5.06.2012

Six Maxwell Facts



1. He can't go long without his blankie; it's been his comfort object from early on. We often toss it over our shoulders when holding him so he can snuggle his face in it, but what he really likes to do is chew on the corners. All four are stained a yellowish brown from Max chewing on them with food in his mouth. I know, gross much? {We've tried stain treating them. They won't come clean.}

He alternates between being a sweet little cuddlebug and an energetic let-me-go-I-just-want-to-MOVE baby boy. He'll often come up to me just to get a hug, but once he decides it's over, it's over and he's gone. He also loves to have me sing to him and rub his back.

2. His favorite song is "If You're Happy and You Know It" and enjoys clapping his hands along when we sing. He'll request a rendition of our "happy song" by clapping his hands at me. He also loves "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," especially the part about the sun -- he thinks it's funny when I make my hands into a circle and peek at him through them. I like to think that his favorite song is "Rockabye Baby," because it's the first song I ever sang to him when he was in the hospital, but really I think he likes "Hush, Little Baby" better.

3. He recently learned how to climb up onto our couch, and loves to crawl all over it, getting into things he previously couldn't reach. {Also trying to climb onto our end tables, pushing over lamps, and falling onto the floor.} His favorite thing is to get onto the one arm of the couch and drop objects into the fireplace. Can't find the remote? Odds are, that's where it is. Last time my phone went missing, I checked the fireplace and there it was, along with a coaster, a thank you note, and a plastic ball.

He can be quite the troublemaker. I know he's just testing and learning his boundaries, doing something over and over no matter how many times or in what tone we say "no," but it does get frustrating when he looks you straight in the face, smiles, and then does it again. It's a challenge to be clear with him what's allowed, and not let discipline turn into a game. {He loves games.}

4. His first word was "uh-oh," which he initially pronounced more like a little baby duck quack, "ah!" It changed into more of a "uh-uh," and only in the past week has he started actually vocalizing a true "uh-oh." He says it about 150 times a day {our for-reals-no-joke estimate}. He sometimes changes "uh-oh" to "oh-oh" when he sees a no-no -- something he knows he's not supposed to touch or he's reminded of something he's not supposed to do. He will also, on occasion, say "mamamama," "dadada," and make puppy sounds: "oof oof oof."

5. He's a definite people person {certainly much more so than his sister, who only likes to interact with strangers to the extent that they don't touch her}, and will often go to anyone who reaches for him. He's got a charming habit of acting shy when someone tries to flirt with him -- looking away and smiling and looking back with those big Muppet baby eyes of his. Even with us he'll turn his face when we go to give him kisses.

6. He loves pushing his walker back and forth across the living room; he pretty much thinks he's the coolest kid thing ever, moving around on his feet. Take a look:

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