6 months old

Maddox weighs almost 20 lbs. At the doctor’s office, he only weighed 18 something but the day before Allan had weighed him and he weighed exactly 20 lbs. Even at 18 something, he is 75th percentile in weight. He measures 28.25" and is 97th percentile in height. He is a big boy! His car seat is getting heavier and he seems to be outgrowing it already. Maddox has been developing so fast in so many ways. He can grab for things and now “wants” things like my water bottle, my face, my hair, and pretty much anything within reach. He can sit up by himself occasionally falling over as he reaches for his toys and he scoots and rolls. He loves his bath time and has learned how to splash. Maddy has been sick over the last couple of weeks, so I have let him take showers with me so that the steam can help his congestion. It really seems to relax him and he just lets me hold me. It is such a precious moment with him. He is so calm and just looks up at me while I hold him. I get so emotional thinking of him not being a little baby anymore. He just grows too fast. He also got his first teeth in. One popped up and I didn’t even notice until I felt it in his mouth and then looked and saw it poking through. Then a week later, I noticed a second one coming through right next to it. He is such a good baby that I didn’t even realize he was teething. He didn’t seem to be extra fussy or anything. He still loves putting everything in his mouth. His favorite thing to do recently is pull off his socks and hold his feet. He tries to put them in his mouth but he is getting bigger and a little less flexible. Maddy loves looking in the mirror and smiling at himself and at me. As for his sleeping habits, he is still waking up to eat every 3 hours and has been sleeping a lot more with Mommy and Daddy just because I’ve been getting lazy and needing more sleep. As for eating, he is doing great with solids. He loves apple juice and apple sauce. For some reason, he doesn’t seem to like bananas as much. Anyway, eating solids definitely has not decreased his appetite for nursing. He still is a big eater! I just can't believe Maddox is already 6 months old. It has gone by so fast. I can't imagine life without him. He is so special and I am so thankful for him.

A New Home in Arizona

Allan finally got a job! So we moved back to Arizona. Maddy was so good during the drive. He is such a good boy. We split up the drive as much as we could but he was in the car seat for three days straight. He would get a little fussy when he was hungry but overall, he just slept and played all by himself. We rented a 2 bedroom apartment in Phoenix and the plan was for Maddy to have his own room (and his own bed). But I’m a pushover and decided that it was too much change for him (and me) at once. I figured once he gets used to the new place and isn’t eating as much at night, I will move him to the other bedroom.

Baby's First Christmas

Maddy got so many toys and fun things for Christmas. He got a really cute talking Teddy Bear (a LeapFrog Scout) from Grandma and Grandpa Diaz. We programmed it so it says his name and it is so adorable. Maddy seems to really like it. Also, he got a play mat with a piano and a toy arch from Grandma and Grandpa Morrill which he loves to. He can kick the piano or he can also sit up with it. He got a ton of other toys and some new clothes. It was a great first Christmas!

5 months old & a big eater!

So I started feeding Maddy solids... I tried my hardest to wait until six months but it broke my heart to eat in front of him. He would stop whatever he was playing with and just stare at me as I ate. It was sad! Also, his feedings became more frequent and I was nursing him every 2 hours sometimes every hour and a half. So, we started with some green beans, then bananas and so on. He loves bananas and pears but doesn't like carrots. I also fed him some pumpkin today mixed in with bananas. At nights I mix in some oatmeal with his food to try to keep him full through the night. That hasn't been working so well. Maddy still wakes up to eat every 3 to 4 hours in the night. He looks so cute when he eats and opens his mouth for more. It is a lot of fun. So that is the big news. He is developing so fast! Anytime I lay him down, he rolls over onto his stomach and is almost crawling. He raises his legs and tries to push forward with his feet. Since we got back from Hawaii, I have been trying to get him on a schedule and it has been going really well. Maddy wakes up at around 8 or 9 and eats and plays. Then he naps at around 11 and sleeps for 2 to 3 hours. He also takes another nap at around 4 or 5 for an hour or 2 and then goes to bed at around 9 or 10. I'm trying not to be too rigid or strict with it because sometimes, I have to go places or we're not at home so I want to allow for some flexibility and base the routine around his needs. I also created a bedtime routine. Maddy and I read a book- Buenas Noches, Luna and then I turn out the lights and feed him. He usually falls asleep so then I put him in his own bed. Maddy will usually wake up and fuss a little but I am doing the Cry it Out Method which means I let him cry and then go into the room to comfort him in intervals increasing the length of time as I go. We have done this for the past 3 nights and it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. The first night was difficult to not go in and hold him when I was listening to him cry. One good thing is that since we haven't let Maddy cry hardly at all since he was born, he has a very low tolerance for it and is worn out easily. Maddy has become obsessed with his feet. Anytime I lay him down on the floor or when I'm changing his diaper, he pulls his feet up and holds them or puts them in his mouth. And he has a very strong grip so changing his diaper is a struggle. Maddy is still very ticklish and laughs all the time. He is such a happy baby. I definitely was having my doubts when we got back from Hawaii about whether he would stay an easy baby but luckily, he has completely returned to his old demeanor and I think vacation just stressed him out. I really think he missed home and his routine. Also, I think he was constantly hungry. Maddy loves books and his favorite is one with pictures of other little babies in it. He also loves his Star Wars toys and his favorite one is C3PO the gold robot. He lives in his saucer and loves standing up. Maddy is still putting everything in his mouth including his hands. Anyway, everything is going really well. I love being a mom. As for me though, I am having some maternal separation anxiety and hate leaving him. Anytime I am away from Maddy, I am thinking about him and worrying about him and I can't wait to be with him again. I also worry all the time about all the bad things that could happen. I have never felt so vulnerable and fragile in my life. It's like my whole world is wrapped up into my little baby boy and if anything were to happen to him, it would destroy me. Motherhood has turned me into a worrier. But I pray every night for him and my prayers have never been more sincere. Gosh! Being a mom is scary!

Maddox's First Vacation- Hawaii!

Maddox was such a good little traveler! He was perfect on all the plane rides and basically just slept and ate. We had quite a journey to and from Maui. We flew from Boise to Salt Lake to Phoenix and stayed a couple nights with some friends there. Then we flew from Phoenix to LAX to Maui. We had the same stops coming home as well- quite a bit of getting on and off of planes and a lot of time in airports. Looking back, we should have bought direct flights. With Maddy, we had the stroller/car seat which made it easy once we got through security. We got to Maui on a Monday afternoon and it was beautiful! We stayed in a little apartment with Brent and Marina and it was right in front of the beach. The first afternoon we took Maddy out to the beach and dipped his feet in the water. He hated it. It was hilarious. I realized though that it was the first time he had felt "cold" water considering that he had only been in bath water up until that point. But he was a trooper. He went with us everywhere. We did the road to Hana and we woke up at 3 in the morning to drive up to the highest mountain and watch the sun rise above the clouds. Maddox pretty much lived in his car seat the whole week. We were out and about so much and when we were on the beach, he slept in his car seat/stroller. On Friday, he started getting really fussy and by Saturday night, Maddox was miserable. He was up every hour through the night with diarrhea every hour and wanting to eat every hour. I felt so bad for him. He had horrible diaper rash and probably a tummy ache. Sunday morning we decided to take him to urgent care but because they didn't accept insurance, we ended up at the emergency room. Of course, after a rough night, Maddox was the perfect baby for the nurses and doctors. I swear, they all thought I was a crazy paranoid mother. Maddox was laughing at the doctor and smiling at everyone. The doctor said that he most likely had caught a virus but not to be concerned since he was eating and didn't have a fever. I was so relieved and luckily the very next day, his diaper rash started to heal and his diarrhea wasn't as bad. I just felt really guilty for not being able to take him home to his own bed and back to his routine. Being sick and away from home is not fun. The last day in Hawaii, we took Maddy out to play in the water and at first, he fussed a little but then seemed to be okay with it. He looked so cute in his little swim outfits! During the week, I also took him to the hot tub a couple of times and he loved it. Before 4 pm, it wasn't heated so it was the perfect temperature. Maddox had a little float tube that he sat in and just loved it! While we were at the beach, I would lay Maddy out on my towel in the shade and somehow he would always find a way to put a hand or a foot in the sand. Every day he ended up completely covered in sand no matter how hard I tried. I am so proud of my little guy for being such a trooper and a good little traveler. Vacation was definitely different with a baby but I'm thankful for the experience and the beautiful atmosphere we were able to show Maddox. He is our everything and I am so glad he is feeling better! Aloha!

4 Months Old!

Maddy is one big four-month-old. We went to his four month check-up and he is 17 lbs 3 oz which is 87th percentile and he is 27" which is 97th percentile. They gave him his shots and this time he cried very hard. It was the saddest thing ever. I just wanted to take his pain away. It was the worst feeling knowing that my baby was in pain and I wasn't and there was nothing I could do. But he is such a good baby that he only cried for about two minutes and then stopped. Maddy slept for most of the day afterward. His umbilical hernia is healing and the doctor said it is very small now. I asked the doctor about a little mark on his tummy and it turns out he has a third nipple. It's very small and not noticeable. It just looks like a dimple. Overall, Maddy is a very healthy baby. He has been rolling over and moving around on the floor just by kicking his feet. He is wearing 12 month old pants and 6 to 9 month old shirts. He still eats every three to four hours and some nights are rough. Instead of spacing out his feedings I just decided that if he is hungry and a big eater then so be it. I know that some babies just eat a lot and I don't mind feeding him. Maddy also has been putting everything in sight in his mouth. And if nothing is reachable, he puts his hands in his mouth. I have been giving him little tastes of food like banana and frozen yogurt. At first, he seems confused but then he seems to be interested. He also loves blowing bubbles and making sounds while he has my hand in his mouth. It is so cute! Maddy is still very ticklish and laughs all the time. He has been doing much better at sleeping in his own bed. He takes naps in his bed and sleeps most of the night in his own bed. However, I'm still waiting for that magical night when he doesn't wake up to eat every four hours. Anyway, I love my little baby so much even though he is not so little anymore. It is so sad how fast he is growing up. It is amazing and makes me want to cry just because I want all of this to last forever. But it is also exciting to see him progress and to be able to do new things with him. I love my baby Maddy!

Halloween

Maddy was a cow for Halloween and Allan and I were farmers. We only got to wear our costumes once because we missed our ward Halloween party. We were sick the Sunday before so we didn't hear the announcement that it was on Friday night. We ended up going to Tasha's ward party and dressed up for that. On Halloween night, I just put Maddy in a cute little Halloween outfit. Obviously, Maddy didn't understand Halloween or why he was dressed as a cow but it was still really fun. And of course, I thought Maddy looked so adorable and so cute as a cow.