The Madderns

Funny from Cooper...

2011-01-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

Cooper occasionally asks for help eating his dinner when he's being slow and just doesn't want to eat. Last night he asked me for help and I said "No, you're a big boy... you can do it"

He proceeded to ask Daddy to help him, he said no. He then asked Kami, and she said no. Then he turned and asked Lucaya to help him... everyone laughed.

It's almost Halloween!

2010-10-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

We have the kids costumes all picked out. Kami is Sleeping Beauty & Cinderella combined. Last year she was a princess and a witch combined. There's a pattern here. Cooper is Spiderman. The second he got it on, he was running around and blasting us with his fists! :)

Tonight we carved Halloween pumpkins and made some cookies with pumpkins in them. The really hard-to-make kind out of a package. :)

Jeff went to check on Cooper after he was in bed for at least an hour. Cooper had gone to bed with footie pajamas on, but when Jeff checked, he had a white t-shirt on and backwards jeans. LOL

My new biz!

2010-05-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

Come and visit my new favor store online at www.momentstofavor.com. You can also follow me on Twitter @momentstofavor and on Facebook at facebook.com/momentstofavor

Kami news...

2010-05-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

If you didn't already know, Kami is officially out of diapers FOREVER!! We are so excited that we don't have to use them anymore (for her). Now we just need to work on Cooper! :)

The new Maddern site!

2010-05-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome (back) to the Maddern blog. As you will see, there are old posts below from long ago when I used this blog more. Thought it was time to redesign and get it updated!

Hopefully I'll spend more time updating!

Kelly

Mama Digdown's Brass Band 15th Anniversary Party

2008-09-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

Mama Digdown's Brass Band 15th Anniversary Party
Special Events
1-5 pm, 9/7, Fork & Spoon Cafe, with food, beverages & music. Parade down Williamson Street begins at noon, Harmony Bar. Free. 325-0987

When: 09/07/08 @ 1:00pm
Cost: Free
Call: 325-0987

More Information:
Mama Digdown's Brass Band Throwing A Party

To Celebrate 15-Year Anniversary

Free party for band's fans, friends will be held at R.P's Pasta on Madison's East Side.

On Sunday, September 7, Mama Digdown's Brass Band will thank its fans for more than 15 years of support at a free family-friendly party that will include spaghetti and meatballs from R.P.'s Pasta Company and a special performance by the band. The Great Dane Brewery will be on hand to offer beer and other beverages.

WHO: Mama Digdown's Brass Band, Madison families

WHAT: "Digdown's Family Picnic" to celebrate 15 year anniversary

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008
1-5 pm Party at R.P.'s Pasta

**Second line parade down Williamson Street begins at noon at the Harmony Bar 2201 Atwood (corner of Atwood and Dunning), ending at R.P.'s Pasta

WHERE: Fork and Spoon Cafe - R.P.'s Pasta Company, 1133 East Wilson Ave.

In the 15 years since University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music alumni Erik Jacobson and Christopher "Roc" Ohly formed the band, Mama Digdown's has planted deep roots in the Madison and New Orleans music scenes while also developing a significant following throughout the Midwest and in Europe.

Mama Digdown's marked its first public performance in 1993, at Madison's annual Art Fair on the Square.

"We pretty much crashed the event and were just thankful no one asked us to leave," recalls Ohly. "To see Madisonians getting into the New Orleans rhythms, we all knew we were onto something."

Mama Digdown's plays music inspired by the great Jazz heritage of New Orleans. Funky and hard-hitting, the band can easily transition from a New Orleans second line parade in the streets to a club show. Indeed, the band has played in cities from San Diego to New York, New Orleans to Chicago and many places in between. During three of the past four summers, the band was a featured guest at JazzAscona, a New Orleans Jazz festival in southern Switzerland. The band has also shared bills with musical giants Branford Marsalis, Doctor John, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Eddie Bo, and the Neville Brothers.

But the highlight of the band's performances, according to Jacobson and Ohly, came this past spring when they took the stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the first time. After nearly 50 trips to New Orleans and countless career highs playing with the likes of the Rebirth, Dirty Dozen and Hot 8 Brass Bands, Digdown's shared the stage with friends and fellow musicians from the Mahogany Brass Band.

"When we began taking the band to New Orleans, it was all about learning the music and
listening to our musical heroes," said Jacobson. "Now when we go, we still seek out all of that, but we've also built some strong friendships with other musicians... friendships that feel an awful lot like family."

Closer to home, Mama Digdown's benefited from a strong tradition of marching bands throughout the Midwest and a particularly receptive crowd. This receptivity led to the New Orleans tradition taking hold in the otherwise unlikely location thousands of miles north of New Orleans. Since then, Mama Digdown's has inspired a Northern Brass Band scene that includes such accomplished groups as Madison's Youngblood Brass Band and Minneapolis' Jack Brass Band. At least eight groups of high school students in the Madison area have started brass bands in the years since Mama Digdown's began playing.

"Mama Digdown's Brass Band is a cultural institution," says Youngblood leader and former Digdown Dave Skogen. "One could argue that there were no more defining musical experiences for Youngblood's most long-term members than being in Mama Digdown's."

Mama Digdown's has recorded six albums: North of New Orleans (1996); Big Boy (1999); Slippery Seven (2001); Delicious (2003); Digdown Decade (2003); and, Ascona (2005). The albums include guest performances by Paul Cebar, and New Orleans artists Leroy Jones, Bob French, and Tricia Boutte. The band is currently recording a seventh album "Mojito," due to be released later this year.

Coop-de-villain

2008-08-11T18:17:00.001-07:00

DSCF9528.JPG on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

New York City's Hometown Newspaper - NY Daily News

2008-08-07T07:43:00.001-07:00

Ugh!

But it's finally OVER!

New York City's Hometown Newspaper - NY Daily News

Our day at the beach

2008-07-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

(I stole text this from an email I sent to Jeff today)

Kami and I went to the beach. We got there just before 10 and it's a really nice beach. I didn't know, though, that the water isn't open to public until after 11. They had swim lessons from 10 to 11. But they had a playground that we played on in the meantime.

Kami played with other kids. There were a couple boys playing restaurant and Kami joined in. She was the person buying and they were the cooks. They were asking if she wants french fries and burgers and whatnot. She would say "Yeah!" each time. They were pretending with rocks. Kami doesn't have a lot of experience with pretending, and she put a rock in her mouth at one point. She spit it out and then I think she caught on to the pretending thing after that. They would take turns being cook.

I think Kami is afraid of the water. There were soooo many kids there and I swear she was the only one who wouldn't go in the water. She'd go up to her ankles, but she preferred to just play at the edge of the water with her bucket. I had to hold her hand if she was going to walk in, and even then she wouldn't go in far. I tried swirling her around in the water and she would just cry. We have to work on that at the lake this weekend. I don't want her to be afraid.

There was also a set of train tracks that went right past the beach. The first time one went by Kami thought it was neat, but the second time they blared the horn and it really freaked Kami out. She was bawling and when the horn stopped she said "Bye train, bye!" Like she really wanted it to go away.

There was another little girl there that she played with for a little while. She was with her grandma. I overheard her grandma call her "Mimi". I asked if that was her name and she said her name is "Amelia" but she calls herself "Mimi". I told her Kami's name and that she calls herself "Mimi" too. So the girls were calling each other Mimi.

Kami got to pick what we had for lunch. She wanted fries. So we stopped at Arby's on the way home. She got the popcorn chicken and fries and she ate it up like she hasn't eaten in days!

Pictures from our outing: http://flickr.com/photos/themadderns/sets/72157606470701256/

It's been a while...

2008-07-28T14:26:00.001-07:00

It's closing in on time to go back to work. Exactly two weeks from today. For so many reasons I am excited to go back, but many other reasons I am sad it's almost over. I've enjoyed my days with both kids... as challenging as it can be. We've spent a lot of time outside, as Kami has been enjoying her pool. She doesn't really get in it so much, as she uses the water to fill her watering can and water my plants. I certainly can't complain!

For the first year in many, many years I am actually a little tan! Still pasty to most, but to me, I am a golden goddess! LOL

Cooper is 5 weeks this week. Wow, how time flies. But with his old age comes the chance he is colicky. Boooo!! He definitely isn't the worst case, but he's not a happy camper like Kami was most of the time. We have an appointment for Wednesday to have the doctor look at him. Maybe it's reflux? Maybe he's just a grumpy old man like his dad? :)

Kami is talking like crazy. She knows her numbers 1-10 and her alphabet. She knows shapes really well and is working on recognizing colors, letters and numbers. She's our smarty pants.

We just took Kami to the zoo for the first time. While it wasn't a full zoo experience because it was soooo busy and we were with two other families, she really enjoyed it and, in particular, she remembers the bear and the rhino!

Uncle Ed came for a visit from DC, and boy did Kami enjoy his company! I think she was at his side the whole time he was here. And Ed, who claims to not enjoy kids, really seemed very in tune with Kami and all the activities she wanted him to partake in. All she's been able to talk about is Ed. At lunch today she went around the table and said, "Mommy's chair, Daddy's chair, Ed's chair, Mimi's (Kami) chair." We offered up an au pair job for Ed, but he didn't stay. Hmmmm, maybe he's just going back to DC to get some clothes? I mean, who wouldn't want to hang with Kami each day AND get paid for it?

This coming weekend we are headed to Tomahawk, WI for our annual "family reunion". Jeff hates that we call it a "family reunion" because I see the people on my Mom's side of the family quite often throughout the year. But, regardless, we are reuniting for the sake of eating, drinking, swimming and getting some sun. It will be the first time than many of my family members will meet Cooper. Let's hope he puts the colic thing away for a couple days. We need to leave a good first impression!

Cooper Jameson Maddern

2008-06-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Cooper Jameson Maddern was born yesterday (Tuesday) at 3:23pm. We came to the hospital at 8am to try an external version because he was breech. A version is where the doctor manipulates the outside of your belly to try to turn the baby so his head is down for birth. They won't deliver baby's naturally when they are breech. So the version was our option to try to avoid a c-section.

We were so lucky to have had a successful version!! It doesn't happen much... even the nurses were excited about it. So, they started pitocin right after and broke my water to induce labor so he would hopefully not turn back around.

I labored until around 2:30, when I decided the contractions were coming on too fast and strong... so I reluctantly took an epidural. Immediately after administering the epidural, I was having really strong contractions that weren't succumbing to the meds. The nurse checked how dilated I was and I was ready to push already. It took about 10 minutes of pushing and he was out! Born at 3:23 pm.

He is 20 inches, 8 pounds 1 oz, and came out with a bruised face! But he's cute as can be, of course! He didn't cry when he came out (which worried us), but he's just fine and has since cried just once when he was hungry last night!! He has little whimpers and monkey noises, but he's so quiet and content.

We will be going home on Thursday morning, most likely. I'll take advantage of Kami's Grandparents taking her for a couple days and the nursery taking the baby at night so we can get some sleep!

In labor...

2008-06-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

I am currently at Waukesha Memorial... have been here for close to 5 hours. We had a scheduled version at 8am, and if that didn't work, we were scheduled for a c-section at 11:30. Luckily, the version worked!! So excited about that. So they started Pitocin right after to get things moving so he doesn't have a chance to flip back. Been sitting here watching cable and experiencing contractions that have been 3 or so minutes apart. They are finally starting to get a bit stronger. Let's get the show on the road!! :) I am soooo hungry, as I had to fast since last night in case of a section. The first meal I get will be heavenly!

We dropped Kami off at daycare this morning and then Grandma and Grandpa D picked her up from there. They are hanging out at our house now, awaiting word on what happens through the day.

More updates as we have them...

Baby's coming, one way or another...

2008-06-17T17:06:00.001-07:00

Today I had my 38 week appointment and, for the first time in either of my pregnancies, I got not-that-great news. Baby is breech, so we're faced with a c-section, probably next week. I will be going back to the doc on Friday to check his position again and we will be making some decisions at that time. I'm going to spend some time elevating my hips and putting frozen peas on the top side of my belly in hopes of coaxing him to flip around. While c-sections and natural birth each have pros and cons of their own, I thought a lot about them through the day today and realized that when it comes down to it... I certainly prefer natural. I don't want any meds going into my spine, I don't want to be strapped to a bed with IVs, I don't want a catheter and I don't want to spend 6 weeks of my summer recovering from a major surgery. I can handle labor and delivery au naturale... I've done it before. It's one day of discomfort and then minimal healing time thereafter. It really is the best option.

But... if c-section is what I am destined to do with this one, then so be it. We'll both be here and healthy, even if it does require more time to recover.

Having the doc tell me that I'll be having the baby next week really put things into perspective. We need a name, sooner rather than later, I really need to pack some bags, Kami needs care while we're in the hospital, do we have everything set for baby, what the heck is it going to be like with 2 under 2 in the house and how is Kami going to perceive this new creature in our house?!

Well, it's a waiting game until Friday. Lots of things will be decided that day. I hope the week goes fast!

Been a while...

2008-06-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Haven't written in some time. Today I had my 37 week doctor appointment! I am full-term with baby boy (who still remains nameless). I am 1 cm dilated, not effaced and baby is still riding high (contrary to my belief!). My appointments happen every week now.

My brother Jake just graduated high school. He was blessed with the beautiful, flooding rains for his graduation party this last weekend. Fortunately, neither their house or ours had any rain damage. But many places here in Waukesha weren't so lucky.

I have a ridiculous amount of work to do before I go on leave. Not sure it will all get done, but I am busting my butt to try to make sure it does. I am currently the only one who knows how to do the projects I am doing, so they could be in trouble if I leave early!

Kami is Kami. The joy of our lives. She keeps us on our toes, but she also keeps us very entertained. She's very smart and just has so much personality. I have a fear of not being able to give our second child nearly as much love as I do for our first born. I can't imagine having to share Kami's time with another child. But when it actually happens, I am sure it will be better than I can ever imagine and will bring out more love than I could ever think to possess. Kami is going to be a great big sister and I think she will be a great role model for her brother. She is soooo smart that I think she'll help us to teach him the things he needs to know. And watching Kami interact with her baby brother will probably only add another element to our love for her. We are already constantly watching every move she makes... You have to, or you might miss one of her millions of cute things she does each day.

Speaking of cute... Our daycare lady sent an email today with the cutest thing. "Jack and Kami were sitting together and Jack said "Are you thinking what I am thinking Kam? Let's get married." Kami replied with a smile and a very enthusiastic "Yeah"."

2008-05-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

pimp myspace

Jeff's first time playing on JazzFest grounds

2008-04-26T15:22:00.001-07:00

The Digdown boys are in New Orleans for JazzFest as I type this. They normally go down to play at Donna's and any other gigs they can pick up off the JazzFest grounds. But this year, a few of them were asked to join Mahogany Brass Band play on a JazzFest stage. They also played Donna's and have another gig Monday night. Jeff will be back home on Tuesday.

Today Kami and I did a little shopping and went to Ben's first birthday party. Man is it hard to keep up with her, especially while pregnant and a single Mom! I have much more appreciation for those who are single Moms, and wish to never ever have to do it full time! Tonight Kami is going to Grandma and Grandpa Madderns until Jeff gets back on Tuesday. I have to go into work tomorrow, plus I could just use the break and the chance to rest. I love having G&G around! :)

Here are some pictures I found on the NOLA website from JazzFest. They just played about 3 hours ago, and I already found some pics on the site. Gotta love technology.

Spring is surely here.

2008-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been in the 70s and beautiful. Perfect. Now, it just needs to stick around. I got to take Kami outside to play, which she loved. Now only if I could keep up with her. She certainly doesn't just sit in one spot anymore.

Kami has successfully slept in her big girl bed for nearly a week now. She has only had the opportunity to take one nap in it, but that also went well. I'll be uploading some pictures soon that I took of her during her nap. That's how hard she was sleeping... I was able to sneak in the room!

Jeff is going to New Orleans this weekend. Kami and I have a birthday party to attend on Saturday for Ben who is turning 1. I can't believe he's turning one! I also have a TON of work to get done by Monday. That should be interesting.

Jeff is driving home from Sparta as we speak with our new vehicle. After weeks and weeks of researching vehicles, watching websites for newly posted used vehicles and weighing the prices, etc.... we finally ended up with a Pontiac Vibe. We thought we were going to Sparta this past weekend to bring home a Jeep Liberty, but while on the lot, we saw the Vibe and took it for a drive. It had more room than we thought it would and the fuel efficiency is much better than the Liberty. But what's important is that we finally made a decision and we have a vehicle! :)

It's finally getting warm!

2008-04-17T10:34:00.001-07:00

It finally feels like Spring and there's a lot going on these days. We are down to 11 weeks before baby comes. All of a sudden that doesn't seem like a lot of time, even though I can't wait to have him. We decided to switch Kami to a big girls bed, which she has taken to well. She hasn't been in her crib the last two nights. The problem, though, is that she sleeps on the stair that butts up against her bed. I think she finds it more protective and cozy. But we can't be having her sleep on a stair every night! We're going to fill in that space with some blankets or pillows so she will hopefully sleep on her bed from now on.

Kami has also started taking her clothes and diaper off during naps at daycare. What a headache! So, we've contemplated starting the potty training process. We bought what we need to do it, but actually doing it is a whole other story.

This weekend we're going to Minnesota to visit Jeff's grandma. On the way we'll be buying a new vehicle in Sparta at Scott's place. They have a Jeep Liberty that we'll probably end up with, but there are other possibilities there too. Most likely the Jeep will be the winner.

I'm busy as ever at work. They're trying to maximize my time before I go on leave. Apparently 11 weeks doesn't seem like much time to them either! I have to get all of our sound products out of here before I leave since I am the only one who works on them. No pressure. :)

Jeff is going to JazzFest next weekend down in New Orleans. This year he actually gets to play on the JazzFest grounds with a band called Mahogany Brass Band. I wish I could be there to see his first time playing in the fest, but I'll probably find video or a recording of it somewhere. I couldn't imagine traveling anymore during this pregnancy. Everything I do is achy and uncomfortable. Thus, I whine a lot. :)

It's April!

2008-04-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

The grass is getting greener and no foreseeable snow in the near future. Could it be done??

Tonight is the Championship game for College basketball. I am in number 1 of 40 people right now. It basically comes down to me and one other dude. If Memphis wins, I get a couple/few hundred bucks! If Kansas wins, the dude wins the big pot and I get like $80. Regardless, I did better than I would have ever imagined this season!! We're rich! :)

This past weekend was my birthday weekend. Jeff, the wonderful husband that he is, brought me up to Sheboygan to a place called Harborside Villas. It was within view of Blue Harbor Resort and Lake Michigan. He coordinated an hour maternity massage, we went out to a really good dinner and it was just a nice and relaxing time away. Sunday, we went to the Kohler Design Center before making our way back home to get the kids from Grandma and Grandpa Madderns.

We also sold our Rodeo yesterday and are borrowing Dan and Diane's until we buy something new. We're having the hardest time finding the right thing for us. We want an SUV with low miles and good MPGs with plenty of room and in a certain price range. Is that so much to ask?

Almost the end of March!

2008-03-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

What do ya know... Jeff ISN'T invincible! He came down with the nasty flu that plagued day care for the last two weeks and that I had a few weeks back. He's got the temp, chills, aches... all the good stuff. Luckily, he got into the doc today and got some flu meds which should help shorten the duration.

Kami and I are having a girl's night since daddy is sick and in bed. Speaking of Kami... that little girl has officially entered a new stage of toddler-hood. We first noticed this change about two weekends ago while at dinner at a friend's house. She started crying for no apparent reason several times while we were there. Kami's not much of a crier, so we didn't understand. We then chalked it up to some teeth coming in. Well, it has continued... she throws some fits when things aren't going her way and she uses the word "no" A LOT! Unfortunately, I am pretty sure she knows what she's saying when she says it now. She wants to be independent... brush her own teeth (even though she only really sucks all the toothpaste flavor off), feed herself (although she doesn't really eat anything without coaching) and many other miscellaneous instances that seem to catch us off guard.

I guess Jeff and I have had it soooo easy thus far that it has really caught us off guard to have a sassy little girl in the house. But, as much as she is getting her own personality and sense of independence... she is still completely adorable. I get frustrated sometimes... which usually coincide with her nap/bed times, but most of the time even her naughtiness is super cute. It's hard to be an effective parent when they are so cute they get their way. I just hate to see her cry when I know she won't cry if I give her that toothbrush back or let her eat it the way she wants to.

Perhaps Kami is just preparing us for the terror of a child that is growing in my belly?? Oh, I sure hope not. :)

To totally change topics... What the heck is with the freakin' snow??? They have issued ANOTHER darn Winter Storm Watch for Thursday. They are expecting AT LEAST 6 inches. At this point, I think I will be really mad if we don't hit the record snowfall. I mean, it's just been so ridiculous that we deserve to get something out of it... we should go down in history. What are we going to do if Jeff is still sick and I can't shovel?!?! Jeff did say that he's not shoveling any more this season, though. So I guess that's that.

Happy almost April!

Hooray!

2008-02-20T10:29:00.001-08:00

Obama won in Wisconsin! We couldn't be happier. Jeff, some of his coworkers and myself all attended the Waukesha Town Hall where Obama came and spoke for a couple hours. It was cool to be a part of that and see him speak in person. He is very charismatic.

I am 21 weeks this week. Can this pregnancy go any slower? I really think that once spring comes with warmer weather, it will go quicker. My belly is showing and I can definitely feel him kicking each and every day. He's quite a mover!

My friend, Stacy, started a baby pool (no fees, just for fun). If you want to enter and haven't... let me know! You can go to expectnet.com and go to the game named "Maddern_2".

Jeff and I are participating in an event next weekend called Bowlin' for Colons. Our friend, Kate, has stage 4 colon cancer and the disease has also affected people on Jeff's side of the family. Our team name is the "Bowl Movements" (BMs for short!) If you care to send a donation with us towards the cause, let me know and we can arrange that.

Kami is going through a bit of a hitting/kicking phase right now. We're trying hard to curb that. Most kids go through it, so I am trying hard to not get too down on it. But, especially since I am pregnant, it's not good to get kicked in the gut! Jeff just wants to put her down for a nap when she hits. LOL But on a good note, she shows us how increasingly smart she's getting each day. She can count to three (for the most part), she can tell you where most of her body parts are and she is using more and more words all the time. It's so much fun to see the new things each day. I do, however, miss some of the innocence she had before she could hit, not listen to you or refuse to do something. But I certainly can't complain. She is an amazingly good girl. We can only hope that her brother is of the same temperament as her.

Snow Day!!

2008-02-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Kami and I are home today due to snow... they're saying 10-16 inches! I'm doing some work from home, as much as I can with Kami around. I also updated our website home page, if you haven't noticed! Along with that, I have started a new project. TicketStubCollection.com. This will be a collection of my ticket stubs as well as other people's. I am hoping to get lots of people to send me a digital image of their ticket stubs to post on the website.

I am 19 weeks this week in the never-ending pregnancy. I think it feels so long because of this long, snowy winter. Hopefully it goes faster once nice, warm weather comes. We had our BIG ultrasound last week and it is confirmed a boy. No doubt about it. So now we're pondering names. Have any suggestions?? Send them in!

Hope everyone is safe and warm on this snow stormy day! Go Obama!!

Kelly

Is it summer yet?

2008-01-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

Well now that the Packers blew their chance of being in the Super Bowl, there's nothing left to be excited about this winter. Time for the snow to go and the nice warm summer air to return.

Baby number 2 is coming along nicely. We had a couple scares due to some bleeding, but all is well. We find out next week what the sex is, although we're already 90% sure of what it is. We even have a name picked out... I think.

Kami is becoming her own little person more and more each day. She's increasing her vocabulary on a daily basis. Luckily, when she says "No!"... she's mostly just mimicking the word. She doesn't quite know what it means and where it will get her. When she says No, I say Yes and then she says Yes. If only it was always that easy.

I've uploaded a lot of recent pictures. Be sure to check them out. And when you're going through... feel free to leave some comments. We don't have many and I'd love to have something to read.

Happy end of January!
Kelly

14 week ultrasound

2008-01-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Kami's 15 month check up

2008-01-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Kami is in her 15 month check up at the doctor as I type this. She has to get 3 shots, plus her flu shot if they let her. She couldn't get it earlier in the season because she had croup. Jeff just called me to tell me the stats that the nurse gave... 40th percentile for weight (21 lbs), 75th percentile for height (31 inches) and 90th percentile in head circumference. Yes, you read right... 90th percentile!! LOL

That's all we know for now... except that she's the cutest little girl EVER! :)

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's already the second day of January... 2008!

The holidays were great for us. Busy and hampered by some pregnancy tiredness and ill feelings, but overall a good time.

Kami got into the gift opening pretty well by the end of our holidays at various places. It was much more fun than last year.

Mama Digdown's had a great show at the revamped Majestic in Madison and it was a lot of fun. Jeff used his new pocket trumpet he got for Christmas during the gig.

Now we're back to work. Back to real life. We have our 2-year wedding anniversary to look forward to, as well at the usual Green Mill gigs in Chicago.

Only about 6 months to go until the new baby arrives. Aye.

23 days until Christmas!

2007-12-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

We had our first big snow storm this past weekend... it left a mess! Jeff was gone yesterday until today and I was unable to get out to shovel. Now it's 7:20pm and Jeff's out there trying to shovel the ICE! Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 33... so he's going to try to only shovel some and hope that the rest melts tomorrow.

I spent the weekend with Kami. I used to LOVE girl's weekend, but now that Kami is soooo active and I am sooooo tired... It's a little harder to enjoy. It's so sad that going back to work tomorrow will be more relaxing. I just try to remember that it's all worth it... just 7 long months until the new baby comes.

I put up the stockings and some Christmas decor today. We have to go get our tree to get the rest of the stuff up. I really need to work on collecting more holiday decor for the house. I don't have enough. The only signs of Christmas are our mantle and our front room when the tree gets up.

Amazing Race is on right now... so I have to pay attention! Until next time...

Due July 2, 2008!

2007-11-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today was our first baby appointment and I was finally able to break the news to everyone!! Yay!! We measured 7 weeks, 6 days today. It's going to be a long 7 months, but it's so worth it... especially after you see that heartbeat. It makes it all so much more real!

Back with an update...

2007-11-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's been so long! I tend to forget about our Maddern News page, if you haven't figured that out. Kami is growing faster than a weed. She's learning new things each day. She can now tell us what a cow says, she signs for "play", "more", "drink", "eat", "all done"... She says yes and no and shakes her head and nods with it. When we sneeze, she says "Bless". She shows us where her mouth, nose and nuppa (sp?) are. Grandpa Maddern taught her to point to her belly when he asks for her nuppa... which I believe is Finnish. She is working on being able to put her clothes on and off by herself, though she's a long way from actually doing it. There are so many more new things, but I can't think of more right now.

This past weekend Jeff was in Indiana and Kami went to Grandma and Grandpa Madderns. I stayed home and cleaned the house and went into work. I swapped our spare bedroom (downstairs) with Kami's room (upstairs)... all by myself. If you're determined enough to do something, you can. I moved a Queen bed, a crib, a dresser, a super heavy computer desk, TV, computer, rocking chair.... Kami came home to ownership of the entire lower level of our home. She pretty much has an apartment. I should charge rent.

As a test to who actually reads these updates... We have some new BIG news! Some people know, but it's so early we're not spreading the word. I have a doctor appointment next week. As long as everything seems good then, we will starting telling more people. If you didn't know and now you do... congrats! I am happy to know that you come to visit. :)

Be sure to visit our photo area. We have Halloween pics, pictures from the Elegant Farmer (when poor Kami had croup!) and other various pictures.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Kelly

Been a while...

2007-10-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry, haven't been keeping up very well on our news. Let's see... since I last posted Jeff and I went to Hawaii and LOVED IT! Kami had a great time at Grandpa and Grandma's while we were gone. My sister, Jackie, got married last weekend. Kami is now 14 months old and a total ham bucket. She likes to shake her head "no" to everything! This coming weekend I am going up to a vacation house with some of my girls for a Girls' weekend. Should be a great time! Jeff gets a daddy/daughter weekend, which he always looks forward to. After this weekend, I am excited to say that there are no big weekends in store for us that I need to plan for. Finally, after a very busy summer and early fall, we will be able to chill out a bit. Looking forward to that! I am actually looking forward to cleaning and taking care of our very neglected home. I have a few large projects I would like to accomplish this winter. I'll get more into that after I've taken the time to think about them more and see how realistic they are! :)

Happy Thursday!
Kelly

Do you know anyone cuter? Didn't think so!

2007-09-25T11:09:00.001-07:00

Do you know anyone cuter? Didn't think so!
Originally uploaded by K.MAD

The Maddern household has been a busy one! I am at deadline for all of our products at Lang, I have a Photography class on Thursday nights, I have things I need to get ready for Jackie's wedding, Jeff has gigs and his full time job, Kami is constantly keeping us on our toes, we're going to Hawaii in a couple weekends................... and somehow I need to finish our landscaping before we leave!

Kami is now drinking some milk each day. We're starting slow with the dairy since she's been on Soy her whole life. We also noticed she's poking out a couple back teeth now!! She's getting so big! I wish I could freeze time... not only to keep her at this age, but also so I can get more housework done. LOL

It's almost October... can you believe it?

September 17th

2007-09-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ugh, Monday morning. Even worse, Monday morning after a weekend of lots of lawn work! I am sore today! But the good news is that we laid all 100 bags of rock and our landscaping is looking better and better! I got all of the area around our deck done this weekend. Hooray. But there is still lots to be done, though we're not sure if we're going to do it yet this year.

September 15

2007-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday. Yesterday was Lucaya's birthday. It's hard to believe that I've had Lucaya in my life for 4 years! She's 6 years old (approx.). I don't know for sure when she was born, but the place I adopted her from said she was around 2 years old when I got her.

This is our first weekend home with not much to do... and I LOVE it! We laid rock in the back, finally, which took about half of the day. And it was so gorgeous out today. This afternoon, the boys from Digdown came to rehearse before their wedding gig in Milwaukee tonight. Kami and I are home watching chick flicks... Failure to Launch, to be specific.

If you read my blog in Kelly's Korner, you probably read about how I thought I might be allergic to wine. Well, I think I've come to a new, more probable conclusion. A few years ago, I came down with pneumonia in the middle of summer. It was bizarre. And I think I went through every department in the UW Madison hospital to figure out what was going on. I had that pneumonia for 8 months! I went through lots of testing, but nothing came back with any definite answers. I did start speech coaching though, because the doc said that my hoarse voice was possibly due to reflux. So now, I've had this nagging cough for months and the feeling like I've been spending time with a cat (I am severely allergic). I've done my research and I think I've got acid reflux. It would explain the asthmatic type reactions I've had, the coughing and the hoarse voice. I also tend to get a burning sensation in my chest/esophogas? I have actually been using my inhaler because I have been short of breath. There doesn't seem to be any other reason for it. You all know how I like my wine, and it seems like a lot of the symptoms appear after I've indulged.

I don't want to be all hypochondriac-like, so I am going to try some solutions out on my own before going to the doc. In my reading, they said that there are a lot of OTC meds that can curb a lot of the symptoms. Experiment time! There will be a lot of testing before I give up my wine! :)

Happy Saturday!
Kelly

September 13th

2007-09-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hola mis amigos y familia (How's my Spanish?)...

Kami went to the doctor yesterday for her 1 year wellness check. Poor little girl got 3 shots AND they drew her blood. Good thing daddy brought her because I probably would have bawled with her. Jeff says she was about hyperventilating. But beyond the icky parts of the appointment, we got to learn all of her new stats. 21 pounds (50th percentile), 30 inches (75th percentile) and then 80th percentile for head size. (she has a big, intelligent brain!) Starting in a week or two, she will gradually start on whole milk. Since she's been on soy all her life, we're going to ease her into it. She's also been sick with rotavirus, so doc wants us to wait until she's recovered from that before she starts with milk.

Other than that... not a lot new. I don't have a darn thing going on this weekend except stuff around our house. We got a bunch of rock delivered, so I'll probably work on that. I'll also bring some work home to hopefully get closer to finishing our products that are past due! Jeff has gigs on Saturday, so it's me and Kami. The Digdown guys are going to come to Waukesha for rehearsal... lots of noise at the Maddern house!

Happy Thursday! Can't wait until my photography class is done tonight... then it's officially Friday and just about the weekend!

Kelly

September 5

2007-09-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today is my childhood friend, Sallys, birthday. I don't know why I remember that, but I have... for all these years. I haven't even seen her in at least 10. She was probably the youngest in our class. Today she turns 29, when I am months from 30... yikes.

Anywhooo... Jeff and I watched some new episodes of Scrubs today. We get it through Netflix. We're just catching up... starting the second season. I think we have quite a ways to go to be caught up on the regular seasons.

Kamryn is so busy these days, it's hard to keep up. I may have mentioned her climbing up and down from the couches. It's a whole new thing... now we can't leave her in the baby proof room for just a second because she'll be up on the couch and on the verge of plunging to the ground. Parenthood just hit a whole new level. We thought we were busy before!

I think that's what the one year birthday party prepares you for. Business. I know Jeff and I were sure busy during her party... as were her generous grandparents.

Here we go!

It's Tuesday, and feels like Monday.

2007-09-04T15:27:00.001-07:00

Not much news to add... Kami's getting bigger, Jeff's... ummm... Jeff, Lucaya's getting fatter and I can't seem to slow down.

My favorite motto about myself "ADD= Never bored!"

Labor Day weekend

2007-09-03T19:51:00.001-07:00

DSCF2229.JPG
Originally uploaded by K.MAD

We had a busy weekend! In fact, we've had many busy weekends lately. We had some friends over on Saturday, so I did my all day cooking to provide a nice big spread of food. Sunday Jeff had a gig in Rockford, so Kami and I went to the park to play. Today, Labor Day, we went for a drive and really didn't do much else. Just recovering from the weekend. Back to work tomorrow. I start a photography class on Thursday! I am excited. Then it's another busy weekend next weekend with Jackie's bridal shower and bachelorette party. It's sad that I actually want the cold weather to come so things slow down. Though, I think we're booked up all the way through October. Oiy.