15 THINGS ABOUT MJ.

I thought I would tell my family that has never met MJ a little about her.

1. She learned to sit up on her own this week. Watching a baby sit up for me is a new thing, Sierra was always moving so much she never could figure out how to sit.

2. Her favorite toy in the world is her red phone. The other day she had it while we were walking through the store and she was holding it tightly in her fist and shaking it and laughing. We always have it close. The saddest is the toy isn't really church appropriate.

3. She is best little napper. She naps twice a day for two hours each time. I kiss her on the cheek and leave. Occasionally she fusses a little bit, but lately she has just closed her eyes and gone to sleep.

4. She loves fabric all types and textures. If you give her a rag or a blanket she will run her little fingers all over it, lay on it, put it in her mouth and just explore it anyway she can.

5. She won't go to sleep without music. She won't stay asleep without music. She typically wakes up once a night and sleeps for two hours each nap. She will wake up every hour if you forget to set the radio on repeat.




6. Her favorite things is to sit on my lap watch the news and don't tell anyone, eat chocolate chips. Yes, she loves them. I only let her have a couple at a time and have only broken them out on a few occasions but she goes nuts.

7. She can get anywhere she wants to go lately. She wants to be down on the ground moving around. Last week she scooted under the pew until she hit Melanie's feet. She picked her up and held her for a few minutes, which leads to number eight.

8. She only lasted a few minutes because she is obsessed with her mother. She screams when I leave the room at home (I am sure in part because she is afraid her sister will try to pick her up and help her walk again.). She screams when anyone tries to hold her. My friends Joy and Bethany have cared for her and watched her more than any of my other friends and she still screams when they take her.

9. Her favorite game is to rest her head on my chest until I say, "Ahhhh." Then she will pop her head up and smile and then do it again.

10. She loves paper. You could give her the world just by putting her on the floor in front of some paper. She goes nuts. The only problem is a lot of it ends up in her mouth. It gets all soggy and she starts to choke. You have to be careful when you want her to indulge in the luxury of her favorite thing.

12. Everyone who sees her has the first comment of, "Wow, she looks a lot like her father." I am not a hundred percent convinced but I do see a lot of Nate in her face.

13. Madison has been give a lot of nick names. We call her Miss Matters, MJ, Matters, Maddie Moo, Mattertons, Madison-po-radison (When she is being awesome.), Madison-po-badison (When she being ornery.), Mads and of course Madison. I have the next title for my next children's book. Tessie Su, Maddie Lou, and Katie too.

14. This year we had three Craven girl grandbabies born in the same year. This is the first time more than one grandbaby was born in a year and we have three, all girls. MJ has two girl cousins her same age and grade in school. Names are Madison, Tessie and Kate.

15. NUMBER ONE REALLY. MJ loves her sister. She watches her like a hawk. She can't even focus on nursing when her sister is in the room. Sometimes I have to send CC to her her room while I feed MJ. She can get her to laugh those hard belly laughs like no one else can. Right now MJ is in her play gym and Sierra is walking forward a few feet and turning her head sharply toward MJ and laughing, and MJ is laughing. They won't go to sleep when I put them in their room together, at the same time. Sierra will read to MJ or jump on her bed, so MJ can see her. Sometimes I will let it go on for hours, because I think it is so cute, but I always regret it later. MJ will get so overtired because CC will entertain her until she breaks and her laughter turns into ballistic screams.