Busy Boy

Last Saturday, I left Maddox with a babysitter for the first time.  He did really well.  And surprisingly, I was not worried about him.  Allan and I went to the temple so we were gone for almost 4 hours.  Maddox napped for a couple hours and then played with the babysitter for the rest of the time.  I was so proud of him.  He didn't cry and wasn't as shy as I thought he would be.  I'm starting to think that he only acts shy when I'm holding him or when I'm around.  I don't really get it but it's not a big deal.  Anyway, Maddox has learned to love music and dancing.  Anytime a song comes on or anytime I start dancing, he will start swaying from side to side and bouncing.  It's really cute.  He is still clapping and I think he uses clapping as a form of communication.  Sometimes, when he is done eating and full, he will clap and sometimes, when I'm changing his diaper, he will clap to let me know that he doesn't like laying down and wants to stand up.  It's kind of funny but I'm glad he has figured out how to let me know how he is feeling.  Maddox does use words like Mama and Dada but no other words yet.  I really need to work on talking to him more.  I read books to him everyday and I point to things and say the name for them but he just doesn't seem interested in repeating me and doesn't seem to care.  Maddox is extremely busy and curious and always seems to get into trouble.  It's getting more difficult to take him places like restaurants, church, and other people's houses.  All he wants to do is walk around and explore touching everything along the way.  He refuses to just sit still and let Allan or I hold him.  I totally get it though because he loves being independent and when we're in a new place, he just gets so excited.  Maddox is really good with other kids and loves giving them kisses and patting them on their heads.  He always laughs at other kids and tries to play with them.  It really makes me want another baby.  I know Maddox would be such a good brother and he would have so much fun playing with someone other than me all day.  I have been trying to be more accessible recently and have been sitting on the floor instead of the couch.  I find that Maddox gets a little fussy if I'm sitting on the couch because he wants up but I won't let him just climb all over the couch because we have hard floors and I don't want him falling.  Anyway, if I'm on the floor, Maddy can give me hugs and kisses or bring me a toy or a book and it just makes him happier.  I've also been trying to not use the word "no" unless he's doing something that could hurt him or someone else.  I got to a point where I was overusing the word and it was losing its significance to him.  Also, I don't like spending the whole day telling Maddox no.  At his age, he wants to do what I do and what Allan does and he wants to play with things that aren't toys just for that reason- they aren't his toys.  I'm trying to let him do as much as possible without completely destroying our house and I'm also trying to take him to the museum and swimming at least once a week.  He's such a good boy and I love watching his mind work.  Maddox is getting so smart and one of his tricks is that he will drop or throw a toy somewhere that he's not supposed to be just so that he has an excuse to be in that place to go get his toy.  He does that with trying to get past the chair barrier to the dog food and he does it with the bathrooms and the bathtub.  It's hilarious because I know exactly what he is thinking.  I am so in love with him and am so happy he is such an easy-going kid.  

A Stubborn Side

We have had a busy week.  We went to San Diego for a little family reunion and Maddox got to meet his cousins.  Missy's girls love Maddox and were very sweet with him.  He also got to play with Becky's boys and had a lot of fun with them too.  Maddox loves the beach!  He loved the sand and was covered it in from head to toe every day we went.  He doesn't seem to mind the taste of sand and would repeatedly put it in his mouth or put sand toys in his mouth.  I'm sure he ate several handfuls each day.  But it kept him busy and he was such a good boy.  He wasn't a huge fan of the water but probably because it was cold.  He slept pretty well the nights we were there.  Overall, we had a great time and I feel like Maddox is finally at the point where he can adjust to being somewhere new easily.  He took good naps, slept well and was happy.
Maddox has decided to be even more picky and now will not eat fruit cocktail, peaches, cherries, or pears.  He does like bananas and has discovered oranges.  We went to a buffet while in San Diego and he ate about 10 orange slices.  Maddox still loves yogurt, hot dogs, pasta and watermelon.  Today, Maddox has shown me just how stubborn he is.  Over a span of 3 hours, Maddox and I had a nonstop battle of the wills.  Cuni's water and food is in the kitchen in the corner.  I have the table and chairs set up so that they create a barrier from wall to wall so Maddox can't get through.  Just in the last couple of weeks, Maddox has learned how to crawl through the legs of the chairs.  So today, he was determined to get to Cuni's food and water.  I kept telling him "no" and would pull him back through the chairs over and over again.  After about an hour of this, I decided maybe just holding him by the food and water and letting him see it up close would take away the novelty and his curiosity but I think it just made him want it more.  After another hour, I switched the chairs onto their sides and over the next hour, switched them about ten different times since Maddox is incredibly strong and can move them, lift them, and pull them to get through.  Needless to say, it has been a long day.  I am shocked at how stubborn and persistent Maddox is.  I have never seen this side of him.  Our battle ended with me finally arranging the chairs in a way that Maddox couldn't disarrange and him screaming and me putting him down for a nap.  On the bright side, Maddox seems to have inherited the part of Allan that makes him such a hard worker.  When he wants something, he goes after it and does not give up.  I, on the other hand am more of a procrastinator and tend to give up rather easily on things that aren't that important.  You would think that touching dog food and splashing a little bit of water wouldn't be worth a 3 hour battle but apparently, it is worth it to Maddox.  I love my little boy and I can't believe how fast he is growing up and how much of a little boy he is now.  He is showing us his personality and although stubborn and persistent, he is still loving and affectionate.  Each time I told him "no" and pulled him away from the dog food, he would cry and still let me hold him and hug him.  He doesn't hold grudges and forgives me immediately for not giving him what he wants.  Maddox is still my little sweetheart!