!!

Addy, Madi and Hailey

In front of our combined decorated trunk!!

Happy Halloween!!

Preschool Fall Festival

2010-11-01T12:43:00.001-07:00

So the Halloween fun begins!! On Thursday, Hailey had her Fall Festival at preschool, filled with sixteen 2 1/2 year olds dressed in costume, and slightly afraid of their teachers, who were also in costume, and looking a little "un-teacher" like!! Needless to say with a little help from quite a few of the moms, we had a successful day filled with a parade, petting zoo, carnival fun, crafts and lunch. Wow, just typing that makes me slightly exhausted!! A special thanks goes out to all you teachers out there, your patience is a gift!! Being a little biased, Hailey made a pretty cute witch, and Madi too, was a cute little black kitty!!

Ready to head out the door!!

Madi was showing off a little of her "spitfire-ness"

not only refusing to look at the camera,

but on a terror that day.

Thank goodness Dave was home and was able to spend a morning

of daddy/daughter time with her!!

Hailey and a few of her classmates.

I think that this is all of them!

(With an added Dad as a bonus)

Actually, only half is Hailey's class, and the other eight

are in the Mon/Wed class.

Petting the little goat at the petting farm.

Hailey loved these baby chicks!!

Weekend in Pennsylvania

2010-10-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we drove up to Pennsylvania to spend the weekend with Dave and the Donahue side of the family. We had a great time. The girls did great in the car, I was a little worried that the nearly 7 hour drive would be a bit much for them, but they were troopers, and did wonderful. Dave's cousin Karen and her family opened up their house to us. I was great to have some time to catch up with them, and Hailey and Madison were in heaven; Karen and Justin have three girls, Jessica, Sarah and Madalyn. Their were many new toys and lots of princesses to keep them entertained. Dave's Uncle Dave and Aunt Julie had a get together on Saturday. It was great to see everyone, it had been WAY TOO LONG since we had seen them. Grammy and Pop-Pop also flew out for the weekend and got to spend some time with us too. Here are a few pictures to enjoy. Dave had not seen the girls for a few weeks, and ALL of the pictures were of Hailey and Madison, but he did get some cute ones!

This picture just captures Madi's sweetness!!

Hailey playing with the hoops.

Daddy and his girls.

"Is this my belly button??"

Hailey found the dirt...

Close-up.

The cake and frosting tasted a little bit better than the dirt!

Hailey's First Day of Preschool... Part II

2010-09-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

It is so hard for me to believe that Hailey is already starting preschool, granted, it is just a program for 2 1/2 year olds, but still, it is preschool!! Those of you that know Hailey, know that this was going to be much easier on her than me. In fact my Mom said to me, "it will be just like the day that you started Kindergarten." My Mom took the day off, because everyone said it was such a big deal, and then when she dropped me off, there were no tears, no hanging on her leg, no long good-byes, simply a "bye Mom" and I was off. Well my Mom was right, but at least she got a "bye Mom" from me...

Very rarely do I get a picture of the two of them!!

I love this one!!

Daddy even came home.

At least she took a picture with me!

Just a little excited!

Checking out her classroom.

Into the classroom...

and she was off!!

I poked my head around the door to say "bye Hailey!"

Her teacher replied "Bye Mom!"

Needless to say, she had a great first day and cannot wait to go back!

I thought that this poem that I found by Dan Valentine was amazing, as I had a few of these feelings as Hailey headed off for her first day. Enjoy, you might need some tissues, I know I did!!

I Trust You'll Treat Her Well

World, I bequeath to you today one little girl in a crispy dress, with two brown eyes and a happy laugh that ripples all day long, and a batch of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I Trust You'll Treat Her Well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning and skipping off down the street to her first day at school.

And never again will she be completely mine...

Prim and proud, she'll wave a young and independent hand this morning, and say goodbye and walk with little-lady steps to the nearby schoolhouse...

Now, she will learn to stand in lines...and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called...

She will learn to tune her little girl ears for the sound of school bells, and for deadlines...

She will learn to giggle and gossip... and to look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue.

And she'll find her new heroes. For five full years I've been her sage and Santa Claus...her pal and playmate...her parent and friend. Now, alas, she'll learn to share her worship and adoration with her teachers (which is only right).

No longer will her parents be the smartest, and greatest in the world. Today, when the first school bell rings, she'll learn how it is to be a member of the group...with all its privileges, and, of course, its disadvantages, too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies don't laugh out loud...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms...or watch ants scurry across the cracks in a summer sidewalk...

Today, she'll begin to learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. That "the group" can be a demanding mistress... and I'll stand on the porch and watch her start out on the long, long, journey to becoming a woman.  So WORLD, I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE LITTLE GIRL in a crispy dress, with two brown eyes, a happy laugh that ripples all day long, and a batch of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL.

Hailey's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-07T17:39:00.001-07:00

Here is a little teaser... more to come soon!! Hailey had a great first day!!

Girlfriends

2010-08-30T10:33:00.001-07:00

While we were in Colorado, I had the chance to get together with some old college friends. We had a great time catching up and visiting. Laura, Sage, Susan and I spent our first year together in the dorms at CSU!! It was so nice to be able to catch up and let the little ones play. Thanks for hosting Susan, we had so much fun!!

Taylor (Sage's daughter), Hailey and Madi

Being silly!!

(Instead of sticking her tongue out, Madi is giving an anatomy lesson,

and showing where her tongue is!!)

Sage, Laura, Susan, and me.

So we were in a bit of a crunch, and wanted to be able to get our picture together somehow. I thought, well maybe we can get Hailey to do it! I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I found the spot for her to stand in, got the camera zoomed in, and then showed her what she needed to do. The girls sat down and Hailey took a great picture. Not too bad for being her first time using a camera!!

Painting Fingernails...

2010-08-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Maybe Hailey is on to something!! Ranch dressing as nail polish may not be such a bad idea!!

Denver Children's Museum

2010-08-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

The girls had a great time at the Children's museum. Here are some pictures of them hard at play!!

Madi takes her work in the Vet office very seriously!

Budding artists, became budding messes!!

Cheeeeeeese!!

Check out that concentration, maybe we have a scientist in the making?!?!

I do have to admit that this bubble making thing with the gas in it was very cool!! I spent just as long playing with it as the kids did.

Riding in the fire truck.

Face Painting

2010-08-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

We went to a concert in the park, and one of the vendors that was set-up there did face painting. Hailey really wanted a butterfly, over her entire face, and because Madi does what Hailey does, Madi also got a small one on her cheek. (That was Mommy's call, figuring there was no way Madi would sit to have one painted over her entire face!)

The Carousel of Happiness

2010-08-11T14:23:00.001-07:00

Needless to say we have kept very busy this summer during our Colorado visit. One of the first weekends that we were here, we headed up to Nederland to fulfill two wishes. Wish one was Hailey wanted to go to "her mountains" and wish two was that the girls wanted to go on a carousel ride. Check and double check, thanks Gra and Grandpa!!

The story of this carousel is actually kind of neat. A man bought the carousel about 25 years ago and began carving each of the characters on the carousel by hand. The profits from the carousel go to children with special needs, and the rides are only $1.00 a person. What a great way to spend a Sunday in Colorado. For more information about the Carousel of Happiness visit: http://www.carouselofhappiness.org/flashcarousel/flash.html

Hailey riding the mermaid.

Grandpa, Madi, and Hailey

Grandpa had a pretty good time!

The girls enjoying the mountain air!

As we were headed back home Hailey said to me "Mommy, I said that I wanted to go to my mountains today." I replied, "Hailey, we were in the mountains all day today." "No Mommy, this is just a bunch of rocks and trees, not the mountains!!"

Breckenridge

2010-08-10T21:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from this last weekend.

Hailey and (Great) Aunt Mary Alison on the gondola.

Madi and Mommy

Hailey flying high!

My Little Dare Devil

2010-08-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we rented a townhouse and spent the weekend in Breckenridge. Oh how I miss the mountains! It was so fun to take the girls, they loved being outside, swimming in the pool, feeding chipmunks, watching a fox, "hiking", and riding to the top of the mountain. Breckenridge has a great fun park, that you get to by riding the gondola. Hailey rode down the alpine slide with Aunt Mary Alison, and loved every minute of it. They also had a bungee jump with a trampoline. Hailey said to me "Mommy I want to go on that one." I thought, well, if she wants to do it, we will get her a ticket and then see what happens. In the back of my mind I was thinking, there is no way that she is going to do this, I bet I am going to have to do it. We stood in line and patiently waited our turn. Hailey was near the front of the line, and I asked her if she was going to do it. She looked me in the eyes and said, "Mommy, I am a big girl now, and I am going to jump!" With that, it was her turn to get her harness on, and away she went. The video doesn't really do justice to how high she was actually flying, but you get the idea... She loved every minute!!

If you listen closely, you can hear Madi crying in the background. She kept saying "I jump, I jump!" She wasn't quite big enough to do it this year, but maybe next year!!

Fun with Lollipops

2010-08-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

We have been in Colorado for the last four weeks. We have been having a great time visiting family and friends. The girls got a taste of real lollipops. Some of the cousins had visited the Hammonds Candy Store in Denver, and brought back some tasty treats. Wow, real lollipops make quite a mess, but the girls throughly enjoyed them!!

Cousins:

Lauren, Rayne, Hailey, Madi and Abby

all enjoying their lollipops.

Hats

2010-05-17T18:35:00.001-07:00

Just a cute picture of the girls in their hats!!

Madi is 16 Months

2010-05-10T12:08:00.001-07:00

It is so hard to believe that 16 months have FLOWN by! Madison keeps me on my toes and keeps me running most of the time. She is definitely my little spit fire, and watch out, if she doesn't want to do something she can throw a tantrum that puts Hailey's tantrums to shame!! That being said, she really is a sweet little girl. As a tribute to her sixteen months, here are sixteen things I love about Madi:

1. I love how she gives kisses, and then promptly responds "nigh, nigh."

2. I love to watch her dance.

3. I love to watch her make Hailey laugh.

4. Even though I do get a little tired of it, I love how much she loves being with me!

5. I love to watch her little face light up when Dave comes through the door at night.

6. I absolutely love her blond curls!!

7. I love how she holds her lovie bunny, and has named it "nigh, nigh," and she must always get it out of her crib whenever we go into her room, but yet she puts it back before we leave.

8. I love how she nods yes with her entire body.

9. I love her love for the outdoors, and can't wait to take her skiing and hiking.

10. I love those sweet moments when she snuggles into me and just lets me hold her.

11. I love that her and Hailey get to share such a special bond as sisters, and I love to see how she admires Hailey and the things that she does.

12. I love to watch her excitement as she discovers something new.

13. I love her stubbornness, because I know that she is becoming her own little person, yet I hope that it goes away before she is a teenager!!

14. I love her sweet, gentleness and hope that this remains with her forever!!

15. I love seeing her smiling face first thing in the morning and right after naps. It is such an amazing unconditional love, that I swear grows each day, even though I am pretty sure I can't love her anymore.

16. I love that she was such a surprise yet I could not have asked for a better surprise. Even though life can definitely be crazy with the two of them being so close in age, I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING in the world!

Lunch time wore her out!

Playing in the fountains at the Botanical Gardens.

Sisters

2010-05-10T12:01:00.001-07:00

I love it in the mornings when I bring the girls downstairs and they just want to be right next to each other. This usually only lasts for a few minutes, and then Hailey takes something from Madi, or Madi irritates Hailey and then the fighting begins!! But they do really love each other!!

This is Hailey's cheesy smile... such a goofball!

I love the look on Madi's face.

Intently watching some sort of morning cartoon!

Cupcakes With Gra

2010-05-09T12:27:00.001-07:00

About a month ago my parents, aka Gra and Grandpa came out for a visit. The girls throughly enjoyed being spoiled while they were here. They made cupcakes one afternoon, and I realized that this was a task for a very patient Gra and not Mommy!! Hailey also had a whole lot of fun, because she nearly got to do everything by herself with a little instruction, and also had free range of the cupcake batter. It is amazing that there was actually any batter left for cupcakes!

This is pure happiness!

And this is just discovering what pure happiness is!

"You just scoop it into the spoon like this..."

"Ooooo, I think I can do this!"

Such concentration in making the perfect cupcake.

The finished product!

Doing the sprinkles all by herself.

Madi didn't want any to go to waste!

This is what sugar coma looks like after TWO cupcakes.

Thanks to Gra of course!

The Circus Was In Town

2010-04-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

This last weekend the Barnum and Bailey Circus came to town, and we took the girls to their first circus. We debated for a while, trying to decide if it was really worth it to buy tickets, we were sure that Hailey would enjoy it, but we were a little worried that Madi might lose interest. In the end, we had a great time and both of the girls loved it. Plus, they each got their first taste of cotton candy...

and Dave got a great hat!!

Hailey's First Pedicure

2010-04-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, last night was a big night here in the Donahue household. Hailey decided that she was ready to get rid of the pull-ups and sleep in her big girl panties. A lot of this had to do with the fact that I had told her that once she was finished with her pull-ups, and sleeping in her big girl panties, I would take her to get her toenails painted. She was so excited about getting her toenails painted, and has been asking about it for weeks! I knew that she was ready, she has been dry in the morning for nearly two months. She usually wakes up once during the night and says "Mommy, I have to go potty!" I (or Dave) gets out of bed and takes her. So we knew that she could do it. It was a little bitter sweet for me, my baby was ready to move from that last stage of baby that I was holding on to! But, I knew that she could do it, and secretly, I also needed a pedicure, so what a great excuse to get one.

This morning was a little funny, because Dave's alarm went off, and we kind of looked at each other, knowing that neither of us had gotten up with her during the night. I think that we were both a little anxious, and neither of us wanted her to fail, because we both knew that she would be so disappointed. To make a long story short, she finally started to stir just before 7:00, Dave quickly went up to get her, and hooray... Hailey had done it. She was so excited, I could hear her through the monitor, "Daddy, I slept in my big girl panties all night!!" When she came downstairs, she was beaming, she told me the same thing, and added, that "she wanted to get her nails painted GREEN!!" Needless to say, an appointment was made, and yes, Hailey got her toenails painted green!!

Patiently waiting.

Trimming up her toenails just a bit.

Time for some filing, that tickled just a bit!

Her toes were too small for the normal toe spreaders,

so a little tissue will do the trick.

"Look Mommy!!"

Pretty green toenails!

So excited!

Let's get this tissue out from between my toes!

The finished product...

And Finally... The Egg Hunt

2010-04-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

After we went to church, we had lunch with our wonderful friends, Adam, Shannon and their little girl Addy, as well as, Shannon's Dad ("Grandpa Matt"). We brought the girls home, put them down for naps so that they could be rested for the egg hunt! The whole gang came back over, complete with a wagon, and a great time was had by all.

I see one!!

(Don't worry, Hailey did have a basket,

but we let Addy borrow hers for the egg hunt!)

The Easter Bunny thought that he would be a little tricky and hide a few eggs that were a little hard to find, but leave it to Hailey, she will find them!!

I know that there is something in here!

It was actually really funny, because this was the first egg that Madi picked up. She shook it and knew that something was inside. The Easter Bunny had put fruit snacks in some of the eggs, and money in the others. Madi would pick up the eggs and shake them. If they didn't sound like coins, she would open them and eat the fruit snacks as she went. If they sounded like coins, she would put it back and move on to the next one! Although Hailey didn't pass on too many fruit snack filled eggs, she was very excited to get some "monies, for her piggy bank." Finally one thing that worked out in my favor, they weren't fighting over the same eggs. I savored the moment, as I am sure that it will not be the same next year!

Wagon ride with Addy in her new wagon!

I love this one!

Easter

2010-04-17T05:00:00.001-07:00

Well, Easter morning was a bit of a rush, making sure that we were all ready to go when Dave got home from work, so that we could make it to church. We did get a few pictures of the girls in their dresses. We might have to put them back in them and do more pictures though, they sure did look cute!

Going in for a hug, (or maybe a tackle!)

Easter Eggstravaganza

2010-04-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

The park near our house had a little Easter Eggstravaganza, complete with ponies and of course the Easter bunny, Madi could have done without the Easter Bunny, but Hailey loved the pony ride!

Hailey enjoying her pony ride.

Madi wasn't too sure, but she stayed on the whole time!

Madi did not like the Easter Bunny, but Tori thought that he was great!

Mommy makes Madi happy!

Sweet sisters!

Playing with Pots

2010-04-16T19:09:00.001-07:00

A new favorite thing that the girls like to do is carry around my stockpots. One is just the right size for Madi and the other is perfect for Hailey! It isn't uncommon for me to find little treats when I pull out my pots when I am cooking!

Watch out I am coming through!

You have no idea what I just put in here!!

Such a mischievous little grin.

Just because I am younger doesn't mean that I can't do it too!

Madi Eating Yogurt

2010-04-16T19:01:00.001-07:00

My goodness, first of all it has been exactly a month since I have posted pictures! Sorry! I have a lot to catch up with. Madi has been learning to use a fork and spoon when she eats, as you will see in the pictures, she still has a lot of learning to do or she may not get a second date, once she begins dating! Today's food was yogurt, and she enjoyed every last bit of it. I kept reminding her to use her spoon, and not her fingers, but something makes me believe, that she snuck some handfuls of yogurt when I wasn't looking!

Silly girl!

I told you she enjoyed every last bit!

Did you know that yogurt is good for your eyelashes?!?!

Trike-a-Thon Fundraiser

2010-03-15T18:27:00.001-07:00

The girls participated in their first "a-thon" last Friday. It was a fundraiser through our MOMS Club to raise money for Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters, the local children's hospital here. The requirement was that we had to have some sort of wheels moving for 15 minutes. The girls had a great time. Here are some before pictures. After the trike-a-thon we had a St. Paddy's Day party, and as you can see the girls were decked out in their green, thanks to "Aunt Kari!"

Friends

2010-02-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

Some of our closest friends, Jim and Kari came out for a short visit last weekend. It was so much fun, but not nearly long enough. Jim and Kari, welcomed sweet Gabriella on October 13, 2009. We were so excited to get to meet their new addition.

Dave and Jim enjoyed some guy time while making beer, Kari and I of course got some shopping in, and Hailey and Madi loved getting to check out Gabi. We always have such a great time when we are together and we can only hope that our girls will continue to have as much fun as we do! We miss you!

The Dinner Crew

2010-02-28T18:51:00.001-08:00

Many of you know that I refer to 5:00 pm as the start of the "witching hour," here in our household. The girls always seem to get a little fussy, they are hungry, they are tired, they get whiney, and I sometimes (usually) have to take a deep breath (or two), to get through it!! With Dave's crazy schedule, he is almost never home during dinner time, and usually arrives just as we are winding down and getting ready for bed.

One of my saving graces has been my great friend Shannon. She lives just down the street and has a little girl Addyson. Shannon's husband is Coast Guard and has a much worse schedule than Dave. He typically is home for 30 days, and then on the boat for 60-90 days at a time. Needless to say, Shannon and Addyson enjoy the time when Adam is home, but when he is not, they become "adopted Donahue's." Most nights of the week Shannon and Addy come over, eat dinner, and play. The girls love playing together and it sure makes the "witching hour," much easier to handle. We are so blessed to have such great friends here!

Hailey, Addy and Madi

Pigtails and Curls

2010-02-28T18:46:00.001-08:00

The title says it all!!

Warming Up!

2010-02-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

The girls got their first taste of hot cocoa and marshmallows, to help warm up after playing in the snow!

Catching Up...

2010-02-28T18:24:00.001-08:00

First of all, apologies for slacking on the blog updates. Secondly, I do have a pretty good excuse. In my "spare" time I have decided to do a little work from home, and have been doing some medical transcription for a local company here in Virginia. It has taken me a little bit to get into a routine and figure out exactly what I am doing. Slowly but surely, I think I am beginning to get the hang of it. Unfortunately, I have been working during nap time and in the evening, which use to be the time that I would update pictures on the blog. I will play catch up now, and hopefully be able to keep everyone up to date, with all of the happenings here in the Donahue household!

We got a lovely taste of a Colorado winter here on January 30th. We got about 8 inches of snow and it was beautiful. Hailey could hardly wait to go out and play. To tell you the truth, I am not sure who was more excited, Hailey, or Dave and I. Needless to say, we bundled up the girls, pulled out our winter gear, and headed out to play!

Trying on Daddy's gloves.

Cheese!!

We are ready, what are you waiting for?!?!

Madi, trying to stay upright!

Hailey, having so much fun.

Snow angels!!

Mommy and her girls!

Mommy and Hailey

Hailey and Madi's Birthday Party

2010-01-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Hailey and Madi's Birthday on Sunday. We had a fun party with great friends, food and a bounce house! Here is a video of the girls with their cupcakes. The frosting was a hit! Thanks to everyone that shared in this fun day, we are so lucky to have such wonderful friends! (Sorry that the video is a little long, but the Grandparents will appreciate it!)

Chefs in Training

2010-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

Hailey and Madison got a kitchen for Christmas. They have been spending quite a bit of time in there cooking away. My Mom ("Gra") made them chef hats and aprons. They arrived yesterday afternoon and the girls had a great time trying them out while they cooked. They were so adorable in them I just couldn't resist taking a few pictures. Thanks Gra!

Chefs need time for snacks too!

"Just a second let me get off this chair!"

Hard at work

All great chefs wash their own dishes

One very proud chef

It tastes delicious!

Watch out, it looks like this chef can cause a lot of trouble!

Hailey likes to put her chef hat on by herself, the only problem is that if the velcro isn't in the right place it is a little big! Needless to say when she does it herself it ends up completely over her head. She had a great time navigating the house this way!

Never a Dull Moment

2010-01-10T11:25:00.001-08:00

So, it has just been me and the girls this weekend. Dave left Friday afternoon to drive up to New Jersey for a review course for his board exam that is coming up at the end of the month. We were going about our usual lunch routine, I made the girls tortellini, chicken and peas. I was getting Madison's stuff cleaned up and waiting for Hailey to finish eating. While I was rinsing Madi's high chair tray off, Hailey said to me "Mommy, nose," and was rubbing at her nose. Both of the girls have been sick and had really snotty noses this weekend. I said to her "do you need to blow your nose?" She replied "yes." I grabbed a tissue and went over to her. As I squatted down to put the tissue to her nose I realized that there was a pea in her nose. I said "Hailey, you shouldn't put peas in your nose!" She said "yes Mommy." So I grabbed the pea and pulled it out. Laughing to myself as I went to throw it away. I texted Dave and told him that a crisis had been adverted, Hailey put a pea in her nose, but had just barely stuck it in and I was able to get out! By this point Hailey has finished lunch, I grab a wipe and go over to clean her up. As I am wiping her hands I think to myself, maybe I should make sure she doesn't have another pea farther up in her nose. As you can all probably guess, she indeed did, have a pea shoved rather far up in her nose! I could just barely see the bottom of it! I sent Dave a text back and said, just found another one up a lot higher! I am thinking to myself, I really need to get this pea out, I really don't want to have to go to the ER to have it done. It was up way too high for me to reach with my fingers or a pair of tweezers, Dave suggested that she blow her nose, but with her nose being so snotty I didn't know if she could blow hard enough, and even worse I didn't want her to sniff it up any farther. Then I remembered that Dave had surgical tweezers in a bag that had a long skinny nose to them. By this point Dave had called me to see if I had got it out yet. I told him what I was about to attempt, put the phone down, told Hailey that she had to hold really still and removed the pea!! Never a dull moment around here!!

Here is Hailey telling the story herself!!

Just For Fun

2010-01-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

What a difference a year makes!!

Happy 1st Birthday Madison

2010-01-10T11:09:00.001-08:00

Wow, it is so hard to believe that it has been a year since Sweet Madison entered this world. For the next 10 days I am officially the Mommy of TWO one year olds, that is also hard to believe. But what great joy both of them bring me! Madison you are such a blessing to all of us! Happy 1st Birthday! We love you so much!

"It's my party and I can cry if I want to..."

Enjoying a birthday cookie!

So yummy!

Sugar Coma!!

Hailey's First Haircut

2010-01-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hailey was super excited for her first haircut! Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!

The before, long and shaggy bangs.

Nothing like a lollipop and Mommy making funny faces

to keep her entertained.

Sitting nice and still

First blow dry.

The adorable finished product!

I was worried that we would lose all of her curls, but they stayed for now!

Hanging Out With Tori

2010-01-06T06:59:00.001-08:00

Brett, Cinder and Tori came up and spent some time with us over Christmas. It was great to have them here. Hailey loved playing with Tori and wanted to do everything that Tori was doing. Tori was very patient with Hailey and did a great job keeping her entertained! Her are a few pictures of bath time together!

What do you think Tori is going to do with that cup of water??

Dump it over Hailey's head of course!

Hailey thinks that it is pretty funny when she gets water dumped on her.

Being silly!

All wrapped up!

A Future Doctor???

2010-01-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hailey got a doctor's kit for Christmas, (thanks Felcyn's) and loves playing with it. It is so funny to watch her use each of the instruments appropriately and do check-ups on Madison. Watch closely, at the beginning of the video, Hailey is listening to Madi's heart. I looked over and saw her doing this and grabbed the video camera just in time. With a little prompting from me she completes Madi's exam, complete with a band aid. Notice, the band aid came with no prompting as did the throwing of the syringe from the shot!!

If You're Happy and You Know It

2010-01-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hailey and Madison both love to do the motions to songs. "If you're happy and you know it" and the "Wheels on the bus" are a couple of their favorites. Here is a quick video of them; Madi wasn't cooperating with clapping, but you will get to see a little foot tapping from both and a hooray from Madi!

Don't Forget Madi

2009-12-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

Appropriately while I was publishing the last blog, Hailey decided that the best accessory for Madi's outfit would be some teal post-it flags! One for each side!

Hailey Likes to Accessorize and Moisturize

2009-12-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hailey is quite the girly girl. Here are a few pictures of her accessories that she regularly contributes to her outfits while I get ready in the morning. (She even uses hair rubber bands for bracelts!)

Hailey also wanted to make sure that her skin stayed very moisturized the other night. She thought that a little vaseline would do the trick! Enjoy!

(Madison says "hi" at the very beginning if you listen carefully!)

Busch Gardens Christmas Town

2009-12-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

Last night we took the girls up to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. We had a great time. The girls got to see Sesame Street Christmas Live, they loved watching all of the characters dance and sing. We had dinner in the German Festhaus and watched a great performance with some more dancing and singing. We were greeted with a wonderful surprise after dinner, it was SNOWING!! It was a little cold, but the girls had a great time and I think that Dave and I enjoyed it as much as they did. It is pretty rare that we see any amount of snow here, so it couldn't have been more perfect of a setting! We also took the girls to see Santa. Although neither one of them were too excited about him, we at least got a picture!

It's Been A While...

2009-12-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

I just happened to look at a friends website and saw that it has been a month since I have posted anything. I guess we have been busy!! We had family pictures taken a few weeks ago. Here are few. The girls are growing and learning new things each day. Madi is about ready to take off walking, she says "bye-bye" while waving, she dances when she hears music and if you are lucky you can get a great wide open, slobbery kiss from her!! Hailey is learning to recognize colors, she counts "one, two, one," we are working on "three" and she randomly will come up to us and just give us a hug and say "I love you!" We are so blessed. We hope that the holidays find each of you happy and healthy and that 2010 blesses you in many ways!!

Madi's First Steps

2009-11-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of Madi's first steps on video!!

Sunday Fun with Daddy

2009-11-03T12:20:00.001-08:00

On Sunday Dave and the girls had a little fun playing with the camera and crawling around on the floor. Here are a few cute pictures!

My 3 Loves!!

Madi standing

Cheesing for the camera!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T12:07:00.001-08:00

We had a great Halloween. Hailey was actually sick the day before, but lucky for us, it must have just been a 24 hour bug, by the time trick or treating time rolled around she was excited and ready to go. No fever and feeling great! We walked around our neighborhood with some great friends that live down the street. Hailey was so excited to get to hang out with "Day Day" (Daylan) and Matthew and Madison were content to sit back and enjoy the ride. Hailey had fun going up to the doors and getting treats, lucky for us she didn't quite understand that she was getting candy, so we didn't have to battle with that this year. Next year will be a different story!

Daylan, Madison, Matthew and Hailey

Hailey and Daddy with his "treat!"

"Trick or treat!"

Madison and Matthew enjoying the ride!

Hailey and Dave & Brett and Daylan

Madison Wants to Walk

2009-10-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Madison really wants to walk! I can't believe that she is doing as much as she is and she isn't even 10 months old yet. She is just very determined to do what Hailey does! She is pretty steady on her feet, she can stand alone not holding on to anything, and she will move from one piece of furniture to the next taking a step in between. She isn't quite ready to do it on her own, but she loves to take Bitty Baby for a walk in the stroller.

The first part of the video I was getting everything set up for Madi, and as I begin to record her Hailey joins in the fun, gets behind Madi and pushes her along. I was pretty surprised that Madi let Hailey walk behind her, and was also surprised that Hailey was as gentle as she was! (Keep your eyes open for Hailey's little hip shake as she begins to walk!)

Playing Pick Up

2009-10-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight after dinner I had given Madi a spoon to keep her entertained while I got everything cleaned up. She was playing with the spoon and then dropped it on the floor. Typical game that I only play once, but lucky for Madi, Hailey thinks that it is also a game and would pick the spoon up for her (even better for me because it kept them BOTH entertained!) I started recording it after Hailey had picked up the spoon a few times, so it took a little prompting for Hailey to get the spoon during the video.

I absolutely love watching them interact and play! Madi LOVES Hailey and wants to be right with her. Madi also shows off some of her new "skills," like waving "bye-bye," doing touchdown and blowing kisses.

Hailey's vocabulary is growing everyday. It is amazing to listen to her jabber away. Listen carefully and you will hear many of the things she has to say. (For those that don't quite understand "Hailey Talk" yet, I translate, don't worry!)

Trunk or Treat

2009-10-29T17:53:00.001-07:00

Today we had a "trunk or treat" Halloween party with my MOMS group. Everyone decorates the trunks of their cars and the kids trick or treat to each of the trunks. We had a great time and it was fun to see the girls in their costumes. Hailey loved running around and playing with all of the kids and of course picking out treats at each trunk! Madison enjoyed taking it all in and got a few treats herself! Dave had a conference today and was able to sneak out after is was finished to join us for a bit. What a great way to start Halloween!!

Our Getaway to Hawaii

2009-10-27T18:31:00.001-07:00

Sorry, this post will not contain any pictures of the girls!! Dave and I got the chance to sneak away to Hawaii for a week. We stayed with Dave's parents at their time share on the Big Island and my Mom and Dad (as well as Aunt Teri and Aunt Karen) watched the girls. All of us had a great time. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. Dave loves to play with his camera so there were A LOT of sunset and scenery pictures! Enjoy!

These first few pictures were taken during a hike that Dave and I took. We hiked the Ala Kahakai Trail which took us along the water. The trail was completely over lava rock. At one point during the hike I am pretty sure that we somehow got off of the trail and ended up in some pretty rough and steep lava. Dave continued to reassure me that we were on the trail, until we eventually found the trail... We had amazing views of the water and were literally in the backyards of houses that were between 10 and 20 million dollars. (Dave did some researching on property, we won't be buying in the near future!!)

Beautiful view of the water from the lava cliffs!

View across the Makaiwa Bay at Kohala in the distance.

Yellow Hibiscus

Plumeria, these flowers are so simple, yet so beautiful!

Cool picture of the moon. The moon that night was just a sliver, but Dave was playing with the shutter on the camera and the rest of the moon became visible through the picture.

Dave found this heart shaped lava rock for me on the beach!! Awwww...

Artsy pic of the palm trees.

Sunset across A Bay. Supposedly on a clear night when watching the sunset you can see a "green flash" just as the sun is setting. We were trying to see the "flash" although it really isn't a flash it is just a reflection of green light that happens just as the sun passes the horizon. We didn't see it but a few guys that were standing on the beach near us did. I am pretty sure that we should of had a few more drinks at dinner!

Sunset view from our lanai at the Bay Club.

Our last night in Hawaii we went to dinner at a restaurant in Kona called Jameson's by the Sea. We had a fantastic dinner and a gorgeous view. It was pretty cloudy that night over the water, but the colors were amazing! Here is the last bit of the sun as it passes into the clouds.

Hailey

2009-10-11T10:27:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that in just a few short months Hailey will be 2!!!! Where has the time gone? Just a cute pic of my "baby number 1."

Ground Hog Day

2009-10-11T06:11:00.001-07:00

Nearly a year ago I took Hailey in for her 9 month well baby check. At that appointment she weighed 20.5 pounds, was 28 inches long and had a head circumference of 46 centimeters. Here is a picture that was taken of Hailey on October 10th last year.

On Friday I took Madison in for her 9 month well baby check. At her appointment she weighed 21.9 pounds (she started a pound heavier at birth,) was 28 inches long and had a head circumference of 46.25 centimeters. Here is a picture of Madison taken yesterday on October 10th.

Sometimes I feel like it is "ground hog day" around here and from this post I am sure that you can understand why!! The biggest difference between Madison and Hailey is that Madison is developmentally farther along than Hailey was at this age. I am convinced that has everything to do with Madison feeling like she needs (and wants) to keep up with Hailey. It was actually pretty funny trying to take the picture of Madison yesterday, we had to lay her on her stomach and hold her there and then quickly move away to get the picture. She wants nothing to do with being on her stomach, she is cruising around holding on to everything and wants to walk SOOO bad!!

Are you ready for some football... (I know, a little late!)

2009-10-05T10:27:00.001-07:00

This was the first Sunday that Dave has been home to watch football with us. I had to save the Broncos outfits so that he could be home to see his little cheerleaders! We never expected to have a 4-0 start. Go Broncos!!

Hailey doing "touchdown!"

I love the look on each of their faces!

The newest members of the cheering squad!!

What a Difference a Week Makes

2009-09-17T17:40:00.001-07:00

Madison has been on the move!! It is amazing to watch Madison and see her developing so much quicker than Hailey. I am sure that it has everything to do with having an older sibling. Madison wants to do EVERYTHING that Hailey does, and she gets so frustrated when she can't keep up with her. Last Thursday night I took a video of Madison trying to stand. She had been doing it for about a week, she would put her feet and hands flat on the floor and try to get into a standing position. At this point I thought that there was no way that she was ready to stand. There were quite a few times that I watched her fall flat on her face, there were tears and a few red marks but she was okay. She just wasn't quite ready to do it, but she was determined. Here is a quick video of her getting into her position. She is doing everything in her power to get there, but always ends up sitting upright!

So I took the video on Thursday night, and on Friday morning I was on the phone with my girlfriend Shannon. While we were talking I looked out of the kitchen and said "oh my gosh!" Of course Shannon, who is also a Mom, said "is everything okay?" I replied, "yes, everything is fine, I am just looking at Madison and she is standing!" I am pretty sure that she said something about it being great (she is an OT,) and I think that I replied back with something about not being ready for it yet! Here are a few pictures of the standing process!

So just to recap, the video was last Thursday, the pictures were last Friday and then yesterday (Wednesday) I walked into Madison's room after her morning nap and was greeted with this bright, smiling face... standing!

I hope that this next week is filled with fewer developmental milestones!! (Sorry for the resolution, my phone was the first thing that I could find to take a picture with!)

Sisterly Love

2009-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of pictures of the girls together!

Hanging out in Mommy and Daddy's bed!

My Little Helper

2009-09-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

I really don't know how I did everything before I had Hailey! It is amazing that I made it through the day before I had all of her help! =) She LOVES to help with everything, she puts her waffles or bagels in the toaster oven, she puts clothes in the washer and dryer, she throws her own trash away (she hasn't thrown anything of value away yet,) she does her make-up while I do mine, she wipes the spit-up from Madison's face, she is also very good at pointing out if Madison has spit-up on the carpet and then proceeds to motion for me to get the Resolve out! Needless to say she is very busy and very helpful. Her funny expressions make us all laugh and slowly but surely she is developing quite the vocabulary. I think at this point her favorite saying is "no, no Mad Mad." We might have a slight issue with her being the boss of Madi, but in due time Hailey will also find that Madi can speak her mind! I absolutely LOVE having a toddler, although there are times that she tests my patience, when the day is done, because of her, I smile!

She is in that stage that it is rather hard to get pictures of her, she either turns and runs, or wants to take the camera. So here are a few that I have been able to capture over the last couple of weeks!

Hailey's First Pigtails

She LOVES to read!

Update on the Fangs

2009-09-17T10:34:00.001-07:00

So a few weeks ago I was certain that Madison would also have "fangs" like Hailey did, but I was wrong. Shortly after I posted the "fangs" post the other top 3 teeth all started to come through. So, in just a few short weeks Madison went from no top teeth to all four top teeth. Thank goodness teething hasn't been much of an issue with her, or we would have been in trouble!!

Pearly Whites and De Ja Vu

2009-08-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Madison began cutting her first two teeth about a month ago. I have finally gotten around to taking pictures and posting this milestone! Check out her pearly whites!

Many of you that have been following our blog for a while might remember this picture and may recall last year, when Hailey cut teeth somewhat out of the "normal" teeth cutting order. Instead of her top two front teeth coming in first, she cut what we called her "fangs" first.

Well it must be something in our genetics because it looks like Madison is also on track to have fangs!! Stay tuned...

(Look closely just below my thumb, you can faintly see her first "fang")

Photo Session

2009-08-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

While we were in Colorado for our last visit I had the girls photographed. Susan Armitage of Armitage Photography did our wedding pictures and I thought that it would be fun for her to do pictures of Hailey and Madison. We had a great time and got some wonderful pictures. Susan really enjoyed seeing how our life has changed in 3 short years! We hope to have her do a family portrait at some point when Dave is in Colorado with us. Here are a few of my favorites!

First Bath Together

2009-08-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is a milestone for us for two reasons. First, I can put away the baby tub, Madison is sitting up well enough to use the bath seat, therefore less clean up for me. Secondly, and most importantly, Daddy does bath time, so that means that I get a few minutes without either girl on bath nights!!

They are both getting so big and just changing every day. There is not a week that goes by that I think, "wow, last year at this time Hailey was doing..., and next year at this time Madison will be doing..." They each bring such joy to our lives, and even though there can be moments that are a bit crazy, I wouldn't trade it for anything!!

When Dave washes their hair, he just dumps the water right over their heads. Hailey thinks that it is funny and laughs, while wiping the water from her eyes. From this picture I think that Madison wants me to rescue her before her turn!

Hailey Playing T-Ball

2009-08-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

At the park just down the street from us, they have free concerts on Friday evenings during August. Dave was home from work and it was a beautiful evening so we headed over there with some friends. We all had a great time listening to music and watching the kids play. Hailey participated in her own game of t-ball. We have a little work to do getting her to use the right end of the bat, but she did great considering this was her first time!

Madison is Starting to Crawl

2009-08-08T11:50:00.002-07:00

Madison started to really scoot herself around the last few days. I don't know if I am ready for her to be on the move too! I can only imagine what her and Hailey will get in to together!

Hailey has Mastered Heels

2009-06-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the "click, click, click!" (Not the best resolution, I forgot our video camera in VA, so we had to capture the video with a digital camera, at least we got it!)

Princesses and Barbie Jeeps...

2009-06-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

We have been in Colorado for almost a week and we are having a great time. It is so great to spend time with family and friends. Hailey played dress up the other morning complete with plastic high heels. It was hilarious to watch her walk around in her heels. She loved the "click click" sound that they made on the wood floor! She was a pretty cute princess!

My Mom got a pink Barbie Jeep a few years ago for Tori to play with and now Hailey is also enjoying it. It was so funny to watch her in it. She loved talking on the phone and listening to "B-A-R-B Radio." Madison also caught a little of the action thanks to the bumbo seat.

Hailey must be explaing to Madison how everything works!

Hailey can't quite reach the gas pedal to keep the jeep moving. Uncle Brian devised a great solution; he found a broomstick worked great. He could follow behind her and push in the gas, while Hailey sat back and enjoyed the ride!

A little of Barbie Jeep Mechanics 101

Hailey intently practicing her skills

Dinnertime

2009-06-10T18:24:00.003-07:00

Dinnertime can be pretty entertaining around here!!

Sister Love

2009-06-10T18:18:00.001-07:00

I love watching the interaction between Hailey and Madison. It is so amazing to see the love that they already have for each other. Hailey loves to give "Mad Mad" kisses (that is what Hailey calls Madison.) I caught a few of the kisses with the camera!

Madison is 5 Months Old

2009-06-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

Madison is growing and changing so quickly. She has started eating solid foods, so far we have tried bananas, apples, sweet potatoes and squash. She loves them all! She is also rolling over from front to back and back to front, and she is just beginning to sit. Before long she will be walking! She LOVES Hailey, it is so wonderful to see her little face light up when she sees Hailey. I love to watch them together, I can only pray that their friendship grows as they get older! Here are a few 5 month old pictures to enjoy!

Guacamole

2009-06-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

5:00 pm has always been a tricky time for me, even when it was just Hailey. It seems that Hailey and now Madison get a bit fussy, I am trying to make dinner, Hailey wants to "help" with everything that I am doing, or hang off my leg, Madison wants to be able to see me, and I would just like to have a few minutes of peace and quite to get everything done. So, I have found that having both of the girls in the kitchen with me does the trick. Hailey likes to be in her highchair because then she can see what I am doing (plus she can't hang on to me) and Madison is pretty content either sitting in her Bumbo on the counter or in the bouncer next to Hailey. Tonight while I was making burritos for dinner I was getting ready to make guacamole and realized that this would be a great job for Hailey to "help" with. She did great, watch and see...

Instead of licking the bowl like you would do after making cookies, after making guacamole the best part is licking the pestle...

Washington, DC - Photo Slide Show

2009-05-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC

2009-05-19T12:01:00.001-07:00

Dave took some leave this last weekend and we met our wonderful friends Jim and Kari in Washington, DC for the weekend. Jim and Kari are expecting their first little one in October and with all of our crazy schedules we wanted to get together before Baby Lorge arrives! Jim and Dave were definitely in need of a mini vacation from residency and Kari and I were in need of some "girl time!" We had a wonderful weekend. Hailey and Madison were troopers as were Jim and Kari. We all shared one hotel room; we thought that this would be a great introduction to parenthood!! What a great weekend we all had, it was much needed and well deserved!! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend. I am also working on a photo slide show of the rest of them...

Madison loves kisses from Mommy

Check out those curls!!

Having a great time

Hanging out with Daddy

Flying!!!

(Look at that form... cheerleading in her future??)

Mother's Day

2009-05-12T13:18:00.001-07:00

I had a great Mother's Day!! Dave was home and we spent the day together as a family, I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Mommy and her girls!

Madison (4 months old)

Hailey showing Madison one of her toys

and Madison watching so intently.

Madison being cute.

Hailey being cute too!

Very difficult to get a picture of the 2 of them together...

but this one turned out pretty good.

Hailey Loves To Be Outside

2009-05-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

If I would let her spend all waking hours outside she would absolutely love it! The weather has been beautiful here and we have taken advantage of it. Hailey is finally walking most of the time, although she still reverts to her knees once in awhile. There are also a few pictures here of Hailey with her tongue out. Whenever she is trying to do something her tongue is out of her mouth. Must help her concentrate!

Silly Girl

So Happy!

Focused

I can go faster with my tongue out!

This looks like she is trying to touch her nose with her tongue,

but she is trying to get off her bike.

I am going to...

get up on my knees.

"Okay Mom, I have my purse I am ready to go shopping! Are you coming?"

Madison

2009-05-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

I found this picture that was on Dave's phone and just thought that is was too cute to go unposted! It is because of Madison that I am finding things to keep me busy and from falling asleep at the moment. She will eat again about 10:30 and then sleep until 6:30 or 7:00. She actually officially slept through the night while we were in Colorado and it was exactly the same day TO THE YEAR that Hailey slept through the night! Many of you may wonder how I remember when Hailey slept through the night, and even though it was quite the milestone, I only remember the date because it was the first night that we slept in our new home. Needless to say having two babies that sleep through the night is fantastic! Madison is such a joy to us. She smiles and coos and is just a very happy baby. She loves to watch Hailey play, she loves to sit in her swing, she loves to be sung to and she is my cuddle bug. Although the adjustment to having two so close together has had its share of struggles we have all found our niche and are enjoying life as a family of four! What a blessing our girls are to us!

Just Pictures

2009-04-29T13:24:00.001-07:00

We visited the Denver Zoo one day while in Colorado. It was so much fun to watch Hailey look at the animals. You could tell when she spotted something, she would just get a big smile on her face and start kicking her feet in excitement!

Traveling with two was definitely a little different than traveling with only one, but both of the girls did great on the flights. Thanks to my Mom's sister Mary Alison, we made it back to Virginia safe and sound. She was brave enough to volunteer to fly back with me and hold Hailey on her lap. The new toys and Aunt Mary Alison's great entertainment kept Hailey occupied! I know that I continue to say it, but we are so blessed with such wonderful little girls!

Hailey watching the giraffes

Hailey and me on the carousel at the zoo

Madison enjoying the zoo

Madison just being cute

Girls, Girls and More Girls

2009-04-29T13:08:00.001-07:00

While we were in Colorado I had the chance to get together with some friends from college. I hadn't seen either one of them for quite awhile, so it was great to catch up with them and get to meet their daughters. At one point there were 9 girls in my Mom's house, needless to say my Dad felt very outnumbered! Girl Power!!

Taylor, Madison and Hailey

Hailey, Tori and Taylor

(I love this picture, it is one of my favorites!)

Leslie and Abbey, Me, Hailey and Madison, Sage and Taylor

Leslie, Sage and Me