One Year Old!

I cant imagine the first year of Max's life going any better. I can still close my eyes and remember seeing him for the first time, with him laying on my chest blinking his eyes and just staring up at me. What an amazing feeling that was! I have loved seeing his first smile, watching him learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, walk, and babble. When I dreamed of what life would be like with Max, I never imagined it to be so amazing, so rewarding. Don't get me wrong, the nights were rough, I haven't enjoyed more than a handful of long relaxing showers, and I haven't really gotten the chance to actually sit and enjoy a meal for an entire year. I got this today in a weekly email I subsribe to, its about the first year, “In the past year you've changed at least 3,000 diapers, lost about 350 hours of sleep, wondered whether to call the doc 9 times, wondered how you lived without your baby almost every day and wished you had five minutes to yourself almost as often.” But I wouldn't change it for anything! Max is such a joy, with an amazing spirit and personality. He is so happy all the time, and always lights up a room. I am so proud that he is mine!!

Ok now on to all the fun of the past month...Max is extremely mobile now. Not only can he walk pretty much anywhere he wants, hes also able to climb most anything. He can climb our pool ladder all the way to the top, he can climb Layne and Chase's bunk bed ladder to get himself up to the top bunk, and can easily navigate up and down stairs, and on and off couches. It scares me so much, but so far he has done it all with no tumbles..

Basketball is still his favorite thing in the world. Every morning we walk across the street to the courts, throwing the ball and chasing it around. He says “ball” allllll the time. He can say it like a statement, a question, or a demand, I didn't know that was possible! Haha.

Max is now talking more, he says “ohhh” if something drops or is out of place, he says “more” when he is eating and wants more of the food, he says “ma” and “dada” and said “Abby” yesterday when Jeremy was goofing around and animatedly said my name. Lets hope that doesn't stick! He starting to try to say more, and will say “dah” when the dogs bark. Hes trying to copy sounds more and said “appa” when I was calling Grandpa on the phone a few days ago.

Dancing is also one of Max's favorites. I usually turn on music on the tv during the day and we dance all around. He swings his arms, rocks from side to side and waves his hands like he is saying hello/goodbye.

One thing I just cannot get down yet, are foods to feed Max. Hes like me and could eat carbs for every meal if I let him. He loves pancakes, noodles, and potatoes the most. He is very picky, and spits out a lot of food, and a lot of food gets wasted. Its very frustrating for me! Soon, it will get easier and be another blip in my mind when looking back on these days.

On an extremely positive note, Max is now sleeping through the night!! Thank God! He does cry in the night, but doesn't move. I'm not sure if that is what night terrors are or not. The first night he did it, I thought my video monitor was broken, because he was crying and sometimes screaming, but not moving. Thankfully, it isn't every night, though.

This first year has been amazing. I have enjoyed each day a little more than the last, which I never thought was possible. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for this little guy, or possibly how many NBA championships are in his future ;)

11 months old!

Throughout each day Max does something funny or learns something new and I think “ok I am definitely putting that in the blog.” Then I sit down, start typing and go completely blank. So I'm hoping I remember at least most of it!

This past month Max went from taking a few steps at a time to full on walking everywhere. I really thought that when he figured out how to take a few steps when he was 9 months old that he would just be walking like crazy in a few days time. That really wasn't the case. It was about a month where he would only take 5 steps at a time, then when Jeremy came home from South Carolina he made the decision to walk full time evvvvvverrrrrrryyyyywhere (thats my exaggerated voice, lol). It's SO nice to be able to set him down on the ground and he can just stand there. We have tried putting his crocs on, but he refuses to even stand in them. So he will continue to have jiffy feet for the next month or so.

I would have to say Max's favorite thing in the world is basketball. I bought him a little basketball from walmart a month or so ago and we play with it for about 4-5 hours a day. We sit across from each other bouncing the ball back and forth, he smacks it trying to dribble, and bounces it with two hands. Hes actually quite a little baller- but he better be as much as he plays!! “Ball” is actually his first word too (other than mama and dada which I don't really count). Every morning he wakes up, and immediately starts talking about “ball.” He comes downstairs looks around for it and starts bouncing it. If I would have to guess, he says “ball” probably 150 times a day.

Max also likes to sit on a step or stool and stand up and sit down over and over and over again. He loves it! He also likes when I turn the laundry basket upside down in front of an open window. He bangs on the screen and watched the people playing basketball across the street.

As much as I LOVE this age, I really hate meal times. Max will always grab the spoon to feed himself, rub it all over his head and then throw it on the ground when hes done. I'm just thankful I have dogs that like to clean up his messes. He does love the organic food pouches of baby food and yogurt. Hes starting to grow tired of baby oatmeal- which is kind of good because I only have about 2 more weeks of pumped milk left to mix in. I did get blueberries and tomatoes from the farmers market that he really enjoyed. I also picked up peaches and we will try those tonight.

I really enjoy each day more and more with Max. It continually gets more fun as each day passes. As much as I really love each second with Max to the fullest, I'm not 100% sure I want to go back through and start over again with another baby. My mind may change some day, but as of now I'm happy with one. NO I'm not pregnant if you read my sister's post on facebook. We were in a little prank war and that's how she got me back. I thought it was pretty good!

10 months!

Every month I go to type these and every month I think “ohhh my goodness what a month!” It is so crazy how fast kids grow, how much they change in a month, and how much more FUN it gets as time goes on. Every month I type these and every month I wish I would have said more, expressed more about how much I love this kid, and how much he means to me. He's amazing, just thought you should know that!

Now on to the fun stuff :) Max started walking this past month! Now he is not full-on walking all over the house, but hes definitely taking 4-5 steps on his own at a time. The first time he did it I was sitting on the floor, talking to my sister on the phone, when out of nowhere Max decided to let go of the couch and walk to me! I freaked out and started cheering and he started laughing. Hes a weird kid and will only perform his “tricks” when I'm not really paying attention. The minute I get excited, try to encourage him, he stops and doesn't care. Positive reinforcement is not his thing I guess!

Aside from working his little legs out, Max seems to love 3 things: basketball, dog food, and water. An odd combination, right? He really likes any kind of basketball- a rubber basketball, a plastic one, a foam one, or a stuffed one. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it is a basketball- and he CAN tell the difference between a basketball and a baseball or soccerball. He knows whats up ;). Sometimes I tell myself, “wow hes definitely going to be a baller some day, he loves basketball” but then I realize he also is obsessed with the dog's food, so what entirely does that mean? Haha. But really, I feel terrible for my dogs. I have to deprive them of food and water at some points during the day because Max will pour out the food, spread it all over the room and then splash in their water. Once hes fixated on it- game over! This leads me to his next interest- water. He will get it wherever he can! Pools, dog water, toilets, watering cans, wherever he can find it. This month we finished up his “water wonders” class which I think really sparked his interest in the first place. When we went to visit Jeremy in Charleston, everyone around commented on how Max was such a water bug.

While we are on the topic of Charleston... Most of you know, I have a husband that works out of town a mass majority of the time. From the time Max was born he was working out of town during the week, and was home on the weekends. At the beginning of May he left to work in Charleston for 6 weeks, so Max and I decided to visit this past week. Our trip was AMAZING! The flight down was wonderful. I sat next to an older woman named Kay that held Max, cuddled him, and helped me out a ton. When we got off the plane I was complimented by at least 5 different people, telling my how wonderful my child was on the plane. People love a quiet baby on an airplane! We got to South Carolina, and immediately Max was all about his daddy. Jeremy carried him everywhere and they were best buddies. We were able to go to the beach, and Max LOVED it. He would scoop the sand up with his hands and dump it out, ride and climb on boogie boards, and crawl all through the ocean water. We also swam in the pool, went on walks, and were visited by auntie Heather. The flight back didn't go as well. Max still was amazing...but I had to sit next to a 6'8” man, and was crammed by the window with no help. But all-in-all it was an amazing trip!

So there are a few things Max doesn't like so much. I think the main thing is being in a stroller. What kid doesn't like walks? Oh mine! Inevitably he finds a way to squirm around, stand up and ride backwards. He does the same thing in a grocery cart. I even got told that I needed to make my kid sit while shopping at Walmart! Have you seen some of the stuff that goes on at Walmart?! Needless to say, I try avoiding that place at all costs now, and thanks to amazon, its fairly easy :)

All-in-all Max is all about the go go go right now, and while it can be tough at times, I enjoy the work out. After all, Max wont let me take walks! See you next month :)

9 months!

So I think this month I'm just going to type, as opposed to the little sections I usually write about. It's more my style ;) This past month with Max has probably been my favorite so far. Each month is so new and exciting, but its so much fun to see his personality grow every day. Jeremy's boys are starting to become more interested in him now, so they are able to play with him and entertain him while I cook dinner/ clean/ do laundry. In fact, Max seems to be a huge fan of Layne. He smiles and screeches when Layne comes into the room, walks to his chair and pulls up on his legs, and follows him out of the room to be where he is. Its so cute to watch!

One of Max's stellar accomplishments goes to the fact that he pees in the potty!! He does not go every time, and he isn't able to tell me that he has to go, but 2-3 times a day he is able to pee on the potty. Usually this comes after naps, when he wakes up I sit his down and he is able to go. Its very exciting and I'm hoping we can kick start potty training early!! Max seems to hate diapers as much as I do, so that is a start.

Max seems to be in everything lately. My brother in law has nicknamed him “silent assassin” because hes pretty stealthy in his crawling and can get across a room quick and silently. He usually navigates towards 4 things: 1- Me! When tired or hungry, the little guy will crawl to me, say “muhm” and pull up on my legs, but lets be real- this isn't a big shocker. 2- Paper. Max seems to find paper EVERYWHERE! Its like a magnetic attraction to him, and always ends up in his mouth. 3- Toilets. I'm not sure if its just my child, but Max seems to love pulling up on toilets and sticking his hands in the water. Yeah, gross I know! I learned my lesson quick, and started putting the lids down constantly, to which he now is learning how to lift the lids and flush the toilet. This kid keeps me on my toes alright! And lastly, 4- Stairs. Max love to climb stairs. We have a gate with a door at the bottom up the steps to keep him from climbing up. I tend to not lock the gate door because its just easier to swing open when I'm constantly running up and down the steps doing things. This last week Max has learned how to swing the door open towards himself, sneak through, and head up the steps. Again, this kid keeps me on my toes, and makes sure I use baby equipment to its actual potential, haha.

I think my favorite time with Max is when we play. We dance, play peek-a-boo, chase the dogs, jump all around, and bang on everything. We have so much fun together, I love every minute of it! His laugh is infectious as well as his smile!

Max is starting to try out more and more solid foods, to which I'm learning to just stick with basic foods, nothing with spice. Anything too complex, and he gets a rash on his tummy and back. Hopefully this will all go away when he hits a year. He seems to really enjoy bananas now more than anything, he ate a half of one last week! And yes, I am still nursing. I have decided to go until he hits a year. I am in the smallest size I have ever been in, and I eat massive amounts of food. Nursing is the best diet ever! My child is getting the very best, for FREE, and I am able to eat a lot and lose weight- act like your not jealous.

Max is so close to walking, hes perfecting his skills daily, and I think he probably could if he wasn't so cautious. Once he realizes someone let go of his hands, or there is nothing to hold on to, he will very gently bend his knees and sit down. He has stood for quite a bit of time, but again he would rather sit or hold on to something. We have started walking together where he only holds one of my hands, and hes getting pretty good at it. Soon he will be there, and he will be into even more things!

Last Sunday Max was able to “walk” with us for March of Dimes! To all those who donated, thank you SO SO SO much! It meant the world to us to be able to walk with our baby this year. Some day Max will know why we walk, and will know about Brody and why he will forever have a place in our hearts.

8 months!

Current weight: 18lbs 5oz

Length: ? in

What a fun month! I would have to say this is my favorite so far. Max's personality is really shining through, and hes able to do so much more on his own. He even got two teeth this last month! Just one step closer to being a little man, sigh....

What he has learned: I'm moving this section to the top, because many of his “likes” are things he has learned. Max is now crawling all over the place! One night I stripped him down in his room to get ready for a bath. The second he was naked, the kid took off! I was so excited, I started shouting, and Jeremy ran upstairs. The first place he crawled? Out his bedroom right into the bathroom, haha! He eventually stopped, sat down, turned around and looked at us. We just started clapping away at him! The next night he picked up on our clapping, and every time he crawled he would stop, sit and start clapping- very cute!! Max is also an expert now on pulling himself up to things. Anything and everything he pulls up on from tables and couches to cardboard boxes and laundry baskets. This has resulted in a few tumbles, but nothing major! After perfecting how to pull himself up, Max then began walking along furniture. At first he could only walk from left to right (which was funny if something got in this way) but now hes super mobile, walking from one object to the next and even using a little stroller thing to wheel himself along. It wont be long until hes walking!!

Likes: Oh how his likes have changed! (other than me of course, lol) Max LOVES the water. He has always liked bath time a lot, splashing around and all, but all of the sudden he started acting like it was horrible. He wouldn't cry by any means, but I could definitely tell something was up. Turns out Max was allergic to the soap and lotion I was using on him! Once I switched brands, and Max realized I wasn't going to put things on his skin that burned him, he went back to loving baths more than ever. We are now into a routine where ever night I get him naked, he crawls into the bathroom, pulls himself up and stands at the tub. So every night I let him play in the water, splash around and have fun. Max is also in a water wonders class for babies at the health center on Saturdays. Hes went once, and had a blast; we are very excited to go back! Max also loves his Leapfrog Learn and Groove table. He loves pushing all the buttons and making sounds- he could stand at this thing all day! Another big “like” is walking around while I hold his hands. He loves being mobile and going where he wants, and he much prefers walking to crawling. His favorite thing is to chase Peanut around while I say “lets get peanut!” he cracks up so hard.

Dislikes: Now that hes so mobile, Max does not like to be held back and restricted. I think this could possibly be one reason why he hates his diaper so much. He never pulls at it, but if hes been naked for a while and I make his put one on, ohhh boy its a struggle! This new-found dislike for restriction has also make him dislike his jumperoo. He jumps in it every once and a while, but not nearly as much as he used to!

Sleeping habits: I thank God for the time change every morning though! When the time changed, Max's biological clock didn't, so I am no longer waking up at 6 am every morning- its more like 7:30. This has made me a much more pleasant person. Well that, and the fact that I am now drinking coffee again (half caff to all you haters that know I'm still nursing). Hes in bed by 8 every night and wakes up about twice. Hes was sick last week so I returned him to his swing so he could sleep more upright- his naps are now a solid 2 hours instead of 45 mins, so this is wonderful!

Eating: Still no formula for this little guy! Hes only a fan of the “orange” veggies- sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, and carrots. As far a fruits go, apples and blueberries all the way! This last month I have discovered Max is allergic to salmon and kiwi, both of which we will try again at a year.

What I have learned: Sometimes its not the best to buy ahead! When I was pregnant I stocked up on baby supplies. I got a boatload of bath stuff along with diapers for about his first year. The lotions and soaps will now go to my sister and her new addition. When I discovered Max was allergic to his lotion, I was a bit worried he might be allergic to the scent on his diapers as well. Thank goodness hes not, or I would have had to throw out a boatload of pampers! Another reason I'm a little sad I bought diapers all ahead of time is that I still have to use all the huggies I bought. I am NOT a fan of huggies and all their bulk, but oh well. Ultimately I am glad I have never had to make a diaper run yet in 8 months.

Just when I think life can't get any better with Max, it does. I am loving every minute of it! I am SO excited to get this little guy up to the lake, out on the boat, and splashing in the water in the next few months :)

7 months

Current weight: 17 lbs 3oz

Length: 27 in

Likes: Me! Of course Max has always loved his mommy, but up until the past few days, he has been pretty content with other people. That is not really the case anymore, as Max prefers me over anyone and will let everyone know this! Its nice to know I'm loved and needed, but can be a little difficult at times. Just the other day I had to play peek-a-boo while showering to keep Max happy. This leads me to Max's next big “like”- playing peek-a-boo. He absolutely loves this game, and if I play with him long enough, he will even take turns being the “hider.” Max also likes trying to climb on things. If you spend any time on the ground with him, he will grab your clothes, try to pull up on you and then reach for the nearest table or ledge to hold himself up. Max wants to be mobile very badly, which usually results in tears at least once a day from some sort of tumble. Yes, I watch him closely- but sometimes I think he has to really try to learn stuff. But hey- what do I know...my baby only crawls backwards.

Dislikes: Max has gotten to that point now where he is not completely comfortable with strangers. I have to admit at times its nice that he doesn't completely love every person that holds him. On the other hand, I love when he shows the world how adorable he is with his smile.

Sleeping habits: I would LOVE to tell you that I sleep all the time. This is not at all the case. I think it is quite impossible to have the worlds best child....so mine's flaw is his sleeping. It stinks, I'm worn out, and its tough. But Max is adorable, sweet, and super happy- so it is hard to complain. I love my baby more than anything in the world, and I'm fairly certain I would not be able to sleep through the night myself...so I have just accepted the fact that Max is not good at sleeping through the night and just hope that one day it will magically get better.

Eating: Max is still being breastfed along with eating jarred baby food mid morning and oatmeal/rice at night. I originally wanted to make a lot of Max's baby food BUT with the more research I have been doing I have learned that if I buy organic baby food its better for him than if I fed him pesticide ridden apples. Am I really becoming an organic junkie like a I swear I never would? Oh yes, I think so. I have really started educating myself with eating healthy and what is best to put in your body. I am pretty good when it comes to Max- next up is me! I have terrible eating habits, but I have given up pop in the last week and only focus on water...baby steps.

Max is also been introduced to gerber “puffs”, yogurt drops, and wagon wheels. I like to feed these to him during basketball games to tide him over. I also like to put these on his tray in his walker. He walks around, picking them up and self-feeding.

What he has learned: Max is becoming stronger and stronger every day. He is seconds away from crawling, he is able to get on all fours and rock back and forth. When he starts to try to move, he goes backwards though. I can't wait for him to be able to crawl around and get to what he wants. I know parents say to never wish for that, but hes already to the point I cant leave him in a room for more than a second by himself, so it would be nice for him to be able to get to things he wants. Max also get around in his walker. For a while he could only go backwards in that, but now hes able to get wherever he wants to go to a certain extent. Hes also talking more, and can shake his head “no.”

What I have learned: I think this month I have learned this importance of what we put in our body. Ive already went over this, though so I wont bore you any more. I also learned that its ok to ask for help sometimes. That is as far as I will go with that. :)

Max is still by far the most amazing thing in my life right now. Watching him grow is so wonderful, and I am certainly loving every minute of it and taking it all in. He has yet to cut any teeth, but I'm nursing- so whats the rush, right?

6 months

Current weight: 16 lbs 8 oz

Length: 27 in

I can't believe a half of a year has already gone by! This past month Max went on his first vacation. On the 15^th the two of us boarded a plane and began our trip to St. Augustine, Florida where I went to college. I missed my friends so much, and I had to get Max down there to meet his aunties. Max loved flying, and had a great time getting tons of attention from Dani, Cally, and Heather. We went on walks, shopped on St. George Street, visited the beach, saw the fort, and even went downtown for the Nights of Lights. It was a wonderful trip, I forgot how much I missed it there!

Likes: Max likes to grab everything in sight. If he spots something in arm's reach, its instantly in his hands, then in his mouth. He also has begun to really enjoy Sophie- his teething giraffe. This was my one splurge, but these things seemed amazing so I had to get it for him. Just in the past few days has he really started to chomp on her. He also really likes to sit up now, this is great for him since he always likes to see whats going on. I think of all things, he likes to have his picture taken the most. He cracks up and definitely knows how to smile for the camera.

Dislikes: Somewhere along the line, Max stopped using pacifiers and doesn't seem to enjoy them at all anymore. Just a few months ago I was worrying that he was so dependent on them, that sometime down the road we would have a hard time breaking him of using them. I'm not really sure when he stopped using them, but he definitely wont take them anymore. He has also had a super tough time in the car lately. He either sleeps, or screams and its not fun to drive with. Most times, clapping your hands can get him to stop, though. Its pretty funny to watch!

Sleeping habits: Ohhhh where do I start? It's been a rough month with many ups and downs. Max would always wake up the instant I put him down, and it was at least an hour process to get him to bed. Then I went to Florida, and Dani used her magic baby whisperer skills on Max and discovered that when you lay him down, you just have to roll him on his left side, pat his butt a little, and hes out like a light. So when I got home, sleeping was a breeze- for 3 days. Then Max would fall asleep, stay asleep for about an hour at a time, until he would wake up screaming and needed to be rocked back asleep. This went on for over a week, until I hit utter exhaustion. Getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night was not good for either one of us. Then, a few days ago, I laid Max down and he woke up about an hour later. I hit my breaking point. My back was killing me from toting around Max in his car seat all day and I just knew I couldn't get up every hour through the night while bouncing/rocking him. So, I let him cry. I swore I never would, but I couldn't be the mom I wanted to be with 4 hours of sleep a night so I had to do it. It only took him 15 minutes to get himself back to sleep and we haven't had any problems since!! I am so thankful to be getting some sleep again.

Eating: I made it to my goal!! Max has been breastfed for 6 months now, which was initially how long I wanted to make it. Since we made it that far, and I have no desire to stop, I would now like for Max to never be fed formula. This probably means another 6 months of nursing him. Nursing Max is way easier than I thought it would be, and rarely has been an inconvenience for me. He has also stated out eating fruits and veggies and so far has tried avocado, sweet potato, squash, peas, carrots, and pears. Next will probably be bananas. He also has cereal or oatmeal mixed in with milk every night for dinner. Hes definitely making progress with keeping the food in his mouth.

What he has learned: Max had learned to sit up on his own, while being able to grab things around him. While at Sandy's last week he went from laying down to sitting up all on his own! He does this in his bouncer a lot now, which makes life difficult for me sometimes because now I have to actually strap him in. We are currently working on making animal sounds, and he can sometimes screech like a monkey. Yeah I know monkeys don't screech...but they do if you ask Max! Its very cute, and he loves when I go “oo oo ah ah” like a monkey.

What I have learned: I have learned to stop following statistics and studies that come out about babies. When I was a baby, parents were told to put babies on their tummies to sleep, and we are now told not to- that babies need to go to bed sleeping on their backs due to SIDS. At one point, studies were taken to prove that vaccinations are linked to autism, and recently they have found out there is no link between the two. Then a few weeks ago I read that now parents should give their kids peanuts before two years and that solids should be started at 4 months debunking the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that babies should be strictly breastfed until 6 months of age. So I have learned to do whats right in my mind, what makes me feel comfortable and safe in raising Max because following the current studies will just mean that sometime down the road, I will probably be kicking myself because it will be proved wrong.

These 6 months have went by so quickly! I am hoping the next six do as well, I am ready for warm weather and trips to the lake!