They Can Sleep Anywhere....

And apparently in any position....

I left Max alone (playing) in the living room this afternoon while I was back checking emails and facebook...things got quiet and when I returned to check things out...this is what I found.

My Two Sons

Max is now SEVEN months old...I can not believe how fast time is flying. He was once this sweet little baby boy, and now he is huge - still sweet but man does he have an attitude. (I am adding memories of Wesley to this as I have not been good at recording his milestones, this is my way of catching up.)

1. Today I was rubbing his gums and noticed that overnight his first tooth has broken the surface...and I am sure that the second should be showing its self very soon. (Both Wesley and Max cut their first tooth in June - Wesley at six months, Max at seven months)

2. He can sit up on his own and I am very happy about this. He is now learning to fall with grace and not thuds. He is much happier this way because he can see more and play better with Wesley. (When Wesley first learned to sit up, he loved to play with my babysitters daughters by falling backwards into their laps...the three of them would laugh and laugh)

3. He is mobile...no he is not crawling but he can definitely get around by rolling and scooting. This is both good and bad. Good because he can find the toys he wants...Bad because usually they are the toys Wesley is playing with. Yes, we are swiftly learning how to share and to trade toys. (Wesley did not roll much nor did he start to crawl early, Wesley did the what I called the army crawl all over the house for months before crawling...it will be interesting to see what Max decides to do)

4. Food is his favorite thing. If he is hungry, watch out because he is going to let you know. And you had better have the needed food ready or the high pitch squeals will start. (And really Food + Wesley = Love)

5. I love that he now will reach for you when you go to pick him up. I remember when Wesley first did this, it melted my heart then as well.

Wesley will soon be TWO AND A HALF years old. How can my baby be getting that old? It is not fair, I really miss the baby that he use to be but I also love the stage that he is in now.

1. Everyday he seems to learn a new sentence or two or three. He is fond of telling you to get up and get whatever it is that he wants. He will also climb on your lap and take your face in his hands, making you look at him all while telling you what he wants.

2. Wesley loves his "Ruff" This is his disgusting stuffed panda bear that he does not sleep without. And when he is getting his bedtime kisses at night, he also wants you to kiss the bear.

3. Trains, Planes, and Automobiles. He loves all three...trains being his first love. We live near railroad tracks and a small airport. If he hears the train wistle or a plane over head, the will stop what he is doing and come tell that he heard it.

4. He will not eat food that is mixed together - he likes the idea of soup but will not eat it. The only exception to this is spaghetti, he will eat the sauce, noodles, and meat all mixed up.

5. Coming soon is Potty Training 101. For both Mommy and Wesley...I have never potty trained before so this will be a learning experience for both of us.

Sidenote...As I was working on this post, Wesley kept pointing at the pictures and saying "There's Max" or "There's Wesley"

Flower Power

It is time to blog about my other baby...she arrived just six short weeks before her little brother Maxwell and was thoroughly traumatized by her older brother Wesley within days. She started out a little ball of fluff...I seriously fell in love the first time she curled up on my pregnant tummy and purred with contentment. She is now a sleek (but petite, and really she is only 10 months old but I hope she stays on the small side) black cat. She reminds me of a panther because she loves to "stalk" her prey...usually Wesley or Me or Greg, she is usually nice to Max (but I am sure that will change as he becomes more mobile and starts chasing her along with his brother), probably because she wants to lick his head. Speaking of Wesley, he thinks that Flower is his personal play thing and tries to carry her everywhere. The catch? He has not quite mastered how to hold her and sometimes carries her by the neck...we are working on this and all the while Flower just looks at me with a look that can only mean - Make him STOP.

When Flower first arrived at our home she was so tiny that she could not jump up on the couch, so Greg or I would extend our legs and she would walk up them to the couch. This was the first night we had her and she must have gotten tired because half way up Greg's legs she just stopped and went to sleep.

Now she can jump up on anything she wants...or climb. A few weeks after we got her she began to climb the door jam in the garage, Greg went to see what she was up to one evening and found her hanging there face to face with Greg. We did have her declawed but that crazy cat is still finding ways to climb the doors...

She was just so tiny...who knew that this tiny ball of fluff would be as my friend Erin put it - full of piss and vinegar.

I have to remind her on occasion that she is not the queen around here...I am, she is merely a princess and if her attitude does not let up I will demote her.

Baby toys and cat toys...who knew that they would be interchangeable. By the way, Wesley does not like sharing his toys with Flower any more then he likes sharing with Max.

Flower thinks that my very nice Boppy is her cat bed. In fact if she is running around all riled up all you have to do is lay the Boppy out in the room and she will curl up and calm down.

She likes to burrow under the covers of my bed or Wesley's bed...whichever room is unoccupied. One afternoon I could not find her, she later emerged from under my covers...just inches from where I had laid down a sleeping Max an hour before. I literally just missed smooshing her.I like to call this picture how to amuse myself while the boys are napping or how to annoy Flower with the babies toys. She could not figure out how to get it off her neck - Greg did not think this was amusing but then he did not find it amusing when I put her in one of Wesley's toy boxes (Rubbermaid style boxes) and attached the lid...Wesley laughed but Greg did not.

Fun with Sleep...

Earlier this week I was busy doing chores in another room while Greg was trying to get Max to sleep. Things seemed very quiet in the living room so I went to check it out and the first picture is was I found. Greg and Max napping together on the couch. And with that picture this blog post was born. You see, sleep is very important in our family (though Max is still learning but hope is on the horizon). The other picture of Greg sleeping was taken last year...we will call it Sunday Nap or the NASCAR Race was Boring.

Wesley has always been a great sleeper...I was getting 6 hours of sleep most nights when he was six weeks old. Below are some funny sleep situations I have found him in. Wesley seriously loves to sleep - just last week he hugged his bed. And he has a habit of waking up, finding Mom or Dad and announcing "I'm awake" and he manages to sound really annoyed by that fact. At nearly 2 1/2 he still takes a long nap (3 hours) most every afternoon...I am really going to miss nap time when it leaves us, hopefully this will not happen to soon.

Max on the other hand is not the greatest sleeper on the planet but there is hope (I have finally broken down and we are treating his reflux). His naps are starting to follow a much better schedule and they are becoming a little longer everyday. For awhile, I was letting him just fall asleep wherever he was...even if it was while he was playing. And on the days where he is napping on Mommy's bed, sometimes the cat joins him. Though she tends to be annoyed that she must share the space.

My two boys both fast asleep...can you tell which is which?

The Best Things About My Vacation

#1 - We went to church with Aunt No-No in her singles ward...Wesley being his squirrely self was busy climbing back into his chair during the sacrament. And proceeded to fart...and yes you guessed it - he made his favorite announcement for all to hear. Andy, Noel, and I could barely contain our giggles - I think we may have been snorting.

#2 - Leaving Aunt No-No's on Sunday evening, Noel was strapping Wesley into his car seat. And Wesley was waving at the house and saying "Bye Mary" (Mary is a friend of Noel and Andy's that came over for dinner with us, Wesley LOVED her, they became instant best friends). Noel asks Wesley, "Did you like Mary?"...Wesley nods head yes with really big eyes. Next question, "Do you want to date Mary?"...Wesley again nods yes with really big eyes. He then says, and no I am not kidding..."She's Hot". He so his fathers son.

#3 - Wesley and Megan. They were so cute together (they are about 6 months apart in age). Saturday night I went downstairs at my cousins house to get Max ready for bed. And found Wesley and Megan on the couch watching a blank TV screen and listening to Aladdin really loud. They had figured out how to get the DVD player going but not the TV - and the surround sound was so loud. (Picture to follow) Second at the zoo earlier in the day they had been playing with a lizard and giggling - missed the picture of Megan kissing the lizard through the glass but got a couple other cute ones.

#4 - Wesley and Max's first visit to the zoo. Wesley had so much fun looking at all the animals. He especially loved the elephants and did not want to leave but eventually did with the promise of more fun animals to look at. Hogle Zoo in Utah also has a small train that makes a loop - Wesley is a train fanatic and loved riding the train (minor issue upon leaving but still fun). He also enjoyed the merry-go-round. And really just about everything else we did and saw. Max on the other hand slept through most of the zoo...but really what do you expect out of a 6 month old at nap time.

#5 - Time spent with family. It was great to spend time with Brady and Angela...I haven't seen them for about a year - the kids have changed so much. And at the zoo I was able to see my Aunt and Uncle and more cousins (Bambi and Harrison and their adorable little girl Mady). I am grateful to live close to so much of my family - I need to take the oppurtunities to visit more often.

#6 - Cafe Rio...really if you have eaten there you would totally understand. Best pork burrito ever, I may drive to Utah just to eat there...though I am pretty sure they are building on in Twin Falls. I may be making that drive very soon.

Hair! Flow it, Show it; Long as God can grow it, My Hair!

Hair

She asks me why...I'm just a hairy guy I'm hairy noon and night;

Hair that's a fright. I'm hairy high and low, Don't ask me why; don't know!

It's not for lack of bread Like the Grateful Dead; darling

Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair

Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen

Give me down to there, hair! Shoulder length, longer (hair!)

Here baby, there mama, Everywhere daddy daddy

Shaggy Boy - His hair was getting long, but I could not bring myself to cut it. It was cute and sometimes it would curl (especially after a bath).

What made it even harder to cut was the fact that for many months he did not have much hair. But with this kind of attitude, who needs hair? (By the way...Noel, on her never ending quest to get smacked down by Grandma, claims that Grandma made him flip off the camera).

Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees

Give a home to the fleas in my hair

A home for fleas, a hive for bees

A nest for birds, there ain't no words

For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my hair.

Max on the other hand has always had hair. And Flower has enjoyed licking it from the very beginning.

Max on the left and Wesley on the right...both sporting mohawks. The NICU nurses were having fun with Max and I was so excited for Wesley's little bit of hair that I just had to show it off.

Scary looking Greg with the multi level hair...I just had to take the picture and now here it is for all the world to see. Post hair cut holding Max.

I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy

Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty

Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining Gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen

Knotted, polka-dotted; Twisted, beaded, braided

Powdered, flowered, and confettied Bangled, tangled, spangled and spaghettied!

Mommy has lots of hair...so in the beginning Wesley not having hair was mind boogling. Again Max had hair, so what was up with Wesley?

As you have been reading this and looking at all of the pictures of hair, you have probably been asking yourself...why? Why did she take the time to post this. Well I will tell you...because today Wesley got his hair cut. This means no more getting asked when I am going to cut his hair because today I did it.

O-oh, Say can you see; my eyes if you can,

Then my hair's too short!

Down to here, down to there,

Down to where, down to there;It stops by itself!

My Angel with an Attitude

As I am writing this post my angel, aka Max, is suppose to be taking a nap. We will see if this is true later - he is quiet so I am hopeful. I have been thinking about this post for awhile but was reminded this afternoon why I was wanting to write this. Max can go from the happiest, most mellow baby on the planet to red and screaming in seconds. This especially happens when he is tired or hungry or a combination of both (especially loud and angry). He can seriously be playing happily on the floor with his toys, and suddenly burst into tears, all while still playing with his toys.

Pouting is one of Max's strong suits. My sister Noel, swears he looks like my Grandma Meyers when he pouts...Noel needs to be careful with this statement because one of these days Grandma is going to reach down and smack her. But oh that pout is a mile long. I may be a horrible Mommy but I tend to giggle at that pout, probably because Max looks so much like me it is like looking in a mirror from the past.

We have a nickname for Max, Thumper. He will get that leg thumping in the bathtub, in bed at night, in his carseat, in his bouncy chair, or while just playing on the floor. Usually a sign of happiness but it can also be the precurser to pay attention to me now.

It is said that attitude is everything...and if that is true Max has attitude coming out his ears. If he wants something (food, toys, sleep) or is unhappy about something (usually a nasty diaper or being left in a room alone for too long) - he wants the situation remedied now, not when Mommy and Daddy have a minute but now.