day of firsts

Today Maddy definitely had a "day of firsts".

1. Maddy started on solid foods today and she actually liked her rice cereal!

2. Maddy rolled over for the first time from her back to her stomach! She has been able to roll from her stomach to her back for a few months now, and we are both pretty sure that she will be crawling soon. A quick video of her rolling over is posted below:

Christmas wish

This time of year it is easy to become distracted with all the events surrounding the holidays and Christmas. As we reflect on our past year, and as Christmas and the new year approaches, we are going to to remember the things we are thankful for and to make a conscious effort to remember the "reason for the season". What a joy it is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and he has been our rock through the good and the bad that has surrounded Maddy's arrival. Without Christ as our rock through the trying times, I do not think we could have maintained a positive outlook during Maddy's stay in the hospital, and we easily could have become discouraged and resentful for the events surrounding her birth. As I reflect on Maddy's birth, I can only imagine what it was like on the day that Jesus was born. Just holding Maddy in my arms and thinking about our savior as a child paints such a beautiful picture in my mind.

As Christmas approaches, I would like you to consider one question. Are you going through the Christmas motions because you are following what our culture suggests, or because you truly believe that Christ was born onto this earth so that you can live?

If you or any of your friends do not know what it is like to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, it is our Christmas wish you will be able to experience this joy, and share in our joy this holiday season.

Merry Christmas
JAM (Jesse Ashlyn & Madalyn)

Thanksgiving (belated post)

Our little girl is so much fun and has brought untold joy into our lives. Her smiles and laughter melts both of our hearts. This Thanksgiving, we are so thankful for the support system that we have, including our family and friends, as well as people that we do not even know that have touched our lives by keeping up with our blog. Maddy has been such a blessing since she was born, and even through the challenges, we feel extremely blessed. We hope you enjoy the latest pictures and videos of our baby girl!

if you are friends with Jesse on facebook, there are a few new pics there as well!

Halloween

Our poor dog.....

Maddy going on a walk

It is time for the monthly update to the blog. This past month, we have been on the road for what seems like every weekend. We have gone to the mountains (twice), to Raleigh and even to Tennessee. Traveling with a baby is really something that you don't appreciate until you have one, I can't even describe to you how much stuff we carry with us when we pack up the car, and trying to schedule driving around her feeding times is a huge challenge. That being said, it is nice to finally be at home and Ashlyn and I are looking forward to being at our house this upcoming weekend for the first time in awhile.

Maddy is doing well, and is still on pace with her developmental milestones. She has rolled over a few times, and we are still trying to capture her doing it on a video so we can show people. When she does it, she is so happy and seems to be very proud of herself. She is such an independent, happy little girl, and we love spending every minute that we can with her.

all tuckered out from a hard day's worth of playing