what a week for manning

i feel like i don't post enough about manning's milestones these days so here are a few that either happened (or i just noticed) this week or just some things i thought i should mention/document.

- we are cutting out naps for manning.  he has gotten to the point where he will not go to bed at night if he takes any nap at all during the day. for the most part, he has done fine without napping but he hasn't felt great this week which has given me one very cranky boy.

- i was attributing his crankiness to the fluid in his ears (did i mention that after back to back ear infections, he still has fluid in his ears?) and was a little worried that it was turning into another infection.  but during a screaming fit, in front of friend who had stopped by, i noticed that he was cutting molars!  now that makes more sense of his mood and the waking up crying in the night. he stays in bed but wakes up several times crying.

- i have also taken this week to wean him off his "lovey". since we have been home all day, every day, he has been carrying his "lovey" and sucking his thumb all day too. so i have been hiding "lovey" in my room shortly after breakfast and not giving it back until bedtime. this, too, has been going pretty well.  he does ask for lovey from time to time, but he has been fine without it and i am already finding that he speaks more words without his thumb in his mouth.

- manning signed "please" without a prompt for the first time. i always love when they learn that "please" is a nice manner to use when asking for something. he caught on to "thank you" a long time ago, but the "please" has been slower to come.

- manning is totally one of the boys and loves playing with his brothers. it has come in really handy this week to have all four kids playing together. although the captivity day after day has also led to lots and lots of fighting and crying. well, maybe not "lots" but way more than we would have on a normal day. 

- we are using the stroller less and less. (yay!) manning does a great job of walking with the cart (holding on) or holding a hand - for the most part - i mean, he is just one.

- he has also started to wake up around 5:30am. boo. he hasn't really been an early riser like the other kids were but he has been in an unfortunate development. occasionally, he will snuggle up with me and go back to sleep - which is great for our non-napping effort - but it keeps me from being able to get up and get things done in the morning. i would like to get up at 6am, but i don't want manning to wake up until 7 or 8am. hopefully, this will be very short lived.

he is getting to be such a big boy. love.