The Nelson Family: October 2011

Hello, October! Here’s a look at our lives this month… October 1 - The Gateway I woke up during the night to hear Ryan laughing in his sleep… It was hilarious! I love when he laughs! But I thought he was insane until I realized he was asleep! We continued with our "staycation" today. But first, Ryan and I both wanted to get our hair cut. I didn't even know I had this much hair, but I chopped off eight inches!!

Anyway, after we did that, we went to find something fun to do... Can you tell where we're going?

That's right--we went to The Gateway! We thought it would be fun for Max to check out the fountain. :-) The cookie Ryan decided to try from Kodiak Cakes... It's a chocolate chunk cookie with maple frosting and bacon on top. Ryan said, "But it's so much more!" I refused to try it.

Max enjoying his cookie!

Clark Planetarium!

Max had a blast running around on the moon and on Mars!

This was his favorite thing at the planetarium! Silly boy.

I think if we'd let him out of the stroller, he would have hidden behind the clothes!

Max was VERY excited about the fountain!

Playing in the water with Dad!

Playing in the mist!

Mommy didn't keep him so dry...

Poor goober... Momma got him soaked!

Watching the show!

Mommy and Max, heading back to the car!

Daddy reading to Maximus before bedtime!

October 2 - Pickin’ Pumpkins! My silly baby wanted to help me rearrange the Tupperware in the fridge this morning…

Max has figured out how keys work… Kind of! He cracks me up! He knows we use keys to unlock doors, so when he saw my keys today, he decided to try to unlock the front door so he could go outside! It didn’t quite work out for him the way he’d hoped, but it was really cute to watch him try!

My dad invited us over again this year so that Max could pick out a pumpkin to carve! We had a lot of fun hanging out with our family that afternoon. J Ready to pick a pumpkin!

Max was very proud of his little squash!

Klay chasing Brooke with a grasshopper!

Mia and Max!

Michelle and my grandma!

My grandpa!

Polly!

My dad and Klay!

Ryan, Max, and Klay!

Brooke hiding from the grasshopper...

Max wanted to see Uncle Klay's grasshopper!

He jumped!

And we caught him again...

Explorin' with Great-Grandpa Leonard!

Sittin' in the wheelbarrow!

Goin' for a ride!

Time to play in the dirt!

Kisses from Mia!

I love these boots...

Playin' with Daddy!

He doesn't normally try to eat dirt or rocks... But occasionally he'll think he should give them a try!

Playin' with Uncle Corbin's old "Putt-Putts!"

Swings are so much fun!

So excited to play on the trampoline!

Loves for Aunt B!

Bye-bye, Uncle Klay!

Playin' with Grandpa!

Playin' with Grandma!

:-) Cute little butt!

Max is an iPhone addict...

Max had lots of fun playing in the laundry basket before bed tonight!

Thank you so much to my dad and Michelle for inviting us over and for letting Max pick out a pumpkin! October 3 - Spanish Fork We went to see Ryan’s dad and step-mom tonight. Max had a lot of fun being pushed around in the basket by Grandpa!

On the way home, Max wouldn’t stop crying unless I reached back from the front seat and let him hold my hand. It was a little awkward for me, but it was so sweet and he’s so cute that it was totally worth it! October 4 - The Mall We took Max to the mall today and he had a blast playing in the kiddie area!

This little girl was so annoyed that Max wanted to play in the log with her... LOL!

This little girl wanted to be Max's friend!

We had chicken nuggets and fries for dinner tonight and we learned that Max LOVES dipping his food in sauces and liquids!

October 5 - Belly Buttons! Curse my husband for teaching Max to poke belly buttons… I hate having my belly button poked! October 6 - The Reason I Always Wash My Dishes Before I Use Them…

October 8 - My Fantasy… I woke up this morning and got ready for work. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and cuddle up with my boys under the covers… And to make things even more perfect, I decided we needed to hire a man-slave who was willing to work for a bag of old Cheetos to bring us hot cocoa and s’mores in bed for breakfast, and then chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. But that was just my fantasy. Off to work I go! When I got home that afternoon, I gave Max some string cheese. He, in turn, gave it to Gavin the fat cat… October 9 - No Pictures! I think it’s hilarious that Max knows EXACTLY what a cookie is! He will completely refuse to eat dinner, but if we show him a cookie, it’s out of our hands and into his mouth within a matter of seconds! I wanted to get some pictures of Max in the shirt that was sent to him by one of his great-grandmas tonight, but he did not want to cooperate… Here’s the best of what I did get!

October 10 - Sick Day I love days off work… But I don’t love colds… Ugh! October 11 - No Naps… Max is starting a new trend of fighting nap time. It took two hours to get him down for a nap that only lasted twenty minutes today! So frustrating… Max did decide to help me with laundry, though. That is fun! As long as I can keep him away from the things that are already folded, he is very helpful! He hands me something, I fold it, and we repeat the process! Max also learned how to do what I call “stomp dancing” today! He stomps his feet to music! It is so funny and so cute! October 12 - Maximus’ 15 Month Check-Up Max had a doctor appointment today and is doing great! Here are his stats this month: Weight = 25.82 lbs (68.22%ile) Length = 32” (76.57%ile) Head Circumference = 18.5” (44.49%ile) Max got his flu shot today and one other vaccine today. Our pediatrician gave us the phone number for a pediatric surgeon (Dr. Skarda) at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake. We have to set up an appointment with him to get a second opinion on this hydrocele he’s had since birth… We became a one car family today. It’s going to be a difficult transition for us, but we are counting our blessings and are so grateful that we have each other! October 13 - Bwahaha! We didn’t get to see Ryan today, since he had the car at work and then had to go to school. So Max and I went for a walk and got a drink from the gas station instead. It was fun! Until we got home and Max pushed my Coke over the banister… I was quite upset! I sometimes do this “evil laugh” for Max, and to my delight, he picked up on it today! It is hilarious to hear him laugh like that! Max also decided he likes sitting on the big couch next to Mom today. He’s such a big boy! I love my little cutie!

October 15 - Catholic Wedding! On Saturday, I photographed yet another wedding. It took place inside of a Catholic church. I’ve never been inside a Catholic church before! I was pretty excited! This wedding was so fun and so was the couple! VERY different from the LDS weddings I’ve attended! Thank you so much to my dad and Michelle for the reference! It was hard to be away from my boys all day, though, and I was happy to see them when I got home! October 16 - And My Child Joins the Elite Force of Children Who Have Tasted Cat Poop… Enough said. It was disgusting. I thought for a minute that it was an off-colored raisin. I about died when I pulled it out of him mouth and Ryan called poison control to make sure he would be okay! October 17 - What’s Up, Doc? I asked Ryan weeks ago to look at my tongue, and he thought I’d just burned my tongue. But he saw it a couple days ago and freaked out. So I went and saw Dr. Barkdull for the first time today and I liked him a lot. I think Ryan was still not very impressed… Though I’ve never really known him to be impressed by a doctor! Apparently there is nothing really wrong me, aside from the fact that my tongue looks sickly… I have Migratory Glossitis, which is more commonly referred to as “Geographic Tongue.” Here’s a picture:

I know. It looks disgusting. The cause is not understood and there is no treatment. But it’s not contagious and should go back to looking normal within a few weeks. *Note: I am posting this seven months later and it has NOT gone away… Though it looks better from time to time. I think drinking soda impacts it quite a bit! Max tried peanut butter today, and I think we’re finally safe to say that we are all clear on allergies! This is my number one reason for hating onesies… We frequently forget to snap them before we pull up Max’s pants!

Ryan and I learned today that our house has devalued almost as much as we’ve paid for it in the two years that we’ve been here… That was kind of sad. Ugh. Anyway, I decided to make a new “toy” for Max tonight while Ryan was doing homework. He didn’t exactly appreciate it…

"But Mom, I don't wanna be a box of diapers for Halloween!!"

October 18 - Muffins! Max and I went for a walk to Macey’s today. Some guy passing us asked if I was Max’s mom. When I said, “Yes,” the guy said, “What are you, 18?” I just kept walking… He looked like someone who would mug us in our wagon! Here are some fun pictures I got of Max eating a pumpkin muffin today!

October 19 - Happy Birthday, Brooke! My little sister turned 22 today! We didn’t get to see her for long because I had to go to work. And of course I left my camera home in the rush to get going! But we hope she had a great day anyway. Love you lots, Aunt B! I did, however, get these pictures today… Gotta love the grammatical errors on both parts!

October 20 - Mommy and Max! Ryan had school today, and Max and I just hung out together all day since we can’t take Daddy lunch at work anymore! We walked to Macey’s for some lunch. I was impressed that Max ate his sandwich so well!

And we played with chalk when we got home!

Nap time!

Playing with the remotes before bedtime!

October 21 - #$@! Here’s my cutie pie, up and ready to go! But still in his pajama shirt, HaHa!

I caught Ryan cursing me tonight… It was really funny--especially when he realized I’d heard him! I’m sure I deserved it… Ryan doesn’t often lose his cool! October 22 - Kaylee’s 18th Birthday! We celebrated Kaylee’s birthday today, though she doesn’t turn 18 until tomorrow. I was asked to bring a salad--I was so excited! Every time I make a green salad, it turns out disastrous and it doesn’t taste good. But this one was amazing! Look at how good this looks!

We went to a park in Spanish Fork and met up with both Gene’s and Maralee’s parents to have lunch and play!

Gene had to run to Macey’s because of forgotten items, so we made a trip of it. Nixon, Jaden, and Max rode in the wagon!

Time for cake!

Blowing out the candles!

Grandpa Oleson pushing Kaylee on the swings!

Uncle Cameron pushing Max on the swings!

Nap time!

Maximus, Nixon, and Jaden!

Playing at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's house after a fun day at the park!

I met Ryan's cousin Caitie for the first time today! I didn't get a very good picture of her, though... You can see the back of her way back there in the background, LOL!

October 23 - Sunburn! After spending five hours at the park yesterday, Max woke up with a sunburn today. His very first one! Poor little guy. It’s not terrible, but I wish I’d thought to put sunscreen on him!

Max actually tried to get us to get him ready for bed tonight. It was cute, but kind of strange for our little night owl! October 24 - Silly Boy My son is hilarious. I sat at the table with him this morning and we ate bagels for breakfast. Max kept handing me pieces of his bagel so I could dip them in cream cheese for him! And then of course he had to put his feet up… That boy LOVES getting comfortable!

October 25 - Seein’ Aunt B & Uncle Klay! Max walked around all morning today saying “Momma.” He NEVER says “Momma” unless he’s upset and crying! It totally melted my heart and I walked around with a big smile plastered on my face all morning! I made apple pie caramel apples today--trying out some recipes for Christmas! Here’s how they turned out…

Aunt Brooke and Uncle Klay came over to visit us this afternoon. Max had fun trying on my shoes most of the time they were at our house!

Since Max was so obsessed with our shoes today, we let him try out his new slippers. They are so cute! I love them!

Ryan went upstairs tonight while I was in the kitchen. Max ran to the gate crying, which is typical--he’s Daddy’s little buddy! All of a sudden, he started REALLY crying, so I went to check on him. He didn’t seem to be hurt--just upset. So I went back to the kitchen and he kept crying. When I was done in the kitchen, I went to pick him up to take him upstairs. It was at this point that I realized he’d gotten his hand stuck between the bars on the baby gate… LOL, poor kid!! October 26 - Cool Whip Max LOVES Cool Whip! I hate it, but he sure makes it worth it to buy it!

While we were in bed tonight, Max fell asleep with us. Ryan tried to get up so he could go put Max in his crib, but Max woke up the second he moved. He crawled into Ryan’s lap so he couldn’t leave. That cutie sure loves his Daddy! October 27 - Men… Ryan told me about these symptoms that he been having lately, so I’ve been concerned and have wanted him to go to the doctor. Here’s how our conversation went… Me: "So, you didn't go to the doctor today? Ryan: "No, my symptoms went away." Me: "I'd have been in big trouble if I pulled that," "It could be cancer," and so on and so forth for about five minutes. Ryan: "I'll go next week." Me: "You'll get out of work twice? Max's appointment is next week." Ryan: "I'll go the week after." Me: "Your cousin is getting married that Friday." Ryan: "Oh.” How much do you want to bet that he's not gonna go?! Ryan had class tonight, so Max and I hung out and went for a walk. Here are a couple of the pictures we got!

October 28 - Max Adventures! Max was a fun little guy today. But then again, when is he not?! It was so funny to watch him laughing at Malibu today as she chased the light from a flashlight around and around and around in a circle. He thought it was hilarious! As I was making dinner tonight, Max was playing in the drawers with spatulas and other miscellaneous kitchen tools. I turned around to see that he had crawled halfway into the broken drawer--and his new socks are super slippery! I about had a heart attack!! Crazy kid! Max likes organizing and rearranging. It’s kind of strange, but it’s really cute, too! He takes things out of the fridge and takes them to the living room and sets them on the couch next to my shoes (because apparently, my shoes do not belong on the floor by the door--they belong on the couch). So silly. Also, it’s pretty common for us to have two gallons of milk in the fridge--Max likes to grab the handles of them both and do his stomp dance. It’s so cute! We had the car seat out of the car today and Max had a lot of fun playing in it!

October 29 - Trunk-or-Treating with the Thomas Family! We took Max to the mall for a bit today. He loves the kids’ play area!

That evening, we went to see Ryan’s sister, Melissa, and her family. They invited us to go to their neighborhood “Trunk-or-Treat” with them. So Max got to wear his adorable costume! Isn’t he the cutest little lion you ever saw?!

Daddy and Max!

Max liked being dressed up and seeing all the kids and the people around him, but trick-or-treating made him a little nervous. Aunt Melissa tried to take him to some trunks, but he was still a little nervous!

Max loves his cousin Jaden! It’s really cute how much he likes him! You’d think he’d be better friends with Boston since they’re closer in age, but nope--he likes Jaden! For now, anyway. Maybe when Boston can do more with Max, they’ll be better friends!

Nixon and Boston!

Max and his loot!

Sharing with Daddy!

October 30 - Carving Pumpkins! Poor little Max woke up feeling sick. He threw up all day today! I had to work and couldn’t stay home to take care of him, but he hung out with Daddy. Daddy always makes us feel better! When I got home from work, we carved Max’s pumpkin!

Max is so funny... He hates having messy hands!

Max got to clean up and play!

Daddy hollowed out the pumpkin, and Mommy carved it!

Max wanted me to stop carving and play with the napkin holder...

Don't ask me why he thinks this is so funny!

Back to the pumpkin!

Max trying to eat his Smarties!

"Trick-or-Treat!"

So grumpy!

Max's pumpkin! It's the monster from "Where the Wild Things Are."

I think it's bed time...

Happy Daddy is letting him play with the cabinet doors!

October 31 - Halloween! Max woke up in a puddle of vomit again this morning… Poor little sickie. He didn’t throw up for the rest of the day and seems to be feeling better, so we’re hoping he’s over it! Max and I took Ryan to work today so we could have the car and do a few things. As soon as we dropped Ry off, we went grocery shopping! At 7 a.m. HaHa. Max did really good! I made pumpkin cookies today. My recipe stated, “Serves 7.” Who starts a cookie recipe with “Serves 7”?! That’s insane! I doubled the recipe thinking maybe it made two or three cookies per person or something. Then I got to the end of the recipe, where it read, “Makes 7 dozen cookies”! OMG! I didn’t want 14 dozen cookies! I didn’t even want 7 dozen cookies! I made them larger than they were supposed to be, so we ended up with a total of 119 cookies instead of 168. We delivered a lot of them to some of our family members and Ryan is taking a bunch to work tomorrow, so we shouldn’t actually have too many to handle. Anyway, Max and I picked up Ryan from work and went to see my dad, where Max barked at Bane the dog! It was so cute! Here are a couple pictures we got of Max at my dad’s house…

Next we went to see my grandparents. They got out the old police car and fire truck that my brother used to play with when he was little. Max loved them!

Next we went to Ryan’s dad’s house. No one was home and no one was answering the phone, so we hung out in their driveway for a while until Cody called to tell us they were doing another “Trunk-or-Treat” at the church down the street. We didn’t trick-or-treat for too long, but I think Max had fun!