Spring...where are you???

Josh surprised me and told me we were going shopping Sunday at the Outlet in Williamsburg.

I LOVE Carter's brand, and I love a good sale...50% off everything! (And, I love my husband!)

I figured I have to stop dressing her in sleepers everyday at some point. Haha.

Thanks to our very generous family and friends, this is the first time we've really had to invest in clothing for M. I have to admit...it was fun shopping for her. Although, at one point when I thought I was done, Josh had to force me to pick out two more things! :)

I'm loving all the yellows, oranges, greens, and pinks! I'm also loving all the mixing and matching I can do. Plus we got her some comfy gray sweatpants and a zip up hoodie so she can match Mommy.

A close up of a few of my favorites. We got her first pair of overalls at OshKosh. Josh picked out the blue/green outfit.

Shoes...and sunglasses picked out by Daddy.
The shoes are a bit big still...oh well....

Now, we just need warmer temperatures!

Daddy got his cool stroller (that also hooks to his bike)...we'd like to take her out without the winter hat soon...

We want to go on more walks, without being bundled in blankets!

(And, I want to dress her in new clothes!)

Spring, stop hiding, please!!!

"Good Slant" ... (Whaaaat?)

Interesting Lunch Experience

Random woman: "What nationality are you?" (while oogling Madison)

Me: "I'm Korean."

Random woman: "She's got a good slant to her eyes." (She meant this as a compliment.)

...loooooong awkward pause from Josh and me...

Me: "Um, thanks."

She was sitting behind us at the restaurant, so after the "good slant" comment, Josh and I couldn't really debrief. Anyways, later when we were leaving, she shared that she was half-Japanese and was adopted. Was this supposed to make this less awkward...because it didn't. Her mullet didn't make it less awkward either. I digress...

So, I've gotten the first question from strangers a lot, so I'm used to random people asking me that. (Although, I still do find it kind of rude in certain situations. I have never walked up to a random White person and asked what are you? But, whatev. I'm used to it.) It's happened more times than I can count, and it's definitely not the worse thing that's ever happened to me regarding being Korean.

But, when someone offends my daughter (now, I know she didn't know what was going on, but I flash-forwarded to the day where she will)...that brought on a flood of emotion...sadness really...an immediate reminder that someday Madison will likely be made fun, or be made to feel uncomfortable due to being half-Asian. I'm so quickly reminded that I can't protect her from everything. It hurts, and it scares me. Many times people are not intentionally trying to make me (or will try and make her) feel uncomfortable, but the impact is all the same.

It's a great lesson...intent versus impact. I learned about this when I worked at the University of Minnesota through Social Justice training and retreats.

Intent versus Impact

Example: You are in a crowded subway and someone accidentally steps on your toe. You know they didn't mean for it to hurt, they didn't intentionally step on your foot, however, it still hurts all the same.

*Even though it was unintentional, it still hurts. Make sense?*

It's ok if you think I'm making a big deal out of this. But I've always been very self-conscious about the shape of my eyes. As this women said "good slant," she unknowingly unleashed images into my head of Madison being cornered by kids pulling their eyes back and screaming, "ching-chong-chang," and kids asking Madison why her eyes look different...etc.

Now, I understand the world is progressing and I truly hope she never experiences these situations (as I have), but you never know. And, as a parent, I want to do all I can to always protect her and keep her from ever feeling any hurt or shame regarding her Asian genetics.

I also realize I can never protect her from everything, and it makes me think about how I'll want to teach her to handle these kind of situations and herself. To make sure she is confident, educated, kind, and forgiving. To be a good role model for her. To make sure she can talk to me if she's put in uncomfortable situations.

Sorry for the deep and kind of depressing post.

Just had a lot on my mind.

Thanks for listening!

Love this little girl!

Foto Friday - Random Cuteness

She loves this teether toy!

She Did It!

Madison finally figured out how to pull herself up today!

She did it the first time using the couch...trying to get Winky. It only lasted a moment...well, a long enough moment for me to say out loud, "Oh my gosh, you're doing it!" I quick got my camera, and caught her as she fell back on her bottom. I then immediately called Josh to report the news.

A little later, she was over chasing after the doggies, and found her gate. She then pulled herself up two more times! I was happy to catch her on video the second time. I was SO excited for her...as you will hear in the video. I'm so happy to share this moment with you all! :) Enjoy!

And, I hope all her wiggles make you giggle as much as I did!

Future Cheerleader?

Last Sunday I glanced over at M, and caught her sitting cheerleader style!

Slow Down

She's officially a crawler! :) We've got the big stairs gated off, and all the outlets covered.

She is growing up SO fast. I feel like I am ALWAYS saying that, but it's SO true. Sometimes I just want to tell her to slow down, but at the same time, I find it amazing how much she is learning and developing.

This video was from Sunday, and she's gotten even better since then. She tries to follow me around the living room, and she always tries to get to the doggies when she sees them.

Oh, and she is already starting to get on her knees and trying to figure out how to pull herself up, too!

Seven Months

Happy 7 Months, Miss Madison! :)

I've been updating a lot lately...so there's not too much to share.

She will be trying squash this afternoon. She has become even better actually crawling in just the last couple days! I'm sure I'll post a video soon.

Anyways, she was excited to start her photo shoot this morning!

And then her and Pooh wanted to switch sides.

"Get out of the way, Pooh! This is about ME!"

And then she found her sticker...

And that was it for photos this morning...

**Oh, and she has cut her first tooth! It is her bottom left one. I didn't even really notice it until one day Josh was like, "Hey, I feel her tooth!" I've been trying to get a picture of it forever! It's so hard to get her to smile big and get the camera focused.

(If you click on the picture, it should show up even larger on your screen (at least it does for me) and you can see her little tooth down there!)

Happy 7 months, baby girl! You amaze us everyday and we love you!

Manipulation

We all know that babies can not manipulate you with their cry the first several months of their life.

Well, I believe Madison has now discovered her ability to manipulate me. She definitely knows how to turn "it" on and turn "it" off. "It" being her fussy whines.

She loves playing with her toys, and will entertain herself pretty well for a decent amount of time. However, the other day, she worked her way over to me, and immediately began to fuss when I didn't pick her up.

"Mama, I'm right here, and I'm cute. Pick me up!"

Look at that face. So pathetic, no?!

"Why are you just staring at me and taking my picture, and NOT picking me up!?"

Gotta LOVE her anyways of course.

Moving Forward!

(Warning: My voice is annoying...feel free to mute to enjoy the video more!)

*I really think she'd rather walk if she could figure it out!

Oh, Andy

Madison is an Andy Cohen fan, too! :)

Sitting

This week Madison has really perfected her ability to sit up on her own. Earlier this week I found Madison like this in the morning. She was very proud of herself. :)

The crib mattress was lowered that day before her next nap.

This new skill has made the last couple nights interesting since she now likes to pop right back up into a sitting position when she doesn't want to sleep. When I go in to check on her and lay her down, she just pops right back up! I hope the newness of this skill wears off soon. Once she's asleep though, she still sleeps great through the night.

Oh, and here's Miss Madison in action!

Toy Box Fun

Madison's new favorite activity is digging in, dumping, and rummaging through, her little "toy box."

After a while, I will put them all back, and she'll start all over again. I find it extremely cute, and it actually entertains her for quite a while.

So, I'm sure it won't be that cute for long, and I know eventually we'll have to begin teaching her how to put things away...but for now....I love it. :)

No More Peas, Please!

NO MORE PEAS, PLEASE!!!

So....I probably shouldn't have forced her to have that third bite.

I probably should have taken her non-verbal cues more seriously since she made a yucky face before I even gave her that third bite...and I probably shouldn't have scooped it back up when she spit it out on her bib.

Bad Mama. :(

I feel really terrible because she was so happy until I forced peas down her throat....Plus, I feel bad that I was laughing through this whole ordeal for her...well, I stopped laughing when she started spitting up. And yes, there was more spitting up after I stopped filming. Poor baby. :( She had a bath after lunch, that's how messy it got.

I showed Josh this video, and while he laughed through the video at her faces of disgust, he then very seriously said to me, "Don't ever give her peas again. That was mean."

I think the puree was too thick for her. So, I have a tray full of frozen pea puree...I think I'll wait a couple weeks, then, try again (thinning the puree)...maybe...don't tell Josh!

We tried avocado yesterday. Also a no-go. She almost gagged. So, I stopped after two bites. I now have a tray of frozen mashed avocado...

So, her diet consists of breast milk, sweet potato, carrots, pears, and baby oatmeal and rice. Oh, and I've given her a few of the Gerber Puffs. They still make me nervous...I'm so afraid she will choke! I break them in half. She actually picked up a piece of puff from her tray the other day and ate it all by herself! I've been putting a few pieces of her tray after her dinner so she can play/practice.

Up next we're trying apples and butternut squash. Hopefully she'll like at least one of those.

(Yes, I'm blogging more frequently...but she is just changing and learning so much every day! I'm just trying to keep up with documenting/sharing! I already have another video that I'll be posting soon!)

Josh

Happy 29th Birthday to My Husband, and Best Friend, Josh!

(Be sure to read the fun fact at the end of this post!)

I have to admit...I'm not great with birthdays...well, more specifically, I'm not great at gift giving. :( It's my weakness. I always wait until the last minute, and I can never think of anything actually thoughtful. I just want to give cash or gift certificates. Plus, I think gifts should be practical. Josh about killed me the year I asked for a pair of running shoes for my birthday. :)

Anyways, in true fashion, I finally got around to ordering Josh a video game (that he specifically asked for), and of course I'm lazy (and I live in the country) so I ordered it on-line...not realizing the delivery date estimate was March 8-11. He told me this since the Amazon account is under his name, so he got the email about it. Oops. I'm crossing my fingers is comes today. Josh asked why I didn't just go into Davenport and buy it so I'd have it for his birthday. Oops, again. I'm lazy. :) (I love you, husband...I really do!)

So, the crepes were made in attempt to make amends with the husband. :) You can find the recipe I used here. I made the crepes (pretty easy really) and the cream cheese filling. I even whipped the cream, and got to use my zester for fresh lemon zest! Oh, and I got to use my sifter. What?! Exciting, I know.

The crepe making station.

Talk about dessert for breakfast! :)

I thought the recipe was really easy...although, making anything in the kitchen and trying to keep a 6 month old entertained is...ummm...nearly impossible. (Josh was sleeping in.) Believe it or not, I poured the crepe mixture into the skillet, swirled it, and flipped it...all one handed while holding the little Monster and keeping her quick ninja hands away. :)

**In summary, the true meaning of this post, is to celebrate my husband, and to illustrate just one reason why he is SO amazing. He never really complains, puts up with my whining, let's me talk about why I love his birthday (because it means my birthday is only 2 months away...selfish, I know), AND continues to make me laugh and lighten up. Living our life together and watching him as Madison's father has only made me love him more. We are exact opposites in many ways, and yet, he ALWAYS brings out the best in me. He truly understands me and loves me for me.**

Oh, and, I can't believe we've been together for 13 years!

Fun fact...13 years ago, for his 16th birthday I got him a South Park t-shirt...I think Cartman was on it with cheesy poofs or something. (Cut me some slack...I had only known the boy for about a month!) :) Classy, no?!

Yuck!

It's been exciting in the Smyser household letting Madison taste new foods these past few weeks. She's now eating banana oatmeal in the morning, 2 veggie cubes and a fruit cube for lunch, and cereal for dinner..

Earlier this week, we tried pears. Here she is after her first bite...not too fond of them. But, I've read that you have to let them try it up to 10 times before you can decide if they truly have a dislike for it. Some of the surprise may just be because it's a new taste. She's had it a few more times, with the same reaction really...so, we'll see...She usually makes a face, then spits it out. I hope she ends up liking them...I have 3 trays of cubes freezed!

Ummm....pretty sure this is the funniest picture of her ever!

Maybe she really doesn't like pears...I think this was day 3...

Grandpa fed her some apple cereal the other night. She loves it!


This morning we tried fresh mashed banana. Looks like we'll have to keep trying with this one for a few days as well...I love seeing her reaction!

I tried putting a couple small pieces on her tray...she just played of course...

So, it appears she's a veggie girl for now. Which is funny since Josh and I hate most veggies. She still loves her carrots and sweet potato. I have some peas and avocado for her to try next week! I think I will be adding a veggie cube with her dinner next week, too. She always seems pretty hungry...it's so hard to determine how much to feed her since she is still nursing, too..however, I'd like for her to drop her middle of the night feeding in the next month or so, so I need to increase her calories during the day...

Still no crawling. BUT, she has managed to push herself from her belly up into a sitting position this week! She was so surprised the first time she did it. She looked at me, then smiled really big! It was SO cute! It took me a minute to realize what she just did! She doesn't do it regularly yet, and still has to try for quite a while before she gets it...but she's done it several times this week.

She also likes getting on all fours like this. Then, she's stuck, and isn't sure what to do next.

She still gets on her hands and knees all the time. Lots of rocking, lots of pushing herself backwards. Lots of turning side to side, just no forward motion yet. I'm getting a baby gate today though!

I am always amazed at how much she is learning and how fast she is growing and changing every day. I'm such a proud Mama!

Foto Friday - Blocks

Madison LOVES her new blocks!

Her cousin Ava shared her's with M last weekend, so we decided to get her some of her own!

Christmas & V-Day...in March...Oops

So, I was a bad blogging Mommy, and I never even documented Madison's first Christmas celebrations...or her first Valentine's Day. Oops. I think I put some pics in FB, but I want to be sure to have it here, too.

How cute is she?! I love this picture because she looks so mischievous! I can't believe she was only about 4.5 months here...

BAKING

Anyways, Madison started her holiday season off baking with Grandma Tracy and Great Grandma Bev. Bev bought M her first apron. Isn't it SO cute?!

She enjoyed looking at everything and watching how things worked...

She really wanted to eat the cookie I'm pretty sure.

Although, in the end, I'm pretty sure G'ma Tracy and Great G'ma Bev had even more fun than Madison! :)

CHRISTMAS EVE

We celebrated Christmas with Josh's side of the family on Christmas Eve as we always do. We started off at Grandma Tracy's house for snacks and presents. She got an awesome jumper seat and a super cool Cadillac walker.

This picture cracks me up because we all look so happy while poor M is SO sad. In her defense, this was about 30 minutes past her usual nap time...

Madison LOVED the wrapping paper the best!

After this, we headed to Great Grandma Bev's for dinner and then church, and then a visit from Santa!

It was a fantastic night. She was great during church, and only let out one squeal of excitement during the singing at the end of the service since she loves singing and was entranced by all the candles. We had a great day, and of course M was spoiled by all our wonderful family with lotsa clothes and toys!

CHRISTMAS DAY

The next morning, we spent Christmas Day at home with Grandpa Dave and Uncle Brandon. The day started off with the Grandpa Dave getting dinner in the oven. He was making ham and scalloped potatoes...with help from Josh and Brandon peeling potatoes...and Madison 'helped' too. Of course I wasn't in the kitchen. :) Of course Josh thought it was funny to put a knife in her hand...

Once dinner was in the oven, we opened presents.

Grandpa read a book to Madison that got from Santa.

Grandpa got Madison an awesome high chair, and Uncle Brandon put it together. Thank you, thank you!

Of course, she also got some awesome toys and clothes from Grandpa as well, and her first amazon gift card from Uncle Brandon. It was a great day of being with family and just relaxing. :)

Madison was certainly very spoiled this holiday season...as expected. :) It was wonderful to be with family and friends and celebrating with our baby girl certainly brought back some magic to the holiday season for us.

VALENTINE'S DAY

Our little sweetheart on her first Valentine's Day in an adorable outfit from G'ma Tracy!

She got her first Valentine from Daddy. It was so cute, and I had no idea Josh did that.

So sweet!

And then she discovered her tutu, and the photo session ended shortly after.

Ok, holiday updates are done.

Weaning Is a Funny Word

Weaning. I'll say it. I think it's a funny word. It makes me feel very...animal-like...however, it's been on my mind, so here I am blogging about it. Again, this may be a TMI post, and I may regret this later, but whatev...

Our goal when Madison was born was to breastfeed for the first 6 months. Well, that's come and gone...and now Josh and I have to figure out where we go from here. I find it weird to be thinking of transitioning her to formula "just because." I've been feeling some odd pressure (some from myself, and some from Josh) to stop nursing her because she's getting older. Josh keeps asking me what I'm going to do when she gets teeth. He's more worried about that than me, which I find funny. He is also more frustrated on how nursing her affects our schedule and availability (during the day) since I do not nurse in public. It doesn't bother me as much...

The first month nursing Madison was hell for me...and I almost gave up every day. However, I am so glad I stuck with it. My favorite time of the day is nursing Madison before she goes to bed. It is quite possibly the most wonderful 20 minutes of my day...no matter how the day went, during that time with Madison, all that matters is my sweet baby girl, that connection we have, and her complete comfort and happiness with me as she drifts off to sleep is indescribable. It's selfish, I admit it.

So of course...just as I stressed about sleep training for forever, my current obsession is googling, thinking about, stressing about, and worrying about weaning and introducing solid foods...

Anyways, I think for now, I am going to continue nursing. I do think it's ridiculous to switch her to formula "just because." And, I want to continue to save $$. I hope by her first birthday she'll only nursing maybe twice a day (morning and night). As we continue to feed and increase her solids, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll naturally drop her daytime feedings.

Randomness: Madison now reaches out when I go to pick her up. It's adorable. She also does a little hug/snuggly move into your shoulder.

Oh, and I realized I am a bad blogging Mommy, and I didn't even document Madison's first Christmas! Geesh...so, I'll be doing that soon...only 2+ months late! :(