Update on the DeArmond Family!

I know that when I started this blog it was mentioned that it was mainly to let everyone know of Madison's progress and to let them watch her grow just as I do everyday. Well...this particular blog entry is to update everyone on a couple of things that have happened in the past month for our family as a whole. I'm sure I will be able to add a little tidbit about Madison for those of you that need a Madison-fix! (You know who you are! :))

First on the list ... ORDERS!
I let quite a few people know that we were in the process of picking and applying for orders for our next duty station. In fact, I asked quite a few people to be praying for us in the very stressful process. We were very anxious to find out if we were going to be able to get stationed on the East Coast to be closer to family. I didn't really care where exactly, I just knew that this was our one and only chance to make the coast to coast move. So, our prayers were answered and Tony was accepted for PAX River, Maryland orders. PAX River is actually the Patuxent River in Maryland. It is known by the military as PAX River, so that is what I call it. Mainly because I am not sure how to properly pronounce the actual name. Anyway, we are very excited and can't wait to be closer to family. We will probably begin our transition sometime in August. We are still ironing out details and planning. The only definite dates as of right now are Sept 14 and Sept 29. Tony has to go to VA for training before we make it to Maryland and he has to be there by Sept 14. Then, he has to report to PAX River by Sept 29. I should be able to give out more details as we plan and make more decisions about traveling. I will definitely keep everyone updated on this exciting move and time for us. Thank you to all of you that prayed for us and the decisions that had to be made. God is good! (All the time!)

Next on the list...MADISON IS GOING TO BE A BIG SISTER!
That's right! We are expecting our second baby! It is very hard for me to imagine right now. I am still very early in the pregnancy for one thing, so it will seem like I am pregnant FOREVER! I have been talking with Mom a little bit about this pregnancy and how it is so different from the first time. I remember being pregnant with Madison and Mom and I would talk daily about how she was growing and developing in my belly. This time, I keep having to remind myself that I am actually pregnant. Tony and I are very excited and overjoyed, and a little stressed with everything going on in our lifes right now (as I mentioned above). I have been trying to imagine Madison with a baby around and how she is going to react. That in itself is hard to imagine! My estimated due date is December 15, but that could change after I have an ultrasound and they measure the baby. I am so excited to have a new addition to our family! I wasn't sure how many children Tony and I were going to have, but we did know that we wanted them to be pretty close in age. After having Madison, I really started thinking about having a big family. I absolutely love being surrounded by family and all the love and support you get from a big family. I have experienced that in my life and want for my own family to have that love and comfort as well. I look forward to this pregnancy and birth of our second baby and all the new experiences that comes with it. I will be sure to keep everyone updated on our progress and give you more news as it comes along. Keep us and our new little one in your prayers!

And lastly, but certainly not the least ... MADISON!
Madison has been doing wonderfully! She amazes me everyday and its so funny to see how amazed Tony gets watching her. She is walking more and more everyday. We have been trying to get her to walk around in the stores, but she acts shy and doesn't want. She has been having a little bit of separation anxiety lately when we drop her off at the nursery for church, but she seems to be fine within a couple of minutes. Thats what they tell me anyway :). I think I mentioned in my last entry that we went to the park and had a wonderful sunny day. Well, this past Saturday, we had atleast 2 inches of hail and snow on the ground! How ridiculous!! It is the middle of April and we are having winter weather!! Anyway, this past Saturday was the "City Wide Clean-Up Day" for Oak Harbor. I had volunteered to help and was going to take Madison with me. She ended up staying home and had some Daddy time while I went and worked. Tony is loving this time with Madison right now. She seems very attached to him and he can't get enough of it. He works at night and likes to come home and wait on Madison to get up so that he can get her out of bed. He loves to see her big smile in the morning and see how excited she gets to get out of bed and play. They have been doing a lot of bonding lately and it is so sweet to watch. He likes to get in the floor and play with her and he really wants to be able to wrestle and mess around, but she isn't quite ready for that. She does like to be chased all around the apartment though, and he is more than willing. She will turn around and see if he is coming behind her and cackle really loud and take off again. It is sooo cute! I believe this past Saturday they had a lot of fun together just the two of them. I think thats all for now, I will post again soon! Enjoy the pics!

Madison

A day at the park!

Living on Whidbey Island during the rainy season isn't the best. However, when the sun decides to come out and shine on us all day, it is well worth it. We were lucky enough to have a nice warm sunny day this past Saturday! I was able to convince Tony and his buddies that it would be a great idea to head out to the park! Not to mention its something to do that is FREE! City Beach Park is a wonderful park in Oak Harbor. It has several play ground areas and large grassy areas to picnic or play football. It also has a path that goes all the way around the park to take in the beauty that surrounds us. This past Saturday was warm enough that kids were playing in the water on the beach and the park was full of people. It was a nice clear day so we could see all the mountains around us and they were beautiful. So, we got to the park and Madison and I sat on a blanket to have our sandwiches, while the guys ate at the picnic table. I was hoping that Madison and I could spend the day walking around in the grass, swinging, and maybe going down the slide. After we had our lunch, the guys started to throw around the football and Madison was off on her own little adventure. This was her first time to really be outside in the grass and explore. She wasn't very steady on the grass, so she wanted to crawl everywhere! We decided to try out the swings next, and she wasn't to fond of that. We had tried to get her to swing before and she didn't like it, but I thought I would try again. She was okay for a few minutes, but she just isn't too sure about it. So, we headed back over to the guys and relaxed in the sun and played in the grass. The guys finally decided they wanted to take a break from football so we headed over to the playground. Tony and his buddy decided they wanted to put Madison on the big slide! I was terrified! I wanted to keep my eyes closed the whole time! She loved it though! So, she went down the slide a couple of times with the help of her daddy and had a great time! We walked around a little bit and let Madison walk on the path where she could be a little more stable. The guys played football a little longer and then it was time to go home. Madison was worn out and in desperate need of a nap! It was a wonderful day and lots of fun in the sun! Enjoy the picks!

Playing at the Park

Playing at the Park

Madison's 1 year check-up!

Madison's first birthday has come and gone! She seems like such a little girl now and so grown up. We had her 1 year check-up at the doctor scheduled for March 31, just a few days after her actual birthday. Apparently, the maternity ward was as busy this year as they were last year, and we kept having our appointment switched. So, finally on Friday (April 4) we were able to make it to the doctor and see how much Madison has progressed. She weighs 27lbs 12oz and is 30in long! WHAT A BIG GIRL! She is so tall and quite the chunk! She is still in the 97th percentile for her weight, and I believe in the 75th percentile for her height. Her doctor said that her development is fantastic! She is doing all the things 1 year olds are supposed to do and then some! So, after the appointment she had to get shots and have blood work done to check her iron. We decided to do the blood work first so that we could leave right after her shots. Madison always does really well with things like that though, so we didn't really have anything to worry about. We made it over to the lab and had to wait a few minutes. I decided to let Madison walk the hall while we waited and its so cute watching her walk around and explore new places. She walked a couple minutes and then we headed back to "the room". The lab technician was very nice and explained everything, they basically had to prick her finger. Tony held Madison while I stood behind the tech to distract her. Tony was freaking out and cringing while the tech explained what he had to do! It was a good thing Madison could see me and not him! It probably would not have gone as well if she would have seen the faces he was making! He looked terrified and acted like he wanted to yank Madison up and carry her to safety! I felt like I was on double duty trying to keep both of them calm! :) Anyway, Madison (and Tony) did very well, and it was over before we knew it. The tech mentioned that if the bandage came off she would probably bleed a lot more because she seemed to be very well hydrated (thats a good thing). So, we had him bandage her entire hand instead of just the finger in hopes that it would be impossible to pull off. Well....we definitely underestimated Madison! We got about ten feet away and she had pulled it off! There was blood everywhere! Tony and I had it all over us, Madison had it all over her, and there was a trail on the floor on the way back to the lab room! We finally got all cleaned up and he bandaged just the finger this time, really really well! I had no idea so much blood could come from such a little finger! Well, by the time we finished with all of that, the immunization clinic had closed! So, we still have to get her shots. I doubt there will be an interesting story to go with that trip. We decided to go have lunch and run some errands the next day (Sat). We had lunch at Applebees and Madison wanted to turn completely around in her high chair so that she could chat with the baby next to us. It was a very interesting lunch! We then went to run errands and ended up at Wal-Mart. Tony and I decided to get Madison's ears pierced while we were there! We had talked about it for a while and thought maybe it could be a present for her first birthday! We hadn't officially decided we were going to do it until we ended up at Wal-Mart and just decided on the spot! What an experience!! Madison actually did really well. She of course screamed when it happened, but it didn't take her long to calm down. She ended up getting her first sucker from the ladies that did it! She looks so adorable with her ears pierced now! She is such a little lady! I have posted some pictures of her new earrings and just some random pictures for you to enjoy!

Funny hair-dos and funny faces!

Madison's Ears Pierced!

Madison's First Birthday and then some!

Well.....Madison is officially 1 year old! The past year of Madison's life has flown by and so much has happened! So....let's recap!
Madison was born March 28, 2007, Oak Harbor, WA. Mom and Amber were here to be with Tony and I as we brought Madison into this world through a very long and exhausting labor! The most amazing time of my life! Within a month of Madison being born, Tony and I had moved ALL of our belongings into storage and headed for Memphis, TN. Madison and I stayed with Mom, Dad, and Amber while Tony headed off for deployment. The hardest time of my life! Thank God for family who will always be there! Tony was gone for about 7 months and missed so many milestones of Madison's first year, but has definitely enjoyed watching her grow so fast since he has been home! While staying with family, Madison smiled, laughed, rolled over, sat up, started crawling, and even slept through the night! She became more active as each month went along. She started eating baby foods and drinking juice. She wanted to eat everything you put in front of her! It's still that way! Needless to say, a lot happened while Tony was gone, and a lot has happened since he has been back! We have been in WA now for three months and Tony has been amazed by her every day! Since we have been home, Madison has pulled up, started walking, has 5 almost 6 teeth, and talks like crazy! She doesn't eat baby food anymore, and is drinking milk instead of formula. She is a little girl now, not my little baby anymore. Well, as you may know, we celebrated Madison's first birthday early while her Nana and Auntie Amber were in town. She ate birthday cake and had the time of her life! Since we celebrated early, we didn't do much on her actual birthday. Her daddy bought her a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing to eat, and we bought her a new toy! She has plenty of toys, but we wanted to get her something new since it was her birthday. Her Nana bought her some new clothes that are absolutely adorable! I have posted pictures of Madison with her new toy and some of her new clothes, hope you enjoy them!

PS Some recent Madison news....
I know I mentioned that Madison is walking now, but I thought I would elaborate a little. Madison will walk from me to Tony and back and forth. She will walk across the room by herself, and has even walked the entire length of the apartment by herself. She loves to follow me around all day, if she can keep up :). She also will wave and say hi to everyone she sees...this makes for a very long grocery shopping trip! She will wave bye, and say night night when it is bed time. And she gives kisses which her daddy loves tremendously! Enjoy the pictures and I will post again when something new happens, probably won't be long!

Kisses

AH AH AH

Madison Walking

Birthday Toy and New Clothes!