All images by Landon Jacob
Madison's Monthly Highlights
Weight: Our sweet little girl weighed 20 pounds, 6 ounces at her last trip to the doctor! Looking back at photos of her from just a couple months ago, I can already see how much she has lost some of her baby chub - and she didn't have much to begin with!
Clothing: Shoes are finally becoming more of a staple around here! It's the sweetest thing - Madison actually tried to put my black flats on her feet the other day. I later helped her put on my rain boots and they went all the way up to her thighs! Madison also reaches out and grabs at different things in her closet while I'm holding her. She seems to be getting the hang of this fashion thing :) And she is interested in keeping her own shoes on her feet. Win! She will also still (mostly) tolerate wearing headbands and bows on her head, although she almost always has it off when we come to pick her up from the church nursery. And, one shoe off. So a 50/50 win I should say!
Sleep: Getting her first ear infection and her first little tooth sprouting through definitely put a damper on sleeping well this past month. Poor baby! Mamas, isn't it just so heartwrenching when your baby is in pain and you can't just POOF and fix the issue?? Needless to say, Madison was extremely fussy when I would lie her down to change her, or for her nap, which led us to realize there may be a problem. After her ear infection healed (praise the Lord!), she has gotten back into the swing of things with taking 2 naps each day and sleeping well at night. And actually, our little night owl apparently would like to hit the hay sooner so we are trying to get her bedtime routine (starting with a bath!) started a little earlier than we used to.
Eating: Mealtimes and snack times are still fun! And adventurous! Actually, Madison started indicating that she would like to feed herself with a spoon. (Where did my little teeny baby go?!) So we preloaded some apple sauce and let her go for it. A very messy experience but she definitely gets the idea to pick up the spoon and put it in her mouth. Melting my heeeeart.
She is also eating more of what Dean and I eat at dinner instead of just purees or finger foods. She has tried bites of meatballs and roasted potatoes among other things. I also stopped shredding her cheese because girlfriend was getting a little too excited and orange bits were raining down from her high chair. So cheese cubes are the newest thing! Madison is also really starting to get the hang of using her tumbler cup with a straw from her Easter basket. And just the other day, she wanted to drink the smoothie herself. (What can I say - it's hard to let go!) So she is becoming very independent and great at feeding herself.
Personality: The picture below sums Maddie up pretty well :) A joyful, giggling, playful little girl who loves her Daddy (and Mama) very much. And DOGS. And BALLOONS. Y'all, I think a dog-shaped balloon might even be too much for this little child to handle! If she even thinks she hears our neighbors' dogs bark, she will stop what she's doing, look and listen to hear more "Woof woof!" So sweet.
Madison has also been loving playing with other little friends whenever we get the chance! She squeals and waves hi with other boys and girls. Just the sweetest thing. She also looooves to move! Whenever we pick her up from the nursery at church or from a play date, people will tell us about her dance moves and shimmying shoulders. A few of her musical toys will get her dancing, although not to every song they play. Just a few specific ones with the good beats. Her daddy is proud :)
This past month has also been more trying as Madison has wanted to do more things her way or when she wants to do them, which obviously cannot be most/all of the time when you are only 11 months old. (If only she would see it from our perspective, right?) I am so thankful for the wisdom in God's Word and a Moms' Bible Study at church that points us to the Lord for His help and discernment with parenting up our child in the way she should go.
Firsts: The first time she helped put her toys away - oh goodness, it was adorable to see! She has really gotten the hang of it when I tell her, "Say bye-bye to your toys. Let's put them away." Plus, she takes off her books from the shelf just to put them back, it seems.
She also has shown her first signs of being a great little helper, even trying to put food from the grocery cart onto the belt at checkout yesterday :)
Madison started officially cruising along her crib in April. She is almost able to pull herself up from sitting, and is still scooching more than crawling, but she can get already pretty quickly these days. I actually opened the front door to take something outside and she almost made her way outside before I turned back around!
And her first little tooth is coming in! Yay and painful.
Also, she pushed her Fisher Price walker by herself and she can push the buttons to change the colors of her light-up lady bug without assistance.
Likes: She kind of discovered her nose recently so she loves to breathe in and out really loudly and try to poke around in it. She also is still pointing at all kinds of things, waving a lot, giving kisses to said doggies in the books we read (it is JUST as cute as it sounds!), standing up with assistance, taking steps while we hold her hands. She is helping put her clothes/shoes on, clapping her hands, dancing, exploring more of the house, trying to open kitchen cabinets, pulling things off shelves and playing peekaboo a ton. Bath time and when Daddy comes home are still two highlights of each day :)
Dislikes: Being told no, laying down for naptime, itchy skin and having her nose cleaned out.
What I want to remember: It all! How precious each moment is with her and the memories our family is making in the day-to-day living together. It's been an incredible 11 months and we can't wait to celebrate our little burrito baby with a Cinco de Mayo fiesta!
You may also like: Madison’s 10-Month Highlights | Follow our daily adventures with #sweetmaddiegirlgram
