Odds & Ends

Lyla & Max are continuing to evolve as they learn & gain more independence. Lyla is nearly four years old and I'm already astonished at how much she has changed in such a short time. I wonder what another four years is going to do to me!? I think that's the incredible thing about parenthood, being the one common denominator as these tiny creatures transform from helpless infants into beautiful beings. It is truly a privilege to be a witness as they experience the world around them. They may not remember these early years, but I will forever. 

Anyway, being on the parenting end of this childhood experience, there are some habits that I can't wait to be kicked to the curb, while there are others I bury in the deepest pit of my heart. These are a few of their most recent quirks. I can only hope that I will continue to find humor in any odd behavior that occurs as we journey through their adolescence. If I think they are feisty now, I can only imagine what will happen when those hormones & emotions start brewing. Umm please stay little. 

1. Although Max's language may still sound foreign to some, I can comprehend what he is talking about most of the time. My very favorite phrase he says is "you're welcome!" The way his voice squishes the sounds together is so adorable. He also says "bo" instead of "no" which I find humorous. I will be sad when he eventually corrects himself, just like when Lyla started referring to herself in the proper context. I miss the days when she called herself "me" no matter what. 

2. There is no denying that Lyla has developed the blood of a true Texan. We left a house a few times recently when the temperature had only reached the mid 60's. The instant we walked out the front door Lyla started in on complaining about how it felt so cold. Her exact words were something like, "It feels like Idaho out here!" I think my tongue started bleeding as I refrained from calling her a wimp and instead went inside to get her a jacket. I haven't even broke 30 years old and already starting with the "back in my day..." stories!

3. One of Max's favorite go-to snacks are these chocolate chip protein bars. It's convenient and simple...or so one would think. If that bar happens to break in half or even if a corner falls off --- watch out. I often find myself repairing the snack just to avoid a meltdown and other times I just let him deal with it. I've explained to him countless times that if he wishes to keep the bar in one piece, he must ease up on the Hulk grip. I think to myself, "Oh my hell. It's broken....so what...just eat it!!!" The two year old brain doesn't seem to grasp that logic and it's a situation that can get ugly real quick! It's madness I tell you!

4. Lyla starts a good portion of our conversations these days with, "Mom, can I ask you something?" She will ask that question regardless if she has something to ask me or not. Sometimes after asking this question she will simply respond with "I love you." She is pretty cute. She knows I think it's cute, so she cleverly added this to her bag of tricks for postponing bedtime. 

5. I tend to sing randomly throughout the day, usually just a handful of lyrics that apply to whatever I am doing at the time. It's like I have singing turrets or something. Well. Max disapproves of this habit and has no problem expressing so. If he catches me singing he will grab my entire face and whisper the words "shh. shh. shh." into my ear. All this does is make me want to sing more because I really really love when his little hands grab my face. I hope he doesn't catch on anytime soon!

Max is Two!

The past few months have been so busy that I hadn't given much thought to the fact that my baby boy was nearing his two year mark on this earth. Then we got settled in back at home after living in Idaho for several weeks and reality sank in. Holy crap! My little boy is turning two! I can still remember being in labor at the hospital and then it seems Lyla only turned two not very long ago. I honestly think I blinked once. 

Max is more in denial than myself. I told him repeatedly about his upcoming birthday and his only response to me was "NO." I kept explaining to him that I didn't want to admit it either, but the fact is it was going to happen no matter what. Then each time we would chat about his age he would hold up only one finger and tell me "ONE" with a very firm tone. It seems so opposite from my other child who is so eager to grow up. I'm having to pull one along while holding the other one back.  

Anyway, I committed to making these dorky lists until age two with each child. My brain likes to follow these types of patterns. Although I will continue to share Max's funny stories and achievements, this will be his last list on my blog because I decided awhile back that after age two the list trend becomes too redundant.

the skills & life experience of a two year old:

1. He rides a bicycle. What's up with that? I'm unsure how he even gained this skill because before we left for Idaho I was still hunched over pushing him down the street. Then we returned from our trip and he is peddling like a pro out of nowhere. It's impressive.

2. In addition to his bicycle skills, he is a maniac on the playground. He climbs ladders and maneuvers around equipment with such ease. I really don't know what is considered average for physical development at this age, but he seems really advanced to me. He has no fear and is willing to attempt anything. 

3. On the other hand, I wish I could say he is speaking in sentences, but he still isn't interested much in building his vocabulary. I'm not overly concerned about it because he is finally trying to sound out words. And I can understand a good portion of his jibberish language, so I know it will develop more with time. I think I'm just feeling anxious because once again, that first child was so eager to speak words. 

4. For example, he says the word "ham" and he elongates each letter as he pronounces it. It's adorable. Ham is his new favorite snack. He will munch on it throughout the day. He also enjoys string cheese, eggs, and yogurt --- but only from the tube, don't you dare try to feed it to him from a spoon. He will yell nonsense at you. 

5. His fruit intake is slowly increasing, with cantaloupe still being the lead contender. I buy cantaloupe several times a week because it's the only way to get some fruit in that tenacious little body. He occasionally chokes down apples, grapes, and bananas. Berries are a no go, even when they are mixed with ice cream. He knows what he likes....and it is not berries. Ha!

6. He has never had much of a focus when it comes to TV watching, which is totally fine. However, he has a sudden adoration for Blues Clues. It had to of been an instant attraction, because I swear he watched it one time and was hooked. The only other thing he tends to watch on TV is superheroes and that is usually accompanied with his Dad. Oh, and he likes Frozen...of course. 

7. His hair has required four hair cuts in his lifetime. I always visioned my son having a long shaggy look to him during his childhood, but turns out Max's hair is more fitting with a short crew-cut type hairstyle. I blame the Johnson gene for blessing him with that dang widows peak. He is cute regardless and each time he get his hair cut I seem to cry because it always makes him look so much older.

8. He sleeps in a toddler bed due to his successful attempts at climbing out of his crib. We decided this option is better than a broken limb and the transition was relatively easy. My only complaint is now he has the ability to exit his room at his own leisure. And, unlike his big sister, his escape is always very stealth and never dramatic. He sneaks up on me sometimes! 

9. He still prefers me to rock him to sleep --- for both naps and bedtime! It continues to get more awkward for both of us to get in comfortable positioning, but I will continue to snuggle on him for as long as he lets me. I have no shame in rocking a five year old to sleep, but we will have to wait and see if that feeling is mutual. 

10. He is a bit aggressive if he doesn't get his way. He provides a full performance in the foot stomping and fist swinging category. It's quite hilarious, but I have to stop myself from laughing at him sometimes. I have this strange, hopeful feeling that maybe we've already peaked with that behavior, but then I'm reminded that we are just barely entering the "terrible two" stage. Maxwell...let's be friends. 

I love you! 

This last photo is from when we took Max to see the Avengers movie last weekend. He was very captivated with the first few scenes, but slowly lost interest and we had to bail early to avoid the people behind us blowing spit balls our direction. Kirk jokingly called me an idiot for taking pictures inside a movie theater, but I don't care. Max looked too dang cute. And in my defense, I was  snapping photos only during the previews! I'm sure future Max would be very disappointed in the if I didn't document his first real movie theater experience....Geeeeez....JK. 

Maxwell: 21 Months

Max is now 21 months old. It is absolutely mind blowing to think he will turn two in just three more months. The past two years went by in a blink of an eye. I can't even begin to imagine our family without him. Life would be way too easy! Ha. We love you little buddy!

the skills & life experience of mr. maxwell:

1. He loves books. He tries to grab pictures off the pages and it's hilarious. His sound effects are the best, as he struggles to pull an item off the page.

2. He is so thoughtful, especially when it comes to Lyla. If he is getting a glass of water or a snack, he always always always gets a second one for his big sister.

3. Speaking of water, he can reach the water dispenser on the refrigerator. We generally try to keep it switched to the "locked" function, but occasionally we forget. He always discovers this mistake and it's always a disaster.

4. He can now jump with both feet off the ground. It's super impressive. He also likes to show off his skills by jumping off furniture and playground equipment. He's determined to give his momma a heart attack.

5. His playground skills are very advanced. His abilities include running, jumping, climbing up ladders and rock walls. Playground moms are always in disbelief when I tell them how old he is and it's doing wonderful things to my ego.

6. However, he is not much of a talker. His vocabulary seems to be progressing at a very slow rate. I think he is holding back on purpose though because he frequently surprises me by saying a word clear as day. His favorite sound to make is "UH UH" and he doesn't even seem interested in any attempting anything else. He is my little cave man.

7. His hair is growing in quite nicely. It is thickening up and getting long. I would like to explore a shaggy hairstyle, but Kirk prefers him to stay in the crew cut category. We will just have to see who wins that battle!

8. He sleeps 11+ hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour afternoon nap. The thought of transitioning him to a toddler bed keeps wandering into my mind, but Max is sleeping like a champ and sleep is usually my arch nemesis, soooo I probably shouldn't rock that boat.

9. My extended breastfeeding has produced a lifelong boob man. While my milk supply is no longer accessible, Max is still prone to letting his hand get cozy in my cleavage area. Also, he happily recognizes boobs of all sizes, including real life people, barbies, and photos of celebrities. He does not discriminate.

10. He is finally accepting fruit as a necessary component to his diet. He enjoys cantaloupe, apples, bananas, oranges. He still spits out any type of berry, but other than that he isn't much of a picky eater. His new favorite snack is string cheese.

If you want to check out his previous list just click ----> here!

Max: 18 Months Old

Max is 18 months old. And oh boy, is he acting like it. I think the "terrible twos" are creeping in early with this kid. I think he is very intelligent and aware of his surroundings. As such, if he feels he is being left out of a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g he will make his frustration known. These tantrums are a bit terrifying, but we will get through it.

I've declared age two as the year of testing boundaries and miscommunication. And it's looking like age three is going to be the year of attitude and whine voice. I will discuss more about that nonsense later. This post is about my boy! 

the skills & life experience of maxwell:

1. He tries to jump. But he can't jump. He lunges his whole body into the air and sometimes he falls over. It's a hilarious attempt. 

2. His attention span is short when it comes to cartoons. But surprisingly he will actually sit and watch football longer than anything else. He points at the TV when it's turned off and says "uhh ball" which is "Football" in Max language. I think this is a dream come true for Kirk. 

3. He recognizes most superheros by costume and by name. It's probably more common for parents to brag about color or shape recognition...but that's okay. Once again, the dad influence overrules here. 

4. He sleeps 11+ hours per night. He is in bed by 8:00 pm and awake around 5:00 am. Then he will usually snuggle for a couple more hours in my bed. 

5. His vocabulary is beginning to blossom. This includes the words mom, dad, Lyla, Krew, water, poop, football, basketball, olive, bath, night, bye. It's getting to that point where I can translate most of his language, but it still sounds like jibberish to everyone else.

6. He has a vein on his neck that bulges when he gets angry. I think it's really adorable. And I imagine I will still think so even when he is a grown man. 

7. He still lets his momma rock him to sleep. I enjoy this very much, as the older one always refused bedtime snuggles at this age. Also, he insists on sleeping with his toy Hulk. Don't try to fool him with a teddy bear or monkey. It must be Hulk. 

8. He likes to throw away his own diaper. I guess this is a fun task for a one year old. He is also very interested in the toilet. I am open to early potty training but I think we will hold off on exploring that world until after the holiday. 

9. He has all four of his first set of molar teeth. It was the longest teething marathon I have ever endured. We were finally granted our victory and now Max is happily chewing food more than ever!

10. He is so loving and gentle towards Lyla's babies, when she allows it. There is no doubt that he has a destructive nature --- crashing into walls, pounding on toys, swinging at furniture, and climbing on literally everything. But it's comforting to know that a tender heart lives on the inside of his active little spirit. 

Please click here to view Max's fifteen month list!

Maxwell: 15 Months

Maxwell is fifteen months old. Somebody pinch me.
His personality continues to blossom every day. 
He is such a sweet little boy, always giving his momma hugs & kisses. 
I know he won't stay little, but I sure hope he always stays sweet.

1. It is typical for toddlers to love the word no.
I always wondered if there is any toddler in existence who loves yes.

Well, I am a proud owner of a "yes" lover. Max responds with "yes" to literally everything.
His positive attitude is so refreshing! ;)

2. In addition to saying yes, he is saying other words too.
such as dog, krew, mom, dad, lyla, book, car, bye. more and more each day. 
grunting and growling are still the preferred method of communication.

3. He mimics Lyla. It is hilarious.
He observes and learns from her on a constant basis
and he is even a willing participant in her pretend games now. 

4. He loves meat. Has an extreme dislike for fruit. (except cantaloupe)

I promise he was not coached in any way to be this way.

5. He has eight teeth. And he doesn't want any more because 
that may inhibit the food storage space in his mouth. [aka his cheeks] 

6. He has learned some really sweet dance moves.
If I turn on music he will suddenly stop what he is doing, 
look up and start bouncing his legs up and down.

7. He is so ticklish. Everywhere. Especially his feet. 
I can't even get through a full round of "this little piggie!"

8. He occasionally makes two fists and throws himself to the
 ground if he doesn't get his way. So far, it's funny when it happens.
However, I am worried about how these fits will evolve in two year old Max.
Lyla has never been much of a tantrum kid, so this should be interesting....

9. He will hold still for a diaper change. Yippee!!!
Unless you change diapers frequently, you may not understand
how annoying it is to wipe poop off a butt while simultaneously wrestling a baby.
I think he finally realized it goes much quicker when he cooperates. 

10.  We traded in his nighttime boob snack for story time.
It didn't take him long to fall in love with this book about a truck being stuck.
There are several dogs in this book ["dawwwwwgggg"] and
he also enjoys making the "vroom vroom" sound when
the truck gets un-stuck. :)

If you wish to read his previous lists click here or here.
oh, and here. don't forget about here!

Max: One Year Old

maxwell. you are one. it is hard to believe you were born one whole year ago.
it seems forever ago, yet it went by so fast.

you are curious about the world around you.
infatuated with your busy big sister.
and always willing to give hugs & kisses.
I adore everything about you and
it's perfectly fine with me if you never change.
but we all know that isn't going to happen. :(

you are the sweetest little soul.
i am honored i get to be your momma!

the skills & life experience of a one year old:

1. walking is the next big milestone for this guy.
30 steps is his record so far.
in the meantime, he manages to
crawl around like a spider monkey.

2. he loves food. all of it & any of it.
in fact, he doesn't mind dog food either. 

3. he loves anything with wheels. he likes to hammer stuff. he climbs on everything.
i've considered that maybe i'm noticing these qualities cause i'm expecting them from a boy,
but even when i try to have a gender neutral mentality, max is constantly being a 'boy.'

3 1/2. he climbs up the slide and goes down the slide all by himself. 

4. he's been making a grunting noise as a confirmation to 
something he wants or as a way to say "yes"
[it's like i speak cave man or something]

5. reaching & pointing to the direction he would like to be carried is a new thing.
it's a pretty smart method he came up with, but if you don't comply with
 his commands then watch out for his rage!

6. says 'quack quack' when he sees a duck.
however, he also makes this noise for any animal he sees.
sooo we have some work to do on animal noises.
he does make a 'rawr' noise for a dinosaur.

7. his first time saying "more" was asking for lime salt.
[blaming grandma for that one.]

8. he mimics some sounds & just recently started saying "no no" while pointing his finger.
[blaming uncle kurt for that one]

8. he has two bottom teeth. two top teeth. and tooth #5 just made its grand entrance.

9. he recently upgraded to a front facing car seat and he's loving the change of scenery.
i also enjoy the change of looking in my rear view mirror to find two baby faces.

10. he  begins his night in his crib and finishes curled up in his momma's bed.

this might be frowned upon by some, but he's my baby. and he's one. 
 i simply disagree with anyone who believes snuggling a baby
 too much will leave a negative impact. 
 i'm his source of comfort and at this point,
 i'm not worried about him lacking independence for it.
life is too short. time is cruel. i will cuddle my son as long as i want, as long as he'll let me.
[end rant.]

to check out max's previous lists click here or here or here!

compare for fun, not to compete, by pressing here.

Maxwell: 9 Months

It literally blows my mind that my sweet little boy is already nine months old. 

So much has happened in the past nine months & it's all happened entirely too fast. 

After the first year is when these babies really start making their way towards toddlerhood 

and I cannot believe his first birthday is only three months away.

Crap. Now I'm getting sad. I shouldn't be sad. 

It's been a real fun adventure so far with Max.

Although there are some moments that seem like this unpredictable
 baby stage is going to last forever, it really doesn't last long enough.

I am so in love with this child. He has such an incredibly sweet soul
and it's hard to imagine what life what was like without him in it.
I can barely recall moments of Lyla being an only child.
Yes, I have a horrible memory. I know this.
But, I truly feel like he was meant for me. I can feel it.
And maybe he showed up 17 short months after
Lyla because he couldn't hold out any longer.
I love you, Max!

the skills & life experience of a nine month old:

1. he loves food. 

this includes baby purees, soggy crackers, steamed veggies,sliced fruit.
everything. there is no holding back & i allow him to taste [almost] anything.

the only negative food experience thus far was with eggs. 

we aren't touching those nasty embryo things ever again.

2. he also continues to love the boob milk.

he is quite skilled at this task and is able to grab a snack at his own leisure

and in various positions, including drinking while standing up or 

sometimes sitting down while simultaneously playing with a toy.

this 24 hour milk dispensary gets plenty of business.

[sorry about the tmi. but it's a funny thing that nobody gets to see]

3. he's says "mama" and "dada" sometimes.

but he doesn't seem that interested in mimicking noises.

he does enjoy screaming his little head off like a cave man though.

3.5 banging his hands on tables is another frequent cave man-like behavior. 

4. he crawls. fast. pulls himself up on anything possible. 

his balance is improving. and he's starting to walk along furniture. 

5. i wouldn't consider him a cautious child. 

he is starting to learn some boundaries,

but we will likely change his middle name to 'danger'

6. he has two bottom teeth. 

the top teeth have been teasing us for weeks!

7. he gives his momma big slobbery kisses. 

i will never turn those down. 

8. he also gives out hugs several times a day.

he is so lovable & there is nothing sweeter

than when he snuggles up next to his big sis.

9. he has the best laugh. sometimes it comes straight from his throat.

he is ticklish, yes. but he is starting to laugh at life situations as well. 

10. he's traveled by plane to idaho over xmas. but other than that, 

he's spent his nine glorious months in the heart  heat of texas. 

[i think it's time to spread your wings, max]

Maxwell: 6 Months

the skills & life experience of a six month old:

1. he's a rolling machine. it's getting to the point where

he won't hold still for his diaper change. 

always keeping things interesting!

2. the very initial phase of crawling has started.
bending his knees and sticking booty in the air.
getting into the mini-push up position.
i think it will still be awhile before he is
strong enough to lift his big body.

3. he's a very ticklish little guy.
his collar bone area seems to be the ultimate tickle button.

4. no teeth yet. but i spotted two buds on the bottom.

5. he thinks things are funny now. including his sister.
lyla plays with him often and gets him laughing pretty hard.
i love it.

6. he sticks anything and everything in his mouth.
this causes excessive drool, which means he typically has a bib on at all times.

7. he isn't fond of his crib. i'm pretty sure his room is haunted.
so, most nights he is the king of our bed. he likes to have his food source in arm's reach.
not really how i wanted it to happen. but we both rest better that way, for now.

8. just recently he started sitting in the grocery cart seat like a big boy. [sad]

9. his hair is growing. it can be styled into an itty bitty mohawk. cutie!

10. he farts a lot. [this was kirk's contribution]
but i can't think of anything else, so it will have to do.

It's really hard to believe it's been six months already since my little guy was born.
He's a regular around here and his presence no longer feels new.
He's such a happy dude & I'm so lucky I'm the one who gets to be his momma!

I love you Max!

Lyla: 21 Months

My big baby is officially 21 months old.
[pretty sure she thinks she is much much older]

These milestones are becoming a little less brag worthy.

Don't get me wrong, she is still the most amazing human to be created, ever.

 But I think I'll most likely stop doing these brag lists after 2 years.

The skills & life experience of a 21 month old:

1. She will take off her dad's shoes and put them away 

in the closet when he gets home from work.

She insists on arranging them in a very precise way

 and I will take full blame for that ocd behavior.

2. She can put her own shoes on all by herself.

Sometimes on the wrong foot, but that's okay.

3. She is in this new "helping" stage.

If I'm doing laundry, she has to push the button.

If I'm loading the dishwasher, she has to load something.

If I'm windex-ing the table, she must have her own paper towel.

And if I start pretty much any task without her, she runs towards

 me out of nowhere yelling "help! help! help!"

4.This goes along with #3,

 but she always wants to "pay" when we're at the store.

She will snatch my debit card out of my hand,

while simultaneously pushing buttons on the keypad. 

It was a little obnoxious at first, but now I've learned to use

 the moment to actually teach her which buttons to press.

I just need to teach her how to drive and 

I'll be sending her on solo grocery trips in no time!

5. She is a very good singer. 

Sings in the car. Sings along with her TV shows.

Sings in the shower. Sings to her baby.

And I love when I can hear her singing first thing 

in the morning on the baby monitor.

6. She will repeat any word or name she hears as best she can.

This includes swear words. Sooo, I'm trying to say "shit" less often.

7. She's been doing this for awhile, but she knows most

animals and their corresponding noises.
"quack quack" is my personal favorite. 

8. Like most female humans, she loves shopping.

Every time we go to a store she grabs

items from the shelf while saying "cuuuute!"

We leave a trail everywhere we go and

I'm positive retail employees hate us. 

9. It took a lot of courage, but she will go

down playground slides all by herself now. 

Some of the big slides are still too intimidating,

 but I'm impressed by how brave she has become.

10. She yells "mommy" while walking through the house looking for me.

I've been her mom since day one, duh. 

But hearing her little voice say mommy makes me feel like I'm the real deal.

I really love it a lot and I think it's just one of those little things I've been

 waiting for ever since I even imagined myself becoming a mom.

I love you Lyla! 
Looking at your baby pictures makes me a sad momma.

Thanks for being my helper. My mess maker. My best friend.

You are the perfect combination of sweet & sassy and 

you make my heart feel so very full. 

Don't grow up. Please.

But Please do let me take your picture more often.

This is what has been happening recently....

Lyla say cheese:

Maxwell: 3 Months Old

my sweet baby boy is three months old.

and you know what that means....

the skills & life experience of a three month old:

1. already stretching out his size 3 month clothes and fitting into some size 6 months.

2. he rolls over from front to back often.

  and he rolled from back to front twice. definitely not a fluke.

3. he seems mesmerized by his sister. he stares at her and smiles.

it's adorable and pulls on my heart every single time.

4. he is such a smiley guy and always so content.

 his mellow attitude has brought the perfect balance to our family.

5. he giggled. not for me, only for kirk. not fair!
i have been desperately trying to get him to laugh for me,
but kirk claims i'm just not funny enough.

6. he is still sleeping in our room in the bassinet and/or with mommy.

i moved him into his room for a trial period and it didn't go as smooth as i hoped.

so, i moved him back into our room where he sleeps really well, most of the time.

 i don't know when i will try transitioning him again. 

i guess i'm just not rushing it this time.

7. when he gets excited his arms and legs go wild at full speed.

it's really funny until he whacks himself in the face,

then i feel bad for him. [as i'm still laughing]

8.  kirk feels loved by max now. he used to tease him for being a momma's boy.

but they bond & watch football together now.

it's the father/son relationship kirk always dreamed of! ;)

9. he hasn't traveled outside of texas yet. 
but we did get some practice going through airport security.

10. he's developed a wrist roll. yes, i said wrist.
do you know how unbelievably cute* a wrist roll is? 
[*wrist rolls on babies are cute, not adults]

Growing out of his newborn clothes & rolling over.

 I keep telling him to stop it. Stop changing. Stop growing.

Stop trying to reach those milestones.

 It's totally fine if you want to be a baby forever.

I remember being so eager for change when Lyla was a baby, 

but this time I feel a little sad each time Max does something new.

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of the little dude, but I need time to freeze.

We planned on limiting the size of our family to four humans.

However, newborns babies are a little addicting.

Maybe I can do that pregnancy thing one more time...

just kidding. or am i?