Austin Zoo

I took Maddie to the Austin Zoo for the first time and met a couple of other Mommies and babies there too. It was another beautiful 70 degree day in Austin so being outside was a must.

Although Maddie loves to read about animals and gets excited by animals that are close to her, it was hard for her to see or enjoy the animals in cages. I'd try to point out bobcats or monkeys or lions but Maddie was more interested in running and picking up rocks and sticks. She's a funny girl. At least there were some chickens roaming around free that Maddie got to chase.

Running at the Zoo!

Snack Time:

Baby Bobcats:

Collecting rocks and sticks (and ignoring the animals) :-)

Friendship Means . . .

(1) Watching a friend learn to play a maraca in a unique way.


(2) Helping to coordinate a handbag and Easter-bunny ears with a friend's cute outfit.
(Maddie 14 months, Erica 13 months)

Big Girl Pillow

Tonight, I put a regular-sized pillow in Maddie's crib for the first time. I probably should have done it sooner since Maddie loves hugging pillows so much but it's there now.

I checked on her several times after she'd gone to sleep for the night and she chose not to put her head on it. I think it will take some getting used to but I think she'll like it. At least she can cuddle it before she falls to sleep.

Snow Day!

On Tuesday, February 23, it snowed in Austin. Not icey rain, but real snow that stuck on the ground. I took Maddie outside to play and Eric came home from work a couple of hrs early to build a snowman with her. It was a fun afternoon.

Road Trip to Amarillo

Last week, we took a long road trip across Texas to Amarillo to visit Rae, Vinny and little Ava. We also got to pop in on my Mark and Whitney in San Angelo which was nice too. We can't wait till Mason arrives!!

Eric and I truly have a perfect little girl. Ok, maybe Maddie's not perfect but she behaved wonderfully on the road, playing with toys, reading books and watching a few DVDs. Eric and I were relieved by how happy she seemed in spite of sitting in the car for several hrs at a time.

Our visit in Amarillo was so much fun. Now that Maddie is walking, she and cousin Ava (18 months) had a blast. This was the first time that they actually played together all by themselves, chased each other, played pretend kitchen, peak-a-boo and even shared food. We spent a lot of time just watching the girls interact.

Big thanks to Rae, Vinny and Ava for being the hosts with the most(s). :-) We hope to see you again really soon.

BFFs

Maddie visited her friend Erica yesterday and they had a wonderful time. As they get older and see each other more often, they recognize each other and interact more. It's so sweet to see them play together and smile at each other. Maddie's very lucky to have a friend like Erica.

Nature and Science Center of Austin

At the recommendation of one one my Mommy friends, we visited the Nature and Science Center of Austin today. It's primarily an outdoor center near Austin's famous Town Lake and Zilker Park.

After several days of cold and rain, today was 65 degrees and sunny - a perfect day to spend outside.

We met our friends, the Mollos, who have a sweet boy just 3 months younger than Maddie. We spent the afternoon walking trails, looking at animals and letting the babies play. The babies seemed to enjoy the animals and spending the afternoon outside. Overall, it was a wonferful way to spend a beautiful Saturday.

Jumpy House Playdate

On Tuesday, we met some of Maddie's friends at a kids jumpy gym called Locomotion. The babies had so much fun. They had room to walk, crawl, explore the inflatable castles and play with toys. It was cold and rainy outside, so the jumpy gym was a perfect place for the babies to burn some energy. We'll definitely be returning soon.

Toy Box Trick

One day while Eric was playing with Maddie, he put her into her little toy box. A few weeks later, Maddie climbed into her toy box all by herself and sat there happily playing with her toys. She gets into her toy box everyday as part of her playtime routine. She knows how to get in and out all by herself.

We think it's a cute little trick.

Head Gear

For several weeks now, Maddie has been putting just about everything on her head. Toys, empty containers, kitchen bowls, cloths, etc. She'll play with an item and then try to balance it on her head while giggling with glee. If there's a mirror nearby, she'll try to see what she looks like with the item on her head and laugh even more. It's such a funny thing that we always want to remember.

Helping Mommy in the kitchen:


Entertaining herself on a roadtrip to my brother's home for Christmas (taken by me through her mirror since she was still rear-facing at the time):