Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

It's a.....

2012-01-26T13:50:00.001-08:00

For all of you who are not on Facebook I wanted to share that we are pregnant and having a BOY! We are so excited and of course Bob is thrilled to be having a boy. Maddie is excited to have a little baby brother. Our ultrasound went perfectly! After our ultrasound, which was in Hinsdale, Bob and I headed to the Baby Gap downtown Hinsdale and bought a couple onesies to wrap for my parents to open up and find out if it was a boy or a girl. It was such a perfect day and we are so excited to be adding another little person to our family! Here are a couple pictures of little baby boy! We have to pick out a name for this little guy:)

Funny things

2012-01-23T14:42:00.001-08:00

Let me just say by saying this age is so fun. Challenging at times since she is very strong willed and independent, but I want to savor these special years. The other day she was walking up the stairs with my Mom and looked at our family picture. She proceeded to say, "Mama and Daddy are so cute. They are beautiful. No Dada's not beautiful he's handsome." I was laughing so hard when my mom told me this. She is so funny and comes out with the funniest things to say. Bob calls Maddie Sweetheart so she calls us Sweetheart. The other day she said hold on Sweetheart I have a present for you. She gave me a baby carrot made of out Play-Doh, which by the way is her favorite. Not so fun to clean up, but she loves it and that's all that matters:)

Maddie is loving school and is thriving in preschool. She loves her classmates, and enjoys all the singing, crafts, story time and playtime. She never stops talking and always has something funny to say, leaving Bob and I laughing hysterically. She is a total girl. She loves shoes, clothes, jewelry, and lipgloss. She likes to use the word gorgeous, and often tells people how gorgeous they are. Of course they love that:)! She's a hoot and we love her so much.

Here are a few random pictures....

Sledding!

2012-01-23T10:33:00.001-08:00

On MLK day we went sledding with the Reinecke's. We love their friendship and love the friendship Maddie has with Georgia and Noah. Georgia and Maddie are the same age and just have a ball together! Jen and I met at MOPS over a year and a half ago. We happen to be the same age and both do hair! Such a blessing having such special friends.Here are some pictures:)

Maddie turns 3!!!!

2012-01-17T05:22:00.000-08:00

It's so hard to believe Maddie is already 3 years old! We had a fun celebration with family. Maddie is obsessed with Toy Story,so she asked for a Toy Story party and that is what we gave her:) In fact she loves Toy Story so much we have to tell her a Toy Story bedtime story every night. Here are some pictures from her party.

One of Maddie's favorite thing to do is put lip gloss on her lips, so now she has her own play vanity in her room. She copies everything I do:)
This leopard pink paper is so Maddie:)

this was a really neat idea one of my good friends found on Pinterest. It's a $9 oil pan from the automotive section at Walmart which is magnetic and works fabulous for these little dolls. The only thing that wasn't magnetic were the wooden dolls which I just glued magnets to the back. Currently it's in her play room and we may eventually hang It in her room. Super good idea that I wanted to share!

Maddie having a chat with Jessie.
Jessie cupcake. Like I said, she is obsessed with Toy Story.
Going for the best part. The frosting of course! la la li bakery makes the most delicious cup cakes.">
her face was blue most of the day after this!
dancing and singing. Another thing you will find Maddie doing most of the day:) she is one outgoing social little butterfly!

Christmas Season!

2012-01-01T10:49:00.001-08:00

I can't believe all the holidays are over! Now it's time to start a new year and be excited for what's in store for 2012! Here are some pictures of Christmas, New Years, and everything in between!

Christmas Eve service at church
Live nativity at church. Maddie loved all the animals!
Christmas Eve night
Maddie opening presents from Santa
Christmas Day at my parents
At our family Christmas we give white elephant gifts which never fails to give us all a good laugh! Aren't you jealous of these awesome gifts?? I mean who wouldn't be? There were many other super ugly ones, but these were the only ones I got pictures of.
Just to be clear this will not be hung anywhere in our house. Good one Mom!
Maddie ended up loving the ugly gift I received. She carried it around everywhere.
My grandpa was the lucky one to receive my flamingo.And to the family members who hid their gifts around the house and in the pine trees, you better watch out because you may be next to have these ugly gifts show up in your yard! Game on!
.
Enjoying the beautiful December weather at my parents Christmas day.
She loved her new kitchen set from pottery barn from Nana and Bumpa
Barbie is helping her cook our morning eggs
Playing in the small amount of snow we had
We took Maddie skiing and she had such a blast. We stayed at the Grand Geneva for a night and thought it would be a perfect place to get Maddie on skis.

She did so well!

For NYE we went to the Brookfield Zoo lights with some friends. It was so beautiful with all the lights and we even got to see a lot of animals. Such a fun way to ring in the NEW YEAR!

Trick or Treating in Style!

2011-11-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

Maddie had a blast trick or treating with the million neighborhood kids:) All I know is that we handed out 2 huge 4 pound bags of candy, so that shows you how many kids we have in our neighborhood. A LOT more than you can count!:)

Nacional 27

2011-10-21T12:11:00.001-07:00

Last weekend my Dad had a convention downtown, so my mom and I spend Saturday shopping on Michigan Ave. Always fun to shop and be downtown with my mom. After my dad was done with his convention we met Bob and Maddie for dinner at Nacional 27. One of our favorite dinner places in the city. Such great food and a fun atmosphere!! Maddie enjoyed the music and even ate some latin food! Such a fun night!
<

Maddie enjoying her no-jito. a Mojito without the alcohol of course. BTW they have the best mojitos here!

Random Pics

2011-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

She just did the splits right in the middle of the sidewalk at church. Future gymnast?
This year she loved playing in the leaves!Posing

Licking the cream cheese frosting off of the spatula:)
Swinging

Pumpkin Farm!

2011-10-21T11:56:00.001-07:00

A few weekends ago we headed to a great pumpkin farm about 25 minutes from our house. Maddie has a blast! She found a bunch of little pumpkins which we brought home and put on our front porch:) Soon we will carve them for Halloween. Here are a few pictures.

Marathon Weekend

2011-10-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we headed into the city to cheer on some friends running the chicago Marathon. It was the most picture perfect weekend. The weather was beautiful! After we watched the runners we walked down to the beach. There was no one on the beach since all the streets were closed off for the marathon, so it was pretty much perfect. After the beach we met some friends for lunch:) Such a fun day!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Daddy and Daughter walking the beach:) This one is framed in our house:)

Kids say it like it is!

2011-09-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few funny and cute things that Maddie has said recently:)

The other day we were driving home from school and Maddie said she wanted to see Adam. I asked her who Adam was? And she told me he's in the Bible with Eve and they ate the fruit. Their little minds soak up everything!

Then the other day she told me that Jesus lived in her heart and her house and that she wanted to give Jesus a kiss.

This morning I woke her up and she told me Jesus was nudey tudey (her word for naked) We have been reading her The New Bible In Pictures For Little Eyes that tells bible stories in a simple way. I was at a mtg last night, but my best guess is that Bob read her the story of the Crucifixion and she saw Jesus "nudey tudey" on the cross.

She also loves telling people they look gorgeous. Last week she went up to her teacher and said, "You look gorgeous Miss Pat you look gorgeous"

She is quite dramatic and has a lot of personality. I painted her nails a few days ago and after a few days she said, "Oh no Mama my nail polish is chipping. can you please help me fix it?" She is ALL girl this one!!!

Some things she says are a little more embarrassing. She likes all words that have to do with pooping or tooting. she loves to announce when they toot or even when they don't toot or poop just because she likes to say the words. So yesterday I have a return at PB and as I was standing at the register paying, Maddie decided to tell everyone Mama tooted. This was not one time she said this, but kept repeating "mama tooted" and after she would say "Mama tooted" she would then laugh hysterically. I didn't toot, let's just be clear, but boy I sure do have a jokester on my hands. So embarrassing...I wonder where she gets that?

She loves shoes and jewelry more than I do. I sometimes have to do a detour around the shoe department at the store because she will quickly run to the women's shoe department, take hers off, and try them ALL on. And say, " these are pretty Mama, I like these shoes." And it doesn't help that all the sales people at Nordstrom egg her on by bringing her the most sparkly shoes they can find. Bob and I have already talked about her burning a hold in our pocket book when she is older. She raids my grandmas jewelry box and my moms too every time she visits them. I am talking wearing 20 necklaces, and 10 bracelets, and don't forget about the clip on earrings. This kid loves accessories, shoes, and clothes. The other day I said do you like this dress Maddie? She said, "That's insane" I started laughing because whenever I hear a crazy story, or want to describe something I say "that's insane" How she used the word "Insane" was just so funny to me!

So with all this said, I know all kids say the cutest things ESP at this age. So don't forget to write down all the cute things they say so you NEVER forget! The book My Quotable Kid is a great book to document these things!

ROUTINE!

2011-09-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

Fall is here which means routine, routine, routine, and it has been wonderful! Maddie started preschool a few weeks ago and she is LOVING IT! (First day of school picture) She is coming home with new songs that she learns and I get to hear hilarious things that Maddie does at school from her teachers. She is so funny! (Miss Personality! Can you tell?)
Tonight Bob and I are going preschool open house, so we can see all the things she is learning, meet the teachers, and hear how she is doing:) She has school on Monday and Wednesday mornings and does Parents day out with some of her friends held at our church on fridays. I have to say it has been quite nice to have some time to run a couple errands and get a few things done while she is at school in the morning. We are so thankful for our church, the wonderful programs they offer, and the great staff and teachers who work their. While Maddie is at school on wednesdays at our church, I attend MOPS in the same building. MOPS is such a great program and it has been fun being apart of the MOPS staff this year helping out with the creative aspect.

Besides school and MOPS, we stay busy with lots of playdates, trips downtown, and busy weekends:) Maddie and I are also taking a trip in early November to Utah to visit my cousin and her two kids. We are so excited to spend time with them and excited to head to Utah again! When we were there in June and July,they came back to visit family in Illinois so our time overlapped. This Fall has a lot of good things to look forward to!

As you might know Maddie got a new prosthetic this summer. She has been asking to wear it and uses it to ride her bike. (Pictured wearing her "helper arm")
We are so happy to have found a doctor who made something that actually works and makes sense! The other day while we were outside Maddie started climbing our climbing wall on the swing set. She said she wanted to try it. We coached her a little bit the first couple times, and then she did something amazing and climbed the wall all on her own. She was so proud of herself and when she reached the top she said, "Maddie did it. YAY!!!!!" There is absolutely nothing she can't do and it is amazing to watch! You better watch out for her right hook!

Jesus Calling

2011-08-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

I recently Just purchased this 365 Day Devotional by Sarah Young, Called, Jesus calling. it is written as if Jesus is speaking directly to you and I love that. I actually skipped ahead and read the one for tomorrow, but this is what it says..

"LEARN TO ENJOY LIFE MORE. Relax, remembering that I am GOD with you. I crafted you with enormous capacity to know Me and enjoy My Presence. When my people wear soul faces and walk through their lives with resigned rigidity, I am displeased. When you walk through a day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, and your ever-present Shepherd. The more you focus on My presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy life. Glorify Me through your pleasure in Me. Thus you proclaim My Presence to the watching world." Matthew 1:23 John 10:10-11

Have a good weekend everyone, and ENJOY LIFE IN HIS PRESENCE:)!

Lately.....

2011-08-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Summer is soon coming to an end and Maddie will be starting preschool next month! Time has just flown by and it's hard to believe she is going to be a preschooler! Lately we have been soaking up these beautiful days by going to the zoo, the pool, hanging in our backyard with friends, Spending time up in Lake Geneva, going for walks, and lots of bike rides to get ice cream! Maddie's FAV thing to do! Yesterday, Bob had a dentist appointment at 6:00, so I told Maddie we could go get ice cream after she ate dinner. Of course she was so excited and ate all of her dinner so she could get her special treat. On our walk to town, she kept saying, "Mama, my tummy hurts." So I said, "Maybe we shouldn't get ice cream if your tummy hurts," Then she said, "Mama, my tummy is all better." HAHA. Like mother like daughter! I guess there is always room for ice cream in anyones tummy! BTW: if you haven't tried ice-cream at Fannie May IT. IS. A. MUST!!! So delish! Hanging out with Maddie is so much fun and she has so much personality!! It has been so much fun seeing her language develop and the things that she says sometimes has me laughing so hard my stomach ends up hurting! This kid is HILARIOUS! Here are some pictures of what has been going on lately....:)

Hope you are all enjoying this absolutely beautiful weather we have been having!!!!!

Trip to Utah!

2011-07-08T13:07:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our trip to Park City, Utah. We had so much fun hiking, biking, riding the slide and roller coaster down the mountain, enjoying the zipline and the Olympic park. So fun seeing the olympic ski jumpers. One of Maddie's favorite parts of the trip! We took chair lift upon chair lift to see the beautiful scenery and hike around. Such a beautiful place! Thank you, Dad, for a WONDERFUL vacation with the family!!!

Extending Grace Even When It Hurts

2011-06-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Maddie and I went to the pool For the most part people have been so wonderful to Maddie, and accepting her for the wonderful and special person she is. However, yesterday was my first experience with someone very insensitive. Maddie was walking around the pool playing and stopped and sat down with some kids. Their dad was sitting right by them in a lawn chair. As I was standing there watching Maddie play he asked me, "what happened to her arm?" A question I am fine with answering and answer multiple times a day. I replied, "That's how she was born." He looked at me and said in a very stern voice, "well, you know she is going to have major psychological problems don't you?" I replied back by telling him kids without limbs are statistically happier than kids with all limbs, and she is more than perfect the way she is. This was God's will for her life. He proceeded to judge me and ask me if we were going to seek counseling to help her deal with her missing her arm. I was pretty shocked at the things he was saying and the judgments he was placing on me. He proceeded to accuse me and say, "well, you know there was a drug back in the day that caused children to be born without limbs." I was in shock and couldn't believe someone would accuse me of taking a drug and saying I did this to my child. After that comment, I told him to have a good night, and took Maddie's hand and went to the other end of the pool. The Holy Spirit gave me strength and self control, because looking back I'm surprised I didn't get mad or start crying.

An hour later we left the pool and as I was putting Maddie in her car seat I gave her the biggest hug and started to cry. I was upset that someone could be so cruel who doesn't even know Maddie or I. But I realized this is one person out SO MANY who have been wonderful and accepting of Maddie. As I was thinking about this incident today, I learned I need to extend grace just like the Lord extends GRACE to us day after day, after day. Even though I was hurting inside, there was no sense in being bitter, but to give grace to the ignorant and forgive.

After crying a little bit while telling my husband the story from yesterday, I decided to take a look at my facebook page. Posted on my wall from a friend was this:

"So, I was looking at your newest picture just now with my little Wendy, who's 7, looking over my shoulder. She asked to see more of Maddie because, "She's so cute, Mommy. God must think she's really smart, too." I asked why she thought that, and she said, "Because He only gave her one arm. You have to be pretty smart to have just one arm." I think she's right--about the smart AND the cute thing--and I thought I'd share."

God timing is always perfect. This was just what I needed to hear tonight. Thank you Lord!!!!

Trend-Setter!

2011-06-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

I want to start off by saying how much I love Maddie and the constant joy she brings to our lives every single day. She brings so much LIFE into our family! She just about melted my heart when I went to check on her when we got home from being out to dinner last night, and she asked me to give her a kiss. She is such a loving little girl, and I couldn't ask for a better daughter.

I wanted to share a little story with you that happened today in the nursery. Miss Robyn, who is the head of the children's ministry at CCOB shared this with me:) In the nursery today, some of the older kids were asking about Maddie's arm and why she only had one. Miss Robyn explained this was how God made her an answered some questions for them about her arm. I guess Maddie could tell everyone was starring at her, so she whipped her little arm out from her sleeve to show the whole class her cool little arm. She waved it around, and around, and around. Gotta love her confidence. One girl got really upset and said to Miss Robyn, " I have two arms, but I only want ONE!" How cute it that. Miss Robyn said she couldn't help her with that:) So I like to call Maddie the TREND-SETTER. It is now cool to have one arm just like Maddie. I thank the Lord for Maddie's confidence and sense of humor. This will get her so far in life and I am so excited to see the journey the Lord takes her on!

Quick update on the prosthetic. We go on wednesday for our second appt for a fitting to see how the arm fits while riding her tricycle. This arm will only be worn for when she is riding her bike, as I don't believe, she should wear a prosthesis all the time when she does fine without it. The doctors philosophy and our philosophy totally line up so that was VERY encouraging! We are going to make this prosthetic super cool and Maddie and I are going to go and pick out some girly fabric to be laminated on the prosthetic. Keep us in your prayers! Thank you! Here are a few pictures from our last visit....

At her appointment to visit Dr Rotter for her prosthesis. he made this shirt for her so she wouldn't get plaster all over her. It looks like a wife beater. LOL!
Dr. Rotter drawing smily faces on the mold made for her arm. He was so great with Maddie he called the plaster that was on her arm an "art project". Maddie still talks about her art project and she is looking forward to going back next week.

I'd also like to share... NO MORE DIAPERS FOR THIS GIRL! We started potty training the day after these pictures were taken. She's Loving her new Dora and Princess undies! Potty training was a breeze and she is doing fabulous!!

Arm Twins unite!:)

2011-05-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today was such a great day! Going back a few months to September, I met a women at our Church who came up to me and said she has a daughter just like Maddie. She was such an encouragement to me telling all the things her daughter did and how nothing held her back. She played just about every sport, was a lifeguard, diving coach, and on Homecoming court. She is now married, and has two girls. I left MOPS that morning feeling so thankful that I met Patti. Later that afternoon I wished I had gotten her information not knowing if I would see her again at Church. Months past hoping I would run into her again. Well, just this Wednesday, 8 months later, we had our last MOPS. As I was just getting ready to leave the church building, guess who is walking right behind me? Yes, it was Patti! I told her how I wished I had gotten her information back in September so I could have e-mailed her daughter and hoped to be able to meet her someday. Then she told me her daughter was coming in this weekend and that they would be so happy to meet us, especially Maddie:) So today we went over to her house and met her daughter Cindy, her husband, and her two girls. And what a wonderful day it was!
Here is a picture of Cindy and Maddie. Cindy liked to call them the "stubby twins" because of their matching arms:) She was such a wonderful person to meet. She is super outgoing, and she said absolutely nothing held her back. She did every activity/sport you can think of and was incredible at everything she tried. Plus she gets 50% OFF MANICURES! She was written up in the paper many times for all her accomplishments in sports. She said she wore a prosthetic every day to school, and would play some sports with it, but when she got home it was the first thing she took off. As she got older, she stopped wearing a prosthesis. It was interesting to hear her perspective on this, since we are about to begin our journey on finding the right prothetic for Maddie. She was so glad her parents gave her the option to either wear one or not wear one. It was up to her, which is the same view we have as parents.

Here is a picture of Maddie with her two daughters.
They were as sweet as they look! It was so interesting hearing the stories they told us about their Mom. When they were little they thought all Moms only had one arm. Too cute! When they would see their Barbies or other peoples Barbies missing an arm they thought those were the Mom Barbies:) I love that! They were the sweetest girls, and I wish they lived here so they could baby sit Maddie. Cindy grew up in Oakbrook, so they are back for visits fairly frequent. So blessed to have met this wonderful family and had the opportunity to talk with Cindy. Once again, God and his timing are always perfect. Such a wonderful blessing from God. I love this!

A Couple Adventures!

2011-03-31T11:39:00.001-07:00

Even though it's still cold out at least the sun has been out the past couple days! We have enjoyed spending some time outside with friends and doing fun things! Yesterday we decided to take the train to Glen Ellyn with some friends from our small group and their kids. We walked to the train station and made it just in time to catch the train to Glen Ellyn. It was a little nuts getting all 6 kids on the train with 3 strollers, but we did it:) The kids had so much fun riding the "choo, choo." When we got off the train we planned on going to 2Toots, a cute little train restaurant right off the tracks. It's the cutest little place to go with kids, but the line was out the door! 5 kids under the age of 4 don't understand "patience" I mean who would at that age? So we left 2Toots and found a cute little Mexican Restaurant to Eat at. It was a hysterically chaotic meal! After lunch, we headed to the Candy store to get some sweets for the kids before we piled back on the train to Elmhurst. Such a fun day and can't wait to do that again! Here are some pictures from yesterday.
All the kids on the train.
Notice, it's just Maddie and ALL boys.
The whole gang!
Enjoying the yummy food!
The Candy Store
All the kids waiting patiently for the train:)

Today Maddie and I met up with my friend Christine and her two girls, Emma and Shelly! We always have so much fun when we hang out! Since they live in the city and we are in Elmhurst, we don't see eachother as much as we'd like, but when we do we both get a "high" from being together:o) So today we met them at Navy Pier. We had so much fun walking around, eating, doing different kid activities, and just being together! Here are some pictures from our visit! So thankful to only be 20 minutes from the city so Maddie can have every opportunity!

Gotta love those silly mirrors!
Christine and I were having more fun than the girls!

Pointing at someone in a funny costume. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing.
Maddie and Shelly walking around holding hands.
Maddie having fun riding the train! Something she likes to do everywhere we go:)
Such a fun day with great friends! We are looking forward to the next time!!

Here are just a few other pictures of my VERY happy girl!

TWO YEAR OLD PICS!

2011-03-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Maddie was being a little serious during the photo shoot, but we were still able to get some cute shots! Here are some of the pictures of our grown up 2 year old!

It's been a while!

2011-02-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

Too many things have happened since Maddie b day (my last post) I don't even know where to begin.

1.The snow storm of 2011 was a blast and we had a wonderful time playing in the snow and hanging out with our neighbors.
2. Lot and lots of playdates with friends and neighbors!
3. MOPS, which we love every other wednesday @ CCOB.
4. Moms day out on friday mornings for 3 1/2 hours, which is time I love to be able to do errands and just have "me" time.
5. Signing Maddie up for preschool starting September 2011. She will go 2 days a week on tuesdays and thursdays:)
6. Bob and I went to Arizona for 5 days, while my Mom watched Maddie back at our house. We had such a blast getting away to warm weather!
7. Trips to the mall so Maddie can ride the Choo Choo.
8. Walks into town for some starbucks.
9. Hanging out at the Elmhurst library and going to Mother Goose.
10. And the best- Watching Maddie grow up and come up with the funniest lines! She is such a "hoot"
11. Maddie has her first trip to the dentist checked by Dr. Matt Jensen and Bumpa Jensen.

Here are some pictures of what has been going on lately:)
I got a little carried away with the hairspray!
Starbucks
Baking cookie bars
blizzard 11'
Uncle Matt, the Dentist
Playdate with Shelley and Emma
I told Maddie to go put her shoes to take a walk outside, and she put on my high heels, and says " Mama, Pretty shoes walk"
Arizona!
Arizona:o)

Here is a short little video of Maddie, our little ham!

BIRTHDAY BASH!

2011-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our little girl turned 2 years old yesterday!!! Last weekend we started by celebrating by taking Maddie downtown for an overnight and swimming in the pool at the hotel. Maddie enjoyed having the pool all to herself and she also enjoyed warming up the in sauna. It was pretty hysterical how much she enjoyed herself!

Then on her actual birthday, which was yesterday, we had an ELMO party for her at our house with family for a low key evening. We opened gifts, ate some yummy dinner, and then had some Elmo cupcake with cream cheese frosting that I had made. We had a great time of laughs with Maddie as our entertainer! She is one hilarious little girl who loves being around people! I believe she thrives in big groups! Hmmmm I wonder who else in our family likes to be in groups of people? LoL. Like Mother like Daughter. We are so thankful for Madeline Grace's Life and how much joy she has brought to our whole family. She is such a miracle and it has be so incredible how the Lord has blessed her life and how far she has come. I know there are BIG plans for this little one. So, with all that said here are some pictures from her party yesterday:o)

LIFE IS A GIFT

2011-01-14T12:07:00.001-08:00

I have been given a wonderful opportunity to talk with the counselors at CareNet about Maddie's Story. CareNet is a place where they help guide young girls into choosing life and not aborting their babies. The doctors gave us an option to abort Maddie more than once, because she was missing her arm, and they weren't sure what other problems she might have.They probably thought we didn't want to have a child that only had one arm, so it was easier to just get rid of her. Abortion was never an option for us and we knew this was God's child and he has a plan for her. Our plans were different than His plans, but he makes no mistakes in creating us. We just had to trust Him at all times.

So with all that said, I am going to be sharing my story about Maddie; the hard times we went through during the months of awaiting her birth, our fears, how we got through it, and why we choose life and not abortion. I am so thankful to be given this opportunity to share with the counselors so they can help the girls they mentor by telling them my story. I have always prayed that God would get the glory and that we would use this as a testimony to share with others, and this is just one thing that he has lead us to. There are so many unknowns in life and sometimes is it very hard not to worry, but God does have a plan and he makes no mistakes in the way he creates us. Also reminded that "pregnancy is not about a disability or an illness, it is about a little child."

One more thing I wanted to share with all of you? Have you seen the picture of the little 21 week old fetus grasping the doctors hand during surgery. Here is a short video and a picture of the baby holding on for life. Very powerful. Keep in mind while watching this video that in IL you can abort up to 23 1/2 weeks. Maddie was the same age as this fetus when they gave us the option. Makes me sick to my stomach that this is legal in our country. So sad.

Friendship

2011-01-04T18:29:00.001-08:00

It has been quite sometime since I have posted anything so I thought it was about time:o) Every time I think to write an update there are other things to be done like laundry, cleaning, cooking, and most importantly taking care of Maddie and chasing her around:o)

These past 9 months of living in Elmhurst have been wonderful. Maddie has developed quite the personality and is never afraid to meet other kids (older and younger). She loves all people and is very outgoing. Maddie's arm has caused her to get noticed by a lot of kids. It has been interesting to see the different behavior of children in response to Maddie's arm. Some are curious, some sympathetic, some encouraging, some look at her as a project ("look mom-check out this girl's arm") and others even appear terrified. None of this seems to phase Maddie, by the way.

In the middle of all of this it has been great to see Maddie develop many good relationships with children her age. We are blessed to live in a great town with a lot of wonderful friends who have gotten to know Maddie for who she is and enjoy being with her. We feel so thankful to have moved to such a wonderful community. We have wonderful friends, fabulous neighbors, a great community, and family just a few miles away. Here are a few pictures of Maddie with her good friends. My husband and I were commenting that it reminds us of how thankful we are for the friends God has put in our lives.

Proverbs 17:17 " A friend Loves at all times."

Here is a picture of Maddie And Georgia. They live in Chicago, and when we get together Maddie and GG love to hang out with each other. They pretty much held hands all the way through Nordstrom!
Maddie and Her other friend Georgia Grace. Two friends with the same name! first and middle so funny! I met Georgia's Mom through MOPS at our church. We are both the same age and both hairstylists. We get together with them at least once a week to hang out. They have a ball together.
Here is another picture of Georgia and Maddie and Georgia's brother Noah. Maddie also has quite a crush on little Noah and always wonders when she is going to see him next. They all have so much fun hanging out.
Maddie has developed a little crush on Noah:o)
This is Maddie with her buddy Gavin. These two can't get enough of each other. They pretty much let out a high pitch scream when they see one another. It's pretty cute how they interact. Gavin's mom and I went to HS together. She was one year ahead of me, so it's neat how We only live 3 blocks away from each other in a town we didn't even grow up in. Gavin and Maddie are 5 weeks apart.
Maddie and Gavin enjoying their suckers at the mall.

Thank you all for making Elmhurst such a wonderful place of lasting friendships!

I'm still Here.

2010-12-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA for quite some time on the blog, but I will be posting an update on Maddie this weekend. I am still here, just haven't gotten around to updating:o) Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Have a Happy New Year!!!!

Learning to let go!

2010-11-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I feel like I have to much to write about these days. As you mothers know, Toddlers are into everything. I leave for 10 seconds and Maddie has gotten into something! Today started off interesting. I was getting ready in our main floor bathroom and in just 5 minutes this is what I saw when I came out. It actually makes me laugh, as I am learning there is no such thing as a clean house with a toddler. (what you see in this picture is wipes, her toilet, and her play food) in case you were wondering:o) haha

Following this picture I ran upstairs to get something and somehow Maddie found her purple watercolor pen and colored herself like Barney the dinosaur. Yep, this is when you just start to laugh inside and not let it get to you. She is a bundle of curiosity! We have had to take some disciplinary action recently, as she thinks the walls in our home are her coloring books. Orange walls aren't too flattering. I know all you Mom's understand this:o)

I'll end with one funny story. Recently, Maddie just learned that a shark "bites". So the other evening Bob and I took a trip to the mall and were walking around a department store. Maddie was walking through the store and pointing to all the mannequins and saying, "bite" "bite". None of the mannequins had heads, and so I guess Maddie thought a shark bit their heads off! I thought that was pretty funny.

Just some random pictures:
Playing with her toys
Maddie learning how to use chop sticks at RA Sushi. VERY focused.
Enjoying an evening walk downtown Elmhurst. Love that we can walk here from our house and have dinner and shop! They do such a good job decorating the town for Christmas!
Cute little Christmas display that Maddie likes.

Veggie Tales!

2010-11-22T10:56:00.001-08:00

On Friday evening, we took Maddie to the Veggie Tales Live show at our church in Oakbrook. We had such a fun time, and Madeline LOVED IT! Her favorite Veggie is Bob to Tomato, and she would say, "Bob!" "Bob!" when he would come out on stage. We had tickets for the second row, and after the show Maddie got to meet Bob and Larry and get her picture taken with them! Here are a few pictures from the evening.
Bob The Tomato
Singing one of their MANY songs. MY favorite was "Girls Just wanna Have fun", but instead it was "Gourds Just wanna Have fun." All the Gourds were dancing on stage. Hilarious!
Bob The Tomato, Me, Maddie, and Larry the Cucumber.
We had such a fun night!

The Life of Stay at Home Mom:o)

2010-11-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

You know when you are a stay at home mom when: I made these up from my experience:o)

1.People ask, "why are you so dressed up." when you are wearing jeans and a sweater.
2. The word most used in your vocabulary during the day is "no"
3. Going to run errands by yourself is considered a luxury.
4. You clean up spills and trails of cherrios multiple times a day.
5. Your purse/diaper bag is over flowing with snacks, sippy cups, books, and rotten food you forgot to take out a week ago. Yep, a rotten banana in mine.
6. You are extremely addicted to caffeine and couldn't live without your keurig or coffee maker.
7. Your movie list consists of Veggie Tales and Baby Einstein or cartoons.
8. You were so distracted you put your keys in the refrigerator. Finding them hours later.
9. You forget to eat lunch or eat your child's left over grilled cheese.

which one do you relate to??:o)

Trick or Treating in Style!

2010-11-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

We had such a blast this weekend! My parents came on Saturday morning and stayed overnight until Sunday because my husband was gone on a retreat in NC. I picked him up at the airport Sunday morning and then our festivities began:o) Here are some pictures from Sunday.
Beautiful Butterfly
Posing for a pic in our yard
Gavin and Maddie. Best buddies!

Obsessed with Elmo! maddie referred to him and Mo.In case you were wondering I was the Wendy's girl.

Maddie and Aviator Man! She wasn't too sure...

Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween! We sure did!:o) What other day of the year can you dress up and look like a total goof ball?? Maddie was beautiful, but Bob and I were the goofy ones!

God's Timing and My Goosebumps!

2010-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have a story that might just give you goosebumps. I am going to back up about 24 months when we found out about Maddie missing her arm at our ultrasound and just how devastated we were at the time. After finding out I can't even tell you the countless stories people told me of people they knew they were missing an arm and how it didn't effect them one bit. God was constantly sending us encouraging stories as we awaited her birth.

One story that has always stuck out to me was one my cousin Sally told me 24 months ago. Many years ago she grew up going to Butterfield Country Club to go swimming. In a choked up voice she told me she always admired this beautiful girl who was a lifeguard at the pool, and always wanted to be just like her. She always had all the guys ooo-ing and ahh-ing over her and was super outgoing and just beautiful. This lifeguard was missing part of her arm just like Maddie. A lifeguard with one arm YOU HEARD ME RIGHT:o) So AMAZING. Just wait this story gets even MORE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So then this morning we headed to MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) at our church, CCOB. As I waited to check myself and Maddie in, this older women stopped me and said I just have to tell you I have a 45 year old daughter just like your little girl. She is missing part of her arm and nothing ever held her back. She was a lifeguard at Butterfield country club 20+ years ago, was in beauty pageants, always had many dates, and had such a bubbly and outgoing personality. She went on to tell me she is married and has three beautiful children. She showed me a picture of her daughter and she is gorgeous. Would you believe that this was the person my cousin Sally had told me about 24 months ago.I couldn't believe that God had put this women right there at the right time and we had made this amazing connection. Then I went on to tell this lady that my cousin grew up swimming at Butterfield Country Club and always admired this lifeguard, who is your daughter! She got a little teary eyed as did I. Amazing how God works isn't it????

I still have goosebumps thinking about it! LIttle things like this that remind me God is here and keeps on sending me waves of encouragement. This is nothing short of a total God thing and I wanted to share this with you. I will keep the stories coming as God sends them to me! I hope these stories are an encouragement to you as a reminder he is right there with you. Don't be dismayed as he is always at work around you.

Morton Arboretum, Edward's Apple Orchard, Sonny Acres, and the Zoo! WHAT A WEEK!

2010-10-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Morton Arboretum!
Enjoying a sliced carmel apple with snickers. It was pretty much amazing!!
Maddie went down this slide at least 2 dozen times!

Edward's Apple Orchard!
Maddie enjoying her apple cider donut. They are incredible!
Playing in the choo choo:o)
A ride on the "tactor"

Sonny Acres!!
Maddie and Gavin riding the train all by themselves!!!

The ZOO!
Hanging at the Zoo:o)
Maddie and Georgia kissing eachother. So sweet
Of course we had to snap a pic of them on the hay stack!

As you can tell we had a really busy week! Keeping this child on the go is key because she has A LOT of energy! We are really enjoying the suburbs and everything there is to do with kids! I feel like the activities are endless. We have had amazing weather, and have enjoyed spending every day outdoors since that will soon change once winter hits! Fall is my favorite time of year, so I am savoring it!!!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

LOVE

2010-09-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

In my devotions this morning I read this Life Lesson in my study Bible. "God loves you more than any mother has ever loved her own son or daughter, everything he does in your life he does out of love and for loves sake.He allows even the hard times for your benefit. "

This was such a nice reminder for me this morning. Sometimes I forget just how much the Lord loves me. Its hard to comprehend how vast his LOVE is. I love my husband and Maddie so much, yet the Lord loves me so much more than that! This is so awesome, and I wanted to share this reminder with you. IF you are going through a hard time right now, remember the Lord loves you and he is using the trial to grow you into a deeper relationship with him.

SONNY ACRES!!

2010-09-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

We had such a blast at Sonny Acres! Such a great place to bring kids and Maddie just loved it! She was going crazy over all the pumpkins and went around to each ones and would kiss them. So funny! We also went on a hay ride, and she loved playing in the maze. SHE HAD A BLAST!!!Here are some photos:

what better way to end the trip than with dinner at Portillos!:o)

We had such a blast at Sonny Acres! Such a great place to bring kids
As you can tell by the pictures, she had a blast! Maddie is at such a fun age! She says something new everyday, and points to everything and says, "what's that?" what's that?" "what's that?" She is a little sponge and she loves to learn. She says please if she wants something, and thank you after you give it to her. She is such a sweetheart and I love watching her grow and learn new things. I feel so blessed being the Mother of Maddie. I am Thankful for each day with her, and every day just gets better and better!

Well, It's time to go get Maddie out of her crib. I think I just heard her say "Mama" That's my cue! :o)

Little Update

2010-09-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have been so bad about blogging. Life has been hectic and I find it hard to sit down and write when I do have time! I am actually having surgery tomorrow to fix my deviated septum and terbinates. I have been feeling pretty miserable every day with terrible headaches and pressure since April. I am hopeful that this will fix the problem and I will be on a road to feeling better. I have a busy toddler to take care of, so I need to get back to feeling myself again. I will be recovering the whole weekend, so I hope to post an update with some pictures of Maddie and what she has been up to lately. She is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, and doing amazing!

Have a good rest of your week!

A Glimpse of the weekend

2010-09-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

We have had such a great weekend so far. My mom came to visit on Friday and we went to lunch and spent some nice time together. That evening we had a bonfire with all the neighbors and made smores. Maddie was up late, which she enjoyed a lot, and also had her first smore! Saturday morning we headed to the Brookfield zoo. We all had a blast! Maddie saw all different kinds of animals, but I think her favorites were the goats which she called "doats" and the hippo which she called "hippie" Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Loving the Brookfield Zoo
The Dolphin show was so much fun and Maddie loved it!
The Cousino's came for dinner saturday evening and Maddie and Connor enjoyed the wagon and cozy coupe.

Dressed, and ready for church.

Here is a cute video of the dolphin show

Hope you are all having a fabulous weeekend!

Some new pictures in no particular order:o)

2010-08-23T11:13:00.001-07:00

Coffee break. Not really its just watered down chai tea and of course she liked it.
I purchased Maddie her own potty a few weeks ago, and we both got a little carried away with the toilet paper:o)
Hanging out in the donut room at church
She loves squirting me with this squirt gun
Loving her princess cozy coupe!
Some Sunday Swimming
Eating some Chipotle
Testing out the tube on the Lake.
Remember this doll???
In Awe of this little Miracle.

Well, I cannot believe summer is coming to an end. One of the best summers ever! I hope you all enjoyed your summer, too! Fall is just around the corner and I am ready for the change of season. A new chapter, new memories and I am excited!

It's been a while. but I have a story worth reading

2010-08-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a while! I'll just give you some quick updates and then get to my story. Maddie is doing so well with her walking and is completely stable on her feet-not quite running, but power walking!! She is talking A LOT! Yesterday I asked her if she wanted a drink and she said, "I don't know?" I have never taught her that, but I think that is what I answer to a lot of Bob's questions. so maybe she picked up on it! haha:o) Her other popular phrases are "Hi there" and of course "uh oh baby" In the morning I hear her throwing everything out of her crib and saying"uh oh baby" about 7-8 times for all the toys and animals in her crib. Then when everything is out of her crib she starts to get upset, so I go in there and she greets me with a big smile and says, "hi there." The best greeting I could ever ask for:o) She is a joy.

I just recently looked back at the pictures of Maddie when she was in the NICU and it's makes me tear up everytime. I couldn't help but see how the Lord has taken care of her from the day she was born until now. There isn't one day I don't thank God for her life and know he has a special plan for her.

And now for the story. Maddie and I went out to lunch together after swim lessons one day, which is something we usually never do, but thought it would be fun:o) We order our food at the window and then sit down at some picnic tables. Across from us was this adorable little girl with down syndrome. She kept looking at Maddie and smiling and was just the sweetest thing ever. Then after the little girl was done eating she came over and told Maddie how beautiful she was. She kissed her little arm and said, "You are so beautiful and I love babies." Her mom was there with her so we just had a really nice conversation since the little girl wondered why Maddie didn't have an arm. So her mom said just like you were born with down syndrome Maddie was born without an arm. .She was just the sweetest most compassionate little girl and It just made my day. If the world could be more like her what a much better place it would be. I was smiling and teary eyed all the way home. If she only knew. What a blessing.

Our week in a not so small nut shell:o)

2010-07-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

A little bit about our week:

Monday my grandparents watched Maddie for me while I headed to see the allergist and get some tests done. I have always had terrible allergies, so monday I got a lot of answers. After a 2 1/2 hour appt they found out I am allergic to trees, all grasses, weeds, molds, cats, and dogs. I am so glad I at least know why I have felt so terrible. I am hopefully on the up and up with the knew allergy meds I am on.

Tuesday We went on a couple wagon rides around the neighborhood and spend some time by the fountains with Elise and Gavin. We also spend some time hanging out at the library.

Wednesday Maddie and I headed to the Farmers Market to pick up some fresh produce before my Mom came for a visit. Once my mom arrived we headed to Maddie's swim lessons. She loved it and they did so many different things with them. Such a great class. We got back home, and my brother Matt came for a surprise visit! After Her nap we did a few errands since it was 95 degrees and little hot to be outside.

Thursday My friend Christine and her two kids came for a visit so it was fun to see them. In the afternoon we met Elise and Gavin at the fountains.

Today we met Jen and Connor in Hinsdale to go to the pool near them. It's fun to be able to see them and hang out once a week!

Tomorrow we are headed back to Lincoln Park for a work event at Lincoln Park Zoo. It will be so weird to be back where we lived for so long! I am excited to take Maddie around the zoo in her Radio Flyer and finally meet all the people Bob works with. That was our week in a nut shell. Here are some pictures!

Saving these for a rainy day:o)

Playing with the train set at "My Favorite Toy Store"
Doing our nightly walk in the alley behind our house.
Maddie loves walking up and down, up and down.
Maddie takes swim lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays

Practicing blowing bubbles.
Working on getting her comfortable on her back

Some fun with the water table!
Ready, Aim, Fire!
A little evening swing
Maddie and Connor hanging out in the baby pool:o)

4th of July Wknd

2010-07-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

We started of the weekend with a wedding reception in Rockford.

Maddie's first boat ride!
Maddie, her uncles, and Dada
Getting a feel for the hole before she putts

Now shes ready to putt it in the hole!
Poor Maddie was so flushed from the heat

Nana and Maddie hanging with the goats. To clarify Gammy is changed to "Nana" Because that is what Maddie calls her:o)She loved petting the goats at the petting ZOO!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as we did. As usual, they go by WAY TO QUICKLY!!

Our God - Chris Tomlin - Passion 2010

2010-07-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love the words of this song. Thought I would share it with you.

Weekend Fun!!

2010-06-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

At the Splash Pad with Dada
She loves carrying this ball around. One of her favorite words is "BALL"
Running with ballReady to go catch some waves. At the pool that is:O)Walking up the side. She must have gone down the slide at least 25 times.Weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

She was VERY determined to open the gate to swim in the BIG pool.

FINALLY:o)

2010-06-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

This morning all of us headed to the splash pad. One of Maddie's favorite places to play. We were there splashing in the water for about an hour when we decided it was time to head home. I was putting a few things in our bag, I looked up, and there walked a guy in his mid 20's without his left arm above the elbow. I had never seen anyone before in person and I was so surprised. He was the manager of the splash pad. So, I made Bob lead the way so we could go over and talk with him. He was so nice and shared a little bit of his life with us. He said, "give her every opportunity because she can do anything. NEVER baby her." He had so much confidence, and I was so glad to have FINALLY run into someone without an arm.

Just wanted to share that quick story with all of you. So many people tell me all the people they see without an arm, but I was waiting for the day when I would see someone. And today I did:o)

Have a good wknd!

Maddie is officially on the GO!

2010-06-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Maddie is taking off everywhere! We were away in Florida for a wedding and Maddie stayed with my parents. When we got back she was walking everywhere! I can't take my eye off of her for a second. I feel much more exhausted than I did before she was walking, but I love seeing her waddle along. Here are a couple videos of her walking:o) Apparently I am having a hard time figuring out how to rotate these videos, so might have to turn your head or computer sideways. sorry!

Maddie at the Splash Pad

She might not like me for this one day, but so cute walking around in just a diaper:o)

If anyone knows how to rotate videos let me know. Couldn't figure it out on iphoto. I can rotate them fine on facebook though....

Have a good day, and ENJOY this beautiful weather!!! We spend the morning at the splash pad and I think we will walk to the pool this afternoon. I LOVE THIS WEATHER:o)

No Arms No Legs No Worries

2010-06-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Grab and box of kleenex before you watch this video. He is so inspiring and his outlook on life is so positive.

A few Snap Shots:o)

2010-06-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Maddie LOVES going to the fountains near our house.

Cheese!
And again! She is quite the Happy girl:o)
Peek A Boo!

Another Cheesy face:o) She's hysterical.

When She falls down she says, "uh oh Baby."

I have a feeling any day now she will be walking all over the place! Today she took 15 steps a bunch of different times. I am excited and ready for her to be walking even though I know I will be chasing her all over! I am ready!!

A HUGE MILESTONE!

2010-06-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some exciting new with all of you. This morning, while we had physical therapy at our house, Maddie took 12 steps all by herself! She took 12 steps 6 different times. It was so cute to see her walking all by herself. I feel like the mornings are a good time to work on things with her since she is awake and has more energy. I was so proud of her!!!

Right after therapy, me, my mom, and Maddie hopped in the car to head downtown for Madeline's NICU follow up appointment. It is always such a pleasure to go back and see all the wonderful doctors and nurses who care so much about Maddie. When we got to her appointment we were greeted by Nurse Elnora. She is so wonderful and such a kind lady. She has a picture of Maddie on her mantel and prays for Maddie all the time as well as her church congregation. I got a bit teary eyed when she told me that, because I think about all the people who pray for Maddie and just know the Lord is watching over her. We also got a visit from Joanna, who is so sweet and loves seeing Maddie too. Maddie has quite the fan club:o)

My mom, Maddie, and Elnora. Maddie was not too happy in this picture because she had just gotten weighed. She is afraid of the scale.

At the appointment, they gave Maddie the Denver Developmental Assessment Test. This is a key test to determine where the child is at developmentally. They do a bunch of different things with her to make the assessment. Maddie fully impressed and came out a head. They said her language and fine motor skills were beyond a 14 month old. I was really encouraged at this appointment, and so thankful for how well she is doing with being born at 28 weeks. INCREDIBLE. They keep reminding me it is so unusual for a child born at 28 weeks to be ahead developmentally. She is amazing. I am continually reminded the Lord is watching over her, and also reminded of all the wonderful people who pray for her. She is such an incredible little child, and I love her very much.

After the appointment we got a quick bite to eat and then headed back to Elmhurst. The traffic was terrible and It took us an hour and a half to to get home when it should take 25 minutes. We tried to keep Maddie awake so I could lay her down when we got home, but when we looked in the back this is what we saw:o)
A VERY WIPED OUT AND EXHAUSTED MADDIE.

Memorial Day weekend in Lake Geneva

2010-06-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

I find silly things to do to make her laugh:o)
This went on for a good half hour in the car:o)
Looking at all the "birdie's" as Maddie says.

Learning how to play Baggo
She scooted right in front of that bush and posed for a picture
This way is much easier.
Where did it go??

I forgot to take pictures until the last day. Oops! Hope you all had a good weekend!:o)

Helpers 4 Haiti

2010-05-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.helpers4haiti.org/

I was on a girl's blog that I follow this morning, and I came across this site. Her little girl was also born with ABS and she is a little older than Maddie. I enjoy following her blog to see all the awesome things she does!

This site was created to help out kids in need who need prosthetics, but can't afford them. If you have old prosthetics laying around, please donate them and give life to another child in need. With your donation, a child could walk for the first time, and just make life a little easier. Whether it is an upper or lower limb, you can help! How cool would that be!

Did any of you see the Extreme Makeover Home Edition Episode with the family who had a couple kids born with ABS? Thislittle girl on the show touched me so much. She didn't have any legs, and only one hand. She was the most fun spirited joyful little girl EVER. She was such an incredible little child with such a giving heart. She did everything, and was even an amazing surfer! Completely fearless and never letting anything hold her back. It was awesome to watch and during the show as she donated her prosthetics to help children in Haiti. She was crying as she saw the little girl she helped walked for the first time ever. That was such a touching moment.

take a look at this video. If I was more computer savy I would be able to have the video right on my blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPY8Y6oxeHM&feature=PlayList&p=A5F9113B334FC37C&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=185

Suburban Life:):):)

2010-05-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Maddie loves going for wagon rides:)
She loves music too!
Maddie and Gavin checking out the fish at the library

Maddie kept giving Gavin multiple kisses on the cheek. I think she likes him:o)

We are loving the suburban life and there is so much more for Maddie to do. (AND ME) She is continuing to stand by herself and occasionally will take a couple steps. She is babbling a lot more and trying to copy everything I say. I am really thankful to be home with her so I don't miss any of her developmental milestones! We are excited to start up a lot of classes that Elmhurst offers. It's really nice to be busy with her every day and keep her stimulated:o)

Have a good week!!! I can't believe the heat wave we are having!

A good reminder

2010-05-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have been having a lot of anxious thoughts and feeling very tense lately. I worry about a lot of things, and it comes out physically by having headaches and neck aches. I have a tendency to internalize things, and a big one is not spending enough time with the Lord in prayer. I notice at night I lay in bed and worry about Maddie or other things that I shouldn't be worried about. Sometimes I wonder how she will do certain things as she gets older, and look way to far ahead into her future. I do feel sad sometimes, but then I just have to remember to have faith. As I was doing my devotions today I read this, which was also the verse I had plastered all over the hospital walls. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

With all of this said, I would not change Maddie for who she is because she is perfect. My faith is constantly being tested and a good reminder that she is God's child and I am not in control, but HE is. I am still learning how to completely trust him and give all my worries and concerns to Him with EVERYTHING in my life. I have always found this to be hard. It is very tempting to fall into the pit of despair and worry, But a good reminder to "Be still and know that he is God."

I'll end with this..."I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord...Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let you heart take courage." (Psalm 27:13)

Thank you for letting me share my heart with you.

Kids say the funniest things...:o)

2010-05-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

I had already put this on facebook, but wanted to share with the rest of you who don't have a facebook page.

Later this afternoon I was out in the back of our house with Maddie, a neighbor, her baby, and 3 boys all 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 yrs old. Let me inform you that these boys are obsessed with Star Wars. We were all sitting on someone's driveway and Maddie kept scooting over to the boys wanting to play with them. She's a flirt:o) One of the boys said, "why doesn't Maddie have a hand?" I just went on to tell him that's how she was born. He thought for a few seconds, and said, "COOOOOOL!!! She is just like Anikan Skywalker from Star Wars except she's a girl." All 3 of them went on, and on, and on, about how cool it was that she was like one of the characters on star wars. Too cute.

I thought this was a really cute and encouraging story of how kids react, so I wanted to share it with you.

It's not too long before she's on the move!

2010-05-07T11:25:00.001-07:00

Some updates on Maddie. She is pulling to stand all the time and cruising around furniture. She has been doing a lot of standing on her own, so I bet she will be walking in a month or so. Here is a picture I snapped today of her standing.

Here is another pic of when she was only 2 months. Mighty strong right from the start:o)

At this age they are such sponges and pick up on everything. She is saying a lot more words. Bob and I were gone last weekend at a wedding, and my parents were here at our house watching Maddie. When we got home her new words were egg and Balloon. She points to the balloon and says "boon" So cute:o) She also waves and says hi all the time. Even when the doorbell or phone rings she waves. She is a very friendly little one with so much personality.

I just like to give short little updates on how she is doing and what she is up too. You are all so kind even still continuing to pray for Maddie. I get the nicest emails and facebook messages from people who pray for Maddie every night. I want to say thank you so much. She is such a blessing and bring us constant JOY.

Here is one more cute photo I had to share. I'll quickly explain. She has this little tiny kitchen set that came with an egg. She loves to carry this egg around everywhere and apparently even likes to stick it on the end of her arm! I was cracking up when I saw her scooting around the house with an egg on the end of her arm.

What were we thinking getting a prosthetic? Apparently wearing an egg is much more fashionable!!
And she's off!
She is such a character. Have a good weekend everyone! And a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to ALL WHO ARE MOTHER'S!

Update on what Maddie is doing these days.

2010-04-24T16:15:00.001-07:00

Maddie has been learning and doing so much more! she is pulling to stand ALL the time and also cruising around furniture. Her new word is "uh oh" and sometimes she "Moos" when you point to a cow. If you say "thank you" she says "nah nah" She can give a high five, and she waves "hello" and "goodbye" Here are some pictures of what she has been up to:o)

Doing a puzzle and learning her shapes
Playing with her kitchen:o) A present from Gammy.Here is a video of Maddie pulling to stand.
in
I thought I was going to be the one teaching her things, but she is actually the one teaching me. I am continually amazed by what she is doing and her determination. We have decided to forego the prosthetic for now. I don't believe it does anything to benefit her. She does everything without it. She is such a strong little girl!!!!

Marco Island, Florida FUN!

2010-04-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

We had a great time in Marco Island this past week! Maddie loved swimming in the pool and going to the beach. We met lots of great people while we were there, and Maddie made lots of new friends too:o) It was a great time together as a family, and I hope you enjoy the pictures! I think I took 100 pics, but here are a few of them.
Maddie is wondering why she is awake at 4:30am. little does she know she is going to Florida:o)
At the airport on the Harley.

Maddie's Homecoming- 1 yr ago today!

2010-04-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

One year ago today Maddie came home from the NICU. One of the best days of my entire life!!! So today we celebrated her Homecoming. Just a simple little celebration. Maddie and I went to the grocery store and she picked out a balloon, and then I got a few things to make a small cake. Here are some pictures:o)

Family pic the day she came home.

We are so thankful to have her in our lives and love her very much. She constantly amazes us with her determination. So thankful God gave her to us just the way she is. Truly an incredible child who is teaching us so much. So thankful and feel very blessed.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

Out to dinner on friday night.
Love her expression.
Maddie with Gammy and Gampy at our house.
Maddie and Uncle Dan.
Maddie hanging out in her Easter wear.
Maddie with her uncles.
The Fam.
She climbs up the entire flight of stairs when I am holding her under her arms. Very determined:o)I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! We enjoyed spending time with family. Family is the best! We went met the rest of the fam for brunch in Oakbrook and then headed back to our place for dessert. My grandma so kindly made all the pies and angel food cake.

On a side note, last year at this time Maddie came home from the NICU. April 8th to be exact. One of the best days of my life!!!!! So this week I am going to make a small cake to celebrate her homecoming. It mean a lot to me and I am so thankful this year for how the Lord has protected her. We are heading to Marco Island, Florida on Saturday, so a perfect place to celebrate Maddie and our Wedding Anniversary which is on the 14th. Lots to be thankful for. I'll post more picture when we get back! No computer is coming with me, Just going to enjoy the time with Bob and Maddie. Have a good couple of weeks everyone!!!

A Cute Story

2010-04-01T12:20:00.001-07:00

So as you know we have a lot of kids in our neighborhood:o) Maddie I enjoy playing with them, so this afternoon we went next door to hang out with these three adorable 8 year old girls. One of the girls name is Maddie too, and shel is so sweet to our Maddie. The 3 girls were all playing a game and one of the girls said, "Did Maddie lose her arm?" So I told her that was the way she was born. So then they all 3 came and sat on the grass and Gabby was asking some other questions like, "Do you think it will grow back so she can have an arm?" I told her that It wouldn't grow back, but that she will be able to do all the things you guys can do. They were so sweet to Maddie and all saying, "I think she will be a runner, or a singer, or a ballerina, etc. They kept on saying I bet she will be so good at something and people will think she is super cool. The words of 8 year olds:o) So cute.

Another Milestone!!!

2010-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved to this house Maddie has been trying to pull herself up on everything! I have been working with her day in a day out and trying to do everything the physical therapist has told me to do. So around 5:30pm this evening I was in the kitchen making the rest of our dinner and putting a few things in the oven. In the meantime, Maddie was in the family room scooting around. The kitchen and family room are one big room, so I can see her while I am making dinner. So I am going about my business, and I happen to look over and she has pulled herself up onto her feet standing against the leather chair playing with my laptop. Perfectly balanced I might add. I couldn't believe my eyes! Was she really standing?! Yes, she was! So I ran right over to her, swept her in my arms and told her how happy I was and how proud I was of her. Then I wanted to see how she actually did it, so I put her back on the ground, and she pulled herself to stand 3 MORE TIMES! Her determination is incredible! It was quite amazing to watch her use one arm with all her might to get her little body off the ground. I am continually amazed at how she figures things out. WAY TO GO MADDIE!!! Here is a picture of her that I snapped after she pulled herself up-My favorite line someone once told me-"Two arms are over rated."

First Week in Elmhurst!!!

2010-03-28T08:22:00.001-07:00

We are really enjoying living in a new town. Elmhurst has so much to offer and we are really thankful to live here. We are in walking distance to the Library, which is super nice and Maddie really enjoyed our visit last week. I also signed Maddie up from swim lessons which will begin in July. There are a TON of classes offered through the park district so I am going to look into signing her up for a bunch more! Possibly a music class since she loves music!!! The park district is also offering an Easter Egg Hunt next saturday, which we are going to take Maddie too! Elmhurst is such a creative town and they think of everything! And I just bought Maddie a cute basket today so we can fill it up on our hunt!!!

Last week one of my friends who lives close by came over for dinner. A few days later some family members stopped by which was really nice. Later in the week one of my really good friends from Chicago came to visit last week with her baby Shelly. We enjoyed exploring the town of Elmhurst and also trying to convince her to move here:o) She is one person I know will visit, and we really enjoy our time with them.

This morning we tried out Christ Church of Oakbrook. In the parking lot we met this really nice couple who then after the service told us about all the things to get involved in. One of them being MOPS, which meets every other Wednesday. I am excited to start new and meet other Moms with kids Maddie's age. Today was also the first time we put Maddie in the nursery. She did GREAT! Bob and I kept checking our pager through the whole service thinking that it might buzz, but it never did. When we came to pick her up she was perfectly happy playing with the other kids and eating cherrios. We then ventured to fellowship hall where we met some more people. We are excited to see what God might have for us at this church, and hope to be used for his purposes.

My mom is coming tomorrow to visit, and then we have 3 more visitors this week! Looking forward to rekindeling old friendships this week! One of them being my roomate from college who has a daughter Madeline's age. Excited to spend time with friends and their babies! Have a great week everyone!

Some new pics of Maddie:o)

2010-03-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

WE ARE ALL MOVED IN AND LOVING ELMHURST! HERE ARE SOME PICS
Playing in her bedroom

hanging out in the basement practicing her standing

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

Today we took a nice long walk. Maddie's first time wearing her shades this year:o)
We walked to the park, but couldn't swing because it was so crowded. Will be nice for Maddie to have her own swing set:o)
We went to Jamba Juice and shared a smoothie:o) She thought it was a little tart!!!
I think the sugar got to Maddie-She was climbing up on everything:o)Thankful for those beautiful sunny days! We only have a week left in the city, and then we are off to Elmhurst! Hope you all have a great weekend! I know I always say "thank you" but we appreciate your interest in Maddie, and hope you are encouraged!

A Beautiful Song

2010-03-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this song with you since it has touched me so much. As many of you know Steven Curtis Chapman lost his daughter a couple of years ago. This song is a story about his daughter accepting Christ on February 20th 2008. She passed away May 2008. I can barely get through the song without tearing up.

Here are the Lyrics:

February 20th 2008
On the floor with her mom
Puttin’ her shoes on
Getting ready for another day

February 20th
She says, “Mom, is it true?
Does God really have a big, big house
Does it really have a lot of rooms?”
And she says,
“I really, really want to go there.”
And I said, “Why don't we just talk to him."
And that’s what we did
On February 20th

February 20th
I did my best to explain
How it is that we all go to be with God
How it was the Savior came

February 20th
If it’s true what he said
God himself sang along with the beautiful song
Of rejoicing in heaven
She said, “Jesus please come and live in my heart.
And someday, can I come live with you?”
We could never have imagined
She’d be going there so soon

So soon

So soon

God only knows
Everything that happened in that moment
God only knows
What he whispered to her heart
God only knows
Just how thankful I will always be
That he gave her mom and me
February 20th

An Inspirational Story

2010-03-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to give you an update on what Maddie is up to these days. She is still not sure about her prosthetic. She likes to pull it off as she scoots around the house. She does so great without it, so we will see what she decides. We are still working with her to pull herself us on furniture. She is making progress, and I know one day she will get her little body off the ground:o) I know she can do it, and does not give up on anything! We were out of town this weekend at my parents house, and we were all watching WGN news. On the news was a story of a girl who was born with 1 limb. I believe she had her left arm with only two fingers. She is now older and it is unbelievable the things that she did! Swimming, Skateboarding, Snow Skiing, played piano, and many more! It was so neat to see a little girl so determined and not let anything hold her back! I just felt so encouraged after seeing that clip. I just know Maddie is going to teach us so much with the things she is going to do. It is very exciting! Just wanted to share that with all of you! Thank you for your continued prayers for Maddie.

Help your babies learn their VOWELS!!!

2010-03-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

This is by far the cutest, most creative children's book yet! This cute book is called Sue MacDonald Had A Book---A-E-I-O-U....This is a vowel sing-along book to the tune of "Old MacDonald had a farm." Here is just an idea of how cute this book is.
That was page 3 into the book, so if you want to read the rest I guess you'll have to buy it! I can guarantee you that your children will love it! Maddie loves music, so this is a perfect book for her. The illustrations are so adorable.

We are Moving to Elmhurst!!!!!

2010-02-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that we are officially moving! To make a long story short tuesday, February 2nd we put an offer on a home in Elmhurst. That same week on Saturday, February 6th we got an offer on our place! The timing was not a coincidence! We just finished the attorney review on both places this week, so everything is signed and official! We close on the home in Elmhurst on March 19th, and then close on the condo in Chicago on March 31st. Which means we are moving on March 20th! That is 3 weeks away, so I need to start packing! There is a lot to be done before then! We have furniture and storage in two different cities, which means we have to do two moves on the same day! Thank goodness my parents have offered to help with Maddie! It will be crazy, but I say bring on the craziness cause I am just excited!! I kinda of thrive on being super busy!
The town of Elmhurst, which I can walk to from our house:o)
York Movie Theater
We are so excited to move to Elmhurst and raise our children there. It is such a cute town, with lots of great restaurants, great schools, little shops, starbucks, a movie theater, and just a wonderful community!!! We were so happy to find a house that we love and can grow into that is also close to town. Bob is going to be able to walk to the train which is an 8 minute walk. The train from Elmhurst to downtown is 30 minutes-not bad at all! I am excited to be able to walk to the park, pool and town! No better time to move then right before the weather starts to get warm! I am also excited for Maddie to have a swing set in the back yard. She loves to swing, and there is a baby swing she can enjoy:o) Plus all the young neighborhood kids that are surrounding us. Many which are Maddie's age.

We have a lot of family in the surrounding areas, and my aunt, uncle and cousins live in Elmhurst. My grandparents live in Lombard as well which is the next town over. It will be so great to be near more family! I am also excited to be closer to my dear friend Jess. We have known each other since diapers, and I am so thankful for our friendship, and excited to do more things as couples as well! Such fun times ahead...:o)

It is still a bit surreal that we are actually leaving the city after living here for so long, but we are ready. We will miss some things about the city, and close friends, but we are only 30 minutes away. It's not like we are moving across the country:o) So I hope people will come visit us and stay over night!!! You are ALL welcome anytime!!!

I also just found out today there were 3 other offers waiting to be submitted! Thankfully our financing was all approved today, which was our deadline, so IT IS COMPLETELY OFFICIAL!!!! We will toast to a BIG CELEBRATION TONIGHT:o)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!!!!

Updates on Maddie

2010-02-21T12:26:00.001-08:00

I feel like I haven't talked about how Maddie has been doing with her prosthetic lately. Last week I put it on her about every day and after 5 minutes of having her arm on she found ways to pull it off. She pulls at the prosthetic hand so hard that it pops right off, so then she is scooting around the condo will her arm just hanging freely. It has actually been pretty funny! So, we continue to take it day by day and see what she will do with it. So far she hasn't been wearing it very much. She is very opinionated!:)

Maddie also started saying Dada 3 weeks ago. She is talking a lot more, which is so much fun! Bob loves when he gets home and she scoots right over to him and says, "dada, dada." Right now we are also working on helping her to find ways to pull herself up on furniture. I know she will eventually figure it out, but it does make it difficult to pull all of her weight up with just one arm. She has figured out everything else by herself, so one day she might just pull right up! She stands so well, it's just the getting up part that has been more difficult. She will get there!:o) This child is so determined and will get her SO FAR in life!

The last three weeks have been CRAZY, and I am sure Maddie has sensed that! I hope to be able to share with you all soon, and praying everything settles itself this week.

Have a happy Sunday, and a great week!

In the Last couple of weeks we....

2010-02-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Met up with Maddie's nurse, Kim, for lunch at Uncle Julios.
Met Gammy at Woodfield for lunch and a little Valentine's shoppingPlayed with Mommy's phoneWent for a swing at the park. BTW is was 43 degrees out!!!Lounging. Notice how she is basically spread eagle The end!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

Last Valentine's day Maddie was in the NICU and it was the FIRST time I got to dress her in clothes. I was so excited to dress her up for her "Valentine's Day Party" in the NICU. I can still remember how very tiny that onesie was. You wouldn't believe it if you saw it! Here is a picture of Maddie last year for Valentine's day. She was 3 pounds here. So tiny.
And here she is now!!!! I still cannot believe how much she has grown. When I look back at those pictures I realize what a miracle she is. Bob and I were thankful to spend such an enjoyable day with our special Valentine.

2010-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share some more pictures of Maddie. It has been such a great week!!!

have a good rest of your week! Hopefully we won't have any more earthquakes! That was nuts!!!!

A visit from Maddie's Omie all the way from DC!

2010-02-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

Right before heading to dinner.Louise aka Omie, Bob, and MaddieTWO teeth!!Maddie loved the bread!!!
Maddie giving the mirror mouth to mouth. hahaSO fresh and SO clean!!!Thanks for coming to visit, Omie! We look forward to your next visit very soon!

2010-01-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

The weeks are flying by! It was a SUPER cold week in chicago, but we managed to get out everyday to either walk, hang out with friends, or run errands. I have found ways to seriously bundle Maddie up to the point of wondering where she went:o) So even though it has been bitter it is always nice to get some fresh air and see the sunshine! A picture of us both taking a walk this week. That is a positive of our neighborhood is that you can walk every where and pop into a store to warm back up. My friend Christine has a 4 month old, so we took a walk 3 days this week and ran some errands together. Going to be our last winter in the city, which seems so weird to think about.

I forgot to give the news that Maddie's eye exam went so well. Her eyes were perfect and they see no problems. We will have to re-visit CMH in 1 to 2 years. The eye exam was totally different than the weekly ones when she came home from the NICU. No clamps to hold the eyes open, so she smiled and made her usual funny noises through the check-up.

Have a good weekend!

Power of Prayer

2010-01-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

I love sharing stories of how God was there through everything that was happening with Maddie last year. I was remembering last year around this time my parents came to visit Maddie in the NICU. Starring into this glass incubator was this very tiny 2 pound baby hooked up to so many different monitors, and Iv's. It was a very scary and unknown time, so we spend lots of time in prayer asking God to watch over little Madeline's life and to send his angels to watch over her. During that visit we took lots of pictures with each of our hands around Madeline in her incubator. Right before my parents left the NICU to head back to Rockford my mom wanted one last picture. The last picture that was on her iphone was a picture of my mom with Madeline by her incubator. After my Parents left, Bob I spend some more time with Madeline just praying God would protect her. About an hour later I got a call from my mom telling me she was flipping through the pictures on her iphone, and the last picture on her phone was now a black and white sketch of an angel kneeling and praying. At the time I didn't quite understand and thought maybe it just looked like a picture of an angel but it really wasn't. So She sent it to me. This was the picture that somehow appeared on her phone-I was stunned to see that it was VERY Clearly a Picture of a kneeling angel. There were so many times like this where God just kept sending us signs that he was watching over Madeline during this time she was in the hospital. I am amazed by the power of praying, and will never forget all the things God did during this time. It truly is through struggles we grow so much more in Him, and rely on him the most. Those times were very, very tough, but I spend more time praying and relying on God more than I ever have. For that I can only be Thankful.

Some fun pictures:o)

2010-01-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

Maddie's Birthday Weekend

2010-01-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's my Birthday today!This balloon is bigger than I am!!Me and My ParentsIs this all for me?YUMMY!!!!Are we going out today?Yes, To the Aquarium!I think I like it!!
Quite A LOT actually!

1/13/09 Journal Entry

2010-01-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to look at my journal entries for quite some time from when I was in the hospital for those 3 weeks last year. I happened to open my journal and sure enough there was an entry dated 1/13/09; Here is what I wrote one year ago today:
"My grandpa had a VERY vidid dream that Jesus was holding baby Madeline in my uterus. Just picturing Jesus holding Madeline makes me cry and feel so much comfort knowing the Lord's hand is over her and that she is his child. This gives me comfort for when she is born that he is going to carry her through all the ups and downs and never let go of her. Thank you Jesus for loving Madeline more than I ever could, and knowing her future. Thank you God for sending me pictures that you are right there with her.I feel so much peace, and I am very thankful."

I am so glad that I journaled for those 3 weeks while in the hospital and also all 3 months she was in the NICU. Keeping a journal was a way for me to record all my feelings and focus on the positives when looking back at what the Lord did. It is amazing to see all the prayers God answered through very scary times of not knowing what was a head...

After my grandpa had that dream she was born 2 days later, on the 15th. What a comfort that he would have dreamt that just 2 days before. Pretty Incredible!

Just a little Update

2010-01-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

I thought we would let you know how Maddie is adapting to her new prosthetic. It is actually something we are all getting used to. The morning after we got the prosthetic I completely forgot to put her arm on until later in the day. I imagine it will take a few weeks to make it part of our daily routine. When she does wear it, which is about 3 hours a day, she seems fine with it on and is able to move it fairly well. She looks at it as if to say, "what is this over here on my left side?" I am hoping to teach her how to use it to balance herself on furniture, but know this will take us all time to get used too. She is still scooting around the condo with or without her arm on, and continues to surprise us each day. This is such a fun age because their brains soak up so much and everything is new to them. I'll continue to keep you updated with pictures as well on how she is doing:o)

Maddie's Birthday is this coming friday, so that will be a very, very special day to celebrate! She is still a fighter 1 year later!

Have a good week!

Prosthetic Take Two!!!:o)

2010-01-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Today ended up going so well! We are very pleased with her prosthetic!!! It only weighs 5 ounces, which is 7 oz lighter than the previous arm. WOWZER!!!!!! I guess I won't be needing to take this one to the supermarket to weigh it:o) She is able to move it all the way up to chin level and it is much more proportionate to her other arm. Better skin color, weighs much less, less bulky, and all around BETTER!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! Here are some pictures of the new prosthetic:o)
Just sneaking around the corner
I thought this picture was so precious
"Hey look! I got a new arm!!"
On our car ride back home from the RIC. Once again a happy camper!!!!
Daddy and Maddie (For some reason she likes to sick her tongue out in almost every picture:o)
Mommy and Maddie
I wanted to show you a picture without her shirt on so you could see how much more proportionate it is than the last prosthetic.
What the prosthetic looks like
"I am such a big girl!!!"
Somehow I will train her to use her left arm to balance her weight, but I wanted to show you how well she stands up and plays with her toy.
WE are so HAPPY that RIC was able to make something SO MUCH better for Maddie. I feel so filled with JOY and SO THANKFUL!!! Thank you for all your prayers, as we know they were answered!!!! I think I just need to shout out a HALLELUJIAH!!!!

Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Picking up Prosthetic

2010-01-05T06:16:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we will be going back to the RIC for another visit to see the end result of her prosthetic. If you could just be praying for that visit we would really appreciate it. We are just praying that it will be something she can use, would be much less bulky, and lighter. We are very hopeful this time since they showed us some examples a week ago. We were pretty discouraged the time before, so I pray it would be a different experience tomorrow. I am excited to share the details and pictures with you tomorrow!

Little Blue Snowflake

2010-01-03T14:01:00.001-08:00

"Currently in shock by this weather,
...but I'll roll with it."

Maddie on the GO!

2010-01-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

She is a Mover, and very determinted to get to her destination! Today I found her in a ton of different places- Time to baby proof!

We have a scooter on our hands!

2009-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of weeks Maddie has been scooting ALL over the place. That is her way of getting around and I am amazed at how she rocks her body back and forth to get around. One other new obsession she has is strings. I have had to stop wearing sweatshirts with strings because if I take it away or leave the room she flips out. The little things that intrigue her are hilarious! She is doing more and more each day and it such a blessing to see her figure things out! Here is a picture of Maddie on her new mat. You would be amazed how she scoots her little body all around this.Many times she scoots off the mat right into our bedroom. She is so happy that she has figured out way to get around and it is so cute! We Couldn't be more proud of her. I also wanted to let you know she will be getting a new prosthetic on wednesday. The RIC was able to make something much better, so I will post some pictures next week. In the meantime, we wanted to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!
We are thankful to ring in the New Year at home and not in the hopsital room, which was the case last year. What a difference a year can make!!!!!! WAHOOO!

Maddie has learned how to go from a lying position to sitting position!

2009-12-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post this video to show you how determined this little girl is. She amazes us everyday! We are SO proud of her, and her determination will get her VERY far in life! GO MADDIE!

"ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH, MY TWO FRONT TEETH, MY TWO FRONT TEETH..."

2009-12-21T10:44:00.000-08:00

Madeline's first tooth came threw last week just in time for Christmas! Lots of sleepless nights for all of us, but cute to see a little white tooth!!We are so excited for Christmas this year and will be spending it will my Mom's side of the family. A much different Christmas than last year, and we are so thankful to have Maddie with us this Christmas. Much uncertainty last year at this time. I hope you ALL have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

A Tree, Some Tea, and Two Little Miracles

2009-12-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Maddie in her party wear
The beautiful tree at the Drake HotelMaddie and Anneleise enjoying their tea:o) They were NICU friends across from each other at the hospital. We Mom's really connected and have stayed in touch. Now we are making this a holiday tradition with our girls:o)All of us together. A much better venue than the NICU:o)Our tea time has come to an end. See you next year!!!!!

2009-12-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

We have such a joyful little girl, and she is the most special thing in the world. "Bye, bye, prosthetic," She says....At the Sheraton Downtown. She loved this Christmas tree!So mesmerized by all the different textures of the ornaments.

A few more updates on this process...
We have been back and forth, back and forth, with the RIC over e-mails. We have put our foot down and we are not going to put this thing on her. Bob has been great handling this process and looking out for his little girl. I am not sure yet if we will have to wait 8 months, or if we can somehow get them to not bill our insurance since we are going to bring it back. This seems to be a bit of a battle, but we are standing our ground and looking out for what is best for Madeline. She has been fine without it, so if there is something better we will try it, and continue to seek guidance.

Bob and I are VERY passionate about this, and if there are ways to better inform parents of children with limb differences, we will do what we can to get the word out. It is unfortunate we weren't aware of pediatric prosthetis, who exclusively specialize in upper limbs. But now we know, and will use our knowledge for the better.

Lots of updates this week...

2009-12-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

If you would be interested in seeing a video of a myoelectric prosthetic on a 2 1/2 year old please copy and paste the link:

http://www.kidscanplay.com/DVD.mpg

This is the place in Houston, TX where Linda Bean is the leading specialist in pediatric prosthetics. In 18 months she made 600 upper limb prosthetics!

Bob and I are a quite disappointed with the prosthetic she currently has, so he is going tomorrow to see if he can "return" the prosthetic. Highly doubtful, but never say never. We thought it would be worth a try otherwise we have to wait 8 months until the insurance company will pay for another one. The cost of a myoelectric is $30,000. Will keep you updated as we work through this process.

On a lighter note, I wanted to see how much the prosthetic weighed, so this morning I headed over to the local marketplace and placed her arm in the scale. I weighed the hand (it screws off), then her arm, and then the whole thing together. I hope no one saw me because they probably thought I was a crazy lady. I guess you will do anything for your child! :o)

Well, I think that's all for now! Thanks you everyone for your Facebook Messages, phone calls, and emails. You are all so encouraging and supportive.

A God sent when I was feeling discouraged

2009-12-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

We are thankful that Maddie could get her first prosthetic, but haven't been quite sure if there might be something better for her situation. As I was crying and a bit emotional this morning, I was talking to my mom on the phone telling her my concerns about the prosthetic. It seems heavy, bulky, and I have mixed emotions about it. And the fact that Maddie starts to cry now when I put it on her, SO not worth it! It shouldn't be this uncomfortable, and I will not put her through that.

So after I got off the phone, my mom ended up talking to this women, Linda Bean, in Houston TX who specializes in pediatric prosthesis. She found her on the internet. They are so much lighter in weight, not so bulky, they match your babies skin color, and are also myoelectric, which is amazing! Light weight, under a pound, and they can actually learn to open and close the hand in 2 days. WOW! I feel so much more encouraged than I have felt and that was such a God sent. They are based in Houston and make the prosthetic in one day, which is truly amazing. I have been researching their website for a few hours reading and watching the videos. So we continue to research what else is out there, and pray that Maddie will one day be able to make use of her left arm on her own. We wouldn't be eligible for another one for 6-8 months, but this gives us time to pray and research, and talk to other Mom's who have taken their babies there. I just wanted to keep you updated on the process and tell you where we are at...

The stories Linda was telling me where truly inspiring. What a rewarding job. I also have a couple of Mom's to call who have children with prosthetics from this facility.

If you think of us, please continue to pray for the Lord to guide this situation and that we would seek him in our decision making. I feel much more hopeful than I did this morning. Thanks again for keeping up with Madeline. It means a lot!

Pictures of Maddie's new arm:o)

2009-12-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

I love in this picture how she was just studying her arm.Seeing how she did on her tummy:o) Maddie holding her favorite friend Sophie, the giraffe. We don't go anywhere without Sophie.When we got home we practiced a few things. She was so well balanced leaning on the chair. I put a watch on her arm so that she would be more aware of it:o)It was so cute how she could hold herself up with both arms.

Tomorrow is the Day!

2009-12-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we head back to the RIC where Madeline will have her last fitting and will be able to take her prosthesis home. We are still unsure of how she will react to it, but we are looking forward to what she be able to do with it. Madeline's P.T. had recently took a trip there so she would be educated during her PT sessions. She was very encouraging. She saw a video of a little boy who had the same length of arm as Maddie and the baby was able to crawl with his prosthetic. (I also recently had a dream 2 weeks ago of her crawling) That was so encouraging to hear, and we are praying Maddie will be able to do the same thing! She wants to GET GOING SO BADLY! It would be so AWESOME if this would help her move better. We would be so thankful if this would be beneficial to her. I will have more updates for you in the next couple of of days:o)

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

Maddie Girl is always smilingShe loves to carry things. Here she is carrying a bag of rolls.The next day she picked up my grandma's 5 pound purse and pulled it up as if she was doing a bicep curl. I tell ya, that right arm is VERY strong!Maddie got a lot of love from her uncles this weekend.
A little dazed after the turkey dinner...even though she didn't eat any:o)

Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T06:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! It was easy for me to think about what I was thankful for this year. Maddie is such a blessing to our lives. I am thankful to the Lord for working many miracles in her life, and creating such a beautiful little girl inside and out.

Psalm 100:1-5

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

Video Of Cutting Edge Prosthetic Arm

2009-11-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

My Mom recently found this you tube video and had me watch it yesterday. The Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago is driving this, which is the place Maddie has been going for all her prosthetic fittings. Seeing this video encouraged us for the future, so Maddie has options if she would want a prosthesis or not. The link is below: You will have to copy and paste the link to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6R5bm6qx2E

A Few Pictures of Maddie Girl
with the same toy, I can lye downPractice my Standing
And sit:o)Maddie is doing new things each day. She is actually starting to take steps. It is uncoordinated, but she wants to get going!

Second prosthetic Fitting/NICU follow-up appt

2009-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

This morning we headed to the RIC for Maddie's second fitting. They had bits and pieces of the prosthetic done, so we could get an idea of how it will would fit and look like. We saw all the different positions the prosthetic could be placed in for Maddie to use it. Below is a "rough draft" of how the prosthetic will look. It's being held together by tape, which won't be the case when we take it home:o) The cable that you see sticking up will be much shorter, but that will allow us to lock her arm in many positions. Right now the arm is a clear material, but will either be made flesh colored or I could do some kind of a fun fabric. The arm will fit around her shoulder and will strap around her chest. You won't see all the metal, but most will be covered when the arm is finished. The hand right now looks a little bigger than her other hand, but they do that so there is room for her to grow. Mainly this will be a device used to help her with all the daily activities that babies do. Will help her balance, stand up on furniture, and scoot or crawl. I am not sure she will crawl, but I did have a dream 2 nights ago that she was crawling. That was pretty neat and feel so much peace that she will in some way figure out how to do everything! God has been right there through all of this giving me all these encouraging dreams about Madeline. We will take her arm home the monday after Thanksgiving!

So right after the fitting I walked across the street to the 680 building for Maddie's NICU follow up appointment. She was evaluated for her cognitive, motor, and verbal skills. I was thrilled to hear she was in the average range or ahead of average for all! She was able to see her P.T Elizabeth, from the NICU, who we just loved and she loved Maddie. She worked with Maddie twice a week in while in the hospital and was just thrilled with how well she was doing. So Thank you Lord. Just to hear that she is ahead and right where she should be was music to my ears. WAY TO GO MADDIE! Here is a picture with Maddie and Nurse Elnora. Elnora has been there for all our appointments, and it had been a LONG time since we had seen her, so good to see her again! I was glad we were there today for a follow up and not an eye exam. Thank goodness those kind are over! She will need a follow up eye exam when she is 12 months, but just praying they aren't like the ones she had before. Those gave me BIG anxiety. I don't have any right to complain though because those doctors are on top of everything. We couldn't have had a better experience those 3 months and everything to follow up until now. We are so thankful for Northwestern hospital, and all the WONDERFUL Doctors, nurses, neonatologists, O.T, P.T's, and Prosthetists! Thank you!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 " Be Joyful always;pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Amen.

A Year Ago Today

2009-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

About this time last year we were headed in for our ultrasound to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. We were very excited to find out! We arrived into the room and they started to check all the measurements and make sure everything looked healthy. I remember feeling a pit in my stomach when the tech looked very concerned looking at the screen. I remember asking is something wrong? She said, "I can't seem to find part of her left arm?" I remember us thinking that can't be and it must just be hiding. At that point I just thought they had missed it. Then that tech went and got the head of the U/S dept and she said that our baby girl was missing part of her left arm. Something called amniotic band syndrome. I didn't even understand what she was saying and we were in total shock. I felt this is so unfair it was supposed to be a happy day finding out the gender of our baby and my joy was totally stolen from me. They left us alone for a bit to process what they had just told us. Bob began to pray as I was balling and so confused why this happened. I remember like it was yesterday.

They brought us in another room to meet with our OB and started explaining what they thought caused this. I don't even remember what she said, but I do remember her saying in the state of IL you are able to terminate up to 23 1/2 weeks if you don't want your baby. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We said absolutely we would never do that, but in my head wishing my baby had all her limbs, and all these fears started floading my mind- How would she do things with one arm? Would I love her differently? how would people look at her? Will she date and one day get married? my mind was racing with fear wanting to already protect her. We were both so scared and fearful.

After 4-6 weeks of grieving I was coming to grips with the fact this was how God made her-Perfect. Maybe not our version of perfect, but God kept telling me I don't make mistakes just trust me. All we could do was wait and trust that God has a big plan for Madeline. 6 weeks after we found out about her arm I went into pre-term labor. In the hospital for 3 weeks, there was so much uncertainty and a chance of a possible still birth. Maddie came 3 months early at 2 pounds 1 oz, and amazed us from the moment she was born. Fighting her way through the NICU, working so hard to stay alive, she has amazed us ever since. We cannot imagine life without Madeline. All those fears I had a year ago have turned into joy and excitement for the things she will do and is already doing.

If you are grieving or going through something that seems difficult or impossible, God is there to help you every step of the way. His plan is WAY better than ours, and is perfect. God didn't promise an easy rode, but uses those hard times for us to draw near to him because he loves us that much. Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God."

Prosthetic Approved by our Insurance!

2009-11-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

If anyone was praying for approval thank you so much! I received a call from the RIC last week and we were approved by our insurance company and are ready for the next steps. Maddie has an appointment on November 11th for another fitting. We won't get to take her arm home this day, but will have to go back then again for a discharge appointment. I think it has been interesting how she has started to use her left foot to bring things toward her. It's almost like she knows there is supposed to be something on her left side. She is already learning to compensate. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to the prosthetic once she gets it. I seriously am filled with excitement to see all the things she is going to do!

As someone recently told me, "Two arms are over-rated." Everyone has been so encouraging and so supportive! We are going to teach Maddie she can do absolutely do anything she puts her mind to. I trust the Lord is already using her life as a testimony.

Here is a picture of how strong Maddie is getting. She reached onto my parents kitchen island and grabbed this heavy pumkin right off. I think she was a little shocked herself:o)

Strawberry Kisses

2009-10-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

Maddie was a strawberry shortcake for Halloween:o)
Excited to start trick or treating and meet some of our neighbors!Maddie quickly learned that Halloween was all about candy:o)All girls love chocolate, right?!

Life of a baby

2009-10-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

I love to eat as you can tell by how much I have grown! I was eating blueberries and apples here and I licked the bowl clean-literally.Mmmmmmmm! I love to play with my toys, and look around at everything. I like to splash in the water and get all fresh and clean!!!

Madeline's Prosthetic Fitting!

2009-10-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I had been thinking of ways to keep everyone updated who was on our carepage list, and this was the best way I could think of. The Title- "Fearfully And Wonderfully Made" is from a verse in the Bible, and this was how I thought of Madeline before she was born after finding out about her arm. She is truly wonderfully made in the image of God. I have never been a huge fan of blogs, but this was an easy way to explain the progress that Maddie is making and all the new advances to come- E.G. her prosthetic! YAY!!!

Today we took a trip to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for Madeline's appointment. She was evaluated by a team of O.T.'s, P.T.'s, and Doctors. They were absolutely amazed at how well she is doing and said she is way advanced! Thank you Lord! So, after the evaluation process, we headed upstairs to the prosthetic lab where they would cast her little arm with plaster. She was smiling the whole time and thought the plaster was her lunch! So, now we wait for everything to clear with our insurance, and praying that in a month or month and a half Maddie will have her new arm! We picked everything out today- As far as what it will do, look like, and so on...

It is truly amazing what they can do there at the RIC! Thank you for continuing to show interest in Madeline, and I will do my best to keep you updated this way!

1 Corinthians 12:9 Says, " "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Just arriving at the RIC excited about her prosthesis!
Getting evaluated by Dr. Gabler
Casting her arm and smiling away!
All done:o)