Flu Shot Drive-Thru

If you're not from Arkansas, you may not understand this post, but today I took Madison to a flu shot drive-thru! Our town sets up a drive-thru at the fair grounds where you stay in your car, drive through a building, roll down your window, and stick our your arm!

I went to the drive-thru last year to get my flu shot and only had to wait about 30 minutes. This year, the H1N1 shot was offered for the first time in Russellville to young children and pregnant women. I think everyone is pretty scared of getting the swine flu, therefore everyone and their dog decided to show up today.

Madison and I were in the car for 3 hours and 45 minutes. She was mad as a hornet. We waited in the never ending line for what seemed like forever! I finally decided to get her out of her car seat and nurse her while I was "rolling." The EMT's and sheriff's didn't seem to mind. I think everyone was a little frazzled at the long wait. I will say that next year I will try to do everything in my power to get her flu shot taken care of somewhere else! No more drive-thrus for us unless absolutely possible!

Nothing too exciting...

Madison and I have not really done anything too exciting this week. We've just stayed at home. Tonight we did get out of the house to go to a baby shower.

Madison is quite mouthy these days and likes to scream. She did a lot of screaming tonight and then got a little ugly, so we quickly left. That's always fun for mom. :(

I made Gabe take some pics of us before we left. We both dressed up for the shower. It's like pulling teeth to get Madison to smile for the camera. The girl just doesn't smile a whole lot unless she's laughing. She's always got the "serious" look on her face. People used to say the same thing about me! I used to get so tired of people telling me to smile! We're just serious people, what can we say? Ha!

Today is one of my best friends birthday! She turned the big 2-8 today. Happy Birthday Megon! Hope today was a special day!

Well, it's past my bedtime, so I better hop off. Enjoy your weekend!

A Good Day for Chili

In just about every picture that we take of Madison, her mouth is wide open. Today she was busy as a bee in her play pen.

Today was a dreary, rainy day. Madison and I ran a few errands this afternoon and then headed back to the house for her afternoon nap. I tried to iron a few pieces of clothing while she played in the living room, but I was only able to iron "a few" before she got restless.
This evening, we gave Madison a pretzel rod to gnawl on while we ate dinner and she gnawled on it with her two little teeth until it was too short to hold.

Tonight we cooked Daddy's favorite chili recipe. This recipe actually won the chili cook off contest at Russellville's Fall Fest one year. Speaking of Fall Fest, it's this Saturday...on Halloween. They have a costume contest for kids and I am going to enter Madison in it. She is going to be the cutest little lady bug that ever did exist. Gabe told me the other night that he used to be a judge for the costume contest. Weird, huh?!

I also thought about taking Madison to First United Methodist Church to take some pics in their "pumpkin patch." They have about a million pumpkins in front of their church and it looks so pretty.

Chili Recipe

3-4 T. chili powder

2 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 30 oz. can mexican style chili beans

2 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (crush w/hands)

2 cans rotel

4-5 bay leaves

2-3 T. garlic powder

3-4 slices jalapeno

1 c. tomato paste

2 sm. yellow onions

Simmer all ingredients except for beef, onions, and chili powder. In a separate pan, fry beef, onions, and chili powder. Drain and mix in with simmering ingredients. Simmer together 20 more minutes. *Note: I cut this recipe in half for my family. I cut back a little more on the jalapeno slices and garlic powder. It can get too spicy!

Enjoy!

Big Mistake, Big Suprise, Big Girl

1. Big Mistake
I don't think anyone caught my big mistake, but in Madison's 8 month pictures, I wrote the wrong birth date on her sign. I wrote her birth date as 10.17.09 and it is 10.19.09. Oops. I do have to say though, that it is all Gabe's fault. He's the one who told me that she turned 8 months on the 17th. We were married on November 17th and I think we get that date confused with her birthday.

2. Big Surprise
Madison's Aunt Holley (Gabe's sister, my sister-in-law) is currently living outside of Boston doing travel therapy. She surprised everyone by flying in this weekend. We took Gabe's parents out to eat and gave them an early 40th anniversary present... a family vacation to Branson for a week. Yes, we will all be tagging along as well. I have some great pics of all of us, but they are on my sister-in-law's camera so I will be posting them soon.

3. Big Girl
I dressed Madison up the night we went out to eat for Gabe's parents' 40th anniversary. Ch-Ch-Ch-Cheetah! Doesn't she look cute in animal print? I just love dressing up my baby girl.

I bought her white flower bow at War Eagle. I thought it looked cute with this outfit.

We are all dealing with a cold of some sort at the Freyaldenhoven household. No fun! Hopefully we will all get well soon!

A Calmer Week

This week has been a much calmer week, and I am so thankful for it! Madison turned 8 months old on Saturday. Our monthly photo shoots are getting more challenging the older she gets. She is fascinated with paper and grabs at it any chance she gets. She especially loves my grocery list!

You may be wondering what Madison can or cannot do at this stage in her life, so...let me just tell you.

1. As of today, I can say that Madison is officially crawling. She's had it figured out for a while now, but has never taken more than a couple of steps. Tonight though, she crawled all the way into the kitchen from the living room and would have kept on going if I wouldn't have picked her up for her bath! She is a pretty cute little crawler.
2. She loves to pull herself up. I don't like this very much, because she is now constantly getting hurt. She bumps her head on whatever object she is pulling up on, or she falls back and hits her head on the ground. Falling=Crying...no fun for Mom.
3. She loves baby yogurt. She loves any kind of fruit baby food.
4. She still likes her exersaucer. She sometimes plays in her playpen. She likes her jumperoo for very short periods of time. She still sits in her bumbo some, but is about too big for it. She can about pull herself out of it. She sits in her high chair now to eat.
5. We have introduced the following foods to her: pickles, bread/crackers, macaroni, lemons, mandarin oranges. Random, I know. She also likes apple juice, diluted, of course.
6. She likes stroller rides, but not long stroller rides.
7. Still likes to be held, but about wiggles out of your arms now.
8. Wakes up two times a night.
9. Just recently, I have started laying her on her back in her crib and turning her mobile on at bedtime. It is working well! She goes right to sleep.
10. Still loves bathtime and still takes a bath in her baby tub. Still blow her dry.
11. Loves to watch cartoons.
12. Loves her grandparents!
13. Squeals with delight when Mommy holds her and runs through the house with Daddy chasing behind.

These are just a few of Madison's highlights during this phase of her little life. She has been sick with a bad, congested cough this week. I think I'm going to take her to the doctor tomorrow. It just sounds so bad. Hope you have a great weekend!

Please Note: You no longer have to have a blog or google account to leave a comment on my blog. Anyone can now leave a comment. Hint! Hint! :)

Around the world and back...

Whew! It really does feel like Madison and I have been around the world and back during the last week. This past week was definitely my busiest week yet as a mom and I hope to NEVER have a week this busy again. Here is a recap of "the world" we traveled this past week. (Click on pics to enlarge.)

Thursday- War Eagle in Bentonville, AR

We had a great time at War Eagle. I hadn't been since I was a little girl. My grandparents have had a booth there several years, but were not able to make it this year. My Aunt and Uncle both had their own booth at the craft fair this year...salsa/pepper jellies & jewelry. I was a little disappointed in the craft selection. A little too "crafty" for me. I have never been too fond of crafts of this sort. It was pretty chilly...we about froze.

Friday- Johnston's Pumpkin Patch

For the MOMs October Playdate, we carpooled down to Greenbriar, AR to visit Johnston's Pumpkin Patch. We all rode on a hayride, visited with the farm animals, took pics of the kids in the pumpkin patch, and picked out a pumpkin. The fields were pretty muddy since it had rained several days in a row before we went. We had a good time, but those of us with babies decided it was a little too much work on us moms! The things we do for our kids...:)

Saturday- Race for the Cure

Mom, Melissa, Madison, and I all ran in the Race for the Cure. We drove to Conway Friday evening with several other girls from Gabe's clinic and ate dinner at Fuji's Hibachi Grill. We spent the night in a hotel in LR and woke up early Saturday morning for the race. My grandmother, Meme, is a breast cancer survivor so we ran this race in celebration of her! You would have loved to be there, Meme. We finished the race with 45,000 other women! It was Mom and Melissa's first time to run the race. People dress crazy there! They get decked out in pink....from pink wigs, to holding up flamingos on a stick, to men dressing up like women. It's quite the experience. If you've never walked/ran the race you should!

Well, if you've ever traveled around the world and back you know that it makes you quite tired! So... I'm off to bed. Good night!

War Eagle

Madison figured out how to smash her face against the mesh walls in her playpen today. I thought the pictures turned out pretty cute! Funny baby girl.

Madison and I are headed to the War Eagle Craft Fair tomorrow morning with my mom. It will be an early morning, so this post will be short! Hopefully we will find some great deals, or at least some cute things for Madison.

Friday, Madison and I will be going to the pumpkin patch with some other mothers and their preschoolers from church. The ground will probably be very muddy because we've had days of rain, but the pictures with the kids and their pumpkins will be priceless. I hope Madison enjoys it and I hope I get some cute pictures.

Saturday, we will be running in the Race for the Cure with several others girls from River Valley Therapy, Gabe's clinic. My mom and sister are going to run this year. It should be fun.

Oh, and tomorrow is my big day. I'll be the big 2-7! Gabe has a surprise date planned for me in Fayetteville. I wonder what it could be...

Because Tuesday's my Cleaning Day!

Like I've mentioned before, Tuesday is my cleaning day. I've been pretty stressed out about this week because there is so much going on each day. I knew I had to get with it today and get the house cleaned. I am relieved to say...it is clean! Whew! Don't you just love the feeling you get once you finish? I hate the process, but love the end result. If only I could look this cute while cleaning.

Madison went to Mother's Day Out today. Her teachers said she took two naps today and did so good. I believe we have a social butterfly on our hands. She loves to play with other babies and kids.


I was supposed to go to a technology class this afternoon, but it apparently was canceled. I showed up only to find...no teacher. I really wanted to take this class because it was on blogging- my favorite new past time, but maybe it will be rescheduled. Because my evening was freed up, I was able to go eat catfish with Gabe's family. Yum! Yum!

But, the absolute best part about the catfish house is the homemade cinnamon rolls. Oh man, talk about slap yo mama!

Boots With the Fur...

Guess who's got a birthday this week? ME!!! I picked out a few items today at Belk and put them on hold for my husband to pick up tomorrow. (Hint, Hint!) I've been wanting some boots to wear with a dress and tights. You can see two of my finds below.

Tonight I made one of our favorite dinners...fried chops, cabbage, and macaroni. The sides are not necessarily our favorites, but we do love fried chops & fried chicken. One thing we do well at the Freyaldenhoven household is eat!

Madison is really starting to pull herself up on things around the house. This is her in her room pulling up on her dresser. Isn't she darling in this animal print outfit? I'm mad that she doesn't have a bow on in this pic! What kind of a mother am I?

This past weekend it was cold and dreary, so I decided to make a pot of my homemade chicken noodle soup. If there's one recipe I have mastered, it's this one. My key ingredient is fresh parsley. Yum...so good.

We've got a super busy week this week, so you may not hear from me until next Monday. We'll see.

Pics of Madison's New Teeth

Click on my picture to see my brand new teeth up close! Aren't they the cutest things ever? I can't wait to chomp on some real food!

She's a Big Girl Now!

Today, I heard Madison rustling in her bed and I went to check on her. She was on her knees playing with her mobile. I was pretty shocked because I've never seen her get up on her knees in her crib. I told Gabe about it and we both said that we could probably wait a little longer to lower her crib since she couldn't stand up in her crib yet...

Well, this afternoon I went into her room and guess what??!! She was standing up in her crib. I was scared and excited all at the same time. I guess we will have to lower the crib after all.

caught red-handed!

thinkin' about it...

learning to climb...

Tonight is the Mistletoe Market preview night. I'm looking forward to checking out all the booths! Maybe I'll find some items I need to add to my Christmas wish list...

Flower Power...with a bee in her bonnet!

This picture would be a lot cuter if she was smiling, but I guess she wasn't as thrilled as I was to go for a morning run. In fact, I was supposed to run 4 miles, but only made it 1 mile. Madison pretty much cried most of the way. At least she looked cute. Madison's Grammy bought her this cute fleece jacket and she is just now getting to wear it. It's perfect for this nice fall weather.

Madison has done pretty well in the jogging stroller, but we are now up to 4 miles in our training program for the half marathon. She's not handling 4 miles. She handles 2 1/2 miles great...3 is pushing it, and 4 is just plain stupid! So, I've decided to head back to the fitness center. I was working out there pretty regular before I started training for the half marathon. I froze my account once I starting running with Madison outside. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep running with her forever. Bless her heart, she just gets tired of it, I'm sure. So...tomorrow morning we'll be heading back to the gym. I'm actually going to run down main street while she's in fit kids. I hate running on the treadmill. The time just passes by so much slower than when you're outside and actually going somewhere. Does anyone know the mileage for main street? I guess I will have to get in the car and figure it out, but I'd like to run 2 miles away from the gym and then 2 miles back.

Madison and I went to see Gabe today at the clinic and I got my flu shot. I'm glad that's over. It really wasn't all that bad. Just a little heaviness.

I have had the best day with Madison. We ironed some clothes this afternoon and did some laundry and then I took her for a leisurely stroll. She enjoyed it. I just laid her down for a nap and have yet to take a shower, so I better run!

What a cute kid! She must get her good looks from her mother! Ha!

Ahhh...A Clean House

I don't know about you, but I just LOVE a clean house. Madison goes to Mother's Day Out from 9:30-2:30 on Tuesdays, so Tuesday has become my "cleaning day." It's kind of a running joke at our house. If Gabe asks me when I'm going to do a certain chore, I say..."on Tuesday, because Tuesday is my cleaning day!"

Do you have a favorite cleaner? Mine would have to be Pine Sol. I love to mop my floors with Pine Sol. It leaves such a clean smell. I even mop my wood floors with Pine Sol, but I use the one specifically for wood floors. It has a lemon scent. Not quite as nice as the original scent. My second favorite cleaner is Comet...the powder kind. It just works so well. I use it in the bathrooms...for everything.

So, the big question now is, "Are you going to get a flu shot?" Gabe and I are tomorrow. I don't really like shots, but they never really hurt that bad. It makes for a good excuse to lay around the house though. :)
We had dinner at Savannah's Lakefront Cafe tonight. It was a great treat. We haven't been there in forever. We ordered stuffed mushrooms and stuffed flounder. They have homemade yeast rolls that are out of this world. Our whole meal was great!

We took Madison by Grammy and Poppa's before heading home. She was in the best mood. It had been a while since she had last seen them. She had the best time with them. Hopefully she'll sleep extra good tonight. Ha!

Mistletoe Market

This Thursday, is the preview night for Mistletoe Market. Mistletoe Market is basically an upscale craft/gift show. I hate to say craft show, because that is so not what it is, but there will be all kinds of booths set up. It's a lot of fun to go to because you can get some early Christmas shopping in...all in one place. Tickets are $5 to shop Friday and Saturday and the money goes to the Russellville Boys & Girls club. If you've never been, you should go!

My grandparents sent me a picture today. This is my Me Mommie and Big Daddy...and Madison's great grandparents. They live in the grand state of Texas. This was taken of them on a cruise in Hawaii. I spent a lot of time in my grandmother's kitchen cooking with her. She cooks the old way...from scratch. There aren't a whole lot of people left who cook from scratch. I've learned many recipes from my Me Mommie and she continues to share them with me. :)

Well, Gabe has been playing with Madison in the living room and I just got the call that Madison is "ready for bed." Better run!

Lil' Lady Bug

Madison had on an adorable denim outfit with lady bug buttons on today. We tried to have another mini-photo shoot outside with Aunt Melissa today, but these pictures just don't do her little outfit justice. As you can tell, I am not a photographer. We were positioned in the sun totally wrong, but oh well.

Aunt Melissa & Madison

Aunt Melissa, Madison, & Momma

Tomorrow morning, we'll be heading to the church to run FOUR miles. I'll admit...I'm a little scared.

Wait...not ONE, but TWO TEETH!!!

(click on the pics to enlarge)

Surprise, surprise!!! Momma woke up this morning to find not one, but TWO TEETH!!! I was rubbing some medicine on Madison's gums and felt two sharp objects. I looked and sure enough, she has two teeth. How exciting. I just hope she doesn't learn how to use them too fast. Can I just say, ouch?!!!

This afternoon, I took Madison outside and we had a little mini-photo shoot. I just thought she looked so cute in her outfit today, so we took advantage of the situation. I had to lighten the pics a bit because it was so cloudy today! I will have to say though, it is beginning to feel like fall. Madison and I ran our 3 miles this morning and it felt cool and brisk- perfect weather for a nice run.

Tonight, I made a great dinner- Gabe's favorite dish at Italian Gardens...Chicken Parmesan. It was very simple and I kind of just made it up. The recipe is below.

Chicken Parmesan
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup italian bread crumbs
1 egg
cooking oil
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Beat the egg in a bowl. Dip chicken in egg, and then in cheese and crumb mixture. Heat a small amount of oil (enough to fill the bottom of the pan) on med. low to med. heat. Fry chicken around 15 minutes. If chicken is thick you may have to cut it open to see if it is done OR cut the chicken in half before you fry it to get a thinner cut of meat. Once chicken is done, drain on paper towel. Place chicken on baking sheet and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees just long enough to melt cheese. Don't over bake. Cook pasta & drain. Place desired amount of pasta on plate, top with sauce, chicken, and extra cheese if you'd like. *Note: I'm usually totally against using store bought sauce, however, I have made my own sauce before and it's a little much for this recipe. I used the Classico brand, tomato and basil. It was great and Gabe loved it. Easy as pie!