Dear Madelyn,

In the 15th month of Miss Madelyn's rule
On the 3rd of July, an evening especially cool
Madelyn was whining, and patting my thigh
apparently by the clock, bedtime had gone by
But Madelyn stopped crying, when Dad came around
He picked her up and hugged her, and she further made no sound...

I started this letter to you in prose of Horton Hears a Who b/c I can't accentuate to you enough how much you LOVE this movie. You watch it at least twice a day, sometimes more...and even though your Dad and I haven't ever really sat through and watched the entire thing...we are constantly quoting it. We even watch it in the car now...hoping that it would deter your car sickness you still have problems with...but even Horton and Mayor McDodd couldn't help with that.

Your personality is huge Child, seriously. You are dramatic...flying into fake tears and throwing yourself into Dad's arms when I have hurt your feelings (generally by telling you 'no' for doing something like chewing on the computer mouse). You act dejected...really...actually slumping your little shoulders and shuffling your feet when you are told you need to get in your high chair to eat. You mimic like a little mockingbird...laughs and gestures...but you also know things...earlier this evening out of nowhere you bit my knee, and as I cried out (mostly out of dramatics, but to get the point across that you shouldn't bite) you leaned down into my knee again and kissed it (twice) to make it better. And it was better.

You are a kissy girl...and we love it. You freely give your kisses...that will be a habit that as you get older I'll have to caution you out of little one! But for now...we're enjoying it!

You sing...and what you are singing..we have no idea where you got it...you'll break into little bursts of "I doooooooooo, I dooooooooo"...it's one of the funniest things we've ever seen. Unfortunately anytime you are singing, or cracking up and I pull out the camera to get a quick video of it, you clam up. You might have the flare for the dramatics, but you are a bit camera shy!

We're really looking forward to your second 4th of July tomorrow! Last year the sparks and sounds mesmerized you...I'm hopeful it will again this year and that they won't scare you! Your Dad and I have been hard at work selling fireworks this year, and once it's all wrapped up...you get a Toys-R-Us trip....I think Dad is looking forward to it more than you are though!

"A person's a person, no matter how small"-it's so true....especially with you Baby, you are small, but you have the biggest personality and the biggest love for everyone you meet....and we can't tell you enough how much we love you.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Grabbing Granny's (Nan-Nan's) fingers through the gate, this one was just too sweet not to include.

Cracking up in the floor (sleep deprived, I think).

This was taken as you were barrelling down the hall and barely missed the end table. Whew!

Licking cupcake frosting off of your fingers.

VERY happy with your 'cuh-cake' and strawberries...but then again ...you are happy alot of the time!!!