fun with daddy (and the remote:))

Isn't this just too cute? If you look closely you can see one of the batteries for the remote sitting on the table!! Hey, he doesn't care!

Sick baby :(

Yesterday the cough that Max had for over a week turned into a full fledged cold. In fact in the morning he was coughing so much he started to wheeze again, I called the pediatrician and they couldn't get him in until 2:30 (it was 11:00). We decided to not take any chances and have him seen sooner. We went to the ER at Children's Mercy, yes my new place of employment as well. I have only done one shift but I was supposed to work yesterday. Let's just say that the call I made to let them know my baby was sick and I may not be in got us VIP treatment. Now, I believe that even without my VIP status we should have been seen soon, but hey... it didn't hurt! We got right back, avoiding the urine smell in the waiting room. The doctor checked him out and basically said that we did the right thing, but, he wasn't currently wheezing and his oxygen level was perfect. He said to keep an eye on his breathing and that the cough was what he needed to do. Poor little man is miserable, or is he? I mean, he sounds like CRAP, but he is laughing and playful. Kids are awesome like that! We have the vaporizer going full blast all night, he is covered in baby vicks and he is dosed with motrin at bedtime. Last night he did pretty well, he woke up a couple times, but 4:45 he woke up with snot bubbles. After we sucked out his nose, changed his diaper and mommy rocked him, he slept until 7ish. Clark put his binky in his mouth then and he didn't wake up for good until 7:45. Can't complain, really. Today he is doing a little better, he is really fighting his naps because his cough wakes him up so much. He has been asleep since 7 and right now is making NO noises! Shoot, I hope I didn't just jinx myself! Here is the "sick" little boy playing in his jumpy seat today...



Ok, ok, for the exciting news of the day. We have been saying for a while that we needed, wanted, a new kitchen sink. When we built our house we had to be really careful spending money on upgrades since we were living on one income. Well, our sink served it's purpose but the faucet was awful. The sprayer hasn't worked for over a year, the water comes on when it feels like it, and, ok that's it, we just hate it!!! Today we decided, after Clark tried to get the water on for 3 minutes, to use some of our tax return on a new sink (yeah us, we haven't spent any of it so far!!). Guess we should thank Max for the sink then huh? ha! Our precious little tax return!!! So, here are a few pics before, during and after.

The old one...



Big hole + Clark, my super handy husband...



Looking good!!




WOW!!! I love it!!!!



Well, who knows how the night will go, better get some sleep!

"My kid will never get that..."

I know anyone who knows Clark has heard him say that he would never give Max anything that would turn soggy or mushy in his mouth. He has been so grossed out watching other people pick up saliva soaked food and clean up the mess it left behind. Well, as we all knew he would one day give in. Today was that day. Max got a "biter biscuit." It was pretty nasty, I can't lie. Max thouroughly enjoyed it and it entertained him all the way through us eating dinner. So nice to eat in peace! As you can see, he made quite a mess!





Nap time continues to go pretty well, he is only taking one long nap in his bed each day but that is mostly my fault. I keep him so busy we are only home for one nap. Max went to the gym daycare this morning where they fed him (a big step for anyone who knows me... I let a stranger feed him!) and he took a nap. Then we went shopping for daddy's birthday present. When we got home he slept for an hour and a half! Plenty of time for me to shower and eat lunch. We have really been enjoying the nice weather here. We went for a walk last night and tonight. I can't wait for it to be warm for good! That's all for today, I work tomorrow so I apologize in advance for no post.

Leaps and Bounds!

I know I said a couple weeks ago that Max had learned so many new thing so fast but he hasn't stopped! He is so different each week. Last week we started the nap thing and I don't know but I think it has made a huge difference. He used to nap for about 30-60 min, now he is napping almost 2 hours at a time! He is so well rested that he doesn't get nearly as fussy as he used to. Now, every time I talk about how great he is doing or how happy he has been he gives me a day where that reverses. I hope tomorrow is good!

Last week Max and I went shopping all day on Thursday... he was SO good. It was a long day but he was patient. We came home to a clean house (thanks to my self indulgence... a cleaning lady once a month), later Thursday night we went to Paige's house (one of the wives left home during the ski trip!). We had yummy dinner and watched a chick flick. Perfect way to spend a night without the hubby! Then I worked all weekend- friday, saturday and sunday... yuck. Needless to say last night I was too tired to make a post. Sorry to any avid readers!

Yesterday Max had an ENT appointment and I was curious to see what he said about the tubes. He pulled out a nasty "blood clot," it looked like a scab. Other than that he said they both looked great! Yeah! Then we went to PT and hung out with Michelle. We love her!

Ok, so I said leaps and bounds, I'll elaborate.

Scooting...?
Sunday when Clark got home we were playing with Max on the floor. He was reaching so hard for toys while laying on his tummy. There was a yellow ring just out of reach so he pulled his legs under him and lunged forward! I make it sound much more dramatic and graceful than it was, in fact a couple of the times he accidentally picked him butt up too high and flipped himself over. You could totally tell he was trying to move forward though!!!

New noises...
He always has been a noisy little man but lately he is conversing. He will sit in his car seat and just talk and talk. He also loves to squeal. Clark always thinks he is getting upset but when you look at him he is smiling so big! He isn't too big on laughing but he loves to get excited. He flaps his arms and shakes his head. It is too cute!

Sitting up...
Not only is he sitting up on his own, he is sitting in high chairs and carts at the store! I got a really cute thing that is just a piece of fabric that velcros to the front of a cart (I also put it on high chairs) and it has toys attached. If I pad around him with a blanket then he can't fall back or to the side so he sits and plays with the toys. He has been so much better at restaurants because of it. Grandma Cathy must have read about my unsafe bath seat last week so she brought over a bath chair for Max. He seems to really like it, he tries to reach for toys in the tub a lot! Thanks Grandma Cathy!




Rolling, rolling, rolling...
As you can see in the picture below he rolls all over the living room! I put him down the other day and went up to wash his bottle out. I looked down and he was gone! He rolled all the way across the floor. Too funny!




Eating...
Max has always been a good eater but he gets better everyday! This picture is too cute, he doesn't quite get it that it has to be open first!



Yesterday we set up our web cam on a program called Skype. Now we are able to talk to Becki, Darren and cousin Brice all the way in Tenessee. It is so cool! Anybody out there with a web cam let me know! I don't think Brice knows what to think of it but I love it!

Sorry again for the days without posts, I will try and do better! Good Night!

Fun times :)

First an update: Max and I are still working on a routine. This morning we dropped Clark off for his ski trip and went to the gym. When we got home I put Max down for a nap, he fell asleep very fast and slept for almost an hour and a half. I had to wake him up to get ready for lunch!! This afternoon was a different story... He took a catnap on the way to get his flu shot and when we got home I tried to put him down but he screamed for an HOUR! I gave up and let him stay awake, he was one fussy kid though. I gave in and fed him early, and surprisingly he ate very well. Then he had a bath and was laughing and playing in the bathtub. After the bath... back to grumpy kid. Grandma Dee and Grandad came over to bring me dinner and Max finally went to bed around 7. Whew! He wears me out.

The fun part of the day was going to lunch with Kelli and Cassie. They were some of my favorite nurses from the NICU and they loved Max. Max was not sharing any smiles but they still enjoyed him. We went to the new gymboree outlet and the carter's store and I got Max some new stuff. He outgrows stuff so fast! Here are some pictures from lunch, Max has good taste in girls, huh?





Max and I have a big day of shopping tomorrow!!! Better rest up...

Working on a routine...

Max proved last week when he was with his daddy that he has gone from spoiled to rotten. Clark had to drive around to get him to nap. I know that most people would say, "we've all done that." Ok, fine, once in a while. But, every nap for 2 straight days... poor Clark! I had decided I was going to get the book Babywise, but looking through it I think it's very focused on newborns. Who thinks about this stuff that early on?! I am going to use some of their methods... cycles of eat, wake, sleep... in that order. Max loves to fall asleep with a bottle in his mouth, so now when I feed him at night I will wake him up, for just a second, and then put him to bed semi-awake. I am also weaning out the swaddle blanket. He is rolling so much and getting out of it anyway so I guess it's time to remove the suffocation hazard. Today was our first day with all of this, Max did great! He slept until 7:30, ate, played and then got fussy. I put him in bed awake and unswaddled. I went in after 10 minutes because I could hear him playing. I rolled him to his back and put his binky back in. Seconds later he was out! Woohoo! He slept maybe 30 minutes, ate cereal and we went to the gym. After we got home he had a bottle and fell right to sleep when I put him down. Around 4 I laid him down again, this time he screamed for 5 minutes. I was going to wait 10 but he was really worked up (and I'm a sucker). I flipped him over, binky in, and... OUT! This time for almost an hour. He was still fussy this evening, and went to bed around 6:45. I am expecting an early morning... :(

Max is fighting off a little bit of a cold again. I can't tell if it is actually going to go anywhere or just be a sorta runny nose and a cough. Last night he freaked me out a little, after his bath he had a coughing spell that made him wheeze. After about an hour he was fine but I had already made up my mind to make sure he was ok. I took him to urgent care and everything checked out perfect. His oxygen levels were good and his lungs were clear. He did have some fluid behind his right ear and the doctor said the tube looked a little "out of place." UGH! We have an appointment with the ENT monday so hopefully we will get this cleared up. Poor Max, he sure does have bad luck.

He is rolling everywhere these days. This morning he was playing on his blanket while I was washing his bottle. I looked down and couldn't see him, he rolled all the way to the coffee table. What a goof. He sits almost all by himself too. We put the bebepod chair in the bathtub (even though it says, "never use as a bath seat" I was with him the whole time!). He is way too big for his bathtub and he loves to sit up. It was ok, hard to wash his man parts and butt though.

These pics are from his occupational therapy yesterday. He gets cuter everyday.





He showed her how well is eating from a spoon. Then he got controlling and took the spoons. He wanted to do it himself!





I got Max a new sippy cup today and he actually figured this one out. He did so great holding it up himself too! He had apple juice all over his shirt but he sure did enjoy it!!





Clark is leaving for a ski trip in the morning so it is just mommy and Max for the next few days. We are doing all kinds of fun stuff, lunch with Kelli and Cassie (fave NICU nurses), shopping, flu shots.. ok some not so fun stuff too. Hope Clark has fun but we will miss him around here!

New toy + cute pics

Yesterday Max was pretty fussy... ok, really fussy... for his daddy. When I got home from work we went to babies r us to get diapers and decided to get a new toy, hopefully to ease the fussiness! Here he is in his new jumper, it took him a while to figure it out, but he seemed to enjoy it!





Today he did better, Clark kept him busy with outings and a walk! At least when I got home he wasn't screaming!! We took these pictures after his bath and he was being SOOOOO cute!









Don't you just love him?!! Clark and I took advantage of our new revelation... eating out after Max's bedtime! We went to dinner with Tiffany (my friend from Nursing school) and her boyfriend Paul. We had a really nice time and Max was amazing! He woke up for a while but sat in his car seat completely quiet and calm. I don't use those words to describe Max very often! Well, I am very tired so I am going to bed. Tomorrow is the last day I have to get up early... yeah!!
Hope you enjoy the pics!

Busy Mommy

I am very sorry to my blog readers for the lack of posts. I would like to use the excuse that I am just sooo tired at night, but the reality is I have been going to bed almost immediately after Max! Last night after I put him to bed I took a shower and fell asleep probably by 9! I am not even getting up that much earlier but at least I am getting good sleep! I didn't get to see much of my sweet boy over the weekend... I would wake him up, take him to Grandma Dee's and go to work. When I got home from work on Saturday he was asleep, Sunday Clark kept him up and I got to spend about 45 min with him before bed. He was all smiles and it was so great! Monday I had the same morning routine but I got done (with my first day of orientation!) at about 3 so I was able to see him, and Clark :), all evening. Today Max stayed home and Grandma Cathy came over. He NEVER sleeps past 6:30 anymore, except today. He slept until right after I left! What a brat.
When I got home from work we went to see GG. She is doing a little better. She has moments where she gets confused so they are going to keep her close to the nursing station. Her leg is healing well and her kidneys are better. Hopefully she will get some energy and be able to do more activity.
Tomorrow is the same as today, Max will get to hang out with Grandma Cathy. Clark and I are so blessed with awesome parents and Max is one lucky kid to have people who are willing to put up with him!!! Well, I have nothing else to post because we haven't done anything exciting lately. Hopefully soon...

-back to the Biggest Loser!

Teething :(

Fun in the bebe-pod chair.



These pictures are from yesterday. It's funny at first he really liked the chair and then he quickly changes his mind. I think at one point he bit too hard on the toy! His sad little face is very fake... He is teething for sure, lots of drool, everything in his mouth and fussy more often than not. Hurry up teeth!!!







Today Max has been a "happy teether." He really only took one good nap and didn't go to bed until almost 8, with the exception of a few fussy moments he was a happy kid. The weather was SO nice, Max even got to wear short sleeves! I love his chubby arms! Even though he was born in June he didn't get to enjoy much of the summer. By the time he came home it was starting to cool off and he was still so little he didn't get out much. I think he likes the fresh air, he's not crazy about wind in his face. He makes a gasping noise like he is choking on water, yeah he's dramatic!




Look at the bubbles! Max also ate like a pig today, a big bowl of cereal... mixed with apples, pears and bananas... the combo fruit he didn't like the other day. He ate every bite of his sweet potatoes and banans tonight, then took his whole bottle. I think he gets his eating habits from his dad! (ok, I like to eat too)
Well, I have to work at 7am tomorrow since I have orientation at Children's all next week. Boo. I hate mornings and I have to work the next 9 days straight, 7 of which are mornings. Please be good Max!

I know a while back I wrote about GG (Clark's grandma). Not too long ago she moved into an assisted living facility while she underwent treatment for lung cancer. Just this week she fell and broke her hip. She surprised everyone and tolerated the surgery well and her leg is healing great. Unfortunately her kidneys are now failing and she is requiring some assistance to help her breathe. She is in a really critical state right now and could use some prayers. If it is her time, then pray she goes without pain. If not, she needs help healing and bouncing back quickly. Her body is frail and cannot take stress well. Also pray for Clark's family as this is really hard on them. Thanks!

Good night!

Nothing New

Today was a pretty boring day... we were supposed to have direct tv installed this morning but they were "missing a part." They said they would be back later and that they would call when they knew what time, at 6pm they showed up! At least it was in time to watch my Thursday night tv! Priorities. Max was pretty fussy all day. I can't tell if he is teething, growing or just spoiled rotten. Either way he wears me out!! He ate very well and played very little. Thank goodness Clark was home today. So, there is nothing new today. Boring is good! Hopefully he sleeps well, he has been waking up at least once a night to be rocked a little. I just had to go up there, it takes less than 2 minutes though, so I won't complain. 10-12 hours is a long time to go without seeing his mommy! I'll post some new pictures tomorrow. Good night!

Today was a very fun day for Max, and mom and dad! Max and I had lunch with some of my friends, one of which has a 3 month old. It was very fun to see them and the baby... she is soo adorable. So calm, quiet and relaxed- the opposite of Max lately! Then we had to go get Max's RSV shot. Ok, this part of the day was not so fun. I hate when he gets shots. He weighed in at 16lbs even! Which is great, except now his RSV shot is so much it has to be split into 2 shots. He did not like it at all!

These pictures are from a couple days ago, he had rolled over and was making some really funny faces.




Ok, the funnest part of the day... Our friends from the NICU came over for dinner. We met Billy and Michelle right away when we entered the NICU. Their son, Hunter, was born the week before Max at 27 weeks. The boys almost shared a due date. We really lucked out meeting them, the boys were right next door to each other for 2 months. Out of all the positives from the NICU this definitely ranks close to the top. We really enjoy hanging out with them, they are so down to earth and really good people. It's really fun to see the boys progress together! They are so different! Hunter has 2 teeth... so cute, he is sitting up really well, he loves to eat and he smiles at everything! Here is a picture of them playing.



This is a blackmail picture for the boys first dates! It was really funny when we laid Hunter down and they looked like they were playing footsies. Billy didn't like this very much!



Well, all in all today was fun. Max is still fussy from teething but hopefully will cut them soon and move on! Going to watch Top Chef now, good night!