Miles 6 Month Well Baby check

As perfect as a child can be!  A healthy boy!

Weight:  16lbs (33th %'tile)

Height:  27"  (81st %'tile)

Head Circ:  16.5  (13th %'tile)  - as always...my little guys have peanut heads!

Dr H. said all looks great!  Miles had to have 4 shots today...poor guy.  His arms are covering his little Spiderman bandaids on both legs.  He whimpered for the 1st shot and his cry got progressively worse for each shot.  The 4rth one is the one that really stings and he hollared for that one.  And in true Miles mannor...he stopped crying the minute I picked him up.  The nurse looked at me in shock and said she doesn't see that too often.  I told her that you don't get much more laid back and sweet natured than this one!

In fact after the 4rth shot when he really started wailing...It hit me that I rarely hear him cry and especially like that.  He's a sweet little one!  Especially because Mama scheduled his appointment during nap time like a dingdong.  One example of too much being on my plate.

Developmentally he is right on track and doing terrific.  I even got through the entire list before I had 3 "no's"...usually you are to stop once you have circled 3 things they cannot do. 

He's starting to sit up by himself.  The picture on top was after about 15 seconds of sitting up by himself and by the time I got my camera he was starting to droop.  :)  And goodness...you have to watch him because he rolls so fast.  In fact at night he is just like his big brother and is all over his crib.  Every time I check on him he is in another position on opposite ends of his crib!

Keepin' Cool

When the weather is this hot...we do all we can to keep cool.  Check out Max in his Papa's work shades!

Here he is being a big boy and helping Papa prepare for the new stamped concrete patio (which will hopefully be poured next weekend!).

After all that hard work...time for some fun!

Here are some pictures of our new Sunday morning routine.  Brad and I ATTEMPT to read the Sunday paper...and Hurricane Max blows through all while laughing like an evil monkey!  :)

And lastly here are a few pictures of the boys enjoying Max's Birthday present from Grandma Donna and Grandpa Jim!

(Thanks G-Donna and G-Jim!  Max has already broken it in with a little art work on the arms a'la black crayon!  Nice!)

Sandwhich without the filling

It was just Mike, Miles and I today.  Papa took Maxwell to EC to visit Gma Donna and Auntie Juls and the kids.  I stayed home because I had a million things to do and with Max being gone all day...I thought it would help me to be able to get some of those things accomplished and it did.  I still have lots to do, but I almost got caught up on the laundry, cleaned out both the boys dressers/closets and packed away clothing they had out grown,  (Any mama knows what a painful task that can be and I hadn't done it in awhile so it took a few hours to do both bedrooms), cleaned our bedroom and transferred our things from our old night stands to our new ones (which were delivered on Tuesday), and even got in a nice nap.

I missed little Max terribly and it was so hard for me to see him driving away in the car with Brad...but it was nice to get things done with less inturruptions and also to spend some time completely devoted to little Miles.  He doesn't get this very often unfortunately.  He's such a good natured, easy going, and patient little boy that he doesn't mind...but it's always nice to give a child devoted one on one time.

Miles was so happy and fun today.  He even rolled from his tummy to his back for me twice!  And it's funny because he kept his mouth closed like 50% of the time.  I know this sounds wierd...but this kid always has his mouth open.  He's done it since birth.  We noticed immediately because he would sleep with his mouth open.  Anyways, it's so funny to see him with his mouth closed...we always tease him and say we don't recognize him when it's closed.  Today he was sucking on his lower lip and making the silliest little faces.  He's so sweet...I just can't help but kissing his cheeks constantly.

Anyway, Max and Papa are staying in EC over night...this is Max's 1st time away from his own bed since our last trip to Fort Meyers for Bill's memorial when he passed a year ago.  I guess he did actually take an hour nap with Brad this afternoon...so hopefully tonight goes as well.  I talked to him on the phone today and he was so cute and before we got off the phone when I was telling him that I loved him...he kept saying, "see ya, mama".  :)

Oh, yeah...and before they left this morning I came downstairs to pack away a few toys for the car ride and he came downstairs saying, "Maaaammma?  Mom?  Mom?  Maaaammmmaaa?" looking for me.  Um, where did the "Mom" come from??!  I've always been Mama...even back to the Michael days!  LOL! What a silly boy!

Lots going on...

Ok, let's see...where to start??!

Well, first of all...Juls and the kids (cousins Jeru & Jed) are visiting from San Fran.  They've spent some time with us and will be mostly with Grandma Donna in EC.  Max has had a blast playing with the kids and charming up his Auntie Juls.  It's been fun to see the cousins playing and having fun.  Papa B even broke our "tight budget, so let's spend less" pact and got some fireworks for the kids and Mike to set off since Michael didn't get to see any fireworks this 4rth of July.

Miles Updates:

  OMG, this little guy is growing like a weed...both in length and developmentally!  He's been rolling over for the past few weeks from back to his tummy and he's close to be able to roll from tummy to his back regularly (he does it every now and again now).  He is getting really strong and I watched him get on his tippy toes and arch his back while on his tummy in his crib tonight.  He'll be crawling much sooner than either of the older boys did.  He's so cute and cuddly and still such a good natured little guy.  He cracks me up because he is teething and forever drooling and trying to chew on things.  And he loves to suck on my face and give me WET sloppy kisses.  He makes such funny faces when he's "talking" too...so animated.  Here are a few pics of him from the past few weeks.

Maxwell Update:

   Oh my...what a little stinker this kid is.  He's so much like me it's scary.  Brad said he would have been in trouble if we had had a girl.  LOL!  He is definitely showing his toddler stubborness and need for independance.  Everything lately is, "I try!".  He absolutely cracks us up and makes us nutty all in the same breath.  I just can't get enough of him!  Here are some of his recent phrases...

"Waa some me" (want some...me) with the hand gesture pointing to himself.  It's fabulous!

"Knock Knock"

"Ppppeeeeeeees" (Pleeeaaaase...this is accompanied with the pathetic puppy dog face)

"Oh pink!" - he just loves to point out pink.  He also knows "boo" (blue), "reen" (green), "orge" (orange) and repeats "pooople" (purple)

"day dare" (right there)

"ah no" (I don't know)

He's really starting to put words together.  "Wha do-een, Mama?", "Oh hi, Cherers" (Chewers the cat), "Where Mamy?" (Where's Amy)

He's also started really using his eye brows in his facial expressions.  They are usually exagerated which for some reason looks so funny on his little face.  He also picked up to say, "Cheeese!" when he is getting his picture taken and he scrunches up his face into what he thinks is a smile...it's an absolute hoot!  Here are a few pics of Max the past few weeks...

Cheeeese!

Max and Mama in our little fort.

Lots more going on, but I've run out of time as I need to go pick up Mike from work.

Here are just a few more pics...

I've been getting in the tub with Max because Miles gets so funny in his little tub when I'm bathing him, that I thought he'd enjoy being in the big tub...so I gave it a try and he had a blast.  He just splashed around and watched Max being Max (ever the entertainer!).  Anyway, obviously Miles is too little and isn't sitting up (although very close and can sit or about 5-10 seconds now!) by himeself, so I have to get in the tub with the boys.  Max thinks this is pretty cool to have Mama and Miles in the tub party with him.  :)

Ok, and this pic is not at all flattering, but I just had to post it as I promised Jaime that I'd post a picture of my chopped off hair.  I haven't had a good shot of my new haircut yet, but at least with this picture you can see the length...or lack of.  :)  See, Jaime...you KNOW I love and adore you if I posted THIS picture!!  Hugs to my little Gracie poo!!  Can't wait to see you in a few months!

Ok, really gotta scoot...otherwise Mike will be waiting outside of IJ looking alone and homeless...can't have that!  :)

Zzzzzoooom!

Not too often do I dedicate a post solely to my big boy, Michael.  Not because he isn't special, but because he's such a near perfect kid...he doesn't give me much material to work with!  :)

But, today was worthy of a dedicated post just for him!

After much studying (many many thanks to help from Grandma Bonnie)...Michael passed his permit test and will be hitting the MN roads!!  He was grinning ear to ear and I'm so proud of him!  Tommorow we'll set up his first behind the wheel session and then he can start driving with one of us.  I'm thinking I'll have him start with Brad as Brad is the much more patient parent.  I'm too much of a Bellows still.  :)

Here's a pic of my big boy and his permit!!

Eeeks, I can't believe my "baby" is soon to be a driver.  Oh, AND he received his 1st paycheck today...what a big day!!  Where have the years gone??!  And am I REALLY that OLD to have a driver and a tax payer??!  :)

Updates

Lots going on with the boys these days...

Miles has mastered the art of rolling over this week!  He'd been rolling from his back to his tummy (rolling to the right side) every so often for the past month, but now he can roll over quite fast when he wants to.  In fact sometimes he does it so fast the momentum keeps him rolling and he'll end up on his back again.  It seems like he has just grown like a weed lately.  He's so long.  And still just a cuddler and charmer.  Such a sweet and good little baby.  He's sleeping like a pro and still takes 2 good naps (usually 2 hours each) and then at night he goes to bed around 6pm and sleeps until between 3-4am and then nurses and sleeps until around 7:30.  He loves to make noises with his tongue...it's really funny.  And he smiles every time he sees himself in the mirror.

Max is talking up a storm.  This week he said, "Ready...set...GO!".  Brad and I say this often when we are playing with him, but have never heard him say all of it...so it was really funny when he said it.  It's funny because it seems like every night when Papa and I are starting to drift off to sleep...one of us will tell the other a funny story of something Maxwell said or did that day.  What a boy he is...he just LOVES any mode of transportation.  In fact, for Easter I got him these plastic Easter eggs that had cars in them.  Actually, one egg had a Blues Clues bus, the other had a Dora the Explorer car, and another had a Diego jeep. Anyways, he plays with this bus EVERY day and asks for it every time he goes down for a nap or to bed now.  Which is pretty cute...but it makes it quite the game to find this sticking bus before night nights every day!  We've started to get smart and try to keep an eye on it and snatch it as soon as he puts it down and then we'll go put it in his crib before he misplaces it.  The little boy that used to hate to sit in his car seat now loves to go for rides in the car and he will point out every truck, bus, car, etc that he sees.  He's gotten to be my little narrator on the rode.  He is very much a Bellows...and quite passionate about whatever he wants for the moment and every much the toddler to let us know when he is angry.  I'm just waiting for a Target meltdown, of which I'm sure will happen any day now.  You know the scene...the toddler screaming about something in the middle of the isle all while the embarassed mama is rushing to get him out the door.  :)

Mike has finished his 1st week of training at the store and happy to be making some money.  He won't get his first paycheck until next week, but he's getting his cut of tips for his shifts.  Other than that...this week he's been to 2 parties and enjoying his time off of school...although he's already complaining about being bored and sick of being in the house.  He's been a great help with the kids and Max loves having him home.  Mike usually will give me a break and will take Max down the basement to play and have a snack and I just hear Max whopping it up down there with him.

We've been taking a lot of little videos...I need to get them uploaded and get some on youtube soon.  Look for some in the near future!

Chewers con Queso

This story is a few weeks old, but it's still a good one.

So, when I go shopping I usually try to find different snacks for Maxwell to eat in the afternoon. He loves goldfish crackers, but I like to change it up a little. One day I came across those little packs of stick crackers with the cheese that you dip the sticks in and thought he might get a kick out of dipping his cracker into the cheese. Well, he wanted nothing to do with the cheese, but really thought the crackers were neat.

So, one afternoon we are sitting in the great room and he's got his crackers and as normal, just ignoring the cheese part. I'm convinced that he'll like the cheese if he will just give it a try so I'm trying to force a little cheese into his mouth. That alone was a little humorous because I've got him tackled and pinned down and trying to shove this stick of cracker with cheese on it. :) Anyway, the phone rings, so I go to my office to answer it. In comes Max and he's mad and telling me that his cracker has "eeekies (ickys)" on it, so I look down and it's got cat hair on it, so I proceed to brush it off and give it back to him...just assuming he dropped it on the carpet and because it had a little cheese on it, it picked up some cat hair.

I get off the phone and we go into the great room again and are sitting and talking and he's eating his crackers. And then in walks Chewers (the cat). I don't think anything of it until he walks past me and something catches my eye...I look closer and the cat has cheese dip smeared ALL over his back. Max had con queso'd him! OMG...I wish I had taken a picture. It really was a sight to see! What a kid...he is entertainment from the moment he wakes til he goes to sleep...I tell ya!