1-yr-Old Well-Check Appointment

I'm a bit behind on my blog posts these days but really wanted to write a bit about Maddie as a 1-yr-old.

Maddie seems to be doing something new or different every couple of days, so I will try to start writing shorter posts more often so I don't forget these wonderful experiences. Maddie just keeps getting more fun and amazes us daily. I want to try to remember as much as I can.

Stats:
Height: 30.1 in (75%)
Weight: 21.7 lbs (50%)
Head: 18 1/4 cm (75%)

Things we want to remember about Maddie at 12-months old:

• She walks! She's pretty fast, stable and spends 99% of her day walking.
• She started drinking whole milk a few days ago (at 1 yr, 2 weeks old) and loves it. So far, not problems and drinks around 4-6 ounces with each meal.
• She's got 8 teeth - all in the front. No molars yet.
• She still has a great appetite and eats whatever we eat for the most part. We're holding out on giving her sweets except an occasional treat.
• She loves books and "reads" on her own several times a day. She often calls a book "E-I-E-I-O" instead of book.
• She loves cuddling and playing with blankets and pillows during the day.
• She likes carrying around containers (old shoe box, gift bag) with with handles like a purse(!)
• She's starting to throw mini toddler tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants. Uh, oh.
• Now that she's comfortable walking, she's starting to climb more (i.e. tries to climb up to our bed, onto an ottoman, etc)
• She understands so much we say like "Let's go change your diaper.", "Do you want some milk?" Do you want cheerios?" "Say hi/" and several other phrases and words. It's amazing how much she understands.
• She is a silly girl and enjoys putting toys or cloths on her head and looking and making faces at herself in a mirror.

Here's a recent video of Maddie being silly during dinner with Mommy, Daddy, Grandnee and Granpa Ramirez.

Maddie's 1st Birthday Party

On Saturday afternoon, Maddie had a "Moo, Baa, La-La-La" themed b-day party with her friends. We had a wonderful time and hope that the babies and adults enjoyed themselves too.

As we sang happy birthday to Maddie, I fought back tears thinkig about how much she's changed and become a smart, independent little girl. I can only imagine the new milestones that lie ahead this year.

Thanks to all our family and friends for making Maddie's party a great succcess.

To see more party pics, click on the link below:
1st Birthday Party Pictures

Maddie turns ONE!

Today, our little Maddie turns one. This last year has been so amazing for Eric and me because of Maddie.

Every night, Eric and I talk about what a perfect child and person she's become. She gives us so much joy and still melts our hearts all the time. We feel so blessed and lucky to have Maddie in our lives.

Maddie, if you read this some day, I want you to know how much we love you and how happy you make us every day.

Here's Maddie at the park with Mommy and Daddy this weekend:

Walking in the USA

Here's a recent video of Maddie walking. She's getting better and better at it and spends a good portion of her day walking. Such a big girl.

Happy New Year!

We spent the last day of 2009 having an early dinner out and then got Maddie ready for bed. Eric and I made some bellinis (yumm!) and settled in with a DVD we'd been wanting to watch. We managed to stay up until just after midnight watching the NYE countdown on TV. We remembred how last year at this time, we were just a few days away from becoming a family of three. Although 2009 was a tough year for many people, it will always stand out as a wonderful year for us because Maddie came into our lives.

Maddie's First Christmas -- 2009

We spent Christmas in San Angelo with the Ramirez clan, hosted by my brother Mark and his wife, Whitney, who is going to be a Mommy in the Spring. (YAY!)

As usual, we had a wonderful time, ate lots of food and just hung out. The weather turned out to be colder than expected so we got to enjoy a light snowfall on Christmas Eve.

Maddie had a permanent smile on her face the entire visit. She was giddy from all the attention, new toys and playtime with her cousin, Ava. Maddie's a pretty smart cookie because she has my family fooled into thinking that she never gets grumpy because she's so joyful with a house full of people.

Over Christmas, Maddie also started (officially) walking - i.e. more than 3-5 steps at a time. She can walk across an entire room, pick up toys and keep on walking. She's still a bit wobbly and crawls sometimes or does her funny knee hop but does walk quite a bit.

We'll definitely remember Maddie's first Christmas for years to come.

Playdate!

Everyday, I am thankful for my Mommy friends and they're sweet babies who have given Maddie lots of joy and socialization this year.

This past weekend, we had a Sunday playdate so a larger group of us could get together. As always, there was good food, great conversation and loads of baby fun.

Maddie is very thankful for her friends too.

Maddie takes a few steps

Over the last few days, Maddie has continued to practice walking with and without her toys/walkers/chairs, etc.

She's still pretty wobbly but seems to get more confidence every day. The main thing we notice about Maddie's walking is she walks more when she's in a really good mood and wants to show off. Otherwise, she prefers to crawl.

Maddie Meets Santa

Today, Maddie and one of her friends, Erica, met Santa for the first time. Santa seemed like a nice enough guy but Maddie was unimpressed and did not crack a single smile.

We managed to get a decent picture of her and Santa before she burst into tears and gave me a look which said, "MOM!!! Why are you just standing over there! Get me away from this silly man!" :-)

Still, taking Maddie to meet Santa for the first time was a sweet experience I won't forget.

Momma loves you, honey!

Snow Bunny

Besides Maddie's 11-Month B-Day on Friday, we also got a light snowfall that day. Austinites anticipated snow all week, hoping it would really happen, and it did for many in the city.

Although it didn't snow much and melted as soon as it hit the ground, it was still pretty and a fun memory to have with Maddie.

Here's a video of Maddie and I enjoying the snowfall.