18 months going on 18 years

Maddox went for his 18 month check up a couple of weeks ago.  He is in the same percentiles as he was at his 15 month check up.  He is in the 75th percentile for height at 33 1/2 inches and still a skinny minnie at only 21 lbs. 2 oz - the 3rd percentile.  His head is still a nice average at 18 3/4 " - 50th percentile.  I was a little worried that he is still so skinny and only in the 3rd percentile but Dr. Anderson said that he gained the perfect amount that they want them to gain between 15 months and 18 months so he is still just thin but gaining as he should.  He also reminded me that since he eats well and is gaining that it is refreshing to see a little one instead of an overweight baby.  Glad Maddox can provide a change for Dr. Anderson.   He is healthy and happy, which of course, makes me happy.

Over the past month as he has become a walker he has transformed into this very independent guy with quite the 'tude!  He definitely comes from a place of "no".  Lucky for us he has recently learned this word and quickly decided that it was his favorite.  The funny thing is, although he often says it with force and an attitude, I am not quite sure he knows what he means.  He says it even when I know he means "yes".  I am not sure if he thinks it is just funny to be so forceable...fun times to come if that is the case....or if he just knows how to say it without really knowing what it means. 

With this independence comes the desire to walk and do things BY HIMSELF!  Not only does he not want to be carried AT ALL, even in a dangerous parking lot where obviously it is not a choice, but he does not even want me to hold his hand while he is walking...what a little man he has become so quickly.  When he is walking he is very social, waving to everyone we come in contact with saying "Hey" and smiling brightly.  He looks like a little political candidate walking around!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho it is off to school we go....

Brady starts 1st grade tomorrow...which is hard to believe.  He is ready and, after three months of feeling like a Cruise Director in charge of entertaining three young boys, I am ready.  A couple of weekends ago we took the two older boys school shopping.  With the mounds of clothes our friends have blessed us with, we only needed to purchase tennis shoes for the boys.  It was so fun to take Evan school shopping for the first time.  It was evident while oberving him that Evan felt so proud and so big to be shopping for school, just like his big brother, Brady.  We ended up finding matching Nike running shoes in both of the boys' sizes.  Evan will start preschool the Wednesday after Labor Day and go Tues, Wed, Thurs.  He seems ready to start this part of his life.  Every time we drive by Hunter Street Baptist Church - where he will attend preschool - he points to the church and says: "that's my preschool."

just bought our Nikes at Kohl's

After shoe shopping, we headed to Target so Evan could pick out his first lunch box for preschool.  He enjoyed scanning the shelves and having a choice as to which lunch box was purchased.  The selection process was very quick.  Once his eyes caught sight of the Thomas lunch box, he was done.  He grabbed it and was very happy with his selection.  I asked him to look at the others too, just in case, but Evan knows what Evan wants.  He insisted on carrying the lunch box himself through the store to check out, out of the store to the van in the shopping bag it was placed in, into the house, and it has resided in his bedroom every since we brought it home.  He LOVES that lunchbox.



Wednesday morning we had "Meet the Teacher" at Bluff Park Elementary.  Brady got Mrs. King, which I continue to hear GREAT things about.  I feel very blessed with this assignment, and Brady is stoked that his best friend and next door neighbor, Grayson Kim, is in his class this year.  I loved seeing his classroom and the way it is all organized, decorated, ready for the kids to show up.  Brady went straight to the class library and flipped through numerous books.  We both had a great first impression of her.  We are looking forward to an AWESOME year with Mrs. King.

Brady & Mrs. King



Chris and I have started a fun tradition with Brady that began when he started preschool...the night before the first day of school we surprise him with fun, new pajamas and a new book to read to him before bed.  This year he got Lego Star Wars pajamas and we read "The Night Before First Grade".  He was pleased with both.

The Night Before First Grade 

Man Parts

At different points in my older boys' toddlerhood, young boyhood they have noticed their penises...they grow at times, their mommy doesn't have one, etc.  The latest funny stories regarding this lovely topic....YEA me, I have the horror pleasure of being the only female in my home so I live among 4 of those male parts...involves (1) Evan's daddy and (2) a sculpture at the Birmingham Museum of Art.  A few weeks ago, Evan walked into the bathroom while Chris was peeing.  Evan looks down at Chris and says: "Daddy, when I grow up I am going to have a big penis like you."  Of course, Chris thought this was great!  : )

Yesterday we went to the Birmingham Museum of Art in the ArtVenture area....it is a fun, free kids' area that we have just learned about and LOVED.  After enjoying the kid section we decided to tour a couple of the exhibits with the kiddos, including the sculpture garden.  As we were in the sculpture garden, we came across a sculpture of a naked man and Evan walked about to him and grabbed his man parts and said "penis, mommy.  that is his penis."  Then he walked around to the back of him and said "there is his bottom, mommy."  Yes, Evan, that man has a penis and a bottom....just like most men....WOW!  I wonder how long I will experience the joy of living with 4 males and their obession awareness of their - and other's - male parts.



So big...

or so he thinks.  Maddox wants to do EVERYTHING that his big brothers do.  It is usually very cute and very sweet to watch and be a part of.  Sometimes it is frustrating though as he is only 17 months old so many of the things they are doing, eating, etc. are not what I want him to be doing.  It is funny watching him as he studies - pretty intently - what Brady and Evan are doing, and then promptly following suit. 

One of the things I have always told the older two prior to heading out the door - in an attempt to get us out the door in somewhat of a timely manner - is "stand quietly by the door".  When I do, they line up against the front door, shoes on, water bottles in their hands ready to walk out the door.  The other day I told the boys to "stand quietly by the door".  When I came into the den to get ready to walk out the door, I walked in to see - not just Brady and Evan - but all three of my handsome boys lined up against the door.  Maddox was leaning against the door like such a big boy constantly looking up at Evan and Brady to make sure he was "doing it right".  This did not go unnoticed by Brady and Evan either as they made a point to let me know: "Maddox is standing by the door too!"

As much as I do not want Maddox to become a big boy, he is proving that he is ready and determined to do just that.  It has turned out to be a fun ride for his Mommy as well....



And he is off.....

It is official....Maddox is a walker.  He "officially" walked for the first time on my birthday eve, June 24th.   He definitely took his time with REALLY walking...as in more than just a couple steps at a time, choosing walking as his first choice of motion - vs. crawling, getting back up on his feet to try it again - vs. falling and then just switching to crawling.  I would say that the last week of July going into that last weekend of the month he really just decided that walking is mode of transportation choice number one.  He got much braver - and excited - to just take off.  He would walk across the room with success.  When he fell walking he would pick himself up and try again rather than just submitting to the crawl.  He is so fun to watch.  He holds his hands up and out straight....like the universal sign for "stop".  He has the swagger of a cowboy, maybe of one with a couple of drinks in him.  There is a gut out, butt out, bow-leggedness that is distinct enough I feel I could pick him out of a row of blonde toddler beauties coming at me from a distance.  He has been so proud of himself...walking with a huge, radiant grin that is often accompanied by a little excited giggle.
I. LOVE. IT!!!!