Max & Jaxson

Max and Jaxson met today at their H&M print audition. They both rocked it. Max almost slept through his opportunity to shine, but he made it in the nick of time. Fortunately he opened his eyes and gave the photographer a little smile. After that we took the time to visit with my friend Brandie and her son Jaxson.

Jaxson is only 3 days older than Max and it is precious to see them next to each other. Jaxson was the boss of the two and was pulling on Max's ear. Max was focusing so hard to sit up right all by himself that he wasn't able to reciprocate the attention. Their developmental stages are almost perfectly in sync and they are both very happy boys. It was entertaining to see their interaction with one another.

When we got home, I sat Max on his play mat and he was not happy about that. I realize that I never get an upset picture and thought I'd post one. He's adorable even when he's sad. Of course I prefer a smile, but this face just melts my heart.

Last night was Max's first night to spend all night in his crib. Marc had an extremely hard time with a middle of the night feeding and was in a terrible mood. He was so tired that he didn't get out of bed until 1pm and missed all of the good volleyball games this morning. You know he felt bad if he missed his coveted time at the beach.

One night feeding wrecked him so bad that he refused to help me for the rest of the week. Tonight, I re-convinced him to man up and help me out. So he re-agreed to help with the transition. Whew! So once again, we shall see what the night brings...

Wish us luck!

Little P Found His Package!

Yes, that is how it sounds. Little Max Perry found his penis this week. Now when we change him, he has to check and make sure it is still there. I keep telling him it's all intact....including his foreskin. He's already holding himself like a football player in the locker room. That must be an exciting discovery for any boy!

He also found his ears. He keeps running his hand back there to pull on his ears and scratch his head. He's giving the Fonz from "Grease" a run for his money. All baby Max needs is a little more hair.

We've reached a pivotal point where we are ready to transition Max to his crib. We are all ready. Well, Marc and I are ready, but I'm not sure if Max is or not. But I am done with cosleeping. It served us well and attributed to a strong breast feeding relationship, but it suddenly became perfectly clear that we are ready for the next step.

It was a culmination of milestones that got us to this point. First of all, he is not teething. Both of his bottom teeth have come in, so I don't have to worry about him enduring excruciating pain all night. Secondly, we are not traveling. Nor do we plan to go anywhere before Thanksgiving. As I well know, it is impossible to adapt a solid schedule if you are going to leave and wreck it. Third, Max is finally eating lots of food. So I don't have to worry about his little tummy hurting because he is empty. These factors were all crucial before we could possibly attempt the transition.

I was just hoping for him to show some interest in food, but it is beyond that. Today he ate 1/3 of an avocado, a few beans, and some banana with brown rice cereal. I couldn't have asked for more in the food department.

Last time I fed him avocado, he gagged on it and spit it out. Today, he barked at me when I didn't feed it to him fast enough. Since I eat avocado almost every day, that will be a very easy food to give him. It's also nice that I don't have to puree it for him. I simply cut him a slice and he chews and swallows without a problem. This feels like a victory for me, but all I did was continue to offer it to him over and over.

The way we are transitioning Max into his crib is as usual a carefully thought out plan modeled by other peaceful parenting advocates and nonbelievers in crying it out. A breast fed baby's first love affair is with the boob. So naturally they look for the boob for comfort. And Max loves to look for that boob in the middle of the night!

So to switch it up, tonight daddy Marc will be there to comfort. Not me. Yes, that's right folks. Marc is taking over the nighttime feedings until Max is adjusted to his room. And since Marc doesn't have boobs, he will be there to comfort and soothe in a different way than me. Because at this point, it's about comfort more than hunger. I'm actually going to do the first feeding just to give my boobs some relief, and then it will be up to Marc to get Max through the rest of the night. I am going to sleep in another room after the first feeding so I can get a much needed break and some extra sleep. Wait. I lie. I'm not getting extra sleep. I'd have to sleep for a straight month for it to be considered extra. I am just aiming to get a good night's sleep is all.

So I got the boys all ready for their first night. We have the baby monitors all set up. Max has his turtle nightlight on so he can see where he is when he wakes up. Since he won't be smelling me and my milk, he will have the bunny that he sleeps with every night with our familiar scents. I moved the rocking chair from the living room into his bedroom. Basically, I've equipped them with everything they might need in hopes of being left alone. I'm really hoping for a successful night, but realize it usually takes a week to begin a new sleep association.

Let's hope Max finds his package is an adequate replacement for the boob. Because tonight it's up to him and Daddy! Wish us luck!

My big boy.

I can remember a long time ago back before I was a mother. It's been over a year if you count pregnancy. And over 10 years if you count Boogars. Either way it's been a long while.

I remember back when moms would talk about how big their babies were. It usually sounded like, "Oh my goodness, I can't believe they're growing up soooo fast!" And my response was probably to nod my head in agreement because I didn't notice a difference either way. It just never seemed like a big deal to me. And to talk about growing an inch was the equivalent of talking about the weather. Booooorrrriiiinnnng!

But here I am wanting to talk about how big my baby boy is. He's sooooo big. And mature. And smart. And strong. And did I mention cute? Ok, I know I need to simmer down. But he's just getting so big! Hahahaha!!! I gave him his first bath in his big boy bath tub tonight. He's almost outgrown the kitchen sink and bath time has become an opportunity to stretch out and have some fun. As much as he loves to kick his legs, I want him to be able to splash water all over the bathroom.

So tonight was his first night to forego the sink and get in his new inflatable bathtub. It wasn't as successful as planned, but these things always take some tweaking. Every time we change any part of our routine, we realize we are making at least one mistake. Tonight he was tired and cranky when he got in his bath, so instead of playtime we just got down to the basics and did a quick scrub. It's safe to say he didn't appreciate his new bath time experience. I think he would have prefered to skip bathtime altogether tonight.

Now that we are feeding Max solid foods, bathtime is of the utmost importance. Between smearing food all over his face, hands, and body, my sticky little guy is quite a mess. The most important part of our daily routine is at least an ounce of solid food at night before bath and then mommy's milk and sleep.

I have offered him a bite or two of food every single day for the past few weeks. And thank goodness Max is finally starting to show a small amount of interest in solid foods. Yea!!! Yesterday was the first day that he ate really well with the spoon. I fed him bananas with a little brown rice mixed in. I know he likes plain bananas, but I had no idea that he would eat it with the added texture of the rice. But he did!

And low and behold, it was a good night after his big banana/rice meal. I got to sleep for 6 hours in a row. And then I fed him and we both went right back to sleep. And then I fed him 1 more time an hour later and fell right back asleep again. And then I almost cried tears of joy. Because I woke up feeling refreshed. That is the biggest deal in the whole entire world. Nothing else compares to waking up feeling rested. I was able to get out and run errands during Max's naptime today, because I wasn't a zombie waiting for him to fall asleep so I could take a nap.

Hey, I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. It all works out perfectly since I don't have to go to work every day. I'm able to take naps during the day with Max so I'm able to function. But it's extra special for me to get up and go all day without feeling like a brick fell on my head. Usually when we have tough nights, I just stay close to home so I don't miss the chance to catch some z's.

Max and I had so much fun running around town today. I couldn't believe it at one point when I looked down at him in his stroller and he was sitting straight up. That's why I'm bragging about how big and strong my baby is. He's practically sitting up straight all by himself. By the looks of his smile I think he was feeling quite proud of his new accomplishment.

And he is getting strong and scooting around after his toys now. Unfortunately he thinks everything he sees is a toy for him. Today he really shocked me when he scooted a few feet across the kitchen into the cat's food bowl. That was another first for sure. He grasped a handfull of his furry brother's food without missing a beat. He knows what he wants when he sees it.

I love it that we are having so much fun getting to know each other. I always wonder what his interests will be. I wonder if he will have my creative side or be more math-minded like Marc. I wonder what his favorite sport will be. I wonder if he will want to tap dance with me. I wonder what all of his likes and dislikes will be. I wonder how embarrassed he will be when I want to mush and squoosh him in front of his friends.

I'm just loving my big boy! Hey, have you heard that it's cooling off outside......