It's Official...

Well folks, it's official. We have the sweetest, friendliest little boy on the planet! A few cute daycare stories...

1. After I drop Max off at daycare in the morning I often peek in the window (where he can't see me) to see what he is doing with his buddies. The other day his teacher had gotten him in a chair and stepped away to get his breakfast and milk. In the meantime, his friend Scotty came over and started stroking his head like he was a puppy! haha  Max just sat there and waited. Kids...

2. Ms. Carrie (one of the administrators) told me that she was giving a tour to a family. They got to the Toddler Room and the mother asked Ms. Carrie if they did things like singing songs. Knowing of Max's talents (ha!) she called him over and asked him if he wanted to sing "Wheels On the Bus". Apparently he got a huge smile on his face and started singing and doing all the hand motions! Ben and I decided that he should get some sort of "Official Crabapple Mascot" title since he's becoming part of the tour.

3. Yesterday I picked up Max and passed another mom on our way out of the classroom. The mom stopped me and said, "He is so cute! Every morning when I bring Parker in he always comes over to say "hi" to me and see if Parker wants to play." So sweet!

4. Max has been buddies with some of the kids in his class since they were babies. One little girl, Zoey, started at Crabapple about the same time as Max; so they've been playing together since they were just three months old! At any rate, one of Max's teachers told me that he and Zoey have a thing where they'll randomly start hugging each other. The other kids see them hugging and a bunch more will run over to join in. Group hug!

5. It's no secret that Max feels loved at Crabapple. He adores his teachers! This morning we were on our way to daycare and I asked him if he was going to sing songs today. He replied, "Yes!" with a big smile, so I asked who he was going to sing to and he cries out, "Kristiiiiiiii!" with gusto. Adorable.


And because no post is complete without a cute baby toddler picture, here's a snapshot of a little picnic snack when we were enjoying the warm weather last weekend! (Chips and dip for Mom and Dad and Cheerio and raisin "trail mix" for the babe.)

Videos!

Somebody loves his Mama... :-) 

http://youtu.be/Q9EO5EAyPGw

This video will be particularly fun for the Lilly's... it seems Max has his cousin Olivia's strong baby legs! haha

http://youtu.be/18pLtiiGOpU

Riding in the stroller is way more fun when Daddy pushes and zooms around. :-)

http://youtu.be/CHHbhdOZtGc

We were having "quiet time" before bed a few nights ago (hence the dark video) and Max got in my lap to read a book about dogs. Ben kept tickling me which made me jump, and Max thought it was hilarious. This video is actually a "re-do" of the experience, and Max's laughter is toned down in this video if you can believe it. 

http://youtu.be/j4_0lek90Ys

Dear Max: 521 Days

Dear Max,

For 521 days we snuggled up, belly to belly, and had our own special time together. After one year, five months, and two days those special moments have come to an end; but really it's just the beginning of a whole new chapter in our relationship. When I was pregnant, nursing was on my list of things that I really, really hoped would work out. At the time, it was mostly related to the extensive health benefits for you, both nutritionally and emotionally. I didn't really "get" why women made such a big deal about the end of nursing, or why it almost seemed to be put on a pedestal. Wasn't it just a function of feeding your baby?

Once I become a mother, I learned that nursing is so, so much more. It was quiet in the midst of a stressful day. It was comfort when you were upset. It allowed us to forgive when we were frustrated with one another. It made both of us smile. It helped us get to know one another's personalities. It helped you rest when you were weary. It gave us a chance to reconnect after a long day. It was our own little love language.

On that final morning, you awoke very early (as has been the case most days lately). I went to your room around 5:00am and tried to help you settle down. After a while you finally relaxed in my arms, but woke up the moment I laid you in your crib. So, I decided to simply hold you and rock you while you slept. As I gazed down at your relaxed body and sleeping face in the darkness, I marveled at how big you seemed. My little baby is now a toddler, and your body rested on my lap with your legs draped over the other armrest. Not long ago, it seems, you barely fit in the crook of my arm.

Sitting upright, I dozed on and off until you woke for the day. You seemed excited to wake up in my arms and wiggled your way in to a seated position as you stretched and yawned. I asked if you wanted to nurse one last time, and you smiled and said, "Yes!" enthusiastically. As the first rays of sunlight peeked around the shades on the window, just like the morning you were born, we snuggled up belly to belly one last time.

We held hands, you touched my face, and we smiled at one another as you nursed. This might sound odd since you are so little right now, but it really seemed like you knew and understood that this was the end of something really important. You lingered a bit longer than usual and when you finished you simply laid back on my lap and gazed in to my eyes. "That's it," I said. "We're all done nursing. I love you, baby boy."

I pulled you close and tears sprang to my eyes as your little arms wrapped tightly around my neck. When you saw I was crying you pointed to my tears with a confused look and simply said, "Eyes! Eyes!". I couldn't help but smile, laugh, and kiss you. It was perfect timing and we were both ready to move on.

At the beginning of this journey, I had no idea what to expect or how deeply the experience would touch me. I hope the memory of the relationship we had through nursing will always stay impressed upon your heart. I have never loved so deeply, and I will never forget how much those 521 days changed my life.

I love you, sweet baby.

Love,
Mommy

Life Lately....

Saskia turned one! Here are some party pics....

Best friends and super hero dads... (included because I think this is a fantastic picture of what 30 years of friendship looks like)

Birthday girl!

Pinata time!

 Checking out all the loot...

Couldn't pass up an opportunity for Max and Conrad to take a picture with their matching hats! We like to call Max "Lil' C" when he wears his hat. :-)

I love so many things about this photo... the mustache... Max's super annoyed expression... haha!

Manly men with mustaches...

... and here are some other random photos!

No mother can resist sneaking in her baby's room to snap a photo while he sleeps...so precious...

Checking out the paint on his belly after finger painting...

If you look closely, you'll see Max just relaxing on the floor reading a book. I was cooking and caught the scene! Too funny...

Max wanted to wear a headband like Mommy!

Time to start practicing letters and numbers!

Popping is serious business...

Silly little mobster...

Max has learned to "Say Cheese!" and he makes this face. Can't get enough of this kid!

Our Little Valentine

Max's Valentine's Day included....

Finger painting to make Valentine's for his classmates (we cut out hearts and put them on a card with a label of two puppies saying, "Happy Valentine's Day")...

Making special crafts... (including cute grandparent cards that I forgot to photograph- doh!)

...and eating a special Valentine's Day breakfast! We made heart shaped strawberry pancakes (that ended up looking brown instead of pink- oh, well!) with bananas and raisins (two of his favorites) on a pink plate with a red cup of milk!

This is our family depicted in pancakes... get it? Our hearts created a little heart. :-)   Awww.... haha

Videos and Other Cute Things...

Two quick stories...

• The other day I accidentally left the pantry partially open. Max was playing nearby and when he pushed on the door it pinched his fingers. He cried but was fine 30 seconds later after hugs and magical Mommy kisses. Not long after I noticed that Max kept walking to the pantry (which was fully closed), touching the door, and saying, "Owww!" and holding up his hand. He kept repeating it over and over and even made his, "That hurt!" face. Silly boy! We'll have to see if he actually remembers not to push on the door now!

• One morning I went up to get Max when he woke up. When I turned on the light I noticed there was dried blood all over his lips. He didn't seem like he was in pain, but clearly I was still concerned. I didn't see any blood on his sheets so I laid him down on the changing table to examine his mouth. Sure enough some parts of his gums were bloody! If he's teething he tends to flip out if we go anywhere near his mouth. Max let me clean him up without a fight, so I was even more confused about why his lips were bloody. When I turned around I noticed that he had gnawed on the corners of his crib! We have all the rails covered but the front corners where the front and side rails come together are exposed. I said to him, "Did you eat your crib?" with a serious face. He just smiled back and said, "Dah!" and pointed to the crib. haha I guess we have a little beaver on our hands! He was so proud of himself.

Here are a few videos!

It's a little hard to see in the video (kind of dark), but Max grins ear to ear when Ben swings him around!

http://youtu.be/T1ODFjBu9T4



Talking and animal sounds before bed! (Yes, those are Christmas jammies in February- haha)



http://youtu.be/t4BXyHHXe80


Body parts



http://youtu.be/tcNrr0EWNQE

Snow Day!

It snowed! Due to the weather, Max's daycare closed early on Wednesday. I was on my way back from a meeting in Atlanta so I swung by on my way home even though it was the middle of nap time. Isn't he adorable on his little cot?! On a side note, I don't know if I have ever seen anything as cute as a room full of sleeping toddlers on tiny little cots. :-)   Max was so confused that I was there during nap time. I went over and rubbed his back and he stayed completely still and just blinked at me. Eventually I took off his blanket and he still just stayed still so I just picked him up. He looked at me and finally whispered, "Hi" in a very serious voice. When I stood up he just gave a very confused wave to his teachers and said, "Bye bye!"

Going back to sleep once we get home clearly didn't happen, so we had a snack then somebody was ready to go "ouuu-duh!" ("outside") in the "nooo" (snow).

So out we went! Here's a little video and some fun photos from our snow day!

http://youtu.be/McnvqQDTjsI

Learning about snow balls...

Then accidentally getting hit in the face with a snowball... haha!

Knocking down Daddy's tiny snowman.