Sisterly and Brotherly Love

Dirt

Today Carmen was lying down next to Max while he was in his gym and she stuck her finger in her mouth to wet it. She then proceeded to wipe her finger on Max's face.  I told her that it was probably better she not do that and she responded saying she was getting the 'dirt' off his face.  In this case, the 'dirt' was his eyebrows.  Thank goodness for Carmen and her ability to make me smile.

One month

You are one month old today and we are so enjoying getting to know you, little Maxwell, and figuring out your likes and dislikes.  Here a some things we have discovered about you thus far:

You like to eat. You have no shortage of appetite. You are growing quickly and your cheeks are getting fuller. Your hair is long and little curly, especially after a bath. Bath time is getting easier each time as you get used to the water. You like to snuggle. When napping, you prefer sleeping like a tree frog on our chest just like your sister use to do. You are noisy. A noisy eater. A noisy sleeper. You snore. You like to sleep with your hands above your head when in your crib. No swaddle for you. When awake, your hands and feet are constantly in motion. You like grabbing for your sister's arm when she sits next to you. You have a healthy set of lungs. You will not take a pacifier and to be comforted you like when we walk around with you on our shoulder. You like to move and not be stationary. You are expressive and when mad turn your big bottom lip up into the perfect frown; it's hard not to laugh even though you are clearly mad.  You stick your tongue out, a lot.  You have faint eyelashes and eyebrows and dark, dark hair.  You have a strong neck and are constantly lifting your head to look around at your surroundings. You are oh so lovable and kissable.  You have stolen our hearts. 

Proud Mama

I am so proud of our little girl, who is not so little anymore.  Carmen continues to amaze me in the way she interacts with her new baby brother.  She is still gentle, she is still kind and she is still helpful.  She is a pro at grabbing diapers and wipes and will alert me when the baby has 'bubbles' (a.k.a. toss up) and then promptly brings over the burp cloth if it's not within arms reach.  When we are in the house and we go into a different room she reminds me that we need to bring the baby.  According to Carmen the baby can not be left alone.  I try and tell her that if he's sleeping it's ok to leave the room and let him sleep for a while.  She is not convinced.  She continues to give soft kisses on Max's head and gently rubs his cheeks and tries to decorate him with stickers.  She likes to sit next to him and just watch him watching her.  She has been nothing but patient when Max is fussy or crying and I can't get to what she needs right away.  She hasn't acted out one time.  While she has been an absolute delight with Max, of course she has her moments, she is almost two after all. There are the occasional tantrums because her milk is not in the proper color cup, there is protesting before naps and bed time and when Elmo-time is over, big crocodile tears sometimes for just no reason at all, but nothing negative toward Max.  We are so impressed and maybe it's because I didn't give her enough credit and was thinking the worst about how she might react to her brother. As usual, Carmen surprised us all and we are so thankful for her spunk and her loving nature.  While Lamby still continues to be number one, Maxwell is definitely becoming a close second!

Three Weeks

In these last three weeks we have fallen more in more in love with you little Maxy (if that's possible).  You continue to surprise us with your mellow nature. We are enjoying holding you, having you snuggle with you head underneath our chin and watching you search around the room with your deep blue/gray eyes.  You are getting more active too...grabbing the rings and animals on your gym, kicking your blanket off your legs when in your bouncy chair, and busting your hands out of your swaddle. Thus far you love the car and fall asleep immediately once the car is in motion.  Yay for that.  It makes running errands a breeze and you'll snooze for hours in your car seat and stroller. It amazes me how much you can sleep and how content you are.  While you have mastered the 3 to 4 hour nap during the day, your nighttime sleeping stints are less, usually 2 - 2 1/2 hours.  Although, some more food and a quick snuggle and you are usually back zzing away before too long.  You make the funniest noises and expressions and love to stick your tongue out. We look forward to figuring out your ever changing patterns and watching your personality develop.

For now, we are getting into routine and enjoying our new challenge of juggling two children.  So far so good and we are loving it!

We Miss Grandma

Today we had to say goodbye to Grandma as she boarded a plane back home to Arizona.  It was very difficult for us to see her go as she has been an integral part of helping with baby Max and our transition from a family of three to a family of four. We feel so lucky she was able to spend 3 weeks with us and she was more helpful than she'll ever know. She did it all...took Carmen on adventures to play at The Beach, stroller rides to Third Place Books, got her special treats, helped change diapers for both Carmen and Max, rocked and held Max, did dishes, did laundry and oh so many other small things that made a huge difference. We are blessed to have such a wonderful support system and we all enjoyed the time we got to spend with Grandma. Grandma, we love you very much and you will be missed!

Husky Game Time!

A pre-game snack.

Go Huskies!  Carmen trying to prefect her fist pump.