Mae Jude, don't be so sad

You're not in trouble. This is just what happens when your mom finally learns how to put something onto the blog

and wants to finish really quick
even though you're poopy
and so it seeps out and gets all up your back
and your back is still wet from the wipe she used to clean you
and so you need to dry off for just a few seconds while Mom picks out another cute outfit.
Sorry, folks, I wasn't about to try and make her turn her crying face to the camera.
-L
Na, Na, Na, NaNaNaNaaaaaaaaaaaaa, NaNaNaNaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Mae Jude.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without

Every now and then you'll hear it (see title) during General Conference, and we would frequently hear it growing up. So Grandpa, this picture is dedicated to you. One day I'll tell Mae how you'd try to quote it to us and by about the 7th try, someone in the family could finally say it right. I'll be sure to tell her how eventually we all got it, including you. :)

Several weeks ago one of the tabs ripped off of Mae's diaper as I was trying to put it on. I couldn't bear to throw the whole diaper away (see title) so I saved it for later with the plans to make it do. This picture celebrates the very last newborn-size diaper for Mae! On to size 1! What a great teaching opportunity it was. You can see she wasn't too happy about this fashion statement, so I also told her Grandpa's newest counsel catch phrase, Do hard things. (Sorry Kylee, I missed out on that era but I've heard him use it on you--and I'm joining in on the fun of parenting now.) –L

Dear Mom...Love, Mae

So Mae is a negotiator already. Mae has agreed to do many things if Lindsey will just do one simple thing for her...here's a letter she wrote to her mother.



December 23, 2010

Dear Mommy,

I send you this letter as a formal agreement between the two of us. I count on you for many things, things you are so willing to do and never complain. However, it's something I need for you to stop doing in order to save me some embarrassment. Instead of just asking you to stop, I agree to do a few things so it's not just a one way agreement. I will...

...help you fold the socks,

I'll let you dress me in weird-worded clothes that I got from Daddy's team,
I'll also let you dress me in clothes that are supposed to be for newborns that still seem to be too big for me,
I'll even let you tape ripped diapers on me with masking tape to save a few pennies...

I will do ALL of this, IF...

...you'll stop taking pictures of me when I blow boogers onto my face.

Thanks and I love you!

Love,

Mae

x___________________ (please sign on the x)

.

.

Dear Mae,

That booger picture was to show Dad what you did without needing him to use the snuffer on you. To show him the new bonus to tummy time that we realized that morning. I took the picture for Dad's eyes only and since he's the one who decided to publish it on the blog for everyone to see... well, you should definitely take that up with him.

Love you so much!

Mom

Growing Up...or Out Of

She's been so little her two months of life, but Mae finally grew out of something! -T

"My cute pink hat is too small...

...so small that these pictures don't tell you that I cried when it was yanked onto my head...
...why do only the happy pictures make it on here? This thing totally squeezes my head!"

Random Stuff That Happens

Sometimes we just don't have a "category" for random stuff that happens. Like the snow we got, "it just looks a lot like Christmas" - Lindsey. Then there's Mae who either taught herself or had Grandma Weez teach her how to hold her own bottle. Both random, but fun. -T

See..."It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."
Then Mae holds her own bottle

Lindsey comes from a Swedish background, so not only was the 13th of December Mae's 2 month birthday, but it was also Santa Lucia Day, where girls dress up in white dresses with red sashes and crowns of candles on their head. It is the Swedish tradition for girls to dress up as Santa Lucia - a blind saint who's name means "light." So...Lindsey dressed Mae up for Santa Lucia Day. -T

The crown almost even fit
She was a little more excited for this than her 2 month pictures

Swedish girl at heart maybe?
Just a happy girl

Terrific Twoooo Months

Mae hit the 2 month mark and finally is packin' on the pounds. She's almost hit that 9 lb. mark which after being so tiny for so long is great. The only bad thing is she was just kind of mellow. She wasn't in a bad mood, just like I said - extremely mellow. She wasn't in the mood to smile. -T

This was about as close as we got to a smile.

We tried really hard, but she was just happy...not smiley.

Just soakin' in her surroundings

A little bored by now
We thought maybe a change of position might help
But it produced similar results

We know that the evening time is her least happy time...
...so we were content with these

The Story of the Day With The Red Dress

It was a fun-filled day - the day we put Mae in her red dress (compliments of Megan and Claire). It started in question and ended in question, but it was all smiles (and sleep) in between (this story is not totally true, but could be, and partially is). -T

The story begins with Mom putting on the red dress in the morning before church. This is Mae saying..."Thanks, Aunt Megan and Cousin Claire...look how cute I look in this, but I don't think we can do tights AND these bloomers. Look how small I am...both make me look like I just have a loaded diaper ALL the time!"
"Haha...seriously, guys, one or the other!"

"Yeah, I know, totally clueless parents."
So, we went with the tights that were too big.
Now Mae is fully ready in her Christmas attire - dress, bow, bib, and boots!
So, being ready to go and looking beautiful - it was off to church!
I guess Mae LOVES going to church...or just looking beautiful and being seen!
Or just loves to make her parents happy!

So, we went to church and back and no one even saw her in her red dress because she slept from about 2 minutes after the above picture until about 2 mores before the next one...

And that's when she made THIS face...
We wanted SOMEONE to see her in her red dress besides us, so we took her in it to family dinner so Grandma Weez, Papa D, and the Poe's could see her.


When we returned, we realized, maybe we should have gone with the bloomers
Mae's first time putting a run in something!
...and that concludes the story of the Day With The Red Dress.

Dad Does the Bath

Lindsey usually takes care of the baths around here - I want to put her in a swimsuit if I do it. "I don't know the rules about kids and being naked..." (-Big Daddy). Anyway, I did take a turn. She seemed to still like it even when ol' Dad was in charge. Luckily, I had my coach standing behind me. -T

I was told I wasn't holding her right, but hey, her face never went under!
She's lovin' it

This might be this face "DAD! I'm freeeeezing"! face
Warm tummy time

Time for Out of Town Cousins

It's always fun for cousins to get together. With Maddie and Audrey in town, they got their first interaction with Mae. -T Thanks for the outfit, Amie...it's nice that Mae can match with someone until she has a sister of her own. -L

Becoming acquainted

Warming up

Audrey taking her time...scoping out what's next to her (I would love to know what's going through her mind)
There we go...a precious cousin moment
This might be crossing the line past precious cousin moment...but hey, at least they like each other

I guess now that they've become inseparable...where exactly does Mae end and Audrey begin?

Well these two didn't waste any time liking each other

One of those pictures that just make you smile

We've seen this before...hopefully the next picture isn't an attacking kiss

Oh good...just a GREAT picture - Maddie, Audrey, and Mae

How 'bout a boy cousin somewhere!?

THERE he is! Cameron "The Tank" Poe

(Mae's protector up to her junior year of high school)