Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Poor Max.  I'm late to the game blogging about his birthday...  But, he's probably a bit thankful about that this year, because I've been teasing him relentlessly about getting older....and becoming an old fart.

I jokingly told him that I was going to get him (in no particular order):

- WD-40 to fix the squeak in his walker

- a fold up seat for the shower,

or

- bifocals.

I figured I'd save the scooter for next year... :)

Here's how we celebrated his birthday:

Trash to Treasure

Ok, so it wasn't really 'trash' to begin with, but our latest project turned a FREE king-sized headboard that totally DIDN'T match our bedroom furniture to a treasure that we are pretty darn excited and proud about!  Check it out!

The headboard came free courtesy of my friend's parents.  We had just upgraded to a king sized bed from our queen (oh the angels are singing), but didn't want to shell out the money for a headboard.  So, we suffered with pillows sliding off the head of the bed each night.  So, when they offered us the headboard for FREE, we of course jumped on the chance...nevermind the fact that it didn't match!

The headboard was in good condition -- only problem was the honey pine color.  The rest of our bedroom set is a walnut color.  So, the first step was to sand down the entire headboard (knobby posts and all) and get down to the bare wood.  Max worked really hard getting this part done -- it was quite a chore because the stain and polyurethane gunked up the sand paper pretty quickly. 

Next step was to restain the entire headboard walnut to match the rest of our furniture.  Luckily, with nice weather this past weekend, it dried pretty quickly.

See the four inset squares in the headboard?  We had an idea to transform that part too.

Fabric squares!  Max cut four squares to fit the holes and then I searched out upholestry fabric and used padding to make four padded fabric squares.

Looks pretty nice here in the garage....but what about the bedroom?

Here is our bedroom pre-headboard.  Lucky you, you get to visit our bedroom on a day the bed is actually made!  :)

And here it is WITH the new headboard!  Pretty schnazzy, eh?  We are totally in LOVE with it!  Can you believe it's the same headboard we started with?  This one:

Yeah, I like the new one better too!

I definitely won't miss our pillows falling off the bed every night.  But, I WILL miss little Max peering over the head of the bed every morning on the weekend, telling me that "ABCD fell down!!"  I have no idea when the first four letters of the alphabet fell down under the head of our bed, but they have consistently been there for the past few months....  :)

Oh yeah, and the best part is that if we ever change our bedding or the colors of our bedroom, I can just exchange out the fabric in those four inset squares to match!  I'm not allowed to change the stain or color if we get a new bedroom set, however.  Big Max has already warned me that will not go over so well....

BABIES!!!

This movie looks too cool not to share....check it out!! 

There is a trailer at the end of this post -- maybe it is just the pregnancy hormones in me, but I got a little teary eyed watching it...

and to think, I'll have my
own
new
little
squishy

when this movie comes out!!

The adventure of a lifetime begins…

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Thomas Balmès, from an original idea by producer Alain Chabat, Babies simultaneously follows four babies around the world – from birth to first steps. The children are, respectively, in order of on-screen introduction: Ponijao, who lives with her family near Opuwo, Namibia; Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie, who resides with her family in the United States, in San Francisco.

Re-defining the nonfiction art form, Babies joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.

A Focus Features presentation of a Chez Wam/StudioCanal co-production with the participation of Canal +. Babies. Executive Producers, TBC Productions, Chez Wam. Original Idea, Alain Chabat. Adapted by Thomas Balmès. Edited by Craig McKay, A.C.E., Reynald Bertrand. Produced by Alain Chabat, Amandine Billot, Christine Rouxel. Music by Bruno Coulais. Directed by Thomas Balmès. A Focus Features Release.

In theatres Mother's Day Weekend, May 7th.

Maternity Photo Shoot -- McDuex

One of the things with having two kids, is coming to the realization (or at least admitting) that there were lots of *firsts* with the first that may never happen with the second.

I mean, we literally took THOUSANDS of pictures of lil Max (and that was just in his first 3 months, LOL!). I worry (admit) that this probably will not be the case with McDuex.

So, I tried to make a few amends, and try to do a few things I DIDN'T do with lil Max.

A maternity photo shoot was one of those. First off, I ADORE being pregnant. So far, these two pregnancies have been pretty easy peasy. No complications, not a lot of weight gain (I just hit 20 lbs with McDuex this week), and really, not a lot to complain about. Of course, if I think about complaining, I just think about all those people less fortunate than I that have REAL things to complain about...and then I shut my mouth :). But seriously. Acid reflux and occassional lower back pain don't qualify as real complaints...I AM pregnant, after all.....

So, it just made sense that since I didn't document my first pregnancy with lil Max in photos, that I would do it this go around. Another big influence on this decision also should be mentioned -- so many of the girlfriends I made from my November mommies board are photographers or aspiring photographers, and I realize JUST HOW MANY MOMENTS I missed.

Shannon Wucherer Photography took lil Max's one year pics in November 2008.  I thought she did a really great job...so it just made sense to ask her to do maternity shots for McDuex.  She just did the photoshoot on Saturday, and ALREADY she's posted a sneak peek on her blog...

Check it out!!!

http://swuchererphotography.blogspot.com/2010/03/mcdeux.html

Spring...has it really Sprung?

It's that time of year again.  Warm enough to go outside and muddy enough for mom to cringe at the dog and child who insist on finding every single mud puddle.  But really, that's ok.

For the last few weeks I've been at my wits end...going stir crazy...waiting for SOMETHING to come along where we can channel some of this seemingly endless energy...

Finally...it has come!  Spring is HERE!

We have and always will be an outdoorsy family.  Any time we can spend outside, we are THERE.  Over the last week, with the weather in the upper 50s and 60s, we've spent most every day after work/school outside...playing, walking, learning, LIVING.

Lil Max has become quite the expert on blowing his own bubbles, and wants to carry his bubbles with him everywhere we go.  He also likes to yell out to walkers that pass by the house that he is "blowing bubbles!" and of course saying "HI!".   I find it quite humorous that the warm and LOUD greeting from my son startles some of these walkers....most of them are gracious enough to wave back and say hello in return.  I always wonder about the ones that don't...and aren't wearing headphones...who denies a 2 year old a brief hello?  What important things do you have going on in your life that you can't take 15 seconds to say hello in return?  What happened to being friendly?

In addition to blowing bubbles, we've collected pinecones and other treasures around the yard, we've looked at the promise of new life in the form of buds on the trees and plants sprouting from the ground, we've watched and listened to the birds flying overhead and flitting about in the trees, we've chased a few squirrels, we've hidden under some great big pine trees (a favorite activity of late), and we've talked about what we're going to plant in the garden.  I love this little life, and I love the passion my kid has for the outdoors.  I can't wait until it is a little bit warmer (and a little less wet) so we can pitch our brand new 4-person tent and stage a campout in the backyard!  Lil Max will be SO excited!!

And now, the forecast for this weekend has predictions of snow....I predict nothing will accumulate, but it serves as a gentle reminder that here in the Midwest, spring is a relative thing.  We get it for a day or two, and then it gets taken away.  Before we know it, we'll be in the sweltering heat of summer, and spring will just be a snippet of our imaginations.  That's ok.  Summer is pretty cool too.

Oh yeah, and just to make this post somewhat of a Friday's flashback....let's look back to a year ago, and Lil Max's reactions to bubbles.....♥♥♥

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Big Boy Bed

We transitioned Max from his toddler bed to a big boy bed last weekend.  He was very excited about dis-assembling his crib (to move it to baby brother's room) and then assembling his new bed.  He is also very excited that he can climb in and out of it freely.  LOL.

Luckily, with DST time change, we haven't had to deal with any early wake ups or surprise visits in our bedroom.  We've even been kinda lax about putting the gate up in his doorway.

His bedroom is going through a re-arranging process while many of the pieces of furniture in his room are moving into the new nursery.  Luckily, he is a good sharer, and he doesn't mind us moving it.  So far, we've moved the crib and the glider into the nursery. The last piece to move will be the dresser/changing table.  We'll have to get a new dresser to replace the one we're moving -- but that won't be a big deal. 

Max is very excited about getting a 'big boy' room.  We're super excited that he's taking it as well as he is!!  Just goes to show that these kids are much more resilient and versatile than we often give them credit for.  I know for me, personally, I worry too much about how he's going to react to something -- because there is often little to no reaction to it!  Instead, he chooses to react to something that I would never in a million years have guessed would be an issue!  I guess this is just a life lesson I'll be learning for years to come...

 Once the rest of the room is finished, we'll snap more pics so you can have more of a 360 view.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Oh my goodness.  He is really too cute for words.  I think I've watched this video upwords of twenty times already, and I still don't tire of it.  Enjoy it for yourself!!

33 weeks!

33 weeks ALREADY!  Yikes!!!

Man, time really flies...especially when you are busy chasing a 28 month old around!!  We aren't nearly as ready for the arrival of McDuex as we were at this time with lil Max...but I have a feeling once my nesting kicks in I'll catch up pretty quickly.

At least this week we got the walls in the nursery washed and primed (and hopefully painted by tomorrow).  That has been weighing heavily on my mind...

Lil Max is still pretty excited about 'baby brother'...so that's a good thing!  :)