The thirty-seventh week

So Madeline's crawling now. While she has performed the textbook hands-and-knees maneuver several times this week, she's actually pretty handy at getting around with her old Army crawl method. When she sees something she really wants, she can switch direction and get there in a hurry.

Along with her crawling, Madeline has started pulling herself up to a standing position. She can do it with ease when she's sitting and something sturdy is within her reach. And she enjoys climbing and crawling all over me or Lacey when we're playing with her on the floor.

The last couple weeks have brought a seismic shift in the way we handle Madeline. She's so much more self-sufficient, but also that much more in need of supervision. Gone are the days when she would sit and play by herself, allowing us to shift our focus elsewhere for a few minutes. Now that she's really moving, pulling up and grabbing things that catch her eye, we have to be extra vigilant about what she's doing, and about the things that are within her reach.

Also, because of her new skill set, we decided it was time to lower her crib mattress to the toddler setting, so she won't be able to tumble over the edge when she's alone.

It's an exciting time for Madeline, and for us as we watch her begin to explore on her own. And it's sometimes funny to see the things that capture her attention, even from a distance - a shoelace, floor molding, an exposed screw that attaches the arm of a chair. It's a big, big world, and it's all new to her.

Talking, and teeth

Most of the time Madeline and I were together today, the main theme of her babbling was "da da da da . . ." I didn't think much of it because it's a sound she commonly makes these days. But I sure noticed when Lacey got home from work this afternoon and Madeline looked at her excitedly and started chanting "ma ma ma ma . . ."

Coincidence? Probably. But she's definitely getting the hang of a far wider variety of sounds, and she's really mixing it up. She doesn't always stick to one sound, but often makes a string of varied noises - something like "ga da bo . . ." - using different vowels and consonants in different combinations, all in the same breath.

And, it does seem that she's associating certain sounds with what they represent. Usually I can say "come see daddy" and she'll excitedly move in my direction and put her arms out toward me. I can also say "where's the kitty?" and (most of the time) she'll look around on the floor to find our cat.

So now we find ourselves repeating key words - mommy, daddy, bottle, the names of foods she's eating - in hopes that it reinforces her learning and gets us closer to her first word (which will be "daddy," of course!).

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It looks like at least one of Madeline's top front teeth is getting ready to make an appearance! Lacey and I spotted it this afternoon during one of Madeline's laughing spells.

She's crawling!

It's been months in the making, but today Madeline officially crawled for the first time. Actually, she did it so well that it makes me wonder if she's been practicing while no one's around.

This morning we were playing in the living room with her new phone. She was sitting on the floor and shifted gracefully into an all-fours position. I moved her toy about four feet away to encourage her to work for it, and instead of using her usual Army crawl, she just started putting hand in front of hand and crawled!

She's done it several more times today, interspersed with the tried-and-true Army crawl. No matter what method she uses, there's no doubt about the fact that she can get around by herself now.

It's for you...

Madeline loves playing with the phone, and at times it can be frustrating for everyone - like when one of us is trying to have a conversation or even check voice mail. So this weekend Grandma Vera presented Madeline with her very own phone.

It makes fun noises with each press of a button, and it's getting plenty of use - we've only had it four days and have already replaced the batteries!

History lesson

Today we took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to visit Hollywood Cemetery - the final resting place of prominent Richmonders and even a few U.S. presidents (including the 5th - James Monroe, whose tomb is pictured here). It's one of those places that everyone who lives in the area should see at some point.

It can be a little overwhelming to think of all the things I've seen in my 31 years - from famous landmarks to museums filled with world-class art to natural wonders - and to realize that Madeline has yet to see any of it. She's starting with a clean slate.

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I don't want her to grow up sheltered - I want her to have experience and familiarity with the larger world. After all, what is the job of a parent if not to give their kid a strong, diverse foundation?

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(See a few more non-Madeline pictures from today here.)

The thirty-sixth week

Madeline's crawling seems to have taken a back seat this week as she gets the hang of standing on her own. However, when she sees something she wants, she's getting faster at using her Army crawl to get there. With so many new skills to master, she doesn't spend lots of time on any one thing, but instead seems to switch between them every few days.

Madeline and I went to the gym a few times this week, and things went well. I never heard any complaints from her, and when I return from my workout she has been happily involved with some toy or another. So far there haven't been any other babies there at the same time as Madeline, but she still getting some time around noisy young people who are much smaller than her parents.

This weekend Madeline and Lacey are at the Oyster Festival, so I have a few hours to myself on Saturday before I go to work. It seems like these occasional hours alone quickly fill up - the time without Madeline quickly fills with all the stuff I can't do when she's here. Between chores at home, errands and (hopefully) getting in a longer-than-usual workout, I never seem to get around to actually relaxing for a few minutes!

Happy as an oyster

Today Lacey was giving a presentation on wetlands to school groups attending the Urbanna Oyster Festival's waterfront education day, and Madeline and I tagged along. Between all the commotion made by the swarms of children in attendance and this plastic spoon, there was plenty to keep Madeline occupied.

Bundle up

As the weather grows chillier, Madeline gets more layers of clothing, including these knit pieces that Lacey wore when she was a baby.

Standing up

Today Madeline stood by herself, holding onto the coffee table, for 7 minutes straight. I didn't have to support her at all - she was just standing there, babbling happily. When she started to lose her balance, she would confidently grab the edge of the table to maintain her posture.

She's been standing like this frequently in the past few weeks, but today I happened to look at the clock while she was standing and was impressed by the length of time that she could stand unaided. I was so confident of her skills that I left her side to go across the room and snap some photos while she was standing there.

Simple pleasures

Forget all those colorful and noisy toys - sometimes the simplest things seems to capture Madeline's attention. The other day I gave her a paper-towel tube and she loved it. An empty 2-liter bottle kept her enthralled for an afternoon. She also is quite content to be placed in front of the full-length mirror in our room.