Monkey see, Monkey do (14 weeks)

Maddox is up to all sorts of new activities these days- it's amazing how fast he is learning & growing.

*Imitating- I learned last week that he likes to imitate us! It's the funniest thing- when I stick my tongue out at him or motorboat my lips, he does the same. I read that it's their way of communicating at this stage since they can't talk yet. He thinks he's really clever, especially with the sticking out of the tongue, because once he does it, he just cracks up!

*Mirror time- He LOVES sitting in his bumbo or laying on his tummy & looking at himself in the full length mirror. This is a nice way to have both of my hands free for 5-10 minutes since he's so entertained.

*Coco- Coco is quickly becoming his best bud. Up until this point, she's been very interested in him but he hasn't really paid her much attention. Now, he loves touching her (I guess since her fur is so soft) and just squeals & coos like crazy when she gives him kisses. So cute!
*Not sure what the word for his new mobility is but he's trying his best to crawl. When we put him on his tummy, he will slowly but surely inch forward toward a toy (or us). He isn't up on his knees but pushes off with his feet. It's scary to think that he'll really be mobile in a few short months!

*Rice cereal- we're still giving him rice cereal (from a bowl/spoon) once in the evenings. Holy cow, you can't shovel it in his mouth fast enough. Last night, I got so tickled watching Brandon trying to feed him because Brandon (being the neat freak that he is) was a little slow & was trying to be extra careful not to make a mess. Well, Maddox wasn't having it, he was SCREAMING (not crying, just yelling) in between each bite trying to get his daddy to pick up the pace. We can barely keep up with his appetite. In addition to the rice cereal in the evenings, he's taking in 5.5-6oz every 3 hours on the dot and acts like he's starving once that three-hour mark rolls around. I don't know what else to do at this point because when he takes in more than 6oz, he just spits up. It seems like he'd be happy with a big, juicy burger & fries!

*Bathtime- he loves it! We've now taken the mesh hammock-like contraption out of the baby tub and now he's just sitting in the big-boy part of the tub. He's figured out that he likes to kick and splash and by the time bathtime is over, I'm drenched and he's exhausted!

That's all for now. I have the day off work today so we're going to spend the afternoon strolling around Concord Mills.

Maddox met the spoon...

One of the biggest lessons I've learned about parenting so far is "never say never." I was determined to wait until at least 4 months (and preferably 6) to start Maddox on solids but we gave him rice cereal for the first time yesterday. At our last pediatrician appointment, the doctor said that based on his weight (almost 15 lbs), he would likely need to start solids earlier than 4 months since he probably wouldn't be satisfied on milk alone. He's been eating 5.5oz every 3 hours on the dot for about 2-3 weeks now. For the past few days, he's been acting very hungry and eating about every 2.5 hours. He was showing all of the signs of being physically ready for solids (good head/neck control, sitting in his highchair, watching us eat with interest, etc.) so I finally broke down and gave him a little bit of rice cereal last night and he LOVED it! We mixed an ounce of warm milk with a tablespoon of rice cereal and you would have thought, based on his reaction, that he hadn't had food in month. I couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough! After he ate his cereal, he gulped down a 6oz bottle and was a happy little camper. At this point (and until he's 6 months) he will just be dining on rice cereal once a day in addition to his normal cuisine of milk.

On another note, Maddox received a book of bedtime Bible stories from his Great Grandpap and Grandma Keener yesterday and Brandon and I are SO excited to start reading these stories to him...and maybe we'll learn a little something in the process! Our nighttime reading routine has become so special- it's often the highlight of my day.

3 Months!

Our first Christmas (in pictures)

12 Weeks...and still no decent blog update!

So sorry dear readers (all 3 of you...or maybe 4), I promised a blog update last week and never got around to it. I have thought about it all weekend but thanks to the seasonal cold/virus/bug/crud, I've been out of commission all day yesterday and today. Maddox has been quite the handful this weekend- we are either gearing up for teething or he's in the midst of the dreaded 12 week growth spurt. My vote is the growth spurt but we'll see (growth spurts in infants usually last 2-3 days). He's quite the 'talker' these days and loves to laugh and coo at everyone. On the eating front, he's up to 5.5-6oz every 3-3.5 hours. He's starting to really enjoy tummy time and LOVES when he plays airplane with his daddy (although that always makes me so nervous!). We've also started a nighttime routine which helps all of us. First we give him a bath (or just wash his face & hands since we don't bathe him every day), then we put on his PJ's, then the 3 of us snuggle up together on the couch and read him a book, and finally we give him a bottle and put him to bed. Usually we're all in bed by 9pm....except for tonight, it's 8:15 and we're getting ready to go to bed!

Tomorrow is my first day back at work. I think I would be more anxious/upset about it but since Maddox will be here with my mom on Mondays & Wednesdays and Patti on Tuesdays & Thursdays, I know he's in good hands (and will be spoiled rotten...). Plus, I'll be working from home except for a random day here and there that I decide to go into the office so I can see him anytime I want. I'm so thankful that the childcare situation has worked out like this b/c I would be a wreck if I had to put him in daycare tomorrow. I do want to put him in daycare eventually but I'm not ready yet (maybe once he's crawling & mobile I'll reconsider). Until then, he'll get plenty of one-on-one love & attention from his Mamaw and Patti!

PS- for once, I am too tired to proofread- please forgive me for any misspelled words and/or bad grammar. :)