Are you out there?

I know I've been a bad blogging mommy and posts have been sporadic at best.

Life gets busy. Especially when you are 3 and expecting a baby sister. That is Max's excuse. I'm not sure what mine is.

So, I'm just wondering who is still reading this blog. If you are out there and are still checking in on the Nelson's, leave a comment. We (mostly me) are curious about who occasionally looks in on our family and see's what we are up to!

On another note. It is 60 degrees on this December day. Max and I are going to head outside. He loves the park and will be pleased as punch to take some time to explore our world. He got a new camera, so I'm going to let him take some pictures. Speaking of pictures. Here is one from our recent photo shoot. Our kiddo sure is cute :)

Pink is Coming

So, it is official. Our household will be getting a little pinker this spring.

Lane is scared, I'm a little worried when I remember myself as a teenager, and Max is in love with the idea of his little sister.

Our little family will be growing a little bit frillier and we can't wait to meet our Lucy in a few months.

Does the Blog Name Have to Change?

So, things are starting to look a little pink around our household.

There has been so speculation by the ultrasound technician that I am baking a sweet baby girl!

We are excited/nervous about this bit of news. We should have confirmation on December 20th, but until then we are contemplating pink, ruffles, and all the sweet fun that comes with a girl!

Max was thinking about the baby too. He wanted to know if it was a boy, a girl, or maybe it is a chocolate donut! I think he liked the idea of a chocolate donut the best :) :) :)

Wondering...

Baby 2 at 13.5 weeks.

Boy or Girl...

Blonde or Brunette...

Green or Brown...

Loud or Quiet...

Outgoing or Shy...

It will be such fun finding all those answers out. The only definite is that this baby will be much loved and will be the piece of our family that wasn't exactly missing, but definitely completes our puzzle.

Baby 2.0 Thoughts

It is a strange experience being pregnant for the second time. Part of me feels like I should already know all the answers, part of me is totally more relaxed than I was the first time, and part of me feels like this IS the first time.

Does that make any sense? In my pregnant brain it makes sense, but that doesn't really mean much.

I am 14 weeks. That means there are only 26 weeks to go. I feel like I should be doing something to get ready, but for the most part I am just concentrating on trying to feel less like puking and more like playing with my 3 year old.

Speaking of the 3 year old. He asked for a baby yesterday, and he was pretty sure we could get it from the pet store. Although we haven't told Max yet that we are having a baby, we haven't been completely quiet about the topic around him. He is no dummy and I am pretty sure he has picked up on something being different in our house. We are thinking we will tell him soon... whether soon is this weekend or soon is next month I don't know. It seems like a pretty abstract concept for a 3 year old to understand. Plus, he really wants an OLDER sibling... and I'm not sure I can make that happen for him :)

Bad Blogger

I'm a terrible blogger. Max's blog has not received the attention it deserves, and honestly I'm not sure how many of you still check here for news about our little family. But, it feels like time to really try and start blogging again because...

Nelson baby Version 2.0 is baking and due to be ready on May 4th, 2011. We are thrilled about our new addition and we are so excited to complete our little family! I'm almost out of the first trimester and just praying that morning sickness disappears soon. We haven't told Max yet, mainly because we don't want him to associate Mama being so sick with a new sibling. However, I think he knows something because he keeps asking me for a baby brother.

We went to the pumpkin patch with Grandma Flo this weekend. While Grandma and I enjoyed the sunshine, Max and daddy ran around and did all the fun activities. It seemed like there were so many little tiny babies there and it filled me with joy thinking about being out there next year with our own little tiny baby.

Here are some pictures of Max at the pumpkin patch and the baby at 9.5 weeks.

Max at 3.5 years

Likes:

*Legos

*Knights

*Green Slime Monster

*Dinosaurs

*Mac and Cheese

Dislikes:

*Being told what to do

*Time-out

*Vegetables

Maddox has an imagination that amazes us every single day. He definitely marches to the beat of his own drum and he is an absolute joy MOST of the time. He has a temper, wants everything to be exactly his way, and is not afraid of telling you exactly what he thinks. He will talk to anybody and everybody, but can be shy when it fits his purpose. He can follow directions, knows all his shapes and colors, can spell his name, count to 14, and build amazing things out of legos. He is 3.5 and growing up way too quick!

Happy Father's Day

Top 10 Reason's Lane is the Best Dad!

10. He is never too tired after work to play.
9. He is the only one who buys toys, not mommy (that is straight from Max)
8. He provides for his family and is one of the hardest workers I know.
7. He has the greatest sense of humor and can find the funny in most situations.
6. He fixes things with his tools or something (again, from Max).
5. He is teaching Max about the finer things in life: Star Wars, pizza, and the value of legos!
4. He is genuinely in love with his son.
3. He takes takes the time to discipline, even when it would be easier to ignore certain behaviors.
2. He is loving, thoughtful, and takes wonderful care of his wife and son.
1. He is awesome (per Max)!

I hope everyone has a wonderful father's day. I know we are having a joyful celebration of Lane and all he does for our little family!

Just Keep Swimming...

Max started swim lessons last week. It has been an interesting experience. The first lesson consisted mainly of him in my lap telling me he was NOT going to take his shirt off and he was NOT getting in the water. He crawled up and over me when I tried to convince him to stick his feet in the water.
Slowly but surely he has gotten in the water and sort of participated in the class. He is still not putting his face in the water, but he at least isn't screaming at the teachers "NO NO NO NO NO NO" anymore.
He loves swimming. He just LOVES being in control more. Swimming lessons has been the first experience in a lesson he truly has to learn: Max isn't always going to get to be in control. He is definitely his mother's child and believes that it would be best if he was in charge, but life is going to be hard if he doesn't learn how to let others be in charge.

Time Marches On

There are moments that I just wish I could freeze and stay in the beauty of them forever.

Max looking up at me and telling me that I am the "best mommy". My joyful son throwing himself into my arms and giving me kiss after kiss after kiss. Every time I am able to kiss his hurts and make him feel all better. The moment before I turn his bedside lamp off and I see him sleeping innocently and peacefully.

As much as I would like to stop time, it just keeps moving forward. It is the way the world works and I know there will be more magical moments in the future, but it is hard not to feel like it all just goes by too fast.

Max is 3 years, 3 months, and a couple of weeks old. I still look at him at least once a day and feel wonder and amazement that he is my child. He is officially "off" all things baby and constantly tells me he is a big boy and very strong. He has more energy than I ever knew was possible but at the same time has more focus than I thought capable of a three year old. He isn't very free with his affection, especially to those not named Mommy and Daddy, but he has a sensitive heart and loves those in his life deeply. He is a creature of habit and appreciates the value of a good, thought out plan. He doesn't like not being in control and has a head harder than a rock. He still loves all things Star Wars, but has also developed a fascination with knights and dragons. He thinks his daddy hung the moon and can't wait to spend time with him each day.

He is a big boy, but will forever be my baby. I wish all of you were as lucky as me and got to spend everyday appreciating the gift of my Max!

Ridiculous

The amount of time between posts is ridiculous. Here is the kid in all his glory!

Couple of Photos

Feeling Crafty (Or just cheap)

I needed a new wreath/door decoration for spring. It was already well into March and my door was still decorated with some wooden hearts for Valentine's day. I looked all around at Hobby Lobby but everything they had was just a little too cheesy for my taste or was in my budget. I didn't really want to spend more than 10 or 12 dollars.

I found this tutorial on the web: Paper Wreath

Her's is definitely much cuter than mine, but I think for just using cardstock that I had on hand, my wreath turned out pretty darn well. I'm also pretty sure that if I did it again it would look even better. But hey, for a completely free wreath (well, free as in I didn't spend any MORE money, I just used products I had) I think it will work for a few months.

The Croup

Well, last Sunday night Max was in a great mood. We had just a wonderful weekend and were getting ready for a fun and busy filled week. Here he is:



That night he didn't sleep well and he woke up with a fever. He didn't really have any symptoms but the fever and he was tired. Here he is Monday:



Finally on Wednesday, I took him to doctor. Three days of a fever as high as 103 and I feel a doctors visit is necessary. So, we saw the doctor Wednesday. Got a diagnosis of Roseola (infant measels) and were sent home because there is nothing they can do for that. Wednesday night found us up the entire night while Max coughed this terrible cough that sounded similar to a barking seal. He would have episodes were you could tell he was struggling to even breathe. It wasn't a fun night.

So, feeling a little like an over-reacting mama, I took him back to the doctor. He officially had "the croup". Put him on a steriod. Barking seal cough disappeared, now he just has a persistent cough and still a fever.

Max sick is no fun. He is a pretty tough little dude, so it is sometimes hard to tell how he is really feeling. But, his little eyes just say "mommy I don't feel good" this week. I'm hoping this weekend brings not only the first day of spring (and a 4 inch snowfall) but a healthy Max. I know we are all ready for him to feel better!

Feeding Boys...

Max is a pretty picky eater, which I think is typical for 3 year olds. I'm constantly trying to find a main dish that he will eat and this has been a challenge.

So, this week I have 2 new recipes I'm trying in the hopes of finding something that Mr. Max will eat that is NOT a chicken nugget or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

These are the two things I'm trying:

Asian Meatballs

He likes meatloaf, so I'm hoping that this will be a hit in our house. It looks incredibly yummy to me! I'm going to serve over whole wheat noodles, instead of with rice.

Black Eyed Pea Casserole

That is the picture above off of the website. Max usually likes beans. He is also pretty okay with eating rice. So, I'm hopeful. I will be substituting ground turkey for the beef and brown rice instead of white rice, and probably not use quite a whole cup of cheese, because of Max's digestive issues.

Cooking for Max (and actually, also for Lane) can be difficult because of his dietary restrictions, but I've been searching and along with these two recipes, I've found several that I'm hoping everyone will enjoy! I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Only a Mother...

Would think her child is hilarious! I know in my head that Max isn't as funny as I think. Some examples of things that absolutely CRACK me up:

*Asked Max to pay attention and Max replied "I will pay a chicken!"

*Max picked up a stick, told me it was his "very noisy horn" and then made a noise that sounded like a constipated elephant.

*Max running around and singing "I want to be Luke Skywalker, I want to be Luke Skywalker!"

None of those things are really all that funny but they all made me laugh hard enough I was crying. Believing your kid is truly the most amusing and cutest child ever born and being head over heels in love with them is one of the best parts of being a Mom.

Gamera the Brave

So, Lane introduce Max to a lovely movie this weekend.

Gamera the Brave



Seriously. It isn't like I don't suffer enough having to watch "Max and Ruby" and "Dora the Explorer". Now, I get to watch a Japanese monster movie that is aimed at children. It has its cute moments, cause Gamera is a tiny turtle called "Toto" to start with. Then it just becomes very typical Godzilla like and starts to annoy me.

Max is OBSESSED! I think Lane is just retaliating because I got Max to enjoy Beauty and the Beast. Oh well, I guess there are worse things in life. But this flying turtle certainly is not my favorite thing right now.

Have loved you...

...every minute of the past 3 years. Will love you even more tomorrow. Happy Birthday sweet baby boy.

Birthday Boy!

We celebrated Max's birthday today! He won't be three till Monday, but Lane will be out of town and the celebration wouldn't be same without daddy. Here are some pictures of our day with the little birthday boy! Make sure to be appropriately awed by the homemade Star Wars X-Wing cake. Max was. He said it was "the best cake ever". Happy Birthday to our wonderful son!

Lost Cause

In the interest of raising a non-violent, non-aggressive, slightly less crazy son, we had removed a lot of Max's "weapons". He already, at the ripe old age of 2.99, has a plethora of foam swords, foam blasters, light sabers, nerf guns, etc. Max has a little trouble being aggressive, so we decided limiting that type of play might be a good thing. We took his "weapons" and put them downstairs in the basement to be played with infrequently.

The result:
My son is still 100% boy and has now turned all of my kitchen utensils into his weapons. My spatula became the "flip flopper" and is now responsible for decimating scores of storm troopers. My big spoon became the "spooner" and has blasted an entire army of dragon guys.

I'm thinking his weapons aren't the problem.

100%

...at least for today! We had a great day and Max did a wonderful job doing his business in the potty! We are VERY excited here in the Nelson household tonight!

I know tomorrow he could totally go back to nothing but accidents, but for today, Max is the king of the potty!

Here he is a video of him getting his energy out before bed!

63%

Well, over the course of the last week Max has managed to potty in the toilet 63% of the time. It isn't the most impressive grade. It is a D. Not exactly the grade you want your child to have.

Max isn't making it easy (he cries almost every time he sits on the potty) and he has a lot to say about the process:

1)After being put in a pull-up to go run some errands, Max declared with a huge smile, "I pee and the diaper catches it!"
2)"I don't want to make pee pee in the potty, I'm all done" Then he gets up and pees on the floor within minutes.
3)While dancing the potty dance, "Nope, I don't need to pee pee". Then he proceeds to pee on the floor.
4)After pooping the most horrific poop ever "What's that on your foot? You have yucky poopie on your foot Mommy". He said that with a smile.
5)"I don't want to pee pee in the potty, I want to go pee pee on the floor".

Those sound like the words of a D Student. Uncooperative, a little lazy, and some what sarcastic. Hopefully, we will see more improvement over the next week. I'm pretty sure that this process will eventually be over (hey, a month ago Max was using the potty 0%, so that's a huge improvement). But for now I try not to think about the future, I just take it one accident at a time and thank God daily that we don't have carpet in our house!

Potty Training...

Stinks. It is not going well. I will spare you all the gory details, believe me, you really don't want to know. I wish I didn't have to know.

We haven't given up though. I feel like at this point we can't give up. Eventually he'll get it. Right?

Lord, I hope so.

Day 2 Confidence is Building

Well, Day 2 was a minor success. It started a little worrisome because he woke up and immediately peed his bed but the day only improved from there. Max has actually requested several times to go to the potty and has even made it there on time once. We had accidents and number 2's are going to take a lot longer than 3 days to get under control, but we're doing it.
Max loves his big boys underwear and requests to change them several times a day just because he wants to first wear The Hulk, then he is in a Wolverine mood, and then he feels like being pals with Nemo. I give in, because frankly, it is pretty cute!
Day 3 has begun and we started with dry sheets which was exciting. Of course, we started the day at 5:45am, not the greatest time to wake up. It is going as well as it could be expected and while I know we have a LOT of work left, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Day 1 of Operation Quit Crapping Your Pants

Before having an almost 3 year old boy, I sat upon my high and mighty pedestal of inexperience and I swore up and down that I wouldn't have a preschooler who was still hanging onto the diaper lifestyle. I talked down about parents who didn't have their kids potty trained by this age. I was completely judgmental of this whole process and would snidely proclaim that I would never be THAT mom.

Well, I have been firmly knocked off my pedestal and my own judgments have been hitting me in the head for months now. My son will be 3 at the end of the month and he is NOT potty trained. But, I'm hoping to change that.
I downloaded a highly recommended e-book. http://www.3daypottytraining.com/
I have fully committed to this program, which meant this morning Max and I threw away the rest of our diapers (I only had like 6 left, so I didn't feel like I was flushing a ton of money down the drain). We had a good day in terms of attitude but we had absolutely no success. Supposedly that is common and I am trying not to get discouraged.

Hopefully, by the end of this weekend, we will have a little boy who is fully potty trained (including night time, right now he is in his bed with no diaper, eeekkk!). I'll let you know tomorrow how we are faring, right now I am going to go shower, I smell like little boy pee.

In just 1 month...

I will officially have a kid. 3 really signifies the end of babyhood. And truly, other than the fact that Max is still in diapers (sad, but true fact) I really do have a kid. It is amazing how quickly the time between infant and kid flew. He really is a wonderful little boy; fun to be around, has a great imagination and a very sweet and kind heart. He is also a challenge to be around; very stubborn, very aggressive, and known for being just a tad dramatic. He's my miracle, my very own Max and I plan to enjoy this last month with my baby and look forward to all the adventures I will have with my kid!

Like sands through the hourglass....

...so are the days of our lives. I swear I really don't watch soap operas. Max is pretty much in charge of our remote during the day, and so far he doesn't seem too interested in dramas. It was just the quote that came to mind when I was thinking about blogging. It is already January 17th. How'd that happen? The month is already more than half over.

I'm on my 3rd week of graduate school and it is going mighty well, thank you very much. Max started back to his school last week and him and mommy both enjoyed his day out of the house. We also went back to Holy Name for our job working daycare a couple of afternoons a week. In short, life is just moving on.

The most exciting thing to happen to us lately was we got to watch Baby Jackson. Max was actually really quite thrilled to have Jackson over to "play". The two boys seemed to be thoroughly entertained by one another. Jackson was a sweet boy the entire time he was here and we look forward to having him over again soon!

I have a rare moment in my life. The house is completely quiet. Max was playing in his room for his "quiet time" and I noticed it was a little too quiet. I was worried what I would find but when I peeked in his room, but he was just curled up in his bed fast asleep. Lane is at a movie with some friends, so I am left with some free time I didn't know I would have.

Being the responsible student, I probably should work on some homework, but I'm thinking it might be more fun to curl up with a book. School work or frivolous reading? Who am I kidding: definitely frivolous reading!

Did I mention...

I started graduate school this week. I still find that all a little surreal. I never really imagined myself going to graduate school. It was something I spoke of in a real abstract sense and didn't really think was where my life would take me.

Having said that, I am so excited to be back in school. I love learning new things about education and so I suspect that the next 18 months will not only be extremely challenging but really interesting. My first class is Ethical and Legal Issues in Education and I've already enjoyed the material for this first week. I don't know if that is because it was really that interesting or if was just interesting in comparison to Dora the Explorer.

We're struggling a little bit with the financial side to graduate school. Luckily the program I am in is pretty reasonable but even coming up with a reasonable amount of money can be challenging. We decided against taking out a student loan and we decided against using generous family to help foot the bill, which would have been the easiest solution. Luckily, I'm allowed to pay my bill monthly (interest free) instead of paying up front each semester, which has given us a little bit of wiggle room. But not a lot of wiggle room. Basically we are just tightening up on the finances and saying a little prayer that it works out in the end. That is often how we manage our finances. Not the most intelligent option, but its all we got at this moment. Being an adult can be really hard, especially when it comes to money. So, friends: we love you but going out to eat or anything frivolous is off the agenda for the moment (except for special occasions, like a certain birthday that arrives at the end of the month). But you are always welcome to stop by and enjoy a homecooked meal with the Nelsons.

A lot of our trying to tighten up the budget will come from me working on trimming the household budget. I'm doing a lot of this by researching how other mom's run a frugal household. There are lots of blogs and I feel a little like sharing those blogs with you. One of my favorite mom blogs is "Simple Mom". Visit. It really has lots of wonderful tips for organizing your household.

Today I let Max play with his Christmas gift from Resa. He loves his clickstart computer and was very sad when I told him his 30 minutes of computer time was up and the computer would come back out tomorrow. Thank goodness I don't have a time limit on the computer. Its good to be the adult. At least sometimes.

Joy

I noticed that my post about 2009 had the word JOY a lot! But, seriously, how can you not have a life filled with joy when you have a son like this (seen here brushing the werewolf's teeth):



And a husband like this (seen here taking another self portrait):



So, I apologize for the overuse of the words joy (and also happy, laugh, and fun) but I just don't see how it is avoidable when you live with the guys I do!

2010.... really?

How can it possibly already be 2010? It seriously just seems like yesterday that Lane and I were celebrating 2004 and the beginning of our life here in Kansas City. Now we have been here for SIX years, have become homeowners, worked several different jobs, and started our family. Time just keeps on slipping through my fingers and with joy, love, and sometimes sadness I am watching our life continually change. When I look back on 2009 there will be several things that I will forever cherish:

~Max really becoming a child. This was the year. The year when I no longer had a baby and all of the sudden had a little boy. A boy with a sense of humor and a zest for life that brings immeasurable joy to each and every day. I know I am completely biased, but I seriously don't know anyone funnier than Maddox.

~I became secure in my role in life as Mom. I struggled giving up my teaching career. I struggled giving up the Mrs. Nelson part of my identity. This was my first FULL year at home with Max. I'm not going to lie and say it was perfect, I've certainly had those frustrating moments. But all in all, I am happy to be nothing more than Mom. I can't imagine missing these days with him and I'm so glad that I've found the joy and happiness in this new chapter of my life.

~Lane and I celebrated our 9th anniversary and during these 9 plus years I have learned the one absolute truth of marriage: that love is a choice. The day that Lane and I chose each other was the luckiest day of my life and every day I am grateful that we continue to make that choice. I can't imagine a better partner to travel through life with.

Brief highlights of 2009: our very first Monster Truck Show, Max turning two with Curious George in Oklahoma, sledding for the first time, turning the nursery into a big boy bedroom, my mom retiring from school and visiting a LOT more :), going bowling for the first time with Max, welcoming Jackson Danger to the world, flying for the first time with Max, attending and participating in cousin Sara's wedding, celebrating 4th of July "Nelson style" with friends and family, going to the "lake" with Laresa, Jonathan, Lane, and Max, letting Max go to OK by himself with the grandparents for a WEEK, Max's first day of parent's day out, rollerskating with Max for the first time, going to the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating for the first time with Max, making my first Halloween costume for Max (thanks Catie), Max getting his second set of ear tubes and getting his adenoids taken out, welcoming Kalliope Sage Harris to the family, experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a two year old, making our very first snowman and laughing, laughing, laughing more than you can possibly imagine.

2010 is here and it is already slipping quickly away. I hope this New Years blog (that is just a few days late) finds all of you happy, healthy, and joyfully anticipating what 2010 will bring!