getting up and staying down

maddux is pulling up to standing now!  he did it three times in a row tonight trying to get the remote control off the table.  i was handling raw meat and couldn't get to my camera before he fell each time. i was happy that matt was already home to see this first. we are thinking that he might walk sooner than the other two if he keeps up this pace!

i thought i would use this as an opportunity to post a little more about maddux.  he is busy. the kid can hardly stay still long enough to nurse any more!  he spends most of his time chasing after his sister and brother.  or at least trying to chew on their toys.  maddux puts everything in his mouth!  madelyn and mason stay on high alert to protect their toys.  madelyn has taken to keeping her smaller toys in their closet so that two doors can separate them from maddux.  maddux usually gets up on his knees outside their door and pats it (i would say 'bangs on it' but he doesn't use that much force).  he was happy to see me when i came to take a picture and fell down.

maddux seems to have pretty good balance.  he likes to 'stand' on his knees and can do it without holding on to anything else.

he is still super happy and easy going. people who see him often comment on it all the time.

maddux always seems to be looking for what's next.  again, super busy.

mason and maddux are still trying to figure each other out.  mason often gives maddux sweet hugs and kisses that quickly turn into headlocks and crying (maddux not mason).  mason will happily play 'chase' with maddux by crawling all over and letting maddux follow him.  overall mason loves him and is super sweet to him (brings him toys to replace the one he shouldn't have, hugs, kisses, letting me know when he is crying, asking where he is when mason can't see him, etc.), but he also gets very upset when maddux touches his toys and will cry and scream "no" in maddux' face when maddux dumps over his car/truck basket.  i am always impressed that mason doesn't physically remove him from the cars and trucks, because he gets very, very angry.

maddux is hungry.  often. and he eats a lot in a sitting.  right now he eats about a cup and a half of 'porriage' and baby food with about another cup of finger foods at each meal (except that he eats yogurt at lunch time).  we are trying to introduce as many finger foods as possible to slow him down a little.  and the finger foods are nice because it means he can snack when we are out and about longer than i had planned on (and packed for).  he has started to drop one of his afternoon nursing sessions; he would rather play.

i haven't really let maddux 'cry it out' at night.  one because we are in an apartment and two because i didn't want him to wake up the other kids.  but thursday i let him cry it out.  i am getting desperate because i am exhausted and there is no reason he shouldn't be sleeping through the night any more.  he got up three times but went back to sleep and even slept until almost 8 (two hours later than normal).  and he has slept through the night ever since.  and to make it even better, so have madelyn and mason.

i say that maddux' first word is "hi" with a wave (you can see the wave in the video), but i decided to go with matt and say that "dada" is his first word.  he actually says it better than in the video.

he doesn't have straight hair.  it has curl to it.  time will tell how much curl.  his papa and great uncle joe have curly hair, so i have my fingers crossed (i have always wanted curly hair and hoped that our kids would inherit some).

we love him.  love.