That's All Folks

It hasn't really been mentioned on the blog yet, but Maddie is talking a little bit. She has been for some time, and she's mastered a handful of words, but for some reason, we've failed to mention it here until now. Part of it is because it seemed to happen so naturally (and to be fair, so slowly), and part of it has to do with what I mentioned in my previous post--we're busy and lazy. Her first word seems to have been "kitty", which started out as "dee!" and then progressed to "bi-dee!", and last night, I think I heard "itty!" Since then, she's picked up a sizable vocabulary that includes uh-oh (ah-doh), oops (ups), Elmo (Ah-bo), up (it actually sounds like up), Maci (Bay-see, the dog at daycare), book (ah-boo), ball (baaaw), and Daddy (Dah-dee). (No Mommy yet. Whenever I try to get her to say it, she either laughs at me, or she comes up with something that sounds like baby or bobby. We'll get there...)

However, none of the words above can compare to the all-time favorite, the godfather of all Maddie-isms: Ah Dah! That's right; Miss Thing is frequently all done. I mean really, absolutely, 100% completely finished.

Awake in the morning, and Mommy or Daddy is not in to get her quickly enough: Ah Dah! with sleeping

Half-way through almost every diaper change: Ah Dah!

Reached the end of a book: Ah Dah!

Finished eating, drinking, nursing, bathing, sitting in her car seat: Ah Dah!

Ah Dah! Aaaah Dah! Ah dah! This is one word she gets. Up, for instance, is still for lack of a better phrase, up in the air. Up does mean up, but up also appears to mean down, and in some cases, home, strangely. Kitty is another multi-purpose word. It does refer to our cats, but it also refers to all four-legged furry animals, including "Bay-see" at daycare, when she's not being referred to by name. Daddy does mean Jon, but it can also, I think, mean me, occasionally, and oops and uh-oh are often uttered several seconds prior to whatever disaster they are supposed to describe. All done, though, always means, I'm finished. Whether or not being finished is convenient for other people does not concern Maddie in the slightest. She is Ah Dah!, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is that.

N-O Spells...

Do it again, apparently. If there were a Maddie dictionary, I believe the definition of the word "No" would be as follows:

No: a directive frequently spoken by parents or caregivers that, while being acknowledged, should usually be ignored while continuing to enact undesired activity. If parent or caregiver can be defiantly stared down while continuing undesired activity, so much the better.

"No" would probably be accompanied by a picture, or better yet, a video of Maddie hitting Mommy in the face repeatedly while being told, "No! We do not hit."

Before I go any further, I should apologize for the blog silence as of late. We've been both very busy and very lazy, mostly the latter. We have a couple of posts in the works, ones that involve pictures and maybe some videos; we just need to get it together and get them up. Sorry...

Anyway, back to "No." Really, I'm not sure what else can be said. We say it. She ignores it. Before you begin to doubt her intellectual prowess, she absolutely knows what it means. If you say no, she will, briefly, stop whatever offending activity she is currently engaged in (hitting the cats, touching the picture frames, trying to electrocute herself by munching on cords, slapping Mommy/Daddy across the face and laughing about it), and look at you. Then, while maintaining eye contact, she will commence said banned activity again. It's the eye contact that makes me completely sure she knows what she's doing: I heard you, and I don't care. Watch me demonstrate your lack of authority!

The problem is, aside from saying no, what do you do with an almost-one-year-old? Obviously, if she's about to endanger herself, others, or--it must be said--valued possessions, we remove her from the situation, but that's about our only recourse, and it's not always possible. There are times when I'm being smacked in the face that putting her down and walking away isn't an option, the check-out line at the grocery store for example. (This particular instance is especially infuriating because there are always other people in the line who think that a young mother admonishing her adorable and chunky little girl is too cute for words, and they smile and laugh, encouraging more mommy-abuse.) We just don't have any other means of communicating to her that when we say no, we mean it. We already decided that we're not going to use force as a means of punishment, so no spanking. (And I would hope that even those people who do spank their children would agree that she's too young for it, in any case.) We also think she's too young for time-outs; I just don't think she would get the concept. By the time I got her to a place where she could be trusted to be alone for a short period of time, she would probably have forgotten what I said no about in the first place. Plus, those locations are limited, and I don't want her to start associating her high-chair or her crib with being in trouble. High-chairs are for eating, and cribs are for sleeping (or talking to yourself while Mommy and Daddy are sleeping for another 15 minutes or so). They are not for screaming because you aren't allowed to eat your books.

So, if anyone has any ideas of non-corporal punishment that might be comprehensible to someone under 18 months, please feel free to share. I think as we near the 1.5 year mark, we may start trying time-out, but until then, we're open to any suggestions anyone might have. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go practice looking stern and unsmiling in a mirror.

Maddie wearing Daddy

Side note: Take a closer look at Maddie's (my) t-shirt. It could possibly be one of the coolest shirts ever made, at least for a child of the eighties. If you take a close look, here are the 'vehicles': Transformer's Optimus Prime, E.T.'s spaceship, A-Team Van, General Lee, Back to the Future's DeLorean, KITT from Knight Rider, Airwolf, Blues Brothers Cop Car, Tron, Ecto1 from the Ghostbusters, and Magnum P.I.'s Ferrari.

Pre-Walking...

Maddie is beginning the transition into walking. We bought her a little push scooter so she can walk behind and learn to walk. The video below is after 1.5 weeks of practice. She is getting better and better everyday. She also shows you how well she is able to stand up without holding on to anything in the video as well. (Disregard the mess Maddie made after Alaina spent her valuable time folding clothes, Maddie follows her up by pulling clothes off the table)

The morning ritual in the Webster-Stoppel house, Alaina eats her cereal while being stalked for the milk.

Columbia, District of: Day 3

Jon had classes again Saturday morning, so as on Friday, Maddie and I were up bright and early, wandering the streets in search of food. (I like melodrama. I think it adds a certain, special something to my posts.) Having slept until a normal waking hour and also having just mastered waving, Maddie proceeded to greet each. and. every. single. person. we. met. In fact, in the coffee shop, there were too many people to wave at, so she sat in her stroller with both arms stretched over her head, smiling like a maniac. It was seriously adorable and probably number one on my Top 5 list for D.C. We took our breakfast to the pier again, shared the muffin, played in the sand for the first time (and with a sculpture for the first time, for that matter), and headed back to the hotel for a little pool time before her morning nap.

Following her nap and the return of Daddy, the three of us took a water taxi over to Alexandria, VA where we were supposed to catch a 2:30 p.m. river tour to Georgetown. While Maddie and I played in a square, Jon went in search of lunch, which we ate while waiting at what we thought was our dock. It was not. So, we missed the boat we were scheduled to be on and had to take the 3:30 tour.

Once on the boat, we thought Maddie might enjoy sitting in the bow where she could see the water, feel the wind, etc. There was a voice in the background going on about splashing or something, but we were sure it would just be minor spray. (Also, we had elected to play Russian Roulette with Maddie's nap that afternoon. We thought she might nap in her stroller, but we also knew that without a quiet room and a crib, there was a very good chance she might not take her nap.) A note to fellow travelers: Always listen to the voice in the background talking about "splashing", do not interpret "splashing" as "spray", and remove your already tired and cranky baby from a splash zone that would make Sea World jealous. About 15 minutes into the trip, a HUGE wave washed over the bow (okay, it was probably just a large-ish splash, but again, I love melodrama), soaking both Maddie and me. Being covered in dirty, smelly Potomac water, she, of course, began to wail, which is exactly what I wanted to do, but sadly, we were in public, and I had to act like an adult. (Acting like an adult means complaining about it to Jon for the remainder of the boat ride.) We took her back into the covered, dry portion of the boat, and Jon and I proceeded to play another grueling round of Pass-the-Baby. This was the intermediate level in which the baby is wet and angry and the parents are hot and frustrated. (To be completely honest, I was also pretty wet and angry having taken the time to straighten my hair which now had to be pulled back into a less than attractive knot after being combed with a baby comb...) Finally, on the trip back, Maddie nursed and then fell asleep for about 30 minutes.

Thank God for that because at 5 p.m., we were supposed to meet Larry, Nancy, and Chris at the Chart House for dinner. As we staggered in late (because our return boat didn't leave on time), bedraggled, and tired, I think all three of us were in less than pleasant moods, but Maddie cheered everyone up by being completely silly through most of the meal, and dinner ended up being fine.

After dinner, Maddie went back to the hotel with Nana and Pa, and Jon, Chris and I walked around oldtown Alexandria in search of a few souvenirs and a good beer. We ended up at Murphy's, an Irish pub complete with a man performing traditional Irish drinking songs. (He was wearing a tropical print shirt, but we decided to ignore that little atmospheric faux-pas.) After a few rounds of the previously sought after libation, Jon and I headed back to Maryland to sleep for a few hours before waking up to pack, pick up our daughter, and get ready for the trip home.

Here are a few pictures from Day 3. For the complete pictures from our trip, check out the link at the bottom of Columbia, District of: Day 1.

Maddie, playing in the sand and with a sculpture titled "The Awakening"

Maddie in a square in oldtown Alexandria

Wet, cranky Maddie on the boat, post Potomac baptism

Columbia, District of: Day 2

Friday began bright and early. Well, actually, I think it was just early, so early, in fact, that it may not have been so bright. Maddie woke up at 5:30 a.m EST, which would be 4:30 a.m. CST, which is the time zone we were trying to keep her in. Since Jon had classes to attend, it became my job to keep her up until 10 a.m., which would be 9 a.m. at home, until it was time for her first nap. So, at 7 a.m., my already sleepy daughter and I were roaming the still quiet streets of National Harbor in search of coffee and a little breakfast for Mommy. Having found a decent latte and a blueberry scone, we sat on the pier, and I shared my scone with Maddie and a rather persistent Potomac-dwelling duck. (Seriously, this duck almost flew up and took a piece of scone out of my hand. I'm not kidding.)

Following the walk, several other baby-distracting activities, and a nap, Maddie was in a much better mood. Jon and I dropped her off with Nana and took a shuttle into D.C. for a whirlwind tour of the mall, which unfortunately for me did not include sunscreen... We saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the WWII, Vietnam, and Korean War memorials. Then, because I was starting to turn really red, we hit up the Museum of American History for some, well, history and air conditioning.

We then spent 40+ minutes waiting for our shuttle before calling a cab so we could get back to National Harbor and clean up for Larry's ACOE retirement reception. Maddie decided that the speechifying portion of the reception would be a good time to practice screeching, so I took her out in the hall where she played with a very nice little boy named Ryan and fell off a chair. (Yes, I am taking nominations for mother-of-the-year.) She then returned to the party to chew on her shoes, wave at people, and eat most of a baguette. There were at least three people feeding her small bits of bread. I have no idea how much she ate...

Following the reception, Maddie and I went back to the hotel where she was awake for a whole half an hour before crashing for the night. I watched more Harry Potter and waited for Jon to bring me Mexican takeout at 11 p.m. So hungry... Maddie slept through the night again, and Saturday, she woke up at the perfectly acceptable hour of 6:15 a.m. (5:15 CST).

Here are a few pictures of our time on the mall. For a link to all of the pictures from our trip, see Columbia, District of: Day 1.

The Whitehouse, home of President Obama and family

Lincoln Memorial and reflecting pool

World War II Memorial

Jon and I at the Kansas portion of the World War II Memorial

World War II Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background (and the Capitol, if you squint really hard)

Columbia, District of: Day 1

Last week, the three of us joined Jon's parents and brother in Washington, D.C. for an optometry conference and a little sightseeing. There's a lot to share, so we've decided to blog it day by day, starting with Thursday, day one.

Jon flew out to D.C. on Wednesday to take some continuing education courses, so Maddie and I flew out Thursday morning with Jon's brother, Chris. It was her first flight, and all things considered, it didn't go too badly. I nursed her during take-off to help her pop her ears, and she slept for 45 minutes. After that, Chris and I played a rousing game of "Pass the Baby" and tried to keep her occupied for the other 2.25 hours of the flight. We tried watching some DVDs, but she didn't like the headphones, and she wasn't that interested in Looney Tunes or Elmo anyway, so we read books, played with toys, and waved and smiled at other passengers.

When we finally reached our hotel (The convention and hotel were in a new tourist development called National Harbor. It's in Maryland, and its location makes it difficult to get to D.C., Georgetown, or Alexandria, but the hotel was nice.), we took Maddie down for her first swim in a pool. She really enjoyed the water and seemed pretty comfortable in her inflatable seat. Shortly after her first chlorine bath, it was time for a real bath, dinner, and bed. She cried for a little while after being put in the strange hotel crib, but she finally settled down and slept through the night. (This is the first time she's slept through the night on her first night in a strange place, so we were understandably excited and impressed.) After she fell asleep, Jon came back with burgers and fries, and we settled down to watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with two sets of headphones and some wine. When there's a baby sleeping three feet away from you, your entertainment options are limited...

Here are some pictures from our first day in the D.C. area. For a full set of trip pictures, check out this link.

Maddie and Uncle Chris on her first plane ride

Watching Looney Tunes, briefly

Taking a short nap

The Long Haul

WARNING: This post contains high levels of emotion not normally displayed publicly (or, in most cases, privately) by the writer. Prolonged exposure to this entry may result in extreme yearnings for cheese, mild nausea, or in extreme cases, vomiting.

Today, in about six hours to be exact, Jon and I will have been married for five years. I know to some of you, like our parents and grandparents, this may not seem that long, and I'm sure in twenty years or so, we'll extend the "honeymoon" phase to cover the five-year mark, but from right here, it seems like a long time.

Except that it doesn't. It doesn't seem like we've been married for five years. It doesn't even really feel like three or four. Two, yes. Maybe two and a half. But FIVE? Nope. Not us.

It's not that I didn't think we'd make it to our fifth anniversary. I had no doubt that we'd get here, just like I have no doubt we'll make it to 20 and 30, but so much has happened in the past five years that it seems like the longest and shortest time imaginable, all at the same time.

In honor of the five years, I'd like to share five things I love about being married to Jon:

1. He's a HUGE dork. No, seriously, HUGE. There are those of you who might think you know how supremely ridiculous he can be, but believe me, you have no idea. He does the stupidest, silliest things, and while I would never admit this to him in person, I love this about him.

2. He puts up with me. I don't know if you know this, but I'm a big ball of crazy. I mean, BIG. I'm crazy like Jon's dorky. It's bad, but Jon deals with it gracefully, and he usually doesn't complain too much when I wipe down the counters after he's just cleaned them or make him choose a place to eat, because I don't feel like deciding, and then veto every single option he offers.

3. He helped me create the most beautiful baby on the whole planet. He's as dorky and patient with her as he is with me, and he makes me a better mother by being such a fantastic father. To him, Maddie will always be completely, 100% perfect, whether she's grinning at him from her crib first thing in the morning or beating the crap out of the cat for the eighth time that day.

4. He's unashamed of his obsessions. You can't really talk Jon out of loving anything, once he's committed. Stars Wars? Always and forever awesome. Rocky? Best man movie ever. The University of Kansas? One of the most sacred places known to humankind. His blankie? Irreplaceable and completely necessary (for propping up his head, of course). His obsessions often drive me nuts, but I appreciate the intensity with which he dedicates himself to things, especially knowing that Maddie and I are pretty high on the list.

5. So many little things. He says DOC-u-men-tary instead of doc-u-MEN-tary like the rest of us. He loves to bake, which is nice because I love to eat baked goods. He's a cat person. He likes Top Chef as much as I do. He wears socks to bed. He loves to try new things. (Have you eaten geoduck? Jon has.)

Happy Anniversary, Jon! I love you, and I'm looking forward to getting old and wrinkly and saggy and toothless and senile with you.

Jon and I in Boston at a Red Soxs game, Summer 2007

Nine-Month Photos

So, Maddie recently passed the nine-month mark, which meant it was time for another photo session with Josh Solar Photography. As you may have noticed from recent pictures of outdoor activities, she's not so big on smiling when outside, but what can you do? Her hats cover her eyes, and she refuses to wear her sunglasses, so squinting baby it is.

Josh and Jenny shot these pictures on KU's campus, and the Stoppel family joined us for a family shoot following Maddie's portrait session. She was pretty hot and tired by the end of it all, but she never did get really fussy, which was nice. She's a trooper.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites, but you can find more photos on the Solar's blog. We'll let you know when the full session is available online.

"Puddles" of Fun...

Well it isn't exactly 'Oceans of Fun' but it's the next best thing, especially for an almost 10 month old. Here is Maddie in her new pool. By the way she is definitely a trooper, as that water was COLD! She doesn't get it from me.