A Christmas bug :(

Poor little Max spiked a 102° fever last night. Fortunately it came after all of the holiday festivities were over and he had opened all his gifts from Christmas Eve and Day. I hate to see him so under the weather though. Today he's still warm and not up to par...but doesn't seem to be too miserable. Actually, he went down for a nap around 1pm and is still sleeping (at 5pm). I've checked on him periodically and seen him moving around or rolling over, but he seems content to be up there either resting or sleeping. I suppose it's the best thing for him...so I'm letting him sleep. I called the pediatricians office and the nurse told me just to keep an eye on him and if he gets a fever over 102°, starts not eating or sleeping well, or his chest gets really congested to bring him in. Right now he's warm, has a runny nose, and has a cough...but will eat a little at a time. Hopefully this good rest will help to get rid of this icky bug.

Besides getting sick...we've really had a wonderful holiday!

Uncle Rob (Brad's brother) arrived around noon on Xmas eve and we spent the day with him.

Then Christmas Eve we went to my parents for dinner and opened what seemed like endless presents. Then Christmas morning we opened our private Santa/Family presents and then Grandma Donna and Grandpa Jim came to spend the day/night with us. Brad, Mike, Max and I slipped away for a few hours to spend time w/ the Bellows side of the family at Auntie Mikey and Uncle Daves...and then came back to celebrate more with Brad's side of the family. My parents came over for dessert a little later that evening.

This morning Donna and Jim drove back home and the boys (Brad, Mike, and Rob) went skiing. Max and I have just cuddled and rested today and I started trying to reorganize the house while Max has been sleeping.

Anyways...we've had a wonderful couple of days and really enjoyed all the family time!! The slideshow above is just a little snapshot of our Christmas eve and day! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

From our house to yours... We just wanted to wish all of our beloved friends and family...near and far...a WONDERFUL and BLESSED holiday! May you stuff your bellies with good food, fill your hearts with quality family time, and get lots of good stuff from Santa! :)

Love, Mama J, Papa B, Michael, Maxwell...and Miles!

Max & Ta-ji Reunion!

Max and TJ playing

Mel, Megs, Ta-ji, Mama J, & Max

Max and TJ High Five

One of the best parts of the holidays is being able to spend quality time with close friends and family! I've been looking forward to Meghan's visit for months now...and yesterday we spent the afternoon with the Umukoro family.

Max and Ta-ji haven't seen each other since this summer so it was really fun to see them interacting now that they are both walking and a little older. Their 7 month age gap seems less drastic each time they see each other. :)

It was a great afternoon and went by way too fast!! Hopefully we'll see them again this summer!

A father and son bond...

Maybe it's because of my past...or maybe it's because I'm a sap at heart...but there is nothing that makes my heart melt more than to watch Brad with Maxwell. I know many good fathers...and I know many not so good fathers and I think I can honestly say without bias that Brad is a father like no other.

It makes me so proud and happy to know that Maxwell will grow up knowing the love and adoration from his papa. I think it's much more common for them to receive that naturally from their mama's...but to have the same from their papa is something very special and Max already knows this.

I don't want to leave Michael out of the equation...because I think that Michael is old enough to know there is a difference in his relationship with Brad...but he also has something special with him and appreciates the love, un-ending support, and most of all the respect that Brad gives him.

I certainly am a lucky girl! :)

OB Appt update - 33wks 3dys

Just a little update...

Everything went fine at our ultrasound and OB appointment this morning!

I was surprised that our u/s tech took measurements and showed us our little Miles a little. He's certainly running out of room, so it was hard to decipher what was what unless she pointed things out to us...but we did see our little octopus sucking on his fist. :) Anyways, he's measuring right on and my cervix moved up over an inch...so it is out of the way for delivery!! YEAH! He's also head down...which I had assumed as his kicks are right in my upper right hand ribcage usually.

Anyways...everything is good and Miles is healthy and growing like he should be!

Another 5-6 weeks to go and we'll be meeting this little guy!!

1st a monkey...now an OCTOPUS??!

Brad and I were snuggling in bed this morning and he had his arm around me w/ his hand resting around my belly and Miles was showing off. Doing his morning yoga or aerobics. Brad started laughing and said, "Geez, does this kid have 8 arms and legs??!" because I've been trying to tell everyone that this kid is active...but it DOES seem like he's got too many appendages because he'll kick and I'll feel it in 5 different spots. It's crazy.

So during breakfast this morning we decided this kid must be our Octopus kid...we've already got a monkey. Hmmm...wonder if this means that he'll be a good swimmer?

Operation "Buh bye Binkie"

It's hard to see...but Max is holding one of my home made holiday cookies in his hand. This was his 1st holiday cookie and we watched our 1st Christmas movie (Santa Claus is coming to town) together!

Last night was night 2 of Operation "Buh Bye Binkie". I don't expect this mission to be an enjoyable one as he LOVES his binkie and blanket. Fortunately I decided pretty early on that those 2 comfort items were for nap and bedtimes only, so he knows when he wakes that before we leave his room...he has to give both of them up and even helps me put them away in their holding spots.

I usually go in and check on him an hour or so after he falls asleep and usually by then the binkie has already fallen out of his mouth and is lying close by, so normally I just move it to one of the corners for him to find later or in the morning, but 2 nights ago I started removing it all together so that he couldn't suck on it at all the remainder of the night/morning. I thought for sure I'd be in for early mornings once he couldn't find that binkie...but surprisingly enough he's still slept or quietly played in his crib until 7:30/8:00am each morning. I've watched him on the monitor and he doesn't even seem phased so far.

That all being said...I know when we get to the point of not letting him have it to fall asleep...this will be a completely different story. But, until we get to that point...at least he only has it for naps and to fall asleep at night.

Lastly...on a totally unrelated subject...I purchased my very last holiday gift this afternoon!! YES!! Now I am just waiting for a delivery of some items and need to continue w/ my wrapping. Hopefully I can get the majority of it wrapped up (pun intended!) this weekend. Lots to do...

18 Months old!

Mama and Reigndeer Maxwell!

Give me some reigndeer snacks! (I usually don't get my binkie except for naps and bedtime, but I snuck it out of my room while playing with Mike!)

I know it seems like we don't have clothes for this kid because lately most of his pictures or videos are with him during naked time or shirtless...but I had just gotten home from getting his haircut and he had hair all over his shirt...so that's why he's sporting the redneck attire. :)

Anyways...our little monkey boy turned 18 months today!! WOW! A whole year and 1/2...crazy!

Brad went with me to his 18mo well baby appointment this morning...thankfully! I knew Max would have to have another shot and was not looking forward to that AND it was fortunate he came because they have new fancy computers they bring into the appointments and it made everything sooo slow. We were there for an hour. UGH!

Dr. Harrington says he's doing fantastic as always...healthy and developmental wise. She's been Max's Ped since he was born and was the Ped he saw at the hospital. I really like her and hope that Miles gets her as well. Either way...she'll be his Pediatrician too.

Here are Max's 18month stats:

Weight: 24pds 12oz (38th percentile)

Height: 32.3 inches (57th percentile)

Head circ: 18.5 inches (30th percentile)

That's about all we have to report! And I hear the little monkey waking from his nap. I put him down right after we got home (around 11am) from the Dr's and he slept for almost 3 hours! Better get him and feed him some lunch...his tummy must be rumbling now! :)

My funny boys!

This video is a little dark at first...but you'll get the drift.

Brad was yelling silly things into Max's toy bins and then Max would copy him. It's funny what you can get a 17 month old to do with little effort! Later on in the video he's actually pushing Brad forward to get him to yell into the bins. Silly kid!

Enjoy!

Gulp...ahhhhh

Another fun meal with Max. Lately he likes to make the "Aaaaahhhh" sound after he drinks something. I know these little videos are probably more amusing to proud mama and papa (and proud Grandmas!)...but it's just fun to show off his little personality! :)

5 Holiday stockings!!!

My new favorite activity is being pulled around on a blanket. Papa whips me all around super fast and Mama is a little more gentle...but I think it's a whole lot of fun and it wipes Mama and Papa out! Sometimes I sit up like this...other times I lay on my back or my belly. :)

Our new family stockings!

Well, it was my intention to make our family holiday stockings like my mom did when we were little...but this pregnancy and runnnig after Max leaves me ith little time and little energy, so I broke down and ordered some personalized stockings from Pottery Barn Kids. They arrived this week and I'm pretty happy with them...they are huge! I'd better get a job so I can help fill them up! :)

Anyway, we've only had 3 stockings up for so long...it is really great to see FIVE stockings up this year!! And since Miles is arriving so soon...we couldn't leave he little guy out! I had to get his stocking up too! Fun stuff!

The REAL Diaper Genie!

Max must have been about 14 or 15 months when I taught him how to throw away his diapers. It's been near impossible to get him on camera doing it because he LOVES to watch his video's and when he notices I have my digital camera/video out...he wants to "seee seee seeee...".

Well, I got lucky the other day.... He cracks me up because he always shuts the cabinet door when he's done. Sometimes he'll pull the trash bin out, push it back, and then shut the door even.

He's the REAL diaper genie!

Max & Santa 2007

An impromptu visit to the Mall of America to get Max out of the house and low and behold...NO LINE to see Santa!!! My gosh...that ALMOST makes up for the THREE hour wait we had last year! I did not think Max would tolerate sitting by some big stranger w/ funny clothing...nor did I think he'd appreciate a long wait to see him...so I didn't think we'd get any pictures with Santa...but we lucked out!

Santa's helpers/elves actually got him to smile a few times but weren't quick enough to capture it on camera. They were smart enough to have Santa move away...put him on the rocking horse and try to distract him and make him laugh...all while Santa snuck in behind him. He almost started to cry when he did notice him...but the girls were good enough to get his attention really quickly again.

It's so crazy to compare this year's Santa picture to last years...he was just this little chubby baby with barely any hair in the back...and now he's such a big boy!

Tis' the season!

His favorite snuggle tools...binkie and blankey

Max's 1st real snow accumulation experience!

I don't care how cold it is out here...I'm STAYING OUTSIDE!

Max got his first real experience with snow this weekend. Our little snow storm accumulated about 6 inches...maybe a little more. The boys were outside busy trying to keep up with shoveling and snow blowing on Saturday and Max thought it was pretty cool. He's not a fan of getting all bundled up when he's in a hurry to get outside though. We are going to have to learn to move a whole lot faster! :)

He's been particularly fussy in the mornings the past week and I'm starting to wonder if 1 nap is just not quite enough for him. Anyways, he "helped" me vacuum this morning. He's more like the slave driver and the minute I turn off the vacuum, he is yelling, "mooooore mooooore!". Which is so funny because he was terrified of it for so long. We went outside on the deck for a little while, but he wasn't into it. So, by 10am I decided he needed a nap and put him down. He made me sing his "Go go go" song and then I laid him down...which is usually his cue to stand up and either whine a little as I close the door or just watch me. Anyways...he just looked up at me, said, "Go go go" and then said, "Bye!". Guess he really wanted that early nap! :) We'll see how long it lasts and what that means for this afternoon...but he definitely wanted a nap this morning! What a funny kid!

OB Appt update - 30wks 6dys

Just a quick update for all of my wonderful Labor Stalkers! :)

My OB appt went well. I'm 1 day short of 31 weeks, so they did my first internal exam and everything is closed as it should be! That put my mind at ease quite a bit. Dr. J told me that to feel lots of contractions is pretty normal at this stage since it hasn't been that long since I had Max. She said with every pregnancy women tend to be more active because they are running after more kids and she said the contractions are basically our bodies way of reminding us that we are pregnant and to slow down. She said to make sure I listen and obey my bodies reminders. LOL!

Other than that...everything looks good. I'm measuring 30wks...so pretty much on target and I weighed in at 122pds, which is a 20pd total gain for me which is right where I should be and ironically pacing the same as I did with Max.

I asked Dr. J if she knew her on call schedule for January and she said she's on call every Monday and she thinks the weekend of Jan. 20th. She said we'll talk about induction closer to my due date...but that it's typically around 38 1/2 weeks (which would be the wk of Jan 21st). I told her my deadline was January 26th (39 weeks) and she laughed and told me not to worry and that we are on the same page. :)

I go back in about 2 weeks and will then have an ultrasound to check on the low lying placenta. Hopefully it's moved up and out of the way.

No other news to report...I'm off to take a little nap!

Max's Modeling debut

How cute is this little butt??!

It's hard to see...but Max is wearing the new IJ Beanie hat. As you can see...he's not all that thrilled about it! :)

I think it's natural for EVERY mama to think their child is about the cutest baby they've ever seen! Naturally I am one of those modest mamas. :) Anyway, it's very flattering when someone approaches you to say they also think your baby is adorable and needs to be modeling!

Well, this very thing happened to us! Max's pictures are all over our store and a photographer from Lifetouch came in and saw them and Brad just happened to be there. She told him she'd love to shoot him so she gave him her contact information. We thought this was pretty neat...but didn't think much of it. Anyway, I contacted her and she had me send a few photos of Max to her so she could show her marketing department and they loved Max. Lifetouch is well known for doing school pictures and yearbooks, but they also have a division that shoots local advertising campaigns for businesses. Soooooo...Max and I went in Tuesday for a photo shoot for either a Target or JCPenney's Easter campaign that will be launching this April. I got lucky because Maxwell warmed up to her pretty quickly and she was able to capture some sweet smiles from him before he got too comfortable and started investigating everything. Then it was impossible to get him to sit still!

The photographer said it's very hard to find cute kids of color in this market for some reason. She said she can get blonde hair blue eyed babies all day long...but to get a child of diversity is very difficult so she was so excited to see his pictures at the store. She said if Target or JCP's marketing dept like him enough...they might call to get permission to run it nationally (otherwise it's just for local use in their photo studios) and that she was also going to send proofs to the other departments...so we may be getting more phone calls. By the time we left she was already talking about the next campaign we could shoot and she said to make sure I call once Miles arrives so she can shoot all of us! :)

Anyway, I came home and told Brad..."Well, your son just made his first $20!". His modeling payment is $20/hr or pictures...however if we choose the prints...we have to wait until April when the campaign launches.

Watch out male models...you've got some competition coming your way! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had another fabulous Thankgiving at my parents house! This was the 35th year that they hosted...and sadly the last Thankgiving in the house on Portland...but the food was fantastic and it was fun to spend some time w/ family!

This weekend we've been busy busy busy with lots of projects around the house. We organized Max's toys and moved them all into my office and made room in there to set up a little area just for Max.

Then we put up all of our holiday decorations. Max is loving all the lights and "helped" me trim the tree. I say "help" because he really enjoyed throwing the balls around. :)

And today we went and purchased Papa a new desk and a shelving system so that we can get rid of his old tacky stuff. He had been using a bunch of mix and match stuff and it's been driving us both nuts how tacky it looks down the basement...so we went to Ikea and purchased some nice looking things that were within a reasonable price range. Ikea is always so busy...it was definitely an adventure.

Brad has been so GREAT about helping me with Max, our projects, and cleaning around the house this weekend. It's really been great. I think he's realized how uncomfortable I am and he just jumped in and hasn't even asked me if I need help...he's just been doing it. In fact...I don't think I've changed a diaper in 2 whole days...this is a record!! What a fabulous husband I have!! He's even put Max to bed the past 2 nights and I haven't even had to ask...what a lucky girl I am! I might get used to getting spoiled like this...with the long weekend. Monday might come waaaaaay too soon! :)

Well, Max is in bed...I'm almost done getting our holiday boxes and stuff ready to be stored down the basement until we have to pack it all up...and Papa is down the basement working on his office set up...so I think I'll go and check in on him.

We hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and stuffed their bellies with lots of good food and filled their hearts with fabulous family time!

Get me OUTSIDE, Mama!

It was a little chilly outside today, but not too bad and I could tell that Max needed some outdoor stimulation before lunch, so we bundled him up in his new winter play jacket (Grandma Bonnie bought him)...which is an 18mo and just a tad big for him...but he still looked adorable in it!

I was going to get the stroller out of the car, but saw his new wagon (Gma and Gpa Keeler bought him...wow, is this kid spoiled!) sitting in the garage and decided to use that instead.

We had a great time. He thought it was a blast and talked the whole ride. Just smiling away. What a funny little guy he is. It's so funny how the colder weather doesn't seem to bother them one bit...he just loves to be outdoors. We definitely are going to need to invest in a nice little playset outside this year!

He loves to slide now. In fact...Santa needs to find him one for Christmas! Brad has his total gym down the basement and when we go down there, Max loves to get on it (it's got a piece that's at an incline) and "slide" down. Now, that's pretty darn ghetto...but it works! :)

This picture may not show it so well...but if you look close enough you can see Max's little owie from when he face planted outside the other day. He's got a little scratch on his nose and right under his nose...poor thing.

Oh...and if you are wondering about his feet...yes, the shoes are a tad big. Well, a whole size and a 1/2 too big, but he loves to wear these shoes because they light up when he walks! So he's a size 5 1/2 and these shoes are 7's...it's all about comprimise with a toddler! :)

Let it snow!!!

I thought this picture was so funny. He was in the middle of begging for more bacon during breakfast this weekend. :)

We've had a few small flurries here and there, but this was the 1st fluffy big snow that lasted a little while (although it did not accumulate) and Maxwell couldn't wait to get outside and check it out!

Cool...snow!

It's really neat to see things brand new through the eyes of a toddler. The snow flakes we had yesterday were so big and fluffy...Max was just mesmerized by them. This was the 1st opportunity we had to get him outside while it was snowing. And let me just say that even though his cheeks were red, his nose was running up a storm, and his hands were getting chilly...he had a melt down when I brought him back inside! Poor little guy face planted in the cement when we 1st got out there too...he went to get down the stairs and I think he kind of stumbled over the toe of his new boots because he just went face first into the cement out of no where. He's got a nice little scrape on his nose and upper lip...but boys will be boys and I'm sure this will not be the last scrape he gets!

I'm looking forward to some snowman snow...Max is going to love playing out in the snow! I've got his play winter jacket all ready...just need some snowpants and mittons!

Bring on the snow!

Another Busy Body Thursday...

This little boy loves his "Noggin'"...especially Moose and Zee!

My little milk mouth peanut!

I thought about skipping class today since Max has a little bit of a cold (which Mama caught full blown today...oh no!), but decided against it since we'll miss next Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

I'm soooo glad we didn't skip it! Max spent the majority of the parent time in the playroom with the other kids! This time it was ME stalking HIM...wondering what he was doing and what was keeping him so distracted and not attached to my side or on my lap! He did wander in a few times...but he'd show me a toy, or get up on my lap and sit for awhile and then get off and go play again. What a big boy he's getting to be!!

After parent time we wash our hands and have snack and then have some circle time where we sing songs and finish off with Rita reading a book before we all go home. Well, Max is getting used to the routine and knows what's coming up with circle time. We tend to sing the same songs and his favorite is this "Tick Tock...coo coo clock" song. And we were singing one of the other songs and he kept turning to me and saying, "coo coo!". He was ready for the coo coo song. It was really sweet.

Passed my Glucose test!

YEAH! I passed my test with flying colors this time. I scored a 123 and anything over 140 isn't passing. I was worried since I was so close to failing and having to go in for the 3hr test w/ Max.

Baby is doing well and heart rate is good. I saw the nurse today and she told me Miles would be active today because of that yummy (NOT!) sugar drink they make you force down for the test. He's such an active little dude...I haven't noticed much of a difference! :)

My hemoglobin levels are low again. I got a 9 and should be between 13 - 16. With Max around this time I was a 9.2...so very similar. The nurse gave me a bunch of prescription sample iron supplements because the over the counter stuff didn't seem to work with me last time (my levels decreased by my follow up ck with Max).

We talked about pre-term labor and the nurse gave me some information on what to look for. Ironically I was going to talk to her about contractions because last night I was having regular contractions every 15-20 minutes when I was laying in bed watching tv. She said it's more common to notice them when I'm very active, but they should slow down when I'm resting...so I've got to start slowing down, drinking more fluids, and resting as much as I can. As much as I'm ready to meet Miles and be done being pregnant...he needs to cook longer!! Anyways, she said that it's much more common to have contractions early on with subsequent pregnancies...which put my mind at ease some because I don't recall having any early on with Mike or Max. I'm feeling a little less anxious about having contractions now that I know what to look for as being out of the normal and also some things to try to calm them more.

Anyways, I start going in every 2 weeks now. CRAZY!

In other news...Poor Max woke up w/ a little bitty cough and a runny nose yesterday. I'm doing my best to kick it in the butt early on, so hopefully it won't get as bad as his last cold.

I've also figured out a new schedule that seems to be working well for him now that he's down to 1 nap/day. He gets up between 7-8am...we eat breakfast, and then we play, run errands, etc until about 11am. I start fixing his lunch and he eats by 11:30...and then down for a nap by noon. On this schedule he's been napping between 2-3 hours. It seems like if I get him down before noon...he's not overly tired and will therefore sleep for a good solid 3 hours, but if I get him down much later than that...he'll only nap for 2 hours and will sometimes wake up a little bit cranky.

Not much more to report, other than Mike just finished up his 1st Quarter of his Sophmore year and did really well! He got A's and B's and 2 C+'s that were both within a percent or 2 of being B-'s...he's been working really hard and it's paying off for him! I'm very proud!

One of my favorite times of the day...

Some of my favorite times of day are right when Max wakes in the morning and after his naps. He is usually thirsty and in the mornings I get him some milk and after nap it's milk or juice and a snack. Then we sit and cuddle on the couch and watch some Noggin' or PBS.
He is usually in full blown cuddle mode and lots of times he rests his head against me or I just rub his back or head.

This particular day...even Miles got in on some quality cuddle time! Max is really sweet when he touches my belly. He rubs it gently (usually) and says, "OOOoooh" and sometimes he'll lay his head on it.

Busy Bodies - Something's starting to click!

This is the 1st week I didn't take my camera (I seem to be the only mama with a camera every week and was starting to get a complex...lol), but I wish I had.

In class we are supposed to have 1 hour of mama time and the toddlers are in another room, however when we first started this...we had such a large group and many of the kids would cry which created a lot of stress for everyone. So, a few weeks ago they started keeping the door open so the kids could see us and come in for comforting if they needed to.

Well, this actually backfired for Max and I because he did fine w/ the separation as long as he didn't see me (and as long as the kids weren't in total chaos with the crying...which would make him start to cry). So, now since he can see me and knows where I am....he wants to be with me. I try to take him in the play area and play with him and once I think he's distracted enough...I sneak back to the mommy room. But, sure enough...within a minute or two...his little head pops in the door and he's looking around the circle for his mama. :)

Anyways, today....for the 1st time...he actually left my side on his own and wandered into the play area to see bubbles or some toy that looked fun. He'd come back within a few minutes. But, I was so proud of him to see him taking that extra step in trying to become more independant in this class. I can also tell that he's starting to get used to the people in class as well...because he's starting to let go a little and not be so serious. He was actually being silly w/ some of the girls during snack time and seemed to really be enjoying himself with lots of smiles and giggles.

I'm really glad that I went ahead and signed up for the 2nd semester...otherwise today would have been the last class!

My 3 boys...

My "Jordan" look

The 3 boys doing yard work

The boys being silly

I'm really starting to wonder how exactly I am going to be able to add a newborn to our busy lives??! I'm sure this is a thought that most mothers go through and I know we'll manage...but we stay so busy that it almost seems impossible to imagine adding a nursing newborn with constant needs to our hectic days. Don't get me wrong...I am VERY excited for this new thrill and challenge. I can't wait to meet this strong little boy that's been taking residence in my belly for the past 7 months! I just hope that I can juggle it all and still feel like I've accomplished something every day.

Next week is my OB & Glucose test...I'm so hoping that I pass the test. Last time I passed it just by 3 or 4 points...eeks. Other than that...Miles is getting stronger by the day...maybe by the hour. And he's an active little guy...holy cats is he strong! Somenights I wonder if his hand or foot is going to pop through my belly!! :)

Braxton Hicks...yeah!

OH the joys of those fun BH contractions!

I have this feeling that Miles isn't planning on waiting until our due date. Something tells me he'll be making his grand appearance closer to mid January. Our OB will probably enduce me around January 26th, if I haven't gone into full labor on my own by then (that would make 39wks), so I anticipate a January baby anyways...but I just have this gut feeling that he's calling the shots earlier than we are planning.

Anyways, I'm having regular (as regular as BH's get) BH contractions now. Some days none...some days 1 or 2...and some days 4-5 in one evening. They aren't painful at all...but uncomfortable and different enough feeling to notice. Just my body's way of preparing me for the party that will happen in just a few months!! My insurance doesn't cover any L&D costs...ugh. Go figure...they helped to cover some of our IVF meds, but won't pay for any L&D costs. Anyways, is it crazy for me to wonder if I can resist the epidural to cut down on costs??! I mean...I did go through 18 hours of labor (12 of hard labor) with Mike w/ NO DRUGS...so I can do it, right??? Eeeeks...of course...I was 18 and stupid then. I'm thinking once the pain gets so bad I won't care what the cost is...I'll just be begging for the pain relief. Guess we'll see....oh my tummy hurts just thinking about it! :)

We entered the 3rd trimester on Saturday...it's so crazy to be at this point already. It's really gone by so fast!! My belly is growing by the minute at this point and I think I'm slowly turning into a moose. :)

Max's 1st Trick or Treat!

Ok, I'm working on uploading some of the Halloween pictures we took from last night. Do I dare admit to taking about 125?? And actually...Brad was behind the camera most of the night...so I actually have a some photos with Max! Wow! :) Needless to say...I'm not uploading ALL of them as just loading the few that I have is taking quite awhile. Anyway, I'll be working on the slideshow as soon as I can, but I knew that Grandma Donna is probably anxious to hear how her little monkey did last night! :)

We had a GRAND time and although it was chilly...we opted not to go to the mall and hit the neighborhood. As it was...we were running out of time and the neighborhood seemed more festive and fun. I was smart and started doing preliminary carving stuff while Max was napping so that when he got up we could get into the good stuff right away...but it still took quite awhile to get those pumpkins carved. Thankfully I didn't buy a 3rd...as I had thought about for a few days. Max wasn't too sure about getting his hands into the pumpkin or touching the goopy insides (which surprised me because he loves to make such a mess at meal time!) but after awhile...he did get his hands in there a little. He's really funny...sometimes I can't stop him from making a mess and other times he hates to have his hands dirty. (Actually...he's my little cleaning helper...funny how kids pick up so much from watching their parents but he puts things away sometimes before we leave the room and if he sees a drawer or cubbard open...he'll go and shut it! I taught him how to throw his diapers away a few months ago and so sometimes he'll throw away trash for me too.)

We finally got the pumpkins carved and I made chili for dinner...then I had Brad FINALLY put together Max's wagon (that he got from his birthday in JUNE!! lol) so we could take him out in that (which worked perfectly and what a great wagon it is!!). We waited until the last minute to put his costume on because I had his jammies on underneath for extra warmth and I didn't want him to overheat. Then at about 6pm we headed over to Tom & Michelle's to meet the neighbors and take some pictures before our big adventure. The kids could hardly still still long enough to take a few pictures before they were running to get to the 1st house! It was really cute! Max was enjoying the people watching and we actually saw quite a few dogs dressed up too...so he loved that! (Fff Fff - that's his woof woof noise for dogs)

We stayed out about a 1/2 hour or so and his cheeks and fingers were cold...but he was enjoying himself too much to let it bother him. What a little trooper! He, at one point, started taking inventory of his candy and was taking it all out...piece by piece and putting it into his wagon. And then he'd see a piece that looked interesting enough to try to sneak in his mouth (wrapper and all) but Mama's always got a good eye on this monkey and he didn't get too far. He didn't seem to mind though...I guess if I let him have candy prior to this, he would have known to put up more of a fight. Last night he did try his first little sweet tarts and enjoyed them! Mooooorrre...Moooorre!

When we got home he was in such a funny mood. He was loopy tired from it being past bedtime...a little wired from all the excitement and activity and maybe had a little sugar high?? But, he was laughing and acting so silly. Mike's friend, Jessi, came over to help him pass out candy and he was just flirting away with her. It was really cute.

All in all...it was a really fun Halloween. For some reason Halloween has always been one of my favorite "holidays". I enjoy carving our pumpkins and seeing all the rug rats in their costumes...and being able to take a little one out again after so many years off was really fun. It's hard to believe next year there will be 2 little guys in that wagon!! I can't wait!

Hang tight...I'll get the big Halloween slideshow up as soon as I can!

Edit 11/3/07: Ok, I think I figured out how to make a Picasa slideshow...they aren't as fancy as photobucket's are...but much easier to upload! Here is a short version of our Halloween day/night! Enjoy!

Bath Time

Max doesn't seem to be interested in taking 2 full naps all the time anymore, so I'm trying to transition him into taking 1 afternoon nap. So far it's going a lot better than I had anticipated. We've been doing a good job of getting out of the house and finding things to do to keep him busy during the time he'd normally be taking his morning nap, so he hasn't been overly fussy.

It's probably more of a challenging transition for me as I'm losing those valuable 2 hours to get things done around the house...but he's getting better about tolerating the vaccuum and can occupy himself for short periods so that I don't have to entertain him the entire time as well.

So far his afternoon nap is between 2-3 hours and hopefully we don't have any "Poop" interruptions. :)

Today we cleaned the entire house, caught up on our laundry, and I organized Max's closet...which had to be done during his naptime. I got all of his old clothes out of the bags in his closet and organized them, put them in labeled boxes, and put them down the basement for storage. I feel good about getting that done, because now I have a better idea of the clothing that I have for Miles when he arrives. And it was actually pretty fun to look through some of Max's old newborn outfits. It shouldn't...but it blows my mind how small the newborn clothing is!

Anyways...we had a full day today and Papa's flight gets in in about an hour!! He's only been gone a day and I can't wait to see him. I think I missed him about an hour after he left. :)

I haven't taken many bathtime pictures lately...so we had a little photo shoot in the tub tonight. Max was tired and not really in the mood to play long...so I was happy to have captured some of his silly moments splashing around and just being a silly little boy!

Saturday's Halloween Partys

Mike (Dracula) & MamaJ (Pregnant little Red Riding Hood)

Max & Mama

Saturday Brad and I were supposed to go to the annual Renegade's Halloween party, but Brad was at the tail end of his bad head cold and thought it would be best for him to stay home. I was actually welcoming the thought of staying home, as our original costume plan was to go as a pair of pumpkins. Brad was going to dress in all black, paint his face orange and make an evil looking pumpkin face. Then he was going to spike and spray his hair w/ green to look like the pumpkin handle. As for me...well, that was the part I was not disappointed in the least to forgo...we were going to cut a circle out of a black t-shirt and paint my belly orange and put a pumpkin face on it. I wasn't too thrilled w/ the thought of having my big ole' 7 month old belly exposed all evening.

Anyways, rather than staying home and doing nothing...I decided to go w/ our neighbors that we were supposed to go with anyways (Tom & Michelle - Vampire couple) and since Mike didn't have to stay home w/ Max...he was able to make it to a Halloween party he was invited to as well....so it all worked out and we all had a great time at our respective partys!

Maxwell thought Mama looked pretty funny in her costume and started laughing the minute I came downstairs. He even bent down to giggle...what a ham! We tried to get it on camera...but it just looks like he's bending down.

Brad left for a mini trip to CA this morning and will be back late tomorrow night...and then we are looking forward to taking Max Trick or Treating for the 1st time Wednesday night. It's supposed to be the coldest night of the week...and windy, so I'm not entirely sure how this will go. Max doesn't mind the cold...but doesn't like the wind. We may take him to Burnsville Mall insted...we'll see. Too bad Halloween isn't today...it's an absolutely beautiful fall day in MN today! We went to get the MDX's oil change and tune up today and it took about 90 minutes so we went for a nice walk outside...and looked at the pretty Christmas display at Seasonal Concepts next door. Max is going to love all the lights and decorations this year!

Never turn your back on a 16 month old!

Because...things like this are likely to happen!! :)

I was busy multi-tasking...cooking and talking to the store...and Brad had just taken monkey's clothes off (a typical nightly routine) to let him have some naked time and I hear the words, "Um, mama...you might want to come in and look at your little boy!".

Those words mean...Bring your camera!!

This is what I walked over to find.

His sippy cup "stopper" had fallen into the cup and was rattling around...but it makes milk VERY easy to get out and Max took full advantage of this and proceeded to suck and then dribble/spit all his milk on the floor. He was having the time of his life! I should have grabbed the video camera because he was laughing and having so much fun...he was even dancing in the milk on the floor. Just slipping and sliding.

Brad said he heard him making this sound...but it didn't register to turn around and see what he was doing. I recognize this noise and I run when I hear it. :)

BOYS will be boys! And they sure like their messes! Thankfully it was on the hardwood floors and not the carpet...made for a much easier clean up!

7 Months?!

Somehow we are already 7 months pregnant. How did this happen???! Where has the time gone? Only 99 days left to go...and I think my OB is on the same page to enduce me at 39wks if I haven't gone into labor on my own, so really...only 92 days left max. Wow!

It's so crazy...sometimes Miles starts kicking around and it hits me like a brick..."OMG, I'm going to have another baby!"...after so many years of turmoil and what looked like would never come to pass...and now our little miracle is running and talking and a 2nd one is preparing to make his way into this family. Totally blows my mind!

We have so much to do to prepare for this little guy. Brad is not in any hurry...but if it were up to me...I'd be putting the boys to work THIS weekend moving Mike downstairs, getting his room set up, and then starting on painting the 2nd nursery. I still have to find and purchase a new crib and dresser...and bedding. Since Miles will be in our room for the first 3 months or so (like Max was)...I think that's made Brad more laid back about getting things done. But, I have energy NOW...and I won't have it towards the end of this pregnancy and after Miles is here and I'm chasing after an active toddler while trying to nurse a newborn. Ahhhh...fun stuff! But, thankful for it!

:)

Gotta enjoy the outdoors while we still can!

Max and I have had a fun filled week.

Yesterday we met cousins Sarah, Connor, and Barb at Pahl's Market to take a look at their "pumpkin patch". Well...it wasn't really a pumpkin patch per say...more like a parking lot with a whole bunch'a pumpkins! LOL! But, we were still able to get some fun festive fall pictures of the kids and some pumpkins!
Here's me and my little serious Max. Where'd that silly boy go from the picture above?!

Later that afternoon after Max woke up from his afternoon nap we went outside to run off some toddler steam. Our Amber Maples are really so pretty with their different fall colors. The wind has been so strong lately...that it won't be long and they will be bare.

Today we had Busy Bodies class. This is the last class that Connor & Barb will be in with us. Barb got a new job and will be training during the week for the next few months. We are really going to miss them and our Culver's lunch afterwards each week! We have 2 more BB classes left and I wasn't planning on renewing, but I think I might go ahead and continue through the remainder of the semester. It will take us right up until Miles arrives...but I think it's really good for Max to get around other kids his age and it's nice for me to have some interaction with the other mamas. I've met some really nice women and I'd like to continue to get to know them. Who knows...maybe we'll end up play date friends! :) Anyways, with the cold fridgid winter soon upon us...we are going to welcome an opportunity to get out of the house! The Burnsville Mall has a Mama and Toddlers walking group every Tuesday at 9:30...and I guess some of the other BB mama's and toddlers go to that...so that might be another fun outlet for us to do during the week this winter.

Who can resist a giggling little boy?!

Max's smiles and laughs light up the room...but there is something special of that incredible belly laugh that comes from a 16 month old!

This video is a tad dark as it was nearing bedtime and he was in one of his "Loopy Tired" stages!

8 wonderful years!

Yesterday Brad and I celebrated 8 years of marriage!

It's so crazy to think of what we have been through, accomplished, and enjoyed together these past 8 years. Technically we were together for 4 1/2 years prior to getting married...so we've been together for a long time.

I feel so blessed to have him in my life and to have such a wonderful partner in every sense.

I know so many couples that don't spend even a fraction of the time that Brad and I do together and still end up fighting or arguing and I know that our relationship is something very special. I don't know too many people who can live together, and work together...every day...all day and still stand each other enough to sleep in the same bed! :) I also think that we do a good job at trying not to take each other for granted which seems to come a bit naturally for us...thankfully.

Anyway, our anniversary was very nice.

Brad had to make deliveries yesterday for our store and when he came home...he walked in with a beautiful bouquet of flowers & a very sweet card. He even tried to make sure that the bouquet included flowers that were in my original wedding bouquet! I bought him some VERY romantic things...racquetteball stuff. LOL! He was thrilled though! He's not much of a romantic at heart...and he's been talking about wanting to join a league w/ a neighbor of ours for awhile...so I knew he'd get excited about what I bought him. I got him a new racquette, a glove, eye protection, and some balls.

After we put Max to bed, we went out for a GREAT sushi dinner at Kami's in Apple Valley. We actually lucked out and they have "All you can eat Sushi" on Monday and Tuesday nights! You can't find a better deal! I did the all you can eat and Brad had a specialty Maki roll. Our dinner was fantastic...and we sat at the sushi bar and talked with some interesting people. It was a great time! I think I actually waddled out of there...actually I think Brad did too and he's not pregnant!! :)

When we got home I had a topper of our wedding cake (from the Buttercream Collection in St. Paul) waiting for us. Chocolate cake w/ Baileys. YUM! After our dinner...I think we were forcing down the cake...but it was worth it! I think I've only missed 2 anniversarys of going to pick up a 6" version of our cake. They actually gave us our topper for our 1st anniversary free rather than having us freeze it. It's a great marketing idea on their part...because I would have never had the idea to go and purchase our wedding cake each year after had they not.

All in all...a fantastic wedding anniversary...with many more wonderful memories to add to our collection!