Penguin Treats

Penguin mania set in a few months back when Max became obsessed with "Curious George Goes to the Aquarium" and noticed he had the matching penguin stuffed animal. A new friendship was born, and Max and "Ping" became inseparable. Ping even accompanied us on our trip to the Aquarium in Charleston to meet some real penguins! "Baby Ping" was purchased at that time to provide Ping with a companion. When Max was asked about what he would like to dress up as for Halloween, his answer was not surprising. He has not wavered once in six weeks. And, of course, Ping also needed to participate in the Halloween fun!

Our nephews (and Max) were insistent that we go Trick or Treating in our "old neighborhood". Our "old" house is only a few streets away from our "new" house, so the difference is miniscule. But we were happy to reunite with old neighbors and friends at the annual Halloween cookout.

Check out all these kids!

One very small penguin is in the front, right corner.

Almost Max's whole family showed up for the main event, including Mimi, Babba, Aunts Stephanie and Deanna, and a werewolf and cowboy!

Max was still a little hesitant at the beginning of the night and wanted Mommy or Daddy to hold his hand as he went to the door. After a few houses, he was a professional and insisted, "I go to the door by myself now." He was also very aware of where his candy was - no one was allowed to hold his bucket! Max knows his family well.....gone are the days of candy heists from Baby Max!

Harvest Moon

As we were driving home one night Max exclaimed with excitement, "Look at the moon! Look at the harvest moon, Mama! It's so big and bright!" And he was right - it was the largest, fullest, roundest moon I had ever seen and even had some wispy clouds in front to add to the spooky effect. (Thank you to Little Bear for introducing the concept of a Harvest moon). There were also many other signs of Fall to enjoy....

Pumpkin Choosing

Eureka! I have found the perfect specimens!

S'mores Roasting

Pumpkin Carving

And Treat Eating!

Bed Head

After a long summer of anticipation, the moment finally arrived...the world debut of the Big Boy Bed!

Max has always known that the "ship bed" was eventually going to become his bed. It belonged to his Daddy when he was a little boy. One of Daddy's earliest memories is of going to sleep in his regular bed and waking up the next morning in the ship bed, one month before he turned 3. It was perfectly fitting that Max also received the ship bed one month before HE turned 3. He has been begging to sleep in it for months, but we were very hesitant to lose the security of the crib. After much discussion about the responsibility and rules, as well as reading "A Big Bed for Jed" 286 times, we felt Max was properly prepared for the switch.

Auntie Beckers helping Max get ready for his debut

There was no hesitation from Max on Premiere Night - he was ready! We snuggled in the bed as a family to read his books and say his prayers. He had his trusted friends and Pelt accompanying him. We turned the monitor on that night and anxiously waited for any sounds of pitter pattering feet....

Box office results: A hit!

A few minor bad reviews have hit the press since opening night. There was a request to return to the crib (didn't expect that one), an early morning wake up call ("I kept calling you, Mama"), and some mind-changing ("I do want Ping to sleep with me. Take Ping away!") But overall the big boy bed has been a stunning success!

A New Love Affair

Dear Little One,

We have reached the end of our first trimester together and we are thrilled about your upcoming arrival! Your father was (once again) shocked by the news that a baby was on the way. Even though we were ready to add to our family, the first few weeks were filled with some anxiety about how another child would change our family, how we would take care of 2 little ones, and fears about another premature delivery. However, those worries have dissipated as you have grown! Perhaps it is your calm personality soothing Mommy's concerns....

You have been a relatively easy pregnancy so far just like your brother Max. I was extremely tired in the beginning and missed the luxury of being able to come home from work and take a nap. That is definitely no longer an option. There was about a month of low grade naseua, but that has started to pass. The biggest difference is how early my tummy has popped out! Your father said we had to start telling people about you because it was becoming obvious!

You gave us a scare at our 12 week visit to the doctor. Right after the doctor insisted she should have no trouble hearing the heartbeat because of my small frame, she could not locate it with the handheld device. She was concerned and ordered an ultrasound. We had to wait a very LONG 45 minutes for it to become available, but then they were easily able to find your heartbeat. Apparently you were moving around so much that it was difficult to pinpoint! We are so incredibly grateful that everything looked okay at that point. In fact, you were even measuring a little big for your age - wouldn't that be a change for our family!

We are looking forward to all that you have in store for us - both in pregnancy and beyond. We truly realize what a blessing you are and we cannot wait to discover more about you!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Sign of the Times

We like to announce our important news with a fun sign.

First, there was the news that The Max was on his way!

Next, the opportunity for an April Fools' prank on Daddy...

Naturally, we could not let the chance pass to tease our parents about their expectations concerning our trip to China...

(See above picture in Egypt for reference)

But this time the sign is for real!

No jokes, no teasing.

We wanted our new little one to have a special sign too,

right from the beginning!

Max will become a big brother next spring! I am due on Passover (April 19th) and we have already made a list of appropriate Old Testament names. I am impressed by how Max has taken the news. He is excited even if he doesn't quite understand the logistics. Some of our favorite comments:

"Is the mailman bringing the baby? It coming in the mail? Today?"

"Is that my baby?" (When we heard a baby crying)

"The baby in your belly, Mama? Me too?"

"I want a baby brother. Like Kyle's." (Except Kyle has a baby sister)

"My baby take a bath with me?"

"I'm your baby too, Mama."

Welcome to our family, little one!