Back in the Saddle

Van Derven family picture day. While we were in Green Bay, the whole fam got together and went to Sears and made faces for someone else's camera.

Is thumb sucking hereditary? Every picture I see like this just reminds me of baby me.

Madee was tired since pictures came during nap time. Here she is trying to cuddle up with her sweet little cousin Rachel.


Madee is very excited for Christmas. She is already very good at unwrapping presents, which is awesome, because she has a marathon of presents before her, with Christmas and her birthday right around the corner.

She is also excited that her Grandparents Van Derven plan on coming out for her birthday. It should be a very special time!


What's this thing?

Madee opening presents...


This is her sweet Uncle Tate. I am pretty sure that Tate is her fave. She had such a great time visiting with him and Auntie Jade, and they needed the practice.

They had their own first baby 12 hours after we left their house. Welcome to the world, little baby Eamon David Quigley!

We can't wait to snuggle and kiss you!

Madee is happy to be back home so she can visit with her friends and play with all of her toys. She missed her big dogs too!


So Madee's new FAVORITE THING is going to restaurants. She gets excited when we get out of the car and walk up to a lighted building, because she just knows there will be people inside who think she is great and bring her food and clean up after her.

She is quite well behaved and such a good eater. She always gets her own little meal, starts her own little food fight, and makes so many friends.

As for New Baby, it is grounded when it is born. I don't even feel pregnant as much as I feel like a just have some disease. I can't sleep, I have constant headaches, and the nausea is a constant presence. Luckily, I got to eat lots of food on our road trip, so I don't look so malnourished anymore, and in fact I ate enough that my boobs grew and are now so painful that they hurt if Charlie even looks at them.

Seriously. Ow. Stop looking, Charlie.

In other news, if you have tried to reach me on my cellular telephone, I have not received your message/calls. I left my charger in Green Bay, and who even knows when it will be arriving here. So no, I am not ignoring you, I just have no idea that you are calling or texting because my phone is dead and has been for over a week.

Anyway we are glad to be back home and were happy to visit with everyone we saw on our trip. Feel free to come visit us anytime, because MAdee swears she isn't getting back in the car for a long time...