19 Months

Maddox is ...

WALKING!!!!!

Well, maybe "taking steps" is more accurate, but either way we are beyond excited!!

It is adorable to see his tiny little legs and tiny feet toddle around.

Maddox is doing very well and we are so grateful.

He is making good progress with feeding and we have started to ween him from the g-tube. He is tolerating more food in his mouth and isn't gagging on it, though he usually just moves it around his mouth for a little while and then spits it out.

At least that is what he does with anything solid. He is much better with liquids. Water is his favorite, but unfortunately doesn't really boast many calories. He enjoys spending time in his high chair playing and tasting and making messes. It is so fun to see him doing such "normal" stuff. I love it!! He still weighs 19 lbs and hasn't grown much in length, but he is getting good calories from the g-tube, and catching up developmentally.

His personality is so fun! He really likes to make people laugh, snuggle, tickle, and just play.

We are enjoying this phase with him so much. He is still the most determined and stubborn little guy, but so endearing and just makes us so happy. He is curious and into EVERYTHING! His mind is definitely working. I just love watching him figure things out.

He communicates using various means, but is putting more and more sounds together and mimicking us more as well. When you don't use your mouth to eat, learning to use it to speak is a challenge. There is an incredible amount of coordination and muscle used to move your tongue and lips and eating really works those. It is understandable for him to take a while to figure out how to talk, but we are encouraged by all that he is doing. He is still extremely attached to his pacifier and likes to go to bed with two. I have watched him hold one in each hand, put one in his mouth for a few sucks and then switch, all in his sleep. He is a little obsessed but it works the muscles in his mouth and provides a great amount of comfort to him so the binky is staying. We'll deal with the orthodontic ramifications a little later.

Maddox went to the pool for the first time this week, and I think he liked it. He was reserved in his praise, but I know that if he hadn't liked it he would have made it known. We rarely went to the pool all together last summer due to Maddox being much more fragile and on oxygen so much. This summer will be different. The kids are all excited.

Maddox has been coming to church with us for the past several weeks. He is your typical one year old who doesn't want to sit still, which means either Jeff or I spend a little time out in the hall. We aren't putting him in nursery(class for 18mo-3yrs) because we just don't want him sucking on the toys all the other runny-nosed kids are sucking on. I think we'll pass on the guaranteed germs. Who knows when or if we'll put him in, but at this point we are just happy to all be at church together.

Maddox is just our little love!! We are so grateful for him and so happy that we've all made it this far. We are in a great place with him right now. I feel so blessed to be his mother and to have had some of the experiences that we have had. It is amazing to make it through a really difficult time and then look back at the road you've traveled. I finally feel like the future is bright and the "trial" in many ways is over. We know there will be lots of rough patches and painful experiences, but we have managed to live through something we never thought we could survive. I am so thankful for friends, family, and especially a loving Heavenly Father who through His Son, Jesus Christ, helped us carry this burden and learn and grow through the process. Our lives definitely took a trip to a destination different than the one we had planned, but I can't tell you how grateful I am for the amazing husband and kiddos I'm traveling with.

Life is good.