Welcome Paisley Marylyn Maddox

Lil P was due on Oct. 3rd and one day after my due date, my Doctor thought it would be a good idea to schedule an induction for that week. I wasn't so sure, but he easily convinced me that it would go quick. We received a call later that afternoon that they were able to schedule me for Tuesday morning, so we were all set.


We checked in at 7:30am and were ready to go. Within minutes, the pitocin was started and Dr. Wells broke my water.


Going through labor and delivery with your husband by your side is one of the most amazing experiences you go through as a couple. His patience, love, attention and tenderness is why I love him so much.


My mom and Betty stopped by the hospital to visit while I was in labor. We decided to invite them to stay for the delivery. It was wonderful to have them in the room to experience Paisley's arrival.


At exactly 7:00pm, Paisley was born. It was such a peaceful, amazing and spiritual experience. I couldn't believe that our little girl was here. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces (1 pound over Roman's weight). Once we met Paisley, we were all surprised by how much she looked like Roman when he was born. They had the same beautiful features and adorable face.

Here are some pics from that night...




I didn't know what it would be like to have a 2nd child, but it was love at first sight. The feelings I had for her were overwhelming. I can now say that I had a hard time bonding with Paisley when I was pregnant since I was always worried about how this would affect Roman, but the moment I met her she stole my heart. I quickly realized that my heart was big enough for the both of them.


Our amazing nurse, Kathy. She was the best! I got very lucky to have her by my side.


Pop and Grandpa stopped by with Roman shortly after Paisley was born. I was so happy to have him there. I love this photo since it shows the reality of having 2 little ones. Sure to be chaos, but also a lot of fun.


All I could have ever wanted. A cuddle from my little man.


Betty and Bob were so happy to welcome a little girl to their family. Marylyn is in honor of Betty's mother, who lives in Citrus Heights.






Roman stopped by to visit the following day. He was most excited to have Cheerios and Apple juice. Jason left the hospital for a few hours to be able to spend some quality time with Roman at home. I was so excited that they were able to do this.


We were able to come home tonight and there is nothing like being in your own home.


Reflecting on the last few days just puts a smile on my face. I had a lot of fear since my last labor and delivery was a nightmare, but this was the complete opposite experience. I have to credit Dr. Wells (my OB). He went above and beyond to ensure that everything was arranged for me to have a normal birth experience given my cardiac condition. I am forever grateful. I even joked with Jay after the delivery that I could do this again, but not to let me. Ha ha!


Paisley has already stolen her Daddy's heart. I love seeing Jay with his little girl.


Welcome to this world Paisley! We are so honored to have you in our family. I know this next year will be such an adventure and lots of work, but we can't wait for the fun to begin. We look forward to introducing you to all our family and friends.

THANK YOU to Pop and Grandpa Bob for taking such amazing care of Roman during the past 3 days. You went above and beyond to make sure that his life didn't change a beat. I am forever grateful that both of you are so loving and wonderful to him.

Build-A-Cat

When I got home from work today, I felt like doing something special with Jay and Roman. I don't know how many more days I have with just the 3 of us, so wanted to have a fun and mellow night. We ate at La Fogata and Roman was so happy to be on the patio. He is getting much better at sitting while we are out to dinner.

Afterwards, we went to Build-A-Bear. Since Roman loves stuffed animals, I thought it would be a fun experience. We picked out a grey kitty since he is currently in love with our cat, Serena. Here are some pics of the process. It is all pretty cute! The last time I brought Roman to his Doctor, she recommended we get him a Big Brother gift specifically from his little sister. We decided that the cat we made appropriately named, "Big Bro" will be with us at the hospital. When Roman comes to meet Lil P, we will give him the cat as a present from her.


So many choices to decide on.


Adding a heart to his kitty.


Washing kitty


The simple little moments that I love.


Typing the birth certificate for kitty, AKA...Big Bro. Jay insisted on the outfit. Turned out pretty cute.

Playgroup Shower

The Mom's from my playgroup threw myself and Carissa a joint Baby Shower this past weekend. We have been together since our little ones were 2 months old and we still get together weekly for activities. I am so lucky to have met such a great group of Mom's and we have all been such a support through our adventures in motherhood.


4 of the 12 of us are currently pregnant and here we are in order of our due dates. As of right now, Carissa is in labor and should have her baby tonight.

One of the best parts of the shower was watching all our little ones playing together. They have grown up so much and it is so fun seeing all their personalities shine. Here are some pics of Roman's friends.


What a surprise, Roman was at the snack table.


Peyton pushing a baby carriage.


Ava driving her pink car.


Ashley also liked driving around.


Caitlin is going to have a lil brother in February.


Caden loving the cupcakes.

I decided against having a Baby Shower with my family and friends. I'm someone that doesn't always love being the center of attention. Instead I decided to have a big celebration once she has arrived for her Baptism. I still want to celebrate Lil P and felt that was a good alternative. I'm so thankful for all my family and friends for being so supportive and can't wait for Lil P to meet everyone. Hopefully soon...

The Final Countdown

Today marks the single digit countdown to Lil P's arrival.


Days To Go til my due date

Here are some common questions I've been getting...

How am I feeling?
Pretty good. I have days when I feel like someone has sucked every ounce of energy from me, but other days when I am ready to go non-stop all day. My body is starting to feel OLD and tired, but I continue to push myself to keep going. This pregnancy has been so different and I still have mornings when I feel sick to my stomach. Luckily peanut butter usually does the trick, which I have been eating throughout this entire pregnancy.

I could have posted a much cuter pic of me, but decided on this less flattering pic. It shows the reality of the pregnancy. Currently nothing fits at night other than Jay's boxers.

Where am I delivering?

This time around I am at John Muir. I have an amazing doctor, Dr. Wells that is planning to let me go into labor and hoping all goes well I will be able to push this lil one out on my own. Because my heart was able to tolerate the last labor and delivery so well and my blood pressure has remained really low, they don't have to take the same precautions as they did with Roman's birth. I'm so THANKFUL.

Am I scared of another 48 hour delivery?
YES, but I am really trying hard to focus on anything but the thought of the delivery. I am most worried about the after-delivery since that is when I ran into complications with blood loss, but am putting my faith in my doctor and God that all will be just fine this time around.

This was me last time at about 40 hours. I was ready to kill anyone, including Jason for taking this picture of me.

Are you done after this?
I really am amazed at how many people ask this.
Even strangers at Target.
The truth is, you really never know what God's plan is or how we will feel in a few years. However, deep down I do feel like this is my last pregnancy. I really feel so blessed to have been able to have 2 children, especially 1 boy and 1 girl. It is all I could have ever asked for. Also the fact that I have remained healthy and my heart has tolerated everything so well is more than I could have wished for. As of right now, we think that if a 3rd child should bless our lives it will most likely be through adoption. Adoption still has a very special place in my heart and I feel like it would be an amazing adventure too.

When are you going back to work?
Since I'm only working 10 hours a week, I'll probably head back pretty quickly. I have the luxury of doing a lot of work from home, which is awesome. I know this new job came at such an awkward time, but it has been such a blessing. It was exactly what I was looking for and also pretty fun. Now I just need to hope for a mellow, chill baby so that the Grandpa's have an easy transition taking care of 2.

Is Roman excited?

He has no clue. I guess we could have done more to prepare him, but it will all just happen. I am hoping his sweet, loving personality carries over to his little sister and that he just falls in love with her. I know it will be a big change for him, but I'm hoping for the best.

Is Jason excited?

YES...beyond excited. He is not worried about a thing. He really doesn't think it is going to be much more work. (Ha ha!) He can't wait to meet his little girl and experience everything that comes with having a daughter. I can just picture him playing with Barbie's and loving it.

Is Marley excited?
YES...she loves babies. Another face for her to lick, more food to try to steal and another friend to play with. We are so lucky with how loving she is to kid's. She is truly Roman's best friend.

This pic is the first time she met Roman. She has loved him ever since.

So the guessing game has begun. I'm guessing that Lil P will be arriving Oct. 1st. Jay is guessing Oct. 2nd. What do you think?

Happy 18 Months Roman!

I cannot believe that my lil Roman turned 18 months today. He has grown up so much in the last few months and I just can't get enough of him. He is such a happy, loving boy. His personality has really come out as a very busy, funny, cheerful, chatty (even though I think he is speaking German), independent character. He is constantly on the go and really doesn't stop from the time he wakes up. He loves reading his books, his doggy and kitty, being outdoors, playing at the park, anything involving water (we are really going to miss the pool), snuggling with stuffed animals, my iPhone, food and Yo Gabba Gabba. Roman loves food so much that we sometimes joke that he may become a speed eater. There are days when he eats more than me. This makes his Dad very proud. He is also in love with his Daddy. All day long he says, "Da Da" and just smiles. I love seeing the amazing bond that Jay and Roman have formed. Some of the things you currently don't like are waiting (especially for food), sitting in the the stroller, wearing a hat, not being able to figure out how something works, TV (unless it is Yo Gabba Gabba) and when you can't get into the shower. You are OBSESSED with getting in the shower. I often wake up a half an hour early just to be able to get a peaceful shower.


Truthfully I had a really hard time starting my new job and leaving Roman 2 days a week. I just never want to be away from him. But I have now realized how good it is for both him and me. He is loving the time he spends with his Grandpas and it has helped him get over his separation anxiety. Now when his Grandpas walk in the door, he runs to them since he knows he is in for a fun day. He is so lucky and will have such a special relationship with the both of them.


We love you so much Roman. I have never smiled more and you are the one responsible for putting that smile on my face every day. You are amazing and light up my life. I am excited for you to become a Big Brother since I know you will always take such good care of Lil P.



I wasn't exagerating about the shower. Here he is at the pool taking his shower.

Pier 39

It was going to be a hot day, so we decided to escape to the city and be tourists for the day at Pier 39. Jason and I couldn't even remember the last time we had been there. We were looking forward to the food, the fog and the sites.


We went to the Aquarium at the Bay. I had no idea what to expect, but it was pretty fun and a perfect place for Roman to explore.


The Sardine Exhibit.
Does this make anyone else sad? I always think what a pathetic life for these creatures. They just swim and swim around in circles 24 hours a day.


Roman liked the eels.





Doesn't he looked thrilled with the jellyfish?


Touching the starfish and other sea creatures.


We then headed to some cheesy sports bar that ended up being a great place since there were lots of games to entertain Roman. He loves sitting at the car video games and pretending to drive. The best part is it is FREE. I wonder at what age he will want to start really playing.


Jason and I couldn't resist a round of Skee Ball. Roman insisted on playing on top of the game. It was either let him do it or experience a temper tantrum, so we just kept our eye out for security. Roman is quickly entering a new phase of screaming when he doesn't get what he wants. Of course, it is landing exactly the same time Lil P is due. Love how life always works works this way. We are hoping it is a short lived phase, but are trying to embrace it.


We ended the day with debating which dessert we wanted. Candy, ice cream or cookies? We decided on Mrs. Fields cookies and it didn't dissapoint. Loved our day being tourists!