Comments on: saturday.

By: Michelle in WI

Michelle in WI — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:25:24 +0000

That was the best letter ever.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:22:01 +0000

I <3 Carter. What a blessing.

By: Beth in MI

Beth in MI — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:33:48 +0000

Ack! Clipping a newborn’s fingernails is nervewracking! WTG, Matt!

What a beautiful gift from Lindsay and Carter.

By: Ria

Ria — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:07:46 +0000

Hi Matt, there’s a lot of us reading your blog in Bangalore. Our friend Vinoo, who you met at Tavern, Bangalore a couple of times sent us the blog. We visit the blog every day. You and Madeline and Liz continue to touch our hearts and inspire us in different ways every day. So do all the friends and family you mention, especially Madeline’s Aunty Deb. Our thoughts and good wishes to you all from Bangalore. George mentioned you in his blog too on the post about dentists. See http://georgesque.blogspot.com/

Ria and George

By: Katie formerly from MN

Katie formerly from MN — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:35:42 +0000

I also moved away from MN, now in AZ I get newsletters from the star trib to keep up on things going on in mpls. I saw your article and checked your blog out.

I read every entry and, yes it made me cry! You don’t know me but I feel like I know you through your amazing writing and beautiful photographs. I’m so sorry for your loss, and happy for your new baby! What a bittersweet time for you.

I did laugh at the bit where all of your visitors got your site shut down, I’m sure I contributed!

By: Amy in MN

Amy in MN — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:31:18 +0000

Hi, Matt and Madeline-

I am yet another Star Tribune reader that has been following your blog daily. I have been waiting to think of something exceptionally profound to post, but it looks like Carter takes the cake. WOW! I taught high school English for 7 years and rarely encountered such insight….(perhaps I would still be in the classroom if I had!) Thank you so much for sharing that with us, and for letting us join you on this stage of your journey. We don’t get to pick all of our challenges in life, and how we respond to the unexpected–sometimes unthinkable–events of our lives reveals the true depth of our character. You are an amazing father and person, and I wish you and Madeline all of the best, always.

Warm regards,
Amy

PS This is my first winter in 12 years, and I must admit the last 2 months of it have NOT brought out the best of MY character! (I, too, ventured to California during my post-graduate years…but we moved back here because you just can’t beat the MN public schools…our daughter started Spanish Immersion Kindergarten in Minnetonka this year….we joke with everyone that we had to move back to MN so she could learn Spanish!) ENJOY THE CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE! To think that for so long I took 70 degree days for granted…..it’s blasphemous!

By: Anne in MN

Anne in MN — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:55:41 +0000

When my daughter was about Madeline’s age, a wise and savvy parent told me that no matter how hard you try to be careful, you’ll probably eventually draw blood while clipping the baby’s nails. (Shortly after, my husband did…and he hasn’t volunteered to help with clipping since!) So, I thought I’d share the tidbit…and prepare you for the experience.

Thank you for continuing to share your story — and Liz’s legacy — with us. My family continues to hold you and Madeline in our hearts.

Wishing you peace and strength.

By: Aja

Aja — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:45:43 +0000

I listened to Quincy Coleman singing “Baby Don’t You Cry” and thought of you and Madeline.

By: Skotse

Skotse — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:07:30 +0000

Dear Matt,
Your story is so incredible, and by responding the way you are, you are giving us the opportunity to share our best with you and help you. Thank you for that. I’ve been thinking about helping a lot lately. I have mostly been a solitaire, and always felt like isolation was safer, as that way I couldn’t be asked to do more than was possible. But I’m realizing now, we all have different strengths and different perceptions, due to how vast life is and our own uniquenesses. And helping simply allows someone’s own unique gifts to have a place. I’m sort of rambling, but I just think it’s great that you’re giving so much room to the collective human spirit. It’s really affirming and nurturing for all of us.
One idea: for those of us who don’t know you, if you share a little bit about yourself as you go, we could fine tune our ideas for you. Like, when my child was young (she’s a relatively happy, healthy 15-yr-old now), I was really into that whole baby calendar thing, because I like to record things and keep data and all that. But if you’re not like that, that wouldn’t fit for you. I really believe that what’s right for you is all that matters.
Anyway, my prayers are with you.

By: Peg

Peg — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:06:46 +0000

Matt, I’m another Strib reader in Minnesota following your story and sending you and Madeline and all your family and friends best wishes, as well as sincere condolences for losing Liz.

A suggestion, speaking as a mother who has been blogging about her own daily family life for years: print out each day’s entry (your posts with accompanying pictures). If you’re like me, you’ll print two copies, one for you, and one for Madeline. At the end of the year, you’ll have a sheaf of paper which you can take to a copy center and get velo-bound, like a book. I’ve been doing this, keeping one copy for myself, and giving one to each of my two daughters, and my girls treasure the blog books I’ve made for them, a very personal record of their lives on a day-to-day basis. Those little life moments you’ve recorded–cutting her fingernails for the first time, for example–would naturally fade in your memory in time (the normal sleeplessness that is the daily lot of a new parent would do that, aside from the extraordinary grief you’ve had to deal with), but with those moments gathered together in a book, Madeline will be able to read for herself in the years to come all those little details, both of how you treasured her mother’s memory and of how you learned to care for her and love her, as her daddy.

Your blog entries, with the accompanying pictures, are Madeline’s baby book, and you are building an extraordinary one for her.