14 Months

 

Life is so good! We love our little toddler! It's safe to say his baby days are over, which is a little sad for me because there's certain things I miss so much about that stage of chubby, cuddly cuteness. But I think the toddler stage will be just as fun.

Madden is such a ball of energy. I chase after him all day long- cleaning up trails of cracker crumbs, catching him as dives head first off the bed, researching how to get crayon off of my sofa, refolding clothes after he's dumped them out of drawers, re-hanging curtain rods after they've been yanked off the wall, gluing back together lamp shades, picture frames, and vases, scrubbing milk and potty out of carpet, and wiping dirty faces and chubby baby fingers. He is a little monster, but I wouldn't have it any other way! Boys are the best.

Madden is learning so quickly! He babbles and talks alllll day long, and I love the look on his face because it seems as though he's really trying to tell me something. Sometimes he'll be talking my ear off, and then he'll put his face in his hands and just laugh. I think he's going to have quite the sense of humor!

The newest words he's learned are "hello" (hiloooo) "uh oh", "up", and "thank you". "Thank you" is my favorite one because he grunts when he says it. Every morning, Mad helps me unload the dish washer and he crawls up on the dishwasher door and sits on his knees while he reaches in a grabs the silverware and hands them to me one by one. Every time I take it from him I say, "Thank you!" and then one morning, he just copied me and he's been saying it ever since. It is the cutest. We're still working on "please" though.

The only other word that he understands its meaning is "hot". One night I was cooking carrots for him, and one dropped onto the floor from the pot. He went for it and the second he touched it, he looked up at me and said "HOT!" Now every time he touches anything that's even warm, he lets me know that it's "Hot". It still doesn't stop him from touching it over and over again though, we're still working on that too.

Jeff taught him how to talk on the phone. Now he holds anything up to his ear and walks around the house babbling. We taught him how to say "hello" but it comes out "highlooooo". Seriously, he kills me with cuteness sometimes.

He also knows where his belly button is, and his eyes, nose, mouth/teeth, tongue. Although he's not good at showing off, he will never perform for our family!

I think Madden is a little bored with his toys, but he loves his books more than ever. He definitely has his favorites, and he often brings me a book and forced his way onto my lap ready for story time. He loves "Polar bear, Polar Bear", and his "opposites" book, and his "Ocean Friends" book- which he's completely destroyed now. For some reason, this is the only book he's been really rough with. The very last page is a pop-up and he's finally succeeded in ripping all the ocean animals out, then he comes and hands me the pieces one-by-one.

He also loves his Dr. Seuss ABC book. One night when we were reading this book, I bounced him in my lap on every letter I read, and he laughed and laughed. Now every time we read that book, he remembers and starts jumping in my lap before we even start reading! This month we read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and we're in the middle of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Some days, he really wants me to read to him, and other days, he takes the book from me and hides it.

Mad is a bit of a dare devil lately. It all started when he figured out how to climb on to the chair in his room. He wanted to reach the light switch so he when he got onto the chair he's stand on this tippies and play with the switch. Then he figured out that rocking the chair was really fun too. He's kind of a clutz though so I usually piles some pillows on the floor around the chair so he has a soft landing when he falls. Next he learned to climb on the sofa table and this is how the first lamp broke, and the the frame, and the vase. Sometimes he's good at listening when we tell him no, but not when it comes to leaving the lamps alone, or shaking the nightstand. That's when he thinks "no" is so funny and he loves being naughty! Now Madden's new favorite hang out spot is on top of Jeff's desk. Whenever the desk chair isn't pushed in, he is sure to be found ruffling up Jeff's papers on the desk.

Madden is still a good eater. He loves his milk and drinks a sippy cup full in the morning and before his nap and bedtime. I've learned that I can't offer him another bite of something until he's swallowed what's already in his mouth, because he'll spit out the food in order to take the next bite. It's especially lovely that he hands me his chewed up food, he'll never just put it back on the tray. He still doesn't sit in his high chair very long at all, so lately we just let him sit on the table during dinner. It's way messier, but at least he eats more. He also shakes his head "no" when he doesn't want something or when he's finished. And he is getting really good at feeding himself with a spoon!

It seems like Madden knows where everything is in the house, and every day he goes from room to room pulling things apart and making it just the way he likes it. Every time he goes into his room, he pulls the baby monitor out of the wall and comes and brings it to me. He loves our closet and spends a lot of time in there pulling all the shoes off the racks and the clothes off the shelves. One of his favorite things to do it bring me and Jeff shoes. Most days I have shoes scattered all over the house. I love it when Jeff is getting ready and he asks Madden to bring him his shoes. Madden goes straight to the closet and brings back a shoe, whether it's Jeff's or not. But we can tell he loves helping. Madden was given a giant bear that belonged to his great grandma and it's about twice his size, but he loves hauling that thing around the house. And it's hilarious because he grunts and acts like it's the heaviest thing in the world and he'll drop it when he gets tired and lays down on it for a quick rest.

Madden loves loves loves to play! He loves playing with his ball and kicking it around the house, he loves going to the tennis court with us and playing tennis, he loves climbing stairs, he loves bonking his little head on every surface he can find, he loves jumping on the bed, he loves laying down and splashing in the bath, and dipping his face in the bubbles, he loves pillow fights with dad, he loves the park and the splash pad and we go as often as we can, and he especially loves to run/skip. I'm sure he wishes he can move faster than his little legs can go! He still loves the water, whether its the pool, beach, puddles, bath tub, spriklers, splash pad, sink, you name it. And he loves being naked too. Every time he gets out of the bath or pool and its time for a diaper, he bolts! It's a serious wrestling match trying to get a diaper on him, and I lose a lot of the time. He has the cutest buns in the world though it's not worth the fight sometimes.

He is growing so quickly too! He's just over 24 pounds and he's gotten tall enough to stand on his tippies and reach the door knobs the stove top. He can't turn the door knobs yet, but he can open all of the closet doors and the pantry. He definitely knows his name now too. He probably has for a while, but we were sure of it one night when were playing tennis. Mad was wandering around the court next to us, and I was serving the ball to Jeff. I called out the score, "Ad in" and Madden looked over at me and started running. He thought I said his name!

Madden is so easy to make laugh and smile. Everywhere we go, people still comment on how happy and easy he is. He's such a flirt too, he smiles at all the girls and plays peekaboo with strangers in the stores. He's so ticklish on his back and his sides and he gives us the best belly laugh when he's tickled. He has the cheesiest smile when he's laughing, and it's the cutest thing. Lately, the think he laughs at the most is sneezing, so much so that he's started fake sneezing. He laughs so hard when we sneeze for real, and then we wanders around the house saying "a choo" and laughing to himself. Mad is also getting the point where he's showing frustration. When he gets frustrated we kind of yells or screams then goes to the nearest wall and bonks his head on it! It's the funniest thing, we just hope he's not jiggling up his brains with all the bonking he does! He also loves watching videos of himself on my phone, he'll lay in my lap and stare at the screen and smile and laugh when he's laughing in the video.

I love my Madden's cute personality so much, he is the sweetest boy and also the funniest. He loves to play and tease, but everyday I savor the moments when he wraps his little arms around my neck and gives me a grunty squeeze and kisses me when I don't even ask for it. I love it when I have Madden in my arms and he grabs onto my cheeks with his hands and pulls my face in for a lots and lots of "bonking kisses." This is what we call it when he bonks our face with his mouth and kisses us over and over again. And my favorite thing of all is when I'm putting him to bed at night, and I'm holding him and singing primary songs before I put him in his crib. He lays his head down on my shoulder while I sing to him and every 5 seconds or so he lifts his head and kisses me and then lays his head down again. Before I became a mom I never knew that I could love someone so much. Madden and Jeff are my whole world, I don't know what I'd do without them. I have the best boys!
On to another crazy month with our Madden Sunshine!

13 Months!

This past month has brought the most change so far in our little man's life. It seems like the day after his first birthday, he woke up and became and little boy instead of my baby. He is walking/skipping all over the place these days and he is bound and determined to move faster than his little feet can carry him. He still can't stand up on his own, but it's so fun to watch him walk on his knees until he reaches something or someone he can pull himself up on. February 5 he took his first steps, and February 12, he was on two feet for good!

Madden loves to babble! In the past he's always been so quiet when we facetime our family, but now he holds the phone and has long conversations with my mom. He still does his very high, girlie shrieks when he's excited, and when he's playing with his toys we often hear him saying, "dum be dum be dum" over and over again. The only time he says "mama" is when he's blowing spit bubbles, but he says dada all the time. He knows his dad and loves him a lot.

Every time Madden hears Jeff unlocking the door at night, he jumps and charges toward the door. When Jeff comes in, Madden has his arms held up to Jeff until he picks him up. I don't think Jeff could ask for a better welcome home. Last week there were a couple really late days for Jeff and he didn't get to spend much time with Mad before bedtime. Jeff was bummed when Madden didn't show much interest in him and wanted me instead. He thought that Madden had forgotten him a little bit, so I grabbed a picture of our family and brought it to Madden, and said, "Madden, where's Daddy?" He pointed his little finger right at Jeff and looked up and smiled! Then I told him to give Daddy kisses and he picked the frame up and kissed Jeff's face. How could he forget his Daddy? He's the best.

Madden has a big boy car seat now! He loves it so much and car trips are so much more guilt free for me now that I know he's having a great time in the back seat. He loves going to the park and spends most of the time following around the big kids and climbing up the slide. He doesn't keep any of his shoes on so he walks around the park with bare, dirty feet. Other moms must think I'm the worst. But bare, sticky feet are essential for climbing the slides, and he's a pro. My Mr. Independent does not like to be helped lately either. He pushes my hands away when I'm spotting him on the slide or anywhere else actually. He likes to do things all by himself! He also loves the pool too, we go several times a week and he splashes like crazy and digs around in stranger's pool bags. It should also be noted that he has the cutest little diaper tan lines on his buns! At the pool and in the bath tub he loves to dip his face in the water. He does it over and over again and looks up at me every time and just laughs. Last week he even started standing up on the edge of the pool and jumping to in to me. Except his version of jumping is more like leaning in quickly with a little bounce.

Madden loves eating with a fork these days. He pretty much likes doing most things by himself, and he even pushes my hands away when I try to feed him. He still shoves his mouth full of food until it's almost bursting and it's hilarious when he tries to talk like this. A lot of the time he'll chew some of his food, then spits it out and looks at it, then eats it again. Lovely, I know. He also likes eating while sitting on the counter. And all of a sudden he's started bringing me bags of snacks from the diaper bag or pantry and putting them on my lap wanting me to open them for him. I thought only big boys do that! I'm so happy that he's always been a good eater, I can imagine how frustrating some moms feel when they can't get their babies to eat. Madden has more than tripled his weight in a year! At his 1 year appointment he was 23 lbs 5 oz. As dense and heavy as he is, he's a skinny little thing. Long and lean. The doctor says he's growing into the perfect point guard.

Madden is doing new things daily, and he is so playful and spunky! He still loves unloading all of the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen and bathroom, but now instead of dumping things out onto the ground, he has to hand me each spatula or Tupperware one by one. Every time I take something from him, I say "Thank youuuuuuuuuuuu" and he thinks it's so funny. The dishwasher is still his favorite and this drives me crazy actually! I have to open the dishwasher very secretly and quietly, during his naps, or when Jeff has him fully distracted in another room. If he sees or hears the dishwasher door open, he charges to the kitchen to try and climb inside and dip his chubby fingers in the leftover dish soap and lick them. He takes handfuls of dishes and throws them over board and cries and cries when I finally shut the door. Madden is also going through a major head bonking stage. He is such a boy! He bonks his head on everything! The windows, the doors, me, the floor, the bath tub faucet, his books, me, his toys, and me! It amazing that he doesn't have a black and blue forehead because I have bruises all over me! He of course thinks it's so funny. Another funny thing he does is he'll be walking or crawling along, and he'll fall flat onto his tummy to take a little break. He kicks his right leg up and kicks his bum and just looks around at everything for a few moments. Then he's on his way again! I don't know why, but it's always the little things he does that make him so irresistible!

I'm finding out that I love teaching him things, it's really my favorite thing to do with him. I love how he's starting to bring me books and he crawls into my lap ready for story time. He is a page turner, which was kind of annoying at first, but I love that he's leading the way and showing me what he's interested in. He loves Polar Bear, Polar Bear because I do all the animal sounds which makes him laugh. And he still loves to thumb through his paper books, but lately he's been a lot rougher than in the past. We have several ripped pages. This month I've been reading "The BFG" to him, or trying to read to him. He must not like this book very much because every time I bring it out to read, he grabs it from me and throws it. Last time he even picked it up and walked with it all the way into his room where I found it in one of his dresser drawers! Mad is a pro at knowing where his eyes, nose, teeth, tongue, and mouth are. Sometimes he even does fishy kisses when I ask where his lips are. He is so cute when he does this, I can't even stand it sometimes!

He is so smart, and I'm amazed at how much he understands already. Sometimes I'll point at something across the room and ask him to bring it to me, and he'll do it! Even when he's doing things he knows he shouldn't be doing, like pushing over the lamp, he is starting to obey when we tell him no. The best thing he does with his newfound baby genius, is he gives us kisses whenever we ask for them. Sometimes his kisses are more like mauling my entire face, but I'll take them!

He is so loveable and is really the sweetest little boy. He's never been attached to anything. He's never used a pacifier, and he doesn't have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. I honestly think I've always been his comforter, which is one of the trillion reasons I'm so glad I nursed him. We stopped nursing at the end of February and these past couple weeks as I've been weaning him, Jeff and I have noticed that he's become more interested in his blankets and stuffed animals. As heartbreaking as this whole weaning process has been for us, it is so sweet watching him lay his head down on anything soft. He will be playing and suddenly take a quick cuddle break and lay his head down on his blanket. But our new favorite thing he does is hug/squeeze to death his stuffed animal dog. The funniest thing is the noise he makes during the squeeze- it's like a desperate grunt, like he just can't hug it any harder. Then when he's done he chucks the dog across the room. It is sooooo funny, we are constantly putting the dog next to him just so he hugs it more often. Jeff and I are convinced he's copying what we do to him. We probably should stop loving him so hard!

The other night I was at the kitchen sink while Jeff was snuggling with Madden on the couch and reading stories. I looked over and had one of those moments that come so often these days, and I realized that I have everything I've always wanted. I know how lucky I am to be able to stay at home and raise our kids. With as demanding and significant as Jeff's career is, he is always the first to point out that my job, motherhood, is the most important. Becoming a mom has really shown me what unconditional love is, and I have never loved my husband more as I've watched him be a dad to our baby. And of course Madden, I think I might explode sometimes when I think of how much I love him. Jeff is so sweet when he hugs and kisses Madden. Every night he says, "I love you so so so much, but who do I love most? Mommy." Every once in awhile he'll ask me who I love the most, him or Madden. It's not even a fair question! I think I'm allowed to have two loves of my life.