Maxwell's last few days of being 3 years old

The days leading up to Max's Birthday were filled with anticipation and a few fun things.

Silly

How cute is that cheesy grin!

We enjoyed an afternoon next door swimming

Max is terrified of Mary Ann's dog.  The dog is a puppy and excited to be around people but Maxwell can't take it.  He runs away screaming which just makes the puppy think he wants to play... you can imagine how well that ends up.

He plays a little with other kids if they are in the pool but mostly he just swims by himself.

Britt made silly putty with the kids

Movie night at Britt's apartment

Fun at the park - Maxwell's face

Video - A short but sweet video of Emmalyn giggling while she's swinging

Cuddling with daddy

My two cute boys  (I'm still totally obsessed with that dimple of Maxwell's!)

Video - A conversation with Maxwell on his last night of being three about what he wants for his birthday

Prepping to do a sit up while sleeping?

She may look sweet but this little girl is now a pro at screaming and THROWING her head back.  She will absolutely throw a tantrum if she doesn't get what she wants.

Her left upper canine has broken through.  That means at 16 months she only has her upper right canine left to pop through and then her 2 year molars.  I'm not sure when it's supposed to happen but it sure feels like this has happened very quickly.

She will now eat cheese and eggs - YAHOO!!!

Maxwell is soooo excited for his birthday.  He has asked for a "donut cake".

The other day when I was cuddling with Max before he went to sleep he said, "Mom, if you ask me if you can scratch my back, I will says "yes, indeed""  How cute is that?  I had to chuckle that he didn't want to just come out and ask me to scratch his back.

He has been asking when we (mom and dad) are going to die and also when other people are going to die and when is he going to die.  I'm not sure why this is on his radar now but it doesn't seem to upset him, he just wants to understand it.

I ADORE Maxwell but oh man can he frustrate me with talking back lately.  He has also been bad with not listening (like when he's wanting to do it his way or when he's swinging his clothes around to hit someone or licking Peter - which makes Peter crazy).

He gives me so many kisses and often tells me he loves me.  He wants Momma to get him out of bed in the morning and to put him to bed at night.  He always wants me to cuddle with him before bed and will get blankets to put on me and ask if I am cold.

Second week of March 2015

Back to "normal" life! Here's what we were up to the second week in March...

Painting at Aunt Brittany's

The kids at Maxwell's school were so excited to see him when I took him to school for the first time after the cruise.  That made me really happy.  They were all like "yeah! Maxwell's back!"

So big

Lil Miss Climber

I took Maxwell's favorite "stuffed animal" - a puppet -  with me to work and took a picture so that he could see that I had him with me

For work, I took my team to a Dallas Maverick's game in the CROSSMARK Suite.  They had a fun time...  I just missed being home with my family and putting my kids to bed.  

Brittany and her workout buddy

The night after the Maverick's game, I went to my dear friend Tida's grand opening of her retail shop.  There were so many delicious sweets!

Look at the gorgeous set up and sweets everywhere!

Jason and Tida

So excited for her to have opened her own shop!!!

That night was the second night I had missed putting Maxwell to bed and he asked Peter to leave the light on in his closet so I could give him a goodnight kiss when I got home and turn it off.  I love that sweet boy.

Emmalyn was not feeling well and I could tell she was sick so I took her to the pediatrician.  While it seemed she might just have a cold, I wanted to be sure since we had just been out of the country.

Cheese

There we go, closer to a real smile.

Maxwell was well behaved at the pediatrician with me.

Emmalyn is sick with a fever that got up to 101.9.  She weighed 15 lb 11.5 oz at the doctor.  They said that she probably has a virus and didn't give me anything for her.

I've given her more medicine (tylenol) than ever.  She's just so sick.  She can't sleep which means we can't sleep.  So sad in her eyes.  Coughs and whimpers.  Awful..

Sick girl snuggling on the bed

Sad sick eyes

She still looks sick but at least she's smiling

(I love the story the next few pictures show...)

Talking to each other...

Max reaches out to touch Emmalyn...

She's happy...

She now reaches out to touch him...

And he holds her hand...

I love watching when they love each other!

She's just so sick and sad!!!  I hate that she feels so awful.  :(

Emmalyn says ma ma!  She's now 11 months old.  Only one more month and she's a year old!  Holy crap.

Pumping is stressful.  I am pumping 4 times a day to get a total of 4.5 - 5 oz but I'm still hanging in there.  It's so frustrating to only get that but it's still enough that I am not ready to stop or give up.  It means too much to me.  MUST KEEP GOING.  (I'm doing so much to try and increase/hang onto the production I've got - - - mother's milk tea, lactation cookies, fenugreek pills, lots of water...)

She's really chatty now and standing on her own, often for 5 seconds.
She loves music and claps to it.
She's a cuddler.
She sleeps now on a pillow in her crib.
I turned around and all of a sudden she was 6 stairs up the staircase.  Time to put the baby gate up!

Valentines Day 2015 - Love notes!

Valentine's Day was on a Saturday so starting on the Monday of that week, I left little love notes for Maxwell in places I knew he would find them.  (It's awesome that he could read them when he found them!)

Love note #1 on the iPad

Love note #2 (on the shower door)

I love that his hands still look like baby hands with chubby fingers and dimples on his knuckles.

Note #3 on his swim suit for swimming lessons

After note 3, he had caught on and asked to write me a note, which he left for me on the dollhouse.  

He wrote the words "Mom" and "Max" and dictated to me what the rest of the note should say.  It says,

Dear Mom

I like to eat with you.  I like to play race cars with you.  I like you to play with me.  I love you!

Max

He is such a sweet boy and it sure made me feel good that he wanted to write me a love note.  I am so lucky to have this kid as mine.  I hope I can continue to nurture and develop that sweet little spirit into being just as great of a man as he is a kid today.  Cuz if he can keep going like this, watch out!  He'll be one standout man.

Note #4 on his bag of pullups

He was exchanging valentines in school so we got them all ready and Maxwell signed his name on all of them.

It was so hard for me to find Valentines that #1 - didn't have some sort of candy with them (Maxwell's school is a sugar free, nut free school) and #2 - I didn't hate.  We ended up finding some that were really cool and had a window cling animal as the "treat".

Note #5 on his lunch box

Pink shirt for Valentine's Day!

(I can't believe how long his hair is!)

I went to help out with his party and was so glad I did.  It is always fun to see him in this environment.

Distributing his valentines

"smile Maxwell" and this is what I get.  sheesh.

Maxwell and Alex

Another great "smile".  Why don't the other 3 year olds and 4 olds have a goofy cheese face?  Why is it just my son? 

Clockwise from top: Malia, Maxwell, Alex, Noya, Opal

Video - Have I mentioned how much Emmalyn loves Cheerios?  Yeah, they are her fav.

On Valentine's Day, Peter made a special breakfast of pink heart pancakes

Emmalyn liked them too

Handsome boy at Kindermusik, wearing the perfect red shirt, on Valentines Day

While I worked on some yard work in the beautiful weather, Maxwell did some coloring outside.

Later, we went over to our neighbor's house.  Emmalyn and I visited with Miss Melissa while Maxwell played with Owen and Avery.

Those cheeks!!!

Avery and Maxwell playing with chalk

He still doesn't do great a playing wih people.  Most of the time he wanted to do his own thing outside by all of us but didn't engage.  

That night we went next door with a bunch of other neighbors and hung out (I can't remember why at this point).  Maxwell had a really fun time playing with the legos (and sort of playing with the kids).

He also played a little fusball - this was a hit and he didn't want to go home.