Beach Blanket Bingo

Jason is always giving me lip about my "visions" of how things should be. So knowing this, you can imagine the "visions" I had when I learned that my college roomie Sally and I would both have little boys in the same year. I could just imagine the boys growing up together, wearing matching outfits, being pushed in their strollers, sharing toys, playing on the beach, and of course, being roommates at Furman one day. However, my visions don't often work out exactly as planned :) In fact, Max and William have not had the opportunity to meet until now due to a combination of cold weather, fear of germs, and scheduling problems. Yet, last week we fulfilled several parts of my vision when Max and I were invited to join Sally and William at their beach house for a few days of fun in the sun! 

I anxiously introduced Max and William, expecting them to instantly love one another. Well, ok, not exactly. William is almost 14 months old and (like every one year old) he learns about objects by touching them. He definitely liked to reach out and touch Max, mostly by whacking him on the head. Max has only briefly been around other babies and he (like every 7 month old) would respond with a wail. Even if not the picture of immediate harmony, we figured they would get used to one another and we were right. William very kindly shared all his beach house toys with Max, who loved the chance to try out some big boy items. William is a huge ham and is constantly grinning and entertaining everyone. He is always on the go, exploring every nook and cranny. It made me really excited about the future for Max, but also extremely grateful that I am not chasing after TWO little ones right now!

We took the boys to the beach early one morning to beat the heat. William is a true beach bum and had a blast digging in the sand and playing in the surf. Max was a little unsure about the whole beach experience. He didn't care for the water and waves, but fully embraced relaxing on the beach and would have gladly have taken his nap on the towel if we had let him. 

Thus, to summarize the progress of my vision: they did share toys, they did get pushed in their strollers together, and they did go to the beach together. They also did have matching outfits. But this isn't quite how I imagined the picture looking..... 

...and that was the best of many attempts!!

In between chasing the boys, Sally and I were able to sit around and gab just like usual. And thanks to Grammy coming along as a babysitter, we were even able to go out for dinner and enjoy some adult time. It was so much fun to relax and play with William and to be with crazy Sally. Although it felt odd to be at the beach without the other roomies to help me make fun of her. It just made me even more excited for our upcoming reunion with the full crew! Lucky for them, Sally and I have gotten all the "mommy" talk out of the way and can completely focus on being with them!  

Many, many thanks to Sally for being ever hospitable! I can't wait for the boys to be together again when they are both a little older....and more willing to follow my vision!

"War and Peace" by Baby Max

Update from the Battlefield:

Since his leader has been imprisoned, I have conscripted Bean into my army. He now serves me instead of the devilish Frank! Although General Frank has been defeated, resistance in the outlying provinces has continued to grow. The struggle continues on. I have personally led recent attacks upon the ever expanding population of ducks. Mommy and Daddy continue to bring these creatures into my home. First, I beat them into submission. Then I allow them the opportunity to be instructed in the ways of the household. If they are willing to be indoctrinated, I allow them to stay with a temporary visa.

In the coastal regions, Baby William is pursuing our cause and attempting to defeat the dogs that plague his existence. During my string of victories, I have come to a crisis of conscious. I had previously believed that dogs, like cats, are our mortal enemies as babies. I believed that they must be subdued and forced to follow our path. Yet, Dobby, a young pup, has recently offered to join with me in working against our common enemy, the cats. Should I trust this juvenile? Perhaps he has not yet been corrupted like so many dogs? I must go rest and contemplate this very serious question......

Grandparents Galore

Lucky Max recently got to enjoy a long visit from Nana and Papa Mike! 

First, Max showed off his latest tricks and toys at his house. 

Then he escorted them to his lake house for some hot fun in the summertime! Nana and Papa Mike taught him lots of new songs and introduced him to bluegrass music. Max loved Papa Mike's deep voice calling from above and having his grandparents to play with, cuddle, and rock him. Grammy, Grandpa, and Aunt Stephanie also came up to the lake for a day, so he had both sides of the family fawning over him! Max had so much attention that after everybody left, he kept looking around to see where his audience had gone. It was very special to have everyone together to enjoy time with Max and each other!

We all agree that Max was showing a lot of interest in classical music. On his exersaucer, he has to hit a button 5 times in order for it to play Mozart and Beethoven. He will bang on it until the song starts to play and then immediately hit it again as soon as the song ends. Perhaps we have a future conductor on our hands? When we returned home, I woke up at 5 am to the sounds of music coming through the monitor. When I reached Max's room, I realized he had managed to turn on his mobile and was happily enjoying a symphony performance in his crib. Needless to say, the mobile came down the next day!

Thanks so much for the great visit, Nana and Papa! We can't wait to see you again in July!

Lucky Number Seven

Dear Max,

One word describes you over the past month: Monkey. You are in constant motion, jumping and grabbing everything in your path! You are trying so hard to crawl. You can pull your legs up under you, but you haven't quite managed to get your arms moving at the same time. Instead, you put your face down and use your head to slide along! But in the end, you do manage to get to the place you want to be. It is a very unique manner of movement. You have mastered sitting and it makes me laugh to watch as you play very intently with your pudgy legs splayed out. At night, you are roly poly. There were a few days when you would roll onto your tummy in the middle of the night and cry, cry, cry wanting us to come roll you back over...even though you have been able to roll by yourself for three months! Fortunately, you stopped that silliness after a few episodes.

Max, this has been the month of eating! You started solids and have quickly indicated how much you like to eat. You are eating solids for three meals a day now. You still try to steal Mommy and Daddy's food, and I think you are secretly resentful that we won't puree Pop tarts or granola bars for you. Your menu is increasing daily. So far, you have had rice cereal, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots. Peas were the only food you appeared to not like, but we will try them again since those were at the beginning. You seem to laugh more when Daddy feeds you, probably due to all the funny noises, but Daddy is not good at making sure you have a well stocked supply of baby food. He only brings home two jars at a time! When you nurse, you wrap your body around me like a monkey and your hands keep moving the whole time. You continue to guzzle the milk in addition to your veggies.

Your favorite toys of the moment are the talking turtle, the stacking rings, and your exersaucer. The jumperoo also continues to be a stand out in the toy department. We tried putting you in the dolphin baby pool and you did NOT like it. Strangely, you did like it inside the house before we put water in! I hope you develop a love for the water soon or Grammy might disown you. Nana and Papa Mike are visiting this week and we head to the lake on Thursday for a long, fun weekend!

I am thrilled with how much more interactive you become each day. It makes every day full of exciting surprises! I am constantly amazed by the wonder that is you. You are a big bundle of joy and you make us very happy!

Love, Mommy

Daddy, Daddy, He's Our Man!

Grandpa, Daddy, and Son

Dear Daddy,

I love it when we talk.

I love it when we rock.

I love your silly grin,

And when you grab my chin.

I love your funny sounds

even when I frown.

Hugs and kisses from me

Your most favorite baby!   

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Love, Baby Max

Look Daddy, we can have an ice cream stand!

 Daddy's other gift...bowling for penguins!

Is that how you do it?

Adventures in Breastfeeding

Max is a boob man. After a bit of a rocky start during which we had a seemingly endless feeding cycle of pumping, nursing, bottle of BM, and then more pumping all for one feeding, Max and I have gotten our rhythm down. The invention of the electric breast pump has certainly  revolutionized one of the world's oldest practices. Now, you too can suck milk from your breasts in a variety of exotic locales! I have done it in cars, parking lots, offices, computer rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, ballrooms, hotels, on chairs, the floor, the couch, the bed, and probably upside down on my head. 

At the office, it is not a problem. I work with all women and we have had so many nursing mothers, that there is a sign to post on our office doors when we are pumping. It has a cow on it. Finding a place to pump at other times can present a bit of a challenge, especially when I attend a training. However, not for the past few days. The conference was hosted at the Carolina First Center (formerly the Expo Center) and I was extremely impressed by their helpfulness. When I first inquired about a space to pump, the manager offered me the use of the First Aid Room. Yet, when I went to use it, the room was occupied by models preparing for a photo shoot. So the manager immediately gave up her personal office for as long as I needed it on that day and the second day, as well. This manager went above and beyond without hesitation. Naturally, because the manager was a woman. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.

Boys who Lunch

I must confess that since I have been working less over the past few weeks, Max and I have done little besides go out to lunch. We would enjoy a lazy morning and then change out of our pajamas before finally venturing out of the house to eat like crazy. We have dined with many wonderful friends, but since I do not usually take my camera to lunch, I have no photographic evidence of these affairs. I am not trying to play favorites, but I did want pictures from this lunch group because my sweet friend Becky and her two boys were visiting from San Diego. Becky and Ashley are two of my oldest friends, dating all the way back to elementary school. Somehow three girlfriends ended up with FOUR boys, and possibly another boy on the way! What are the odds? 

Walker gives Max a hug

Poor Jacob...it's like having two little brothers!

Graham and Walker both like the looks of that monkey

Thanks for rescuing me from work for such a fun time with y'all and these great boys! 

Bookworm

Anyone who knows me is probably well aware that reading is my favorite activity. I am voracious...I devour books, magazines, shampoo bottles... anything with text. So it was unsurprising that when I was pregnant, I was excitedly anticipating the happy hours I would spend reading to my baby. My sisters and family friends gave me a shower with a "book" theme, in which every guest brought their favorite children's book. They managed to fill up the bookshelf in Max's room, and I am reminded of each person when I read their book to Max. In fact, the name "Max" derives from the book "Where the Wild Things Are". 

Jason and I began reading to Max immediately. His very first book was "Birthday Monsters", a gift from the Shelley family that they brought to the hospital. We read it to him in the NICU before he was even a day old. The nurses of the NICU laughed at us because we constantly raided the library cart for more books to read to Max throughout the day. They said they had never seen anyone read so often to such a young baby. But we were preparing Max...we want him to love to read as much we do. This is a reading family, plain and simple.

Thus, it warms the cockles of my heart to watch Max began to comprehend and understand books. The sweetest time of every day is before bed when Max, Jason, and I gather to read together. I love watching his pudgy hands hold the book and reach to turn the pages. He appears fascinated by the bright pictures and he gooes contentedly while listening to his Daddy's voice. Max is already showing a preference for some books over others (and he has a lot to choose from) like Everywhere Babies, Gossie, and Kiss Goodnight. I hope his love affair with books will continue to grow until one day he can torture me by asking for the same story 9,326 times, just like I did to my mother.  

              

Mommy's Top Five

Five things I am grateful for today:

1. Flavored coffee and creamer

2. A kitty on my lap

3. Max's laugh

4. A husband that rubs my back and shoulders

5. Bedtime stories

A Weighty Issue

Max is a little guy. He was born and a little guy and it looks like he will remain one for the foreseeable future. When we took him to the doctor about the scratch on his eye, it had been six weeks since his last well check. They weighed him and told us he had only gained six ounces. One ounce per week. I was astounded and very concerned. Over the next week, I bugged every medical professional I know, asking if he was healthy, asking if my milk supply was adequate, asking if we needed to supplement with formula, and on and on and on. Everyone assured me that since he was meeting all his developmental milestones (and early too!) and sleeping well, that this child was not starving. But no one could answer why he isn't gaining more weight!

Well, apparently the biggest problem is that the scale was off or the nurse made a mistake. When we took him for his six month check, we discovered that he was 14 pounds, 2 ounces. I know, still tiny, but a huge difference from the number before. The doctor continues to tell us not to worry about his weight. He says that Max is "proportional", a word that I'm rapidly growing tired of hearing. Logically, I know that Max probably doesn't have the genes to be a big child or, conversely, that many small babies become large adults. So why does this bug me so much? 

Anytime someone asks how old Max is, I feel like I have to explain why he is small. People expect fat babies. People love fat babies. Advertisers sell tons of items with chubby little babies grinning off the packaging.  Inevitably, people ask two questions about babies...how much does he weigh and how is he sleeping? The reaction to a small kid is that look at Mom that says, "I'm going to have to call DSS because you are obviously neglecting to feed your child".  And maybe parents of large babies get the same look as strangers wonder why they are OVER feeding their child. Maybe it is because he is a boy that I have this expectation that he should be bigger. Girls can be petite, but boys are supposed to be big, strapping guys like their Daddies....well, maybe not like Jason, but you get the idea.

Regardless, I've had to examine my own irrational expectations and to stop worrying about it. I think Max is the most perfect, beautiful little boy God ever made. And I would gladly post pictures of his tiny, round naked rump, but Jason is afraid I'll get arrested for child porn and lose my job (you know, the one at the Child Abuse Center). Anyway, babies are what they are...big or little. I love every single ounce of Max and even if that is a few less ounces than other babies his age, it is certainly no less love. 

Return of the Natives

Grammy and Grandpa are back from their Alaska adventure! Mommy and Max were so glad to see them arrive home safely yesterday and hear all about the trip. Bears, caribou, and otters, oh my! Plus, Max had bunches of new tricks to demonstrate! I have always appreciated how much my family has been involved with Max, and especially Grammy's day care services since I returned to work. However, you don't realize how integral people are to your daily life until they leave! I must extend a huge thank you to my grandparents and aunts for pitching in to help out over the past few weeks. Great Grandma told me thank you for letting her and Aunt Cheryl keep Max...as if they weren't the ones doing me a huge favor! I know Max loved the special time with them. But I am so glad that Grammy keeps Max at our house so that I don't have to load up a mountain of things each day and waste precious time with him driving to drop him off or pick him up. We are so lucky! Welcome home and we missed you!

Max's new hat 

Grammy reads him his new book about Alaska

Chatterbox

Max has recently added some exciting new sounds to his vocabulary and is talking non-stop. Jason and I can't decide if he is trying to imitate a baby bird or squeaky Frank, but he is loud and proud! Take a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVBl9yeeqhs

Director's note: I tried 84 times to upload it directly into the blog with no success...oh well, you can cut and paste. It takes about 13 seconds for him to really get going.

Special Delivery

The stork has been busy in Greenville! This weekend brought the arrival of THREE wonderful new babies! Welcome to precious Emilia Furness born on June 1 and beautiful Madeline Sloan who arrived on June 2.  Since they were both born in the middle of the night, we hope that these two new girls are getting some beauty rest, as well as their families. I cannot wait to get my hands on them!

And a special little boy Hayden surprised his parents by arriving last night five weeks early. He was 5 pounds and 4 ounces, but is currently ensconced in the comfy NICU for observation and feeding. Sound familiar? Fortunately, he does not have a breathing mask like Max and his lungs appear to be fully developed. However, I don't think anyone understands better than Jason and I the wild mix of emotions his parents are experiencing right now. Please pray for all these wonderful new babies, but especially for the health of little Hayden.

In addition to all these new playmates for Max, he also had some special visitors this weekend! He was so lucky to be able to show off his dance moves at lunch for Aunt Sally and Uncle Wayne. I think when Max and William get together, it is going to be a party! Don't worry Max, Uncle Wayne will bring the cookies since your Daddy is a slacker. Then Beth and Preston came over to meet Max while they were in Greenville for a visit. Having so many people around has helped keep Max awake longer as we try to move to two naps a day. I appreciate the help!

Happy Day of Celebration for Babies!