Matt's Deployed

Well, we are now in Wrens! Matt has been gone for 2 weeks now and it's definitely been a learning experience with having two girls now. Madison is 7 weeks old and growing so fast. She is now smiling and starting to make baby noises.

NOTE: Today, Nov. 29, 2010, I just found that I had started to write this post and forgot about it until now. Thought I would post it anyways.

Welcome Madison JoAnn!!

Madison JoAnn Kent came into the world on December 8, 2009 at 5:06pm. She was 6lbs 7oz and 20 in long. Madison has a set of lungs that we've heard from the time she was born. She is a wonderful baby though. Daisy has been very accepting and caring of her. She loves holding Madison and taking pictures with her.

We went into the hospital on the morning of December 8 at 5:30am. My doctor had scheduled to induce me. My dad came up the night before so he could stay with Daisy at home and Matt could be at the hospital with me. The labor and delivery went well and Madison came about 10 hours after being induced. We moved to a recovery room a couple hours afterwards and then Matt went home for the night since he was going to work the next day. Madison shares a birthday with her cousin, Mary Kate Godowns.

We have had family come and go since Madison's birth. My parents, sisters, grandparents, nieces, and brother-in-law came about a week afterwards. They came to see Madison and for my graduation from Austin Peay State University. It was a wonderful long weekend with family!! We then were able to celebrate the birth of our Savior as a new family of four. It was lots of fun watching Daisy open presents this year and helping to pass them out. For Christmas dinner we joined family friends, the Klawinski's, and other friends to celebrate the season. For the holidays this year we chose to stay in Clarksville with the birth of Madison being so close. On Christmas night Matt's parents arrived. We had a wonderful few days with them before Matt's brother and sister-in-law flew in. Daisy and Madison took quickly to everyone. Most of the time we spent at home teaming up to play the Wii or cards (Spades or 63). Good times!!

Now it's almost been 5 weeks since Madison joined our family! And we are preparing for Matt's departure on yet another deployment. Soon Daisy, Madison, and I will be heading to Georgia to visit with family while Matt's away. Along with the happy times are sad times. We will miss Matt a lot, but will be looking forward to his return!!

Family Update

It's been a while since I've written and uploaded any pictures. I've been pretty busy with school work, Daisy, preparing for Madison's arrival and Matt coming home from deployment. I can't believe it's December already! Where has the year gone? We do have a very busy month ahead of us. I am being induced on Tuesday, December 8 with Madison JoAnn...which just happens to be my niece Mary Kate's birthday as well! We are so super excited that it's time for her to join our family. I can't wait to see who she looks like! My dad is coming up during that time to keep Daisy busy and then I will be graduating from Austin Peay State University on the 18th. The rest of my family and Nana and Papa are coming up then to help us celebrate and to meet baby Madison. It will be a wonderful weekend! After that my in-laws are coming to visit for a couple of weeks right after Christmas through the New Year and Matt's brother and sister-in-law are coming as well. It will be nice to be around family for the holidays since we won't be doing any travelling. I will try and be better about updating, especially with the new baby coming. More to come after her arrival next week!!

School Days

So I now have almost 2 weeks of school under my belt. Only 13 more to go...wow, that seems like so far away. It is going well just a little overwhelming with all that has to be done this semester. Between field experience for class, graduating, Matt being gone, and Madison arriving in December I sometimes feel like I put too much on my plate all at once. OK, so enough complaining...things could be worse. Daisy is doing well with being back in child care. This week has gone a little better with her potty training at school, though I am now sending her in pull-ups just in case she has an accident. I really wanted to avoid having her in pull-ups all day since she had accomplished so much here at home, but with the circumstances she is doing well. We have heard from Matt quite a bit since he's been gone. It is great to hear his voice when he calls. He seems to be pretty busy most of the time and other times he is either working out or hanging out in his room.
Yesterday Daisy and I planted a pot of mums in the front yard where one had been previously, but decided not to regrow this year. I also pruned the other two mums. Then I started watering those plants and others in the yard and of course Daisy decided to make a sprinkler out of the water hose. She loves just running through the water.
I guess I should get to bed. And I need to do some studying...I have my last 2 Praxis II tests on Saturday. Good night!!!

Daisy's 2ND Birthday Party!!!

Daisy with Grammi and Granddaddy (in her Loblolly Lane dress)

Jenny, Daisy, Papa and Nana

Daisy eating ice cream with her friends: Joe, Ava, Garrett H., Garrett, and Savannah

Daisy opening presents

This is how she stood while everyone sang Happy Birthday
(in her outfit that Mama made)

Daisy's birthday cake

So we had Daisy's birthday party last weekend. My parents came up to help with the party and Saturday morning Nana and Papa showed up at our front door. Daddy was the only one who knew they were coming!! :) All of Saturday morning was spent getting ready for the party from decorating the cupcakes to buying food to putting up decorations. Papa and Daddy watched Daisy while the girls went to the store. We had a nice turn out for her party...Joe, Garrett and Katie Harrison, Ava Klawinski, Savannah and Garrett Dunn, and Juna Dowdell. They all had a ball playing inside with toys then going outside and running around in the yard, playing in the little pool and on the swing set. Then we had hot dogs, chips, fruit, deviled eggs and cupcakes. It was a great time with friends and family, although we did miss Matt and the rest of our families. Daisy got many great gifts and we are very grateful for such great friends. The outfit she wore Mama made and the pin she had that said "Happy Birthday" was made by Betsy Milburn. She looked so cute!

On Sunday, we all went to church and then ate lunch together at Golden Corral. We said good-bye to Nana and Papa who headed back to Michigan and then went home. Daddy did some work around the house while Mama and I let Daisy play outside. Then Mama and Daddy had to get on the road. Daisy and I took nice afternoon naps that were well-needed. Thank you everyone for your help. It will be a birthday to remember!!

Daisy is TWO!!!

Eating ice cream with chocolate syrup for her birthday at Rafferty's.

Chewing on a lemon at Rafferty's.

Daisy eating her birthday breakfast, egg and cheese omelet.

Seeing her big present, the kitchen, from Grammy and Grampa Kent.

I can't believe our baby is two! These two years have been a big change in our life. She brings light into our family and brings a smile to our faces through any circumstance. She has grown so much...from walking to going to daycare to sleeping in a toddler bed to using the potty and not needing diapers anymore. And soon she will be a big sister and I know that she will be amazing with Madison!! She already plays with her dolls, strolls them around, feeds them while singing or talking to them and putting them to bed.

Since Daddy wasn't here for her birthday I made her an omelet for breakfast (which is among her favorite except for Daddy's chocolate chip pancakes) after opening presents from her grandparents and us. After getting dressed for the day, I took her to Rafferty's for a birthday lunch. She ate some mozzarella sticks, some of my salad and baked potato. Then after telling the waitress that it was her birthday, they brought her a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup. She loved that! Then we made a trip to Toys R Us to pick up play food to go with her kitchen and an outfit for her two year pictures.

The rest of the day was pretty normal...taking a nap, eating dinner, going for a walk. Today she had her two year check up and a shot. She weighs in at 22lbs and 33in. Her doctor says that she is growing on her own curve even though she's in the 3RD percentile with weight. She also has to go see a dermatologist because of the warts on her side. She was born with one but now they have spread around it. I'm sure that'll be a fun trip.

We are getting ready for her birthday party this Saturday and for my parents to visit for her party. We are really going to miss Matt, but know he is doing his job overseas and will be home in time for this baby to be born. We love you and miss you Baby!!! XOXO

8 days and counting...

So Matt has been gone for a week now. Man, it really does feel like he left yesterday, but December seems so far away. Daisy and I have been busy keeping up with the potty training, hanging out with friends and cleaning and working around the house. She's a great comfort to have running around the house when I feel lonely. Her laugh and funny faces are hard to ignore!! We will soon be celebrating her 2ND birthday with friends, grandparents and cupcakes!! Wow, how time flies! I remember when she was born...just a little peanut. We are so very blessed to have her in our lives! She make any day better with just a smile and a hug. She loves giving away hugs!

While Matt's gone we have decided to add a construction paper link to a chain for every day that he is gone. We have 8 so far and I'm thinking by the time he gets home, we'll have a long enough chain to wrap around our Christmas tree. I will soon be going back to school and Daisy to daycare, so we will be very busy (thank goodness)! Here are a few pictures from 2 years ago when Daisy was born and a few from our present Daisy:

Daisy the night before Matt deployed (23 months)

Daisy practicing being a big sister (23 months)

Daisy on the day she was born. Here she is in the special care nursery. (a few hours old)

Our first family photo with the 3 of us! (Daisy is a week old.)