12.27.11 - Baby Jesus

Maddie's favorite outdoor Christmas decorations are nativity scenes. She excitedly points them out when we're driving. Lisa, our day care provider, has one in her front yard. This morning, as we dropped her off, Maddie asked me if I'd take a photo of her with Baby Jesus. I didn't have a camera with me at the time but I was sure to bring one when I picked her up.

09.26.11 - "I wanna go fast!"

Maddie is always telling us to slow down when we're driving in the car but when it comes to swinging she wants to go fast!

06.14.11 - It's potty time!

Maddie has been actively potty training since Friday. She's amassed quite the collection of stickers on her bathroom chart.


And today, at daycare, she went on the potty 12 times without once messing her pants! Lisa made her a separate sticker chart for her house.

We're so proud of her and a bit relieved (no pun intended), too, as every time she goes on the potty, that's a diaper saved and 14 cents back in our pocket.

12.21.10 - Cupcake Army

Maddie's birthday isn't until Friday but today was the day they celebrated at daycare and Angie, not to be outdone by any other mom anywhere, went all out and made cupcakes to send. Maddie will have a duck cake at her official birthday party so Angie played off that theme for the cupcakes creating what looked, to me, like a little army of rubber duckies swimming on a sea of blue icing and marshmallow bubbles.

11.10.10 - Cheese

We asked to see Maddie's "big smile" tonight at dinner. She gave it to us ... while saying "cheese!"

Saying what??!!!

Where on earth did she learn that, I wondered. Certainly not from any of us around here. Then it dawned on us - Lisa takes a lot of photos at daycare. Well, we couldn't keep her from learning to say cheese but at least, so far, we've kept her from McDonald's. I don't think we have to worry about Lisa doing that. Now, Nan on the other hand ...

10.26.10 - First masterpiece

Lisa had a couple of older kids at daycare today and she had them working on an art project. Simply coloring wasn't enough for Maddie. Lisa says she insisted on doing what the big kids were doing. Lisa put some glue on each piece but Maddie decided where they'd go. It's her first masterpiece and it's proudly on display on our fridge!

10.08.10 - Lisa's playhouse

Maddie likes playing outside at Lisa's house. She likes to throw balls and drive the toy cars. Recently, she learned how to climb in the playhouse. We witnessed this today. Another Maddie made sure our Maddie didn't fall!


I think she was talking to her Nan!


Crawling through the tunnel!


Stopping to count the rocks.

08.24.10 - Another milestone

Maddie is 20 months old today. Today also marks the one-year anniversary that Maddie has been going to daycare at Lisa's house. One year ago, Angie had to hold on to her so she wouldn't fall over. Today she had to hold on to her so she wouldn't run away!

02.27.10 - Little reader

Maddie loves to sit in a little chair at Lisa's day care so we searched online and found this adorable little reading chair! Gramma Karen and Grampy Keith decided they'd go in half on it and ordered it last week. They delivered it today and was it a hit! Maddie loves it!

If you're wondering, her shirt reads "That's 'Miss Cutie' to you!"

08.24.09 - Glimpse into the future

While many doting parents were dropping their kids off for the first day of school this week, today was Maddie's first day at her new daycare. Staying true to the "first day portrait" rule, Angie helps Maddie pose as we made our way into Lisa's house this morning. Maddie didn't miss a beat. She ate well and slept well on the first day of her new environment. But thinking about all those first-day-of-school parents made me think that in just five short years, we'll be doing this all over again.

And I have no doubt that it will go fast. Maddie's eight months old today. ... Already???

08.21.09 - Grandma Shepherd

Today was Grandma Shepherd's last day to watch Maddie full-time. She's filled in while we've been between daycare providers and she did a great job! Maddie will start a new daycare three days a week on Monday. Grandma Shepherd will still get to watch her on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

06.17.09 - Baby sittin'

Maddie baby sits Cousin Emerson at day care today. I really do hope they grow up to be best friends.

05.28.09 - Water baby

Aunt Tori lathered on the sunscreen and let Maddie play in the sprinkler at daycare today. She seemed to like it and we're excited for a pool day at Gramma Karen's house next month!

Thanks, Tori, for sharing this photo with us.

05.26.09 - Cousin!

After unpacking the car and resting up a bit, we went over to Brent and Tori's house tonight to meet their new son, Emerson Kenneth. He was born last Thursday, about the time we were heading north on the Kansas Turnpike. We can't believe how big Maddie has gotten in five months! We can hardly remember her being so tiny.

05.12.09 - Go State!

Imagine our surprise when we opened Maddie's diaper bag from day care the other day to find this K-State hat tucked away inside. Surely it belonged to another child (and there is one whose parents happen to be K-Staters) and Aunt Tori gave it to us by mistake. After all, Aunt Tori and Uncle Brent and the whole crew are KU fans. But much to our surprise, the hat was, in fact, a gift to Maddie from them. We tried it on her with her K-State onesie this morning, thinking it would be fun for us to take her to day care dressed as a Wildcat but, alas, it's still a bit too big. I bet it fits come football season!

Editor's note: The title of this post changed as Angie pointed out I'd already used the original title two months ago.

04.07.09 - Friends

Tori captured this sweet moment of Maddie, on the left, holding hands with her friend, Chloe, at daycare today. She sent us home with a print, which we proudly display on the fridge.

02.23.09 - First day at daycare

Angie returned to work today and so we took Maddie to daycare for the first time. It wasn't as traumatic an experience as we were anticipating. It helps that our sister-in-law, Tori, has a licensed in-home daycare and had one open infant spot! We're excited that Maddie will have some interaction with other kiddos. Those social skills will be invaluable as she gets older. As we picked her up, Cody reached up to say goodbye. I thought it was a rather sweet gesture.