|signs|

we haven't given madeline any new signs. it seems that she is inventing her own, though. she has invented "wash hands" and "bottle" and one that i am deciphering as "water".

i think she is meaningfully saying "dada" at this point. the rest of the babble doesn't seem to have a purpose that i can make out.

i am surprised at how much she understands when we speak to her. she probably thinks we're the slow ones.

everything is new and wonderful. sitting through church has good and bad days. the last church we went to had a silent mass, which made the mass shorter. the church we go to now doesn't have a silent mass, so we just go to the earliest one and hope that madeline can make it through the hour. it's a small church, but they have a very pretty little fountain in the lobby, so sometimes madeline and i will go visit it if she gets too cranky. today, she did really well -she was even dancing a little to the music.

she takes about 4 or 5 steps, now. i think that by her birthday she will be toddling about. speaking of birthdays... all three of our birthdays are within one week! obviously, her birthday will always be at the forefront. i don't mind being shadowed by her; i'm a wallflower by nature -but i think matt wishes his birthday could still just be about him. i will have to think hard about how to make him feel special. it is easy to forget that he is having a birthday, too.

madeline is turning one... oh my... and we are turning 30! hm. it's a bit late to plan anything big -and i've been so swamped at work lately that it's a miracle i have any clean socks to wear. i need ideas for a party!