Madison~ our first "baby" girl.

BJ asked me tonight if I had any pictures of Maddie on my blog, which of course I do, but I decided she deserved her own post in honor of her 2 year birthday. Maddie is "our dog." She is the sweetest dog and adores both BJ and I. But when I say she is "our dog" I mean that she acts very skiddish around people she doesn't know and even some that she does know...I blame it on the fact that she was abandoned and was a pound puppy (so sad). She is also completely neurotic. lol. She is still hyper like a pup and I don't see her slowing down anytime soon. She still does laps up and down the hall. At night if she gets cold she jumps on the bed and cuddles under the covers. She is very spoiled. But, as quirky as she may be, she is wonderful with Kaitlin. She loves her little sister very much. She licks her feet and consoles her when she cries. She is very protective over all three of us. She has made the best companion and makes us smile every time we walk through the door. Maddie is definitely a big part of the family. =)

Toys. Toys. and more Toys.

Miss Sophia tastes good...
She loves giraffes.

At four months old Kaitlin is discovering more and more each day. She puts everything in her mouth and loves to pull my hair! Her favorite toy is a giraffe named Sophia. She also likes rattles and her baby "gym." I have to say we have the perfect gym. It has a mirror with lights and music that play when she kicks her feet (which she does all the time)! She also laughs, flirts, and talks up a storm (baby coos). She definitely eats up all the attention. As much as I want her to stay a little baby, each month keeps getting better and better. I am so smitten with my little monkey! :)

Kaitlin Swimming.

Here is the pic of Kaitlin after she went under the water for the first time(you can see me grabbing for her haha).

Favorite "baby things"

I know so many people that are getting ready to be new parents, so I thought I would share some of my favorite baby accessories. It really helped that Court had just had Brooks when I was picking out everything for Kaitlin because I was completely clueless!!

Bottles~ Dr. Browns have worked really well for us. They are really easy and supposed to help with gassiness. The only drawback is that they leak when you take them places. So, we have opted to use the Playtex drop ins for when we leave the house. They are really good for "on the go" moms, like me.

Boppy Vibrating Chair~This is a "MUST HAVE." During Kaitlin's first couple of months she lived in this chair. It vibrates and plays music and she loved it. It was great for us when I needed a break from holding her.

Binkies~ Kaitlin really doesn't like a pacifier, but when she does take one, its Playtex Ortho Pro.

Diapers,Wipes, A&D~ We use Pampers Sensitive diapers and wipes. We have also tried Desitin, Buttpaste, Balmex, and A&D oitment. We like the A&D the best. She had a small diaper rash when she first got home from the hospital and has not had one since! :)

Dresser Top Diaper Depot~ This is great because it makes everything you need for a quick diaper change easily accessible. You can find this at target...I also use the wipes' warmer sitting on top.

Onesies~ I dress Kaitlin in onesies a lot now because of the extreme heat. My favorite onesies have come from Carter's and surprisingly Walmart. Walmart has "Geranimal" onesies for $3.00 and I really like the way they feel. They are also super cute. And of course I can't go to target without hitting up the baby section.

Clothing~ Most people know that Kaitlin probably has the best wardrobe of any 4 month old baby out there (thanks to BJ's family), but its still hard to resist buying more...baby girl clothes are just so cute! I love Children's Place, Carter's, and Gymboree. But, another place that is great that I had never heard of is Heartstrings. BJ's aunt Denise and cousin Sarah bought Kaitlin all kinds of cute outfits from there. Target is also really great for inexpensive clothes that they will only wear a couple of times. Kaitlin also has a whole Ralph Lauren/Polo collection that was mostly bought at Marshalls. TJ Max and Marshalls both have great babies' sections.

Receiving Blankets~ My favorite are Carter's Just One Year. They are really soft and I was able to bundle Kaitlin up in them really well.

Blankets~ Again, I love Carter's Just One Year. They are so soft and the perfect size for a little baby! :)

Bathing~ First Years' Sure Comfort Tub is great. Its perfect for a newborn and infant because there is a place for her to lay back, but it will also still work when she is able to sit up. Circo washclothes are the perfect size and material. As for towels, I wouldn't waste money on really thin ones...no absorbtion whatsoever. I like to wrap Kaitlin up in the big soft ones.

Bottle Cleaning~ Munchkin bottle cleaners are great; we also use a microwave steam sterilizer...again great for "on the go" moms...who has time to boil everything?

Stroller~ Courtney recommended the BabyTrend Jogger and we love it (thanks Nat and Josh!). Right now we use the travel car seat and Kaitlin faces us. I will be sad when she outgrows it and has to face forward. I love being able to look at her while we walk.

Car Seat~ Car seat- Graco My Gride 65; We still have Kaitlin in her little car seat, but this one got great ratings and she will be able to sit rear facing up to 40 lbs and front facing up to 65. It looks really comfy too! :)

Entertainment~ My mom discovered this and it is so cool. This is perfect because babies are so intriqued with music, lights, and colors. http://www.homedics.com/home/sensory/soundspa-lullaby.html; Baby Einstein DVDs- even at a young age babies love these (again music, lights, color); Baby Einstein car/crib mirror also entertains her.

Baby Monitor~Summer Infant Deluxe Day & Night Handheld Color Video Monitor ; The video monitor is great because you can watch your baby sleeping and it gives you peace of mind. It is a little staticky in our house, but overall a great buy!

Sunscreen~ California Baby, Neutrogena, and Aveeno have all worked really well this summer.

Munchkin Diaper Bag Dispenser~ Another "must have" for dirty diapers when you are out and about! http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.html?section=prodCategories&ID=10002&pID=1280

Playmat/Gym~ Tiny Love Gymini Musical Kick and Discover. I did a lot of research to find the best one and I love love love this one!!! Kaitlin is so entertained and she has figured out that when she kicks her feet it starts playing music. Also, FYI check on Amazon for good deals!

Toys~ Sophie the Giraffe (number 1 baby toy in Europe); This is great for young babies.

I'll try to update this as the year goes on and she starts using more and more. But this is a good start!

Water Baby.

As I have mentioned previously, Kaitlin loves the water and she has been in the pool all summer. We have been teaching her to float. Amazingly babies instinctively know how to do this and we think it is really important to get her used to the water. On the 4th of July, she went under water for the first time! Phil and Sue Stevens (proud parents of 4) taught us how to do this and we decided to give it a try. You blow on the baby's face, while holding her head upright, then you both dip down. Blowing on her face causes her to reactively hold her breath. I was scared to death of course, so BJ had to do it. She did great! Her eyes became huge and she only let out a small cry. It was definitely harder on me than it was her! I'm waiting on my dad to send me a picture of her right after they came back up! I'll be sure to post it!

4th of July Weekend.

It was so nice to have a 3 day weekend. Of course it went by way too fast. :(

BJ and I took a last minute road trip to Lexington Saturday night. We had a great dinner @ Merrills Inn. It was nice to get away and spend some QT together because lets face it the past year has been quite the whirlwind!

My parents had a pool party/cookout on Sunday to celebrate the 4th. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun. Kaitlin was as cute as ever! =)

Friends.

My bachelorette party, in Ocean City, was a year ago and thinking about it made me miss my DC girls dearly. So I wanted to post something to let them know that I miss them and think of all of our fun times often! :)