Cute Max Moment

I will often go check on him before I go to bed, and last night, I saw this. Lately, he has started grabbing the yellow bin (along with any toys that are in it) from his toy bin closest to his crib. He is still quite preoccupied with cars and trucks, and from his pose, it appears he fell asleep playing with one of his trucks!

Alex's Baseball Team Won the Championship Game!

He has played for the past few years, but this is the first time his team made it to the playoffs. The final game was close, but they won by 1 run in extra innings, and he was very proud to show off his medal and trophy :)

First Trip of the Year to South Haven

It was cold! Alex was always in the deep end, so I didn't get a good shot of him, and there was no way I was getting in a bikini! Max loved the waves and kept trying to kick them back:)

My 2 Graduates

I don't have any pictures of this one:), but my Dad just graduated with his G.E.D.! I'm very proud of him returning to school in his 50's, attending class, and passing all 4 tests, which I've heard are very difficult.


Alex also just graduated-from 5th grade! There was a little ceremony, complete with cake and punch. For the family picture, it was hard, as you can see. Alex rarely has a normal smile on his face for pictures, and Max was struggling to go back to the playground.

Baby Sophia is Haflway Done!

Tomorrow, I will be 20 weeks or almost 5 months. I've gained 9 or 10 lbs., and my last pair of pants I could button up officially no longer fit as of this week.

The nausea is mostly gone, but if I overexert myself or get too warm, it comes back. I'm still pretty hungry, but my appetite is not quite as strong as it was with Max. I've read numerous studies that show women who carry boys need 10% more calories, and I believe it! With him, it felt like I couldn't get the food in fast enough, but with this one, I just need to eat small, regular meals since eating too much at one time makes me sick.

She's roughly 10 ounces and 10 inches long, and my uterus is up to my belly button! She's also already making meconium!

A Couple of More Reasons I Like Max's Preschool

1. This week, he fell out of his chair and hit his cheek, just below the eye, which caused a slight bruise. The director, Joni, called me just to let me know what occurred (as all centers do), and to ensure me he was okay. What I really liked, though, was the "Ouch Report"-actual name-I received when I picked him up that day. His teacher filled it out, and there were a list of options to show how the injury was treated: ice, band-aid, neosporin, etc., along with hugs. Miss Alyssa reported she treated his cheek with an ice pack and hugs, and I just love that they included hugs on the list!

 2. Max's mornings drop-offs range from good to bad, but lately, they've been difficult. He'll cry and reach for whoever dropped him off, usually Charly, although he usually stops crying by the time Charly is at the front door. He's always worse when I drop him off, though. After all, he is a mama's boy! It breaks my heart every single time even though I know it won't last, he'll have a great day, and he loves going to school.  

Today was very different though! He smiled as soon as he saw his teacher and friends and immediately went in, without so much as a backwards glance. I said bye to him a couple of times, and the teacher tried to get him to wave-or do anything!-but he never even looked around! I know it's a good thing, but it broke my heart in a different way. Still, I was glad to see how happy he was and know how comfortable he felt. I felt a bit better when I had to go back in and grab my phone out of his diaper bag. As soon as he heard my voice, he started shouting, "Mommy!":)

Max is in Preschool!

A couple of weeks ago, he made the switch from the Bridger room (for kids between the ages of 1 and 2) to the young preschool room. For the next year or so, he will be with just the 2 year olds, engaging in developmentally appropriate preschool activities, and going back to the Bridger room after nap for some free play with old friends.

They have started the preschool curriculum, but it's kind of a watered down version until he moves into the 3 and 4 year old room. Still, they follow the program, and the set-up at his center is really nice. They will begin in his homeroom and move from room to room throughout the morning: gym, art, science, math, and reading and writing. Then they have lunch, nap, and if it's nice, outdoor time with the Bridger kids.

His teacher, Miss Alyssa, is one of his teachers from the Bridger room who moved "up" with her kids since she just completed her early childhood education degree, so Max is very comfortable with her, and he still gets to visit his old favorite, Miss Kayla, every afternoon. One of his best friends, Carter, also moved up with him, and I know he is thrilled about that.

Even though his days are a bit more structured, they are not too much so. One reason we chose this place is they really focus on investigative learning through play, which is how I think kids learn best, so it sort of follows a Montessori focus at half the cost! I love their activities, and prior to each week, we receive a newsletter telling us what he will be working on each week in each area. They list the letter of the week, what books they will be reading, what special activities they are doing in the gym, how they are going outside to gather bugs for observation in science class, etc. I have to admit, they have given me some good ideas! Often, I will look over the letter and think, "Wow, I never thought of doing X for a lesson in learning to count".

It's been a couple of weeks and so far so good! Alyssa said he is adjusting really well, loves the new activities, and is wonderful at sharing and following directions (i.e. he's cleaning up after himself and hasn't tried to kill any of the animals in the science room yet!:)