Rave: Maddie-Mo is F-I-V-E

Today's the day--Madeline Reagan turns five. Five years ago we thought we might be having an Independence Day baby (Jeremy was hoping to flip the order of her names if so--in full blown honor of his favorite president), but I was overdue and since my OB was headed out of town on vacation, agreed to induce me on the 3rd. I told him I had a pretty fast delivery with Alex, so he told me if I could promise him to deliver as fast, he'd induce me in the morning because he was supposed to leave at 3 that afternoon. So because I aim to please, I popped Maddie out about 4 hours after they hooked me up to the juice.

We were in Jackson, Mississippi (we'd only be there about a month because we moved from Cambridge after Jeremy graduated and he was about to start his clerkship) and most of my nurses were big, chesty black women with HEAVY southern accents. They thought the name Maddie was so funny because they said they hadn't heard it before. Huh? Just remember--this was MISSISSIPPI. Nothing surprised me there. Well, almost nothing.

They have a tradition there that when you have a baby, they bring a decorated fabric wreath to hang on your hospital door. The head of the women's organization from our church, Christy, brought Maddie's and filled us in on why most of the doors looked so crazy in the maternity wing. They even have hooks on the doors just for these things. She was so proud hers was the cutest. Here it is:



Birthday--Fresh outta the womb.
Birthday--post slime removal.
First Birthday. Post-cake.
Second Birthday. Post present haze.
Third Birthday. Pre-cake. Post swimming. Love the tongue showing all the effort it took to get only those three fingers up.

Fourth Birthday. Mid-present frenzy. Going after the "BIG ONE"

This year's birthday pictures will be up soon. Today she was invited to go to the movies and McDonald's with her friend from church that shares the very same birthday. She's having a "pretend sleepover" party next week with some friends from church and ballet. Actual sleepovers are not allowed for many, many more years and not until my earplug supply is stocked.

I think she'll be super excited when she gets her presents this year. After Christmas I was cruising the clearance aisle of toys at Walmart and spotted the Loving Family Dollhouse marked down from $59 to $17. I snapped that thing up so fast--and funny enough, it was the one that comes with twins. So she'll be getting that along with a giant Hello Kitty Sticker book, a new nightgown (perfect for the party), and these fun magnetic dolls that I've heard great things about and I'm hoping will keep her quiet at church. Whispering is a foreign concept to this kid. I actually think it has to do with the fact that she spent the first 9 months of her life with constant ear infections...until she got tubes. LOVED THE TUBES.

So happy b-day Maddie--the five year old that thinks she's fifteen.