Happy birthday, Max!

Max is three years old today!  Between his party this past weekend and his birthday cupcakes at school yesterday, Max has been celebrating his birth for quite a few days, but today was finally the big day.  Mommy had prepared to fill Max's room with balloons during the night, but got nervous that his 'sleep-through-the-night' streak could end anyday.  Sadly she was right; not only did the General wake up, but he woke up a lot.  Mommy and daddy each spent three hours in his room co-sleeping/coaxing him back to sleep.  He said his feet hurt; growing pains?  Perhaps.  In light of all the commotion last night, Max slept past 7am today and the balloons were waiting outside his door.  He loved them, and he loved playing 'the balloon game' in his room.  His self-made game kept him occupied for a long time.  A huge perk of the game- Max got to hurl objects at mommy without hurting her.  

Third use for the 3rd birthday candle.  Max is looking so grown up today!  He found the cupcake in the refrigerator this morning and could not wait to eat it, but turns out a bag of M&Ms would have done the trick- that's the only part he ate.

Kira Eve's first Christmas Eve!

Birthday bagel

All Max wants for his birthday is "to get bigger so I can play with the boys", so although he still cannot reach the hoop, he went to daddy's practice.  Of course he had to change into shorts asap upon arrival.

Coaching (aka: following him around like glue) with daddy

Back into pjs for more of the balloon game.  Max changes his clothes at least a half dozen times a day.

Quality naps must be documented and greatly appreciated.  

Birthday dessert- yum!

Coaching in daddy's shoes, but not his shirt.  Obviously.

First Christmas as a family of four.  Max refused a picture in his nice clothes (or any actual clothes), but these pjs will make for some laughs in the future.

Santa's helpers

Last two as two

  When Max wakes up he will be three! And clean!

8 weeks old and oh so refreshed after a marathon nap

Swaddle miracle- Kira napped so well today!

"I like your pom pom, Mommy".  The sweetest boy also had kale in his teeth, and he did not have kale for breakfast.  But he ate kale, so it can stay in his teeth as long as it wants.

Favorite breakfast food of the moment- turkey bacon 

Morning selfie

5:30am ugly sweater party 

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Greatest gift under the tree this year. Also, the only thing under the tree.  

Kira's pants are an interesting combination- yoga on top, McHammer on the bottom, but comfy all over. She likes them and mommy would definitely wear them, too.

Speaking of pants, Max doesn't like them, doesn't want them, and won't wear them without a fight. Luckily that is ok in the pool.  He had fun swimming tonight at his favorite hangout- the hotel with Grandma and Pa.  There are two bathing suits in Max's swim bag (an avid swimmer such as Max always has a swim bag ready to go on the fly), crab suit and Hawaiian flower suit, and Max insists that he can only wear the flower suit in the hotel because Pa's suit has flowers, too.  The crab bathing suit is for swim lessons only.  Duh.

Birthday party dream come true

Max's party had two major celebrity appearances- Mr. Knick Knack and Santa.  After weeks of talking about Mr. Knick Knack and watching (and dancing along with) his videos on the ipad (which he sometimes calls "the patio") Max was elated to see him in person.  He did not take his eyes off him for one second;  he stared intently while he set-up, and mimicked his every move during the performance.  Lots of Max's friends had their guitars as well, so they all had a blast rocking right along with Mr. Knick Knack.

Santa (aka: Uncle Jordan) made his third annual appearance at Max's party, and for the third year, Max wanted nothing to do with him.  Cecelia knew it was Uncle Jordan, and she may or may not have told Max.  "I want Uncle to take his beard off,"  and "I can't see his shirt", Max complained, but Uncle or not, Max would not go near Santa.  He has been pretty adamant about not like Santa's beard for the past few weeks, but he is also very adamant that he wants Santa to bring him a bicycle. 

Max and his musical idol

Mr. Knick Knack tried to unite Max and Santa.  It did not work, but Max sure nailed Knick Knack's face in this photo.

Pa was the hero of the day and stayed home with Kira during the party.  She is feeling better, but needed to stay awake from kiddo germs.

Max simply could not squeeze his feet into his sneakers for one more second.  Good thing the mall has early morning holiday hours.  Max selected these blue shoes because, "they are my favorite ones," and we were out of their before 10am.  Max was five hours into his day by that point...

5am...again

Basketball and bath time

Kira finally got a girl towel, and it sure is soft and cozy!  An emergency bath tonight cleaned every inch of her, except that milky white tonge.  Emergency baths are becoming as common for Kira as way-before-the-crack-of-dawn wakes up are for Max.

Typical evening with the four of us in our roles, as defined by Max.

Daddy= coach 

Max= basketball player

Mommy= human bleachers

Kira= sisterly spectator 

Hanukkah with Pa 

"I'm tired," Max said at 9:30am.  He was not alone.  But for the first time in many months, Max took a weekend nap!  He fell asleep in Grandma and Pa's hotel room while watching opera on PBS.  His choice.

Early, early, early (5:00am) morning water coloring.  Max kept trying to drink the water.  

Freaky Friday night

Max was a real loony toon tonight.  We went to the nearby South Lakes basketball game, since daddy's game was so far away.  Of course Max asked, "Why is daddy's game so far away?". He demanded a short sleeve shirt (thank goodness for summer emergency clothes buried in the back of the trunk), yet complained, "it's freezing cold!".  He was disappointed about not having a ball to hold during the game.  Note to self: put an emergency basketball in the trunk.  He was happy about the National Anthem, although [during the live performance] he screamed, "I can't hear it!".

Kira is feeling so much better and was her usual cheerful self all day.

No shame, Max, changes in public and wears his mommy's scarf.  

Breathe easy

Kira was doing much better today, so she came home from the hospital and has been resting ever since.  She is breathing much better now and it is great to be home.

Happily sporting a hospital Santa cap..at home!

The nurses were so wonderful!!  They even brought an actual bed in the room for mommy to sleep in.  It was basically the Four Seasons over there. 

Night three of Hanukkah- a shaving kit from Aunt Arielle- a huge hit!  Max loves to shave with daddy....

...and likes to shave daddy

Happy in the hospital

Little Kira was still so congested today that her doctor sent her to the hospital to be monitored and receive breathing treatments.  She has been an outstanding patient, but it is not easy to nap in the hospital.  Tonight she is comfortably snuggled in her car seat, rather than behind the harsh metal bars of the hospital crib.  

Happily rocking the newborn cap in the ED (formerly known as the ER)

Max is happy at home, having daddy all to himself 

"Look at that, Mommy!"

He loves her...

He loves her not.

 

Max is a great big brother, and he loves Kira.  He will tell you so himself.  But he is also almost three (which people say is harder than two) and really missing that 5% of attention that 'low-maintance Kira' gets from her parents these days.  

Poor Kira is sick, and Max was so well-behaved when we took her to the doctor.  On the drive there Max said that Kira could have his dinasour so that she wouldn't cry.  So sweet.  He handed it to her a few times, only to reclaim it seconds later, screaming, "No that's mine!"  After the absurd two hours we spent there, Max earned himself a reward/present for his outstanding behavior, as well as the first night of Hanukkah.  When he unwrapped the "little guitar" that "Florida Grandma" sent, he was elated.   He played a few songs, imitated Miss Nell's Tot Shabbat routine, and danced.  Then he took a swing.  At Kira's congested little head.  Now she has a battle scar on her bald, seven-week old head, and Max is down a guitar.  

Kira's first night of her first Hanukkah.  Max really, really, really wanted to blow out the candles.  

Max got a guitar and Kira got a concert 

We had already been at the doctor's office for an hour before the strip show ensued.  Not too bad.  

Model patient 

Morning Knick-Knack sing along 

Planks

Loving playtime on her quilt from Norma.

Kira had plenty of engery this afternoon so she got her workout on with some planks.  Wiped out from the exercise, and lack of necessary newborn sleep, she snoozed from the time Max came home from school until he went to bed.  Good timing/bad timing.  Between Max's coughing and Kira's late awakening from a marathon nap, tonight should be a party.  

Max is sick [again] [shocker] so we stopped to get some orange juice on the way home.  Clearly this 'apple a day' business is not effective, but Max still requested a green one and dug in with both dimples in full force.

This pre-dinner ice pop allegedly has a half serving of vegetables.  

"Mommy, I want to play Santa Clause," Max said in the bath.  Funny that he wants to replicate the part of Santa that he does not like.  He also said that he does not want Santa to wave at him anymore.  Last we saw Santa, he was merely being polite by waving to a boy who stared at him for close to 30 minutes from afar.