Easter 2011

Max got his first Easter "bucket" in the mail a few days early.  We let him open it and he loved everything in it(Especially the card and yogurt melts)!  Thanks Grandma!

Easter morning began with Max playing with his new wagon(thanks moo moo!!).  After we got dressed for Church we let Max dig into his goods(the sliver egg once contained my engagement ring when Scott proposed).  Yes he did get a lot, not everything was from us, but hey GO BIG OR GO HOME!

After church we went to Neen's for lunch.  We took the traditional Easter pics outside and then ate a great lunch.  No Easter egg hunting this year. 

And he's off!!!

That is right Max is now a crawler!!  Well.....more of a scooter, but he is getting places!  Scott always calls me after he picks up Max and give's me a report of his day.  Well today I got news that I was happy about but also sad about.  Max crawled!  I was happy because he is growing up, but sad that I missed a first.  When I got home the first thing I did was try to get him to crawl.  I laughed as he scooted towards me.  He keeps his left leg bent in front of him and his right leg behind him to push as he pulls with his arms in a sitting position.....please try at home :)  In the past few days he has been all over the house and testing his limits!  One GREAT thing about Max moving about is he now follows us and doesn't scream if we leave the room.

Flat J

We had a little tagalong on our trip to NYC...Flat J...of as I called her Little J.  Here is her blog post from a friend from High School's blog.

8 months old!!

Our sweet Max is 8 months old!!  He is changing so much!!  He wants to crawl so bad...but isn't quite yet.  He has started with separation anxiety.  If we walk out of the room and leave he, he scream until you come back.  On this note he has also become very stubborn(wonder where that comes from...Scott), and he has a very short temper(yes that is from me).  Another habit he has developed is not eating out of a bottle.  The only way he will eat milk is if he nurses from me.  He locks his lips and shakes his head no when he sees a bottle.  We have tried a couple sippy cups, but he hasn't figured out how to use them yet.  I have been quite stressed about this because he needs the milk more than food.  Because he does not eat milk all day as soon as I walk in the door he cry's till I nurse him, and then he is up every 2-4 hours to nurse during the night.  Max loves patty cake and is a good clapper.  He loves his books but would rather open and close them, then let us read them to him.  Happy 8 months to our Max!!

Max's 8 mo pics will be taken the middle of the month, so hopefully we will have pic for the blog soon :)

Michigan trip

A few days after getting back from the city, Max and I hopped another plane to visit some of my family in Michigan.  Scott just had a week off of work so he couldn't take more time off.  My cousin Kelly had her first baby Feb 1st and I was so excited to go and meet him!  I was a bit nervous about flying alone with Max because Scott has become the baby whisperer when it comes to getting Max to sleep, and we all know a crying baby on a plane is no fun.



Max asleep in his carseat on the plane

Max did good!  A few screams but nothing major and the flight was a success!  However getting through security was a task!  I had Max, his diaper bag, carseat and stroller, and my pump.  Everything but Max and I had to go on the belt through the xray machine.  So I became the one handed wonder and got everything folded up and on the belt(including my shoes) and we didn't even have to be grooped, or scanned!  FYI- you can bring breastmilk through security as long as you go through the family line and let them know(they do some kind of test to make sure it won't explode...nothing major).

Once we arrived safely in MI, my uncle picked us up, and the visiting commenced.  Little Jack is sooo sweet!!  Jack and Max are 6 mo apart in age.  Kelly's bro and I were 2 days apart and were very close when we were younger.  I hope that even though they live hundreds of mils away they will still be close. 

 My mom drove down from northern MI and we stayed with her at a hotel for a couple nights.  We drove around a little and stopped in Hell(MI), for the needed tourist pics.  Now at one point in my life my dad lived just outside of Hell and when we stayed with him we cam to Hell all the time.  LOL it still cracks me up!  We also went to IKEA(yes I now have an obsession).  IKEA was a little rough on my mom due to her having to walk with crutches.  She broke part of her pelvis a few weeks before and is supposed ot be non weight bearing on her left leg.  They did have a wheel chair she could use but she was stubborn.

All together we had a great trip!!  I wish we lived closer so I could see Jack more often!

On a side note my mom did not have a safe drive home.  She rolled her car twice(thanks ice and snow).  She had an angel looking after her.  Her car was totaled and she walked away(after they helped her climb out the back of the car) with only a few scratches. 

A spoon full of NYC

Scott and I were just sitting here trying to decide on a title for this blog...An empire state of mind, taking a bite out the the big apple, send our regards to Broadway, New York New York, planes trains and automobiles...and so many other options....

Spring break for Scott so far has always fallen on our anniversary week and we love to travel so we planned a big trip this year....NYC!!  I have been to the city several times and Scott has been there now 3 times.  We both love it!!!  This would be our first BIG trip with Max(we went to FL in Oct) and his first time tot he city.  We decided to bring him with us first of all because I am still nursing, second that would be a long time to be away from him, and third we though he would be a good traveler.

We started our trip off with Max's first airplane ride.  I booked us a flight with a layover because I thought Max would get antsy on a long flight and a short one with a break would be better....I was wrong.  The first flight went well until we started to land, the pressure got to his ears and he was the screaming baby on the plane for about 5 min(puffs to the rescue!).  He did much better on our other flight and on the way home(we made sure to get him to sleep before we started to land).  Once we got to NYC(2hours late...thanks delayed flight) we got in the taxi.  Now in NYC a baby does not have to ride in a car seat while in a taxi or on public transportation.  This made us a bit nervous but Max enjoyed his car ride being help by mama.  After checking into the hotel(loved our hotel, great staff, free breakfast, good location) we headed off to Brooklyn to say hi to the Berry's.  That involved Max's fist subway ride!  In a matter for 24 hours Max experienced his first airplane, taxi, and subway train.

Our first full day we spent walking around(we stayed downtown NYC-Financial district...LOVE IT!) and we eventually made it to Times Square and had lunch then hopped on a double decker bus for a little sight seeing.  We went back to Brooklyn for dinner. 

The next day Scott and I went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway.  Max stayed with the Berry's.  Macy is like a little momma and sweet Hudson though Max was their new pet and kept calling him like he calls their cat.  Nikki said they had a great time and Max was super good for them.  Now Nikki always talks about how they go to IKEA(a furniture store) and eat.  I had to check this place out so Scott and I hopped a water taxi and headed back to the Brooklyn IKEA.  After eating dinner...yes I am still amazed that they have a restaurant in the middle of a furniture store, oh and it is good and super cheap, we browsed the store. I was also quite impressed that IKEA has a children's restroom that has a place in it for me to nurse!  I actually had privacy to feed him there!

Unfortunately we had a day of rain, plus 36 degree weather.  We decided to stay in until it got a little nicer so Max wasn't outside for too long.  We missed our lunch date at Lombardi's Pizza so we went for a early dinner.  So glad we did get to go, the BEST pizza we have ever had!  After dinner we made it back up town for some browsing on 5th Ave.  We went to Dylan's Candy Bar and FAO Schwartz.  At FAO Schwartz we saw them making Whatnots.  Whatnots are Muppet's...but not he real Muppet's.  We decided Max just HAD to have one so......Meet Bernie!

Our last day in the city we met up with Nikki and Hudson, did a little shopping, and a whole lot of walking.  It was actually a pretty nice day and we got to see a lot of our fav city.

Now Max did great!  He is a great traveler!  I was so proud of our little man.  He rode in a stroller great and just rolled with the flow!  I am completely over any shyness while nursing him...he was nursed on the plane, tour bus, airport, restaurants(in the booths), hotel lobby, dressing rooms.  If he had to eat I just fed him...oh well :)

We can not wait to go back...New York we miss you!

Tshirt give away!

MCA designs is doing a free bday tshirt contest.  I have already bought a few things from them and love it!  I first found them on ETSY.  Make sure to check them out for any cute shirts/bibs/burp cloths...ect!

Addie's Pirate Birthday

Today we went to Addie's 4th birthday.  She had a pirate birthday party so we had to dress accordingly.  Melissa had a great setup and we had a great time at her party!  Happr Birthday Addie!!

Max's first tooth!!!

Very exciting news!!!  Max has his first tooth!  I last felt his gums on March 1st and didn't feel anything. Well on Friday night(the 4th) Scott noticed Max was chewing on his hands like crazy....so he felt his lower gums and said "Holy crap there is something sharp"!!! We immediately looked and low and behold there was a small white tooth starting to poke out of his gums(the right one). 
Well Sat night(the 5th) Max did not sleep well...up every hour or so even with Tylenol.  Well we took a look this morning and his bottom left tooth is starting to break through.  So sometime in the next few days we should have some real teeth there!

Now we tried to get a picture but after torturing Max for several minutes and with 3 different cameras we could not get a good picture.  Once his teeth are showing more we will try to get a picture.

7 Months Old

Little Max turned 7mo old today.  He is really becomming the wiggle worm.  He can not be left unattended anymore, if you leave the room and come back he has moved around and is in a new spot.  He is not crawling and still hates tummy time so he doesn't stay on his belly long enogh to even try to crawl.  However, if he is sitting and wants something he flops forward onto his belly and has on occasion(trying to get my computer) has pushed himself forward with his knees a foot or two.  We have finished all the main veggies and have added fruit in the morning with his cereal and he loves it!!  We are still working our way through the fruits(3 days in a row is a long time!).  We have also started giving Max puffs.  He LOVES them!  They are a good way to keep him occupied when we are out to dinner.

Here is a pic of Max on his 7mo bday