8 Month Photo Session

8 months old

Maddox has been kind of crawling. He gets around very easily but is not yet officially crawling. He uses his arms a lot and likes to stand more than anything. He is trying to pull himself up onto furniture and likes to get up on all fours but instead of his knees he gets up on his feet. It's really funny because I can tell he really wants to walk. Last week, Maddox had a really rough day and I could tell he was in pain. I took him to the doctor the next day and the poor thing had two ear infections and a ruptured ear drum. I felt so bad for him. He is doing much better. The medicine that he has to take is a stronger antibiotic than the last one and apparently, it does not have a very good taste. The first couple times, he gagged himself and threw it all up so now I have to wrestle him to hold him down, plug his nose and blow in his face until he swallows. It is quite the ordeal. He doesn't cry but he will try to wiggle away from me and refuse to open his mouth and then spit it out back into my face. Anyway, Maddox is eating better and loves table food. He likes string cheese and chicken and pretty much anything I'm eating. Maddox has also become a very affectionate and snuggly little guy. He loves giving hugs especially when he is tired. Allan and I went through the temple with Camilla several weeks ago and Aaron watched Maddy outside. He hadn't taken a nap and was super tired and when we came out of the temple, he snuggled Camilla and laid his head on her shoulder. It was so cute! Then he did the same thing to the RS president a couple Sundays ago when I had to say the closing prayer. He loves girls with dark hair! Maddox has also been sleeping with us still. He is so fun to snuggle and I finally got Allan to admit that he likes sleeping next to Maddy so at least we are all on the same page. He is doing better at not eating so much in the night and I think within a couple months he will hopefully be sleeping through the night. I know that Maddox just has a strong need to be touched and feel someone close to him and that's why he loves sleeping with us. Maddox and I have been swimming a lot because it is getting really hot. He loves the water! He plays in his little floaty or on the top step and plays and plays until he is too tired to play anymore. He loves playing with his blocks and his piano and his books but most of all he loves playing with anything that he is not supposed to play with. He has incredibly fast hands and grabs everything he can. He is also developing a temper and when I take something away from him he gets mad and does his angry cry. Maddox is pretty tough though. As he has become more mobile he has bumped his head a couple times. He usually just stops and turns around to look at me and gives me a sad face and then I tell him he's ok and he just goes right back to playing. Sometimes, I will give him a hug though. Maddox is getting so big and has been outgrowing a lot of him clothes. He is wearing all 12 month and 18 month clothes now. Well, of course I could go on and on about how much I love Maddox but I think it's clear... he is my everything. I am still obsessed with him and love him more and more every day. I love him more than I thought was possible. He is such an angel!

Stranger Danger & Separation Anxiety

Maddox has been doing really well. He is off of his antibiotic for his ear infection and has now moved on to teething including drooling and a runny nose. I think his top two teeth are coming in. He isn't quite crawling yet or at least not in the right direction. He gets up on all fours and then crawls backwards which of course frustrates him since he is moving in the opposite direction. It's actually really cute watching him make his way around the room going backwards. I'm sure eventually he will get the hang of it and like his doctor said, "bigger babies crawl a little later." He also has developed into quite a picky eater. He will only eat fruit and sweet foods. He hates vegetables and meats and refuses to eat them. I have even tried sweet potatoes, I've tried mixing vegetables with fruit but he can tell. He must have a very sensitive pallet. If a non-sweet food goes into his mouth, he makes a really funny face and shakes his head. Then he gags himself until he has completely spit out the food. He's very dramatic about it. So, I will keep trying to introduce new foods until he gets used to the texture and taste. I really don't want him to be picky. Maddox has been doing a little better at night. He still likes to nurse a lot at night but I don't mind. He is such a sweetheart. Maddy has recently become scared of strangers. An elderly female Walmart employee decided to get all up in his face while we were grocery shopping and Maddy did not like it. He started crying and I could tell he was nervous and scared. And the same thing happened when we went to dinner at the Spencers', a couple from our ward. Sister Spencer made him a little nervous and he started crying. I know it's normal so I just make sure that he sees me and I hold him when there are strangers around. Maddy also has become very aware of whether or not I am in the room. On some days, he gets very attached to me and just wants me to hold him. If I walk away, he cries and gets his feelings hurt. After a full day of this, it gets very frustrating but I just remind myself that he is an innocent little baby and needs extra security. Afterall, I have spent almost every second with him since he was born. I love how close I feel to him and I love that I get to be with him all day. I feel so blessed that I have such a great husband that works so hard so that I can be a stay-at-home mom. I love my family!

His Happy Self Again...

Well it all makes sense now. Maddox had his doctor's appointment for his 6 month shots and he had RSV and an ear infection. So I'm pretty sure that the reason he was being so fussy all those nights was because of his ear infection. I had a feeling that something was going on but it's so hard to know. The RSV was pretty evident by his coughing and runny nose. Luckily, he didn't get a fever or diarrhea but his cough was really bad. I could tell it was painful because he would cry a little every time he coughed and it would wake him up at night. For the last week and a half, I have been taking hot showers with him in the mornings and nights hoping that the steam would help his congestion. The doctor gave him an antibiotic for his ear infection but nothing for the RSV because he was already improving on his own. Almost overnight, Maddy reverted back to his normal happy self. I was so relieved! But also, I felt bad that he was fussy and miserable because he was uncomfortable and in pain. Anyway, for now on, if he isn't acting himself, I will assume that something is wrong physically and take him to the doctor sooner. Maddy is now 7 months and still growing like a weed. He weighs 20 lbs. He still isn't crawling yet but seems to be trying. He gets up on his hands and knees sometimes and seems to move around the floor but mostly by rolling or scooting. He has also started "talking" and saying "mamamama" and "bababababa" over and over again. It is so much fun to hear him getting close to saying real words! He also still loves his feet and still puts them in his mouth (I bathe him everyday and try to keep his feet clean). Maddox has also started giving kisses but they are always very open-mouthed. I don't mind though because I think it is the sweetest thing in the world when he leans in to touch his mouth to mine. He has also learned the meaning of "no" or at least understands when I'm telling him to not do something like bite me while breastfeeding or spitting out his baby food for fun. He doesn't seem to get sad when I say no, instead he gets a little mad. It's really cute but at least he is learning to listen. Maddox still thinks Cuni is hilarious and loves to watch him walk around the room which is rare since Cuni is extremely lazy. Maddy is still night nursing like a champ. He stocks up and eats every couple hours during the night. And then during the day, he only nurses about 3 or 4 times. It's ok though because I have come to terms with the fact that it's just part of being a mom. After my horrible experience with the Cry It Out Method, I have embraced a new mentality that has made me happier as a mom. It may fall under the "attachment parenting" category but I don't care. After writing my last blog post and after a night of listening to my precious angel cry himself to sleep, I had a breakdown. I cried for a couple hours and prayed for forgiveness. I know that might seem melodramatic but I sincerely felt like I had made a huge mistake and had done something terribly wrong. I decided that I would never restrain myself from comforting my son again. So I decided to do what feels right. Since then I have been mothering Maddy completely and totally according to his needs- I hold him if he wants to be held, I feed him if he wants to eat, I let him sleep with me if he wants to, etc. I honestly think that this is what works for us and makes us both the happiest. He knows that I am there for him to meet his needs and he can always trust that I will be there for him. Eventually, he will grow out of the night nursing thing and sleep through the night and eventually, he will be ready to sleep in his own room but for now, he needs to be close to his mom. On Saturday, we went to the Phoenix Zoo with Michelle and Loni and their kids. It was a lot of fun. When we went into the petting zoo area, we saw lots of goats walking around. Allan was holding Maddy and when he leaned down to let Maddy get closer to a goat, Maddy stuck out his lower lip and started crying. He was scared of the goat or something. It was so cute! So we left the petting zoo area and then he was fine. Anyway, a lot has happened and I feel like Maddy is progressing even faster now. He is starting to look like a little boy and not a baby anymore. He still doesn't have a ton of hair but it's growing and I brush it now. His eyes are still bright blue and he is still extremely thick and solid. He loves his saucer and sits on the floor and plays with his toys like a good little boy. He also still watches his Spanish cartoons: Dora La Exploradora and La Casa de Mickey. Maddox is the best baby and goes with me everywhere. I couldn't imagine life without him. He is my everything! I love him so much and am so thankful for his happy amd carefree personality. He is so easy to make smile and laugh. We are truly blessed to have Maddox as our son.

Sleep Training or Lack Thereof...

For the last week, Maddy has been having a rough time at nights. He was waking up almost every hour and wanting to nurse. And he only wanted to sleep in our bed. I finally got him to spread out his feedings but he has been screaming the second I lay him down in his own bed. So I decided to try the Cry It Out Method again but in intervals. It was really, really hard last night. I felt like a horrible mother. His capacity for crying has increased and he can cry louder and longer. I’m debating as to whether or not I should keep this up. I just feel so bad. He cried so much Saturday night that he was exhausted Sunday and slept for most of the day. And again last night- he is taking a really long nap right now probably trying to recover. I can’t help but think that he’s just a baby and wants to be near his mom and dad and feel our warmth and love. I think if he cries tonight, I will hold him and let him sleep with me. I love him so much and it breaks my heart to not be able to comfort him when he might be scared. I have been researching it online and there are lots of articles on both ends of the spectrum- those who say just let him cry and those who say he’ll grow out of it on his own. We’ll see what happens tonight but I set a goal when I became a mother: I never want Maddy to doubt my love for him. I want him to feel loved every second of every day. No matter what. And he is getting to an age where he is starting to understand that I am leaving the room and not there anymore. And he remembers things. I know that he still loves me and he is happy to see me in the mornings but I don’t want to take advantage of his innocence. One article I read said that I can’t just decide to stop being a mom at night because I want to sleep. And I agree. It made me realize how selfish I have been. If Maddy wants to nurse every hour then that’s what he needs and I should allow him to. I am his caretaker and this may be my only opportunity to nurse and raise my own baby. I want to value every moment I have with him. I think writing this has made me realize that I need to be more patient and less selfish.

Sweet Toothe

Maddy has gotten so much better at eating solids.  He loves his baby food now and can eat a 3 oz container in one sitting and still want more.  His favorite is Pears w/Cinnamon and Oatmeal.  He also likes his oatmeal cereal with apple juice and Peach Cobbler baby food and applesauce.  I have been giving him bites of my food and let him try carrots and chicken last night.  He seemed to like it. Maddy definitely prefers the sweet stuff and still has not acquired a taste for salt or non-sweet foods. And of course he loves ice cream! And anything sweet. He loves smoothies and always tries to drink out of my water bottle. He wants whatever Mommy and Daddy have.

San Diego

Maddy got to visit his grandparents in San Diego and had a great time. He met his Grandpa and his uncles and was such a good boy. He loves being around people and doesn’t seem to have “stranger danger.” He only fusses when he thinks he’s alone or when I leave the room. While in San Diego, we went for a walk at La Jolla Cove and went to the aquarium. He loved looking at the fish and the backlighted tanks. Maddox also got to try some new foods. Grandma fed him Rice Krispies and he seemed to like them. Maddy is still learning how to sit up on his own without falling over. I felt so bad because I was taking a picture of him and he leaned forward and hit his head on the ground. He cried and had a little red mark on his forehead. After that, we started putting pillows all around him to protect him from the hard floors. He was so happy and friendly and I was so glad my brothers and parents got to spend time with him. It was a lot of fun!