Bakesale Betty

Hey everybody....it's me, Max! My mom usually gets to write everything for me, but not today!

So check this out....

Before I was born.....well, WAY before I was born....my Mommy and Daddy got married at this cool place in Napa. And at their wedding, they had lots of special treats for all of their friends and family. They were so excited to give everyone a sweet cookie surprise at the end of the night, especially because it was from one of their favorite hidden places....Bakesale Betty in Oakland. I'm totally not old enough to know if this is true or not, but I've heard that her cookies are pretty fierce. And her banana bread is to die for. Mommy and Daddy shared both of those treats with everyone at their wedding, and Betty herself has a special place in their hearts (not only does she give things out for free to all her customers, but she made hundreds of cookies for their wedding and packaged them all in pretty bags with pink ribbon. Why? Because my mommy really likes pink. Good thing I was born a Max and not a Madalyn, or I'd be DROWNING in pink right now....blech!) Anyway....obviously I take after my mommy because right now I am on a total tangent....

SO, today we headed to this place called Berkeley (where Daddy says the crazy people live, and Mommy just rolls her eyes at him) to fix The Great Sofa Debacle of 2009. On the way there, we got to go to Bakesale Betty because we were finally in the area. They have these killer chicken sandwiches there, and Betty has quite a cult following at lunch time. I have no idea what "cult following" means, but we waited in line for a long time, and then we ate on the sidewalk while sitting on stools and leaning over ironing boards. Well, Mommy and Daddy did. I hung out in my stroller and enjoyed the cool breeze. I live in Dublin, so I'm not used to cool breezes like that. Again.....digressing.

Well, after my Mommy and Daddy ordered one of each kind of cookie, a scone, two fried chicken sandwiches, a strawberry shortcake, a Diet Pepsi and a Frozen Lemonade (I hope they don't mind me telling you this!) I finally got to meet Betty herself!
I guess the blue hair helps her to make so many delicious treats. Maybe when I'm older I'll be able to taste a few cookies for myself! I'm thinkin' chocolate chip may just be my all-time favorite.....or maybe Betty's famous ginger snap!

12 Weeks Old!

Max is 12 weeks old today, and he is doing so many new things!

• Max is a total stud when it comes to tummy time. He can prop himself up on his arms and hold his head up high. Sometimes he likes to just lay there on his face and put his fist in his mouth, but when he's feeling brave he can definitely prop himself up and look out at the world.




Max is drinking anywhere from 3.5 to 5 ounces at a time. He usually tops out at a total of around 27 ounces each day. We had to start thinking about buying bigger bottles, which makes me REALLY sad. He's too little for big bottles! Here's a comparison (yes, one has formula in it, and one just has water....it hasn't been mixed up yet...it's just for show)
Max loves to smile and laugh.....at us, at his toys, at the light coming through the window. He definitely recognizes us and responds when we talk to him. He babbles and makes lots of different noises. He giggles at us and has three hundred different types of smiles.

He gives the most beautiful "Good Morning" smiles when we come into his room as he wakes up each morning.....because yes,






He is sleeping in his big boy crib now! Max was getting too big for the Co-Sleeper....every night he would turn himself diagonally until he was touching either side of the darn thing. So we put him in his crib, and he happily streeeeetches out and gives a little wiggle, then settles in for a comfy sleep. He still does the 7-9 am shift in the swing in our room, but that's more for Mommy and Daddy's sake! We've been actually "putting him to bed" after his evening feeding (apparently babies are supposed to have their own bedtime...who knew?) and he's doing so well! Most of the time we rock him gently for just a few minutes and put him down in his crib. He talks to himself for a while, listens to his Sleep Sheep, and then drifts off. He still doesn't sleep through the night, because he's a hungry guy and can't seem to fill up his belly enough before bedtime, but...


He is sleeping for longer periods of time at night. He can usually go 4-5 hours each stretch, and surprised us once with 8 hours between feedings. It hasn't happened since, which is probably good because we were so scared that something was wrong with him that we woke him up.


Max's naps and daytime schedule are getting a little more predictable. He will usually take a 45 -90 minute nap after his first morning feeding (just long enough for Mommy to shower and get ready if she moves really fast). He usually goes about 3 hours between feedings during the day, and is getting better at afternoon naps (especially if he's in the car seat, stroller, or our arms).


Max's movements are becoming less reflexive and more purposeful. He is reaching toward toys, grabbing things, and putting them in his mouth. He's exploring the world with his tongue and likes to slobber on your shoulder when you hold him up. He'll taste burp rags, toys, your sweater....and will make a face to let you know if it was delicious or not. He will "hold" us when we pick him up, with an arm around our shoulder. Sometimes he will reach for our hand when we're next to him, or will put his hand on our arm to help push the bottle into his mouth when we're feeding him. Sometimes he even puts both hands on either side of the bottle, to "help" us!

Max totally knows what's going on around him. He stops crying when he sees his bottle. He wiggles and squirms when he's about to go onto the changing table. He arches his back and straightens his feet when he's headed for his car seat and he doesn't want to go in.


His favorite toys are his friends Turtle and Butterfly. He can inch toward them during tummy time if we let him push off on our hands. He loves looking at lights and shadows, and loves to watch Mommy and Daddy and track us as we walk in and out of rooms.

This little guy, our beautiful son, is truly the light of our lives. He is a joy to love, a bright spot of sunshine every minute of every day, and the ultimate blessing. He is so FUN, so alert and aware, so interactive, and so darn cute! We can't wait to see what all of his tomorrows will bring!

Gotcha!

Even the neighbors have their lights off and shades drawn this early in the morning. It's still dark out, and Max and I are sitting in the recliner in the nursery. He's snuggled against me drinking a bottle at 4:20 am. He drank the entire 4 ounces. Changed his diaper and turned off the light. Rocked him for a few minutes until his body went limp and his breathing slowed. Put him gently in his crib. It's pitch black, and I sit quietly in the recliner as he rustles around in his crib. I can hear his legs kicking against the sheet, and the sound of his arms stretching over his head. He makes a contented little groaning noise as he stretches, and then settles into peaceful quiet. The room is still. His breathing is soft and you can barely hear each breath. I sit in the recliner until I am sure that he is completely asleep, and then tiptoe over to the crib to check on him. The room is quiet, he is completely still, and I lean over him to look at his little face. His eyes are closed......and then all of a sudden...



HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!!



Max laughs out loud, opens his eyes, and gives me a chuckle! I jump back from the crib, heart pounding, not sure whether I should laugh or pee my pants. I'm so scared by the exorcist baby that is now in Max's crib, that I slowly walk back to the recliner and sit down. After listening to him breathe for a few minutes, I walk out of the nursery and back to the bedroom. Did I imagine this? Nope....it is 5 am, and my 3 month old baby just laughed his ass off at me!

Thumbs Suck!

There I was, changing Max's diaper....and I look up, and he's found his thumb! Not only that, but he has the cute "curl the fingers over the nose" pose!!

What The Cool Kids Wear

My Lovey

My Baubee bought me this great little lovey....it's so soft in the middle, and silky on the edges. Baubee says it'll help me to sleep better.....hmmmmm......ok!

I'm still so small that my lovey covers me like a blanket. But as I grow it will be the perfect size to hold on to and tuck under my head when I rest. Tonight I got to snuggle underneath it because I was NAKED (well....I had a diaper on) while Mommy was feeding me. My bottle leaked all over my jammies, so Mommy took them off and just tucked me under my lovey....ahhhh....snuggly!

Workin' Hard

Sometimes Daddy needs my help when he's on the computer. I'm pretty good at helping with spell check, but mostly I like to just surf the web. My favorite site? You mean other than my blog? Ummmm.....www.youngpunks.com

See ya later....I have to check my email!