Dedication

Madelyn was dedicated at our church, Mosaic, this past Sunday evening. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with baby dedication, it's a very informal but meaningful ceremony when we commit as parents and as a church community to raise a child to know the Lord and follow Jesus. Both sets of grandparents were there as well as great-auntie Cheryl and many of Maddie's honorary aunties and uncles within our church. We also shared the celebration with our dear friends Took and Jeff who had their little guy Max dedicated as well. Those two seemed to know that it was their night! Just before we all walked up on stage, Max started babbling. Maddie turned directly to him and answered right back, and for about the next three minutes, they were just talking talking talking, looking right at each other. Of course, it was when the pastor was talking so it was quiet enough for everyone to hear. I think they just wanted to give a little testimonial before being officially dedicated :) So cute!

New Year, New Tricks

Well, 2008 has gotten off to a very good start for the Olmsted's. Our little joy is four months old, and we fall more and more in love with her every day. Madelyn has quite the little personality! It seems she learns something new every week and then spends every waking minute of her day practicing her new tricks. Let's see: she knows how to squeal and screech (truly ear piercing...we've literally had to leave the table at restaurants because she was so loud!); she blows bubbles with her mouth; she scrunches up her nose and does this little huffing sound; she bounces and bounces in her "jumperoo;" she rolls from her tummy to her back; she gives kisses (just have a tissue handy...they're juicy!); and she reaches for objects and can almost always pick them up and get them to her mouth (in fact, when she sees something she wants, her mouth opens first and then she tries to grab at it!) She is such a happy little girl. Life is so fun for us right now. We just sit around and watch her and make fools of ourselves trying to make her smile and laugh. We think we remember having lovely, meaningful conversations before she entered our lives but we can't at all remember what they were about. Now, all we do is talk about her and try to imitate her adorable little expressions and sounds. Proud? Smitten? Completely :)


I should probably also mention that I returned to work on December 28th...quite an adjustment for all of us. I am extremely blessed to have gotten a part-time position in my same office working with the same fabulous people and even more blessed to have my mom coming to my home to watch Maddie while I'm away. I know... absolutely nothing to complain about! And I don't complain. I am so grateful for my job and for my mom's willingness to sacrifice her free time to help us care for our daughter. I never worry about Madelyn while I'm at work. But I do miss her profoundly. I really thought that I would need and appreciate a couple of days away from the home each week to continue pursuing my career, but I don't. Not at all, in fact. I enjoy my job and we need my job right now, so I'm very thankful. But I have to be honest and say that I look forward to the day when I can stay at home full time with Madelyn and any other little one God wants to bless us with!

By the way, Grandpa B. has added a new nickname to the list: Bugtussle. Somehow, it just totally fits her little personality!

Much love,
Kim

Maddie's First Christmas!

Ok, so I know I'm terribly late getting these photos posted, but things have been a bit crazy around our house lately. I turned 29 on December 12th...my last year in my twenties! Wild! Christmas came, like, a minute later and we had quite the social calendar, although Kurt and I joke that we were only invited to so many gatherings because we also happen to be Maddie's chauffeurs. Having nearly all of our extended family close by is such a blessing, but it also means a very busy holiday. Thankfully, we love all of our family and genuinely enjoy spending time with everyone. Of course, this year was especially fun with Madelyn in our midst. She was such a trooper and had smiles and coos for everyone. She was too young, obviously, to really get what was going on around her, but she was ultra alert and wide-eyed, taking in all of the faces, lights, presents, and food (she's going to eagerly welcome solid foods, we can just tell!).

All of the family and presents and decorations and treats were wonderful, as always, but having an infant really made this Christmas especially poignant for Kurt and me. After all, Christmas is all about babies, or one baby rather. I watched my daughter on Christmas Eve as she slept in my arms and imagined what it must've been like for Mary so many years ago...it wasn't at all difficult. We didn't have a manger or any barnyard animals at the Olmsted house (thank God), but the absolutely unconditional love and wonder and thankfulness you feel when you are holding your very own little child is transcendent of time, culture, race, class, and religion. For that reason, it's been the best Christmas we've had thus far.

We pray your holiday season was equally as wonderful, and best wishes for 2008!!

Much love,
Kim