Growing Max

Truth be known, as sweet as newborns are, I like babies when they are just a little bit older.  I love the chub.  I love the emerging personality.  I feel like Max has finally entered this realm and I want to remember it all!  The diversity of expressions, the fuzzy red hair that never seems to want to lay flat, the rolls, even the baby acne.

Max & me

I recently watched some tutorials on some different lighting techniques & was anxious to try them out.  (I apologize if you're sick of seeing pictures of me once again.  I was the only subject willing & available to practice on).  I waited for a time when both boys were asleep and I headed down to my little studio, set up everything aanndd...Max woke up.  So he joined me for this photo shoot.  (I wish you could see his cute chubby face better, but every time I got him facing the camera he decided to have a crying spell- but more pictures to come...).

Anyways, for you photography techies out there, these were taken using a white backdrop with one soft box placed camera left.  I still have so much more experimenting & tweaking I want to do...but that will have to wait for another day when Max hasn't had it with me.

Ruby's blessing day

Yesterday (Sunday) was Ruby's baby blessing. After church, we had a little bbq at the park. It was a good time. Beautiful day. Beautiful park. Good food. Family. What else do you need?
Max is becoming quite the chub. Here he is sleeping peacefully...that is, before I picked up his carrier and he took a little spill (I didn't realize he wasn't strapped in & out he slid onto the cement). I let out a very dramatic yell. Everyone, including strangers, turned to look as I cradled my sweet little baby as he screamed. Poor little guy. He got his first little goose egg today.

Naptime

How do you know when your toddler is ready for a "big boy bed"? This is a question Chad & me have discussed a few times. I think Liam has answered that for us.

Today Chad put Liam down for a nap before going out to mow the lawn. I was nursing & drifted off for a much needed nap. I'm not sure how long I'd been sleeping, maybe a half an hour, but I was woken up by one enthusiastic toddler laughing as he jumped from the coffee table to the couch onto me. I assumed he'd woken up & Chad had gotten him from his crib. I later asked Chad about it & he was surprised thinking that I had been the one to get him from his crib.

As you will see from the video below, we knew that having a crib by some bookshelves was problematic, so we've made a point to move his crib away from the bookshelves during naptime. Guess even that isn't working now. Time for a big boy bed!

Time with the grandparents

I'm realizing I didn't take my camera out much while they were here. But we spent a lot of time out here. Liam especially loved the bubbles, chalk pictures & railroad tracks.

These are just some random pictures of Max. He definitely has some red in his hair. And these are some cute shots taken before heading off to the airport.

Kansas City temple dedication

This past Sunday was the dedication of the Kansas City temple. I've attended two other temple dedications before. They were nice. I expected this one to be nice also.

With that in mind, I debated going. This could be the perfect time to stay home and catch up on sleep. Tempting. And then the night prior I was literally up all night. Max was congested and his labored breathing & outbursts kept me up. Now I felt totally justified in skipping out on this one.

Then, on a whim, I decided to go. It'd be a nice time alone with my husband (my in-laws watched our kids) and I figured I could always sleep in the car & during the dedication.

Well, I didn't sleep a wink during the service. The spirit there was so strong.  Every talk memorable.  I had underestimated this dedication.

This dedication definitely turned out to be more than just "nice".

Soccer

Max's baby blessing

Sunday, April 29, we had Max's baby blessing. My in-laws came out for it. Holding true to tradition, we took pictures after church with the new baby.


Kyra & Brigham drove out for the blessing and stopped by to visit before they had to head back home. To occupy the kids, Chad took the kids out to the back porch & turned on a bubble maker. The kids loved it and danced around with delight. Soon Kyra and me were lost in conversation. That is until Kyra asked were Chad was. He went to take a nap. We both looked at each other & I asked Kyra if she was thinking what I was thinking...the kids...adult supervision!!  I ran to the back door to find this... If anyone will find/make a mess, it will be Kyra's Gracie (infamous for her creativity with items such as bag balm, a permanent marker, and her mother's make-up)!