Sweet Maddie Rose

Fall Farms & Pumpkin Patches

2011-10-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Maddie getting ready for a trip to the pumpkin patch

School trip to Gizdich Ranch

Time to learn about how pumpkins grow and sing lots of songs

Maddie's request: "Row, Row, Row da Boat"

Singing along to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Climbing on the tractor with her schoolmates and friend Greta

Lunch at the farm -- so much cuteness

Next, a trip to Rodoni farms to pick pumpkins on an unbelievably beautiful 80 degree October day. Here's Maddie riding with friend Parker

Fun with farm pipes!

With Daddy in "da cave"

Flying!

..just a cute pic

Vacation!

2011-10-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to escort Maddie on her first cruise. Here are some highlights:

Maddie taking in the view of Land's End (Cabo) from the balcony

Admiring a statue of Ariel, The Little Mermaid

With Pluto and cousin Zach during a Character Breakfast

With Zach in new matching PJ's (courtesy of Auntie Lorie)

Exhausted!

Getting ready for the Pirate Dinner!

With Daddy & Dada after the Pirate Dinner

Maddie, Zach & Nana

A trip to Gilroy Gardens

2011-05-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

We took a quick day trip to a local kiddie-oriented garden theme park today. Maddie, fearless as ever, wanted to go on EVERYTHING we'd allow. Here's a little proof:

With Daddy on the Ferris Wheel:

On the Merry-Go-Round:

Racing!

Driving a fire truck: (Funny story: see the truck in front of Maddie? The little girl in the back had to share with her sister and stayed in a hunched position for the entire ride.)

On the Flying Balloons:

Again on the Merry-Go-Round:

Road Trip! (yet another)

2011-05-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

We recently received the ultimate gift: two weeks off of work (OK, a little work). After Maddie's dads took some long awaited time alone, we returned to pick up our little wonder from her Nana & Papa and Auntie L who spoiled her rotten, headed home, and headed right out again.

Following are a few pics from our road trip to Sonoma..

Maddie by the pool ("be a dear and fetch me a drink"):

In the pool, where my fearlessness was a bit worrisome for dada and daddy:

Cozy following a post-swim shower:

Penguin feeding at the Zoo!

..finally, in the petting zoo:

We had a great time, and are trying to keep it going, leaving this morning for a day trip to a local kiddie amusement park.

More Holiday Pics

2011-05-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Some more December/Holiday Pictures:

With Cousins Taylor, Katie, Aaron & Zachary @ Nana & Papa's house:

With cousins Bridgett and Megan @ Aunt Mary's:

Presents!

Another Present!

Watching gorillas @ the L.A. Zoo with cousin Zach:

With Cousin Megan @ the L.A. Zoo:

December 2010

2011-05-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the complete lack of updates! Here are some pics from December of last year:

Maddie in an outfit from our friends R&M:

Cookie Party:

More Cookie Party!

With Daddy in the snow:

Fun in the tub:

Look, pa: No Cast!

2010-11-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Two weeks after Maddie's arm went into a splint, we heard the news we were hoping for -- she wouldn't need to have a plaster cast. Phew! Here's a pose showing off her healthy arm:

She's back to her little monkey ways: climbing, running, tickling and giggling all day long.

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-01T09:06:00.001-07:00

Maddie had a fantastic Halloween! As I type this, she's walking around saying "tick-uh-teet". We'd hoped that she would love her Pebbles costume as much as us, but she didn't want anything to do with either a bone in her hair or carrying a bone. So, she ended up as a hybrid Pebbles-Punker. She quickly learned what it was all about though, and had a unique way of getting candy: After receiving her first piece, she'd just stand there waiting for more. ..and more. ..and more.

An unfortuntate and not-so-great look.

2010-10-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

This past Monday Maddie fell down and bit through her upper lip. ..all the way through the skin below the outer portion. The lip started to look better on Thursday.

Then while running from one end of the couch to the other, she tripped, fell to the floor, and did this:

We're headed back to the Doctor first thing on Monday to see if we go to a permanent cast or if she can stay in this temporary splint for a shorter time. Keep your fingers crossed.

She's got the look..

2010-10-19T20:52:00.001-07:00

We REALLY like to see Maddie all dressed up in her different outfits. ..and thanks to her cousin's hand-me-downs and a recent visit from Nana and Papa, Maddie's turning into a bit of a clotheshorse. We thought we'd capture some of her "looks":

Pretty in pink:

"The Sophisticate" (probably ordering one of us around):

Ready to go see her favorite band:

Ready to tour with her favorite band:

Sweet in purple and white:

Gettin' urban in her puffy coat and pink boots:

"The roughneck" -- wanna knuckle sandwich?

Gettin' her geek on:

A bit dressy for picking her ultimate pumpkin:

Totally 80's:

Summery in the park:

More to come..

Camping @ Sparge!

2010-09-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Some quick pics from our camping trip this past weekend, which will surely be an annual event (as it has been for Maddie's daddy Randall for the past 10 years..) You may notice Maddie's really (REALLY) into making funny faces these days.

With My Dad Vinnie

In the tent!

Another tent pic (with a favorite silly face)

Crazy about this tiny camping chair!

Trying to get in on some gaming

Relaxing in the river

Finally a few warm days.

2010-08-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

This has been an extraordinarily chilly summer here in Santa Cruz, with temperatures barely hitting the 70's for the bulk of the past three months. Until this week.

Maddie decided to don her sunglasses, hat, and swimsuit, and get outside. Here are a few pics:

At the beach watching the waves:

On top of the slide!

On the jetty at the S.C. harbor:

Pointing out a favorite flower while cruising through a friends garden:

Swing!

We're learning the need to get Maddie active EVERY DAY. She's got a lot of energy to burn, and it's hard to keep up!

No more high chair?

2010-08-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

This morning we sat Maddie in her booster chair. What happened? She ate her breakfast like a champ, using a fork, grown-up plate, and no bib.

..is it time to get rid of the high chair?

Summertime!

2010-07-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Another lengthy delay between posts because we've been busy running around enjoying summertime! Some shots of our activities:

With my dad at the park:

With my favorite Giraffe!

Shoes! I. Love. Shoes.

In my kiddie pool:

With dad at a concert in the park:

More to come later..

Higher Ground

2010-05-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

Maddie's not content to only add walking to her list of accomplishments this week, and decided to tackle climbing, which she mastered this morning. She's very proud of herself, as seen in the final "victory" shot below:

Nothing's safe now!

And she's off. (Walking, that is)

2010-05-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today Maddie made her usual trip to Tuesday morning Sing-a-long class. As her dad took her out of the stroller she simply stood up and walked away. She walked right passed the sitting area, made a lap of the room, and then walked right out the door.

She walked back at home, to see several different neighbors, and again on cue for this video.

Who flipped the switch?

Maddie's First Birthday

2010-04-29T08:14:00.001-07:00

It seems impossible, but here we are at Maddie's first birthday. To mark this milestone, and celebrate what has to be the best year of our lives, we planned a little garden party. Following several weeks of cloudy skies the sun came out and we spent the afternoon outside eating, visiting and singing happy birthday to our little girl. For her part, Maddie was smiling, laughing, and throughout the day remained as cute as ever.

Here's Maddie with a very special cake baked by a very special friend:

Maddie with special guests Papa and Nana and her dads:

..and another special guest, Maddie's cousin Zach:

Beautiful flowers by our great friend Maggie:

TONS of food and even more flowers!

With Nana, Papa, Auntie Lori and cousin Zach:

With the the Schwartz family:

Friends!

More friends!

Of course, a little tackling and playing around (some of the boys were actually *in* the fireplace!) in what has become known as "the playroom" .

A very special birthday card from cousin Megan.

Finally, Maddie in a quiet moment, reflecting on the day and thankful for so much happiness.

Thanks to all who helped to make this year and this day so amazing.

So close.

2010-03-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Wanna see Maddie on the verge of walking? Watch this:

Spring and Sunshine

2010-03-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived and our little girl is happy to finally get outside, crawl around, and see all the blooming flowers!

Posing in a little spring dress with matching purple shoes.

Daddy! Look at all these flowers!

JOY!

And then there's this one slightly odd thing: Maddie now thinks she's a cat:

Hangin' with my cuz.

2010-02-18T09:36:00.001-08:00

Maddie had a great weekend of "lots" with Auntie Lori and cousin Zach: ..lots of stuff, lots of noise, lots of food, lots of laughs, and lots of love!

Here, Zach giving Maddie a little hug: (we're working on cleaning up the pic!)

Maddie & Zach playing piano:

Zach out on a hike in the Santa Cruz mountains:

Zach & Mom on the tire swing:

..with Uncle Randall in Maddie's play tent:

Milestones

2010-02-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Our copy of "What to Expect: The First Year" says that at 9 months, most babies should be able to point, wave, and clap. We've been trying to capture each but for some reason the waving and pointing don't happen when we have the camera out. Instead, we have two quick videos. The first shows her clapping, and the second shows Maddie feeding herself lunch a few days ago (with a brief finger pointing somewhere in the middle).

Clapping:

Feeding herself:

..we'll try to upload more videos if we can get any!

Sometimes Maddie's no so happy..

2010-02-04T11:17:00.001-08:00

The other day we noticed that all of Maddie's pics were smiling, happy, and picture perfect. ..but Maddie doesn't always smile and laugh. Sometimes events happen that cause her to stick out her lower lip, take a deep breath, and let out a huge wail. ..and while we feel bad for her, as when she was complaining a couple days ago about her latest new teeth, we also think it can be awfully cute and finally decided to document it:

The first pic follows the first wail:

This second pic shows a stage two wail (head thrown back for dramatic effect) which essentially communicates: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT CAMERA WHEN I OBVIOUSLY NEED COMFORTING!!"

We have no doubt that she'll use these pics against us in the future!

Lather, rinse, repeat.

2010-01-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

A few pics from Maddie in her bath today. A bath usually follows 4 steps: 1) Get in and play with toys while splashing water over as much of the bathroom as possible; 2) Washing of hair and other bits so they're sparkly clean; 3) the dreaded hair rinse; and a few more minutes of play before 4) Heading back to her room for some lotion, a fresh nappy, and some clean clothes.

Step 1)

Step 2)

Step 3 -- (we opted to post the "after" shot so you wouldn't call CPS)

Step 4 -- we wish we had a clearer shot, but couldn't leave out a pic of her wet head and her zany hair)

We forgot the "true" first step, which is where we undress her and run around the house screaming "NAKED BABY!" "NAKED BABY!".

Good day, sunshine (for a couple hours)

2010-01-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

It's been quite wet in Santa Cruz for the past few weeks, so we decided to head to the beach during a quick break in the storms to catch a brief bit of sun. Maddie loved it, and was fascinated by the waves breaking on the jetty.

That's it. Just a quickie post between naptime and lunch!

Here, there, everywhere.

2010-01-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

This past Monday (or, just 5 short days ago) we posted an update about Maddie's first crawl. Since then, she's pretty much found every corner of the house, as seen in the following pics:

Cruising through the kitchen:

Whee, Dad! I found the Martini pitchers and wine racks!

Rounding the corner into the kitchen after being dropped in the living room 15 seconds prior (she's soooo pleased with herself)

Perhaps the scariest and most surprising new trick is that she can pull herself up to her knees, giving her a bunch of new wrecking capabilities. Loads of books, knick-knacks, knives, guns, broken glass shards, explosives, poisons, and other no-no's have been moved to higher ground.

Note the evil "just wait!" look in her eyes..

***UPDATE*** Less than 5 minutes after publishing this post, Maddie suffered her first crawling "incident": She fell forward and bit her lip. A little boo-boo, some love, and she's right back at it.

Crawling Creature

2010-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today, after placing Maddie on the floor and looking away for a few seconds, it appeared that She'd magically (and quickly) made her way some 10 feet across the carpet. So we tried placing the object of her desire, a magazine, about 10 feet away from her once more, only this time we happened to remember the camera! ..here's what we shot:

So fun!

More Holidays..

2010-01-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

Following Hanukkah in Santa Cruz, Maddie dragged us down to LA to see her Cousins Aunts, Uncles, Nana, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, and lots of good friends.

Happy Holidays!!

With my Dad on Christmas morning in my beautiful dress!

Maddie amidst all her loot on the left ..although she seemed more interested in the bows and wrapping than the actual gifts, which'll probably change once she starts playing with them. On the right we see Maddie with cousins Megan and Rachel watching Bridget open gifts.

Here's Maddie with her Nana, Papa, and Cousins Taylor, Kaitlynn, Aaron, and Zachary.

Play it, sista..

2009-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

A quickie post today. ..and a thank you to our most generous friends who stopped by and loaned this piano to Maddie (not to mention so many other things -- including the sorting toy that Maddie's turned into her Piano stool):

And of course, a couple pics of Maddie with her favorite new doll, "Madeline":

Hanukkah

2009-12-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Maddie's first Hanukkah has been wonderful. She's mesmerized by the candles, and loves tearing the wrapping off gifts. Unfortunately she then plays more with the wrapping than the actual gifts, but we're hoping that will change, because she's received tons of stuff! Too bad she's too little to eat the homemade rugelah, cookies and latkes that have been around for the past few days.

Some of Maddie's Holiday Pics, which you may see in your mailbox in the next few days/weeks:

Here's a pic of Maddie sitting amongst her "loot":

..and a couple more: On the left showing off her wrap-ripping talents (with her new "Madeline doll" next to her, and on the right playing with a mobile that made it's way all the way from Prague just for her.

Fall!

2009-12-03T16:09:00.001-08:00

We've been settling into fall, and enjoyed an amazing and particularly thankful Thanksgiving feast. While we haven't been so good with the camera lately (or with the blog updates) we did manage to get a few bits to post:

First, Maddie on Thanksgiving:

Second, Maddie a few days later just before going to "Infant-Sing-Along" at the library. Note the two brand new teeth!

Just for fun, a little video of Maddie playing peek-a-boo with daddy behind the camera! We're thrilled to have found this trick for getting her to hold a giggle when a camera's around. Better yet, it allowed us to capture the elusive fang coming breaking through her upper gum:

That's it for now! ..more to come.

Attack of The Spider Queen!!

2009-11-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

This is a strange but true story.

Shortly before Halloween a deceptively cute but devilishly dangerous spider showed up in our neighborhood. Unsure of what to do, everyone in the neighborhood watched and waited to see what she would do. Here we see a few courageous people getting a closer look.

Very strange spider, indeed!

Then to our surprise (and horror!) she just showed up on our living room floor!

She also had strange powers, and we decided that she must be some sort of Spider Queen, as she summoned two giant fly servants to her side.

She made them do her evil bidding and even had the flies (which she named Vinnie and Randall) pick her up and carry her in a very royal fashion.

Things seemed to be going well. Nobody was getting hurt. Then it all changed as her minions slowly started to descend, covering our house!

Very quickly, The Queen lured her fly servants to her giant web, made them pose for a picture, and then she ate them.

The end.

Six Months!

2009-10-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Simply said, these past six months have been among the best we've ever known. We couldn't be more in love with Maddie or a happier family.

Here's a small slideshow we put together of some memorable moments and milestones shared with friends and family!

If you would like to download a full-screen high quality version (12.4 MB) please click here to download. Note: requires QuickTime, which you can get for free, here.

Tooth!

2009-10-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Maddie has a tooth!

We'd post a picture but that requires a) holding her hands/arms, b) pulling her lower lip down and c) pushing her tongue back in her mouth -- she loves to rub it over her new tooth.

So, no pic. Just a story about a single, sharp little tooth sticking about a millimeter above her gum.

So cute.

Yum, Yum, Yum!

2009-10-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

We've mentioned that Maddie has NEVER HAD A PROBLEM with food. She loves to eat, and has loved exploring new flavors and textures (OK -- not so many new textures -- basically mush). But it 's still all great fun! This pic demonstrates that nicely:

She also began eating in her new high chair, looking, as cousin C called it, "like a space baby". I completely agree, in a Space-Baby-Meets-Giddy-Cutie kinda way;

By the way, Maddie now weighs in at over 19 pounds. Big girl. Big, smiling, lovable girl.

It's been a while, but Maddie's sittin' pretty!

2009-10-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Funny how the blog falls to the side when things get busy!

A quick update on what's been going on in Maddie's life for the past few weeks: Maddie's been enjoying rice cereal and is now excitedly devouring every little bit we make for her. Later today she'll try bananas for the first time!

Unfortunately Maddie's also coming off a bout of RSV, a virus that causes coughing and wheezing for several weeks. After a trip to our terrific doctors, and a few follow up sessions of inhaled medication, she's just about clear. Of course, she never lost her easy going nature the entire time. Smiling, cooing, and interacting more than ever.

..and sitting up! Turns out Maddies' off-the-charts size hasn't kept her from tackling all sorts of physical milestones, and in the past few days she's been loving sitting and seeing the world from a new perspective. She does topple over quite a bit, but as the following video shows she giggles right through just about anything.

Here are a few more fun shots of her toppling over:

AND, Maddie's getting her hair back. ..coming in much lighter than the dark brown she carried into the world. Her head feels so downy soft that we can't keep our hands off her.

Thanks for checking in. ..we'll try to keep our updates a little more regular!

aah, Sonoma.

2009-09-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Change is in the air. ..and a little stress.

Maddie (again) decided she needed a little trip, and directed us to "take her away", which we did.

Wine country seemed ideal, so we headed up in time to catch the Sonoma Farmer's Market Tuesday evening The SFM is really more of a community event that other towns might see only once a year. Thousands of people on blankets in the park, kids running around, live jazz & movies, and of course, wine everywhere. Add perfect weather, time by the pool, and you have what could be one of our best trips ever. Which is how we took one of our best pictures ever:

Can't leave out a couple pics of Maddie & Vinnie by the pool (love the polka dot dress!).

Finally, a few more pics from our epic evening at the Farmer's market:

FEED ME!

2009-09-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Like many baby related events, our foray into food was much more fun for Vince & Randall than it was for Maddie, who as usual just cruised along in her always happy way, unaware of the importance of what was happening.

That's OK. We took plenty of pics and a few videos so we can embarrass her in the future! Here's a favorite:

..and if you're a true fan, here are a couple of quick videos:

Off the charts!!

2009-08-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from a conversation during Maddie's 4 month checkup, which happened earlier today:

Nurse: Looks like Maddie's evenly above the 95th percentile for height, weight, AND head size.

Randall: At least she's still on the charts!

Nurse: Not really. She actually is off the charts, which don't go past the 95th percentile. ..but at least she's proportional!

So goes another appointment. ..A bit later, the Doctor shared another funny fact: Maddie is in the 50th percentile for a 9 month old!

Here's a pic of Maddie on the scale, weighing in at 17 pounds, 13 ounces. BTW, she's also now 27 1/4 inches tall!

And here's a pic of Maddie smiling and chatting with her doctor.

The only bad part: 2 shots, which incurred a quick 5 minute cry, followed by a nice nap and a trip to Whole Foods to buy rice cereal (and a cupcake for Vinnie) so Maddie can begin solid foods!

Rub a dub dub, it's Maddie in the Tub!

2009-08-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

There's NOTHING better at taking Maddie's mind off the mean teeth pushing up through her gums than a raucous time in the tub. ..not sure if she "gets" that she's actually the one responsible for all that splashing, but it sure is fun to watch. Especially when she breaks out in laughter without any encouragement.

Enjoy the video!

She's on a Roll!

2009-08-21T09:26:00.001-07:00

..been a while since our last post, as life's been especially busy, especially fun, and we're loving every minute of it.

After a couple weeks worth of push-ups, Maddie surprised us yesterday by rolling from her tummy to her back. Now she can't get enough, and rolls her chubby little body again and again. Here's a quick look:

Getaway!

2009-07-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a girl needs a break. Too many visitors, too much attention, paparazzi coming out from everywhere. What's a girl to do? ..hit the pool.

And that's exactly what Maddie did. Taking her dads along for the ride, we holed up in an undisclosed location and lounged poolside for several days. No phones, no email (not really), and no worries. Perfect.

Here we see Maddie in one of her "summer looks", lounging around on a favorite blanket.

Below we find Maddie & Daddy Randall just after a dip. Sorry, no pics of Daddy Vince in this post, but somebody's got to take the pictures!

Twelve Weeks and Growing (and Growing!!)

2009-06-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

Vince, Randall, Sarah, and even our OB all expected Maddie to arrive packing around 7 pounds. Maddie had other plans, arriving at 9.1, losing half a pound, and quickly (very quickly) working her way right on up to 15 pounds at 12 weeks. Maddie's a girl who likes her food! Here she is at her slightly late two month checkup, first on the scale, and then with her great pediatrician.

The good news is that there's really no downside to her eating. ..and she'd been sleeping longer and longer through the night until her 13th week when she started to actually SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT! ..something we're certainly grateful for.

We're also grateful for her wonderful disposition, which gives us the opportunity to play dress-up with her and have no (almost) complaints!

Fathers' Day!

2009-06-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

Father's day, June 21st, was as good as it gets. Maddie and her dads Vinnie & Randall spent the day in the park, munching on loads of delicacies (including feet, toes, a cheek or two, etc.), sipping wine, and generally enjoying a perfect day. We snapped a few pics with our little camera so the quality isn't as good as it should be, but these should capture the mood:

Maddie with Daddy Randall

Maddie with Daddy Vinnie

We arrived home from the park to learn that Maddie had a special surprise for us. This beautifully framed quote by Gabriel Garcia Marque was waiting along with a card and a gift certificate to one of our favorite local restaurants, all from Maddie (sort of -- our great friends Ralph & Maggie kinda sorta helped her out, so thanks to them!).

Road Trip! ..Part Two

2009-06-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

The biggest event of our trip, and the catalyst for the trip in the first place, was a "Meet Maddie" party hosted Randall's parents (Nana & Papa). Maddie was a trooper, and was a cute as ever whilst being poked, prodded, tickled, squeezed, and generally put on display.

Big thanks to Nana & Papa for working so hard to get the house and gardens ready for their guests, and also for the food, which you can see (in part) here behind them. ..good deli food in Santa Cruz is pretty much nonexistent, so we dig in whenever possible.

Below is a picture of us with Randall's mom and three Aunts, Esther, Madeline, & Helen. If you haven't met them in person, they really do look that similar. They also jump in whenever there's a family event. In this case, all showing up carrying their best dishes and eager to plant some kisses on little Maddie.

Cousins Jason, Robin, Michael and Abby drove all the way down from Fresno to be with us on this special day. As if that wasn't enough, they put together a basket for Maddie that could very well set a record, and we're hoping they can see everything in use by convincing them to visit us this summer!

Aunt Sarina, the BEST cook I've ever known.

Cousin Celia and her son Benny

Cousins David, Deena, Michael & Lily.

Lovely Ladies: Aunt Helen and Cousins Rachael and Jenny.

Sitting outside on a beautiful day, enjoying great food, family, friends, and celebrating Maddie.

Mom (left), Aunt Esther (center) and a few friends.

A few parting pictures. One of Maddie with her Uncle Jeff, and another with Cousin Zach.

Maddie's Daddies, Vince and Randall are so grateful to everyone who made the time and effort to come to her "Welcome Maddie" party. It was a great day that we'll never forget, and that we'll talk about with Maddie often as she grows up.

Road Trip! ..Part One

2009-06-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we last posted. Sorry.

We've been busy passing little Maddie through hundreds (literally) of hands, meeting, greeting, smiling and generally visiting various homes of friends and family. We came back exhausted, but overwhelmed with a feeling of happiness that so many people cared enough to open their homes or come meet us and welcome Maddie to the community and the family.

Our first stop was Maddie's Uncle Jeff and Aunt Susie in Thousand Oaks, CA, where she was able to spend some time with her cousins in their noisy house full of love.

Our second visit was to the home of Randall's longtime friends and ex-employers, the Silvermans. We were fortunate to score some coveted seats at their Shabbat table, which anyone who's ever attended knows is an extraordinary event. As usual, their son Geoff (whom Randall's known since Jr. High) was there with his two cute kids (and new friends of Maddie) Chloe and Logan. We were sorry Susan wasn't able to make it but hope to get some face time during an upcoming visit.

Third stop, Maddie's Aunt Mary's house where we met up with Grandpa Dave and Paula, Grandma, Uncle Don, Uncle Martin, Aunt Mae, and Maddie's Silva/Rivera cousins.

Here we see Maddie with Aunt Mary and cousins Rachael, Bridget and Megan.
Maddie can't wait to get in on the mandatory "fashion show" that happens when the little cousins (ALL GIRLS!) get together. Chances are she can't wait to get in on the noise, too!

One the right is Vince with Maddie and her Grandpa Dave, and below is Maddie with her Uncle Martin, Aunt Mae, and cousin Megan.

Finally, a great shot of Vince with Megan, Bridget and Maddie.

DANCE!

2009-06-03T21:20:00.001-07:00

Maddie, as we've come to learn, has caught the dancing bug.

..where it comes from, we have no idea, because nobody (and I MEAN NOBODY!) in this house can dance at all.

For today's dance session, Maddie was thinking early punk, with a bit of ska, and insisted on her regular punk outfit: Animal print dress and black Chucks. (By the way, don't tell her the Chuck's aren't real -- she hasn't figured it out.)

Thankfully she was the only one in the mosh pit!

..a few friends.

2009-05-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

Immediately after returning from the hospital, we were very fortunate to have so many friends and neighbors come by to welcome little Maddie into the community. Our house was overflowing with food for three weeks!

Unfortunately our sleepy haze meant that we were not always on top of things with the camera and neglected to grab shots of some very important visitors, Maddie's first dinner party (thanks Arch & Jen) and a bunch of other great moments and friends. ..if this is YOU, then stay tuned, or get back over with a camera and sooner or later we'll take and upload some more shots! ;->

There were a few times, however, when we actually were clearheaded enough to grab a camera and capture some nice shots. ..and here they are:

The first two pics are quite special. Our next door neighbors Ralph & Maggie (they're the ones who decorated our house while we were at the hospital), showed up wearing Mr. Bumblebee and Mrs. Ladybug outfits. ..and Mr. Bumblebee garnered the first ever giggle from Maddie. She loved the hat!

Anyone who knows Meg knows she doesn't cook. Or does she? Here we see her walking through the door with a multi-course meal made from scratch (and a little help from whole foods).

Jordan and Anna. ..swinging by to pick up Vinny and the gang and head over to see the new Star Trek movie. ..but not before a few "geek" moments with Maddie, who's been officially indoctrinated. (ugh -- sigh.)

Ernie, Jenny & Vita. ..who've been truly amazing ..loaning, giving, advising, and just being all around swell folks.

Julie. ..the first to meet Maddie as she didn't wait for us to get home, but came directly to the hospital.

Arch & Jen. ..and some creepy guy trying to ruin an otherwise sweet pic.

That's it for now. As mentioned earlier, we hope to take & upload more pics of Maddie's friends ASAP.

Nana, Papa, Aunt Lori & Cousin Zach Visit

2009-05-17T11:17:00.002-07:00

While Nana & Papa were able to be in Roseville for Maddie's birth, unfortunately little Zach kept his mom home that week. We were thrilled however, when they finally made it up for a visit a few weeks later. We all had a great time, eating, eating, and well, more eating. ..with a few funny Zach "moments" to break up the food.

Here's Aunt Lori spending some quality time with Maddie. CLEARLY, Maddie's mad about her aunt!

Here's Randall with Zach and Maddie, comparing their tiny little feet. Zach was initially unsure of what to do with his little cousin, but seemed to warm up after a couple days. He now asks to hear Maddie "squeak" when his mom and uncle Randall are on the phone.

Nana, Papa, Zach and Maddie:

Papa, Vinnie, Zach, & Randall took a day trip to give Aunt Lori and Nana some quality quiet (that's relative, of course) time with Maddie. Here are a few pics from our day:

In-N-Out!

Bamboo Giant Nursery and Gardens

Goldsmith's flower seeds

A great time was had by all. This pic sums up Maddie's thoughts on spending more time with her Papa:

Little Burrito

2009-05-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

..a few shots from "The Burrito Series". Stuffed full of tasty deliciousness, and completely satisfying!

Family and More Family

2009-05-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Soon after our return home, Maddie got to meet even more family. First, Grandpa (Vince's dad) and his girlfriend Paula arrived on Sunday. The next day, Grandma (Vince's mom Marcia) arrived and stayed through Thursday.

Grandma got to go with us for Maddie's first outing - the pediatrician! Maddie was a real star at the doctor's office. After her weighing in, the staff showered her with attention. Naked, she looked so cute and vulnerable on the examination table. She took in all the adoration like a pro; she opened her big blue eyes and gazed attentively, she made cute little sounds almost as if to say, "Yes, yes, you are correct. I really am this wonderful, aren't you lucky!" Then, she let loose a stream and pee'd all over the table and floor!

The rest of Grandma's visit was pretty low-key. Outside of going shopping we pretty much stayed put, however Grandma got lots of gazing and holding time in (but somehow managed to elude diaper duty!)

Grandma left Thursday afternoon and Friday Aunt Mary and cousins Rachel and Bridget arrived from southern California. Unfortunately, Friday was not Maddie's day for visitors. She spent most of the day sleeping, waking only to eat, have her diaper changed, and right back to sleep. Luckily Saturday and Sunday she was much more alert, so Mary and the girls got lots of quality time before heading back. This next week we have Maddie's Tia Lorie, lots of dinners and visits, then Auntie Lori, cousin Zach, Nana & Papa arrive!

Maddie & Cousin Rachel

Maddie & Auntie Mary

Homecoming

2009-05-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

After a few days in the hospital we are finally home!

Maddie's first car ride (three and a half hours) went smoothly, with one quick pull-over in a Home Depot parking lot for a feed & burp before arriving home. Upon our arrival we received a very pleasant surprise - our wonderful neighbors Maggie and Ralph decorated our home with pink and white streamers and set out a beautiful display welcoming Maddie, including roses, a set of Madeline books, (the popular Ludwig Bemelmans's children's stories) and multiple bags of goodies.

Later in the evening some great friends stopped by to meet Maddie.

Here's Maddie with Lorie...

..and then the food train began. Beginning Friday with a fantastic chicken korma with all the fixings, and continuing with chili, lasagne, pizza, carnitas, pastas, breakfast burritos, and more. ..so much more that Vince & Randall are looking, a little, uh, ..chunky.

Between visits from family and friends, many of our neighbors have dropped by to meet Maddie and welcome her to the neighborhood. There's nothing like neighbors who've become extended family.

We're looking forward the next few weeks as Maddie gets to meet even more friends. We really appreciate each and every friends and neighbors who went out of their way to welcome Maddie to the community and make our first days at home as easy as possible. ..thanks everyone!!

Nana & Papa

2009-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

We are so grateful to Maddie's Nana & Papa (Alan & Sharon) for all the love and support they have shown us.

Nana and Papa were real troopers - they made the 7 hour drive up for Maddie's birth (which we thought was going to be much sooner) and basically stayed in a hotel near the hospital for a week and a half just to be sure they wouldn't miss the birth. If you're not familiar with Roseville and the surrounding areas (not to mention the dining options), that's no small thing!

On the 10th day of Nana & Papa's vigil, we were scheduled to arrive at the hospital for a 6:00 AM induction, but because *everyone* thought it'd be good to have a baby on that day, we weren't admitted until 11:00 AM. ..even then Maddie thought she'd wait another 10 hours before agreeing to come out. This picture shows us waiting (Papa fell asleep) just minutes before the big event.

Finally. Nana & Papa get to spend some quality time bonding with Maddie before heading home. We're all so happy that they were patient enough to be there for Maddie's grand entrance!

Welcome Maddie

2009-04-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Maddie's blog. We hope we're organized enough to keep things updated and the photos flowing!

To get things started, here are some images of us welcoming Maddie to the world on her arrival. We can't say enough about the team and facilities at Sutter Roseville., where we were treated like kings (and one little princess). Unfortunately we weren't able to take advantage of this treatment until much later than expected, as Maddie decided to spend a little extra time in the womb. ..ask Nana and Papa, who waited for 11 nights in a hotel to be there for her birth!

Our very first picture of Madeline Rose, who didn't seem too happy to leave her warm, safe place and see so many people frantically running around. Here, we try to reassure her as she's cleaned up.

..still not too happy. But Daddy Randall sure is. ..tired, but happy.

With Daddy Vinnie. in one of Randall's favorite pics.

deep asleep...

Maddie wouldn't leave the hospital before taking a proper glam shot!

In the outfit (a bit too big, but cute nonetheless) that her Aunt Lori bought for her long ride home. We probably shouldn't admit it, but it took us a good 45 minutes to get her situated in her infant seat and ready to hit the road. Fortunately for us, we only needed to stop for one quick feeding and change on the way home.

Finally home, after three nights in the hospital. Here, Maddie gets cozy in a blanket sent by Nana and Papa while being introduced to her new home. Words can't describe our relief (with a slight sense of fear) in being home.