Madeline at 11 months

Oh, how I love these pictures of Maddie!  They SO depict what her personality is actually like.  Usually, when I pull out my camera, she runs away and refuses to smile or interact with me.  But she did a great job this particular day, and I got a few classic Madeline gestures.

Here’s a little bit about Maddie at 11 months:

-She can crawl up the stairs, but not down yet.  I hate this phase because they can get into everything but still aren’t 100% safe.  It makes me so nervous!  There’s nothing worse than a baby tumbling down the stairs.  Thankfully, it hasn’t happened yet with Madeline.

-She loves to pretend to talk on the phone-- Just like her sister did at this age.  Anything somewhat rectangular suddenly becomes a phone to her—Shoes, the computer mouse, small books, etc.

-She tries to talk, but it all sounds pretty much like gibberish.  I love baby-talk!!  She thinks she’s communicating lots of really important things.

-She covers her mouth when she sneezes.  Hahaha!

-Maddie is becoming a great cuddler, but just some of the time.  She’s really sweet and will randomly walk up to us and give us a hug and kiss.

-She LOVES when we read books to her.  We always read a few books as part of our nap/bedtime routine.  This is one of the highlights of her day.

-She has tons of energy and can be a crazy person sometimes!  She is a SUPER early riser, but likes going to bed by 7 or 7:30.  Lately, she’s had a few mornings where she’s be up for the day at 5:30.  AHH!

-She’s nearly impossible to dress/change.  She violently tries to flip over so she can crawl around the changing table.  Like I said, she’s crazy!

-Because of our road trip to Alabama, we turned her car seat forward at 10.5 months.  Shhhh…Don’t tell on me!  She’s pretty much the size of a two year old, so I didn’t feel too bad.  Plus, she’s SO much happier in the car now.

 

-Maddie loves to drink out of a sippy cup, but aside from nursing, she REFUSES to drink anything but water.  I’m a little nervous about weaning her in a few months.

-She’s still a great eater, but will NOT eat a drop of baby food anymore.  She wants the good stuff and finally has the dexterity to put food in her own mouth.  It’s wonderful that she can feed herself now!

She was doing some pretty funny things in these pictures.  Note her hilarious “scrunchy face.”  Also, in the bottom row, she’s demonstrating what she does when we say, “How big is Maddie?  Sooooooo big!”

-Madeline has always loved being outdoors-- Even as a tiny baby.  Whenever she’s inconsolable, we take her on the front porch and she calms down immediately.  We’ve done this since she was just a few days old and it still works.  As a result, she loves going on walks, to the park, pool, etc. 

-She thinks she is such a big kid and does NOT like being held lately.  This makes church very interesting.

-Aside from being outside, Maddie’s second favorite place to be is in the bath.  But she’s WILD!  She stands at the edge of the tub and tries to walk around.  I’m always worried she will slip and crack her head open or something.  She’s such a daredevil!  I have a feeling she will be the child that we’re always taking to the ER.

-We tried to take the girls to see the movie “Cars 2” in the theater and it was a DISASTER.  I brought a million toys and snacks for Maddie, as well as the bumbo (to put on a theater seat), so she would be contained.  But she was miserable.  She just wanted to be sitting on the floor with her toys and couldn’t understand why I would NOT allow that.  She’s the same way at home….She’s perfectly content to just roam the playroom (as long as her sisters not bugging her!).

-She’s definitely mastered the skill of clapping:

 

-She says “Mama” and “Dada” more regularly now, and signs “more” and “all done.”  I love that she’s starting to communicate now, so we know what she wants.

-Maddie also loves balls and is actually surprisingly good at playing catch with us.

-I know she’s not even a year old yet, but this baby can throw a serious tantrum!!  Sometimes she acts like a 2 year old!  She throws herself down, lays her head on the floor, and just pouts. 

-She loves to be tickled and has the most adorable laugh…Nothing like Olivia’s belly laugh.  It’s a deep, throaty laugh that almost sounds painful.  But I love it!!  She is especially ticklish under her arms and on her inner thighs.

-The most exciting news of the month was that Maddie learned to walk!!!  She thinks she’s such a big girl now and loves doing whatever Olivia is doing.  She can often be found pushing her dolls in one of our baby strollers.