18 Months

Wowsers! 

Another month has flown by

and our little man is a year and a half old!

It seriously does not seem possible.

But then again, this little ball of energy

reminds us quite often that he is NOT our baby anymore

and that he's developing a mind of his own. ;)

At his well-check on Thursday, little man weighed in at 29 lbs 1/2 oz (95th percentile)

and measured 34 inches long (94th percentile).

We learned at this appointment that Max is not so well - he has a double ear infection.

Our pediatrician also visited with us about the results from his bloodwork,

which still indicate an elevated thyroid level.

So...we're being referred to an endocrinologist. :/

To any observer, little man seems perfectly healthy;

it is a little unsettling that he has several "unseen" health issues,

but thank goodness we're getting them addressed!

It's funny that Max's growth is off the charts

because I feel like his eating has taken a real hit lately.

He for sure doesn't eat as much as he used to,

and definitely opposes anything green that finds its way onto his plate.

He's also recently developed the unpleasant habit

of throwing unwanted food over his shoulder (while saying "whee!" of course).

So yeah...we're working on that.

We've also had some sleep issues in the past month,

and I don't know exactly what to attribute it to.

Max started waking in the night again 

about the time we took him to the ER,

but he's also been cutting his second year molars (already!)

and the temperatures have been going back and forth a lot

(his room is the hottest/ coldest in the house).

He has also decided that he'd rather babble and play in his crib than sleep,

so we've had to go into his room after putting him down

and remind him what he's supposed to be doing. :)

I think we're getting back to uninterrupted nighttime sleep.
Let's hope, at least!

We decided to go ahead and put up our (three-foot) Christmas tree this year.
So far Max hasn't pulled it over, but he sure knows how to stealthily remove the ornaments! 

Max has learned about so many new things this holiday season -
about the "owf" (elf) who likes to hide around the house,
about "Tee-ta" (Santa) who wears a fuzzy red hat,
and the "ise-ee" (wise men) and their "me-muls" (camels) who came to see Baby Jesus.
Any time he sees something that looks remotely like one of those things,
he goes CRAZY and repeats the word nonstop until Mama or Daddy
acknowledges him. He is so funny!


He has also learned names of his friends and most of his extended family members.
He's is finally not confusing Uncle "Mahk" for Daddy anymore!
Max loves to look at the Christmas cards hung on the wall and name the people he sees. :)

Puzzles and shape sorters are some of Max's favorite toys right now.
He has gotten really good and fitting the pieces into the right place all by himself!

Of course, he still loves to play outside, especially collecting rocks. :)

This little man keeps us on our toes, for sure!
But he has his fair share of sweet, snuggly moments too. :)

We are excited/ scared to see what he'll be up to next!

Neighborly Blessingmas

Ever since we moved into our quaint little neighborhood

(which you can read more about here),

the hubs and I have made an attempt, however imperfectly and inconsistently,

to get to know our neighbors.

This usually involves waves as we come and go

and intentional conversations when we see someone outside.

Plus, Max is a great conversation starter

and the older folks in our neighborhood just eat him up. :)

Around any major holiday, I try to leave some kind of treat

on the doorsteps of those nearby with a cheery little note attached.

The past few months, it hasn't been so much happening.

But after reading my friend Sarah's blog post today,

I was convicted to get those extra hot-chocolate-on-a-sticks

out of the fridge and into my neighbor's hands!

So I gathered up the little man and we set out on our mission:

Neighborly Blessingmas.

Things started off a little rocky -

Max tried to grab and handful of cigarette butts out of one neighbor's ash pail

and pick up various pieces of litter along the way, including a sharp cat food lid -

but I was absolutely floored by the response that met us at house #3.

This single older gentleman, a retired schoolteacher,

spent his spare time hand-making this stick horse for Max.

Can you believe it?!!!!

Tears are welling up in my eyes as I type this.

(Could totally be pregnancy hormones.)

Such a thoughtful gesture from someone I didn't think

we had made much of an impact upon. WOW.

On our other deliveries, we enjoyed a little piano "playing"

at the home of a former piano teacher

(she was very sweet to praise Max's hand position)

and admiring the "tee-ta" (Santa) hats worn

by another couple on their way to perform at a local nursing home.

Even though, as Sarah put it, being Christ can be sort of uncomfortable

(or fraught with the dangers of tetanus),

it can also be really, really awesome when you finally put yourself out there.

So go on. Get out there and start your own Neighborly Blessingmas.

You may not get a stick horse out of the deal,

but you'll be so glad you did!

The Truth

Y'all, the truth is that I've been a terrible blogger lately.

I thought you might not notice if I posted three times in one day...

and then went another week without an update.

(And I still haven't covered Thanksgiving!)

But I have good reason to be behind...

1. Chasing a toddler is hard work.

2. I've been busy decking the halls at the Rich residence
(and trying to keep a certain someone
from removing all the ornaments from our three-foot tree)
3. It takes a long time to address 120 Christmas cards!

I finally finished the Christmas cards yesterday afternoon,
and took them to the post office this morning,
so our Christmas greetings are headed to the mailboxes of family and friends
...with a special little message this year:

(A big thanks to JohnsonMade for our cute cards)

Max is going to be a big brother!


We are so excited to welcome Jellybean No. 2 come July 2013. :)

So, the truth as to my blogging absence?
I really have been busy doing the aforementioned,
but I've also been taking lots of naps
which kind of cuts into my blogging time. :)

Book of the Month: November

This book has been on my reading list for quite a while,

and I finally picked up a copy at Half Price Books with a little birthday moolah.

I am so glad I did!

[image via]

A Homemade Life was the perfect pleasure read:

romance, cooking, travel abroad, more cooking, and a wedding!

Nothing mind-bending or depressing. And LOTS of recipes. :)

(Even if they aren't necessarily recipes 

that I have time to make at this stage in my life.)

What I especially loved about the book

is that I can read more of Molly's life and bakings on her blog!

You should check it out too. :)

17 Months

How is it that Max is already 17 months old?
(Or should I say, how is it that Max is really almost 18 months old and I never posted this!?)

He doesn't even seem like the baby in this picture from one year ago:

...but I guess that's because he's not a baby any more! *sniff sniff*

It is absolutely crazy how much this kiddo is changing right before our eyes!

Max weighs about 28 pounds and is holding at 33 inches tall.

He still sleeps about 11-11 1/2 hours at night, and takes one good nap (1.5-3 hours) during the day.

Little man has really developed an aversion to certain foods, even things he previously loved! 

Though it makes this mama scratch her head, I just have to remind myself it is only a phase.

I will keep offering those foods and eventually he will learn to like them. :)

Max's vocabulary has just exploded in the past month!

I cannot keep up with all the new words he is saying (or attempting).

The most notable addition is that of the big "N-O"

which he usually says, "nononononono!"

Oh, and his dear cousin Rivers taught him to say "booger" over Thanksgiving.

(I have to admit - it's pretty funny when I go to wipe Max's nose

and he says, "Booger. Yucky.")

We have visited several friends this past month who have welcomed new babies

into their families, and Max really doesn't like it when I hold the little ones.

He usually throws a fit and tries to climb into my lap

while I'm holding the baby. Oh, kiddo...

There was a little excitement earlier this month as well;

Max had a febrile seizure and we had to go to the ER.

I was holding Max at the time it happened (thank goodness)

and had enough wits about me to call the pediatrician's office,

where I was advised to go straight to Cook's. 

Three hours later...we were dismissed.

And the next day, Max was running laps around our house!

He is totally back to normal now, but it was very very scary.

Our pediatrician did order some bloodwork,

and we have a follow-up test next week, but I am not anticipating anything abnormal.

(FYI: Apparently these kind of things happen in about 10 percent of kiddos,

which they usually outgrow by the age of 6. 

Most importantly, they do not cause brain damage. 

If you want to know more, ask your child's pediatrician!)

Max could spend HOURS playing outside and it still wouldn't be enough!

He loves to play in the sandbox (with the sand bucket on his head)

or collect rocks or acorns. He also likes Mama to push him in the Cozy Coupe. :)

Little man especially loves running through the leaves in the yard,

which he calls "now-ee." So funny!

We love to watch our little man learn about the world around him
and develop new skills. He is such a joy in our lives!

Photo A Day: November

Yoo hoo! It's me! Remember?

I know...I have been a terrible blogger lately. But! 

It's only because our November was packed to the brim. :)

Here's a little peek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to a December that's full of just as much fun!

Cousins

Growing up, I didn't have any family living next door.

Or in the same town.

Or in the same state, even.

We took looooong road trips 

to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins

usually around a major holiday.

So we were lucky to get to see them twice a year.

That's why I think it is such a blessing to have family

just right around the corner!

We are so lucky that Mark and Tara live just about a mile from us -

perfect for borrowing tools, a cup of sugar,

or a few moments of conversation.

There have been times when we thought the other might move away,

but thank goodness God has kept us all together. :)

Since we are so close, it is fun to get our boys together often.

They are at an age where they are really starting to notice each other.

Jaxon and Max love to...

Ride in the car

(Only moments before this picture was taken, these two were giggling like schoolgirls!)

Or on a train

Not look at the camera

Take baths

 Read stories

Eat together

 
And just have fun!

A friend told me about this Laurie Berkner song
which talks about two bumblebees named Jaxon and Max.
What a fun coincidence!

I like to think it's a tribute to our dynamic duo. :)

Every day I am grateful for Mark and Tara

and the wonderful example of Christ-centered parents they are to us.

I am especially glad that we live so close

and that our boys - and now Madelyn! - and future children

will grow up not only being cousins but friends too!

Book of the Month: October

Based on a recommendation by my friend Katie,

I decided to pick up this book at our church bookstore.

[image via]

It was a fabulous book,

and I second her recommendation!

Nika's story is absolutely amazing 

and her upbeat perspective was such a blessing.

I have never lived with a debilitating illness, 

or suffered from a stroke which left me paralyzed,

or worked through therapy to learn everything again as Nika did 

(all by the time she was my age, no less!).

I can only imagine I would not be the encouragement to others

that Nika was in these very undesirable circumstances.

She truly made the best of it!

This book is a true testament to God's work in Nika's life,

and it really made me think about the ways my Heavenly Father is writing my story. :)

Weekly Wows

Two weeks ago, we had a free Saturday (the first in a long while)

and decided to make a trip over to the 

Japanese Festival at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.

The chilly weather didn't deter us - we had lots of fun!

 

This guy broke 12 bricks with his hand - 12 bricks, people!
He made a really loud grunting noise when he did it and it scared Max. :(

The only casualty was a shoe in the koi pond...

and I have a feeling it won't be the last. ;)

We also recently went to the zoo with my friend Linsday
and her adorable daughter (who is about one week younger than Max).
The four of us had a great time watching all the animals
(they were really active that day)
and we even got to see the baby rhino!

 

This past Wednesday I celebrated my 29th birthday - crazy!
Since future Halloweens will probably be spent

running all over the place with little goblins in tow,

we decided to take it easy this year, which was perfect.

Clay did take me out to dinner at a local fondue place the next night
(I've always wanted to try one of those) and it was soooo yummy!

 

I've also got a gift certificate for a massage I need to schedule... ;)

Max tried his first popsicle the other day (yes, in November)

 but to be fair, I was trying to ease the pain of a busted lip.

 

 He ended up covered in melted blueberry yogurt,
which I think means he liked it.

Ever wondered what happens when you forget about spilled oil in your oven?

Well, we found out on Sunday...

One crazy, smoky mess (which your child thinks is fascinating).

Good thing it was cool outside since we had to open all the windows!

Yesterday, I saw this weirdness at Target:

Can someone please explain?!!!

What's wow-ing you these days?