Too School for Cool

14 weeks, or 99 days to be exact, is what I got to spend with Max at home. I know it's nothing compared to being a stay at home Mom, but for me it was as much time as I could take off from work and I had to remind myself, it's much more than what most people get. So, whether it was more time than most or less than others, I was thankful for every minute I had. Of course, it went by too fast and just as Max and I were falling into a nice little routine at home, it was back to work for me and off to school for Max.

For those of you who spent time around us right when Max was born you know I was one of those Moms who was not afraid to hand him over for a few hours to a family sitter. I jumped at many opportunities to get out and run some errands, take a nap or grab a much needed shower, but as I got down to my last few weeks at home I got clingy. I no longer wanted to get out and about, but rather stay in and cuddle with my little man.

(Cuddle time with Mommy)

Alas, my return to work was upon us. By 8am I was dressed with make up on (hadn't done that so early for several months!) and had our bags and bottles packed. Erik and I both took Max to school that day to drop him off and spend some time in his classroom (yes, I know he's not really in school yet but I like the sound of it). We arrived at his school and he couldn't stop looking around because there was so much activity-- kids arriving for the day, some babies eating food in their high chairs, others crawling around and talking. Needless to say, all of the teachers were gaga for our little cutie and he warmed right up to them as well.

(Max with one of his teachers)

I have to admit it was a bitter sweet moment for me. As much as I knew I was going to miss Max and worry about how he was doing, I had also missed work. There I said it-- I missed work, what is wrong with me!? I missed seeing everyone, I missed hearing about what new clients we had signed and in general, just missed being in the know.... you know? Luckily, or not so luckily for me, worked seemed to have missed me just as much because my first day back was packed with meetings, emails and more meetings. Before I knew it the day had flown by and I was rushing to pack up my stuff to go get Max. When I walked in, he was all smiles. Cooing and smiling for his teachers and just as happy to see me (exactly what I needed after a long day at work) made me know we were going to be okay. In addition to his happy disposition at the time of pick up, turns out Max is just a happy kid and we have the "report card" to prove it...

(It's like getting an A)

And so, Mommy is back at work and Max is discovering a whole new world at "school".

Max explores the great outdoors

Someone should have reminded me that having a baby in November meant that my entire maternity leave would be spent indoors. Although I wouldn't change a thing about my little man and when I got him, it would have been nice to have been able to spend some time with him outside for strolls around the neighborhood. Luckily, two weeks before I head back to work Spring decided to send us a teaser and the temperatures got into the high 60's and even low 70's! I was so excited about the weather that I got Max all ready for a walk only to realize that Erik had the car with the snap 'n go stroller base in it. For those of you without little ones right now, that's the base that you put the baby car seat in to create an infant stroller. Don't worry, I didn't let that stop me! Although he's still a bit young for it, Max and I broke out his jogging stroller. I figured as long as we weren't going off-roading in it and if I supported his little head enough we'd be just fine for a quick walk in the neighborhood.

(Strapped in and ready to go)

(Definitely room to grow in this thing)

As you can tell from the excitement on Max's face, it was a great walk. But honestly, Max didn't giggle or smile during the ride but he didn't cry either. It was probably the first walk I have taken with him where he didn't fall asleep after the first five minutes. I think it was the stroller and how it sits him upright rather than reclining like in his car seat. Max just gazed around the whole time and took it all in. He has become noticeably more alert in just the past week or two and it's been such a blast watching him experience all of these new things. Even though he lounged in his chair for the walk it must have worn him out because he took a long nap when we got back. When he woke up, it was all smiles!

Never wake a sleeping Max

Most of our free time this month has been dedicated to sleep. No, not getting extra sleep necessarily but rather reading about sleep and how healthy sleep habits make a happier Max. He's still a bit too young for hard core sleep training (only 3 months old people!) but we're starting to see patterns develop and have used our research to help guide us into the comfortable schedule we have right now.

Max's typical sleep schedule now-a-days:

6:30 / 7:00 am -- Wake up time with lots of smiles!

8:30 / 9:00 am -- Time for our first nap (approximately 2-3 hours long)

1:00 pm ish -- A possible second nap (not as long, but around 1-2 hours long)

(the rest of the afternoon is less predictable with cat naps here and there)

6:30 pm -- By this time there are lots of yawns and eye rubs so we head upstairs to bed

7:00 pm -- By now we've finished our bedtime routine (reading and swaddling), feed and are in bed happily sleeping

2:00 am -- A quick change and feeding and back to bed

6:30 am / 7:00 am -- Time to start a new day!

It amazes me that just a few weeks ago we were taking each day hour by hour just hoping to survive and now I can somewhat predict what he'll want and when. Also, learning how to anticipate his moods has helped us avoid crying fits and what we used to think was just his "fussy time". Turns out, fussy time was just Max being over tired and needing to go to bed.

Enough about sleep for now, let's review this month's fun awake time with Max.

(YAY- I'm 3 months old!)

(My super-duper warm snow hat)

(Weekend visit with the Jacoby family-- Connor was so much fun!)

(Play date with little Miss Audrey-- one of Max's favorites)

Playtime Deluxe

I know that there isn't much to them, activity mats that is, but they are awesome! Max particularly likes the deluxe model that not only has hanging things to grab on to, but also touts a colorful light show with a catchy tune to go along with it. When we put him on that mat, which happens to be quite frequently, he can't get enough of it. His little legs kick like there is no tomorrow and he giggles and laughs to himself and can go on playing like this for 20+ minutes or so. In fact, he has so much fun with the lights and the dangling bumble bees that we sometimes forget to practice our tummy time. I think the toy has even motivated him to flip over quickly as he'd prefer to watch his toy from his back rather than staring at the floor while on tummy time. You decide for yourself which he likes better...

(And I'm bored...)

(Can't get enough!)

Max also turned 2 months old recently and here are some shots from that big day along with some of his new skills-- drinking form a bottle (yay- a break for Mommy!) and cooing/talking to you (this absolutely makes up for all of the sleepless nights at the beginning).

(I'm 2 months old, let's dance!)

(Dad-- I love playing and talking to you!)

(Bottle time!)

A very merry December

As many of you know, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I usually spend it counting down the days until the 25th, blaring Christmas music as often as possible and rushing around last minute to get all of the necessary gifts. This year was slightly different. This December was a whirlwind of feeding, changing, swaddling and rocking. Luckily our little burrito baby (what Max looked like all swaddled up) made all that so much fun. We spent most of the month trying to adjust to Max and our new schedule, but had nice little breaks when everyone came by to meet him. Friends stopped by with delicious meals, family came over frequently for cuddle time with Max (and allowed Mom and Dad to sneak back to bed) and even though I skipped the mall and my typical holiday party celebrations out with adults, it was by far the best December I've ever

had.

(It took several shots before we got our "good" Christmas picture-- he enjoyed every minute of the process ;-) )

The week before Christmas we celebrated the holiday with the Swensson gang and Max got to meet his cousins Jack, Jane, Eowyn and Ian. We also celebrated GG's birthday that weekend and Max went to his first party at a restaurant. I don't think I had ever seen him so alert as he was that night. He could not stop watching his cousins as they played and talked to him-- it really was amazing to see how closely he paid attention to them.

(Little Miss Jane practicing her babysitting skills)

(Max in awe of his cousins)

(Max in his Christmas sweater with GG)

Max and I took our first trip away from home when we drove to Severna Park to spend the week before Christmas with my side of the family. Kimmy was in town from Richmond, Maureen/Jason/Maisie flew in from Winston-Salem and so the house was packed! Due to the full house, Aunt Kimmy got to experience what it's like to have a newborn as she bunked up with Max and I for a few nights that week. I felt so bad about waking her up that I turned night feedings into a game called "feed Max quietly in the dark so you don't wake Kimmy". I'm pretty sure I never really won, but it was fun trying and we appreciated the extra help since Erik was still in Virginia due to work. Christmas really felt like a week long celebration this year because of adorable little Maisie. Every day was a new adventure for her and it was fun chasing her around as she ran in circles throughout the house. She was even so sweet with little Max, calling him "oggie" (which we thought was Doggie, but later realized it might be her version of "I love you") and patting him on the head.

(Max turned 1 month just a few days before Christmas and so we did our first photo shoot)

(Max loved the Christmas tree lights-- could stare at them all day!)

(Playing with Grandpop)

(Maisie with her backpack and lovies-- didn't need much to keep this kid happy)

(Max meets Aunt Julie who was in town from NYC!)

Gobble Gobble...

Typically if you have a C-section, they have you stay at the hospital for 4-5 days or so. Max was born Monday night and by Wednesday I was ready to go home! Some people love staying there and appreciate the helpful nurses, but I was so uncomfortable and knew I had family to help out at home so I wanted out. I was able to convince my doctor to send me home early-- just in time for Thanksgiving!

Max and I were released Wednesday afternoon and we made the way home with MomMom and Grandpop Johnston following close behind. Settling in that week is a bit of a blur, but I do remember Max's first Thanksgiving thanks to his wonderful Aunt Jen and Uncle Derek. They so graciously invited my side of the family to join in the holiday fun so Max was able to see both the Swenssons and Johnstons for his first holiday celebration. Even Aunt Maureen and Uncle Jason (who weren't scheduled to see us for T-giving this year) made a special trip up that weekend to check out little Max.

Here are some quick shots from Thanksgiving and Max's first week at home.

(The whole gang)

(Virginia Lee, Erik Lee and Maxwell Lee)

(Pies... YUM!)

(Maisie helps Max on his first walk)

(Our little bundle of joy)

Remembering the details

I received several beautiful "memory keepers" before Max was born, everything from scrap books to keepsake boxes, however no matter how hard I try I never seem to be able to get all of the details into them. I noticed several of my friends starting "baby blogs" online to share details of their little one with family and friends and I think it's the perfect place to record the details, so to speak. My first post will be a bit of me playing catch up so please bear with me.

The Big Day-

The couple of weeks leading up to Max's due date I spent bouncing up and down in hopes to help little Max along in his journey, but no matter what I read (old wives tales to trigger labor) and then tried, he wasn't going anywhere. The week before Max was due I headed to the doctor's office for what I hoped would be my last check up. I was told things had started and that I was one centimeter dilated. My doctor and I decided that if my little man didn't make his appearance over the weekend, that we would push things along on Monday (his actual due date) and since I had been incredibly uncomfortable for several weeks I thought this was a great idea! I figured Max was pretty happy where he was because we had a very quiet and uneventful weekend. Fast forward to Monday, November 22. My alarm was set for 5:15 am although I was so excited I barely slept that night and certainly didn't need an alarm to get me up and out of bed. I took my time showering and eating breakfast and then we were off to the hospital. The good news is that for months we worried about how we would get to the hospital if I went into labor during rush hour. For those of you who also live in the northern Virginia area, you probably appreciate our anxiety around that drive a bit more.

At 6:00 am it was still pretty quiet and the check in process was very quick. We were settled in our delivery room and I was hooked up to my fluids and Pitocin (the lovely cocktail that kick started my delivery) by 7:00 am. About an hour later my doctor checked in with us and broke my water. I will say if you can have that process happen naturally that is probably the way to go as I remember that being a pretty uncomfortable event. The next few hours were spent playing cards (I beat Erik in gin rummy), listening to music and basically watching the clock. I also felt like the nurses were shifting my position every 30 minutes or so, saying Max didn't like certain positions and so we'd shift me around to find a position that kept his heart rate in the normal zone. By 1:30 pm my contractions were less than one minute apart and getting stronger each time. Since my water was broken already they did not like to check my progress very often so it had been a couple of hours since my last check and I really had no idea when I would get an update again. I will admit that the pain started to get to the point that it was more than I can handle. I caved and asked for an epidural. The nurse told me that I would like I had just gotten out of a warm bath and I don't think I could describe it any better than that. It was wonderful! Right after my epidural the nurse checked me again and told us that I was 8 centimeters and that this baby would be coming soon! She quickly paged my doctor and started to prep the baby station. My "just out of a warm bath" bliss was short lived, however, when about an hour later my doctor arrived, checked me again and gave us some scary news. Apparently when she checked me I was only 4 centimeters-- you say "what? how can that be??", well we asked the very same question! I can't tell you how deflating it was to think I was almost done with labor one minute to then be told that I was really only half way as far as I had originally thought. My doctor explained this happened because of the fact that Max would get pushed down with each contraction, only to shoot back up due to what she suspected was the cord stuck and holding him back. She continued to explain that this conclusion also came from her watching his heart rate drop all afternoon. Max was stuck, going into distress and the bottom line was that we had to go in and get him. I think that was my first real motherly instinct that I felt, thinking I would do anything I needed to keep him safe, not even thinking a single thought towards how I would feel or handle major surgery. Erik and I were scared, but knew what we had to do. A quick side note here-- leading up to the big day, Erik and I had decided we wanted just the two of us to be in the delivery room and that we would welcome family after little Max was born. With that decision, my parents were happy to sit in the waiting room all day patiently waiting to be told about the birth of their grandson and would visit with him as soon as possible. Since Erik and I were handling things well (all before the big news of distressed Max) and were a little bored even, we let Maureen and Bill sneak in early to say hi. It was the least we could do if they were willing to sit in a hospital waiting room for 5+ hours. Now, although I mentioned I had my first motherly instinct to protect my son, I still was scared and can't tell you how relived I was to have my own mother by my side. She was my own personal pillar of strength at that moment, and without any hesitation or flicker of doubt/worry, she reassured Erik and I that everything was going to be alright and that Max would be perfect. We were ready to welcome our son.

Fast forward seven minutes (no joke, it all happened that fast!) and I was in the operating room getting prepped for the surgery. It was the only time that Erik and I were separated that day and those 5-7 minutes seemed like an eternity because of it! We were soon reunited and the C-section began. Within minutes I heard my doctor say, "yup, we've got a cord wrapped around twice" and my heart stopped (or so I felt like it did) until his little cries started. My doctor said he was perfect and handed him to a nurse. It was all so surreal, my little boy was just a few feet away getting cleaned up and I could hear him.

Max Arrives!

Maxwell Lee Swensson

Born 5:02pm

7 lbs 13 oz

20 3/4 inches

Erik and Max were whisked away to a recovery area where I joined them 30 minutes later. We spend two hours there while I recovered from the surgery and medication. I slept for most of the time, but remember shaking uncontrollably as I came off of the anesthesia. We weren't allowed to have any visitors in this area so I am grateful our family was patient enough to wait out those hours until we got moved to our new room. Max got to meet both sets of grandparents along with his Aunt Jen and Uncle Derek that night and we received congratulations and love galore through emails, texts and calls. Erik and I can't thank everyone enough for all of their support and love during that day.

Welcome home, Max! We love you :)