Just got her first car!

Mike and I talked it over, and we decided that we might as well just go ahead and get Maddie a car now so we wouldn't have to do it later. This one should be good right up until college, I think. It was advertised as "Grows with your baby!", so we just have to make the crucial decision on when to take the foot plate out. That is what turns the toy from 'Step 1' to 'Step 2'. I don't want her jumping in over her head. Twelve years old I think. That should be a perfect time. Right before puberty, so she will love me because I am allowing her a right of passage. Yeah, I think we've got it all planned out...

Forgot One!

I forgot to add this video to the mix, but it's so cute I had to put it up on it's own. :)

She's Walking!

I finally got it together and spliced some more video together! I've had a lot of requests for Maddie walking, so I put some walking, jogging, rocking, and tooth-brushing in this one! The only thing missing is dancing, which I don't have on tape yet. The clip in there of the tooth brushing is actually her first time. I thought she did quite well with it!
Maddie has gotten very cuddly in her old age too. In the clip where Mike is asking for a kiss, Maddie now offers kisses freely...ESPECIALLY to her Daddy! It is a different side of Mike that comes out when he is around Maddie - a side of him that would be secret forever if not for his daughter. Mike walks through the front door, sees Maddie in her high chair, and is instantly transformed from serious law enforcer to whatever it takes to make Maddie smile. Tonight, it was a high-pitched, balancing-on-one-leg-while-hopping picture of sillyness. Wen Maddie finished her dinner, they were wallowing around on the ground together - BOTH of them having fun building teetering towers of pink and green blocks. It's amazing and beautiful what a baby inspires in her Dad.
O.K. Enough of the mush! In other news, Mike and I have been learning to surf. Mike is learning a bit faster than me, but I'm o.k. with that. Maddie and I get lots of sand-castle-building time! (which actually translates into Maddie stuffing sand in her diaper every time I turn my head)
Other than these things, there is not too much new going on. We had a great visit from the Edster (Ed), a friend from Maryland. So much fun! Like everyone else that I know, I've started in on trying to convince Ed to move out here. :) Next will be my cousin, Dee, and her boyfriend, AND THEN....

KEN AND MICHELLE'S WEDDING!!!

See you soon!

Finally! An Update! :)

It was recently pointed out to me by SEVERAL people that I have fallen gravely behind on my blog updates. Alas, Maddie is now not only walking, but RUNNING from one sharp object to the next. She is so much fun, and at the same time she is two full handfulls!
So now for the story-by-picture. :)
Maddie has recently been working on feeding herself. Can you tell that she likes eating?

Being new to the whole big people foods thing, she sometimes gets herself into a bind...

And then there is the complicated issue of spoons. Spoonwork is much easier if you sort of shovel the yogurt into your mouth...with your tongue as a bridge in case any cheerios try to escape.

And once you get the hang of that technique, you'll graduate to the really-wide-open-mouth technique:

She ate that entire bowl of yogurt! I didn't get any pictures of the final project though. I hear you, Readers. You are saying, "I don't believe you, Jenny. Maddie is toothless. There is no way she chewed Cheerios and chomped on apples!" Well, think again! Maddie is now the proud owner of SIX sparkly white teeth:

What else can she do with those teeth, you might be asking (but you probably aren't, since you, having your own teeth, know what they're good for. Humor me though, I was making a transition) Those teeth are good for word-making (aka-talking)! Maddie likes to read to me:

First though, she needs to bring me the book:

Then, she has to get comfy:

Then, she can start the reading:

When she is done, she has to thank all the fans who came to listen to her read. Generally, this includes myself and Sparkles:

Finally, Maddie is free to reach for her trusty sippy cup to wet her whistle after a long and intensive public speaking session:

And that is the end of the McDonald's Story-by-Pictures! Hope you enjoyed, and hopefully I'll be able to get back on my monthly updating schedule. :)

PS- For the record, I love that you all care enough to check the blog, despite the lapse in updates. You are awesome!