Maverick: Nine Month Update

This month marks the first month that Maverick has officially spent more time OUTSIDE in the real world, rather than INSIDE of me. I know I was only pregnant through one summer...but I keep thinking to myself how nice it is all my summer clothes fit again and I can lay out on my stomach and I don't instantly start sweating the minute I step outside. Mmmm...we are all pretty excited for summer over here, but I might be the most jacked.

So Maverick is nine months old (and three days) and here's what's going on...

We joke that Maverick has developed an annoying 'attitude' about certain things...which we lovingly refer to as 'Mavitude' (credit goes to Jamie on that one) and it has started to really show itself in recent weeks. If our walk gets too long...he whines. If he's been playing somewhere a little too long...he whines. If he has to be laid down for a diaper change...he whines. If it's time to go in his car seat and he would rather be held...he whines. If I leave the room...he whines. I think it's just the age and I keep reminding myself some babies scream and cry over some of those things...I'm lucky it rarely gets to that point. So annoying as it might be, I'll take it over hysterical crying any day.

On that same note...Josh's dad was here a couple weeks ago when it was time for jammies (he was already having a crabby night) and Maverick threw a full-on crying/screaming/tantrum about being changed into jammies before eating/bed. A few members of Josh's family firmly believe that 'he never cries!' even though I assure them that is definitely not true. I think Vern was a little concerned at the level of crying he witnessed for the first time that night...even though it really is a common occurrence during growth spurts/off-days/etc.!

That all sounds like I'm complaining and I'm really not...in fact, Maverick isn't a whole lot different this month than last as far as his happy disposition most days...he's just growing and learning so what scares him or makes him crabby changes as he becomes more aware of stuff. When he was a month old he slept through a train whistle. On Saturday when it blew twice at the Farmer's Market he got super scared and had a meltdown about it (to be fair...it scared me too because I jumped!). We cuddled for a few blocks and he got over it when he saw a puppy. If he can see me moving around in the house he's content and happy, but as soon as I go into the hallway the whining starts. I ignore it all day every day and let him keep playing on the floor by himself...but if we're out and about or with family/friends and the whining starts we eventually give in and carry him so he doesn't annoy other people. Because there's nothing worse than being around crying/annoying kids who aren't even yours. lol.

As you've probably guessed from my pictures, we've had a LOT of water-time last month and we're just getting started. In May, Jamie and I walked to tons places with fountains/ponds/sprinklers to put Maverick's feet/hands in. Then last week before the pool was officially open I caved and bought a tiny blue back yard pool so we can swim at night or in the morning if I don't feel like going to the big pool twice in one day. So far Jamie and I have enjoyed it as much as Maverick (or more) because it makes cooling off while laying out really easy. Full disclosure...we've both gotten in more times than is probably appropriate for an adult to be splashing in a baby pool.

The two biggest questions I get this month: Is he crawling??? Does he have teeth???

Answers: No and no.

Every mom I talk to says the longer it is before those things happen, the better off we will be...so I don't know why people are so gung-ho for the crawling and the teeth! If he doesn't walk or have teeth until he's over year old...I WILL BE THE HAPPIEST MOM ALIVE. Right now he sits and plays and doesn't care about toys that are out of his reach. I couldn't be more ok with it.

It's a lot easier to get Maverick to laugh this month. We eat his neck/tummy/hips/sides/armpits/legs and we get some really good giggles out of him. It's still easy to make him smile and our favorite game is, 'Maverick, where's Mommy?' where I basically keep repeating that over and over until I run over and say, 'Heeeeere comes Mommy to get Maverick!' and he loooooves it. And I love that he's so obsessed with me. It will be short-lived in the grand scheme of things and I'm enjoying it while I can. Not that he doesn't love daddy too...you should see this boy light up when Josh talks to him on the phone. Oh my gosh it makes my day every day. Seriously...he can be crabbing and whining and as soon as I hold the phone up to his ear and Josh goes, 'Maverick! It's Dadadadadada,' he gets the BIGGEST smile. Gah. It's so fun.

He still likes bath time, though the slogan I posted to Facebook earlier this week will definitely be true for us this summer. I think the last time he had an actual 'bath-bath' was last Saturday maybe? Or Sunday? Like I said...'Chlorine is the new bath.' The kid has been in water every single day this week. Good enough.

Schedule this month is:
4/5/6 - Eat
8/8:30 - Wake up/eat
10/10:30 - Nap
12/12:30 - Wake up/eat
2/2:30 - Nap
4/4:30 - Wake up/eat
8:00 - Eat/Bedtime

Super easy. Super simple. Easy to get stuff done at home, as well as errands out and about. If we drive to Manson, he will still nap in the car. If we come home from somewhere in the evening, he will usually stay awake (as long as we give toys/play Baby Einstein). Whenever I go to lay him down for a diaper change before nap, LIKE ACTUAL CLOCKWORK, he rubs his eyes and is instantly ready for nap. Getting him to stay awake in the evening isn't even a battle anymore...some nights we just have to stay busier than others depending on his mood of the day. That's not to say I cater to his every mood...just if he's crabby it's an excuse to get out of the house for a walk or go to Sam's Club.

He goes down happy about 75% of the time and wakes up happy about 75% of the time I would say. He's usually done fussing in five minutes or less, unless we're in a different place. The church nursery has been a real WildCard this month, just when I thought we had it figured out. Whatever. Sunday's are just whatever. I think 6/7 days a week on a perfect schedule is good. enough.

Big news this month, Maverick sleeps through more and more noises every day! Sirens, semis, mowers, trucks, parties, floor creaks, toilets flushing, laundry going...he's becoming a better sleeper every day and I'm so proud. Though loud kids bounding around the house or slamming doors...notsomuch. I do still try to make sure he gets one good nap a day in a crib if at all possible. I wouldn't like napping in a car/stroller/shopping cart for four hours a day, so I certainly don't expect him to do it. Plus it keeps me on a nice, structured schedule where I'm forced to be home for four hours a day cleaning and working on the computer which isn't fun, but it's necessary.

As far as night sleeping goes...Maverick probably hit five or six nights out of seven. The other one or two he was up at 1/2/3 and I've given up any form of sleep training because Josh is working way too hard to be laying awake listening to a crying baby for hours at night in the name of 'Sleep Training.' I'm not thrilled about it, but I'll admit...it's WAY easier to let him cry for 10 minutes, feed him, and let us all get back to bed instead of CIO for hours on end until we hit the 5am mark (which has always been his usual early morning breakfast time). Maybe it will be different with the next baby. For now I'm kind of over forcing the overnight sleep. I'm in a super encouraging Babywise Group on Facebook where moms from all over the world are always asking questions and giving advice...and I've decided that even though Maverick wasn't sleeping through the night at 12 weeks like the book suggests...he's still doing pretty. darn. good. He has a 12 hour night, and four hours of naps during the day and that falls into the normal range for his age, so done and done.

Plus the napper he's become...my gosh. So good. We've worked hard enough on his schedule, I'm just not going to stress about it.

Please note the excited toes in this picture. That is my favorite part.

Maverick gets more fun every day (even though some days that comes with crabbiness!)...he wants to stand all the time, is still the chattiest, loudest baby I've ever been around, and loves 'wrestling'/crawling all over us. Lately we've been spending an hour in the front yard every night on a blanket or beach towel playing and watching the cars go by and he loves that. He's also become quite the cuddler...it's usually pretty quick, but he will lay his head on my shoulder for a couple seconds for a quick cuddle before he goes back to squawking and playing and bouncing. Maverick has started growling a lot this month and makes 'puppy' noises by going 'rrrrrruff...rrrrrruff' under his breath. It's hilarious. Speaking of puppies, his tongue has been hanging out like a puppy almost non-stop while he investigates things and practices new skills. He also loves watching puppies and reeeeally studies animals when they pass by on walks or at the park. He makes friends at every store we enter, and people comment on his blue eyes and blonde hair and it's almost starting to get weird how many people say he's cute. Like...what do I even say? "Thanks! I made him!" I just...I don't know. Of course I think he's cute, but I need people to stop validating that or we're all going to get big heads over here.

We try and read to Maverick but it usually ends with him closing the book on us 20 times so he can slap the front cover and then eat the edges. Eeeeeeverything goes into his mouth to study and I'm not too up tight about giving him things off the floor but I draw the line with phones, money, and toys from dirty restaurant floors. Everything else I'm cool with (Jamie once said something along the lines of, "It's good we don't let Maverick eat our phones. After taking microbiology, I don't even want to think about how gross our phones are," and that's all it took for me to make the phone rule a done deal). Maverick decided he was sick of food this month, so I wasn't too obsessed with pushing it. He's little, but I can't exactly shove food down his throat. This last 'Leap' hit and he's been even more easily distracted than ever before with every movement or sound...he's quicker at breastfeeding, but once he starts 'talking' and eating, I know he's done whether he's truly finished or not. Same goes for real food...he'll play with his fruit for a while, and then I try to give him 5-10 ounces of baby food each day, but lately, I'm lucky if he gets three. He's going to have a rude awakening when we are DONE breastfeeding in three months...cows milk and real food is coming for you Maverick!

He does love cottage cheese. No surprise there. We are a bunch of cheese-lovers in this family.

That's basically all there is to tell about our little Maverick. He's pretty sweet and I think we'll keep him. I can't believe in less than three months he'll be a year old!

MmB