a photo post! With Halloween photos too.

This is mostly just a photo post with some captions of what things are. Enjoy! Happy Halloween!

This is a photo of Max in his baseball shirt-bib. He has this one and a Halloween one from his Granny and Grandpa Fred. Usually, this is what he wears for his morning milk and for snacktime. (and especially if he's going to drink anything in the car!)

This is Ash in his pumpkin bib! (and Amanda those pants should look familiar! You will probably recognize most of the clothes Ash is in - we just love the baby clothes! thank you :-)

This is Ash studying his clown toy and Max coming over to "help out" and show him what the toy does. (at least that's the way we like to think of it)

Max and Ash (sort of) playing together with the Einstein saucer.

Ash gets a kiss from Max.

Max is Superman for Halloween! (we were originally planning to go as Handy Manny, but it did not work out that way) This was taken of him in the costume parade at the church Halloween party today. 10/31. (that's me in the black scarecrow shirt there!) His costume was a big hit in the neighborhood!

Mom and Max at the church Halloween party!

Max and Ash at the party. (there was sort of a kids game room - that's where this was taken)

Ash's Halloween costume! He got this (also from his granny and grandpa Fred!) for Halloween and we just thought it was cute enough for a costume. On the shirt there it says "Daddy's Little Vampire" and there are "vampires/bats) on the feet and there is a little rattle wrist toy.

Dad and the boys. Greg was wearing an orange and black shirt - you just can't see it in this photo.

Here's the shirt! See? He and Ash match. :-)

Ok, so now I'm reading books.

Books on parenting, I mean. Right now I'm reading The Mother's Almanac by Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons (1975). We got it from Mom H. and we're supposed to lend it to Jeff when he gets that far along with things, but we may have to find him a second copy on e-bay or find me a second copy on e-bay if we're still using it 'cause I'm not giving mine up without something to replace it with. I started looking up one or two things in it and have ended up reading through several chapters this evening and I've decided to just go back and start at the beginning. Now - some of the things are not relevant because of the times (car seats are positively mandatory now, etc and they recommend that you put a baby on their stomach to sleep while these days everyone is so paranoid about SIDS that babies never ever sleep on their stomachs etc) and there are a lot of things that they suggest in the book that we were told NO WAY in our baby class that we took - but it has so much common sense..... and it makes so much sense - and a lot of it is the way that we were raised - so I think I'm going to read through and just revise where ever may be necessary (like the car seats). Other things - in my opinion - are very child specific. Blankets for example - I have big, tall strong boys - unless there was a heavy feather comforter on them or something they have always always been able to get out from under a blanket in the crib with them - so we have always had a blanket in the cribs. Max actually knocked over two diaper boxes from his crib today, so no, I don't think a silly blanket is going to get in his way. (I remember the first time a friend of mine came over to see Max when he was tiny - she actually gasped when she noticed his baby blanket in his crib and she said that her nephews were 5 or so before her sister allowed them to have blankets in their beds. Well, you know what - its cold in that room in our apartment for some reason, and Max was a baby and we couldn't put him in anything fleecy to keep him warm because he'd sweat to death so a blanket was our best option, and he has always been able to kick it around if it bothered him. (and of course we don't but anything big or bulky in there) And if you think that Ash can't get himself out from under a blanket if he's hot you've got another thing coming! He'd very likely kick the blanket out of the crib altogether, or at least shove it tightly in a corner with his feet. I just think things like that need to be baby-specific. Anyway - I digress. My point is that it is an awesome book and I highly recommend it! We're reading up on house eating "rules" for toddlers and discipline.

We have begun to realize (its rather hard not to) that our little Max is not so "little" anymore and although he still can't talk conversationally - much of that depends on whether he wants to or not, he understands and behaves just as if he IS talking conversationally. I'm not sure if that makes sense - but he does. In any case - we have a pretty set schedule daily, but we are going to have to add some things, and make some changes I think. Sooner rather than later. (we're starting with brushing our teeth twice a day now instead of just before bedtime and we're working on teaching him to dress himself and to put away his pajamas in the AM and put away his clothes in the PM and his toys before he heads to bed. He already is very good at putting all of his bath toys away when getting out of the bath and even goes so far as to help pull up the bath mat and drain the water! Sometimes though he likes to pull the toys out after he has put them away - we're working on that one.) So, we're adding more and more things as we go.....

I watch those "emergency nanny" reality shows on tv on occasion, you know, where the family has the kids who "talk back" and run wild all over the house/neighborhood and the parents say there's nothing they can do. And then the nanny comes in and within a week everyone is mostly behaving reasonably for their age. Anyway - one thing that ALL of them do - is to tell the PARENTS to stop trying to argue with their children. This is not easy - but it does make sense. I actually got into an argument with a 2-year old today and I can tell you, after it happened I thought I was nuts. Most of the time - I don't do that. I'm very good at keeping my head and whatever mantra it is that I'm meditating on at the moment such as: "I'm 33, you're 2 - scream all you want to - you still have to brush your teeth - every day - twice a day (now), no exceptions." Really I am - but today. Today we have discovered shrieking. Yes. This is extraordinary fun. And it hurts mommy's 33 year-old ears badly. (I don't hear well, but also my ears are very sensitive to some sounds and it actually causes pain.) So - today I said "Max!" in my "I'm the mommy - very stern - you had better stop it before you get in trouble - voice, about 2 or 3 times before I said "stop it!". Then what I heard was a shrieking "stop it, stop it, stop it!!" about several dozen times before I absolutely lost my "I'm the mommy voice" and started arguing with my 2-year old (who if you remember, doesn't really talk). All of my sanity points are in a row now! So, after disciplining Max for being obnoxious and explaining that we don't shriek like that indoors and especially when mommy has asked you to stop - and after many tears etc and sending Max off to bed, (he didn't get his stories tonight because he misbehaved) I went and had a good cry myself. I know he has to learn all of this stuff, but it does upset me to have to discipline him when I see him for so little of the day anyway (about an hour in the morning and for several hours at night)*. (although I felt much better after I read about the woman that sprayed her toddler's head with whipped cream, after he sprayed whipped cream all over the couch! See!? She was crazy too! I don't see how you can help but be sort of bananas with a toddler.) Anyway - having a toddler really changes the way we behave just in general I think. We all brush our teeth at the same time now, wash our faces, bath time, washing hands before meals etc - well, not all at the same time exactly, but you know - all within the same routine. We have breakfast (most of the time) together and dinner together - and nearly all of this is for one reason or another to teach the boys: hygiene, manners, eating habits, bed time, good/healthy habits, self-preservation and we're beginning potty training (slowly - just starting the intro parts really). Nearly everything has to be done by example though! So all of the "stuff" that Greg and I may have sort of slacked on for several (many) years because you can do that sort of thing when you go off to college/move out etc..... we're having to pull everything together and cross all of our Ts and dot all of our Is and remember all of the little things that you tend to forget when you start having pizza for breakfast maybe twice a week. (like washing your hands before all meals) We've even started planning our meals 2 weeks at a time! So we have a "leftover night" and a "breakfast for dinner night" and a "eat out" night and a "box night - ie. prepared meals" mixed in with our normal dinners. Tonight was Olive Chicken breasts and corn that Greg made and peach cobbler (from a friend)! Very delish! (Greg has been experimenting with Greek recipes lately - makes an outstanding Balsamic chicken dish that I could eat several times a week, but I don't think comes up in the rotation until next Thursday). I don't eat olives by themselves, but I do enjoy the flavor!



* Today was an exception because I took a half day to stay home with the boys so that Greg could get some sleep because he has been working a couple of overnight shifts.

Well, my stars - I believe that Ash is now beginning to fall asleep on his own! Woo-hoo! Greg has been putting him down for his naps while he is awake - just wraps him up and puts him in his bed, but somehow this has not been working out well for me in the evenings. But - tonight it seems (so far) to have worked! Yayness! ::::cheers:::: Honestly, the little pot is just getting a bit too heavy to rock/bounce to sleep all the time. (I call him a "pot" because he's so very very sweet - he's like a little honeypot.) He is outgrowing his 3-6 month clothes and will (this week - and most likely I'll switch his clothes over tomorrow) start wearing his 6 month clothes. This is good actually because we have quite a bit of 6 month winterwear from Parker. Thanks Amanda!

We've had such rainy/cold weather lately that we haven't been outside as much as we would like. We did make it to the park on Friday (10/24) though for a while - and I tell you Max just does not even *feel* the cold! I do though! We stopped on the way and I got a coffee and he got a kids' hot vanilla cream and a banana from Starbucks. Dad and Ash stayed home this time. Max has a plaid fleecy coat that should be fine for right now, but we're getting him a snowsuit (snow pants and a big puff coat) in the next couple of weeks. We had our first snowfall today. We also have rearranged our apartment a bit so that there is really kind of a lot of living room space to play in. We have moved the "saucer" (re: baby einstein play saucer) over by our desk area so that we can put Ash in there and he can jump up and down and use those big leg muscles he has. Max still plays with the toys all around it, and occasionally we still put him in the center seat (only when he asks). My mom (Grandma Knights) got Max some new coloring books for his "magic" markers (they don't mark on anything except a certain kind of paper), and some crayon holders for toddlers so that he can hold and draw with his crayons without always breaking them. He LOVES those!! And we only buy the washable crayons now that we know better - so he's been drawing lots and lots and he really enjoys that.

Ash has really become a giggle-box over the weekend and will actually get to laughing if you play with him enough. He's got such a good nature - very easy going and happy. Occasionally though he does grab onto my hair and just will not let go for anything!! It is causing me to think I might go bald. I got a cute picture or two of the boys together yesterday - I will have to see if I can put that on here.

We've gotten our Peapod delivery for this week. (online grocery store) It is positively the best thing since sliced bread. It saves us from having to schedule in grocery shopping or figure out how to get some/all of us there and then back again with groceries, and it saves us a stop during our weekend errands!

Greg is working a couple of "overnight" shifts this week, so I am taking a 1/2 day tomorrow to give him a chance to get some sleep. I guess that's about it - no big news - just little things.

Before I forget!

This is actually from last Wednesday - 10/22.

We were in the car - on the way to work and Greg and I were chatting and we heard this little giggling in the back seat and we stopped talking and (tried to) turned around to see Max and Ash both back there giggling about something. They were probably playing a bit. Max has taken to holding Ash's hand (calls him the "Bebe") in the car or trying to take away/put back Ash's pacifier. We're not sure what they were doing, but they were both giggling back there - and it was so cute!!!

Max's birthday update

So - here's a little update on Max's birthday. If you read back (oh, come on, you're curious...), you know that we had his birthday party early (with cake and all his presents etc) so that he could celebrate with some family - our cousins Mary and Larry Ritter and my dad and Lois (stepmom). So - on Monday the 20th, his actual birthday, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him the very first thing in the morning (he so loved that and was grinning ear to ear), had a Max-friendly (mostly finger foods) dinner and gave him his big present! He loved it! Its a busy bee band! Its a big drum with several musical instruments in it: a xylophone, tamberine, shakers, and drum sticks for the drum. We had planned a park excursion, but it has been so rainy, we didn't make it. We did go the next day though - so maybe that counts. :-) Anyway - also, his grandpa Hardin called to wish him a happy birthday, uncle Jeff, and nanny Drea. Also - Drea sent Max a birthday card (she's on tour right now with her theatre) and a pack of Winnie-the-Pooh Halloween stickers for his birthday.

*Drea also sent Ash a Halloween card, so that he wouldn't feel left out. LOL! We put the boys' cards up on their closet (its metal - so its great for magnets!) so they can enjoy them all year and I switch them out seasonally.

Hard day here in the Hardin Household.

We are a grouchy bunch of Hardins today!! Grrr!

Work is just CRAZY. We are insanely understaffed. (and there's a hiring freeze for most positions) TONS of stuff is so far behind and NO ONE has any time to look at it so we're just completely "letting it go" - eventually EVENTUALLY, this really will affect the business. There was a reason someone was running around doing all that stuff. It's because it was NECESSARY to the success of the business! Anyway. We took Tot to get his Halloween costume today and I swear there was just nothing left. We ended up with a Handy Manny costume that's a wee bit big. I'm going to hem it up (now that I have a fancy-dancy sewing machine and all!) and it should be fine, maybe even better since he'll have some room underneath for a long sleeve shirt. He has a Halloween parade at my office on Friday. (re: everyone brings their kids and the kids "trick-or-treat" at everyone's office and they have a little snack party afterwards) Truthfully, I'm not a fan of those type of things, but living here in the big scary city, we're NOT going trick-or-treating, so we have to find other Halloween-type celebrations. We have found 2 for this year and I think that is plenty for a 2 year old and a 3 month old. The first is the aforementioned parade, the second is the Halloween party at our church. Anyway - I have been an absolute "butterfingers" lately. I spilled a GIANT cup of coffee all over my desk and keyboard and floor about 30 seconds before I was supposed to log into a webinar. NICE. I spent the webinar on my speakerphone while watching from the floor and cleaning up coffee. O.o I'm an excellent employee. :::headdesk::::: Next I spilled a giant thing of coffee grounds all over our dishwasher. Not sure what was up with that except that I couldn't seem to hang on to it for some reason. And - without my bus card (I lost mine and have ordered a new one, but it takes about a week to get here), G has been on taxi duty and I can tell you with 2 kids that's no picnic. Luckily we're working in some errands so that its not a complete waste of gas. Anyway - you see why we've been a bit grouchy today. Also, my mouse died. :-(

Probably at least twice in the last week we (G or I) have turned around to see Max and shrieked and stripped the poor child and nearly tossed him in the bathtub due to yogurt, red sauce, cat litter or a damaged diaper. I tell you what, we are exhausted!!! On the upside he can really talk pretty good when he wants to....... and he understands you, even when he doesn't use words. He's getting to be a pretty good helper with cleaning up things. (put his books up all by himself the other day without me even asking!!) Also, he's getting better at singing "head, shoulders, knees and toes" and he grabbed my hands this afternoon and gave them lots of Max kisses (maybe he thought my hands were sad?) and we did a fun little version of "ring around the rosey".

Ash can now play some very simple little games - loves Peek-A-Boo and gets a big thrill lately out of his rattles, bell toys etc. He's pushing up so very good on his legs that I think we're going to start putting him in the Einstein saucer just to let him really get some good leg exercise going. He's a strong little fella! Always has been actually! You always know when you're in his line of sight because he smiles very very big and then starts waving his arms and legs all about! He's going to be a great big smiley face just like Max, I can tell!

He got it!!!

Ash booked the Huggies ad!!!!! Originally, he just booked the photo shoot - which puts him sort of "in line" with other babies for upcoming ads and then he may or may not ever be chosen for an ad spot. He was!!! We're super excited!!! The ad comes out in April and we don't know whether its a print ad or a diaper box or what sort of medium. As soon as we find out, we'll post! We had sort of forgotten about this - or just assumed that he hadn't been chosen for anything since we haven't heard from the agency about this for a couple of months. I think I'm still stunned! This is pretty huge!!!!

Photo Shoot

Today was the boys' photo shoot in the park. (the "big" park across the street and right by Lake Michigan) After naps and lunch we got the boys ready to meet the photographer out in the park. We brought 4 outfits for them to change into. (They only used 2 - but we should have brought several more. We're getting better at this, but we're still learning.) It was cool outside, but very sunny. (In the low 60s today) So, great weather for being outside. She mostly got shots of Max because Ash was not in a very good mood. (actually, he was quite giggly until we got there) Anyway, Max was a bit hard to pin down because we were outside where he could run around, but she got some great shots of him (from what we could see - we should see the digital photos on the site this week). She did manage to get a few good ones of Ash - but not very many - and none of the boys together like we had hoped. They are just too small to sit together - maybe when they are a touch older. Today was a "test shoot" for the photographer's website. We stopped by the store on the way home.

Max loves his Handy Manny doll right now and his "talking" tool set. He actually said "Manny" today for the first time!

Before we went to the shoot, Ash was very very giggly. He has a great laugh! Also, for the few minutes before he got grouchy (I think he was hungry), he did a lovely job of holding his head and shoulders up while he was laying on his tummy (she was shooting him while he was on his stomach).

Today was another rainy sort of day so we didn't make it to the park this afternoon. I still need to call our Alderman about the lights in the park - they're on timers - but they're backwards! They come on during the day and go off at night and it starts getting dark here at 6pm and that really is just too early for working parents who want to take their kids to the park! We need the lights! Anyway... I digress.

Max is getting very good at referring to Ash as "Bebe". He is able (with a little bit of work) to get Ash's bottle in his mouth, but then is always so excited he yanks it out and screams with excitement. He loves his shovels and bucket so much right now that we let him "scoop" things all over the apartment. A friend of ours suggested a large plastic bin (like a storage bin) with sand in it for him to play with so we may do that. They have the bins with wheels on them at the Container Store and we could take it down to the deck for the boys to play with and it wouldn't be quite such a project to try to get them to the park every single day. Apparently this sort of thing is really popular with city kids here. We have also started letting him have "art time" with finger paints (washable) on his big plastic mat at home, and we just put him right in the tub afterwards.

Ash is SO very expressive with his face and eyes. Its so fun to play little games with him now and every time I get in his line of vision there is a very big smile! It just really melts my heart.

The boys have a photo shoot together on Saturday. This will be their first one together! It is for the photographer's website, so we should get a cd of the photos!

Dinner was baked chicken stuffed with spinach and baked sweet potatoes! YUM! Max loved the baked sweet potatoes, so we're going to make a note of that. We literally have a list going of the vegetables that he likes. LOL!

We took Max to see Dr. Cahan today. (his pediatrician) I met Greg and the boys at the doctor's office. He has had a stomach virus since Saturday resulting in very rashy diapers etc. We're supposed to put him on probiotics and try to feed him more grains and bananas (breads, rice, grits etc) for about a week. Max got a Mickey Halloween sticker on the way out. Afterwards we went to the Sak's food court for lunch and then I went back to work.

Random info: We had tomato beans and rice for dinner with homemade macaroni and cheese (Greg's uncle's recipe). These are two of Max's favorite dishes. Ash was "the most awake baby ever" this evening and so didn't go to sleep until about 10pm. He is getting so good with his kicking and pushing up with his legs during his tummy time. He also makes regular cooing sounds when you talk to him. He apparently has a lot to say!

Max and Ash played on the floor together for really the first time today. They were very very cute and everyone was giggly. Max is very sweet and affectionate with Ash - so we feel very lucky in that respect. I think they are going to be great friends!

After work today and a quick dinner (balsamic chicken and broccoli with cheese! YuM!) we all went to Sam's to pick up diapers/wipes etc and coffee (Hawaiian!) and a few other odds and ends. Gas has gone down to about $3.52/gal now! Woo!!! (isn't that sad. LOL!)

Ash's first giggle

Today was the first time that I heard Ash giggle. We were playing peek-a-boo. A very fun and exciting game for him! So very shocking when you get to the "boo" part!

Back at work

Max:

Well today was my 2nd day back to work after maternity leave and it is so much harder this time! I think because there are two and even when I come home my time is split and I just want to spend so much more time with the boys. Greg and I have both shifted our schedules some so that we no longer need a nanny during the day at all! We decided that that was the best thing so that one of us would be spending time at home with the boys and we would also save money. After work today I took the bus home (Greg has started making dinner again in the evenings so that its ready when I get home), we both grabbed a piece of pizza to eat on the run and we packed up the boys and rushed out to the park. Max got to play for about 40-45 minutes before it was just too dark. It is getting dark so early these days!! (starting at close to 6pm!) It feels like I’m racing the sun home while I’m on the bus so that we can get out the door and do something in the evening. As usual, Max raced straight to the sandbox and had a ball playing with the buckets and shovels. He can say “bu-it” now for “bucket” and he has started calling Ash “bebe”. When we got home, he had dinner – his pasta pick-ups and fruit and a yogurt and then had a bath. We read two stories: Dora’s Spooky Halloween and My Nose My Toes and Me before Max’s “big mommy hug” and then to bed. Greg and I then stayed up far far past midnight making sure that laundry got done and the dishes got done/put away etc and ready for tomorrow. Oddly, this was the most convenient day for us to do laundry. Ash’s seat cover just had to be washed (um, again) and the changing cover and all of Max’s jeans etc. He has quite a few pair of jeans, but with us having all the fall weather, he wears them almost every day and so really goes through them.

Ash:
Ash just keeps getting bigger every day. Today he had a little trouble falling asleep so I tried to cuddle and rock him until he got the “very sleepy eyes” and then I put him in his crib. I try to spend as much time as possible holding him and playing with him in the evenings when I get home from work. I really miss him during the day, but I have photos of him (both the boys) by my desk and I’m really glad that Greg is home with them. I call Ash my little monkey because he grabs onto me and doesn’t want to let go!! He’s got this super super strength grip so there is no way he’s going anywhere without me!

Max has decided that screaming is his general form of communication lately. Its hard on the ears. I think he just understands a LOT but can’t communicate verbally well enough to tell us much and it is making him crazy so he gets frustrated and cries. Not really “tears” crying – more of just a “release” type. Today we went to Target to pick up a few things: wipes, diaper cream, cat food, and then came back and went out again to the park for about 30 minutes. (couldn’t stay too long today because it was getting really dark) We stopped at the store on the way home and picked up a toddler meal for Max, he really likes those and when I’m with the boys by myself its easiest for me not to have to cook too much. After dinner Max had a bath (he loves baths) and we read stories and he went to bed. I’ve started reading stories to Max and Ash together – they both seem to enjoy it. We read The Monster At the End of This Book and the Baby Einstein See and Spy Shapes.

October 2nd - Mary and Larry's House

Max really enjoyed playing with his new toys today and running around outside in the yard. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel for dinner on the way home. He had chicken and dumplings and apple cider. Yum! He really enjoyed it. I think he was super happy to be back home in his own bed tonight though.

Mary and Larry's House - Max's Party

10/1

Ash:
We went to stay with our cousins, Mary and Larry Ritter, overnight and to visit with my dad and Lois. Everyone enjoyed holding Ash and he had a fun new baby chair to sit in for a couple of days – he loved looking at the cow, sheep and pig toys on it. Cousin Mary fed Ash his dinnertime bottle and he loved cooing and talking to her – he really responded to her voice and kicked happily and played with her for most of the evening. During the afternoons he took naps on his elephant pillow that we brought with us.

Both: I love LOVE putting the kids to bed. And later checking in on them and watching them sleep. They're so sweet - they're like living sweetness! (and the way Max puts food in his hair he's likely to turn into something sweet!)

Max:

When we arrived at Mary and Larry's we had lunch, and Max played and enjoyed all the stairs to climb on and he loved running around the house. He actually went and rolled around in the fields outside for a while. Max rode around the farm in a tractor two different times!! He LOVED it!! That evening we had a birthday party for Max’s 2nd birthday and there were so many presents it was like Christmas! Of course, and Max is so good this way, after opening one gift (a fire truck flashlight from Grandma Grace), he was super happy and wanted to run around and play with his new toy. We practically had to make him sit still enough to open everyone else’s gifts. He got a Handy Manny talking tool set and books from Grandpa and Gammy, a pirate “little people” set – from Ash, and a plane “little people” set and a potty training book from us. He got a Blue Angels jet and two airplane t-shirts (one of them lights up!!) from Granny and Grandpa Hardin. There was a very brightly colored chocolate cake with chocolate icing and a candle in the shape of a #2.