Happy Easter!

This post is very late but since it was Max's first holiday, we thought it deserved a blog spot.

HeRoos quickly discovered that Mini Max is quite the chick magnet (especially when SheRoos was powdering her nose). Half the fans may have been Sister Missionaries at Temple Square but they were still pretty ladies admiring our little guy.

Easter Sunday was a special day. The weather was great and we enjoyed walking around the Salt Lake City Latter Day Saint Temple grounds. Listening to the message while admiring the statue of Christ was a good reminder of what the Easter holiday is all about. We are so thankful for the Savior and His death and resurrection.

Then we headed north for a delicious dinner at Grandpa Bob and Grandma Reta's house. After savoring a home made meal, HeRoos & SheRoos took a nap while the grandparents snuggled Max.

Max also experienced the commercial side of the holiday... Earlier that week, the Easter Bunny made an appearance at our neighborhood market and held baby Max. They were quite the site.

Happy Easter (a few weeks late)!

Alarm Clock...No Batteries Required

I know you're probably thinking that the title is referring to Mini Max. Believe it or not, I'm talking about my BRAIN. Let me explain. It's 4:30 AM. Max is asleep. He's stirring a little but he's probably dreaming about his next milk shake prepared by yours truly.

Last night I fed Max at 11:30 PM and I thought to myself, 'I hope he gets 5 hours of sleep. That means he'll wake up at 4:30 am so I better be prepared to wake up.' Then I drifted off to sleep (dreaming of a chocolate milk shake). So I'm losing out on some valuable sleep right now because I set my own alarm clock which I'll refer to as "Brain Clock."

Years ago, I either read about it or someone told me about it... right before you fall asleep if you put the time you want to wake up in your brain, visualize what the clock in your room will look like, and bounce your head against your pillow for every hour of that time, then you'll wake up a few minutes before the time you visualized. I know you think I may be a little crazy but it really works! Now, I'm not saying that I wake up happy when that time comes but I usually wake up, look at the clock (and it's within 10 minutes) and then I choose to either fall back asleep or get my tired self up.

When I was a missionary for the LDS church, I was always on the go with very little down time. I was sooooo extremely tired that sometimes I would fall asleep praying (and one time I was praying aloud)! I discovered power naps. During lunch time, I would take a nap. They started out about 40 minutes then I got down to TEN minute power naps without needing an alarm (or my companion) to wake me up. I used the Brain Clock.

I still use my Brain Clock without even realizing that I'm doing it. Before I go to bed, I think about what time it will be when I need to wake up (and I don't bounce my head on the pillow anymore BUT I really used to). I usually tend to ignore it and wait for the annoying beep on my cell phone to go off so I can push snooze. I must mention that I haven't found a snooze button on my Brain Clock yet.

I can't blame my cute baby for my lack of sleep tonight although, I will be grateful when he masters the Brain Clock and we set ours for the same time. Try it and tell me how it works! It does take a while for it to be effective so have a back up alarm that is powered by batteries.

Britt

Happy Birthday (a couple days late) to our cousin Brittney who brightens our days with her beautiful smile and friendly personality! We love YOU and so does baby Max.

Poopy

Max has a new nickname given to him by Christina..."Poopy." Christina flew in from Texas to meet him. While she was here, we were spoiled with meals being fixed, assistance folding laundry, and extra loving sent in Max's direction.

To show his appreciation, our little guy "mustered" out a gift that he created all on his own. I was accused of not putting his diaper on correctly but I think he was so grateful that he huffed and puffed extra hard until the diaper gave way. Fortunately, his generous gift was enjoyed enough that Christina didn't feel the need to take it home with her. After a load of laundry, a quick mopping of the floor, a bath, and a few pictures things were back to normal.

Can't you just see the appreciation in his facial expression?


I really don't think he has anything against the University of Texas.


Notice the floor.


Max hasn't discovered the joy in bathing yet.


All swaddled and ready for more cuddling with Christina.

1st Anniversary

On Sunday, April 13th, HeRoos and I celebrated our One Year Anniversary (along with our newest family addition). It was a nice relaxing day. We went to church and decided to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather. We loaded up the car with blankets, pillows, snacks, and diapers.

We love to drive around just for the fun of it and this time we ended up in Herriman (which I think is an absolutely adorable town). The weather was nice and we found a HUGE park. We were able to distance ourselves enough so I could feed the baby in privacy yet do a fair amount of people watching.

Who knew that by our first year anniversary we would have a one month old baby?! We may have missed out on a candle light dinner and a night out on the town but there are plenty more years for that.

Laughing Gas

Last Friday HeRoos went under the knife. Well, maybe it wasn't a BIG knife but he did earn a day of rest. His gums were receding (thankfully not his hairline) and he needed a gum graft. Our dentist who we (ok, just I) refer to as *Dr. McDreamy sent him to a periodontist for the procedure.

Max slept the entire hour as I made new friends in the waiting room and caught up on much needed magazine page turning time. After getting ideas to decorate our house, I was called into the room with HeRoos as he drowsily tried to awake from the anesthesia. We were given directions on how to care for his cut up mouth and then they gave us the bill.

No wonder they wait until the end when the patient is half drugged to present them with the bill. I also decided to take advantage of HeRoos' willingness to hand over the cash and talked to him all the way home about the "projects" I want to do in our house. He was very willing to listen and agree. I highly recommend laughing gas for your significant other if you want them to agree on important matters that they might otherwise find UNimportant.

Notice the chicken noodle soup on his chin. He had no idea it was there.

He woke up long enough to answer all the trivia questions on Ellen correctly (I didn't get one right and I wasn't on any medication but then again I'm very behind when it comes to celebrity news).

* When we were looking for an OBGYN, HeRoos gave me a list of doctors with names and numbers who took our insurance. He told me to start at the top and work my way down if needed. I discovered later why the order of the list mattered to him... the top of the list included all female doctors, then older male doctors, and then young male doctors at the very bottom of the list.

HeRoos didn't think about this strategy for dentists. He happily referred me to his dentist. Every time I go in for an appointment, I become tongue tied and feel my cheeks burning (I can assure you it's not from any laughing gas). I'm glad HeRoos is confident enough to know that Dr. McDreamy doesn't hold a candle to him.

Zombies Don't Blog

I was warned about the lack of sleep new parents experience BUT nothing could've prepared me for this. I LOVE sleep, I treasure zzzzz's, I look forward to a good night's rest and even a quality power nap. I'm an eight hour a night gal. To function at my best, my bedtime can be no later than 11:00 p.m. I haven't experienced any of the above since March 14th!

Yes, I'm still in my pajamas and it's 11:00 AM and I'll probably be in them until HeRoos calls and tells me he is on his way home from work (I'll jump in the shower, get dressed, and he'll think I've been ready all day). The days and nights blend together, my mind is foggy, and my speech is delayed. Is it possible for the brain to shrink from lack of sleep?

It's a good thing our "Mini Max" is so sweet. Even at 2 AM, all I have to do is look at his cute little face, take a deep breath, nibble his soft cheeks and I realize he is definitely worth it.