Rearranging

We decided to move the furniture around so that Brian can work after Maddox goes to bed. So, we now have a nursery, an office in our dining room, and a dining table in our living room. Though it's not ideal, it seems to work better than our last set up. It's nice to have a room for Maddox. I think it actually looks a little better in person than it does in these pictures. We are also going to pull out some of the many pieces of art we have stored behind and underneath furniture.

He's crawling a bit more. It's usually an inch worm or army crawl. He has been VERY vocal lately and loves playing peek-a-boo. I tried to make some baby food- which he did not enjoy at all. Now he seems wary of any food we try to give him.

Thanksgiving

Maddox made his first few crawling steps!

Sitting Pretty

I have been working during the past couple weekends so it has been hard to find the time to post. Maddox had his last story time until after the holidays. We'll miss our Monday outing for Book Babies and lunch with Brian. Maddox is sitting up well and saying Da Da. I still think that Da Da and Ma Ma are just fun sounds to make for now. He's very interested in Duncan and shiny door knobs at the moment. He has taken a couple of bottles and is now eating pears and sweet potatoes. A lot of exciting firsts.

He also loves the lights on our friends' Christmas tree. We may put up a string of lights for him at home, but won't be putting up a tree or any major Christmas decorations this year. Brian and I both feel like the walls are closing in because of the clutter!

Trip to Kirksville

Maddox and his Royals outfitBaby shoes- they serve absolutely no purpose, but are oh so cute!

Maddox got another shot at swimming during our trip to Kirksville. He seemed to like it as long as he was snuggled up close. He has the sniffles and passed it along to us, so I'm exhausted. Brian spent most of the week in Texas for work and then Rolla and Kirksville. He's leaving town again tomorrow, but just for the day. We're definitely ready for things to slow down.Maddox and Jayson visiting in JC.

Brian and our friend Tim after attending Evil Dead: The Musical (in the "splatter section") on Halloween night.

The Wild Rumpus

On Friday Maddox had his well-baby check up with vaccinations. He now weighs 14 lbs 15 oz. He's still doing well and growing fast. He now eats rice cereal sometimes (although he gives our friend/babysitter a rough time). Here he is with Kaitlyn.
"Max" the wild thing.
King of the Wild Things... eating his tail.
Snoozing. Being wild is tiring.
Trick-or-treating with his daddy at the library.

Autumn Bliss

Parents as Teachers

Maddox and I met with Parents as Teachers earlier this month. Ms. Carla came out to our place and played with him, observed, and did a little hearing test. He started screaming as soon as he saw her and then warmed up to her quickly. He has been crying at the beginning of visits lately. I thought it seemed like stranger anxiety, which is a normal developmental phase that usually happens closer to 8 or 9 months when the baby is able to move more independently. She said that's what it is- just really early. A lot of things he is doing- tracking objects and sounds, grabbing things with both hands, etc. are milestones expected of slightly older babies. This doesn't mean he's a genius (although, Brian and I think he's brilliant) or even that he's smarter than other babies that don't do things at this same pace. It is fun to see him learn about the world!

I'm watching our friends' six month old girl on Fridays. The two babies are a lot of work, but it's fun for them to interact. Kaitlyn is a sweet little chubby baby, but she can definitely scream!

Nakey Boy

Here are some photos after Maddox's bath. He's a squirmer and kept wanting to roll over. It's so fun to take pictures of him. I have been researching my next camera, a digital SLR which is essentially the digital version of Dad's Canon. It will be so much easier to catch him in some action shots! Maddox has been laughing so much lately. He also reached out for me with both arms, which just melted my heart!

Laughing

While we were at the WW I museum in Kansas City our niece, Riley, kept pretending to fall down in front of Maddox. He thought it was pretty hilarious. Andrea posted the video on her blog, it was dark so you can't see anything. About a minute into the video he starts really laughing. It is my favorite sound ever!

Mamamama

Maddox has been making a humming "m" sound and I've been trying to get him to go from that sound to mama. He finally did it this week. I'm sure he doesn't know that I'm Mama, so it doesn't really count as his first word, but I do think he realizes this is a sound that gets my attention!

Green Ridge, Fire, and the Hiccups

Maddox made his first trip to Green Ridge. We visited Courtney and her family. Dane (who will be turning THREE soon) would all of a sudden decide he really wanted to hold Maddox and then would get bored. In this picture you can seen him losing interest and Maddox is just drooping on his little lap. Don't worry Court was close by! We met Mason as he got off the school bus. I can't believe how big these boys are now!

Maddox was amazed by the fire at his Papa's house. His face was priceless... his eyes were so wide and he'd look at me like, "are you seeing this, too?"

Our nephew Jayson was baptized this weekend. He had the hiccups throughout the ceremony. Pretty stinking cute.

17th Time is a Charm

A lot has happened since our last post. Maddox rolled over for the first time on Friday. He rolled onto his tummy 6 or 7 times in less than an hour and once from his tummy to back. The above video was taken today. He seems to have forgotten how he did this on Friday, but he is persistent... The end cracks me up because he goes from being really ticked, to squealing because he realizes he flipped. Just imagine some Rocky music playing in the background as you watch it!

He has also been laughing and talking so much more. It's pretty hilarious! We finally decided to get a swing. It was a comical/stressful event getting the swing home. Too complicated to type, but a funny story to tell... He will take some naps in the swing. It's not magic, but it sure helps!

We also celebrated our 3 year anniversary!

Trip to JC

We just got back from Jefferson City, and thought we would post a few pictures. Maddox visited Great Grandpa and Grandma Markway on Saturday and Sunday.

He also met Uncle Farhad and Stuart and Regina (My aunt and uncle). The ladies at my parents' church had a shower for him, which was really thoughtful. Aunt Andrea got him to drink from a bottle, which has been a huge struggle with Maddox. He previously refused to drink from a bottle, and had a test of wills with Erin and I for who could outlast the cries. We were given eight or so different bottle types, all of which met little success. Maybe it was the user. Jayson spent the weekend teaching Maddox to blow spit bubbles.

Under the Willow Tree

This will count as our Sunday post, because it's going to be a hectic weekend! We tried to take family pictures under the willow tree by the lake. Most of them didn't turn out so well... we may have to try again at a different time of day.

Conversations with Wormy

Superman?

Oooh, feet!

Maddox loves bath time now. He kicks in the water and stares at his feet. He's definitely exploring more. He studies his feet and hands and grabs ahold of anything fabric. He has a little toy that plays music and Maddox tries to have conversations with it. He also loves staring at the turtle mobile on the pack'n'play. The mechanism in the mobile stopped working, but we just give it a twirl and he's mesmerized! Maddox also got a little visit from Papa last weekend. Brian is away on a business trip. I know he's going to miss us, so I will try to post more this week... if Maddox gives me the chance!

This Hermit Crab Needs a New Shell!

Maddox is 12 weeks old today! Check out the changes!

6 days vs 3 months....

Spidey Boy

Maddox met John and Meagan who are moving to Japan this week. We're very excited for them! Here he is with John and the little Spiderman outfit they gave him.

Maddox "watched" about 5 minutes of the Chiefs game as he was getting his jammies (they're a hit Andrea) on for bed. He loves being read to, whether it's material I'm studying or his little books. There is one book in particular that he loves to study. Brian took a video of him checking out the high-contrast pictures. I may try to post that some other time. Maddox is talking more and more, but he seems to be a little shy when there is anyone but Brian and I in the audience. I'm the lucky one to hear all of his babblings!

Praying Mantis in the hizouse...

Erin, Maddox and I went for a walk today and we saw this giant praying mantis outside our apartment. I plan to introduce Maddox to Chiefs football tonight, as they play their first preseason game tonight. One of my co-workers at the Library found this amazing book in the Library Donation box last week. It was entitled The Nuclear War Fun Book. It was such an unbelieveable find that I had to purchase a copy for Maddox. I received it in the mail on Wednesday, so Maddox was learning about all of the fun he could have in a fallout shelter in a post-apocalyptic world. The book has fun games like Postwar Scavenger Hunt, ID your Ballistic Missles, and Math in the Aftermath. Published in the height of the Cold War, this book is essential for all survivors looking to combat boredom for the rest of their half-life.

Babbles

Here's a short video of Maddox talking to his own image on the video camera. Sorry about the bad camera work.... It's so hard to capture him at his cutest, because he always stops what he is doing to study the camera!

We had our 2 month check up yesterday. He weighs 11lb 9 oz- over double his take home weight! He's a big, healthy boy!

Grillin' like a Villian

Today we went to church and then to our friends' home for a grilled lunch. Doesn't Maddox look fancy in his collared shirt and little hat? Maddox is sleeping through the night more often than not, which is good because he doesn't give me much of a break during the day! We visited Brian at a farmer's market in a neighboring town where he was representing the library (It was a combo farmer's market/commemeration of a Civil War battle). We bought lots of yummy vegetables including purple bell peppers and "chocolate" bell peppers.

Maddox is holding his head up pretty well and loves to stand. He can support his own weight, but has terrible balance. Also, he waved goodbye to Brian for the first time. Brian and I were waving good bye and Maddox mimicked us. Pretty cute! Here's Maddox practicing being a big boy in his bumbo chair.

Nebraska

Here is the little smiler. My favorite time of the day is the hour in the morning where Maddox is incredibly alert and smiley. This is the time that he laughs and seems to study everything.This past weekend we drove to Nebraska for Brian's family reunion. Below is a picture of 4 generations! Maddox met lots of relatives for the first time, including his great grandma and grandpa. We also had a short pit stop in Kansas City where we met Nana at the park so that she could see how much he has grown.

A Belly Button- Finally!

Maddox had a "reluctant" umbilical cord. We went to the doctor on Thursday who decided to help it along. It finally fell off this morning. I could hear Brian screaming like a little girl when it happened (it was a really gross thing by this point, that looked a little like a rotten banana). At the appointment Maddox weighed 10lb 2 oz. He's up almost 4 pounds from his birth weight! Maddox also got a visit from my friend Anne and her son Ethan who is exactly 1 year older than him.

It's been great to have a less stressed out Brian around lately! Here is the website he has been working on: Ozark's Civil War.

Tummy Time with Duncan

Yesterday was a big day for Maddox. He had his first laugh (not a giggle, just a "ha") when I tickled his face. He has been attempting to copy us when we wiggle our fingers and he bonded with Duncan. He's growing fast! We've started using some baby sign language, though we won't expect him to sign at all for months. It's good practice for us though!

So this is what it's like when babies nap!

Maddox has inherited my poor sleeping habits and we are doing everything we can to get him into a good routine. This week he finally started taking some decent naps. It's been great because afterwards he is an even happier little baby and I can actually keep up with stuff around the house! He is smiling and babbling quite a bit now. He has a buddy, Kaitlyn. Their friendship consists of looking at each other, smiling, a little bit of babbling, and some crying. It's pretty cute. Maddox visited Kaitlyn and our friends Dale and Emily while Brian and I saw Harry Potter. I started to miss Maddox before we were even through the previews- but I made it through the entire movie. Uncle Sean visited this week and we took a picture of the new accountant and Maddox in an appropriate onesie! Brian also bought Maddox a Batman action figure (though Maddox can't play with it for a while, so I'm wondering who it's really meant for...) Maddox seems to really be growing. He seems bigger in the morning than when he went to sleep the night before!