As I've mentioned before, books have been an important part of our daily routine from the beginning. In fact, I don't believe a day has gone by over the past ten months without turning the pages of a sweet story

I bought Madeline her first book months before she was even in my belly- a board book version of Guess How Much I Love You. In the throws of fertility treatments, this purchase served as a reminder of the little one that would eventually come, and the memories we would someday create as a family. Today, that book will forever remind me of that strange time in our life.

Books are funny like that- serving as symbols of various events throughout our lives. Over the past several months I can think of countless examples: The Poky Little Puppy will always remind me of the time my six month old sat patiently while I read the entire book to her (and that's a long one, folks); Giraffes Can't Dance will always conjur giggles as I remember my husband's rendition; I will forever think of Valentine's Day when I see You Are My Sunshine; and Bathtime Peekaboo will always make me nostalgic for the first time my mother read to my daughter.

And the truth is, no matter how many books one has in their library- there is always room fore more stories; more memories to be made.

Before I had MM, I really wasn't a fan of all the primary-colored plastic toys out there.  Aesthetically, they're pretty hard to look at, and at the time, there was something super cheesy about them to me. I think I had envisioned an earthy, neutral-toned playroom filled with wooden toys a la Melissa + Doug.

I'm guilty of it- I let my baby use my cell phone. I won't plop her down with it during the day, but I will use it in a pinch- most often when we are out and her normal toys are no longer keeping her entertained. With some research, I found there are actually a lot of fun, educational apps out there for baby.

I know, I know- Maddie is only seven months old {today, ah!} so what do I know about kid shows, anyways? Truth be told, I've been a fan of cartoons for a while.