I don't want to blog. I just want to go to bed. I am tired! However, I am so tired of how far behind I am on the blog (Today is Nov 26 and I am blogging about the end of August. Good GRIEF!). So, I am going to quickly wrap this one up.
Here's some pics and videos from the end of August.
Steak (on our grill!) dinner
Begging food off of Aunt Brittany
If Max gets some, then Landen has to have some too
I still try to take a picture of Max during the day when I visit him at lunchtime. I then send those pictures to Peter. This week I switched it up and tried to capture some short videos to send to Peter. Enjoy - - Grumpy Max and Happy Max.
Video - Grumpy message to dad
Video - happy message to dad
Here's some pictures of Max playing. I enjoy how much the way he plays changes from week to week.
Max trying so hard to get up on the couch by himself. He's getting close and he sure tries - reaches up on his tip toes and lifts the other leg so high.
A few things I want to remember about Max this week:
On the 27th I stopped pumping. I had reached my goal of going until Max was 1 year old and it was really frustrating to pump 3 times (total of 1 1/2 hrs) and only get 4 oz. So now I will nurse Max 3 times a day - early morning, lunch, sometimes after dinner before bed. The rest of the time we will supplement with formula geared toward Toddlers. My Pediatrician said cows milk is fine but I can get the formula free at work so why not use it? I am a little sad about stopping pumping - not because I will miss the time it takes, or clearning all the parts, or the stress the lack of milk production brings. I will miss getting to take the breaks twice a day at work to focus on something for Max. I am sad to have his dependency on me shrink a little bit. I really like the knowledge that something I am doing is so good for him.
If you give him a washcloth/diaper wipe he will wipe his high chair tray or whatever else he can reach. He likes to be a helper and wipe things down.
He has started fighting with Landen over toys
On Aug 30 he took a single step a few times!!!
Then on August 31st...
We took a blanket outside to hang out and enjoy our back yard.
We got a huge treat! Max was crawling around a little bit in the grass (he's getting better about not avoiding grass). Well, all of a sudden he stands up all by himself without pulling up/holding onto anything! Maybe the long grass helped him balance better? I don't know exactly what the magic was about being outside in the grass but it worked great. He kept doing it over and over and over.
Video - Here's Max showing off his new big boy skill of standing on his own (and then clapping for himself).
I went back to the apartment to drop off the keys and ensure the cleaning lady did a good job cleaning up the apartment.
It was weird seeing it so empty. Max instantly knew where we were going and was so excited and happy when we started walking down the hallway to the apartment. I felt a little bad for him - he's in a new foreign environment at the house and he was so happy to be back to "home" - the only place he's lived.
While it's nice being in our house, I will miss some things about apartment living - the convenience of not having responsibility to maintain anything, no yard to take care of, the pool that was steps away, small space = less space to clean, don't have to worry about what day is trash day, I felt safe knowing that it was a gated building, could open the windows without worrying about safety (we were on the third floor), our dishwasher was awesome and we never pre-rinsed our dishes, watching the pool furniture get blown into the pool during big storms, hearing/watching the fireworks go off at the ballpark a couple blocks away, the park next door along with all the retail stores we could walk to, the fun community activities like bunco night (I won some money off rent!), I loved the big granite island with the pendant lighting.
What I won't miss - stressing about being too loud for the people below us (the lady complained twice when we had the kids over...I was the bigger person and took her cupcakes and explained that you can't keep a 4 year old from jumping and running), having it take 5 minutes to drive through the parking garage, get out of the car, and walk through the halls to our door, feeling like we couldn't invite people over because it was a small space, having our storage unit on a different floor so not being able to verify daily that we hadn't had our storage unit broken into again, having to meet pizza delivery guys at the entrance to the building because they didn't want to mess with trying to find our apartment, having to go to a mail room to get my mail, hearing my laundry going because the washer/dryer was just behind some doors in the dining room, the CRAZY loud fire alarms going off in the winter when pipes freeze and burst or during regular tests, the crappy carpet, the flat electric cook top, a fridge w/o water and ice in the door.
The brand new fireplace by the pool (of course they don't finish it until we move out)
We loved sitting in the couches and chairs in the background.
The pool
Our apartment is the middle set of windows, 3rd floor up.
On Sunday August 26, 2012 we had Max's First Birthday Party!
3 months ago I thought doing a kid's birthday party for the first time would be no big deal but when the time was close, I was freakin' out and asking friends with kids for advice. Do you have games at a one yr old party? How much food to have? etc. I have heard of pretty elaborate 1 yr old parties thrown by these crazy Texans (bounce houses, big elaborate themes, clowns, magicians, etc). I knew I didn't want to go that far! So we kept it simple... fruits and veggies, cake, presents, and visiting with friends.
I stressed last night about getting as much as possible unpacked and cleaned up (or at least boxes stacked up neatly). Everyone that was coming KNEW that this party was happening the day that we moved in. I did this on purpose because then they wouldn't have huge expectations and would focus more on the house than the furnishings. Someday my house will be completely decorated and furnished but that is a long way off and will be a slow process...it's a big house! I figure it's better to have our friends see the house and get the "tour" when they aren't expecting it to be all decorated rather than come in 6 months thinking it will be decorated when it won't be. :)
Stinkin' Pinterest! I have had 0 interest in Pinterest until Max's birthday (I have a belief that Pinterest would really only serve to make me feel inadequate and frustrated since I don't have much free time to cook, create, travel, etc based on the things I pin)... I got on there to look for one thing and ended up with a bunch of ideas that I now had to execute. (Which also meant staying up late the night before the party getting everything done. See why I have stayed away?!)
Pinterest Project: I made (with some help from Peter) a photo banner with one picture of Max. There was one picture from each month from day 1 to 1 year old. I love how it turned out.
From Day 1 to 7 months
5 months to 1 year
The entire banner
Pinterest Project: I got these white wood block letters to put at the front door with some balloons. It was my idea to decorate them to match the "theme". (There was no real theme for the party, just some decorations with polka dots.)
Max woke up in a happy mood like usual.
Decorations
This was Peter's present on his birthday -
we both love this picture of Max and I got it printed on canvas for him.
Decorations on the patio
It was windy outside and the balloons were blowing everywhere.
Max was shy with all the attention at the party when we were singing Happy Birthday to him.
Tyler and Hayden help him blow the candle out (you can see his 2 cakes - the dinosaur cake for everyone else and his brownie bear cake) You can read here and here about why I went with the brownie cake.
I tried to get Max to wear the hat - no go.
Max trying the frosting on the bear
Yummmm
About to dig into that bear's head
Max loved the brownie. I tried to get him to try the other cake and he wanted nothing to do with it.
Max watched the other kids while we opened his presents. :)
Jeff and Andrea
Max was really excited about this little people airplane.
Awesome Aunt Kimi - I was so glad she could be in town for the party.
Max reading one of his cards.
Cute PJs!
Max's first crayons of his own and paper
Aunt Kimi got him the cutest outfit from Janie and Jack - look at the hat.
"Which toy do I play with, I can't decide!"
"For now...I'll play with the dump truck"
Max is going to have fun playing with the mega blocks
(in a few months - right now I don't think he gets it)
I was trying to get Max to wave goodbye but he wouldn't do it
The food
I didn't do a good job of getting pictures of everyone at the party. I will do better next time!
People at the party:
From Peter's work -
Andrea, Jeff, and S
Tim with his cute kids C and J
Our Friends - Jessica, John, and C
From Kallie's work - Lori and K
Brittany and Kimberly and their families
I thought the party went well. I am glad we did it even though the timing was crazy. Big thanks to my sisters for helping get the house ready, plus helped so much with the party too (they made the awesome brownie bear). I seriously would be lost without them.
After the party all the family went to Olive Garden for some food before we had to take Kimberly and the kids to the airport.
Max was finally warming up to Aunt Kimi
Uncle Peter, Tyler, and Kaity
Cute!
Brittany, Landen, Joe, and Hayden
The whole group - the Nelson girls and their families
At Max's birthday party, C (who is 3 months younger) was clapping. We showed him jokingly saying, "see Max? That's how you clap."
Well, all of a sudden that afternoon at the restaurant, Max started clapping!!!! We couldn't believe it. Once he started he didn't stop. So proud. :) (I think he may not have wanted Claire to be able to show him up anymore.)
Video - Here's Max clapping to a song. Way to go buddy!
Peter grilled some burgers for dinner. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH finally!
Max has started laying his head down on our shoulders a lot more lately which is sweet and I love. He is also starting to interact with Landen. In the past he would play next to him but wouldn't really play with him. It's fun to watch.
Wife, Mom, and Career Woman. Trying to succeed at all three. Enjoy cruising, time with friends and family, and sleeping. Busy life doesn't leave time for as much fun as in the past but that's okay, it's still a good life.
