Max 6 Weeks

Mother's Day 2012 and Some Randomness

Maxwell 1 Month

Mother's Day @ Fernwood Botanical Gardens

Boys with Grandpa

Auntie Donna on Mother's Day

Busis & Giagia

Me & my boys

Ben looking cute

Us - Wedding reception in December

Ben playing baseball in the yard - hitting the ball right at us!

Henry's summer feet

Henry 18mo / Max 1mo

My FAVORITE pic of Henry, ever. It captures his true essence.

Max and Daddy

We feed this boy, I swear!

Henry picked me some flowers

Hugs!

All the boys...Chad, Ben and Henry, plus Brian, Austin and Conner

It reached 90 degrees here this weekend, and some outdoor fun with the sprinkler and friends was in order. We met up at the park and the boys ran around until their cheeks were red and hair soaked in sweat! Their boys are roughly the same age as ours, so Ben was happy to have a playmate who did more than steal his toys.

One of my favorite things about our new house - the yard! It's full of fun things for the boys to explore and lots of room to run. It also makes it nice for pictures! Ben loves the sprinkler, but Henry is not a fan. He just stands frozen in place when the water hits him. It's kinda funny.

Max and Henry had check ups this last week. Here are their stats:

Max: 1 Month
Height: 22in / 59%
Weight: 10.4 / 54%
Head: 15 1/4 / 55%

Henry: 18 Months
Height: 32 1/4 / 42%
Weight: 24 10.5 / 29%
Head: 18 1/2 / 25%

I was expecting Henry to be higher on the weight % because he eats like a horse. I guess that is normal...The doc did say that Henry's speech was phenomenal, which I tend to agree with. Both boys were early talkers. Henry can say any word you ask him to repeat, but he also is able to talk and identify several items on his own. He is also putting together a few word sentences. His firsts were "Here mommy", "Look mommy", and "Outside now". I cold spend a lot of time typing all the words he can say, but here are a few: no, okay, mommy, daddy, Ben, outside, down, all done, bye-bye, doggy, awesome (his new one!), ball, block, kitty, bonk, remote, blankie, milk, wa-wa, fork, spoon, cup, baby, Mac (Max), Papaw, Mamaw, eat, snack, cookie.

Max is such a dream baby. He is smiling all the time now. He looks up at you and smiles away with those adorable dimples. Although he still resembles his brothers, he is starting to look like his own little self. He still sleeps really well too. Last night he woke once at 3am. He is awake more during the day now though, which is a good thing. He needs to keep an eye on that Henry who has recently taken to snacking on baby toes.

Ben is also in this stage where we absolutely have to be careful what we say around him because he will repeat anything. Anything he sees, hears, is everyone's business! I haven't had any embarrassing moments yet, but I'm sure they will come.

I have some lovely Mother's Day pictures on my other computer, which I will upload in another day or two. It was a fabulous day! We went to the botanical gardens, which I never knew existed here. I lived here practically all my life! However I guess that was not something that interested me in my tweens and twenties. With kiddos, it's the perfect place for them to run and explore nature. We spent two hours there and hardly made it through 1/4 of it. There are trails galore!

In other exciting news, Chad drove our new minivan up this weekend. I have to admit, I LOVE it. It's so roomy. Shoot, I'd probably have one with one kid. I can't imagine why I fought this for so long. Do I feel a little soccer-mom driving it? Sure. Do I care? Not one bit.

Rainy Day Fun

I love rainy days. This day was perfect for splashing (or sitting) in mud puddles. The boys had a great time, while Max slept soundly inside.

I feel like I haven't much to write. I think of things all day long to say, but as soon as I sit to type I've forgotten what it was.

My motivation for doing things around the house has flown out the window. Luckily I have lots of family who have been coming over to help with that. Dad put up some curtain rods this week so my kitchen no longer feels like a fishbowl. Mom and I are going to tackle some flower beds today. I've never been good at determining whether a new sproutling is a weed or going to be something beautiful. So, mom to the rescue.

I've been able to get out by myself and with the other ones a bit too. My saint Aunt Donna spent nearly the whole weekend with us. It was cold and rainy (not the fun type) so the boys were stuck indoors. She kept them occupied so I could tend to Max. On Sunday it was nicer so we went for a walk in the neighborhood. Ben and Henry met a new friend down the street. There seem to be a lot of little ones in our neighborhood, which is much different for us. We went down to the pond, and as soon as Ben was spotted, the little guy came outside and off they went. I'm hoping for more of that.

This weekend the older boys will be with Mamaw and Papaw, something we all need a little bit of :). They LOVE going over there. In fact, we pretty much have a count down for Ben because it seems to be all he can talk about lately. I'm headed to get a massage and see a movie with a very special lady, my mama. Plus, my body could sure use it! Auntie Donna will have Mr. Max for the day. I'm so excited!

My cousin Nicole came for a visit this weekend too. She lives about an hour north in Michigan, and is expecting a little boy in July (their first). Shower planning is underway and I get to make cake-pops. Let's hope these turn out better than my last attempt. I think as long as I remember that they are not supposed to be the size of golf balls, we should be ok. They tasted yummy (lemon with chocolate icing), but were so big the stick couldn't hold them.

Well three weeks of maternity leave gone already. That stinks. I really would like to stay out longer this time, but that's not possible. I'm hoping to get out with a good friend and her little guy tomorrow for some much needed walking, sun, and girl time. Let's hope the weather holds out.

So...we are about to make a purchase I said I would never make. A minivan! Say what you will, but it's become necessary with three kids. Ben literally has to climb through the trunk to get buckled in the Sante Fe. They totally lied to us about getting three seats in the middle row. We've tried the narrowest of car seats, and it ain't happening. Plus, how will we fit all of our beach gear into the trunk this summer - on Ben's lap!?! I'm actually kind of excited. Sue me.

Chad & I are planning a week long trip to Oregon this summer to attend the wedding of some dear friends. We also just want to go to Oregon, but the nuptials are the icing on the cake. I've been reading up on things to do, places to eat (of course), and lodging. I can honestly say, I already want to live there. It's soooo freakin' beautiful, and I've just seen pictures. Honeymoon #2, here we come.

Memorial weekend are are having my Max and nephew baptized together. Lots of family and fun to look forward to. Plus, I miss my little Brian. As do his cousins. I'd better purchase my new camera lens for the occasion. I have my eye on a better, faster one which promises better clarity. Um Chad, my birthday is coming up...