on dancing with my 2 year old

Max and I have this silly “I love you” exchange that we do. As verbal of a child as he is, it was a long time before he ever said “I love you” to me. The first time he said it I was so surprised and happy that he thought it was funny. So now (often) when he says “I love you” I pretend to be shocked and delighted and then I say it right back to him at which time he giggles and yells “I love you” even louder. This can go on forever (including the escalating volume), but is absolutely adorable (at least if you’re his mom;).

I have several unspoken “principles” for myself as a parent. One is to apologize to my son(s) when I know I am wrong or have overreacted even if he won’t understand. Another is to drop everything (if at all possible) and read to him when he asks and another is to answer his questions as honestly and completely as I can for his level (this could lead to interesting conversations in the future:). Also, when he asks to dance, we dance. If you know me well at all, this may be hard to envision, but we have some pretty rockin’ dance parties around here on a semi regular basis.:) They’re good for the soul. Trust me.

Saturday night we were at a wedding reception and as the dance floor opened up I asked Max if he wanted to dance with one of his aunts and he said: “No, I will dance with Mommy.” Public dancing is not my thing (shocker, I know;) so I asked if he was sure and told him we couldn’t dance like we do at home because it was too wild. He was sure. He hopped off my lap and led the way to the dance floor. I picked him up and we danced. He wrapped his arms around my neck and I kissed his cheek and he kissed mine. I whispered: “I love you” in his ear and he whispered it back. When I looked at him in mock surprise he threw back his head with a grin and yelled “I love you!”. When the 2 year old asks you to dance, you dance.

photo credit goes to my sister-in-law, Christy

the way Max sees it

Tonight Max looked up at the half moon in the dusky sky and quite seriously and with a touch of concern yelled: "Oh no! The moon broken!" Apparently he prefers a full moon.:) I love his perspective.

anniversary

It passed with little fanfare, but Luke and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on March 9th. Since it was just over a week after Everett's birth, going out wasn't much of an option, but my awesome Mom who had been staying with us fixed Luke and me a lovely dinner in before leaving that evening. We also got a little board gaming in that evening. One of the many reasons I love Luke is that he knows getting me a new board game as an anniversary gift is perfect.:)

As I sat down to dinner, Luke told me I had a sticker on my neck. I laughed, removed the Thomas the Tank Engine sticker and realized how indicative it was of the stage of life we are in right now. What a challenging, wonderful, beautiful six years it has been. I feel extremely blessed to have Luke as my partner in this life and that we get to parent these 2 adorable little boys.

we are now a family of 4!

On Friday, March 1st at 7:51 a.m. we welcomed Everett Archer into our family. What a beautiful, tiny little addition he is!:) He weighed in at just 5 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19.25" long (for those keeping track, that's about a full 3 lbs. less and 2 in. shorter than his brother was:). I ended up having a scheduled c-section. Due to my previous birth experience (something I hope to never repeat) and the fact that I could not be induced again, I opted to have a c-section on the calendar and just try for a vbac if I went into labor before that. I trusted that God knows best, so when the date arrived and there were still minimal signs of him coming naturally, I felt very at peace with our decision. When it turned out that Everett had the cord wrapped twice around his neck and for various other reasons, my doctor and I both felt that we had made the right choice.

 Everett ready to go home (although he wet through this outfit before we made it out the door:)


Recovery has been about a million times easier than last time, which I am very thankful for. Everett is an awesome baby. He eats and sleeps well and although he lost 8 oz. in the hospital, within 3 days of being home he had surpassed his birth weight. So far he is a very chill kiddo.:) Mom stayed with us the first week, cooking and cleaning and helping out some with Max and it was a tremendous blessing! It was great having her around and it made the transition easier since I didn't have to think about staying on top of laundry and dishes etc. Luke is also has 2 weeks off, which I (and Max:) am loving!

We are enjoying getting to know our little guy and it's fun to see Max as an older brother. He loves Everett so much. Subconsciously we can tell that Max feels the difference. He's had a shorter fuse and has acted out a bit more than usual, but overall he is doing well with the change and each day he seems to acclimate even more. He is very cute with Everett and frequently asks to hold him and attempts to share cars and trains with him. They will be good buddies in no time.:) Life is good and I feel so blessed that I get to be the mommy to these 2 little boys!

a recent Max pic:)
 

One way or the other...

I'm meeting my youngest son this week! I'm excited to meet the little buster; he's been doing some serious acrobatics these last several weeks and at this point I'd prefer this be happening on the outside than the inside.:) Can't wait to see his little face!

another Max anecdote

I don't want to forget these funny little moments and this seems like a good way to help remember them.:)
The other day Max and I were getting ready to go run an errand and I told him that we needed to put some letters in the mail box on our way out. He promptly ran over to the refrigerator and began removing his letter magnets from the fridge to take out to the mail box.:)

he is his father's son

The other morning after Max got up I asked him whether he wanted cereal or eggs for breakfast. He said: "Sausage. Please?" I couldn't help but indulge him. He had sausage with a side of eggs.:)

Life as we know it...

Things are about to change drastically around here. Baby boy #2 is just weeks away from his arrival. I'll admit to being both incredibly excited and somewhat anxious.:) I'm loving the stage that Max is at and feel like life has rhythm and somewhat of a routine. I'm prepared for routine to go out the window and to spend some time creating a new normal.

Max is rapidly closing in on 2 years old and I can hardly remember life without him!:) The boy talks pretty much constantly. We have actual conversations these days and there are no more quiet car trips. It's funny to listen to him in the other room playing as he talks to his cars and trains and keeps me apprised of what is happening. He is currently running his car down a ramp and declaring "nice!" when it reaches then end. He has taken a keen interest in his colors, which naturally makes my artist heart happy.:) Most of his toy cars are now prefaced and referred to with a color attached to them and bedtime is usually accompanied by a request for "green car" and "red car" to sleep with him. He also loves coloring with crayons-- although we have had a few incidents including writing on the wall, table and floor...:) He is fascinated by animals of all kinds and has nailed down most of their sounds. It cracks me up to see him develop opinions about things; he now has favorite shows on netflix. Some of which are more bearable than others.:) He loves "Thomas the Tank Engine" and somehow knows the names to at least 5 or 6 of the engines without having seen all that much of it. As a parent I have to say the most enjoyable kids show out there is "Shaun the Sheep". If you have young kids and need something that won't make you go crazy, you should check it out. That's my parenting tip for you.:)

Max recently met his cousin Emmi (my sister and brother-in-law just adopted her from China) who is just a couple months older than he is. He is pretty excited about her and most days tells me that he hugged and kissed Emmi.:) He seems to be somewhat in denial about the impending arrival of his baby brother. We talk to him about it and he has friends who have baby siblings that he is interested in, but if we ask if he's ready for baby brother we typically get an emphatic "no!". Hopefully he will acclimate quickly.:) He is so much fun and I love seeing how quickly he learns things and how much he loves life. Here are a couple recent-ish pics (I promise he does wear things besides pajamas!:):

 As far as the rest of life goes, we enjoyed a nice Christmas and New Year with family. This has been quite the year. Lots of great things mixed in with some sadness. As I mentioned in my previous post, the year started off with the death of my maternal grandparents, the year also brought the suspected diagnosis of Parkinson's in my Dad. My sister and brother-in-law's move to Colorado is also sad for me, although I am happy for the opportunity for them! We are thankful that amidst the challenges, God also blessed us greatly this year. We have a house, another little boy on the way and I was able to leave my job over the summer in order to be home with Max and to focus more on my art. We also had the privilege of being able to help fund raise and prepare for my niece to come home from China! Had I been working, I would not have been able to participate in the same way.

We are slowly getting things in order around the house and trying to finish up preparations. I found out I was pregnant very shortly after our move, so there was a lot that just didn't get accomplished. I'm thankful for the nesting instinct that comes in the third trimester.:) I finally got some of the motivation and energy I needed to get things done! Luke has a had a few holidays too, which has helped. We both do so much better working on big projects together and it has been rewarding to get some things under control. We love having a house of our own. It's not without its challenges and frustrations, but we are really happy with our home and our location.

We also finally decided on a baby name. That's big news around here as it obviously took some time. It is of course subject to change, but we are 98% sure we know his name.:) Life as we know it is definitely about to change, but we are excited about meeting little buster and being a family of 4!

Goodbye... for now.

My blog has been largely neglected this year (obviously:). It hasn't been altogether intentional, but if I'm honest I think it's because I've wanted and needed to write this post for awhile, but just haven't been able to bring myself to. I lost two of my most favorite people in the world-- my Grandma and Grandpa C. both passed away within the first 5 months of this year. I haven't wanted to blog until I wrote about them and I haven't wanted to write about them because it makes it feel so final.:( I've written the post a million times in my head, but have been avoiding actually penning it-- no tribute seems quite good enough and no words can truly express their influence in my life and the hole their deaths leave.

Late December I saw them at a Christmas open house and they were fine; like clockwork my Birthday letter from Grandma arrived in early January and by late January Grandma had passed away with little warning. Grandpa followed a few short months later. They left behind quite the tribe-- 5 kids, 21 grand kids and 35+ great grand kids (I've lost count:) not to mention all of those who married into the family. They always kept track of everyone and always knew what was going in our lives. They always supported us a multitude of ways in academia and in our other various endeavors. I know they prayed earnestly for us; they were two of the most thoughtful people in the world.

Both my childhood and adult years are filled with great memories of them. Grandma's home cooked meals and awesome cookies, the crafts she would have for us as kids, the warmth of her hug. Grandma and Grandpa taught us so many board games and I can never play dominoes, aggravation or euchre without thinking of them. And if you ever beat Grandpa at a game, you know you had truly won. Even as kids he never went easy on us-- if you forgot to draw a card at the end of your turn, tough luck! You had to play short the rest of the game.:) He's somewhat responsible for the competitive natures that run in the family. I can still hear Grandpa's awesome guffaw and the way they said each others names. I can hear them saying my name and asking how I am. I can feel Grandma's gentle hand on my arm and see the twinkle in Grandpa's eyes.

They were beautiful people! Their love for God and for their fellow man was so apparent in the way they served each other, their family, their church and their community. Both of their funerals were beautiful testaments of lives well lived and of an amazing legacy left behind. I miss them, I miss them, I miss them. I think of them often and smile. I know they are together in a wonderful place. I like to imagine they have found a regular euchre group up there.:) I know in any case they are happy and whole and bringing praise and glory to God. And I'm so thankful for the assurance that I will see them again some day! I'm so glad for the many years I got to spend with them. It's goodbye for now, but not forever!

home

As I mentioned in a previous post, Luke and I have been house hunting the past several months. I am happy to share that we have found a house that we are very pumped about and are looking forward to moving into. It was quite the process!  I wanted to make sure that most of the details were in place before getting too excited.:) The inspection has been completed and a few things are being worked on, but we are set to close in the next couple of weeks are planning to do the big move in June. We will be switching sides of town which will bring us closer to Luke's work and to my studio. The house is in a small neighborhood and is an older, stone, ranch style home that sits on a lovely 1/2 acre. I'll post photos once we have closed and it's a done deal.:) We can't wait to make this house our home!

Birthday Boy!

Maxfield celebrated his first birthday today and I can hardly believe it! What a guy.:) It's incredible how much your heart expands when you add a kiddo to the mix. Life has definitely been a big change over the past year, but it has been an awesome transition and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Time has flown faster than I could have imagined! I'll admit that I cringed this morning when I recalled what I went through a year ago, but I'll never forget what it was like to see his little face for the first time and how that trumped the heck out of everything. Max keeps me on my toes, but he brings more joy and happiness than I could have ever hoped for.
We enjoyed an indoor picnic (due to weather:) with friends this evening whose son is a good buddy of Max's in celebration of the occasion. Max palmed the half of a cupcake we gave him and shoveled it in. He clearly knows what to do with sugar.:) Friday night we will celebrate with our families, which I am really looking forward to. My baby boy is growing up!

the birthday boy this morning:

updates!:)

My goodness, I haven't been on here in awhile! It would be impossible to fill in all the details of the last few months so I think I'll just run through some quick updates.:)

Maxfield update:
This guy makes the world a better place.:) It's hard to believe how quickly the last 10 and a half months of gone. My little man is closing in on a year old. He loves life and seems to have quite a sense of humor. He laughs and still smiles all the time and generally charms most people he crosses paths with. It's next to impossible for me to make it through the grocery store or anywhere else without having to stop for ladies to chat with him-- as usual, he gives them a winning smile.:)

Max continues to be a chatterbox! (As Luke and I are his parents, we cannot for the life of us figure out where that came from.:) He seriously talks like 92.3% of the time that he is awake. I keep trying to convince him to say "ma-ma", which usually results in him laughing at me and giving me an ornery smile. What a little pistol. When he figured out how to stand up, his joy was (for the moment) complete. He now spends a lot of time standing up and cruising around furniture and has just recently learned to climb stairs. I believe walking is in the all to near future. I don't think there is a still bone in this kids body. Cuddling is not one of his fortes.:)

Max overall likes eating, but is definitely a bit picky and likes things a certain temperature.:) His favorite foods seem to be avocado, banana and sweet potatoes. Applesauce is somehow one of his extreme dislikes. Even if I try to mix it in with his beloved cereal, he immediately sniffs it out and will have nothing to do with it. He's becoming more independent all the time and has recently decided to feed his bottles to himself. We are kind of on a half breastfeeding, half formula plan these days, so he has ample opportunity to practice his bottle feeding skills.:) He also LOVES drinking water and finally learned how to use a sippy cup-- a new favorite object.

He loves playing, but prefers for it to involve anything that is not generally considered a toy. Remotes and cell phones seem to be particularly attractive "playthings".:) He absolutely loves doing patty-cake and cannot resist the urge to clap his hands together once you start the rhyme. He's also learned to high-five (courtesy of aunt Marge:) and wave goodbye. Both of which are adorable.:) Books have become a favorite and one of the few things to cause him to sit still and relax for a minute. This of course makes my heart very happy.:) He doesn't always have the patience to be read to, but loves turning the pages and looking through them.

For the most part he is an excellent sleeper. There are, of course, teething incidents etc that cause disrupted sleep, but most nights he goes to bed without too much fuss and sleeps straight through the night for about 10-12 hours. He has us so spoiled, that when the bad nights come along we are completely out of practice and put off guard by the whole thing.:)

Here are a couple recent pictures of the man himself:



Life update:
Life feels insanely busy. I imagine that will just always be the case and I should probably get used to it.:) We are house-hunting in earnest these days. This is an exciting, overwhelming and frustrating experience all in one.:) We are excited about being homeowners and settling in somewhere, but definitely looking forward to this process being over and having the paperwork complete.

I'm still working 3 days a week at the bookstore. It is our goal in the near-ish future for me to be done working there, so we are working on making that happen. It has been a great job, but we feel like it's time for me to be home more and to not have to work weekends and be able to focus more on my kiddo and my art. To that end I have started teaching a few art classes here and there. Teaching art is not necessarily my passion or my particular gift, but I know that I am capable and it's a good way to pass on the knowledge I have acquired. (not to mention it's one of the few ways to consistently make money as a fine artist:).

Things at my studio are good. A couple of years ago I started doing small paintings/illustrations on book covers that I salvaged from the trash at work. Little did I know these would pretty much pay my studio rent every month. I'm able to sell them fairly cheap because they are very inexpensive and relatively quick to make and they seem to be pretty popular. I currently have a couple of book cover pieces that I manipulated with a scroll saw and painted on in the "Put a Bird on it" gallery show at the Harrison. I still do more traditional work as well, but I've enjoyed discovering different ways to use book covers. It's a natural progression of my love of both literature and painting. Most of the covers are from reader's digest condensed books, which I don't feel too bad about destroying.:)

Luke and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary this weekend. I can't believe it! What a crazy 5 years it has been. We've learned and grown a great deal and shared lots of tears, laughs and love. I'm so thankful for the perfect man for me and for a great father for our son. This weekend we are getting away to Chicago for an overnight while Max stays with my parents. I'm looking forward to it!

Here's a couple of more recent book cover paintings (you'll have to excuse the lack of editing of these photos):

It's hard to tell from the photo, but this bird cage one is actually about 3 feet from the top of the chain to the bird.

Movie update:

With the recent Academy Awards, we have been on a new movie binge around here.:) So here's 5 second reviews/opinions of the newest movies I've seen (these don't really include plot line):

"the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"-- I enjoyed the Swedish version and was wary of an American remake until I heard David Fincher was at the helm. Very well done! Rooney Mara played Lisbeth Salander excellently and overall the story line followed the book pretty closely, although in a somewhat simplified way. The ending was slightly different, but not in a way that bothered me or really changed things. Having read the books and seen the movies I can't really recommend seeing the films unless you have read the book first. They deal with some pretty hardcore stuff that I think is best to be prepared for before seeing it.

"Drive"-- I really liked this movie- and not just because it included Ryan Gosling.:) It had a sort of 80s grunge/b movie feel to it in an awesome sort of way. I can't exactly put a finger on why I liked it so much, but I really dug it. There was something badass about it that got me pumped.:)

"the Artist"-- probably my top recommendation out of all of these. This film is brilliant! As a new silent film in black a white, I could not have been more excited about it and I was far from disappointed. It was a bold and wonderful way to make a movie. The story is simple, but great and includes both drama and comedy. It really adopted the feel of an old silent film.

"Moneyball"-- This movie was very well done and very well acted. As a true story, it's quite fascinating- especially for being about baseball.:) I found myself wanting to read the book as I'm sure it would include even more of some of those interesting statistical details.

"Tree of Life"-- this is a very cinematic movie. Some people found it pretentious and it seemed that most reviewers truly loved it or truly hated it. I'm in the mostly loved it camp. It's not so much a movie as a work of art, though, which puts it at a different level and I understand why a lot of people didn't care for it. If you like cinematography, interesting framing of scenes and ethereal cosmological effects, you'll probably enjoy it. It is long though, and I don't think it was a perfect movie. It is beautiful, though.

"50/50"-- Great movie! It's about a very serious subject (cancer), but balances the drama with the comedy extremely well. The background of the movie is quite interesting as it is based on the true life experience Seth Rogan had of supporting his friend in his battle with cancer. Basically Seth Rogan plays Seth Rogan. And he does it well.:) Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also great in this movie.

"Hugo"-- What a beautiful movie!! Although this was somewhat geared towards kids and is based off of a young adult novel, I think most adults would find it appealing. It is very artistic and the movie is beautiful to watch (I loved the coloration of the whole film!). The references and snippets of old silent movies also made my heart very happy.:) I highly recommend this one!

I would like to try and blog more frequently, but really don't have much extra time these days, so no promises.:)

Giving Thanks

Well, Thanksgiving day has come and gone, but I'm still feeling the warmth and joy of one of my favorite holidays.:) I love that we have a holiday set aside to reflect with thanks on the past year and to gather with family to celebrate God's goodness in our lives. I am not always good about focusing on the positives, but when I take time out to consider the many blessings in my life I am overwhelmed at God's goodness.

This year I am of course particularly grateful for the beautiful baby boy God brought into our family back in April. Maxfield brings incredible joy and love into our lives and being a mom is by far the awesomest thing I have ever done. I am also so thankful for Luke; he is such a loving and caring husband and I love growing up and growing more in love with him each year. God has blessed both of us with good jobs that provide for both our basic needs as well as a few extras-- this is something we have learned not to take for granted. I am also grateful for the opportunities God has given me through my art this year; He provides me with chances to exercise my talent even when I least expect it. And I am extremely thankful for my amazing family and friends. I am truly blessed!

monopoly man

I just have to share a few photos of Max dressed up for halloween. I'm still cracking up about him.:) I didn't really put much thought into his costume and wouldn't have really worried about going trick or treating, but Alaina invited us to tag along with them and it sounded like fun. I had purchased this one piece tuxedo outfit for Max for $1 at a second hand kids store and thought it was funny and when Alaina bought mustaches for her boys, I knew Max had to have one.:) The consensus after the fact was that he looked like the monopoly guy. I think he was a bit nonplussed by the whole situation, but put up with it quite well. Who knows what was running through his head about his crazy mother.:)

Before the mustache-- adorable as always.:)

working out the mustache "kinks":)

visiting Noni at work. not the most cooperative picture.:)

the completed "look":)

tuckered out. i love how serious he looks here.:)

max!:)

I think this picture not only sums up Max, but also life the past several months-- funny, happy and just a touch of crazy.:) Seriously, this guy rocks my world. I can't believe he is 6 months old already! He is not quite crawling yet, although he clearly wants to.:) He does a lot of scooting and rolling and I find myself having to watch him a lot more closely. This kiddo is beyond active and I know him becoming mobile means I will be getting next to nothing done around here.:)

I'm still working 3 days a week which means he gets to spend an afternoon with Grandma N., a day with Aunt Alaina and 3 awesome cousins and then Saturdays with daddy. I think he is pleased with this arrangement.:) He is quite the happy kid. And quite the charmer; at Meijer the other day I had to stop and have several conversations with old ladies about him- all of whom he graced with his adorable smile.:)

Max is quite the chatterbox these days. Actually he's always been a chatterbox. He loves using his voice. He uses lots of different sounds and inflections. I'm pretty sure he truly believes he is communicating.:) He has also more recently added shrieking to his vocal repertoire. Not my favorite addition as it comes into play both when he is happy and when he is mad, meaning there is lots of shrieking in this household.:) (and sometimes in church).

A few weeks ago we had Maxfield baptized. This was an exciting and sobering occasion. It is awesome to dedicate Max and our raising of him before God and the church. It also brought home to us even more the reality of raising our son up in a Christian home and of the great and joyous task we have undertaken. He, of course, was quite the ham in front of church. He doesn't mind being the center of attention.:) I think he was feeling quite well dressed:

A couple weeks ago we took Max on his second camping trip in his 6 months of life. We camped at Clifty Falls. He did pretty well. It was quite cold at night, so he slept with us most of the nights (which I think made him quite pleased with himself). We enjoyed great weather during the day and were able to do a little hiking, some walking around Madison and some relaxing. We went with our friends who have a 10 month old and I think our boys wondered from time to time what possessed their crazy parents to take them camping. Overall (despite some lack of sleep) it was a great time.:) Here is Max all bundled up sleeping out camping:

And because I never tire of the adorableness of a sleeping baby here are some other sleeping Max pictures:)

At the beginning of October Luke had a business trip to Cincinnati for some training so Max and I tagged along. It was nice to get away just for a bit. We visited Newport on the Levee and I got to go to Ikea with Marge and we all went to Jungle Jim's international grocery store (which is awesome, by the way:). I also got to watch cable in the hotel. Having not had cable for a few years now, I get excited to watch TLC and the Food Network and Lifetime.:)

Another highlight of this month is that about 2 weeks ago Max's cousin Owen was born. The boys are about 5 1/2 months apart, which will be lots of fun (and possibly lots of trouble in the very near future:). Here Max is meeting his new cousin:

All in all life has been good. Busy and crazy, but good. We're starting to gear up for the holidays both at work and at home, which I always get super excited about (except for the work part of it.:) I have every intention of being a better blogger, but no promises.:) I will leave you with this picture:

the kid can roll

As of a few days ago, the kid can roll over. This is awesome. Only problem is that although he is capable of rolling back onto his back (I've seen him do it more than once) he usually gets too worked up to do so. Since he hates tummy time, this has led to quite a few frustrated tears. I eventually go and roll him back over. He then repeats the process. Although I'm sure he doesn't think it's funny, it's slightly amusing. It's also not as easy to get things done as it used to be...:)

Man, I love this kid.:)

Max adventures

How can my little man be almost 3 months old already?!

When did this change happen?:)

I will not lie and say this has all been easy, (in fact probably at least the first 5 or 6 weeks I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into:) but Max really does make being a parent a pretty awesome experience. We have loved our little guy more than we ever could describe or imagine from the very beginning and getting to know him and his personality more every day is an absolute joy. It has definitely taken awhile for me to feel like a human being again, but Luke has been an incredible support and a terrific dad. Between breastfeeding challenges, health challenges and lack of sleep the first few weeks were hard especially while I was still recovering from the C-section. The past month or so, though, we have kind of gotten into the swing of things and are starting to have a slightly more established and reliable schedule.:) I started back to work part time last week and so far that has been going pretty well.

It's been fun to see Max's personality evolving. This kid loves to smile and is quite a laid back and happy fellow. He is an incredibly good sleeper and has become a good eater.:) He's been sleeping 8-10 hours at night, which has been so awesome and usually only wants to eat about every 4 hours during the day. When we got the go ahead to let him sleep as long as he wanted and to let him tell us when he's hungry, I was thrilled because I had been having to set an alarm to wake him up every 2ish hours. And trying to nurse a baby that is basically still asleep is no fun especially when you want to be asleep yourself.:) I could tell he was going to be a good sleeper (pretty sure he gets that from his dad:). It's funny how your entire world becomes wrapped up in and revolves around this tiny person. But at the same time you absolutely wouldn't have it any other way.:)

I'm sure he wonders what kind of crazy world he was born into (or maybe just what crazy parents he was born to:) as here are a few of the activities we have engaged in over the past few months:

Bath time:

This may not sound extreme, but someone was not a fan of bath time the first few times. Although you would never know that now that he has discovered he can splash.:)

Photo Shoot:

My sister-in-law Christy does photography and took some great photos of Max. He cooperated when he was alseep.:)

Concert:

At a month and a half, Maxfield attended his first (probably of many:) music and arts fest. We hung out all day in and out of my studio and the Harrison Center and got to stay and hear "company of thieves" in the evening. He was great! (Although he did cat nap a bit during the show:) He also got to rock his Ramones t-shirt that Luke and I picked out for him just a few weeks before his birth.

Swimming:

As with bath time, he was unsure about this initially and opted for pretending to sleep anytime I put his feet in the water. This eventually led to him actually sleeping and so our first couple of attempts at the pool were unsuccessful. More recently, though, he actually started smiling at the pool. I perceive this as approval.:)

Camping:

Max got to experience camping for the first time over the 4th of July. We had a big family camping trip, which was tons of fun. Max did great. I'm sure it helped that there were lots of aunts and uncles there to give him extra love. By the look of this picture, we apparently wore him out.:)

He also got to go on his first boat ride at the lake house we stayed at with Luke's family, but I failed to get a photo of him in his life jacket.:) I'm sure there will be many more adventures in the near future. Clearly we have been busy the past few months. Max is an absolute trooper and acclimates well to just about anything. He is growing and changing so fast already. I just want to enjoy every moment with him and for him to always know how much he is loved.

week by week

I promise to update more later, but just wanted to share these week by week photos of Maxfield's first 8 weeks. This little guy is one happy, growing boy. We are loving having him around.:) Of course how can you not love this face?!:)

little man makes his appearance

On April 25th at 2:55 p.m. we were excited to welcome Maxfield Atticus into our family. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 in. long. I must say he was definitely bigger than I had expected. We are quite enamored with the little guy and although running a little shy on sleep, we are excited about this transition in life.

The labor and delivery of little Max did not go at all as we had "planned" or expected. Since he was late coming (9 days overdue) we went into the hospital on the evening of Sunday the 24th (Easter Sunday) to begin preparation for scheduled induction on Monday morning. After some irregularities with Max's heartbeat during contractions, the doctor decided that it would be best to induce me late Sunday night. After laboring through the night I starting pushing mid-morning on Monday and had high hopes of delivering him before noon. However, after pushing for 3 hours and making progress things pretty much stalled and my doctor decided that he was just really too big for me to deliver that way. He was also facing the wrong way, which added a great deal of discomfort to the entire situation.

Around 2ish in the afternoon I was moved over to surgery for a C section. It was quite the thing to go through and is still sometimes hard for me to think too hard about without feeling extremely overwhelmed and emotional, but the end result of a healthy baby was so worth it. I think Luke and I both felt a bit traumatized, but we made it through and are just thankful for great doctor and wonderful nurses and God's protection for Max and me.

We were in the hospital for 4 days total and were very impressed with the great care we received from all the nurses and staff. I'll still be recovering for awhile, but seem to be making strides every day. I'm so thankful for Luke, who has been taking such good care of Max and me. He's had even more responsibility from the start because I was confined to bed for a few days and when I wasn't I still required a great deal of help any time I got up. He had to get used to changing diapers immediately and to having a baby in one arm while trying to accomplish things with the other.:) Max loves his daddy; Luke is usually more successful at calming him down than I am.:) I feel incredibly blessed by the love, support, patience and care he has shown to Max and me. I'm so thankful to have him in my life.

We got home last Thursday and have been making the transition into this new phase of life. My mom came and stayed with us for several days cooking and cleaning for us as we learned how to take care of this little guy. She was incredibly helpful and it was such a blessing to have her here. I love my mom so much!:) Luke starts back to work next week, which will feel so weird to me being on my own during the day. Hopefully I'll be up to the task.:) Max is overall a pretty happy kiddo and he's even a decent sleeper. We are so in love with him and while slightly biased, think he's just about the cutest thing we've ever seen.:)

Welcome to this world and to our family, Maxfield!!

come on little man!:)

Apparently I've made the little guy too comfortable in there.:) He doesn't seem to be in any kind of hurry to join us here in the outside world. I told Luke he's already showing signs of our personalities-- he's clearly a home body and doesn't like to rush into anything.:) The waiting is definitely tedious, but I know it will be worth it when we get to finally meet him. Come on buster, your mommy and daddy want to hold you!:) (and i'm pretty sure there are several aunts and uncles wanting to meet you as well:)