Puerto Rico

Last month Jared took a 5 day trip to Puerto Rico. The longest we've ever been apart was when Jared went to Spain for 6 weeks, I was actually able to go for the first 10 days. So you'd think after 6 weeks, the 5 days in Puerto Rico would seem short, but I don't care if it is just one night, it's still too long for me! It doesn't get any easier being apart from your best friend. But we were excited that Jared was accepted to be on a discussion panel at a conference there.

He was leaving on a Wednesday and the day before we thought his flight left at 6pm so we were going to just go to bed and then do laundry and pack Wednesday morning. I went to bed at 11pm and Jared still had some stuff to do, then at 11:30pm he came in and told me his flight left at 6 AM. He was flying out of LAX so he had to leave at about 3am. He packed quickly and tried to get some sleep. In the rush we forgot a phone charger, but luckily his phone lasted until the day before he came home. Jared actually had a connecting flight from LAX to Miami and Drew Barrymore as well as Justin Long ("Hi I'm a Mac") were in his plane! Besides the conference Jared saw some cool forts on the ocean. Here are some online photos.

Max and I stayed busy. Really, we only came home for naps and then we were out of the house as much as possible. All my friends were really great and checked in on me. We went to the playground a lot, to our community play group, church music group and church play group. We did some Christmas shopping and Aunt Meri (Jared's younger sis) even came and spent an afternoon with us and helped me get Max ready for bed. We had Sunday dinner at the White's. We're so thankful for the internet because while Jared was gone, Max started crawling and I was able to get the video up on the blog for him to see.

9 Month Interview with Max!

(*portrait by Michelle Pomeroy)

Max, how did your 9 month check up go?

- It was great! I crawled all over for the doctor and showed him I could go back to sitting. He says I'm developing great. I only had to get ONE shot this time and I only cried for a minute. I actually want to take this moment to say I've had two flu shots and didn't cry with either of those! They also weighed and measured me:

23lbs 12oz (90th percentile) (the first time I've been on the charts since my 2 month appt!)
28.5 inches (70th percentile)
**as far as head circumference goes, I can't remember the exact measurement, but the Dr. did say it is "big", of course it is, I have a big brain because I am one smart dude!

**When they weighed me at my flu shot appt the week before my check-up, the nurse said I was 24lbs 7oz, I don't think I lost weight in one week, I think she was just in a hurry and wasn't as accurate that time.
What are your new tricks?
- crawling, I'm getting pretty fast. I like to follow mom everywhere and crawl around her legs while she's cooking or doing dishes.
-pulling up. I'm pretty good at this, just in the last couple days I've been able to reach higher surfaces like the little table mom put the Christmas tree on, big mistake mom! I also can stand up in my crib now. When I pull up I bang on the surface of what I pulled up on with my palms.
What do you like to do?
- play with just about anything, and put it in my mouth! I especially love anything that makes noise and cardboard boxes like a diaper box or cereal box.
- I love to open cupboards too, and then take out anything that might be in them.
- I like to play on the playground by my house with my friends. I crawl around with the kids my age and watch the older kids. Sometimes my friends Evelyn and Jilly take me down the slide with them, I love it!
- I still love bath time!
- I also love to look out the window and watch the cars, birds, and bikers.
- I like to be outside, play in the dirt and explore.
- I also love to Talk, babble and sing!
How many teeth do you have?
- 4! the bottom two and the top two. Mom had to put away some of my toys, like my books, so I don't take chunks out of them and watch me close when I play with the cardboard boxes.

What are you eating these days?
- Lots of fruit and veggies, small chunks of them sometimes instead of purees as well as your typical Gerber baby cereal. I've also moved on to meat occasionally, bread, crackers(i can feed these to myself!), cheerios, rice krispies, pasta, cheese (though I had a weird reaction to dairy, mozzarella seems to be ok), and occasionally mom will give me a bite or two of table food. The other day she gave me a mashed pinto bean, it was SO gross! I thought I was going to cry!
What is the coolest thing about being 9 months?
- I have officially been on the outside of mom for as long as I was on the inside!
- Another cool thing is that I rarely spit up anymore. I was one of those babies who spit up ALL the time, so it's nice that I actually smell like baby soap most of the time, and not spit up!

What makes you laugh?

- Daddy when he picks me up and tickles my belly. Mommy when she makes funny faces at me. I also think it is so funny when people throw toys in the air or spin them around!

What are your least favorite things?
- Getting dressed.
- Getting my diaper changed, hold still? me? no way!
- Getting into my high chair, I fight mom and dad on this one every time. I just don't want to be confined!
- Long shopping trips. I'm done after about 15 minutes.

What are you currently working on?
- Drinking from a sippy cup and picking up my food and getting it in my mouth.
- Cruising
- Clapping - I do it when I feel like it

What is your sleep schedule like?
- I sleep from about 6pm-6am but am still up one or two times between the hours of 3am and 5:30am.
- I also take two naps. Naps make me a happy kid!
What is your favorite song?
- Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam and I am a Child of God.

(*portrait by Michelle Pomeroy)

Just your typical craziness . . .

This has been a crazy week. They're re-doing our roof and the workers, though friendly, don't seem to know about nap time. Needless to say it has been pretty loud. Yesterday it got so loud that Max was actually scared. He just wanted me to hold him and wouldn't let me put him down for a couple hours. He even just layed on me and let me rock him for a few minutes, he hasn't done this since he was tiny, it was sweet. I don't mind the cute cuddles of course, but it is just hard to do anything or even get ready to go out the door. Finally when the ladder was removed from our porch I dashed outside to the car (no makeup) and drove to the beach, Max was a little grumpy from missing his 2nd nap but he always is happy at the beach, it is so cute. Especially now that he is crawling, he chases seagulls and of course manages to get a few handfuls of sand in his mouth. Actually, in the past few days the following things may or may not have gone into Max's mouth:

- Sand
- Vanilla Brown Sugar Body Wash
- Rust flakes that tend to accumulate under our sink (one of the downfalls of CA living)
- 3 French Fries from In-n-Out (am I a horrible mother?)
- Dirt from the gym floor at church ("licked the floor" was how Jared put it)
- bunny poops on the playground (they live in the bushes near by, but I really think I got them out of his hand in time, thank goodness)
- my flip flop (that I used to smash a spider with earlier that day)

Now that Max is crawling I'm really starting to see the little boy in him. Loves the dirt, loves to explore, but he still looks behind his shoulder to make sure I'm close by before he goes too far.

I really hope to do a post on Thanksgiving and an official 9 month update, hopefully this week!

P.S. Sorry for the lack of comments from me on all your blogs my friends, I'm still reading!

Watch Out!

This little guy . . .
not only has two bottom teeth, (and cut a top one on Wednesday) . . .
but is CRAWLING!

and Yes! I call this crawling!

he started getting up on his knees from his tummy about a month ago, then rocking on them, then scooting backwards on his tummy, then going from tummy to knees to sitting, then he would go from sitting and walk out to crawling position then back to sitting (he could get around this way). Yesterday he went out to crawling position and walked forward twice with his hands and then today, he learned to trust his legs and just took off from there!

Thanks everyone for your comments on the last post! Most of you I've been in touch with through blogs for a long time, we just maybe haven't left comments in while, but I did find some new/old friends! I'll come take a peek at your blogs and comment soon!

Come Out , Come Out!

You do it, I do it, I hate to use this phrase, but there is no avoiding it, the phrase is "blog stalking". Here is my definition

Blog Stalking: Looking at another person's blog who you know or knew at one point but for some reason you feel like if you commented they would think you were weird for tracking them down somehow.

Reality: They probably look at your blog too and think the exact same thing!

I admit there are a few blogs I look at occasionally that I never comment on for the reason stated above, but honestly, if I found out they looked at my blog I wouldn't even mind and would hope they would comment.

The blogging world is huge and if I really had a problem with not knowing who all looked at my blog I would go private (I've thought about it).

So, COME OUT COME OUT!! IF YOU LOOK AT MY BLOG BUT HAVE NEVER LEFT A COMMENT LET ME KNOW AND I WILL DO THE SAME!
(by the way, this little cutie pulled to standing all by himself today, in the words of Lisa's husband on facebook today "i'm in trouble!")

The Mini-Van Solution!

I've had an epiphany! I just LOVE this feeling! It's like the feeling you get when you figure out how to organize your storage closet better or when you have a stocked pantry and a weeks worth of meals planned . . . do you know what I mean?
OK, back up, A long time ago I came to the realization that if I'm going to be a mom, no matter how many kids I end up having, I will need a mini-van at one time or another. I really have no problem with this. I guess when I was young and naive I thought they really "weren't cool" or whatever, but then after two summers of baby sitting my niece and nephew and driving them around in my Civic while they poked each other in the back seat I realized how convenient it would be if kids didn't have to sit right next to each other and if I could just stand up real quick to be able to get to them or hand them something.
Growing up, there were 7 of us, we actually never had a mini van, we had a VAN! Two different ones actually, neither like the one above but you get the idea. When the kids started growing up and moving out, my dad held on to the second one for awhile because he was hauling around his soccer team that he coached. I miss those days . . .watching soccer after school and my dad in his "Coach Wright" hat . . sorry, sidetracked . . ok, my point.

There are four, count 'em FOUR of these beauties in the parking lot I park in. I never really paid much attention to them, I assumed they were "surfer cars" or "hippie cars" and many are covered in stickers reading "question reality" "carnivores are worse than (something I can't remember)" "save our planet, ride a bike" . . .etc. Growing up I think we called them "grandpa-bugs". But over the past year or so I've begun to notice what a treasure these babies are! Once I walked by and the owner was mopping the WOODEN floor inside! Another time one guy had the roof raised up, you could actually stand up inside! They also have little stoves in them and on the outside you could hook it up to an electrical unit (liken an RV!) These are the ultimate family car! Especially if you're a camping, beach going family! (we're not really a camping family, but we could be!). Now every time I walk by I have visions of carseats strapped in and pulling up to pick up my kids from school in one of them. I'd be the coolest mom in town! (right?)


Unfortunately, Jared promised himself a long time ago he would NEVER buy a Volkswagen. My dad is also this way. European car, too expensive to repair.

Well, maybe we'll score a sweet deal on one when our family gets a little bigger, (preferably a shiny blue one like the one I saw grocery shopping today) and he won't be able to resist!

P.S. now I hope you are all singing "you take your car to work, I'll take my board . . ."

I'll Eat You Up I Love You So!

Just got back from the ward Trunk or Treat and was so excited Max actually kept his costume on that I had to post the pics!
Way back in September Jared had this awesome idea that Max should be "Max" from Where The Wild Things Are for Halloween! Luckily Max has a Grandmother who can make just about anything and sewed his adorable wolf-suit costume! Happy first Halloween to my sweet Wild Thing. (we still haven't seen the movie, I've heard it is just ok, i will see it eventually).





Max's friend Violet was a Violet and Max was Max!
Max's buddies Jilly and Evelyn!

Well, we tried!

When we went to Yellowstone we stopped in Utah really quick on the way home to see my family and the 9/10 of Max's cousins who live there. I really wanted to get some sort of shot with all the cousins. 2 year old Eliza was asleep, so it ended up being just 8/10. I knew I wasn't going to get a perfect photo so after I pleaded with all the kids and parents to help me out a little I just started snapping once they all kind of grouped together . . .

Photo A: "hmm, where should we have this photo, maybe here on the love seat because some of us are already over here . . ."
Photo B: "ok, we're all here, oh wait, we need Alex! Camera's over here guys, oh and maybe get Jared out of the picture, who wants to hold Max?"
Photo C: "hmm the sun is a little bright, let's close these blinds" Baby Scarlett on the bottom right has about had it, Max has a great big smile, probably looking at his daddy being silly.Photo D: "I was born to hold babies!" said 9 year old cousin Warren, oldest of 4. Alex is a trooper and gets in the photo, mom Shera is doing what she can.
Photo E: "OK, blinds closed, everyone look at Auntie Em, 1, 2, 3 . . .wait, why are we not looking at Auntie Em?! Thanks Nathaniel, I appreciate those two thumbs up."
Photo F: Final attempt, well if this were just a pic of the four boys in front it would be great!
and we're done!

Thanks for being good sports kids and parents. Love love love it.

Do you remember this "buff" dude?

ok, think really hard, M. Night Shyamalan, Lady in the Water . .

Reggie was the guy who ended up being "the guardian" when it wasn't Mr. Heap (Paul Giamatti)
my point is, I'm turning into Reggie! He was the crazy kid in the apartment complex who only worked out one side of his body so his right arm is huge while the other one was weak. With me though, it is the left side, I'm always holding this lovable 23lb 8 month old (as of today!) in my left arm so I can do stuff with my right, I can old him there for awhile, but in the right arm? Less than one minute!

HOPEFULLY I WON'T HAVE TO STARE DOWN A SCARY SNARF IN THE NEAR FUTURE . . .

this pic was taken before church one Sunday last month, judging by the looks of the clock, we probably should've been on our way instead of taking pictures . . .oh well!

7 month update!

It is that time again! Max turned 7 months at the end of September. I'm just LOVING this stage. But I say that about every stage, I think you just have to enjoy the moment you're in, even the challenging ones so when they're all grown up you can look back and say you really ate up every minute you could, there is something wonderful about every stage in life. This post is LONG and is more for documentation purposes. If you just look through the pictures and video, I understand, but if you want to, have fun reading about what he's up to as well.
- Max has been sitting for a while now and can now kind of play on his own and entertain himself for a few minutes. He can also now sit up in the grocery cart!
-He can go from sitting to his tummy, not quite seamlessly, but he can do it. He can scoot around a little bit on his bum while he's reaching for toys, and can scoot himself backwards while on his tummy.-Sometimes he'll put his bum in the air and push forward off his toes to reach for toys, and just yesterday he started lifting his tummy of the ground a little bit. Jared sometimes will bend his knees underneath him and get him into the crawling position, I'm in no hurry for the crawling, but it's a fun game that Jared and Max play.
-If I stand him up on the coffee table he can kind of support him self for a minute or so. keep my had there just in case.
- He has been eating solids 2 times a day, sometimes 3. Sometimes he eats a lot, some times not so much. He really isn't a picky eater, it's all in the timing. He rarely spits anything out. I think his favorites are applesauce and sweet potatoes. The other night he didn't really want to eat anything and according Max's Dr.'s chart white meat is next on the list of foods for him so I gave him a few tiny pieces of turkey and he ate them right up!
-He also hit 22lbs and is now riding in his big boy carseat, still rear facing, but he's out grown his infant seat already! Not for height yet, but for weight. He also has a little wooden high chair that I really like for him.
- He's done with the Bumbo, I really loved it though. We got it around 3 months. It worked well for Max. At about 3 months he started HATING being on his back. I still see babies that are his age now laying in their mom's laps at church while they play with their feet, or laying in their infant seats at church, but Max would not really do those things anymore once he hit 3 months. The Bumbo was the only thing that would allow me to take a shower somedays! He never really cared for his swing either, just the occaisional bed for a nap.
- Max slept swaddled till he was 5 months, but now is all over the crib! He prefers his tummy now. Of course I was worried because of SIDS but Doc says once they can roll all over their going to choose their own sleeping position and the risk drops dramatically.
- At the beginning of September he started developing a rash on his back. I finally was able to show it to the nurse practitioner who said it is eczema and to put Cetaphil cream on it after his baths, it seems to be fading. We didn't need a perscription cream so that is good, seems to be pretty mild.
-He talks alot, especially in the mornings when he's up for the day (he's always so cheerful at this time and it makes 7am not seem so early for me) His words; da-da, mum-mum, a-guu, blab-blab . . etc. The other day Jared came home said "HI!" to Max and I promise Max said "hiiiiiii, hiiiiiiiiiii" right back to him! Then on Friday we were getting ready to go to the beach for playgroup and I told him "we're going to the beach!" and he said "geesh!" (sounds like beach right?).
-He's also started to give "kisses", well sort of, when we're cuddling or just playing he'll put both hands on either side of my face and then open his mouth and bite the end of my chin! It doesn't hurt (no teeth still btw) just lots of slobber, it is so funny though! Ive been kissing him since the moment he was born so I guess he's figuring out how it goes!
- He is a lot more aware of what is around him. He squishes the bumper in his crib, and unraveled one of the ties the other day. I probably will need to take it off soon but his legs and arms get caught in the rails! He tries to reach for my shampoo in the tub, touches the bubbles in the water . . .just more aware of what's all in his little world.
- He loves the tags on things. Some of his soft toys he'll reach for just to put the tag in his mouth. Or he'll be sitting with the Boppy behind him and have all these toys in front of him, but will turn around just to eat the tag on the Boppy.
-He's also getting better with his hands, it seems every day there is something new. He can hold two toys at once, has a better aim when he wants to pick something up, and can pass a toy from one had to the other.
-Max loves to hold things, really he is happiest with something in his hand. I can't get through a diaper change without handing him something. He especially loves things that make noise, he can even shake his rattles and plastic links better these days. He also loves things that make a crinckling sound, like wrappers. Of course everything goes right into his mouth, we really have to try our best to keep the sand out of reach at the beach!

-He's not into water bottles and juice containers as much as he used to be, but still everything is more interesting that is not a toy, like kitchen utensils and tupperware. He has a few board books that are falling apart from being chewed and slobbered on, I need to put some of them away so they'll last a bit longer!
-He really likes to watch other kids play and I love it. I think he really wants to run around with the big kids. Sunday in Relief Society he was sitting next to his friend Gordon and they were "playing" together. They are just 6 weeks apart. It was cute to watch them reach for each other's toys and shoes, and just look at each other.
-Another big thing that has happened in the last month is that we've gotten Max on a sleep schedule, I think I'll save the details for another post. I'm also learning how to sleep again. Just because your baby is sleeping better doesn't necessarily mean the mom is sleeping better! I'm still trying to remember how to get a good nights rest, it's coming.
- Max enjoyed his 2nd general conference of his life a couple weeks ago.
-Basically Max is a happy baby, he loves to laugh, he loves his mom and dad, and we sure love being his parents. I don't know how we ever got along without this guy, he makes us so happy!

- Enjoy some VIDEO! the last one is my favorite.
1 - with dad at Balboa (sorry about the fuzziness, and sideways, but still cute)
2 - just woke up from a nap
3 - getting ready for a bath
4 - playing in the water