Christmas Cookies

Every year my mom bakes sugar cookies and Jen and I frost them. It's always a blast decorating the cookies, although in recent years it's been getting a little naughty. However, our favorite part of the cookie decorating is getting to finish the frosting afterwards. It usually ends in tummy aches, but it's well worth it!

I Caved

If you talked to me last week, you know how frustrated I was with Max. He was teething and wasn't taking very good naps (half hour maybe 45 minutes at the most) so he was super grouchy all last week. This week, Matt works a ton and I'm not really in the mood to have a repeat of last week with Max. We stopped a few weeks ago letting him take naps in his swing and he was doing really, really well with it (until last week, but that may have been because of teething). So today I caved and let him take his naps once again in his swing.

All I can say is: that swing is the greatest thing EVER!!!!!! He took an hour morning nap and almost a three hour afternoon nap! 

I may have caved big time, but at least I kept my sanity....for today that is.

Oh Christmas Tree

Max is very fond of our Christmas tree. I was letting him play on the floor and turned my back for a second and the next thing I know, he's messing with the tree.

Being the good mommy that I am, instead of getting him away from the tree right away, I snapped some photos.

And I was worried about the cats and the tree!

Playing Hard

Max really enjoys rolling all around the living room, but sometimes he gets caught up in his gym, so he just brings it along.

Hi kitty!

And he LOVES his feet! He doesn't stick them in his mouth too often (thank goodness) but he does like to hold onto them at all times. Diaper changes go something like this: keep pushing feet down until I can finally undo the diaper. Keep Max from rolling away. Quickly wipe, put a new diaper under him, push down feet. Roll Max back onto diaper, try to keep legs down enough to do up the diaper. Redo diaper because his feet got in the way, keep Max from rolling away while I do this. Sometimes the onesie gets resnapped, sometimes Mommy gives up=)

Natalie's Birthday Party

Last Saturday night, we went down to Cumming to celebrate Natalie's 13th birthday. We were stupid and failed to get pictures of that, but we did get a few good ones of Max:

He got lots of attention from Grandma

Max was fascinated by Uncle John's mustache

Naughty Kitty

We have no idea why Sophia was up there in the first place, but when she thought she was going to get into trouble, she attempted to jump down and her paws got caught in the toaster. 

In Teething Hell

Our son has been teething for months yet still no teeth!!! His doctors keep telling us, "there's four of them getting ready to pop through any time now." Yes, but could you tell us when please???!!! Give us a little hope here!

Our frustration with teething is evident in this conversation Matt and I had this afternoon:

Ashley: Does he really need his teeth that bad? Can't he just do without them!?

Matt: Do you think they make Baby Tylenol PM?

Ashley: If they did, we'd already have it.

Yeah....we're not winning any Parents of the Year Award. 

What a Difference a Week Makes

Max's weight one week and 3 days ago: 17 lbs 9 oz
Max's current weight (as of yesterday): 18 lbs 11 oz

Obviously there was a growth spurt somewhere in there! Also new this week, he no longer wants anything to do with his solid food (with the exception of a few bites of oatmeal here and there). It was the exact opposite last week.
Max has also been to the doctor a few times the past week for extreme fussiness, pulling at his ears, and a "cough". The "cough" never went away, so we figured he had a cold, or ear infection, or something going on. Good news: he's completely healthy. His "cough" mysteriously developed after watching me cough from choking on my water last Sunday. The doctor found this hilarious (and probably thinks we're insane parents). Matt and I arent' finding this new trick of his so funny.

Here kitty, kitty

Max absolutely loves his kitties! Anytime they're in the same room as him, he can't concentrate on anything but them. Doc and Sophia are still a little unsure of Max, but they're coming around. Last week we discovered what was waking Max up from his naps: Doc goes into Max's room and meows until Max wakes up. Then Doc and Max seem to carry on a mysterious conversations consisting of meows and coos...very interesting.

Look what I can do Mom!

Right before this picture was taken, Max was leaning clear over the tray of the swing grabbing at his feet. He is now banned from his swing and it has officially been put in storage awaiting use from the next baby=)

Thanksgiving Day

Ty, Nicholas, and Max...someday they'll all be looking at the same camera

Apparently Max wasn't too sure about Ty

Max and Nicholas' nap time

After dinner at the Harmeyer's, everybody need naps!

I'm Outta Here!

Our now 5 month old thoroughly enjoys rolling across the living room--especially when there's a kitty he can get too! However, the coffee table keeps getting in his way....we may need to move that soon, as he's almost smacked his head on it a few times.

A Sunday Morning

Sunday's are my days to sleep in (before I head off to work at noon that is) and Matt gets up with Max. I was putting my makeup on and realized that it was just too quiet out in the living room. So I walked in only to find my two boys all curled up with each other sleeping away.

I Love my Food

This is why Max gets a bath every night. On this particular night, Max was too hungry and couldn't wait for a bib.....Mommy had lots of fun getting those stains out!

Help! Let me out!!!

In Need of Sleep!!!!

We have all gotten over the stomach flu (and Max's numerous ear infections) and were so happy for things to return to normal--yeah, not happening! Apparently, as warned by many, we are now going through the four month "wakeful"period, meaning our child that once slept through the night is now waking up three or four times a night. As a result, Max is so tired during the day, but still isn't the best napper (I'd love to get a good two hour nap in myself). Matt and I are back to getting very little sleep ourselves and are relying on coffee to get us through our days. They say this is just a phase that should only last a couple of weeks and my fingers are crossed that's true!

Another phase that has just developed in the past 48 hours:  I can't leave Max's sight or he cries....more like screams! I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water and left him in his gym playing. When he looked over and saw I was no longer there, his bottom lip quivered and huge tears came down his cheeks. My fingers are crossed that this too is just a phase or I might scream!

4 Months Old

Well, as of two weeks ago, but we've been a little busy dealing with Max and his ear infections=(   We went to his four month check up last Wednesday and discovered he had yet another ear infection. Since then, we've had to think of ways to get Max to eat his bottle (there were many days he hardly ate anything!) and keep me from losing my mind (pretty sure I could have used anxiety meds). Matt and I took Max back to the doctor yesterday because it seemed he wasn't getting any better, but it turns out he just had eczema really bad all over his head and was causing him discomfort and some pain. They prescribed a steroid cream and as soon as we put it all over his head: bam! Eating 8 oz bottles again! Crazy to think that was causing him to not eat (that and the 3 teeth getting ready to come in). We have to watch him closely this winter and hope he doesn't get too many more ear infections otherwise we'll be on our way to the ENT for tubes (according to his doctor).

 At four months old Max is weighing in at 17 lbs, 27 inches long. His newest trick is rolling across our living room when mommy isn't looking. He LOVES his two kitties and gets very happy when they come to "play" with him in his gym, however at this time he is scared of dogs (big dogs, not sure about small ones yet). He loves rice cereal and sweet potatoes, but he's not too sure about squash. This week we are working on taking naps in the crib because he's quickly outgrowing his swing--he's still not so sure about this change in nap time places. He also likes to think he doesn't need naps anymore (but I do)! Max has also learned to love his stroller and car seat which makes it a lot easier to go places during the day--yay for not being stuck at home anymore (it only took us 4 months)!

Max and Daddy Playing

Happy Halloween

My striped pants are the coolest!!! & the Halloween outfit says: Guess whoo's 1st Halloween? Very cute!

Our new nephew Nicholas! Congrats to the Long family, we are so happy for Steph and Eric! We can foresee Max and Nicholas getting into lots of trouble together!

Sweet Potatoes

We finally broke down and gave Max sweet potatoes as he's been crying when we don't give him a bite of our food (we dealt with a major meltdown when Matt had to pull away his Pepsi from Max's reach). Here is the aftermath of our sweet potatoes adventure:

It may not seem like it from the picture, but it went surprisingly well! He LOVED them! Our biggest problem was he wanted to grab the spoon (which he got a hold of many times=huge mess) and he had to feel the baby food inside his mouth. 

The second day went much smoother. Up next: squash and carrots.

Go Colts!

(Too bad they're not very good this year)

It's No Fun Being Sick!

I HATED my amoxicillin Mommy and Daddy had to give me twice a day....but I always managed to either squirm away or spit it in their faces!

I didn't have enough energy to play for very long--I took sooo many naps last week (Mommy said she was well rested)

More Please

These Darn Teeth!!!

Good news: Max wasn't as sick as we thought; well, once he got over the strep throat, ear infection, and being over medicated! As it turns out, his teeth (or gums I should say) were really hurting him and causing him to not eat--for a whole week and a half! We found the culprit after a quick peak in his mouth: a molar was sprouting up waayyy back there. Crazy how this teething thing works!

Still Not Better....

It may be another trip to the doctor tomorrow for Max as he's still not better (going on day 6). He's eating just enough to keep himself hydrated, but this evening began vomiting. He's still being a good sport about everything though! We'll keep everybody posted, but my fingers are crossed that he'll feel 110% better tomorrow because I'm getting a little sick of these doctor visits!

Health Update

Good news: Max is doing a bit better today! Amoxicilin and Motrin work wonders! He's slept a lot since 7:00 last night, but he's finally eating a lot better (9 oz bottles) and isn't grabbing at his ears (the scratches on his head need time to heal). He put himself to bed around 7:00, woke up around midnight and ate 9 oz, then slept until 9:00 this morning, took his morning nap a 10:00 and is currently taking his afternoon nap. I really hope this means he's on the mend and we won't have to go back to the doctor's office until his four month check up in two weeks!

Three Days in a Row

So today was the third day in a row that Max has been to the doctor. Call me the over neurotic mother, but I know something is just not right with him. He acts completely happy and is rarely fussy, has no fevers, but he keeps backing away from his bottle. I know he's hungry because he keeps "eating" his hands and making his hungry cry, but when he sees his bottle he doesn't want to eat=( It's really heartbreaking for me and frusterating. I just want him to feel 100% better and be my good little eater that he's always been.
The doctor said his left ear was definitely infected and inflamed and suspected strep throat. The throat culture came back negative, but she still treated him as if he had strep. Hopefully this round of amoxicillin will help and make him feel better. We have to do a follow up appointment later this week with his pediatrician, but hopefully he starts getting better before then.

Sick Again

Max is sick again, this time with a double ear infection and a viral infection. I took him to the doctor yesterday afternoon after he woke up from his nap and didn't want his bottle (and he always wants his bottle). We took him back to the doctor today because he wasn't eating enough and we were concerned about dehydration. Well, his pediatrician said his ears were looking better, still infected but better. They pricked his finger (he didn't even cry!) and ran a blood test, which showed elevated levels (whatever that means). They said to continue his antibiotic and give him Tylenol around the clock the next couple days. However, the thing that's probably causing him the most pain are his teeth!

So yet again, we have another tooth popping up that's causing lots of problems! The doctor said that's more than likely the cause of him not eating much.....I am soooo done with this whole teething thing!

Oh and Max's current weight: 16 lbs 13 oz! My big boy!!!

How Much Is Too Much?

That is the question of the day. It seems as if Max has done nothing but eat all day long. He easily polished off an 11 oz bottle and then ate another 6 oz an hour and a half later, along with 3 tsp of rice! He wanted more rice, but I was afraid his little tummy couldn't handle it and we would be faced with a projectile repeat! I guess I should have fed him more rice because as Matt and I were eating our pizza, he kept opening his mouth at every bite we took. When he finally realized he wasn't getting a bite, he started crying (a very pathetic cry I might add) so he got his bottle instead.....I don't think he's ready for pizza just yet.

Max is eating a ton! Most babies his age are eating 6-8 oz every 3 to 5 hours according to the pediatrician, but Max is still eating every 2 hours during the day. Is he eating too much? Is there something we can do so he goes longer between feedings? These are just a few of the "new parent" questions Matt and I wonder about.  At least he's still sleeping through the night, right? 

Bummed About Today

It's a gorgeous day out and I'm stuck inside working until 6 tonight=( By the time I get home, Max will be winding down for the night, so it's not like we can really enjoy the evening too much. Plus it's a Sunday....I'm not too thrilled about working Sunday's. It's the only day of the week that both Matt and I had off and could spend as a family. Now we can't even do that, except for the days Matt has off during the week, which only happen two times a month. I just have to keep in mind the reason I chose to work Sunday's. I only work 2 1/2 days a week and get to spend the rest of my time with my Max, so when I really think about it, it's totally worth it! At least I have next weekend off so I can enjoy Steph's baby shower and relax with Matt and Max next Sunday.
At the end of the month, Matt took a full week off of work, so hopefully we'll be able to spend time together and as a family and do something fun....with the very little extra money we have after paying bills!

On a good note: Max slept 10 hours straight last night--he never woke up once! This marks the second night in a row he's done this, although Friday night he slept 11 hours straight....he must be going through another grow spurt! I don't really even want to think about it. He's already outgrowing all of his fall clothes we just bought him a month ago! Just this past week he has started to take his naps without a problem again. Even though they're all in his swing, he seems to be happier now that he's sleeping plenty! Now we just have to worry about finding clothes that fit!

3 Months Old

As of this past Sunday, Max is 3 months old! He is now 16 lbs and 26 inches and outgrowing all of this clothes! Two days after turning 3 months old, Max rolled over for the first time. He has done it a few times since then, but he could still use some practice! He has also found out in the past week or so, that he loves to squeal (loudly) and talk non stop while playing and getting his diaper changed. Our free time is now spent watching Max play in his gym and discover new things, such as his feet.

Here are a few pictures of Max at 3 months old:

Max practicing his rolling technique

He loves "talking" to the lion in his play gym

Obviously he was ready for his nap!

Rick and Andrea's Wedding Weekend

We're a little late on posting this, but Rick and Andrea got married September 20th! It was a beautiful wedding and the reception was a blast! We are so happy for them! We are very pleased to report that Max was a very good boy that night, allowing Mommy and Daddy to stay until almost 10:00 pm. At the wedding, Max got to see his cousin Ty again. It was fun to see how big they had both gotten since last time they were together. Although, we're hoping that their play dates become a little more entertaining as they grow older!

 Also that weekend, Max got to meet his cousins Connor and Grady, aunt Jen, and uncle Sean from Carbondale for the first time. Unfortunately Matt and I were working when he met them at Grandma and Grandpa Sheaffer's, but Grandma said he really loved watching his big cousins! He really loved his aunt Jen too=)

Rolling, rolling, rolling

It is true. Just a few days after turning 3 months old, Max is rolling over and this time we got to witness it! I got home from work today and was, of course, excited to see Max. After cuddling with him for a bit, I decided it was tummy time. I set him down and hadn't even stood up all the way, when he rolled over. Matt and I just looked at each other speechless (I think I finally got out, "did you see that??!!). He's still perfecting his roll (he sometimes has trouble) but it seems it won't be long before Matt and I need to start child proofing the apartment!

Rolling Over?

So we're not quite sure because unfortunately we weren't in the room to witness it, but we believe Max is rolling over. Max woke up for a bottle at 5 am and needed boogers sucked out of his nose as well. Matt put him on his tummy in his crib and went in search for the nasal aspirator. As he walked back into Max's room, Matt stopped and yelled to me: "He rolled over!" I, still being in a very sleepy state replied, "What? Are you sure?" This went on for another five minutes with me continuously asking, "Are you sure he rolled over? Are you positive?" Matt's response every time: "I put him on his tummy. When I came back in he was on his back up against the side of his crib. How did he get in that position if he didn't roll over??"

This morning we worked on lots of tummy time in hopes we got to see him roll this time. As of 1:00 this afternoon, he has yet to do it again.

Aaaccchhhooo!!!

The cold season has officially started in our family. Max and I both have battled colds all week, which has now turned into an ear infection for Max. Great Grandma Ann has been a huge help, directing us and giving us tips to help him feel better. The doctor put Max on Amoxicillan and it's been nothing less than challenging giving him his medicine. It goes something like this:

First, we must strap him down as tightly as possible to his changing table so he doesn't squirm away from the dropper. Next step, put a bib on (it can get quite messy). Start with a little Tylenol for a warm up (we're still working on teeth, so it's been double the pain for him). Then, with 1 tsp of Amoxicillan in hand, try to get him to smile or open his mouth as wide as possible....continue this step until dropper is emptied. Now, the real trick is to make sure he swallows the medicine and hope he doesn't spit it all out (or sneeze and have it go all over the wall).

Luckily he is already feeling better and has gotten his appetite back BIG TIME!!! He's been eating 4 to 5 oz every hour today! The doctor said he would try to make up for lost calories the past few days, but mom's having a hard time keeping up! Hopefully Daddy doesn't get sick now so Mommy can get feeling 100% better.

In other news, Max is now holding rattles and grabbing for toys. He's still lacking some coordination, but he's still entertaining to watch and listen to him "talk" to his toys. Also, Max is soooo close to rolling over it's driving us crazy......stay tuned because it could happen any day!

Things Max Loves

Here are a few of Max's favorite things and activities:

Max loves his naps (most days). What he didn't like? The shots he had before this at his two month check up.

His bear blanket....and chewing on the corners.

His rattles and his newly discovered hands. Who knew hands could be so amazing??!

Tummy time!!! And being naked.

Chewing his fingers, bib, and onesie all at the same time, and then choking on everything.

I'm Back.....

At work that is, after 11 weeks off. As much as I was dreading going back, it wasn't as bad as I feared....although it was a little touchy first thing in the morning. I cried when Matt took Max to the babysitter's (and by babysitter's I mean Grandma and Grandpa Sheaffer). I was nervous that Max would be really fussy or cry like he's been doing because of his teeth, but Grandma said he was great all day! The good news is that in a few weeks I'll only be working weekends, so we won't have to worry about daycare and I can spend my days catering to my little Maxwell=)

This past Wednesday Max had his two month check up and got lots of shots! Besides bleeding a little with the shots and lots of tears, Max is great! He's a happy, healthy 14 lb boy who will be starting on baby food in a few weeks!!! It seems like he's getting big so fast! His bottom left tooth still hasn't come in yet--it keeps coming up and going back down, but he's working hard on getting it through. He's recently discovered he can bunch his onesies up and stuff it in his mouth. It's pretty darn cute except we have a lot of wet onesies in our laundry!

The onesie Daddy gave him

The t-shirt we got from the ob who delivered him

We call this Max's Meltdown or Bed Time Breakdown

Holy Cow, Already!!??!

After a few weeks of continued fussiness (and Mommy growing more concerned), I took Max to the doctor today, just in case it was an ear infection or something. Well, as I suspected, Max is teething, but even better, his first tooth is coming in! The doctor said it could be another two months before it's all the way through, but you can see a little white spot on his gums. Mommy and Daddy can hardly believe it: 9 weeks old today and getting in his first tooth already! It seems waaayyy too soon. At least it put my mind at ease to know he's perfectly healthy otherwise. We just have to deal with a fussy baby for a long while now!

And so I don't make the blog site all about Max, today is Matt's birthday! We're not doing too much, just grilling brats and watching his Heroes DVD's Max and I got him. Tomorrow night we're going out for dinner and margaritas with friends!!! So that will be nice to get out together for the first time in two months, plus I'm really excited for a margarita (my first one in over 9 months). It should be a fun (and fussy) long weekend for us!

Max is 2 Months Old!

We can hardly believe it, but Max is two months old today! Time really does fly and I can't believe how big he has gotten over the last eight and a half weeks. He loves his bottle and milk so much that we have to take it away from him! We learned the hard way last Thursday night with his bedtime bottle: he really enjoys trying to finish a 9 oz bottle, but it was more than his tummy could hold and he projectile spit up (not fun). His tummy was still upset the next day, so Mommy took him to the doctor. The doctor's conclusion: he's eating too much. We had to give him Pedialite for the rest of the day to give his tummy a break.

We also started to give him rice cereal hoping that helps to fill his tummy more. However, instead of drinking it out of a bottle like any other 8 week old, my "big boy" eats with a spoon (making things even more interesting). He's still not completely sure what to do it, but surprisingly he swallows a good amount of cereal.

As much as he loves to eat, his new favorite activity is trying to sit up on his own. He does a great job at getting his neck and top of his shoulders up, but he's not quite strong enough to go all the way (thank goodness because Mommy feels like he's growing up too fast). Matt and I swear that once he's strong enough, he's just going to go straight to crawling.

He's also doing a bit better when we take him out places; he just wants to be held the whole time (we're working on getting him to like his stroller).  It seems like everyday he's learning something new and doing something different that he didn't do the day before. We can't wait to see what the next two months have to bring! 

We're Finally Sleeping!!!

After seven weeks of getting up in the middle of the night every three to four hours for feedings, we're all getting adequate sleep! Max is sleeping five to six hours at a time, which means Mommy and Daddy are well rested! As corny as it sounds, I am quite proud of my Bubba for this accomplishment, especially when I talk to other mom's. Max is also a champion nap taker, so I get a lot done during the day (my kitchen floor is finally clean).

The only thing that I can complain about at this point is that Max doesn't like his schedule interrupted at all! He doesn't like to go anywhere, won't take his naps anywhere but at home, and cries until we get home (it's just a joy taking him places). I've had a few wonderful experiences with this recently: once I got the okay, I decided we would go to the mall and walk a few laps. He started screaming half way through the first lap and wanted to be held. It was quite interesting pushing the stroller and holding him (luckily I didn't drop him). A few days later we needed groceries, so we ventured out to Super Target. I quickly got all of our groceries loaded into the cart in about five minutes, but it as we were standing in line that he decided to exercise his lungs....very, very loudly I might add. This weekend went a little smoother when we got Daddy involved: we had someone to push the stroller when he had enough and wanted to be held.

I no longer have any hopes of getting some exercise during the day, but hopefully we can break him of this little (actually big) problem soon.....like, in time for Rick and Andrea's wedding or that night could have disaster written all over it! Wish us luck!

Max's Playdate

Here are a few pictures of Max meeting Olivia and Anika and his playdate with Ella (he didn't do much):

I Suppose It's Time to Update

Nothing too exciting has happened since we've last posted, but here's a rundown of our life the past month:

Max is almost 7 weeks old and weighing in at close to 14 lbs (my little chunker!). I can't believe how fast he's growing! He's does great at night (Mommy and Daddy are quite happy about it), sleeping three to four hours at a time before he wakes up and thinks he can't live another second without a bottle. Max keeps mommy busy during the day, eating around 6 oz every hour or hour and a half. We tried rice in his bottle at bedtime last week, but it gave him a tummy ache=(  Hopefully his tummy will be able to handle rice in the next couple of weeks because he is wearing Mommy out!

 We had to take him to the doctor a few weeks ago and found out he has eczema. After a $25 trip to Target, he now has all hypoallergenic laundry detergent, lotion, and body wash. His face and hands have cleared up nicely, but we're hoping it's something he'll grow out of (Mommy's not a big fan of the expensive hypoallergenic stuff we have to buy).

Max has also had a couple of play dates. His first one was with his cousin Ty from Minnesota. Matt and I weren't there (we got away for an afternoon movie) but Grandma said there was a lot of kicking going on. Max's second play date was this past weekend with Ella. Max didn't do a whole lot, but Ella was interested! He also got to meet Ella's mommy Laura and our friends Olivia and Anika--Max enjoyed all of the attention!

I start back to work September 5th. I'll have a hard time leaving my baby for the few hours I'll work each week, but it will be nice to have adult conversation during the day! I had my follow up doctor appointment Monday and got the ok to start exercising again, which means Max gets to start taking walks with Mommy during the day! Last week was exhausting and sad: my Grandma Betty died Sunday evening. Our week was filled with family and Max went to funeral (he was fine until about half way through and then he was done!). I'm happy she got to meet Max and sad she won't be here to see him grow up and meet our future children, but I like to think she's still keeping tabs on things=)

The past month has been quite interesting (thanks to Max and his little accomplishments). We'll be better about keeping everyone up to date with our life!

First Doctor Visit

Max had his two week check up this morning. When we left the hospital two weeks ago he weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz.- today he weighs 10 lbs. 10 oz. He's getting to be a hefty little guy. It stands to reason- he LOVES eating.

Because we take him to the same pediatrician that Great Grandma Ann works at, Max gets extra special attention. The doctor said he looks pretty good. His umbilical cord hadn't fallen off, but while she was checking his circumcision she brushed against it and the stump stuck to her finger. Max didn't seem to notice. He's happier now because that means he gets more tummy time.

Max does have a crusty little eyes which we have to massage ointment into. Other than that he's perfectly healthy and registering well above normal in height and weight for his age. His head size is right at average. I don't know why they calculate these things. The doctor gave us a chart so we can keep track too.

Our next appointment is at the beginning of Sept. Max will get a good deal of shots. Maybe dad will have to miss that appointment.