End of January 2017

Emmalyn caught trying to put on some lip gloss.  some of it made it to her lips.  :)

Snuggles with my kiddos

We went to see this play as part of our season tickets to the winspear opera house.  We totally had spaced that we had a play that night and so about 30 minutes before the show started Peter got a reminder on his phone and we dropped everything and left (it's 45 minutes away).  This play was INTENSE.  On one side, it probably would have been helpful to not miss the first part of the show because we might have understood better what was going on.  But on the other hand, I was grateful we missed some of it because it was totally enjoyable and like I said was a very intense play.

How I really felt about the show

Each day Maxwell comes home with a folder from school and if he has an behavioral issues, his teacher will sign his folder and write down what the issue was.  Well, kudos to him - - he went all the way until the second week in January before he got his folder signed.  That's a pretty good kid. (It ended up being the only time he got his folder signed all year.)

Karaoke fun after showers

I had my leadership team in for a meeting and one of them was sick so they all wore these masks as a joke.  

Maxwell being a chef and putting some granola and fruit on his yogurt.

Joe's brother came to town for a few days and the kids LOVED having him here.

Reading with daddy

Maxwell was chosen by his teacher to be a Star Student.  He was recognized in the school assembly called "Norris Now" and I was able to go and see him. The star students ares in specific award categories that are chosen based on the school's character traits that are learned about in Character Lab (the specials teachers run this and the students go every 8 days or so).  Maxwell's teacher said that she chose Maxwell for "Curiosity" because he often asks really interesting questions about things and is eager to learn more.  Maxwell was really excited when he saw both Peter and I in the audience.

Maxwell is the front row - second from the right.  

We went out for pizza to celebrate

Maxwell came home with his second report card.  They don't say much other than he is at the expected level for everything.  (They don't tell you if they are ABOVE that level.)

A funny thing about Maxwell - sometimes he will talk in a southern accent... could be just a couple words or could be a sentence.  Whenever he does it, Peter and I just look at each other and smile.  The kid lives in Texas, it's bound to happen a little bit!

Love that profile

Love the warm days we get in the winter where we can go to the park without jackets!

Maxwell and daddy going for a run

Maxwell making a poster to take to school to celebrate 100 days of Kindergarten.  He put 100 pieces of washi tape on the poster.

Playing Doctor

Another week full of adventures

September 20 - 26, 2014

Emmalyn came with me to my friend (we work together at CROSSMARK) Sarah's baby shower.  We are excited to have two baby girls that can be friends!

Daddy was getting some giggles out of her

Walking around with Momma in the baby bjorn 

Out to dinner - we tried a new place and got some mediocre food and then went next door to a place where they make you ice cream by freezing it in front of you with, (I can't remember) some cold gas.  It was cool to watch but again just mediocre on flavor.

Going on a walk - trying to get Maxwell to love his balance bike

My fix it man finally showed up to work

I took the kids on a picnic while daddy was playing paintball

Love spending time with these two even though it's a lot of work!

We took Maxwell (and Emmalyn) to see Footloose put on by a children's theater. 

This was the most interested he looked the entire time.

Within like the first two minutes there were two swear words, which I was NOT happy about.  I thought this was children's theater?  Anyway, the show quickly didn't hold Maxwell's attention so we were trying to entertain him with stuff in the diaper bag and also keep Emmalyn happy.  We quickly gave up.  We decided to leave, it just wasn't worth it.  I think we lasted 20 minutes, maybe. 

So we played on the stairs outside the theater and took some pictures.

Maxwell loves his "big brother" t-shirt.  He loves all t-shirts and would wear them every day if I let him.  Style, dude!

We are so lucky to have such a cute and happy baby!

She was gumming this toy so hard that she figured if she ripped it out of her mouth, it would squeak against her gums so she did it over and over again.

Hard to change a diaper like this...

Wahoo!  This rear end is now big enough for Size 2 diapers!

I love that it's now cool enough that we can do walks in the evening.  These two were chatting it up (love Max's hands in his pockets as he walks - ha!)

There was a chalk hopscotch on the sidewalk during our walk and Maxwell knew what to do with it.  He also saw a shape and pointed out that it was a trapezoid.  Then he wanted to play "chase me" and "freeze tag".  All of these things were things he didn't know before he went to school - guess he IS learning!

At the fall family picnic at Maxwell's school.  We knew like no one, a few teachers were familiar but that was it.  Maxwell didn't seem to know any of the kids.  Oh well, we just started, right?

Maxwell and his Teacher Miss Cynthia

Peter walked in on Maxwell pooping and found him like this. !!!

Preschool update:
At school, Maxwell has Chinese class once a week for half an hour.  When he comes home, we ask him to teach us what he learned and he says something that sounds like Chinese.  Who knows if those are real Chinese words or what they mean since neither of us knows any Chinese!  Unfortunately he doesn't only learn good things at school, the other day he threw a tantrum with stomping his feet - that was learned from someone at school.  Nice.  I'm not sure if he likes going to school.  He is really sensitive and easily upset.  For example, he cries if he has to go to another teachers classroom because his teacher isn't there yet (she is getting a new helper but the helper hasn't started yet so that means it is only his teacher in the classroom and she's been late a few times so the kids have to go to another class until she gets there.  It's super frustrating to me because I see him breakdown and wonder if we shouldn't have picked another teacher, one who was more punctual perhaps??)  He also cried when I came to read to his class and when I left.  According to his teacher he isn't crying for my during nap time anymore but he still takes forever to fall asleep.

It's hard to get any details from him about what he did all day - I wish I could just stay there for a day and watch.  He eats lunch with one of the older kids in his class, I think she's 5 or turning 5.  Anyway, part of Montessori is to let the older kids help the younger kids and apparently he was upset because he dropped his spoon and she helped him deal with it.  Nice, right?

Here's what his teacher told us.  He's good at language, reading, and his math.  He needs to work on his writing and coloring.  She says he uses both hands instead of favoring one (which we knew) so we asked her to encourage him to use his right hand when he's writing.  He doesn't want to try new things or be silly in front of others.  She said he's not quite socially engaged.  He does NOT want his fingers dirty which has caused problems when they are doing things like finger painting.  He also doesn't want to move on to new work and would rather keep doing what he's doing for long periods of time.

Max is still wearing some 18-24 months pants.  This poor kid is so short!

Emmalyn update:
Emmalyn is pivoting around on her belly.  And we get a few rolls from belly to back.  She certainly is squirmy and can get around by wriggling and rolling.  She is a TALKATIVE baby!  It doesn't seem to bother her when I have milk anymore.  She hates the process of getting swaddled but is fine once it's done.  She also doesn't like being put in the car seat. She is now reaching for toys, and switching them between her hands.  She puts her feet, toys, and everything in her mouth and is drooly but there's no sign of any teeth coming in.  Lately, it seems she always poops when Momma is holding her. If we are lucky, she only wakes up to nurse 2 times a night.

She was great when we went to the new brand of binkies and stopped using the soothie kind from the hospital.  She can now grab the binky and put it in her mouth herself.  I don't give her the binky though when she is falling asleep at night.  We use a sound machine when she sleeps but she doesn't have to have it.  It's so sweet because she coos while she is falling asleep.  During the day we get her to sleep by putting her in the swing (which I don't like but hey, it works...) I can tell she really wants to eat solids.  She is so interested whenever we are eating but I'm holding out and not giving her solids until she's 6 months - only a couple more weeks.  It's hard to get excited about giving her food because she seems to spit up so much lately.  I don't want gross solid food spit up too!  (At least breast milk spit up is all white and doesn't stain like carrots do.)

She really knows her family and just lights up when she sees me.  I love it!  She loves watching Maxwell play on the iPad.

I am already stressing about my milk supply and have seen a drop.  I have a ton of breast milk frozen so that helps a little with the stress, but I wish that I wouldn't be seeing a drop in my production already. :(

My tailbone is doing better and only hurts if I spend time sitting on a hard surface - like the floor for very long.  I can't believe it's really taking this long to heal.

Classy activities...you know... like going to places and eating brunch

All of this is from Sept 8 - Sept 14, 2014.

Video - She coos herself to sleep at night just like this.  It's crazy adorable to me.  Sometimes she will even coo while I am getting her all swaddled.

Video - Maxwell is doing so great at swimming lessons.  In this video he jumps in, swims towards his teacher, then rolls to his back and swims around the pool on his back then rolls back over and swims towards his teacher on by a step at the edge of the pool.  He does all this without the help of his teacher!

She is always so happy

Story time at night

This is how she sleeps with her head pushed back and turned to the side

It looks like he's wearing tights to school but it's just his dark socks that he wanted pulled all the way up.

After I dropped him off at school, I watched again.  I wanted to see how long he'd be sitting there until he either got up to do work on his own or was directed to do something by the teacher.  

Nearly 10 minutes later, he's still just sitting there.  I don't get it?!  Why is his teacher oblivious?  I know Montessori focuses on child driven choices but this was frustrating to me.  He's still new to this routine so why wasn't he getting more help?

Finally he was prompted to go get these blocks that he worked on stacking in order of size.

All worn out after school.

He's not falling asleep during nap time (hopefully he'll catch on to the routine soon) so he's exhausted at the end of the day.

Giving Britt her b-day present - Tortilla warmer and crispy shell taco holder

Cowboy up

Practicing sitting up

How ridiculously cute is Emmalyn!?!

Love that tongue

video - what would you call that sound?? A gurgle?

Rockin' his track suit

We took Maxwell to his first play - it was a local children's theater production of "Once upon this island".  He did a great job of staying interested.  It was a tough story line to follow and he could have easily tuned out.  I nursed the baby so that she'd sleep and be quiet.  

We ended up telling Maxwell the show was over during intermission.  While he did a good job of staying interested, that also meant that he was asking a ton of questions during the show and he was only so quiet.  There were lots of kids in the audience so it wasn't like we totally stood out but I was so hyper conscious of every little noise he made and it was getting later in the evening.  

It's important to me that Maxwell gets experiences like going to plays and things like that.  I want him to be exposed to cultural activities like plays, musicals, the symphony and museums.  This was a good start with the plays.

I can't think of another thing as tender for a Momma as to have your baby sweetly sleeping on you.

Peter and his kiddos (boy, Emmalyn looks chunky!)

All dressed up to go to brunch

She slept for a little bit

If you look in the top left corner, you will see the musician playing the violin.  Maxwell was enthralled with him and loved watching.  He would turn shy whenever he came close but we did get him to wave to the guy once.  :)

One of the, maybe, 5 bites Max ate.

The baby didn't sleep for long...so yup, that's me nursing in the fancy restaurant.  (The lady at the table next to us also had a baby and she nursed first so I didn't feel uncomfortable.)  I'm game to nurse everywhere.  I can't think of anywhere I WOULDN'T nurse, especially with the nursing cover.  I'm grateful that Peter supports me in this and doesn't have issues with it.

All dressed up

Trying on her pumpkin hat

Gotta love that drool

Here's what my front room looked like after I went to a consignment sale and some clothes from the neighbors.  I think I've got everything the kids could need.  I have no problem with second hand clothes.  If it's in good condition, can be used again, and doesn't cost me full price?  I'm there.  

Emmalyn is 5 months old now!  

She will only be quiet during her diaper change if you give her the binky.  

She's arching her back which  makes her hard to hold onto.

She has the BEST BIG SMILES!!! and they come really easily.  Her laughs, however, she will make you work really hard for.

When she smiles, she smiles with her tongue out.

Her hair seems to be coming in lighter.

She is drawn to watching the TV or iPad if they are on.

Commonly now, when she's nursing in the middle of the night, I will fall asleep and then wake up like 45 minutes later and she'll still be nursing or asleep too.  I am using a nursing pillow so it's not like I'm going to drop her if I fall asleep.  It's just interesting because I've completely lost my ability to make myself stay awake.  I am just so completely exhausted that I can't help it.