Family Fun

In his fish outfit heading to the pool :)

Max's toes in the sun..he kept peeking them out from under his shade

Mommy's toes in the sun...much skinnier than they were 2 months ago!

Lately we've been trying to find fun, simple, inexpensive things to do as a family. I got super excited when i found out we could have a free day at the zoo (since when is anything cool free?!) All we had to do was recycle an old phone book. Even though Max slept most of the time, we had lots of fun! It was his first trip to the zoo :) When Daddy's gone at work, we get bored-so Max has been going to the pool with me. He sleeps-i tan. It works out pretty well. Of course we can never stay that long, but even a little is okay with me. I love summer-and warm weather, but i'm ready for the crisp air of fall. It brings so many good things...caramel apples, pumpkins, cider...mmmm! Soon enough i suppose, soon enough.

Some things I've either learned or been reminded of in the monotonous hours at home:
*I love how they say babies should be in a routine by 4 weeks! The only routine Max has is that there is no routine. (Except feedings, which seem to be clockwork!)
*Sitting around the house all day in your jammies isn't nearly as awesome as they say it is
*Make-up is overrated (yes, even for me!)
*Being awake at 2 a.m. is no longer as fun as it was a year ago
*My mom & my sister are really my best girlfriends :) I'm so blessed to have such positive people in my life
*My nephews are such a constant source of joy-even 12 hours away! It's amazing to see them grow :)
*Having faith when it really matters is really hard! I know it just takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain-but it's difficult to find that seed!
*I really do love my life, despite flaws and chaos. My family is wonderful & i love my husband more every day. My son is beyond perfect & I never imagined I could love this much!

4 weeks already...

I can't believe it...Max is already 4 weeks old! It still hasn't completely sunk in that he's really ours and he's really here-it's amazing! He still gets a little confused on when he should sleep and when he should be awake, but we're working on it. We've been trying to do the "let him cry" approach to bed time, but it doesn't always quite work. Daddy values his sleep and usually ends up bringing him to bed with us for awhile. We're slowly working on sleeping in the crib all night. Sometimes you just can't resist picking them up and calming them down...If you could, please keep our entire family in your prayers.
As i marvel over the great gift of a new life taking it's first breath-i'm quickly reminded that the older life must also expel its last. My grandpa passed away early this morning and the next few weeks will be very hard for those he left. While everyone deals with that, we are still adjusting to a family life that revolves around a newborn-which needs continual prayer :) Mommy's still trying to recover, Daddy needs more sleep, and Max just can't get enough attention! It's a true blessing, but obviously a constant learning experience.
We celebrated our 1st anniversary this week-already! i can't believe it's been a year ( or that our baby is already here!) The celebration was simple and revolved around Max's schedule. We had a great dinner, relaxed as a family-then gave Max a bath & enjoyed our sleep. It's not quite the return to Hilton Head that we planned...but it was perfect. It's amazing that on your wedding day you can't imaging loving that person more...and then you realize the love keeps growing every day. It seems to be intensified when i see what a great dad he is to Max. I couldn't be more blessed!

Well....here's some more pictures to hold everyone over until i get another free moment. Hope you're enjoying your August-fall's almost here! Woohoo!