Brotherly Love

This picture just warms my heart!

We have been very remiss in making sure Isabel gets adequate tummy time, but when she does Maxwell is right there by her side. Today he got down and said to daddy, "I want you take a picture of me and Isabelly." Okay buddy, sure thing!

I love, love, love these kids!

Santa Delivered

Maxwell had 1 request for Santa. A LEGO garbage truck. He was stuck on that for months. So, Santa delivered and more. I had been calling friends to find out what is to much presents for a kid his age. We totally overwhelmed him last year. So this year we limited it to only 5, plus a Christmas stocking. And guess what? He was still overwhelmed!! Shocking!

Daddy and Maxwell have been talking about getting a fish tank with  fishes and a turtle if he could go without having accidents regularly. He has been doing such a good job so Santa brought the basics of a tank and a few fish. He even wrote a letter to Maxwell telling him that we would take him to get the turtle and plants when he was ready.

 Reading Santa's letter.

 Fishies.

 LEGO garbage truck, WOW!

 Even Izzy got some goodies. Flowers that make music.

A LEGO fire station. Maxwell asked mommy and daddy for this after he saw it in his LEGO magazine.

He played with his new stuff ALL DAY!! He made it through the whole day without a nap and no whining. He was such a good boy, even ate dinner and had a bath before bed. Next year, I will keep things to a minimum. I swear!! But it sure was great to see his face each time he opened up something new. What a good boy!

Cookies For Santa

Maxwell and daddy made chocolate chip cookies for Santa on Saturday night while I was at work. He has become quite the helper and Terry reports he did most of the adding and mixing himself. I got him his very own kid sized apron and he wore it proudly.

 He loves adding the ingredients and scooping and rescooping them.

 A little help from the Kitchen Aid, my favorite kitchen utensil.

 Not a fan of touching the dough. He doesn't like getting his hands dirty.

Delicious boy makes delicious cookies.

Santa loved them!

Isabel is 5 Months Old

Our beautiful girl is 5 months old and to celebrate she gave me an early Christmas present. For the past 2 nights she has slept for 8 to 9 hours at her longest stretch!! YIPPEE!!! Do I sound excited? You bet your bippy I am excited. Now, if I could just get to bed at an earlier time it would be great.

She continues to change and develope her personality. She has begun to get the idea of rolling over and leads with her head. Like she is looking over her shoulder at something. She has discovered her feet and now puts them in her mouth at every opportunity. Super, silly, cuteness. She can almost sit up by herself, but she is still a little top heavy and pitches over like lumberjack yelling, "timber." And the hair!! She has Maxwells silly baby hair. It can't help but stick straight up in the air. Not in a maxhawk, but just the front section. So goofy looking.

 Check out the hair.

 Her binky is still almost as big as her head.

"What are you looking at???"

 Sitting up and looking pretty.

 "Timber."

"I want one of those fuzzy things in my mouth! I can almost reach it."

Anyway, Maxwell absolutely adores her and is always asking, "Where my Isabelly?" When I bring her down after one of her naps, he runs up and hugs her tight and kisses her all over. He is such a sweet, gentle boy with her. So for now the love affair is still going strong. He does get a little upset when she grabs at his hair when they hug, or when she kicks him when they are on my lap together. But mostly it is love. Thank goodness.

So, Isabel, you continue to grow and so does our love for you. Your daddy adores you to and has become quite the baby whisperer. Things are getting easier as you settle into the routine of our lives. You are super adaptable, but still very demanding when you want something. Sound like anyone you know??? Uh um, nope, nobody I know! Just kidding. You even look like I did when I was a baby.

We love you so!



Merry Christmas

A big, wonderful, Merry Christmas to all of my friends and family.

Newtown Tragedy

I have been debating making any kind of statement about the shooting massacre in Newtown. Afterall, who am I and why does my opinion even matter. I have always wanted this blog to be about happy things, the good times. To eventually turn each year into a book to give to Maxwell and now Isabel when they are grown up. To have them relive in some small way, the love we have had for them since the beginning.

I just can't get the victims out of my head. I keep thinking somewhere are parents just like us grieving for a lost child and it breaks my heart. Everytime I turn on the radio I hear more and I cry myself to work, or the grocery store. What a senseless tragedy. I watched online, like watching a train wreck, as more and more information was relayed. I couldn't look away. Parenthood certainly changes the way a person views the world. I have always mourned when I heard or read about some horrific incident involving children. How, how can anyone think that it is okay to hurt or kill a child? A completely innocent human being.  

They are talking alot about mental illness now. The lack of support. Where was the intervention? How did his parents not see it escalating? As a person who once suffered being bi-polar and did not get the help I needed early on, I can understand a little. It is hard to admit that there might be something wrong with the person you created. To acknowledge that they need help. It does not make the parents, bad parents, it just means your child needs help. Help that you may not be able to give or even know how to give.

I know the warning signs. I lived them for 12 long years before I sought help for myself. I will not let my children suffer the way I did. I was never a danger to anyone else, only to myself. Looking at the faces of my children, I thank God everyday for not letting me make a stupid decision that would have made having them impossible. Amazingly, almost unbelievably, my pregnancy with Maxwell, "fixed" my chemical imbalance. I have not been nor have I needed to be medicated since I found out I was pregnant with him. A true blessing. I can not thank him enough. 

I have cried everyday, sometimes multiple times, for the loss of those children. For the adults who sacrificed themselves to insure the safety of the suvivors. I don't know how I would handle the loss of one of my children. How does anyone? It isn't something that we think about and why should we? We should be vigilant, but stay focused on the task at hand and pray. Pray that it never happens again. Pray that the laymakers see this as a sign. Pray that all of our children will grow up to live life to the fullest and accomplish all of their hopes and dreams. 

I have experienced a lot of loss in the last couple of years. A sad product of aging. My father recently had a heartattack. I know everything must eventually come to an end, but if we could just let the little ones have a beginning first. That is all I ask. I just can't get them out of my mind...



Christmas Tree Hunting

It just wouldn't be right getting our tree any other way anymore. I have been converted!! Every year that Terry and I have been together we have gone Christmas tree hunting. We buy a tree permit at the ranger station and head up into the hills for some fun! I have to say it was much easier before we had children, but we wouldn't trade it for anything. It has become tradition and one of these years it might actually decide NOT to rain on us!

This year we loaded up everyone up and went up close to the pass in search of the perfect tree!

 Maxwell enjoying the privileges of first born...and old enough to sit in the sled! I told him to yell, "mush, mush" to make daddy go faster! Cruel but funny.

 After hiking in a bit, we spotted it, the perfect tree.

 Maxwell helping daddy to cut it down.

 Getting right down in there with "the cutter."

 High 5'ing a good job!

 Isabel slept most of the journey. Just like Maxwell did the first year.

 Max had a great time, until the cold finally got to him, shortly after this picture was taken.

We left the tree downstairs for a couple of days to get rid of the bugs and until we had time to decorate. When we did finally pull out the ornaments, we put on some rockin' Christmas tunes, a la Brian Setzer, and went to work hanging ornaments.

Here is Maxwell shaking his money maker while we got the tree decorated. I can't tell you how much I love, love, love this boy!

Hope everyone is ready for old Saint Nick! We sure are and we can't wait to see Maxwell's reaction this year.

Maxwell the Photographer

Maxwell has decided to start using my camera to take pictures of everything that strikes his fancy. Some of his pictures are perfectly focused, others are slightly off but still great shots.

 Here is a couple of daddy from the day we took our Christmas card pictures.

 He sure makes for an interesting subject.

 Never afraid to show Maxwell his goofy side.

 I call this one, "the still life of Legos!"

 Maxwell came in to our room while I was changing Isabel's poopy diaper. So instead of saying "cheese" I am saying "poop!"

 Daddy putting his vogue on.

A picture of daddy flipping pancakes for breakfast, taken from his arms.

For this picture, Maxwell said he needed to lay down to get the shot. It was a very Spielberg moment.

If he keeps taking pictures, I will keep posting the good ones.

The Gingerbread House

Maxwell had such a good time putting together the gingerbread house we got as a gift last year that we wanted to do it again. Trader Joe's has a really good kit for only $10. It comes complete with everything, but we added lots of leftover Halloween candies, just like last year.

 This year there was one difference. Maxwell was a candy fiend! Thanks to grammas influence he now wants chocolate all the time. It does make for an excellent bribery tool!

 He was meticulous in his placement of the candies.

 Here is is putting candy coated sunflower seeds on the roof.

A candy he didn't mind using liberally, cause he doesn't like them!

 Maybe I could just eat this one??!!

The finishing touches! I think we will make this a tradition. Of course eventually, I am sure we will need 2 houses. Sharing could be a problem, but we won't know until we get there.

Isabel was 4 Months Old

Sadly I missed posting Isabel's 4 month pictures and stats so here they are now.

She was 12lbs. 13oz. and 24 and 1/8 inches long on the 23rd of November. The doctor says she is doing great! Weighing in at the 25th percentile and measuring for length in the 50th percentile. She did great with her vaccinations this time and continues to eat really well.

 She is an absolute joy and daily shows herself to be a very different child from her brother.

She shrieks and yells to get our attention. She laughs at her daddies silliness and she loves, loves, loves her big brother. She lets him kiss on her and snuggle her. It is so amazing to see them interact together.

Even at 4 and a half months, now, she shows no sign of wanting to roll over. She is getting stronger everyday though and the doctor says it looks like she wants to get up and run when you hold her up.

Almost Christmas

I did not mean to be away from the blog for so long but the computer was hijacked by Terry to study for his powerplant licence exam. He has passed 2 of the 4 test he needs to take and now only the oral and practical remain. So I have a long list of things to blog about and I am going to try to get everything done tonight.

The weekend after Thanksgiving we took our annual trip out to Molbak's for our Christmas pictures. It was great. We saw old friends and Santa! Here are a couple of great pictures from that afternoon.

 Having 2 kids now, it is twice as hard to get a good picture. One is always looking just right, while the other is not paying attention.

 A very wise friend told me to make sure to get lots of pictures of myself with the kids, as well as taking them. Sometimes harder to do then others.

 The kids were both really good that afternoon. Maxwell got a little tired of all the pictures but, overall he was awesome.

He even told Santa what he wanted for Christmas. He hasn't waivered in what he wants for about 3 months. So we are making sure to deliver.

Here is reindeer Isabel, making her Christmas debut. Santa was happy to meet her!

Hope everyone is getting ready for the big man in the red suit!

Sally the Salamander

Daddy brought home a salamander he found at school a couple of weeks ago and Maxwell thoroughly enjoyed looking at it and touch it before letting him go in the pond across the street. Here are a couple of pictures of the little man and his repitilian friend.

 Maxwell is still pretty much a no fear kind of kid when it comes to touching stuff.

He did however, start to panic a little when Sally started to move quickly up his arm. All in all he enjoys critters and if he keeps up not having any accidents, daddy has promised him a fish tank. And bonus for me...he promises to keep it clean to. I don't have to do anything! Yippee for me!

Maxwell the Baker

The Holidays are rapidly approaching and we are hard at work on baking yummy treats. Since the rain has been coming down pretty hard lately, Maxwell and I have taken to baking instead of outdoor activities. We started the day by making daddies favorite, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. I have started to make it healthier by adding flax meal and using whole wheat flour. It tastes incredible! 

Maxwell loves eating the chocolate chips as we work. I try to keep it to a minimum, but he is such a good helper, he deserves a treat.

 Look at how intently he is checking out those chocolate chips! I am sure in his little mind he is thinking, if I just look hard enough maybe she will give them ALL to me!

 Wait, you want me to put them all in there?!? What the heck!

 Okay, I guess.

 There were a few that fell on the counter and he picked them up and put them in the bowl...all except one.

What a delicious baker!

After the banana bread and a nap we made pumpkin and turkey shaped pumpkin cookies for his preschool friends feast on the day before Thanksgiving. We roasted a pumpkin, from the preschool pumpkin patch outing and used some for the cookies. Maxwell and daddy put the icing on them and they were great. He had a blast rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters. Our next little moms group actvity is Christmas cookies, so he will be very prepared.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We sure did!