Growing Up - Miss E., 7 Months

Life with Elly at 7 months:

• Everyone who sees you compares you to a cabbage patch doll. Okay, not everyone...but it is darn close!
• You gabber a good deal, but so far you prefer grunting to get your point across ; )
• You started sitting last month, and boy have you mastered it! The only time you fall over is when you are getting tired.
• You have started to "crawl" from your sitting position. You'll reach for something until you fall forward into a crawl position. You can't really get anywhere, and you can't get yourself sat back up so this has become a bit frusterating for us all.
• You love to pat. I love when I pick you up from your nap or diaper change and you just pat my shoulder or back : D
• You are a piggy! Veggies and fruit twice a day, and if you would stay awake you'd get breakfast too!
• You have also started to drink from a sippy cup. I don't know if you love getting the drink or the opportunity to gnaw on something new more.
• You LOVE to be outside. I'll carry you in the wrap and we'll follow Max around many afternoons and you think it is all for your entertainment! The laughs you share with us are great!!
• You've moved into size 6-9 month clothing, right on target.
• You still wear a size 2 diaper, but soon we'll have to move to 2-3 or 3!
• At your last appointment you weighed 16lbs 13 oz and were 26 inches long. I looked up your brothers stats from the same time in his life and he was a pound heavier and an inch longer! I guess it's all going to the cheeks ; )
• You got to meet Aunt Mel for the first time this month. I think you have another fan : )
• You tried table food this month, too. Meat loaf, baked potatoe, ribs, mashed potatoes and a deluxe grahm (from grandma!) are the things you've sampled so far!

Growing Up - Miss E., 5 months

Life with Elly at 5 months:

• You're eyes are still blue!!!!
• You are still chewing on everything you can, but no teeth to show for all your effort! I think we've just about exausted all our teething avenue's w/o finding you much relief : (
• You love to grab at things now that you've figured out how to *kinda* hold on to them. Tonight you took Mommy's water bottle away from her!
• You are finding yourself and your brother HILARIOUS.
• We have finally moved you into a size 2 diaper; with that change came a change in your diapering demeanor.....meaning you no longer like them! I blame Max.
• You've figured out how to roll from your back to your tummy, but for some reason you don't like to show this new talent off!
• We've started some Baby Einstein videos and you are slowly starting to pay a little attention; you are finally playing more independently for longer periods of time too! (Yay for macro breaks!)
• You've really discovered your voice and love to exercise it before bedtime : P
  
• You're hair is starting to get noticebly longer (to me anyway!) and I've started to daydream about hairbows : )
• You are liking to be outside a little more now; I think you figured out the scenery changes more frequently!
• We cannot take you anywhere without at least one person mentioning your cheeks! I confess, I love to kiss them!
• You cheered the ICubs at your first baseball game ; )

At your last well baby appointment (6.29.10) you weighed 14 lbs (75%) and were 25 inches (80%)=combined 50%. I took you in a week later for an ear check and you had already gained an additional 6 ounces and grew another 1/2 inch!!!!! WHAT!

As a side note...this is our/my 100th post ; ) It took me almost 2 years, but here we are. Hopefully we'll be adding to that count considerably more often in the near future. Tell me, how do the other mommy bloggers do it??? I can't seem to find enough time to sit down and put a post together between my two (and I will not be making a habit of doing it at 11 pm as I have tonight!).

Growing Up - Mighty Max, 2 yrs.

Life with Max at 2 years of age:

• You're finally growing into your skin, looking less like a baby.
  
• You are down to one nap a day. You held on to that morning nap for a long time though!
  
• You STILL do not sleep through the night. If only you could tell me why you wake up!!
  
• You sleep in a big boy bed, and have for almost a year now : )
  
• You love to run and jump. And boy, you are Speedy Gonzalez and, WOW, you excel at the jumping.
  
• Some of your favorite things: balls, stickers, pickles.
  
• You have a great vocabulary and know how to use it. You still sign please instead of saying it though, so we're working on that one.
  
• You love, LOVE to play outside. I believe you really think the world has ended if you are told you can't go o.u.t.
  
• You love your baby sister (and her toys) to pieces.
  
• You do not love how much time Mommy spends nursing her.
  
• You still love to snuggle. Another reason you don't like the time Mommy holds Elly.
  
• You weren't a picky eater, now you are. We go through long periods of Feast or Famine with you at the dinner table.
  
• You want what Mommy and Daddy have to drink. Thus, you drink tea a lot. But not a lot of it, for those worrying about your health : )
  
• You love blankets, and almost always have one within reach, and absolutely will not fall asleep without one. This is strange, as you didn't have one for well over a year. But, it's just a blanket, and any blanket will do (even Elly's in a pinch!).
  

Life with you is an almost constant adventure filled with fun. We love you Mighty Max!
2 yr stats: WT 29lbs HT 35.5in. Both register in the 75th percentile, 60th combined.

Quickly and Quietly

Max had his 15 month Well Baby appointment last week:
Weight: 25 lbs 12 oz (75%)
Length: 32 inches (90%)
Shots: 7 (2 "live")

He was amazing! He cried of course. I would have too. But he was a super happy kid that night.

Max also got his first two molars this weekend. Both on the left side. Right ones will be following shortly I'm sure.

The signs he has been exposed to for a year now are finally coming into play. He signed Daddy one night at supper, and then Mommy after a little prompting : P And just this morning he signed Please for me. Super sweet, especially matched with his super cute smile.

Pictures coming as soon as I can force myself to upload them when I get off work. I've been struck down by pregnancy fatigue though, so let's not turn blue holding our collective breath.

In 11 Days...

...Max will be 1 year old. Crazy, huh?

Max had his last round of Synagis today. I was once again reminded of how lucky we are, what a great baby we have! Max gets a pretty hefty dose of Synagis becuase of how big he is. Two big shots actually. And you know what? Hardly any crying, and none of it "serious". Not to say it isn't painful, but he handles it so well. His cries start when they poke him, and are done as soon as I can sit him up after they put the bandaids on. Jealous? Yeah, I thought so.

So, 11 days from his first birthday, Max weighed in at 22 lbs 15 oz. Such a long way away from the 4 lbs 14 oz. he started at!

Do You See What I See?

Update: I almost forgot to share! We went in for another Synagis shot last Friday; Max weighs 22 lbs 6 oz. BIG boy! It was so weird to hold Autumn (see below) after holding Max all the time. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking he isn't that heavy, but after holding her this weekend there's no more fooling myself!

I see a baby who can't avoid hitting his head every time he falls down. And he's happy anyway. Yea, I am that lucky.

I see a baby boy worn out from playing with Uncle Chris and Aunt Karyn all afternoon.

I see a baby who thinks screen doors are the greatest toy yet. Tastes good too.

I see a baby boy who can't take his eyes off the 6 month old baby girl that came to visit. Can't blame him, she is absolutely adorable!


I see someone trying ice cream for the first time. I think it's safe to say we will be making Dairy Queen a regular treat this summer!


I entered a contest at JoytheBaker.com to win a free tea cup and tea (I didn't win). If you know me, you know I hate to make final decisions. This was no different. I couldn't choose my favorite tea cup; I ended up submitting the first one I ever received. Since I had out an array of my favorites I figured I would turn my dilema into a photo-op. It turned out well, if I do say so myself. Ahhh, Ancient Happiness, yes you are.

I see a video of Max walking (and falling) with a little Kitty Cat action thrown in to boot.

Quick Update

So, sorry for the absence. Max had an ear infection last Thursday and got super demanding. Can't blame him. He had a nice high temp for a couple days. But, the antibiotics kicked in and Sunday we had a fever free day. By Tuesday he was acting almost like himself. And this morning all was back to normal....I hope. Just in time for his nine month well baby.

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Oh, did you want to know how that went? Well why didn't you ask?
Kidding aside, here are your stats:

29 inches 21lbs 8oz
I can't remember the head and chest circumference, just that his chest is now bigger than his head. (anyone from Doc's, leave a comment if you remember!)

This is in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. Doc pronouced, "he couldn't be healthier". YEA!

Check Back Please

Check back soon! I have lots of photos to show you from our weekend. I'm going to see if I can figure out how to post a slideshow. This will take a little time though.....

So, to keep you in awe of my miracle baby:
My baby who only weighed 4 lbs 14 oz when he was born 6 1/2 weeks early, is now 20 lbs 4 oz a week before his 8 mo. bday! To say he has made up for lost time is a understatement. He must know how much his mommy loves to kiss his chubby baby cheeks and strives to provide me with more to gobble up :~P

6 Month Check-Up & Other Cool Stuff

WARNING: The following contains a little information and many pictures.
Goodness, our little boy is getting so BIG! We had a milestone visit with Doc yesterday. The little monkey has some new stats:

6 Months: 17 lbs 11 oz 27 inches
This is in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. Go Max!

The poor fella also got 6 shots. Big thanks to our favorite nurses Christina and Barb for making the process quick, if not painless. He took them all very well. He is beginning to understand that something bad is going to happen when we start to hold him down. The crying doesn't start until the first prick, but is over almost as soon as the last needle is out. He's still a little fussy today, but I'm chalking that one up to the flu shot part of the process. Hopefully he's feeling more himself soon. I miss my happy little baby already! Am I a horrible mommy for enjoying the extra cuddle time though?

Here's the damage...

Here's the baby despite the damage...

And now some old cuteness to share:

The mobile that Mr. Hanson built for Max.

Max enjoying for the first time the mobile that Mr. Hanson built.

And First Prize in the New Food that Baby Loves contest goest to......CARROTS!

Uncle Chris came to visit.

He taught Mom and Dad to make a really cool, tasty meal. It looks pretty too! There was baked brie, and cherries, and crunchy toasted bread. Mommy forgot about the roasted garlic, but it was good anyway.

All that cooking really wore me out! Good thing Uncle Chris was there to cuddle me and provide a built in drool rag : )

The monkey in his Halloween outfit. Little Monster indeed.

Uncle Red took Max around to meet all the residents of Little Flower Haven (nursing home); I daresay he was the highlight of the week for them!

Even though he brightened everyone's day at Little Flower Haven, Max made his visit specially for Great Grandma Bernie.

We ended the visit and evening in Earling with cuddle time with Great Grandma Renie.

Weighing In

So the kiddo had two doctor appointments yesterday. One with Blank Children's Hopsital for his 4 month developemental screening. The other his regular well baby visit, four shots included. He did well with both. He is right on target for his adjusted age (just under 3 months) for all his skills. Physically, he is getting closer to the size of his peers! We have one big baby boy.
Mike was able to come to the well baby visit; it was his first. He did well, even holding Max's legs for the shots....although he hid his face. I think it was both self preservation (he hates needles) and not wanting Max to see he was contributing to his discomfort ; )
Here's a recap of Max's growth:

Age Weight Length (inches)

Birth 4#14oz 18

1 mo 6#09oz 19 3/4

2 mo 9#14oz 21 1/2

4 mo 14#14oz 25

We'll try to post some pictures and video later this week. Hope all is well in your world(s).