Wild One!

My Wild One,

It has been a wild few months with you! You've had a few trips to the ER, ridden a pony, started pre-school, learned how to ride your bike with training wheels, and kept us laughing throughout it all!

The trip to the ER was pretty easy with you! You are such a little scrapper and a trooper...but we did learn that you HAVE to have Mommy when you are in those situations and you are just like your Daddy when it comes to blood (you can't stand it!). You ended up with 7 stitches and we now know when you're on the swing in the backyard, the gate has to be closed! We ended up there again a week later because you fell while trying to climb up a slide (even though I'm always harping at you to use the stairs or ladder) and broke your wound open a bit. There was nothing they could do for you, but your over cautious Daddy felt better knowing we took you!

You seem to be loving school this year! Ms. Beth and Ms. Amanda are you teachers and you are making some nice friends (Jake, Caleb, and Jack). I also know you hang out with your brother and his friends on the playground too (so precious)! I think music with Ms. Ann is your favorite thing at school. You know all the words to the songs and you walk around the house singing! We love it!

We just got back from a little family weekend to The Cowboy Cabin in Marthasville, Mo. You loved every minute of it, but being fascinated with fire, you especially loved helping Daddy make the fires! You are not afraid of it, which makes me very afraid! We hiked, biked, grilled, and played and enjoyed making family memories! You were more snuggly and loving than normal (which is a lot!), so we knew you were HAPPY!

I love you!

Mom

A Month Later...

My Max,

Here we are, a month later and I'm just now writing again! At least it's better than a year later! You are definitely in the midst of your terrible two's this past month. You are generally so sweet and easy going, but this month has been a bit more challenging! You are talking a TON and have NO problem telling me what you like and don't like! Some of the whining has come back and we are ready for our sweet Max to come back!

When you are rested and happy, you are so funny and charming! You were GREAT at t-ball and got your first trophy this weekend. You were one of the youngest ones on your team and hanging in there with the best of them! You love sports and anything to do with a ball!

The 4th of July was so fun with you this year! Obsessed with the fireworks is an understatement! You loved them.....BUT, you did get a little burn on your foot when a piece of the sparkler you were holding fell. That put a damper on things for a bit, but once you figured out you could just wear a sock on that foot, you were good to go! You hate bandaids!

You graduated to a big boy bed, but instead of sleeping in yours, you have made your way to Noah's bed and now sleep with him every night. Then, you wake him up at 6am and you guys play in his room until the night light sun come on. Poor Noah! Actually, I know he likes having you in there with him too!

Daddy buzzed your hair and you are adorable. It makes you look like a little doll and I can't stop kissing your head! Most of the time you let me, but you are starting to push me away every now and then and I see you growing up! You still let me snuggle with you on the couch and like to hold my hand! You and I also pretend to be kitty cats snuggle up too...weird, but kind of our thing!

Here's to one more month of summer and you getting out of the terrible two's!!!

Love you,

Mommy

Where have I been??

Dear Max,

It's been so long since I've written to you that I'm way overwhelmed and not quite sure how to get up to date! You are 2 1/2 now and such a little man! We laugh at your comments all the time....just today, as we were cleaning out the clutter in the basement, you asked me if we were giving some of your toys away or keeping them. When I told you we were keeping them, you said, "yeah, they aren't going to ms. will"! Meaning, Goodwill!

You are 36" tall and 30 lbs right now. You have been completely potty trained since Christmas (even in the night)! You love to watch everything your big brother does and try to do the same. We signed you up for the Itty Bitty t-ball team this summer because it has been torture for you to have to sit in the stands and cheer for Noah at his games and you can't play. You love t-ball and are so cute and confident out there when you play!

One of the most difficult times with you lately is dinner. You don't want to sit still for very long and don't love to eat (like the rest of us!). Well, I take that back, you love to eat treats only (like me) and don't want to eat your main dish. You love fruit, but veggies are another story: see video (ok, I've tried to insert your icky carrot dance here, but can't seem to get it loaded...I'll keep trying and hopefully get it one of these days!)

One of the best times with you lately is snuggling! You still love to cuddle and nuggle and so do we!

Oh, and your sleep pattern is awful! You just don't seem to need as much sleep as the rest of us! You usually go to bed around 8 or 8:30 and wake up no later than 6:30am (on a good day), but lately you're waking up anytime from 3:30am to 5:30am....aghhhhh, we are tired!

Love you so much,

Mom

My little man is 2!

My Max,

You are 2! This was such a fun birthday! You sang Happy Birthday to yourself ten times a day for a week. Seriously! It was so darn cute, we just couldn't stop you. Lulu, your new kitty cat (or sleepy sleepy I love you, as Noah named him) was your favorite present. That thing looks so darn real and sheds like it's real too.....ewwww. You allowed Noah to "help" open your gifts....such a 2nd born! As you can see, the cake was the highlight....I think the main reason you kept wanting to sing Happy Birthday too!

That's how you blow out candles!


So many new things happening for you since you are now 2:

1. You are potty trained! So proud of you!

2. You know most of your colors...finally (I was thinking you were color blind!).

3. You sing lots of songs and know the words to most of them....so darling!

4. You still LOVE to nuggle (especially with me!)

5. You still LOVE to climb (especially on the counters to get chocolate)


6. You love your brother and the two of you love to say "poop" and "poopy"

7. When you toot, you say "tooty fruity" to let us all know!

8. You love beer and wine (really!, we have to hide it from you if we are having a drink).

9. You have become a true 2 year old....opinionated, stubborn, sassy, and physical (But I just laugh at you cuz you're so darn cute)!

On that note, here's to your 3rd year of life! Can't wait to watch your little self grow and see how our family evolves!

Thanks for being my little man,

Mommy

Potty trained!

My Max,

You are potty trained!!!! You wear your cute little undies all day now (except at nap and bedtime) and even told you teacher that when you had to go 3 times today! Yippeee! It is so nice to have two kids out of diapers most of the day! One problem: you freak out when you have to go poopie. You ask for a diaper, but I'm trying to keep you out of them, so you end up going in your undies or on the floor : ) You won't even sit on the potty...we'll keep trying! Sounds gross, but you're so stinkin' cute and your my baby, so anything goes!

Something that melts my heart is when you get out of the tub you curl up on the floor on a "cozy" (your words) towel and "nuggle". So precious!

Climbing is your passion lately! We find you in the most peculiar places and as cute as you might be, this is driving me NUTS. Get down PLEASE!

Love you my almost 2 year old,

Mommy

Happy Halloween!

Dear Max (aka Robin),

This past month has been full of fall activities and lots of growing on your part! You had your first ear infection, had a girlfriend over (Sofia...fia as you call her with a HUGE smile of your face), and went trick-or-treating! You weren't very nice to poor Fia, but thank goodness your big brother stepped up and treated Sofia as a Redders boy should! You must've been playing hard to get! Look out girls!

Halloween was too fun this year! You didn't really love being Robin (you kept complaining about your costume being too tight), but you did LOVE the trick-or-treating and candy! You have a major sweet tooth...you had no chance being that you have me and your dad as parents..I love the chocolate, dad loves the sweet stuff, and you love it ALL!

The next door neighbors had a rat that you wanted to hold SO bad! You touched that thing with such excitement and loved it's tail....eeeewwww.

You have also been potty training yourself! We are so impressed with you and your ability to tell us when you need to go (most of the time)! You've had a few accidents but immediately head to the potty once you've gone in your pants : ) Nice try!

As you can see from the pictures, you LOVE to climb and are not afraid of anything (except you do hate the fireplace and beg for us to turn it off!). You also don't seem to feel like rules apply to you (take after a dad and grandma I know! as you will climb on everything even though I've told you not to 100 times!

My favorite thing that you do these days though is "nuggle". You'll come up to me, take my hand, and say, "Tum on, I wanna nuggle", as you pull me to the couch. Ahhhh, melts my heart!

Love you,

Mommy