Author Erin Bried consulted Rachel’s mom, Elaine Maddow, and other mothers of “extraordinary children” for her latest book, How to Rock Your Baby. Evidence of the Maddow family’s irrepressible cuteness abounds; brief samples are included below. How to Rock Your Baby is available now from Amazon.com.

“Even as a baby, Rachel arrived with a real quizzical look on her face, wanting to check everything out,” she says, adding that they spent many family dinners talking about the world beyond their front door. “Even now, when I watch her on TV, I still see that very same look.”

“I definitely was not a type of mother who got out of my kids’ way and let them explore on their own,” says Maddow. “But my children were so smart and so independent that they made their own way in spite of me, especially Rachel.”

She’s proud of the adults her children have become. “They’re good people and good citizens. They’re passionate and smart and they care about other people and the world. And who would’ve ever thought we’d wind up with Rachel being in the position she’s in. I really believe in her and what she’s doing. She’s really my hero.”

h/t @inthebasement