Snowboarding

I normally try not to do two posts in one day, but I finally remembered to get my camera back from my parent's house and had to share this picture. Monday we went snowboarding as a family. Well, Max stayed inside the lodge with grandma and grandpa, but you get the point. It was my third time, and I didn't get to go at all last year because I was pregnant. I was a little nervous, but it went relatively well, even if I am still sore. Kayla took a ski lesson and is doing wonderfully. Darreck is, well, Darreck. He's amazing and makes everyone else on the mountain look like amateurs, especially me. We have another trip planned for Friday, given that I have recovered by then!

First Family Christmas

We had a great Christmas- our very first as our family with Max. Christmas Eve we went to my parents then drove around to look at lights. When we got home, Darreck, Max, and I opened our family presents and went to bed late. The next morning we did stockings at our house then went to my parents and had an unwrapping marathon. We actually stopped in the middle for breakfast, yummy orange rolls. We were very spoiled this year, but I think the thing we're looking forward to the most is our passes to Showdown for snowboarding. Mom and Dad went overboard, again, this year and I'm still looking for homes for all our great presents in our house. However, the best part was getting to spend a fun and relaxing holiday with our family. There was lots of singing and game playing and great food. We couldn't ask for anything more!

Max's First Present

At home Christmas Eve

To Daddy from Max- Madagascar 2- Our favorite morning movie

Max and his toys from mom, dad, and Grandma and Grandpa Hale

The best toy of all was the box

Christmas morning

Max, ready for his snowboarding lessons this year

Poorman's Playpen

We only have two days left to keep Max out of the presents. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa Hale sent us a wonderful gift to help- a box. We put Max in it with a shoe (his so it hasn't been walked on) and a sock (adult size, usually clean) and he can amuse himself for hours. He has this weird thing for feet right now, hmmm...

Every parent has said it before, and this year I join their ranks. Why did we buy him presents? All he wants is the box and paper. Well, and maybe a package of socks.

The Most Enduring Christmas Tradition

The tree is great and the food is nice, but our most long-running Christmas tradition has got to be the ward program the Sunday before Christmas. I tried my best to get out of it this year with a nasty case of laryngitis, but it was no use. I was asked by our choir director to lead and lip-synch two of the songs while she sang my part. I also played violin on the third piece we did. I did manage to get the trio I was in postponed, but it's still slated for next week.

For his part, Darreck sang a solo and a duet and supported all my ranting and raving during the rehearsals I led while the regular director was out of town. I'm probably not the nicest ward choir director in the world (as many in Moscow will attest to), but I believe that ward choirs should be held to a higher accountability than they usually are. That or I'm just a tiny-bit power hungry. I'll let you decide...

All joking aside, I'm so grateful for the talents I've been blessed with and the chance to use them in praise to our Heavenly Father. I hope this Christmas season that we can all take some time to sing beautiful music about Christ, and remember the reason we celebrate Christmas. The birth of our Lord and Savior is the absolute best reason to be joyful and sing praise.

Crawl and Screech (as opposed to twist and shout)

It's official- Max started crawling yesterday! It has been so gradual that I thought he would probably drag it out until after Christmas, but last week he figured out how to pull his knees under him, then he rocked back and forth for a week, and yesterday he finally got coordinated. Today was the real clincher, however. He discovered the printer was on the floor, and that was all the motivation he needed to really get going. So far today he has manhandled the printer, chewed on both remotes, and tried to pull the tree over on himself. Let the fun begin! Everyone suddenly feels the need to warn me about how hard he'll be to keep up with, but I'm super happy for him. He's developing ahead of schedule; what more could a mommy want?

As for the other part of the title, he has also figured out screeching this week. I honestly did not know he could go that high pitched. I'm starting to miss the out and out crying- at least he only did that when he was upset. Screeching is the new response to any and all emotions. We'll have to work extra hard on talking now! Ooh, we'll work on that and sleeping. Yeah, sleep and quiet would be good...

Santa (and) Baby

Ward Christmas party was tonight and Max got his first taste of Santa. While he wasn't afraid of him, it was past his bedtime, so it wasn't exactly a joyous event. Oh well, he still was the cutest kid there (not that I'm biased or anything).

New Job!

Great, incredible, awesome, wonderful news today! Darreck has officially been hired by the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind as a counselor, starting January 4th. After all these months of worry, he finally has a state job (the whole reason we moved here) and now we get to start reaping the benefits of paid vacation, sick leave, exempt salary, pension retirement, and unbeatable benefits. It's kind of funny, no five year old says "I want to be a [fill in the blank] because it has such great benefits!", but it seems to look a whole lot sweeter as you get to be an adult!

The best part of this job is that it's gratifying for so many more reasons than just the benefits. While I know Darreck's public service will never make us rich, I'm so proud of his dedication to advocating for marginalized populations. His service minded nature is what first attracted me to him, and I'm willing to forgoe a fancy house in favor of supporting his social responsible career choice. Besides, he'll be great with the kids. They're going to be so thrilled to have him once they get to know him- he is amazing at what he does.

This move will be bittersweet, however. Darreck has really enjoyed his current job, and I know he'll miss his students. Luckily for us, his employer has been so great about helping him find this job, and has even offered to hire hime back on for summer work. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that his new job is on a teacher's contract (185 days), and he has ALL SUMMER AND ALL BREAKS OFF!!!!! Beyond excited about that. The only interesting part is that his position is in the residential program so he will be working 1:30-9:30 at night Wednesday-Sunday most weeks. I don't mind; I'm a cops kid, so I'm definately used to it.

We're looking forward to this transition over the next month, and we're so thankful for this opportunity our family has been given. We are so blessed. This is the best Christmas present I could possibly ask for.

Dreamin of Spring

I've been putting off updating the blog because I knew I would have to talk about winter, my least favorite subject ever. But, it's been a really good week (minus the -2 degree high) and I shouldn't let a little winter weather stand in the way of talking about it.

On Friday we went to the Christmas Stroll with my mom and Kayla and had a great time. Max stayed warm at home with Great-Grandma. Downtown was fun, and I got my favorite fish tacos, so life was good. I had forgotten about some of Great Falls' yearly traditions, and I'm enjoying rediscovering the sense of community spirit here. Christmas Stroll was always a childhood favorite, and I feel like it's brand new again now that I'm older.

Saturday was dad's birthday. We started off the very snowy day by cleaning the church, and then I led choir practice. Max, once again, stayed behind with Grandma Necia while the rest of us went to see A Christmas Carol in 3-D. Cool special effects, but a little too intense for a Christmas movie, at least in my opinion. To top off the day, we went to Eddie's for dad's favorite- spaghetti.

I really am trying to stay positive in the midst of this awful weather. Here's my list of why I tolerate winter (as opposed to moving to Hawaii):

• Max looks SO cute in his little marshmallow man snowsuit
• At least we don't get as much snow as Moscow
• Down comforters and flannel sheets
• Hot chocolate, caramel steamers, and spiced apple cider
• Chinooks! and the sanity they temporarily bring
• Christmas movies- the happy ones, not the scary ones
• Being a stay at home mommy and laughing at all the poor people who have to go outside to work every morning (yeah, that's a little mean-spirited, sorry)

And, last but not least:

• Eventually, spring will come and I'll appreciate it even more after the cold

Stay warm everyone!

A Little Bit of Christmas

Exciting news tonight! This story actually goes back to last year...

I was looking through our Christmas things last year and was sad that we didn't have any Christ-centered decorations. I became fixated on the Willow Tree nativity set, but we were poor so that was that. For Christmas, Darreck and our friend Kyle made me the creche from the Willow Tree set in hopes that we could buy the figures someday. They spent so much time working on the manger, even going to the store and measuring the real thing. It was perfect, but we still had no figurines.

This year I bought some cheap figures to use as place holders until we became independantly wealthy, but I was still dreaming of the real set on sale at the mall. Tonight mom, dad, and grandma suprised me with not just the basic set, but also the three wise men to go along with it. It was our early Christmas present, and I'm still giddy!

In other news, Max went to the doctor today and got a clean bill of health. He is 21 pounds, 27 inches (same as at four months), and his head finally broke into the 20th percentile! We spent most of the appointment talking about how he doesn't think he needs sleep and how funny it is that he refuses to roll over. I think his doctor summed it up well when she said that he likes to do things his own way. I couldn't agree more, but that's what makes him wondeful.

Five Day Weekend and the Black, Black Friday

The one major advantage to Darreck working in a school is that he gets off all the days the kids do, so he got a five day weekend for Thanksgiving. We did some serious Christmas shopping, but Black Friday wasn't as exciting as it usually is around here. With mom, grandma, and Kayla gone, I was left to fend for myself while they went out and bought up half of Utah. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which side of the family I got my shopping prowess from. However, the weekend shopping was a little frustrating. I wanted to get Max's Christmas shopping done, and every baby toy out there sings, beeps, chirps, and counts in English and Spanish. Ugh! It became a quest to find toys that foster imaginative play and don't lead to ADHD. Some of the toys even overwhelmed me, and I have 22 years of TV watching behind me.

Saturday was our lone break from the crazy crowds. We went over to our friends' house and watched a Griz football game. I'm so thankful for the chance we've had to make friends since moving here. That's always my one greatest fear when we change places, but I feel extremely lucky to be in the ward we are in. Hopefully we have many great weekends to come as we get further into the holidays!

The Non-Thanksgiving Day

We had a rather un-traditional first Thanksgiving for Max today. My mom, grandma, and sister went to Utah and left Darreck, Max, my dad, and I to fend for ourselves. So, while traditionalist grandma is away, we decided to play. We ditched the traditional turkey and stuffing in favor of fresh clam chowder, king crab legs, lobster tail, and shrimp scampi. Now that's something to be thankful for.

Unfortunately for us, the day did have its ups and downs. After making a meal worthy of Red Lobster, I managed to burn the rice- yes, the rice- in my parent's super microwave. Stupid thing, I'm maintaining its the microwave's fault. Also, Max puked up his sweet potatoes (the only traditional thing we had) in the middle of our meal. He spent most of the day in nothing but a diaper because his clothes were disgusting. We cranked up the heat and rolled with it, but seriously, yuck.

The strangest part of today, however, was how quiet it was. Usually, my mom and grandma take in strays on holidays, so the house is full of people. We had a very simple, quiet holiday all to ourselves. Well, except for Darreck. He got roughed up playing a very aggressive game of flag football with his friends this morning. Overall, the day just didn't feel like normal, but not necessarily in a bad way.

The most important thing to remember is how much I have to be thankful for this year. A brand new Max, graduating college, and getting to move back to my hometown. I have been incredibly blessed by my loving Heavenly Father, and it didn't take turkey to help me remember that all day.

A Very Happy Half Birthday

Happy Half Birthday to my fabulous little baby boy, Max! We've spent the day recounting exactly what we were doing six months ago, and for me it wasn't always a pleasant trip down memory lane. However, looking back, it doesn't seem possible that it's been six months. The change in Max and in our family has been so gradual that it seems like he's just always been around. In a way, it feels like he's always been a part of our family, he just had to wait awhile before he could join us.              

These are pictures of Max from the last week, and it amazes me how big he's gotten! Lately he has become fascinated with things he can take apart and put back together, such as the rings above. And, of course, everything right now goes straight in the mouth.

Another recent development is that he's figured out how to suck his thumb. A little bit of a late bloomer on that one. However, he's more of a casual sucker than a hard-core addict, and we're hoping it stays that way.

He's so close to crawling! He still adamantly refuses to roll over on purpose, and every time he does it on accident he gets really upset and tries extra hard to stabalize himself the rest of the day. Mom and dad, we've found, are not good motivators for crawling, but Aunt Kayla's toys are worth all the effort. Right now, he can scoot backwards and in a circle. Now if he can just get the forward down...

Probably the biggest change in Max over the past six months has been his happiness. He had a little bit of a rough start in life, but he's making up for it now in giggles and smiles. I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to be his mommy. I can't think of any greater job on earth than to be a mother, nurturing this precious spirit that Heavenly Father has sent to our home. I hope that I can be a worthy temporary parent for him, and, most of all, I hope he always knows how much both his parents love him.

Happy Half-Birthday Max!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I've been trying to find a reason to blog lately, but life has been incredibly boring. Well, not boring so much as calm. I really can't complain with calm. However, today I felt the need to shake things up a little, so I decided to decorate for Christmas. Normally this lovely task would wait until after Thanksgiving, but most of the family will be gone to Salt Lake for turkey day this year. Darreck, Dad, Max, and I are doing a seafood feast because Gram won't be around to tell us we have to have turkey :) I'm super excited, but it doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving is a big deal this year. I promise to still be thankful and express that gratitude in a meaningful way, but I'm essentially skipping Thanksgiving and extending my personal Christmas season.

The biggest reason I'm so excited for Christmas this year is because it will be Max's first. My family, the rational people they are, keep reminding me that Max will not remember any of this, but I have no qualms admitting that my obsession really has nothing to do with him. Max's first Christmas is more a rite of passage for Darreck and me than anything else. It's a Christmas miracle in the truest sense that he has survived this long in our household without major injury. That, my friends, is something to celebrate.

Now that we have the decorations up, it's on to shopping and trying to find our service project of the year. Darreck and I believe in giving back year-round, but we ramp it up during the holidays to keep our celebration focused on Christ. Usually I think of something to do and start planning in the summer, but inspiration has not hit me yet this year. We've been so blessed lately, and I really want to think of something good to do as a family. I'm open to suggestions and will keep praying to be guided to those who may need our time and talents this year. Merry Christmas season to all!

Laugh Until You Cry

Tonight was the best symphony concert ever! We brought in a guest pianist/comedian (although, he got his degree from Julliard, so he still had some serious chops). We did some great pieces- everything from Scott Joplin to Pink Panther to Rachmaninoff. It was definately not a stodgy, run-of-the-mill symphony concert, and it reminded me why I love playing music so much.

Sometimes it's easy, in classical music, to start to take it too seriously and lose the joy that music is supposed to bring into the lives of your audience. All of a sudden, minor mistakes start to look like personality flaws and I wonder if I'm even good enough to be playing. Tonight, however, I made a million little mistakes (mostly because I was laughing) and didn't care one bit because I was genuinely having fun and so was the audience.

It's an amazing thing when an audience comes together, all reminiscing about memories a particular song evokes. We laughed over Chariots of Fire, remembered what love felt like during As Time Goes By, and joined in singing when the pianist added the Montana state song to jazzed up version of chopsticks.

It's nights like these where I know I have the best job in the world, and I wouldn't trade the talents I've been blessed with for anything.

Father Son Bonding

Bonding Guitar Hero Style!

Not sure if I'm more worried about the TV watching or that they were playing "Talk Dirty to Me" by Poision. Either way, Max really thought he was helping daddy out, and that made him happy.

Ending on a Strong Note

I would love to say that this month has been extraordinarily good, but it hasn't. However, Halloween was a very calm and relaxing way to end what turned out to be a tense month. We had our traditional waffle dinner and took Max trick-or-treating to a whole three houses. The best part was just getting to chill out with my family and enjoy Max's first ever Halloween in a very low-key way. It's amazing how I've begun measuring time in Max's firsts. Up next will be Max's first Christmas (Thanksgiving only half-counts as a holiday). I think I'll spend my time looking forward to Christmas rather than looking too hard at the past few months. Gotta keep moving on. I know that there is a reason why we are where we are and doing the things we're doing, even if that reason is elusive as of yet. Heavenly Father has a plan much better than anything I could come up with. Just have to wait and watch  it unfold.

Tis the Season

Cold and flu season are here again, and Max is the most recent victim in our house. He's been a little under the weather before, but this is what I would call his first official cold. Luckily, he doesn't seem to have any of the symptoms of the dreaded swine flu, but I feel bad enough for him with his sniffles. Don't worry- I didn't rush him off to the doctor over his runny nose, so I'm not a total new-mom mess. However, I'm still watching him like a hawk and taking his temperature a few times a day. So far his symptoms have been confined to typical head-cold fair. Actually, it's kinda funny to look at him. He has a runny nose, watery eyes, and he's drooling like a champ. Mom re-nicknamed him Max the Mucous Monster today. I shouldn't laugh, but it's so gross it's funny. We've all gotten thoroughly slimed today, and I hope that this passes quickly so that Max can feel better and that I can feel clean. He'll survive, we'll survive, and he'll probably pass it onto Darreck or me next. The winter cold cycle begins...

Little Buzzing Bumble Bee

Tonight was the ward Halloween party. It was my little man's first chance to dress up and show off his cuteness in a whole new dimension. Only problem? I wasn't there! Tonight was also my first rehearsal of this concert series with the symphony, so I had to pack up Max and Darreck and send them on their way. I'm told that Max got rave reviews on his bumblebee costume, but I still can't shake being a little sad I missed the party. I was also told that I didn't actually miss much because Max spent the majority of the time sleeping on Grandma Necia's shoulder. I don't know what I would do if I had to leave Max everyday and miss his little milestones. I've gotten too accustomed to being with him 24/7, in a good way of course. I made sure and took pictures before the boys left, and Darreck took a couple at the party. At least I still have Halloween itself on Saturday to look forward to. Halloween isn't normally a holiday I get really jazzed about, but babies look so dang cute in those little costumes. Just one more little way motherhood has changed me.

Family Photos

We had a quick, and I mean very quick, photo session in my parents backyard yesterday. I won't say it was a total disaster, but it was freezing outside, the middle of the day, and I was using their camera, which I have almost no experience with. I also noticed for the first time that my beloved sister looks like an albino compared to my parents. Despite all the squinting and complaining, I did manage to get a few good shots that they could use for their Christmas cards. Someday I'm going to talk them into doing a full session at a location with some good backdrops. Their backyard, while gorgeous in the summer, isn't nearly as inspiring in the late fall.

Another Month ~ Another Year

First of all, happy birthday to my dear, sweet mother and happy five month pseudo-birthday to Max.
For mom's birthday, we got to go to On the Border, a really good new Mexican place and then walk around some stores. However, as usual, the best part of the night was just getting to spend some time with the family. We've been so blessed to move back and get to spend so much time with my family. They are such amazing examples to Darreck and me, and we couldn't ask for better grandparents for Max. We got mom New Moon, the second book in the Twilight series, for her birthday. As much as we both hate to admit it, we've both fallen in love with this uber-hyped up series. Actually, mom got quite a few books for her birthday, most of them, however, were not sappy teen romances. I am so lucky that both my parents instilled a love of good books in me. I just hope that mom enjoyed her day as much as the rest of us did!

As for Max, he is getting big so quickly. I know it's cliched, but I really can't believe time has gone so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that we brought him home. His favorite activity is still eating, and we've yet to find a food he doesn't like. He's also liking his new-found ability to scoot around, but he still stubbornly refuses to roll over. Every time we help him flip he gives us this look that says, "what's the deal? Leave me alone!". I think it's pretty safe to say that he'll be skipping the rolling phase and going straight on to crawling. He can already pull his knees under him, so it's just a matter of time. Despite what everyone seems to be warning me about, I'm actually looking forward to when he gets mobile so that we can do more together. Motherhood wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a challenge. Actually, the biggest development with Max is that, day by day, he is getting to be less challenging, and that has been a long time coming. All the sleepless nights and colic crying for hours on end seem a little hazy to me now. It's like coming out of the fog and into the light. Everyday he smiles and laughs a little bit more and cries a little bit less. I finally feel like he's responding to us positively, and the feeling is addicting.

Pumpkins

It's that time of year again! Darreck starts pouring over every pumpkin design imaginable and then takes hours carving the perfect design. Much to his chagrin this year, we carved pumpkins with my family for Family Home Evening, and he had a meager selection of patterns and even less time to carve it in. On the upside, because Darreck wasn't so intensely invested, I got to carve some! I guess, for the first time ever, he wasn't that worried about me messing it up. I'm not sure what Max thought about the whole project. I kind of think he believes most things adults do are a little strange. However, we have found that he LOVES pumpkin puree, even if it does come out looking identical to the way it went in. Kind of gross, but that's never stopped him before.

Let it Snow

We got our first snow of the year on Friday- I'm just a little late getting around to pictures. It seems like we had a busy weekend getting all settled into our new place, but I still had to take at least a few shots of Max's first snow. I'm not sure what he thinks about the cold. He doesn't seem to mind it, but he's not a huge fan of the weather yet, either. Darreck, on the other hand, has begun to talk about snowboarding nonstop. He's like a little kid in a candy shop when it gets to be winter. I'm the only one who is mourning the end of summer.

On a sad note, I finally succumbed to peer pressure, and I am letting Max sleep in his own room. It hasn't gone well so far, but I took down the pack and play to minimize the temptation to bring him back into our room. After two nights, I'm still not convinced I'm ready for this.

Home at Last

Welcome to cold and flu season in the Hale household! I got it first and now Darreck and Max are starting to suffer. Bad timing, as usual considering we just moved, yet again, but let me back up first.

My first symphony concert was last Saturday, and it went spectacularly well. Well, at least I played well. It was an interesting concert with a guest violinist who played Wieniawski. The fun part was we got to play a symphony by one of my favs, Shostakovich, and, even though the counting was mind-boggling, it went pretty well. We also did a Smetana piece. He's a lesser known composer who I discovered in college and absolutely love. How could I not? He's a Slav nationalist composer, but enough shop talk.

This week opened with our big move to another apartment in the same complex, one that isn't in the basement. Actually, this one is on the third floor and has tall ceilings and a decent view. However, it is on the third floor, and we do have a piano. It's a miracle Darreck is still talking to me. Now I get to start decorating! I'm redoing the living room and getting everything from Real Deals. If you live in Great Falls and haven't been, you've got to go! If you live in Moscow, there's one in Spokane. I'll post some pics as we buy stuff. In the meantime, I'll be settling into our fifth, yes fifth, apartment of the last three years. I never learn.

The Great-Grams

I'm a little behind in posting this, but I finally got the pictures of Grandma Hess's visit from this past weekend. She came to see the family and finally met Max, and it was wonderful to have her around for a few days. It's always nice getting to talk with my Grandma Hess, and I love the stimulating conversations we are able to have. Not to mention that Max was enamored wither her!In other weekend news, my parents were gracious enough to take me on the annual Parade of Homes, and I was in seventh heaven. I'm not sure what my obsession with houses is all about, but there is nothing I like more than looking at open houses and studying floor plans. Probably why I worked for a realty company for almost two years.
With Max, we took him off his medicine for reflux, despite the doctor scoffing at our suggestion that it may be the cause of his problems, and life has been much better the past few days. He's sleeping much better and his stomach seems to be improving, also. I think he's finally happy because we're introducing more foods to him. From day one, Max's favorite activity has been eating. Squash and bananas are the favorites of the week. I've been going on baby food making marathons, and I'm really having a ton of fun doing it. Now, if I could just work up the motivation to cook for the big people in the house, we would really be doing well.

More News

As promised, I have the four month report from the doctor, and it's a little mixed. First the good news:

• Max is 18 pounds (93rd percentile) and 26-3/4 inches (94th percentile) no great surprises there.
• He's ahead with his physical development, even though he stubbornly refuses to roll over. Doctor said he might be one of those kids who never does or he might all of sudden do it tomorrow. He likes to keep us guessing.
• We have the green light to start him on fruits and vegetables! He's very excited.

Now for the not so good. Max's digestive problems have gotten worse than ever, and he's getting tests to determine why he's having bloody diapers. Even though we've tried going dairy free before, the doctor once again has me on a dairy and now soy free diet to see if that may be the cause. It sucks more than I could ever convey. Do you know how many products use soy as a filler? Check sometime. In the meantime, some poor, unfortunate soul is testing his soiled diapers for a clue as to what's going on. Luckily, he doesn't seem bothered by his troubles, but his parents are concerned. Hopefully we'll know more soon and, as always, we'll keep you posted.

4 Month Update

Happy Four Month Birthday Mr. Max! Thought you might all want an update, even though his doctor's appointment isn't until tomorrow. Those stats will be forthcoming. Anyways, I would like to say that Max is doing well, but we've had some setbacks these past few weeks. Most of you know that Max has had some digestive problems since he was born, but they have flared up even worse these past few weeks. Unfortunately, he's refluxing again really frequently. I am hoping that changing his medicine dosage tomorrow will help the problem. He is also teething, and he's entered a weird sleep regression. He went from sleeping through the night at his sixth week to waking up anywhere from four to ten times a night. He's tired, we're tired, and that's not helping his other problems. Just like everything else we've gone through with Max, we're trying to stay patient and keep repeating to ourselves that "this too shall pass". We knew that having a baby with colic and GERD would not be an easy road, but he's worth every second of it.

Probably the hardest part of dealing with all the new issues is that we're trying to do it in an apartment. Every noise from our neighbors or the parking lot wakes him up, and I feel bad letting him cry himself to sleep because of all the noise he makes. I still believe in our decision to get our financial house in order before buying a physical house, but some days (or nights) it really tests my patience. Darreck and I keep daydreaming about the days when we'll look back on these days fondly. "Remember when we were young and poor and Max wouldn't sleep? Ah, those were the days...". Give me about forty years, okay.

On the happier side, Max has finally gotten happy when he's awake! He laughs over everything, especially his dad. We've discovered that he already has a strong affinity for music, and he's reached the point where I can set him down and he'll listen to me practice for half an hour. This is especially helpful with my first symphony concert only a week and a half away. He has also learned to sit up on his own, and he can stand holding onto furniture. What's funny is that, for all his physical prowess, he still has no interest in rolling over. I'm so proud of all his little accomplishments, even if I'm a little sad he's getting big so fast. Such is life.