Mad Lauer (preface in memory of Maddie Spohr)
Heather Spohr was one of our very first editors, joining our Overcoming Adversity channel before our launch thanks to a “bloggy” friendship we struck up while her daughter Maddie was in the hospital. 
Heather’s husband, Mike, was one of our very first bloggers, sharing with us a post he wrote about what it’s like being a stay-at-home dad caring for a preemie baby daughter. It was, to say the least, hilarious.
A strong sense of humor defines the Spohr family. It bonds them. It defined their daughter, Maddie.
Madeline Alice Spohr, daughter to Heather and Mike Spohr, passed away on April 7, 2009. As bloggers, all we can do is rock collectively in disbelief and then scramble to do what we can to send support across the ether that is our relationships.
So Blog Nosh Magazine is filling our table with the bounty that was Maddie. What follows below is what I consider to be the definitive Maddie post, written by her mother about a man that Maddie and I both felt belonged to us. Yes, that’s right: Matt Lauer.
I officially bow down to you, Maddie. Your smile was always brighter and your eyes always more mesmerizing than mine anyway. Enjoy watching him shower naked from now on. You win.
PS- Below every post about Maddie that will appear, you will find links to a PayPal account set up for the Spohrs. In addition, in lieu of flowers, the Spohr family ask that you donate to the March of Dimes. We’re doing what we can to send a little support their way, with a cherry on top from Blog Nosh Magazine.
***
Mad Lauer {Originally published on The Spohrs Are Multiplying}
When I was seven years old, I got my first crush – David Witherspoon from the TV show Our House (and yes I now know Chad Allen is gay). I eventually moved on to Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years, then Johnny Depp from 21 Jump Street, and the list goes on from there. I knew Maddie would eventually have a crush on a TV personality, but I figured she would be around seven years old like me – not seven MONTHS old.
Madeline has a mad crush on Matt Lauer.
We started to notice it a few months ago. In the mornings she’s fussy, but the second she’d hear Matt Lauer’s voice, she would stop whining and turn her whole body toward the sound of Matt joking with Meredith. We’ve even recorded The Today Show on our DVR so we can play it when she’s especially wound up. It works every time.
We joked about how much Maddie luuuuuuurves Matt Lauer, but we didn’t take it seriously. I mean, she’s 9 1/2 months old. But then I found her looking up pictures of him.
And I thought, oh, look, my baby has a crush, thank goodness it’s someone smart and wholesome like Matt Lauer. I turned away from Maddie for a second, and then when I looked back at her, I realized my little girl wasn’t so innocent. Yes. I caught her looking at this:
At least she looks ashamed.
But no! It doesn’t end there. I took Maddie into her room to get her ready for bed, and that’s when I saw it. A tattoo. Right above her cute little tush.
Maddie has a tramp stamp for Matt Lauer. I think we’re going to have to start monitoring her a little more closely now.
I don’t know how I’m going to tell Maddie that Matt Lauer is married.
***Update April 8, 2009***
Matt’s house (aka TODAY’s Family Blog) gives Maddie their love.
***
Editor’s Note from Publisher, Megan Jordan from Velveteen Mind: Maddie’s mom’s blog, The Spohrs Are Multiplying, may be up and down this week due to high traffic demands. Fellow bloggers are helping to stabilize the site, but keep checking back. Regular updates are available via their friend Meghan, as well.
In the meantime, please show your support by donating to the March of Dimes (in lieu of flowers, at the family’s request)
You may also donate directly to the Spohrs via PayPal sent to the email address: formaddie@hotmomreviews.com or by clicking the button below:
Edited By Megan Jordan | April 8th, 2009 | Category: BN Channel Overcoming Adversity, Featured 1, Megan Velveteen Mind, Monday 1 | 21 comments
This is probably my all-time favorite Maddie post. I needed to see this today. Thank you for featuring it. She is going to be so, so very missed by so, so many.
Mauras last blog post..What the Deuce?
well done
Maddie’s picture (the smiley one “looking up pictures”) was on the NBC website today as well.
Daisys last blog post..Avoiding Mother Hubbard Syndrome
this is my favoritest post ever. i forgot about this. thank you for reminding me
Ms. Changes Pants While Drivings last blog post..little earthquake
[...] first time I’d seen Maddie’s mom’s blog was two weeks ago, when a friend of hers sent me a link to her “NICU [...]
[...] then read a re-posting over at BlogNosh of one of Heather’s posts. More humor. More [...]
OMG! This is my fave post of Heather’s. Thank you so much for doing this and for letting people see it. I can’t believe her blog is still down. This is beautiful.
Michelle -WT Moms last blog post..For Maddie
[...] Nosh Magazine has their entire front page dedicated to Maddie Spohr. Go check it out. It will do your heart good. The awesome ladies at Blog Nosh have published one [...]
I just posted about this awesome page you’ve created for Maddie. Here is the link.
http://whitetrashmom.com/2009/04/blognoshmagazine.html
Michelle -WT Moms last blog post..For Maddie
The Matt Lauer post is the first time I met Maddie and have been mesmerized by her eyes since.
What a beautiful tribute. I am continually inspired by the mom blogger community.
This is one of my favorite posts too. The look on her face when she was “caught” looking at racy picure of Matt is priceless.
This is the PERFECT tribute to sweet Maddie.
What.a.kid.
Loralees last blog post..Sideblog:Donations for Maddie
[...] articles about it. The Today Show blog sent condolences to the family after hearing that Maddie (who loved her some Matt Lauer) had [...]
[...] been able to face this post. Depending on what circles you travel in the blogosphere, you may or may not have heard about Maddie. I didn’t know Maddie. I didn’t read her parents’ blog. I had never heard of [...]
Just priceless! I can’t decide whether to laugh or cry. But tears are in my eyes…
Janice (5 Minutes for Mom)s last blog post..Around The Blogosphere – Week 79
I only found Heather’s website a few days ago after seeing #maddie all over twitter. This absolutely breaks my heart, but seeing this post gave me a little laugh. What a sweet girl. She will be so missed by so many I’m sure.
Alexs last blog post..in yo face taxman….or so we thought
Twitter: amyturnsharp
says:
this is perfect. xo
Twitter: amyturnsharp
says:
I keep thinking about this angel. All the time.
[...] editors suffered the greatest loss any parent can imagine: Her daughter, Maddie, passed away. The hearts of the blogosphere went out to Maddie Spohr’s family in a way that our bodies could not, separated by miles but not [...]
I must say that this is a great post..Really i am impressed from this post….the person who create this post it was a great human. I put a link to your blog at my site, hope you dont mind?