Here's looking at you...

Well, at 6 wks I can say Maddie is making smiling faces at Mike and I, and making other noises than crying.

Here is one of the first photos we have of her, playing with Daddy and Mommy, I just had to share it with you guys!

Congratulations!

Laura and little Brother Shawn


Sending out a BIG CONGRATULATIONS! to friends Laura Chaffin and her brother Shawn Ondeck! Both are expecting new babies in Feburary! Laura is pregnant with her second little one and her younger brother Shawn and his wife are expecting their first. The Ondeck's due dates are just days apart in Feburary isn't that great!

Vacation

Just want to start off by saying everyone here is doing great! Last week my mom came to visit. It was really nice to have her here. We ran errands, shopped, and played with Maddie a lot. It was a nice break not to have to be Maddie's entertainer all the time. Mom really enjoys talking baby talk and cuddling with her, so I really took the opportunity to relax and catch up on some house work. Michael didn't have anytime off while she was here. He even had to work extra hard last week to get ready for Father's Day and even better, his VACATION this week.

Michael's much needed vacation started on Thursday, with a round of golf with a friend. Michael loves playing golf so this was a perfect beginning to his R & R. We really relaxed together on Friday around the house as Michael caught up on some much needed rest. This again was great for me and Maddie. She got to spend some quality time with dad, as I caught up on some tasks around the house.

On Saturday we decided to trek down to Wilmington N.C. to see what the aquarium had to offer. We have an aquarium about 30 minutes away at Pine Knoll Shores outside of Atlantic Beach, but we were hoping the Wilmington one would be BIGGER and better. Sadly we drove the hour and half to get there and it was the exact same setup as ours at home. But it was still nice to get out of town and take Maddie to see the fishes.

She spent most of the ride asleep and woke up as we entered Kure Beach area. Here she ate and I assumed she would go back to sleep, but instead she remained alert for the rest of the quick drive and most of the aquarium visit. I don't know how much she could really see that wasn't blurry, but man was she observant. The fish didn't catch her eye all that much but the people and the plant life sure did! We look forward to taking her back when she's a little bigger. I really think the big tanks will amaze her! We did have some fun posing her with some crazy animals in the gift shop and bought her a great BIG stuffed sea turtle.

After the aquarium we headed for some shopping. Michael bought me a brand new pair of Birkenstocks!!!!! He is such a good husband! We also walked around our favorite stores, SAMS and ROSS before heading to Jacksonville to Circuit City and then on home. It was such a long day! Maddie and I were pooped! She slept a lot in the car and continued to sleep when we got home. But this proved to make her a little restless in the early morning hours. Hence it is 8:30 a.m. on Sunday and I have been out of bed since 7.

Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned for more on our vacation time. Who knows where we might end up. We tossed around the idea of heading to Atlanta or Washington D.C., or we could just hang around the house. You'll have to wait and see.

Maddie Gene Measuring In At...

Went for Maddie's 1 month check up today. She did great! We made it to the doctors office without a peep and through most of the visit with playful coos and inquisitive looks. Maddie weighed in at 11 lbs 6 1/2 oz and 23 1/2 inches long. Doctor says she is perfect and is in the 95th percentile.

Maddie also had her 2nd round of Hepatitis's B vaccine. This shot brought on a loud shrill cry that didn't stop for 10 whole minutes...... She's better now :)

Michael and I also celebrated our 2nd year anniversary today. No celebration really just a telephone love message. I was out the door with Maddie bright and early and Mike had to work all day. We have a much needed vacation coming up beginning Wednesday. We will celebrate then, just the two of us...oh! THREE of us now I almost forgot! We have the whole week just the 3 of us, to celebrate our relationship and new family.... Stay tuned for more.

Final Graduation for the Wilkerson/Sines family...

Final Graduation for the Wilkerson/Sines family... until Joshua and Maddie graduate in 17 years.

Its hard to believed Mike and I will celebrate our 2nd year wedding anniversary on Monday, and will have been together almost 8 years in November. It has been a blast and just keeps getting better! During that time I have had the honor of watching 2 of his brothers and now his sister graduate from high school. Sara graduated on Wednesday from Terry Sanford High in Fayetteville. She looked radiant and seemed to have a great day overall. Michael and I really enjoyed talking with her about her future in Ohio (college) and hearing about her more immediate plans for this summer.

We also had the opportunity to introduce Maddie to Grandpa Kelly,Uncle Albert, and Uncle Daniel. Maddie sleep soundly during the meetings with her Uncles but keep her Aunt Sara entertained for sure.

Trippin...

Maddie and I just got home from our first road trip together. What an experience! I first drive to Charlotte and spent Friday and Saturday with Sarah, Mom, and Matt. We had a good time, shopping, eating, and spending time together. Maddie was very fussy though which made me very uneasy considering she is a great little girl a home. I was so uneasy I almost cancelled my trip to my dad and grams on the way back home. But thanks to my dads support and encouragment I stopped in Pleasant Garden and got to spend some good time with them and my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Maddie was much better feeling as was I. The trip ended with my dad offering to bring Maddie and me home. This was awesome, because I could sit in the back and tend to baby, instead of having her cry as I drove. It really was to soon to be traveling with such a little one, especially by myself. Mike, Maddie and I are going to Fayetteville on Wednesday to go to Sara's high school graduation. Hopefully this trip will be easier as a family. Stay tuned for more stories and pictures....

Visiting school

So Madison and I visited my school today for the first time since her birth. It was so nice to see my coworkers and hear all about the events I have missed since beginning my maternity leave almost 4 weeks ago. Everyone was doing great! Maddie slept for the entire visit, which was good for me because it allowed me to talk with all my friends. We didn't see any of the students this trip. I wasn't ready just yet for lots of youngsters hands all over her. We will probably go back to visit on the last day, when she is a couple of weeks older.

Oh! And Maddie's umbilical cord/stump fell off yesterday! She has a picture perfect little belly button to kiss now! see the pic.

Mike and I bought a new camera yesterday. So that we could get better pictures of Madison. Sarah (B) had a nice camera that we really liked when she was here, which enticed us to get a new one. Hopefully these pictures will come out better than the ones with our old one. Enjoy!