The Refrigerator

One thing about Maddy that I love, is that she loves to discover things.  She is a busy, busy girl!  Her new favorite thing is to crawl over to the fridge when I open it (yes, she's fast, so I have to really be quick if I want to shut it before she gets her hands in!).  I thought it was cute to see her look into the fridge, until I realized that she would eat whatever she could reach her hands on.  The latest is a cucumber.  

Maddy's Surgery

While we were in Michigan, my dad looked at Maddy's ears and she had another ear infection!  On the flight to Michigan from Utah, she was crying so much, so I thought she might have one.  My dad took her to his office and looked at her ears with his microscope; she was so calm, just laying on top of me when he looked at her ears.  He said that there was a lot of fluid in her ears, and since this was her fourth infection, he thought she should get tubes.  It was the Friday before Labor Day that my dad looked at her ears, so he got on the phone with the Hospital right away trying to see if he could get on the surgery list to put tubes in her ears the Tuesday after Labor Day.  The surgeon that was on the schedule that day was nice enough to let my dad come in early and do Maddy's surgery first.   

                                                 

Bright and early at the hospital - you wouldn't believe that she had been up 

for two hours with no bottle and all smiles! 

Getting ready for surgery and still happy!

Grandpa Surgeon is in!  (I know this picture is blurry 

but it is the only one I had of Grandpa and Maddy.)

All suited up in her surgery gown and ready to go to the nurse.  I brought her favorite piggy with her, so she was happy to go to the nurse.  When she got out of surgery she was crying (more like a moaning) and out of it, but then I was able to give her apple juice and she took a great nap at Grammer's.  Then we were off to the airport to go back to Utah - and she was great on the plane!   

 

The final product!  Her first bath that night with her earplugs in, and they didn't even bother her.  She has to wear earplugs until the tubes fall out which could be anywhere from 1-2 years.

Thanks Dad for taking care of our little girl.  I never worried about how she was because I knew she was in your hands.  Your very talented and skillful hands.  I am so grateful to have a dad that is so loving, so willing to call the hospital and surgeons to make sure Maddy could get her surgery and to be able to do the surgery on our little angel.  You are an amazing Dad, Grandpa-pa and surgeon!   

Visit to Michigan

Yeah Maddy and I are going to Michigan!  I hadn't seen my new little nephew yet so my dad was nice enough to fly us over to Michigan for a small family reunion during Labor Day.  It is so wonderful to go home, I hadn't been there since Christmas, and it is so fun to bring Maddy home and let everyone see how much she is changing.  When we got there, my mom and Bill picked us up from the airport and then we were off to my dad's house where my dad, Betsy, my sister, Christophe, Harry, Isabella, and new little Miller were waiting for us.  We had such a great time, going swimming at the Country Club, going to the Lake House and playing in the sand, had yummy pizza at Clover Bar, loving Miller up to pieces, and, of course, lots of playing with cousins and grandparents. 

Maddy was all set to go to Michigan!

So fun being twinners!  I pulled this dress out of my suitcase for Madeline and my sister ended up have the same one with her for Isabella! So fun being with cousins!

   

 We spent the day in Holland with my sister's friends and lots of kiddies!

Maddy looking cool in her shades with Grammer.

Nothing better than sleeping in on vacation.

Fun with Isabella at the Country Club pool!

Bath time! First time cousins taking a bath together - 

Miller even joined in on the fun (he was pretty relaxed).

Love giving baths to my girls!

This was Miller's favorite pose!  Oh I couldn't get enough of him!!

Maddy found a new stuffed animal to love

but Moo Cow didn't replace Piggy!

Love those cheeks!

So much fun - had to catch naps on the go.

It was so fun playing on the sand at the Lake House.  Maddy absolutely loved the sand - she loves textures and couldn't get enough of the feel of sand, and of course, she got a good amount in her mouth too.

Grandpa Bill and my mom came over for dinner at the Lake House,

 and we had a great feast - Maddy was her social self as usual.

It wouldn't be a trip to Whitehall without going to Dog n' Suds 

to get some yummy hot dogs and rootbeer. 

On Memorial Day, we grilled out at my mom's and Bill's house.  

(I made the mistake of giving Maddy a whole bag of goldfish to play with on the drive!)  

Then the Bakunas family was headed off to Chicago - the week went by so fast!

Last night before we go home!  Sleeping at Grammer's and hoping to get a 

good night's sleep before my surgery to get tubes in my ears with Grandpa tomorrow!

It really is great going home to visit.  There is nothing like being able to be with family - and I have such an amazing family.  It's so fun to see Madeline play with her cousin's more and how much they love her - Harry kept wanting to carry her all over.  It was so sweet to see them play with her.  I absolutely loved spending time with my new nephew too - Miller was such a good baby - sweetest love baby!  My dad and I were able to get away one day and play tennis, and of course he beat me (but in my defense, we only played one set - so we'll have to wait for Christmas to finish the match!).  My dad, Betsy and my mom spoiled us so much, making sure that we had all the baby things that we needed.  Maddy and I enjoyed running around the bayou in the mornings and Belle even went with me once (although I wasn't fast enough for her!).  Only a few more months until we are together again for Christmas!