Lately...

Two pretty Girls!


What's cookin'?



Cuddling on the couch...


I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and heard Maddie say over and over again... "I Lovin' Abbey.." and she was giggling... so I went to see what all the fuss was. Abbey is usually quick enough to escape Maddie's clutches. In fact, Maddie follows her and screams "Very Soft, Abbey!" because we tell her she has to be "very soft" with Abbey, the dogs, and other creatures like Baby Sydney... I caught a picture before I talked Maddie into letting Abbey go... much to Abbey's relief. She jumped behind our dresser and hid for the rest of the day...
it was quite a traumatic experience...

Sydney's First Smiles and Coos!

Sydney has become more talkative in the last week or so. We are also beginning to see SMILES! And No- they are definitely not gas, as people sometimes claim!



I've learned how to clip videos and add titles... I'm in the big time!

Auburn Family

Move over, Martha Stewart

"The more you stir it up, the more air gets into the egg.. the fluffier it will be. And fluffy eggs are a very good thing..." (In the style of Martha Stewart)




Madeline is becoming quite a good pretend chef.. so we've let her try her hand at the real thing. She loves eggs for breakfast... so now she scrambles her own egg, then we cook it up for her.



Here she is "making egg" for Mommy and Daddy!


She's "making sandwich" now!


Emerill ain't got nothin' on me! BAM!

Ridin' Indie

People have told us: "You don't have dogs.. those are horses!" and many have suggested we get a saddle and let Maddie ride them! Well... Maddie agrees. We don't have a saddle and Barley would never go for it, but Indie is a good girl! Great dogs we have!

Happy Birthday Serenade

Maddie LOVES to sing Happy Birthday... and it just so happens that today was Grandma Martha's Birthday!

I'm ready for my Close-up, Mr. Demille

When Maddie was 6 weeks old we had lots more pictures of her... and I had sent 100 handmade announcements out already... So.. I took some pictures with the intention of capturing Sydney's cuteness for a darling announcement... here are some cute shots that won't make the announcement but are still worth seeing.

Gotta love a baby's butt!

Born to Shop?

Mommy, Maddie, and Sydney went shopping today. Here's the highlight reel!

Maddie played with a boy named Daniel while mommy gave baby Sydney her bottle. Daniel shared his red hummer toy with Maddie. When he left, Maddie resorted to entertaining herself... the caption for this shot is... "Maddie stuck.." she climbed into this opening in the Babies 'R' us nursing lounge changing table... Bad mommy that I am, I took a picture before I helped her out. rest assured... No Maddies were hurt in the taking of this picture.

Mommy and Maddie have found a new chair! We'll need two, though.. one for Sydney when she gets older!

DUMBO! Anyone who spends time with Maddie knows that she LOVES DUMBO! We've sat on Dumbo at least three times. And every time she's freaked out when he begins to move and jumped off. Once another little boy was eager to jump on and enjoy the ride we had paid for... but THIS time, Maddie was such a big girl.. she put the money in herself, pressed the green button, and held on tight! ALL BY HERSELF! Without fussing... until the end when Dumbo and his music stopped. Then she fussed. She did it all again! So she rode twice... and mommy was out of quarters...

I Love Daddy

Maddie's shirt says it all...

Daddy's crocs fit Maddie... with room to spare!

Maddie and daddy play catch.. with Maddie... not a ball.

Peek-a-Boo!

LOVIN'!

Conga-Rats

Birthday Girl

Maddie turned two on July 27th!


We had a Curious George party for her. She loves George! ... And the cake, too!



Maddie was showered with gifts from all her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents!


We tried for a family picture.. and this is the best we got!



She even got a new Curious George DVD! (Thanks Uncle Ben and Aunt Rachael!)

Alien Baby

Sydney was a little jaundiced upon her release from the hospital Monday. We went back for a recheck of her levels and they had gone up (we wanted them to go down). So our doctor prescribed some time on a photo therapy bed- a light box bed.



Unlike the ones used in the hospital, Sydney sleeps with her back to the light and therefore doesn't have to wear the funny glasses to protect her eyes.



She didn't like it at first... Especially the sleeves of the wrap...


so now we lay her in with her arms free.


So sweet...
They say the beds are "harder" on moms and dads than on babies. She was supposed to be on the light all the time, day and night, unless she was being fed or changed or bathed. So we didn't get nearly enough cuddle time... But! The good news is that she's checked out fine, so after 48 hours of the light bed - she's done! And she's almost back up to nine pounds, so she's gaining weight well.. and just ask us about the trajectory and arc of the projectile poop that hit the nurse and Daddy at the doctors' office. Funny, FUNNY story...

Going Home!

Sydney is dressed and ready to go home from the hospital! And she's awake!



... and now she's asleep! We think she looks like an angel!


Sydney is laying on the hand-knit blanket that her Daddy was wrapped in when he left the hospital. And she's wearing the dress that Mommy wore home from the hospital... and Mommy wore the crochet booties, too. Madeline wore the same dress, booties, and blanket home from the hospital almost two years ago.




Pretty girl!

Sydney Jo Turner

Sydney Jo Turner
July 20, 2007... 7:19 am...
9 lbs 7 oz, 20.5 in.
A beautiful baby girl!

Sydney followed Maddie's example and arrived "transverse breech"- aka sideways, and back down... which made her hard to get out... It was a two person job! But surgery went off smoothly, less than an hour from the first cut to recovery. Our Dr. and Q agreed that Sydney had a big head... and the OR staff predicted she was a "nine pounder." She's got 2 ounces on her big sister, but wasn't QUITE as tall. She's very strong and can already lift her head up.


Snoozing in the baby bassinet.


Mommy and Sydney cuddling.



Daddy and his precious little girl... He's wrapped around her little fingers already.

Maddie's a BIG SISTER!

Maddie is proving to be great big sister! "See her? Hold her?" and she calls her "My baby... Baby Sydney." Today she came in during Syd's diaper change - she was fussing a bit- and Maddie said "Baby Sydney crying... Sydney's hungry."


She loves to hold her... for a minute or two, at least... and she giggles and smiles.


She climbed right up into bed with Mommy and Sydney the first time she met her. Very curious, and she tries to be gentle around Mommy. "Mommy got a bo-boo... Kiss it? Make it all better?" Such a sweetie!

God Bless America

Mommy pushed Maddie's Star-Spangled Little Tykes Car in the Annual neighborhood parade! There was a real police escort! ... Then we shared a blue popsicle... and then we had to launder her American flag shirt! Gotta love the Fourth of July!

New Yoplait Spokesperson

Maddie would be a great poster child for their Whips! Yogurt, don't you think?

I'm wondering if the Whips make for a good facial? And what about a hair treatment? We'll let you know!

Needless to say, she ate this container of yogurt all by herself! No "mommy help" at all!