Easter 2008

The Marks Family - Easter 2008
Two of the cutest little girls in pretty Easter dresses - Adriana Marie and Madelyn Leslie
Hunting Easter eggs
The Easter Bunny brought a wagon and a basket full of good stuff!
Talk about BLING!!
Madelyn's favorite word right now is "Uh-Oh." We are trying to teach her that if you purposely drop something it's not an "uh-oh" it's a "no-no."

Between all my teeth (I'm up to 10 now) and my pigtails, Mommy calls me her little toddler instead of her little baby
I can be quite the ham for the camera these days

Saving a little yogurt for later

I love doing circles around the house in my Pooh car. I love to wear my riding hat (I just have to steal it off Daddy's head first)

February pictures

Madelyn is now 14 months old. She is pulling up on everything and cruises all along the furniture. She has 8 teeth and 2 bottom molars just cut through the surface. She has figured out how to drink from a straw. We use sign language and she signs eat, milk, please, thank-you, monkey, bird, more, sleep, and all-done. She can locate her head, nose, ears, tummy, and belly button. When we read nursery rhymes she lifts her foot up for This little piggy, rocks to rock-a-bye baby, and claps to Pat-a-Cake. We have so much fun every day and feel very blessed.

Ice cream is good stuff! Madelyn's hair is getting long enough that it is almost in her eyes. Melinda pulls it up, but this day Madelyn decided to pull out the rubber band.
I love to lick ice cream.

One of Madelyn's favorite things to do is to read books. She loves to sit in her rocking chair (which was Suzette and Melinda's when they were little) and read.
Double fisting it. Madelyn is getting very proficient with a fork.
We all drove to La Junta the weekend of Feb. 23 for Great Grandpa Freidenberger's 80th Birthday. Madelyn loved going walking with Great Grandpa and nobody could take his place or she would cry.
Madelyn enjoyed visiting with other people besides Mommy and Daddy! She put her arms out and squeezed her hands together if she wanted to go to someone else.

Checking things out with Great Uncle Harold
Great Aunt Patty taught me that "jewelry good, kitchen appliances bad." Good advice if dad ever lets me date (maybe when I'm 30).
Aunt Suzette is reading the tractor book to Madelyn.

Hanging out with Uncle Ryan
Madelyn was walking across the dance floor with Aunt Suzette and Adriana came up and grabbed Madelyn's hand and asked her "Can you walk"
Playing the up and down game with Great Uncle Dean while Adriana watches.
Adriana and Madelyn playing together at Grandpa and Grandma Freidenberger's.

Got milk?
A future doctor?
Madelyn wore her cheerleader dress for Superbowl Sunday.
Melinda went on a girls trip to Las Vegas and left Madelyn and Michael at home for 3 nights! Here's Brenda, Katie, Melinda and Allison at Folies Bergere.

Puerto Vallarta

Madelyn loved vacationing in Mexico!
We met a mom in the airport that saw Madelyn and felt guilty for leaving her little girl at home, so Madelyn was thankful to be on vacation with her Mommy and Daddy.
Madelyn actually kept her sunglasses and hat on
Walking out into the ocean

Letting the waves hit our feet
Madelyn loved playing in the sand with her new toys Madelyn and Mommy playing on the beach
Daddy burying Madelyn's foot in the sand
Madelyn in her new pool float
The view of the bay from Barcelona's Tapas - where the chocolate cake was awesome!
One of the many sand sculptures along the Malecon
Madelyn and Daddy by one of the many pieces of artwork along the Malecon
We were unable to go on a whale watching cruise, but we did see one whale jumping all along the bay
We had read that the streets were not very stroller-friendly, so we took the baby backpack instead. It worked great and everyone (locals and tourists) had to comment on it. If pharmacy doesn't work out, we are moving to Mexico and selling baby backpacks.
Two iguanas up in a tree
Madelyn loved these statues. Every time we walked by them on our way to the marina she would point

Madelyn slept in a crib across the room from Mom and Dad. In the morning she would wake up, stand up in her crib, see us and smile or say "hi". The humidity made her hair cute and curly.
She was fascinated with the musicians that sang to us as we ate lunch at Agave Grill - where they made great salsa at your table and the dessert of rice pudding topped with banana mousse was great!
Beautiful sunset from our balcony
One last nap in Mexico - she was crunched up on the edge of the crib

Pictures from July 2007

These pictures were taken by Paul Arellano (the same guy that did Michael and Melinda's wedding pictures) in July 2007 at Melinda's 10 year class reunion

Eskimo kisses
What a sweet face Mommy giving her girl a kiss