Happy Halloween

Halloween is Dominic's FAVORITE holiday if you will. He LOVES to dress up and hand out candy. This year was even "sweeter" for he had his sister next to him.
         

Dominic was lucky enough to dress up twice this year. He was a Ninja at his cousins Custom Birthday Party and Batman on Halloween. Let me tell you he played a great Batman for he disguised his voice in a deep manner. Madeline was going to be Elmo, but Dominic's good friend Joey lent her his little sisters custom. Which was a Ladybug and a adorable ladybug at that.

This year, I attended their Halloween Parade at school and loved ever moment of it.  They were so excited for mommy to be there and they were very silly with their friends.  On Halloween, we walked our neighborhood and the kids had a blast.  Dominic was a great Batman saying "Trick-or-Treat" and Madeline was screaming with excitement herself.  It was a lot of fun with both kids. When we got home. We let Dominic handle handing out candy as his sister watched in the play pen screaming with excitement as each kid came to the door.  We asked Dominic what his favorite part of his day. It was handing out the candy.

 

  

I cannot wait till next Halloween and have both of them walk together Trick-or-Treating.  Dominic loves to help his little sister and protect her.  I know a lot of things can change between now and then, but I have a feeling he will always be protective of her.

So Dominic's cousin Frederick turned "5" this year and we cannot believe how fast time has gone by.  They had a great time being super hero's and Ninjas.  They ran around playing and being boys.  Frederick had 2 of his female classmates there and they were princesses.  They were pretty shy and the boys were very outgoing 🙂  

Madeline Turns 9 Months

Madeline has been on the move.  She has been crawling all over the place the past month.  She is pretty fast and you can tell she feels like she is a part of the action now.  She has also been enjoying pulling herself up on her toys and furniture.  When she has also gotten to a standing position, she then looks at you for praise.  It can be either a smile and clap or a "horay", she just smiles.

Because she has been crawlig and pulling her self up, she has been getting pretty strong.  Since then she has been a pro at rolling over and now get into a sitting up postion.  The past few mornings, she has been spotted sitting up in her bed and just talking.  When she is in the crib, if she starts to get a little board.  She crawls over to the side of the crib and stands.  Therefore, we will be adjusting the crib asap.

Madeline's first word was "Dada" and it has been rolling off her tongue non stop.  She says it all the time and no matter how many times we work on saying Momma. No progress, till this past week.  She finally is starting to say "mamma" and I believe she even has her own version of Ellie and Dominic I swear.  When you are working on saying words wih her.  She really looks at your lips and watches how you sound things out.

Since we have introduced foods to Madeline.  She has become particular in the baby food choices I have been feeding her.  I have been making her baby food for months now, but she has been requesting more table food when meal time comes.  The past month, we have been working with Madeline using her sippy cup with water.  It has been taking some time, but she is getting use to using both hands and tipping the cup back.  Since she has been doing well and using both hand. I thought she would be ready to start eating veggie packs (the blended veggies and fruit in the packs).  After a few days, Madeline got the concept down but she is not 100% but getting there.

Since we have been having a rather warm Fall.  The kids and I have been taking advatage of spending our aternoons outside at home.  We have been loving the extra time with Ellie and working on our creativity chalk designs.  Dominic has been working on his shapes and writing our names.  Its a work in progress but he really likes to work on the letters hes been learning in class.

The past several weeks in school, Dominic has been learning a lot about the season 'Fall' and all that relates to it.  Everything from changing of leaves, what does wind do, apples, apples sauce, trees, life cylcel of pumkins, cutting and using siccors.  Last year Dominic did not like to stick his hand in the pumpkin and grab the seeds.  We shall see if this year he is ready to get dirty and slimy.

In Madeline's class, she has been getting crafty with her feet and hands.  She has been making ghost, spiders, apples, cherries and candy corn with her little toes and fingers.  She has been doing pretty good at school and enjoys the play time with all the other little kiddos.  At lunch time, the kids all sit together at the kiddie table and eat.  Madeline LOVES this and really enjoys eating with others.  At home, her and Dominic eat together and also enjoys Dominic talking and singing to her.  Yes I said singing.  We always have Pandora on and most of the time the station is Disney.  At school, Madeline has been progressed with her pulling her self up on everything around her and her crawl is starting to be a tradiional crawl....not the army crawl.

Madeline had her 1st Mac's Apple experience and seem to enjoy it but not as much as her brother.  We picked out a lot of apples and little pumpkins for our 'pumpkins'  :-).  The kids had a great time and I can only imagine what next year will hold as Madeline will be walking (or running around).

At Madelines 9 month she was fighting a cold.  This visit, Madline was alittle under the weather but did her best.  She wiehged 16.6lbs and is 27" long.  Intellectiually she is above where she needs to be and her doctor is happy with her progress.  She is still on her meds for GERDS but seems to be getting better each month.

 

We were also lucky have my mom, 'grandma" come visit.  She spoiled the kids with reading books, playing crazy games, puzzles and much more.  We especially enjoyed the halloween lollipops and corn muffins.

Madleline ... she can be a goof ball

Annie and Tom sent Halloween Treats

   

F8408E97-6134-4F24-9412-655035323FD5 (1) from Meredith Ambrose on Vimeo.

School Starts for the Ambrose Kiddos

September 7th, Madeline started at World Academy and Dominic started 1st year of Pre-K.  Mommy was so nervous for Maddy's 1st day and was lucky to work from home for a few days.  I spent some time in the morning with both kids at school and stopped by to have lunch too.  It was such a treat and I really cherished those moments.  Madeline has 4 teachers that are with her throughout the day; Christie, Kaitlyn, Meghan and Nicole.  Madeline seems to really enjoy all her teachers and making new baby friends.

During the first week at school. Madeline was getting a custom to sleeping in a big room with some noises, playing with other little kids her age, being feed by new friends and not being with mommy or Nana. I  am very proud of how well she has taken to the transition.  When I went to pick up Madeline from her first day at school.  Dominic told me that when he was walking to sign language he passed his sisters classroom and got to see her sister.  He waved and was able to give her a hug.  With the second day 2nd day Madeline started to engage more actively with waving when she thought was appropriate.

This week mommy also started making Madeline's food.  Her favorites so far are bananas and sweet potatoes.  I have also introduced the sippy cup with water so she can continue to work on her hand and mouth coordination.

We also have hit a HOME RUN with Madeline's sleeping at night.  She has gone 8 nights in a row, sleeping through the night.  Even though I am sure we will still have an occasional night where she wake up. I am very excited.  I will still go in her and check on her.  I miss my mommy and Maddy night feeding so I can get that  extra time with my baby girls smiling face..... she is my sweet little growing girl who needs her sleep.

Dominic is in a new classroom with many new friends and some friends from his old "Owl Classroom".  He has transitioned very well and enjoys his new teachers are Ms. Katie and Ms.Jamie.  They are very excited to see how he will grow and learn with all the other kids in his class.  We will know  lot more in October after we have our 1st parent teacher conference.

             

           

At home, Madeline has been sitting up all by herself for over a month now.  She LOVES that little independence.  You can tell she is just getting ready to surprise us with something.  Whether is be just deciding to fall back words, quick roll to the side or head bobbing. We love to watch little miss Maddy.  A few posts back, I mentioned that she was working on her abs of steel.  She seriously has been using them too.  When she starts to fall/ roll backwards, she does it with grace and tightens her stomach muscles and falls.  She doesn't cry unless she see your face expression of "oh no", but we do not do that.  We just smile and clap with glee.  I have also thought Madeline was ready to sit in the baby bath tub but sit up, no more sling.  The past several weeks she has been leaning forward and splashing the water so I thought it was time to take her out of it.  So now at bath time she watches and screams with excitement when i start to draw the bath water.

 

        

Some of her favorite toys now are the animals in the box (she can put all of them down now on her own), playing with her ball tower and basketball hoop.  Her hand coordination is really good and I am really proud. She still wants to stand and walk around but now she likes to bounce and dance.  This is a little challenging but she doesn't mind.


This week since I now have the morning and afternoon duty to pick up the kids.  We are able to go to the park after school together.  I have been carrying Madeline around and letting her "walk", we chase Dom and go on the swings.  Madeline LOVES the swings and Dominic loves to push her (but very slowly).

Some fun moments.....

dressing up

working hard at school

running with mommy

Watching Daddy play soccer

IMG_4276 from Meredith Ambrose on Vimeo.