Wish I had the energy of a toddler. He did this all morning.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
An update
We have finally settled into a routine here in Little Rock, and are enjoying our new neck of the woods. Literally, it's a forest out here! When I would tell people we were moving to Arkansas, their first reaction was usually, "Why Arkansas? That stinks." I guess Arkansas has a bad reputation. Surprisingly, I am loving it here. The ward is full of young families, and stay-at-home moms. There are get-togethers and playgroups almost every day of the week, and we are staying happily busy hanging out with friends all day. There are a lot of free kid activities to do around town. Max and I are goers and don't really love being stuck at home all day every day.
Recently I started babysitting a 7-month-old baby boy full time to help make ends meet. His name is James and he is one of the sweetest, most calm babies I have ever met. Max really likes having him around and has been so sweet to him. I feel it's good practice for Max to get used to my attention being divided between him and another baby because his little sister arrives soon.
I can't believe we are having another baby in two months! I am extremely excited to meet her, and not nearly as nervous this time around. I know there will be an adjustment period, and having two kids has its challenges, but I am looking forward to having another baby. The second trimester of this pregnancy went smoothly. I just started my third trimester, and so far I have had a lot of energy and have not been too uncomfortable. I was a lot more uncomfortable with Max. He was in the transverse position until 36 weeks, and caused me constant pain! This little girl is breech, and so far, I hardly know she is in there except when I feel her delicate little kicks and movements through out the day.
Max is getting more personality every day. He is 21 months now, and the closer he gets to two, the easier he gets. He has grown out of his fussy stage and stays happy most of the day now. He does have bad days every now and then where I feel he cries and whines all day long, but for the most part he is a complete joy to be around. He is talking more and more every day and I am amazed at how quickly he is learning new things. He loves to count to ten and can recognize most of the alphabet. We have been working with him on colors. If we ask him what color something is he usually says, "blue." Every once in a while he will get a color right, but most of the time every color is blue to him right now. He is like his mama, very sensitive to hot and cold. He won't eat anything that is even slightly warm or cold. He wants all his food and drinks to be lukewarm. He also recognizes when something feels hot or cold to the touch. Every night after his bath, while I am drying him off with a towel, he says, "Brrr, cold!" and gives me the biggest snuggles to warm up. I love it!
Max likes to get out of the house constantly and begs to go, "Bye bye" when we've stayed in our apartment for longer than an hour. I am nervous he will go completely stir crazy once the baby arrives because we will have to stay in more often for the first few months. He is an extremely picky eater and really doesn't eat that much food during the day. We wonder where all his fat rolls come from. The boy hardly ever eats, and when he does it's just a few bites here and there. Cars and trains are his favorite toys right now and he loves scooting them around the house. He has a fascination with trucks, and freaks out with excitement when he hears a fire truck or ambulance outside, he calls them "big cars." He also loves the moon, sun, planets and stars. He likes reading books and watching shows that has anything to do with the sky.
Three months ago we had the big paci break-up. We just took the dang thing away cold turkey and it actually went pretty smoothly. Max had about 2 days where he whined for his paci on occasion, but quickly forgot all about it. He still uses it for naps and bedtime and I am not looking forward to taking it away at night because it helps him sleep so well.
For the past two months, every hour or so, Max will stop what he's doing, point to me and yell, "My mama!" It's like he wants to make sure everyone knows that I am his mom, and it's just about the cutest thing in the whole world. He melts my heart daily, and I feel overwhelmed with the amount of love I have for this little boy. I stare at his perfect face every day and honestly think he is the most beautiful child.
Recently I started babysitting a 7-month-old baby boy full time to help make ends meet. His name is James and he is one of the sweetest, most calm babies I have ever met. Max really likes having him around and has been so sweet to him. I feel it's good practice for Max to get used to my attention being divided between him and another baby because his little sister arrives soon.
I can't believe we are having another baby in two months! I am extremely excited to meet her, and not nearly as nervous this time around. I know there will be an adjustment period, and having two kids has its challenges, but I am looking forward to having another baby. The second trimester of this pregnancy went smoothly. I just started my third trimester, and so far I have had a lot of energy and have not been too uncomfortable. I was a lot more uncomfortable with Max. He was in the transverse position until 36 weeks, and caused me constant pain! This little girl is breech, and so far, I hardly know she is in there except when I feel her delicate little kicks and movements through out the day.
Max is getting more personality every day. He is 21 months now, and the closer he gets to two, the easier he gets. He has grown out of his fussy stage and stays happy most of the day now. He does have bad days every now and then where I feel he cries and whines all day long, but for the most part he is a complete joy to be around. He is talking more and more every day and I am amazed at how quickly he is learning new things. He loves to count to ten and can recognize most of the alphabet. We have been working with him on colors. If we ask him what color something is he usually says, "blue." Every once in a while he will get a color right, but most of the time every color is blue to him right now. He is like his mama, very sensitive to hot and cold. He won't eat anything that is even slightly warm or cold. He wants all his food and drinks to be lukewarm. He also recognizes when something feels hot or cold to the touch. Every night after his bath, while I am drying him off with a towel, he says, "Brrr, cold!" and gives me the biggest snuggles to warm up. I love it!
Max likes to get out of the house constantly and begs to go, "Bye bye" when we've stayed in our apartment for longer than an hour. I am nervous he will go completely stir crazy once the baby arrives because we will have to stay in more often for the first few months. He is an extremely picky eater and really doesn't eat that much food during the day. We wonder where all his fat rolls come from. The boy hardly ever eats, and when he does it's just a few bites here and there. Cars and trains are his favorite toys right now and he loves scooting them around the house. He has a fascination with trucks, and freaks out with excitement when he hears a fire truck or ambulance outside, he calls them "big cars." He also loves the moon, sun, planets and stars. He likes reading books and watching shows that has anything to do with the sky.
Three months ago we had the big paci break-up. We just took the dang thing away cold turkey and it actually went pretty smoothly. Max had about 2 days where he whined for his paci on occasion, but quickly forgot all about it. He still uses it for naps and bedtime and I am not looking forward to taking it away at night because it helps him sleep so well.
For the past two months, every hour or so, Max will stop what he's doing, point to me and yell, "My mama!" It's like he wants to make sure everyone knows that I am his mom, and it's just about the cutest thing in the whole world. He melts my heart daily, and I feel overwhelmed with the amount of love I have for this little boy. I stare at his perfect face every day and honestly think he is the most beautiful child.
Daddy takes Max on donut dates Saturday mornings. Messy morning hair and a chocolate smeared face, does a kid get any cuter than this!?
Max loves the splash parks. He gets a kick out of the water shooting off his bum.
This is the face he gives us when we say, "Show us your funny face."
Bath time is always fun around here.
Silly boy runs around with this bucket on his head all the time.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Dirty 30
Dan turned 30 a few days ago, and we celebrated all weekend. He was on call on his actual birthday, and didn't get home until 9 p.m. It was a long day for him, so he opened presents and called it a night. On saturday we got a young woman in our ward to babysit, and went out on the town. We had dinner at a beautiful hotel in downtown Little Rock and talked about what we should name our baby girl.
Sunday we invited a few friends over for cake and ice cream. I made Dan a carrot cake from scratch and it turned out really yummy. Maybe turning 30 isn't so bad after all. It's my turn next. I think I am already getting anxiety about it.
Home made carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Dan's favorite.
As usual, the birthday balloons have been Max's favorite toy over the past few days.
Happy Birthday to the most amazing man I know! We sure do love Dan.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Parenting: the good, the bad, and the ugly
The good:
Max is a great sleeper, which wasn't always the case. He wouldn't sleep a stretch longer than 3 hours at a time until we slept trained him at 6 months. Now he sleeps a solid 10-11 hours at night, and he always takes a long 2-3 hour nap. The best part is that we just lay him down in his bed, give him his blanket, and he goes right to sleep with zero fuss.
My little guy is extremely affectionate. Big hugs and kisses are a regular part of our day, and I love it! Max is also a little singer. He is almost always singing a song during the day. I try not to brag too much about my child. On the most part, I think Max is pretty normal and average, but one thing he does excel at is carrying a tune. That kid can seriously sing. I think he will be very musically talented one day. In church when we sing the hymns, Max belts out his ABC's as loud as he can. Adorable.
Max is a whiner. He has been since day one. Several months ago we taught him to say "please" when he wants something instead of whining. He now says "please" all day long in the cutest most sweetest voice he can muster up. It pulls on my heart strings, and he probably gets what he wants a little too much when he says his adorable "pleases."
Max loves to be chased and tickled. It's his favorite thing in the world. He comes up to Dan and I every night with the biggest grin, tickling the air with his hands to signal come and get me! We chase him around the house tickling him until he has worn us out. His happy shrieks and laughter make up for any naughty moments he had during the day.
Max loves looking at the baby in my belly. He lifts up my shirt, kisses my stomach, and says, "baby." Before we found out what the baby was, we asked Max several times if it was a girl or boy. Every time he would say "girl" without hesitation. I am sure he will be shocked when an actual baby does come out of my belly, and is here to stay, but he sure does seem to love his baby sister so far.
The bad:
Max isn't a super easy toddler. He was an easy baby, but once he turned one it was a different story. But things are getting better as my toddler gets older, and I feel the bad days are farther and further between. Like I mentioned before, 13-18 months was a frustrating time for both Max and I. There were days filled with hours of whining and crying. Those days seem to be behind us, for the most part, and now Max's tantrums only seem to last for a few minutes at a time. I hear a lot from other moms about the dreaded "terrible two's," but I feel Max is getting easier and more enjoyable the older he gets. I am actually looking forward to him turning two.
The ugly:
Church. Deep sigh. An hour and fifteen minute sacrament meeting with a very active toddler.... need I say more? Most Sundays it's just plain ugly. Dan and I have spent many hours talking, and praying about what we can do to make sacrament meeting a better experience for us all. Max has a very hard time sitting in the pew reading books, eating snacks, and doing quiet activities. Most of the time is spent out in the hall. Here's where we have the dilemma, if we let Max play out in the hall, he does pretty well, but we don't want to teach him that it's ok to run around in the hall during church. We have implemented a strict no getting down on the ground rule when he is taken out into the hall. Max hates it, and kicks and screams as loud as he can when we take him out. Most of the meeting is spent in an empty room trying to calm down our screaming child. Now that Dan is working 6 days a week and working most Sundays, I get to brave church alone. One of these days it will get better, but until then, we will just keep taking him to church and hope that our efforts pay off in the end.
Looking at this list I see that the good far outweighs the bad. Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It's not easy, but I love being a mother. Max brings us happiness, and I get so much satisfaction knowing that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing every day.
Max is a great sleeper, which wasn't always the case. He wouldn't sleep a stretch longer than 3 hours at a time until we slept trained him at 6 months. Now he sleeps a solid 10-11 hours at night, and he always takes a long 2-3 hour nap. The best part is that we just lay him down in his bed, give him his blanket, and he goes right to sleep with zero fuss.
My little guy is extremely affectionate. Big hugs and kisses are a regular part of our day, and I love it! Max is also a little singer. He is almost always singing a song during the day. I try not to brag too much about my child. On the most part, I think Max is pretty normal and average, but one thing he does excel at is carrying a tune. That kid can seriously sing. I think he will be very musically talented one day. In church when we sing the hymns, Max belts out his ABC's as loud as he can. Adorable.
Max is a whiner. He has been since day one. Several months ago we taught him to say "please" when he wants something instead of whining. He now says "please" all day long in the cutest most sweetest voice he can muster up. It pulls on my heart strings, and he probably gets what he wants a little too much when he says his adorable "pleases."
Max loves to be chased and tickled. It's his favorite thing in the world. He comes up to Dan and I every night with the biggest grin, tickling the air with his hands to signal come and get me! We chase him around the house tickling him until he has worn us out. His happy shrieks and laughter make up for any naughty moments he had during the day.
Max loves looking at the baby in my belly. He lifts up my shirt, kisses my stomach, and says, "baby." Before we found out what the baby was, we asked Max several times if it was a girl or boy. Every time he would say "girl" without hesitation. I am sure he will be shocked when an actual baby does come out of my belly, and is here to stay, but he sure does seem to love his baby sister so far.
The bad:
Max isn't a super easy toddler. He was an easy baby, but once he turned one it was a different story. But things are getting better as my toddler gets older, and I feel the bad days are farther and further between. Like I mentioned before, 13-18 months was a frustrating time for both Max and I. There were days filled with hours of whining and crying. Those days seem to be behind us, for the most part, and now Max's tantrums only seem to last for a few minutes at a time. I hear a lot from other moms about the dreaded "terrible two's," but I feel Max is getting easier and more enjoyable the older he gets. I am actually looking forward to him turning two.
The ugly:
Church. Deep sigh. An hour and fifteen minute sacrament meeting with a very active toddler.... need I say more? Most Sundays it's just plain ugly. Dan and I have spent many hours talking, and praying about what we can do to make sacrament meeting a better experience for us all. Max has a very hard time sitting in the pew reading books, eating snacks, and doing quiet activities. Most of the time is spent out in the hall. Here's where we have the dilemma, if we let Max play out in the hall, he does pretty well, but we don't want to teach him that it's ok to run around in the hall during church. We have implemented a strict no getting down on the ground rule when he is taken out into the hall. Max hates it, and kicks and screams as loud as he can when we take him out. Most of the meeting is spent in an empty room trying to calm down our screaming child. Now that Dan is working 6 days a week and working most Sundays, I get to brave church alone. One of these days it will get better, but until then, we will just keep taking him to church and hope that our efforts pay off in the end.
Looking at this list I see that the good far outweighs the bad. Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It's not easy, but I love being a mother. Max brings us happiness, and I get so much satisfaction knowing that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing every day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Update
Our computer is on the fritz right now so we don't get on very often. I am hoping it will last long enough for me to post an update. Life has been crazy busy lately. In May, we went on a vacation of a lifetime, a ten day cruise to the Caribbean with my family to celebrate Dan's graduation from medical school. We left Max with my mother in law and close friend Camilla. Although I knew he would be in good hands, it was still hard to leave my baby for that long.
We enjoyed ourselves in the Caribbean, relaxing and catching up on some much needed sleep. When we got home, Max wouldn't come to us for a few minutes. He quickly got over his initial angry reaction for leaving him and wouldn't let me out of his sight for two weeks. He was so clingy and wouldn't even go to Daddy. I have to admit, I kind of liked it.
In June, my amazing husband graduated from medical school. We have both worked hard for this over the past 4 years. I got teary eyed as he walked across the stage and received his diploma. We now have 5 more years until he is officially a Mohs surgeon, (a dermatologist that specializes in skin cancer surgery). I remember thinking 4 years was a long time when we first started medical school, but the time has flown by. I know these next 5 years will fly by just as quickly. Before we know it, we will finally settle down into a home of our own, preferably near family. Until then, I am trying to keep an open mind and positive attitude about living in Arkansas. It can't compare to our beloved Dallas, but we are meeting new friends already, and I am hopeful that we will enjoy these next four years in Little Rock.
Max is almost 20 months and is getting more and more personality each day. He amazes me at how smart he is, and how quickly he learns things. He is the greatest source of joy in our lives, and I can't imagine life without him. He can talk a lot more now, and is much less whiney than he used to be. I decided that for me, 13-18 months is a hard time. Babies at this age can't tell you what they want and so they whine and cry a lot, (at least that's how Max was.) Since I don't know what is wrong, I can't always help. I don't really love that stage. Over the past month, Max's communication has really improved, and although he still throws temper tantrums, at least I know what he is screaming about! He is still such a delight in our home, and there isn't a night after he's gone to bed that I don't start to miss him.
We moved to Little Rock, Arkansas two weeks ago and Dan officially starts his residency on July 1st. We are all dreading it. It's been so fun having him around more often, and I think Max is going to really miss spending time with his daddy. It sure is a sacrifice to become a doctor! Over the next year, we will see very little of our Dan. The first year of residency is the worst, and all we can do is just hold on and get through it. The next 3 years of residency will be much more tolerable because Dan will be on a Monday- Friday, 9-5 schedule, (one of the best perks of being a dermatologist resident.) Then the final step will be a one year fellowship in Mohs surgery, and possibly another move for just that year.
Dan's graduation. His parents and my parents were able to join us in the celebration.
Cutest little boy in the whole world.
I am now 20 weeks and 3 days pregnant, but who's counting right? :) This pregnancy has been very different from my last. The first 3 months I was extremely sick and pretty much in survival mode. I also had a subchorionic hemorrhage, which is basically a blood clot that forms between the membranes of the placenta and uterus, and could cause a miscarriage. That was sure a scary time! I was placed on light bed-rest for the first 14 weeks of this pregnancy. Luckily, the hemorrhage went away on its own. Now I am feeling great, just gaining weight like crazy. I gained 7 pounds in less than 2 weeks, and am getting close to a 20 pound total weight gain already, ahhh! I am trying to accept the fact that I will never be one of those tiny pregnant girls. I will always be a 40+ pound weight gainer. No matter what I do these dang lbs keep packing on. Oh well. Truly, I know that a healthy pregnancy and beautiful baby is what really matters in the end.
We are getting more and more excited everyday to welcome a baby girl into our family. I am nervous about how Max will do having to share his parent's attention. It will be an adjustment for us all.
We enjoyed ourselves in the Caribbean, relaxing and catching up on some much needed sleep. When we got home, Max wouldn't come to us for a few minutes. He quickly got over his initial angry reaction for leaving him and wouldn't let me out of his sight for two weeks. He was so clingy and wouldn't even go to Daddy. I have to admit, I kind of liked it.
In June, my amazing husband graduated from medical school. We have both worked hard for this over the past 4 years. I got teary eyed as he walked across the stage and received his diploma. We now have 5 more years until he is officially a Mohs surgeon, (a dermatologist that specializes in skin cancer surgery). I remember thinking 4 years was a long time when we first started medical school, but the time has flown by. I know these next 5 years will fly by just as quickly. Before we know it, we will finally settle down into a home of our own, preferably near family. Until then, I am trying to keep an open mind and positive attitude about living in Arkansas. It can't compare to our beloved Dallas, but we are meeting new friends already, and I am hopeful that we will enjoy these next four years in Little Rock.
Max is almost 20 months and is getting more and more personality each day. He amazes me at how smart he is, and how quickly he learns things. He is the greatest source of joy in our lives, and I can't imagine life without him. He can talk a lot more now, and is much less whiney than he used to be. I decided that for me, 13-18 months is a hard time. Babies at this age can't tell you what they want and so they whine and cry a lot, (at least that's how Max was.) Since I don't know what is wrong, I can't always help. I don't really love that stage. Over the past month, Max's communication has really improved, and although he still throws temper tantrums, at least I know what he is screaming about! He is still such a delight in our home, and there isn't a night after he's gone to bed that I don't start to miss him.
We moved to Little Rock, Arkansas two weeks ago and Dan officially starts his residency on July 1st. We are all dreading it. It's been so fun having him around more often, and I think Max is going to really miss spending time with his daddy. It sure is a sacrifice to become a doctor! Over the next year, we will see very little of our Dan. The first year of residency is the worst, and all we can do is just hold on and get through it. The next 3 years of residency will be much more tolerable because Dan will be on a Monday- Friday, 9-5 schedule, (one of the best perks of being a dermatologist resident.) Then the final step will be a one year fellowship in Mohs surgery, and possibly another move for just that year.
Dinner on the cruise.
Dinner at Fearings to celebrate graduation.
Cutest little boy in the whole world.
I am now 20 weeks and 3 days pregnant, but who's counting right? :) This pregnancy has been very different from my last. The first 3 months I was extremely sick and pretty much in survival mode. I also had a subchorionic hemorrhage, which is basically a blood clot that forms between the membranes of the placenta and uterus, and could cause a miscarriage. That was sure a scary time! I was placed on light bed-rest for the first 14 weeks of this pregnancy. Luckily, the hemorrhage went away on its own. Now I am feeling great, just gaining weight like crazy. I gained 7 pounds in less than 2 weeks, and am getting close to a 20 pound total weight gain already, ahhh! I am trying to accept the fact that I will never be one of those tiny pregnant girls. I will always be a 40+ pound weight gainer. No matter what I do these dang lbs keep packing on. Oh well. Truly, I know that a healthy pregnancy and beautiful baby is what really matters in the end.
We are getting more and more excited everyday to welcome a baby girl into our family. I am nervous about how Max will do having to share his parent's attention. It will be an adjustment for us all.
Friday, June 8, 2012
It's a....
It's a GIRL!!! We are thrilled and cannot wait to have a baby girl join our family soon. My dreams of becoming a dance mom one day will come true. :) I was honestly shocked when we found out it is a girl because all along I was convinced it was a boy. We couldn't be happier!
I have a lot of updating to do on this little blog. We make our big move to Little Rock, Arkansas tomorrow and after the dust settles, I will catch up.
Yeah for baby girls!!!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Baby News
March was a great month for our little family. Not only did we find out that Dan got into a dermatology residency, and that he got his number one choice, (the program in Arkansas), but we also found out that I am pregnant!!! We are thrilled! #2 is something I have wanted for a long time, and I am happy that our dreams finally came true.
I am learning that you show a lot faster with the second pregnancy and am already sportin' a bump. I also have morning sickness, (actually all day long nausea) with this pregnancy. We have been hermits the past couple months.
We couldn't be happier and are excited to start these new adventures in life: moving to Arkansas, starting residency, and especially expanding our family. Baby #2 is due on Nov. 12th 2012, I am almost 10 weeks along.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Update
It's been a while since I wrote about what's been happening around here. The past couple of months have been wonderful and we are enjoying the benefits of 4th year and having Dan around a little more. Not to mention, this winter has been the best winter we have ever experienced with very mild weather and many days in Jan. and Feb in the 70s and 80s.
In the past couple months we have gone to the zoo, played at the mall play area, taken a trip to Austin for 3 days, taken Max to the park at least a few times a week, and of course, eaten out every weekend.
Max is at such a fun and difficult age right now. He is a complete joy in our home. He is a little stinker though, and is starting to get more stubborn every day. He throws fits, whines, and cries with the best of them. But he's still my perfect angel!
Here are a few things he is up to- he throws everything into the bathroom tub. If something is missing, we look in the bathtub. I have found my phone, keys, pacis, spatulas, you name it, I have found it in our tub. He bounces his bum up and down to music like he is dancing. He will be having a complete melt down in his bed after he's woken up from his nap, but immediately after picking him up, he starts chatting away as if nothing was ever wrong. He still loves to push around his toy walker, and when I am vacuuming, he plays "bumper cars" with the vacuum and his walker. He loves it when we put his shoes and socks on, but hates to have his diaper changed and being dressed. He loves green beans and cottage cheese. Other than these two foods, it just depends on the day whether he will like what we feed him or not. One day he will love something, and the next day he can't stand it. His one true love is milk. He would drink milk all day if we let him.
Here are some pictures of a few of our latest outings.
Enjoying the warm weather at the park.
We are working on getting rid of the pacis during the day and just using them for naps and bedtime. I don't know who's more addicted to them at this point, Max or me. I'm just not ready to part with them, they make my fussy baby calm and quiet. But the time has come and we are making a real effort to not use them during the day. Wish us both luck.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Father and son
There's an undeniable bond between these two. Max seems somewhat unsettled when Dan is away for long periods of time. The love this little boy has for his father melts my heart. Max's eyes light up when Dan enters the room. When Dan comes home from school, we all have a mini party. Max adores Dan, and the feelings are mutual.
In Austin
At the Dallas Fort Worth zoo
Thursday, January 12, 2012
An update
The past couple of months have been a whirlwind. Christmas came and went, and in true Walker fashion we enjoyed every last second.
Dan is in the trenches of interviewing for residencies right now. He's practically been gone for the past two months. We are living in limbo until match day on March 16th. Then we will find out what hospital program Dan will be working at and where we will be living for the next 4 years. We are anxious/excited to see where life is going to take us. It seems like just yesterday we were interviewing for medical school and deciding which school to choose. I have said this before, but we have loved living in Dallas. These past 4 years have been some of the best years of our lives. I have to admit that I am getting very sad to possibly be leaving Dallas in 4 months. I absolutely love it here.
Max is running around getting into everything. He still only has 4 bottom teeth and we are wondering when he will be getting more teeth in. He is the love of our lives!
Here are some pictures from Christmas in Utah.
max with his cousins watching Tangled.
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