Fun Summer

We are really enjoying our summer. Here are some things we have done the past couple of weeks.

Swimming at Mimi and Pop's House

We tried arm floaties for the first time. With his floaties and his swimsuit with built-in floation, he can "swim" without us holding him. He isn't really moving his arms and legs to get around the pool yet, but that's coming soon! We are surprised by how well he's doing in the pool this year.

Here's an example of Maddox speaking in his foreign language. He's trying to tell Pop to go underwater. If you listen closely, you can hear "Pop" in there a few times!

We took Maddox to his first Bay Bears game last Thursday night. I don't think he actually watched any of the game, but he had a blast playing with the $6 souvenir baseball we had to buy him!

He also had fun playing on the playset they had set up. We're hoping to get him one for his birthday.

He wasn't even scared of the crazy looking"Bay Bear"!

We love being outside on warm summer evenings! Maddox had his first golf lesson last week!

Check out my new tricycle! (Yes, I'm spoiled!)

I'm helping daddy around the house!

We're finally getting around to hanging pictures in our new house!

Today we went to the Eastern Shore Center to play in the fountains!I think that about sums up the past two weeks of adventures! We love our little man so much and are just amazed at the new things he says and does every day. We don't want to forget a thing!

Vacation Time!

We had a great time in Gulf Shores last week. We stayed 5 nights at The Lighthouse Condos. They have 2 really great pools there. This is Maddox playing in the "zero entry" pool. It's sloped so you can walk right in, and it gradually gets deeper. It's great for kids, and Maddox had a blast!


He was very well behaved the whole time we were there. Every time he woke up in the morning, or from his nap he would look out the window and say "Itch"!!! That's what he calls the beach! As you can see, he loves playing in the sand:


We went to Waterville one afternoon and he loved the kiddie area. He was a little scared of a larger-than-life plastic pirate, but he soon got over it and started climbing up and sliding down all by himself! Mama and Dada had fun too. Britt rode the "Flowrider", which is like a continuous ocean wave on a soft platform that you can surf on or rode a boogie board on.

Here are Maddox and Britt at our favorite restaurant "Steamers". We ate there twice! They have royal red shrimp, which taste like lobster! They also cook a mean grilled cheese sandwich that Maddox likes.


Maddox's favorite part of the meal is at the end when they bring us finger bowls to clean our hands!


Maddox can now say his name, which comes out like "Mamox", and he tries to hold up 2 fingers when we ask how old he is. Maybe by August he'll have it down! I feel like he is a little slow in his speech, but it's almost like he tries to talk so fast and say so much that it all gets blurred together. It does seem like he learns several new words every day, but I don' t think a stranger could understand him at all!

A potty and a tooth!

Maddox pee-peed on the potty for the first time today! Yea!

I was not expecting him to decide to use the potty today, so I wasn't prepared with a good reward for him. I ran and found some old mailing labels and gave him a "sticker". We tried the potty thing again tonight after his bath. This is how he entertained himself while trying to go!

He wasn't as successful this time, but at least he sat there and tried!


I also discovered today that Maddox has a new tooth! His 2nd year molar on the bottom left has broken the surface. No wonder he's been fussy lately! I thought it was just the "terrible twos" starting. It's been 9 months since he got a new tooth, so I knew it would be soon. I imagine the other 3 molars will pop through any day now. Our baby is growing up fast......

Play time!

Today Maddox and I went to open play time at a great place here in Mobile called "The Watermelon Patch". They have tons of toys, balls, things to ride on, climb on, jump in, etc. We met a group of moms and kids from our Sunday school class there. If I counted correctly, there were 13 moms and 18 kids with us, plus others from the general public. It didn't seem too crowded, though. We all had a great time. I didn't get to socialize as much as I wanted to. Maddox wanted my full attention. I bet he said "mama" at least 4, 000 times in the hour we were there! I remember when he was a little baby and I couldn't wait for him to say "mama"!! I know that this is just a phase that I should really enjoy. Before long, he won't want me around as much and I'll be sad!

After "The Patch", we had lunch at McDonald's. It was a little crazy. I didn't realize that the McDonald's at Hillcrest and Grelot is the world's smallest McDonald's! They were really busy, and we completely overwhelmed them. But, we all got a seat and some food, eventually! Maddox ate like a horse and is now sound asleep. Hopefully he'll take a good nap, because we have a late night at church tonight.

Swimming!

Yesterday when Maddox woke up from his nap, we headed to my parents to swim for a little while. This was the first time this year that Maddox had gotten all the way in the pool, so I wasn't sure how he would do. Well, he loved it! I think he may be able to really swim by the end of the summer! He would kick his feet, move his arms, jump off the side, and blow bubbles. It doesn't hurt that his daddy is a former lifeguard and swim teacher!
Here are a couple of videos:

Summertime!

Friday was our last day of school. Maddox really enjoyed his class this year. He only cried the first 2 or 3 days when I dropped him off. Every day since then he would wave bye to me and head for the toys!

He loves to wear his backpack like a big boy!

His teachers gave us some pictures they had taken throughout the year. It's amazing how much he has changed! He actually has hair now!

Here's Mr. Baldy in December

Check out this head of hair!

His favorite thing to do these days is lie on his train table and "play trucks".
Of course, he has to have "Woo, woo" in his mouth!

We are hoping to have a fun, laid back summer. I will be teaching at the preschool again this fall and Maddox will move up to the 2-year-old class.


Yesterday, Britt and I flew up to Chattanooga to see Ginger and Bruce's new baby twins. They were born last Sunday and are in the NICU. It was scary to see them hooked up to so many tubes and wires, but they seem to be doing better every day. Hopefully they will be able to take them home in a week or so.

We are praying for you Averie and Andrew!

Tonight, the Rowlands came over for dinner. Baby Tyler slept almost the whole time and Jackson and Maddox played pretty well together. Maddox was fussy because he was tired, but overall we had a great visit. When they were leaving Jackson and Maddox hugged each other bye, then Jackson said "give Maddox kiss", so they kissed-on the lips!! It was so cute, I wish I had a picture! In a few years, they will be glad that I don't have that picture to pull out and embarrass them!

First Blog!

I finally decided to start a blog. I wish I had started one when Maddox was born, but better late than never! Maddox is at such a fun age right now, and I don't want to forget any of the funny and smart things he says and does.

It's hard to believe that he will be 2 years old in less than 3 months. He is getting more and more independent. He likes to climb in his high chair and car seat by himself. It takes longer, but it also saves my back! (He now weighs 30.2 lbs and is 34" tall.) After months of very poor sleeping habits, he now refuses to let us rock him... so sad! He says "bed, bed, bed" if we try to rock him-even for just a minute! I'm very thankful that he now sleeps very well, though. He sleeps about 11 hours at night and takes a 3 hour nap during the day. It has changed my life! Now I actually have time to blog!

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks:

My new bubble blower!

A day at the beach! Maddox was scared to put his feet in the sand at first. He wanted to stay on a towel.

But, he got over that pretty quickly!

A Sunday afternoon picnic by the pool

Cleaning Mimi and Pop's pool