The Many Girlfriends of Max

Many of our friends have baby girls that were born within a few months of little man - in fact, three out of the four babies in our small group are girls! Talk about outnumbered. :)

Last week we invited Max's girlfriends and their mommies over for a little playdate. 

It was so fun to see all the kiddos together!

Max really liked Charley's headband

...but she really didn't like him trying to grab it!

Madison liked to show off her sitting skills. :)

Sorry I didn't get one of Abby! She was napping most of the time. :)

We tried staging a photo with all four babies - and here are a few of our shots:

I don't think there were any where all the kiddos were looking at the same camera - ha!

All the mamas and their little ones :)

So glad you could spend a few hours with us, ladies! Can't wait to do it again soon.

Book of the Month: November

So I'm starting off strong with my 29 Before 29 goals, one of which was to read one book a month - for fun. You wouldn't think this would be that difficult. But it is.
Especially when you have a little mover on the loose!

In November, I made some time to read Unbroken, which was lent to me by my friend Katie.

(It also helped that our internet was out for a few days, so I couldn't waste hours on Pinterest. :)) 

When she passed it along to me this summer, she had great things to say, 

and I was excited to read it. Five months later...and I have finally finished it!

I won't go into a whole lot of detail about the story - which is true, by the way - but it was absolutely riveting. With each page I turned, I could not believe the words I was reading! Some of the stories were pretty amazing: surviving on a safety raft in the ocean for more than 40 days with sharks continuously circling and even attempting to snatch them from their boat, enduring brutal conditions in the POW camps (illnesses which under other circumstances would require hospitalization, extreme weather, hard labor), and even the pranks they were able to pull off. I especially like seeing old photographs of the places and events that the book described.

What struck me most was the optimistic attitude of his generation, despite the hardships they faced - even before the war. They took the difficulties in stride and kept their outlook bright. And even when faced with the atrocities of war, these men kept their heads held high. Reading of all the incredibly difficult things that these soldiers faced, I was absolutely amazed at their resilience. It gave me a new appreciation for our military forces, both veterans and those in active duty. I am so grateful for their willingness to make such huge sacrifices!

Had this book not been lent to me by a friend, I probably wouldn't have read it.
But now that I have, I would definitely recommend it.

Up next: My Life in France by Julia Child. I'm salivating already!

Cousins

Max is so lucky to have two cousins that are very close in age - and proximity! 

We know they will be the Three Amigos when they get a little older. ;)

We tried to stage photos of our cute boy-cousin trio at Thanksgiving this weekend.

Emphasis on the "tried."

Here are some of our funny shots on Turkey Day:

Jaxon ran off and left Max with Garrett, aka Mr. November. :)

A BIG thank you to Allyson Keker for knitting the perfect headgear for Max's first Thanksgiving. 

Isn't she amazing?!!!

Max is going to love us for these pictures when he's 13, I'm sure. :)

We decided to try staging a photo again with the boys in their Christmas outfits the next day. 

The result wasn't much better - but still humorous!

By this point, it was getting close to bedtimes and the boys were ready 

for the paparazzi to leave them alone! They were still pretty darn cute, even if the pictures don't capture them at their smiley-est.

 Unfortunately for them, I don't anticipate things getting any better in the future. :)

Max, Jaxon, and Garrett - get ready for LOTS more crazy family photo shoots!

One Holiday at a Time

Thanksgiving is just three days away (three days, people!)...but you wouldn't know it.
 
Turkey Day seems to be the middle child in the Holiday family - 

often overshadowed by his boisterous younger sibling (Halloween) and the flashy older one (Christmas). 

This arrangement has always bothered me, especially in a culture where we have SO MUCH 

to be grateful for. But Thanksgiving always seems to be crowded out by all the Halloween candy and twinkle lights. I've even heard of radio stations that start playing Christmas carols on November 1st! 

That's why I found it so refreshing that someone else feels exactly the way I do.

Apparently Nordstrom has long had the policy of waiting until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls. 

In fact, one store posted a sign last year with these words, which I think are just so perfect:

 

Happiness is celebrating one holiday at time.  

That's why you won't find any holiday trim until after Thanksgiving day. 
So relax. Reminisce. Enjoy the day as we will--with family and friends.

From our family to yours, 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

(If only I could afford to show my support of Nordstrom's and their sentiment!)

So enjoy this season of thankfulness. There will be plenty of time for holly jolly later! :)

Embrace the Camera

Here's what naptime looks like at our house these days:

Napping? Not so much. 

Practicing new skills? Oh, yes! ;)

Embrace the camera today!

Thanks, Tara, for this great idea! :)

Happy Tooth-day!

This afternoon little man had his mouth open in one of his adorable wide grins 

when I thought I noticed something on his lower gums.

Well, whaddya know? 

Max's first tooth has finally decided to poke its head through!

[image via]

Seriously, this kid needs to slow down with the growing stuff. 

I can't keep up! ;)

Weekly Wows!

A few more finishing touches to the nursery were added this week!  

My mom made a crib skirt and an organizer for the glider (yes, she's amazing), 

and I was so excited to pull them out once we got back from Florida. 

Little Man has started sitting up! I couldn't believe my eyes 

when Clay called me into the nursery the other day to see this:

Granted, Max usually can't hold this position longer than a minute, but it's pretty amazing nonetheless. :) We'll just add this to the long list of skills he's perfecting: rolling both ways, scooting backwards, and now sitting. Yeesh - this kid grows fast!

I got some birthday flowers from the hubs: bright pink peonies - my favorite!

Clay did good. ;)

Saturday night I went to a wreath-making party 

hosted by my friend Erin and sister-in-law Tara. 

We had so much fun chatting creating festive flair for our front doors! I made this simple, mod wreath which I plan to hang on our back door once the Christmas decorations come out.

 Thanks, Lowes, for the idea! 

Since I was in such a festive mood, I tried my hand at homemade marshmallows - 

and they turned out great!

Hot chocolate? Don't mind if I do, even if it is 80 degrees outside. :)

What's wowing you this week? I'd love to hear it!

Five Months

I know I say this every month, but where oh where has the time gone?!?!!

These past few weeks Max has gained so many new skills, so it's almost a growing up overload for this mama. :( But it's been so fun to watch little man discover new things about the world around him!

Here's what our five-month old is up to these days:

Max nurses 5 times a day, and has started eating a bit of rice cereal at breakfast.

He sleeps from about 7:30pm until 7:00am (well, technically he wakes up about 6:30 
and just babbles in his crib until I come get him). Hooray!

We are just about to outgrow all the 3-6 month clothing. 
Mostly Max wears 6 month or 6-9 month clothes. (Kiddo, stop growing!!!)

Max is still drooling quite a bit, but no teeth yet! He is still gnawing on everything 
and can be a little fussbudget at times. We are sure that first tooth will 
poke its little head through any day now (although we've been saying that for weeks.)

Max is working on so many new skills! He can roll both ways, scoot himself backwards 
(not regularly, thank goodness), and sit up unassisted for brief periods of time. It is absolutely amazing to watch him figuring it all out.

He traveled quite a bit in the past month (to Abilene and Denton) and even flew on an airplane! 

I was so impressed at how little man handled it just like a pro. :)

We've gotten lots more giggles this month, although unfortunately none on video. 

It is always curious what makes him laugh (Mommy yawning???).

Bath time is one of Max's favorite times of day, maybe because it's with Daddy. They have so much fun splashing in the water!

We are constantly amazed at the things little man is teaching us - what a little miracle! 

I have a feeling these next few months will be full of even more lessons for us 

(like how our house is SO not babyproofed). :)

We love you, Maxwell James! 

Little Scooter

This afternoon, little man was having some tummy time on the rug in his room 

when I noticed he was slowly pushing himself backwards. 

Curious as to how far he would go, I sat back to watch while Max scooted from here

(he started where the purple foot is)

 

to all the way in here!

So he scooted from his room through the living room and almost into the kitchen. 

And I think he would have kept going if he hadn't bumped into his high chair!

Maybe I should fashion an outfit like this so Max could help me keep the floors clean?

[image via]

Our little man is that much closer to crawling - and we are SO not ready for it!

First Taste

When we went for Max's four-month checkup, the pediatrician gave us the go-ahead

to start little man on solids. My head started spinning just thinking about all the complication this would add to our daily routine - the timing of it, making my own, what to start, etc, etc.
So I decided to hold off just a little bit longer.

Well, little man has been eyeing our food for a while now
and definitely acts interested in what we keep putting in our pie holes. He watches us so intently!
So on Sunday morning, we decided to go ahead and give it a whirl...

And whaddya know, he likes it! We're still getting the hang of the whole
eating from a spoon thing, but that will come in time. :)

The pediatrician also suggested we give Max a sippy cup 

with a tiny bit of water and ice (for noise) so he could get more familiar with it.

As you can see, we're still working on which end is up. :) 

Also, I think the cool part at the bottom where the water is feels good on his teething gums.

No teeth yet! But we feel sure they will poke their little heads through any day now.

In other news, little man is rolling both ways now (thanks, Doc, for helping with that skill!). The other morning he woke up earlier than usual and his cry sounded a little different. When I went into the nursery to check on him, I discovered he was on his tummy! Since then, we have found him in a different position (on his tummy, side, up against the crib slats) every time we go in to get him up. We're in for it now...

So we are all getting our first tastes these days - Max, of a new way to eat, and us, of a more independent baby. He is growing so fast - I can't believe he'll be five months old in less than a week!

Weekly Wows!

I am now the proud owner of an iPhone 4S!  

Hopefully this super-cute case I ordered will arrive this week. :)

[image via]

 Those first few days carrying around a naked phone always make me nervous!

We got to spend Wednesday evening with Mini! 

 She came through town on her way to Denton, which allowed her a half-day to play with Max and enjoy dinner with us. So glad you could come by, Karen!

Little Man is trying to get everything in his mouth - including his toes!

Diaper changes are always the perfect chance to chew on those cute little feet. :)

Max definitely didn't get his flexibility gene from Clay!

It FINALLY feels like fall. I am absolutely loving this sub-70 weather - well, minus today. ;)

This afternoon I redeemed a Groupon for some Paciugo gelato, 

so the hubs and I are enjoying some mint chocolate chip tonight. YUM.

What a great ending to a great week!

Sunshine State

Max and I are back from a wonderful week with Grammie and Doc in the Sunshine State! 

We had so much fun while we were there...

Enjoying dinner on the screened porch almost every night

Taking Grammie and Doc's Christmas card picture- in 80 degree weather, no less :)

(I'll let them show you the winner)

 

Doing some baking with Grammie

(Due to an orange candy melt shortage, our pumpkins turned out 

rather peach/ tomato/ cherry looking)

Taking a trip to Havana (Georgia) to shop and have lunch

 

Seeing the butterfly migration at St. Mark's

 

Going for walks in the neighborhood

Having lots and lots of playtime

 

Getting baths and stories from someone other than Mom ;)

Enjoying lunch out for Mom's birthday

(Sorry, not the best photo op :/)

Modeling our Halloween costume - and cute pjs!

 All in all, it was a wonderful visit. Thanks, Grammie and Doc, for being such great hosts!

Even after all that fun, we were sure glad to get back home to Daddy, who had been hard at work while we were gone - finishing up the baseboards and trim in the house as well as several other projects. (So technically, #20 on my 28 Before 28 List did get accomplished, thanks to Clay!) 

What a lovely surprise to come home to. ;)

Now if only the laundry would do itself...