We've been having so much fun! Now that the weather is nice, we go for long walks nearly everyday. It's really amazing to walk through the park that I've run through so many times because I see things that I never saw before. For example, on sunny days, the rocks are loaded with Mommy, Daddy and Baby Turtles. They're soo cute! Energetically I feel like a completely different person as I stroll through the park with Max and often with Gauss. Depending on what time of day we walk, we see many of the same people daily. One man joked with me a few weeks ago that between Max and Gauss, I had "quite a load to manage." I saw him a few days later with David along for the walk and said, "I have a helper today!"
David was home last week and Max and I really enjoyed his presence. We played outside on the deck a lot (http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=696281209380262594/l=369433663/g=124666915/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB )and Max loves when we blow bubbles into his face. This kid defines resilience!
Max is clapping his hands; waving his hands hello and goodbye (although not necessarily at "proper" times); he likes to share his food with us and gets hysterical when we allow him to feed us; he continues to make hilarious sounds with his lips/mouth; AND he's discovered that his finger fits up his nose : )
Thanks for checking in. I hope you all are well. ~ Robyn
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Today Max got literally, one step closer to walking! He's doing this pivoting on his foot thing (video: http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=704211208821951119/l=369020626/g=124666915/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
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). It's really just amazing to witness his process of learning and doing.
David said sarcastically today, "Max doesn't laugh enough." The kid is constantly giggling, it's soo cute.
I took a lot of cute pictures and videos the last few days (http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=704211208821951119/l=369020626/g=124666915/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
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).
A colleague recently sent this adoption poem to me so I thought I'd share it here.
Thanks for checking in : )
~ Robyn
Not flesh of my flesh,
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously "my own."
Never forget for a single minute...
You didn't grow under my heart,
But in it!
Anonymous
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sunday
Wow! Max is doing GREAT!!! In just a few days he's:
- become increasingly verbal (for videos and pictures: http://www2.snapfish.com/share
/p=867121208043440501/l AND http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=262131208110937512/l=364587019/g=124666915/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB )=364569352/g=124666915/otsc =SYE/otsi=SALB - clapping his hands
- has taken two naps in his crib AND (knock-on-wood)...
- sleeping 11 hours before we have to get him!!! THIS IS HUGE!!! It's so funny how parenting changes people. I was always the most high maintenance sleeper - requiring at least 10 hours a night and anything less made me anxious. Now, I'm functioning on far less and feel just fine.
- Oh, and he co-taught a Vinyasa Flow Yoga Class with me on Friday! We were a last minute sub for his Auntie Erin and he did GREAT tucked away in the Baby Bjorn, just taking everything in. When I got too warm and put him on the floor he just crawled around, checked out some of the ladies and their mats (he likes the texture of yoga mats) and played with some props
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Firsts
It's only 6:30 AM and Maxwell's already had two firsts today!
- he figured out how to take his purple bouncy ball and balance on his belly
- he figured out how to bring his bouncy ball upstairs by holding it with two hands and placing it on the step ABOVE the step that he crawls to! Sophisticated thinking, huh?!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The "Specimen" Lab...
This if for Michele M...
*First draft, subject to grammatical edits from my mom :)
Maxwell's pediatrician prescribed a number of stool samples to be done. She wanted to collect baseline data and make sure that he didn't come with any parasites. It took David and me more than 3 weeks to collect the 9 samples, but we finally collected them all by last Thursday morning.
Off to the lab Max and I went to deliver the jars of stool. Let me set the stage for how this went... first Max screamed like a crazy person when I put him into his car seat; then he fell asleep. The road to the lab was closed because of a fuel spill so we had to take a detour. Anyone who knows me knows that I barely know which way is up and the detour was um... quite extensive for us.
Max screamed bloody murder when I took him out of his car seat but quited down once he nestled himself close to me. Off we marched to the lab, me with Max being held by my left arm, and me with 9 jars of poop in a plastic baggy labeled "BIOHAZARD" in my right hand.
As expected there were like 900 people in the waiting room, but I waited patiently (standing room only of course), with Max in my left arm and the poop baggy being held in my right hand. I didn't meet anyone's eye gaze. People blatantly talked on their cell phones at ridiculously high volumes despite the multiple signs prohibiting cell phone usage.
Finally we were called, "Mazwell Himan," called "the lady."
"Maxwell Hyman?" I asked with a slightly raised right eyebrow, figuring that body language is a universal language and she'd understand me.
She shuffled through some papers and yes, she was in fact looking for us.
I explained that I had 9 stool samples to drop off (and you thought your job was bad?).
"Where is the prescription?" she asked me.
No pun-intended but "%$#*!" I thought.
"Um, you guys have it. The lady who distributed the jars made a copy of it so it's in my son's file."
"No, no, Mamasita," I was told. "You must have the prescription. I can't take any specimens without a prescription.
No pun-intended again, but "%$#*!" I thought again.
"Um, but I gave her the prescription when I came here three weeks ago. Why would I be sent home with it?" I asked incredulously. "I mean, come on, I have 9 jars of poop here that I'm not leaving with."
She and "the other woman" talked it over in a huddle by the fax machine. Meanwhile, Max, being the superstar that he is waited patiently in my arm. I on the other hand began pacing a small perimeter near the registration counter. With, of course, my 9 jars of poop. Still not able to meet anyone's gaze. While the women talked and I paced I realized that this was my first outing with Max in which at least 5 people didn't comment to me about how cute he is. I guess 9 jars of poop have a certain effect.
The huddle broke up and I was expected at the counter.
"Mamasita, I'm sorry, we cannot accept the specimen without a prescription." My right eyebrow arched a bit higher than before, I took a deep breath before speaking and then began, "Are you kidding me? I have 9 jars of poop here and I am not leaving with one jar of poop. Find his file and figure it out. I am NOT leaving with one jar of poop!" That's when I became aware of several things: suddenly nobody was on their cell phones; the dull hum of waiting room conversation had subsided AND I spotted a white piece of paper in the baggy that contained the 9 stool samples.
Still balancing Max with one arm I managed to retrieve the piece of paper from the plastic bag and saw David's handwriting on one side and um... the prescription on the other. I'm a humble young lady and can admit when I've made a mistake.
"Just kidding!" I yelled, "I found the prescription, here it is! See! I told you I wasn't leaving with any poop," and I left the baggy and prescription on the paper and off Max and I went.
*First draft, subject to grammatical edits from my mom :)
Maxwell's pediatrician prescribed a number of stool samples to be done. She wanted to collect baseline data and make sure that he didn't come with any parasites. It took David and me more than 3 weeks to collect the 9 samples, but we finally collected them all by last Thursday morning.
Off to the lab Max and I went to deliver the jars of stool. Let me set the stage for how this went... first Max screamed like a crazy person when I put him into his car seat; then he fell asleep. The road to the lab was closed because of a fuel spill so we had to take a detour. Anyone who knows me knows that I barely know which way is up and the detour was um... quite extensive for us.
Max screamed bloody murder when I took him out of his car seat but quited down once he nestled himself close to me. Off we marched to the lab, me with Max being held by my left arm, and me with 9 jars of poop in a plastic baggy labeled "BIOHAZARD" in my right hand.
As expected there were like 900 people in the waiting room, but I waited patiently (standing room only of course), with Max in my left arm and the poop baggy being held in my right hand. I didn't meet anyone's eye gaze. People blatantly talked on their cell phones at ridiculously high volumes despite the multiple signs prohibiting cell phone usage.
Finally we were called, "Mazwell Himan," called "the lady."
"Maxwell Hyman?" I asked with a slightly raised right eyebrow, figuring that body language is a universal language and she'd understand me.
She shuffled through some papers and yes, she was in fact looking for us.
I explained that I had 9 stool samples to drop off (and you thought your job was bad?).
"Where is the prescription?" she asked me.
No pun-intended but "%$#*!" I thought.
"Um, you guys have it. The lady who distributed the jars made a copy of it so it's in my son's file."
"No, no, Mamasita," I was told. "You must have the prescription. I can't take any specimens without a prescription.
No pun-intended again, but "%$#*!" I thought again.
"Um, but I gave her the prescription when I came here three weeks ago. Why would I be sent home with it?" I asked incredulously. "I mean, come on, I have 9 jars of poop here that I'm not leaving with."
She and "the other woman" talked it over in a huddle by the fax machine. Meanwhile, Max, being the superstar that he is waited patiently in my arm. I on the other hand began pacing a small perimeter near the registration counter. With, of course, my 9 jars of poop. Still not able to meet anyone's gaze. While the women talked and I paced I realized that this was my first outing with Max in which at least 5 people didn't comment to me about how cute he is. I guess 9 jars of poop have a certain effect.
The huddle broke up and I was expected at the counter.
"Mamasita, I'm sorry, we cannot accept the specimen without a prescription." My right eyebrow arched a bit higher than before, I took a deep breath before speaking and then began, "Are you kidding me? I have 9 jars of poop here and I am not leaving with one jar of poop. Find his file and figure it out. I am NOT leaving with one jar of poop!" That's when I became aware of several things: suddenly nobody was on their cell phones; the dull hum of waiting room conversation had subsided AND I spotted a white piece of paper in the baggy that contained the 9 stool samples.
Still balancing Max with one arm I managed to retrieve the piece of paper from the plastic bag and saw David's handwriting on one side and um... the prescription on the other. I'm a humble young lady and can admit when I've made a mistake.
"Just kidding!" I yelled, "I found the prescription, here it is! See! I told you I wasn't leaving with any poop," and I left the baggy and prescription on the paper and off Max and I went.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Eating and Sleeping
We've had a tough time with Maxwell's eating and sleeping. He refuses to allow us to feed him b/c he's really independent and capable of feeding himself. However, until recently he'd only feed himself Cheerios. On Saturday we went to a friends for a playdate and her 10.5 month old son eats like a sumo wrestler! His mom cannot shovel the food in fast enough for him! Max observed Rowyn's fabulous eating and before David and I knew it, Max was standing at Rowyn's mom's leg begging for food. We quickly learned that Max likes green beans.
Today was a day of progress. My mom was able to feed Max more than he's ever eaten at one sitting today. He FINALLY ate his soy yogurt!! BIG NEWS in my house! He's also liking black-eyed-peas and David's "special" pancakes. After noticing that Max was having a difficult time moving his bowels, David decided to add pureed pear juice and flax seed to the pancake batter. Max loves them. Oh and it did the trick :)
Sleep... we started with the Ferber - cry-it-out method. Controversial, we know. We'd have Max fall asleep in our arms and then place him in his crib which ultimately woke him up and he'd scream for 10-15 minute. It was tough AND he'd wake up every 3 hours which came with more cry-it-out. David recently read that we should put him in his crib just before he falls asleep and we've done this two nights in a row and it's like a magic pill!!! He slept for 8 hours straight last night. PHEW!!!
His personality is just divine. So fun and curious and overall a really happy kid. I hope I don't mess this up!
Today was a day of progress. My mom was able to feed Max more than he's ever eaten at one sitting today. He FINALLY ate his soy yogurt!! BIG NEWS in my house! He's also liking black-eyed-peas and David's "special" pancakes. After noticing that Max was having a difficult time moving his bowels, David decided to add pureed pear juice and flax seed to the pancake batter. Max loves them. Oh and it did the trick :)
Sleep... we started with the Ferber - cry-it-out method. Controversial, we know. We'd have Max fall asleep in our arms and then place him in his crib which ultimately woke him up and he'd scream for 10-15 minute. It was tough AND he'd wake up every 3 hours which came with more cry-it-out. David recently read that we should put him in his crib just before he falls asleep and we've done this two nights in a row and it's like a magic pill!!! He slept for 8 hours straight last night. PHEW!!!
His personality is just divine. So fun and curious and overall a really happy kid. I hope I don't mess this up!
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