I am Max.

Max, Vinnie & the Squirt Gun

2009-03-20T22:11:00.002-04:00

Nanny introduced Max and Steven to squirt guns the last time she watched them. The squirt gun came home with us. It's not Dad's fault he likes squirt guns too...

Spring!!! (almost)

2009-03-06T17:05:00.001-05:00

The weather has been so nice the last couple of days, we couldn't resist a walk around the yard - nevermind the mole tunnels and dog holes. (Max says "Thanks Abbey...")

Stair Practice - Max Style

2009-02-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

New Toys

2009-01-16T22:48:00.002-05:00

We don't know who has more fun with the new blocks yet, Max or dad...

2008 Year in Review

2008-12-31T12:01:00.017-05:00

2008 End-of-Year GIANT Video Post

It's hard to believe Max's first year has come and gone. Here's just a few of the many vid clips taking up most of the hard-drive memory we currently own. Getting time for an upgrade...

Happy New Year!!!

Small Screen Debut

2008-12-17T16:21:00.005-05:00

This past summer Annie's brother Rich, who is a funeral director, asked if she and Max would like to be in a commercial for his company.

The scene is quick, with the two of them sadly sitting on a couch with the rest of "their family," as they remember the relative who has passed away (appropriately a photo of the deceased rests in the lap of "grandma" and in a few other shots throughout the commercial.)

As I have seen, met with, and communicated with Rich a few times since the filming of this commercial, I can therefore bear witness to the fact he is well, good, and alive despite his "senior" picture's role in the following hijinks.

Without further ado...

Picture this...

2008-12-12T16:58:00.006-05:00

Two or more jars of baby food on the table next to Max's high chair as we feed him.

Max casually points to the "next" jar when he's ready for a change back and forth as the meal progresses.

He'll then throw his hands up, shrug, and grunt to say "all done."

If you try to squeeze one more spoon full in him, you can pretty much bet on the spoon full of "Turkey Dinner with Garden Vegetables" batted out of your hand to stick to, and then slowly slide down, the nearest wall.

Little pieces of "self serve" food are a whole different story...

Dance Dance Dance...

2008-11-27T06:47:00.001-05:00

No Boundaries

2008-11-26T23:32:00.003-05:00

I'm sure it happens with every kid, but about a month ago Max started magically pointing at things with his little pointer finger while grunting questioningly for an answer. Nobody showed him how to point, it just happened.

So today I rearranged the "kid gates" set up in various doorways around the first floor with the specific reasons of giving Max more freedom to roam, and us a lot less of an "ear-full" when we happen to be on opposite sides of said gates.

Max's first unencumbered trip through the gate-free doorway into the kitchen was classic. He proceeded to stop and point to every little thing I still needed to child-proof. It was like he was giving me fair warning of things I needed to move - or he would do it himself at his convenience. The fly swatter hanging under the chalkboard. Spin 60 degrees to the stack of mail scattered about the kitchen table. Spin another 40 degrees to the chest in the hallway supporting various odds and ends, none of which should be eaten by a one year old.

It's nice to have a kid who has your back...

Plenty of Purell

2008-11-20T22:07:00.005-05:00

On a recent trip to the mall we discovered a new little "play area" for those 42 inches and shorter. (No offense to some of our friends...)

Max had a blast. Absolutely no fear.

Learning Stuff

2008-11-17T08:31:00.006-05:00

Turning one seems to be much more of a milestone than just a date on the calendar. Some things we've noticed over the last few weeks:

-Though he can't say the words, if you ask Max where certain things are he'll point to them and grunt. Examples: any ball, Vinnie, Abbey, Mommy, Daddy, his toy truck, pillow, toy phone, the pots hanging above his high chair on a pot rack, teddy bear, books, rocking chair and most recently his belly
-If you ask him where his stinky feet are, he'll raise one or the other up to show you (even attempting to while he's standing...)
-He knows what "no" and "get down" means. Accepting those answers is another matter entirely.
-He gets excited when you ask him if he's hungry, and then complete irate if you don't follow up on it.

Yesterday we took him outside into the snow for the first time. With all the extra weight and padding of snow pants, winter jacket, hat, mittens and boots, he really was at a loss at what we expected him to do. Once he figured out his parents really wanted to see him walk he was fine for a few solo steps before face-planting into the 1/2" we'd accumulated during the day.

Excursion over...

Monkey Boy

2008-11-01T15:01:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe this Halloween is actually Max's second...

365 Days Old

2008-10-27T09:34:00.005-04:00

Holy cannoli. What a day. For that matter what a year...

We've managed not to mess Max up too much, as far as we can tell, over the last 365 days. At least not in any way that has surfaced yet. We'll keep our fingers crossed as we go on from this day (366) forward.

Sunday started earlier than any Sunday conceivably should. First on the agenda was a trip up to Durand. Annie's stepfather Jon delivered a fantastically mesmerizing sermon and did us a great personal service in performing Max's baptism. Dick, Annie's father, performed a beautiful trombone solo during the service to make Max's day uniquely his own. We hope these wonderful guys really understand how much we appreciate what they contributed and how much it means to us.

Nanny proclaimed a few weeks ago Max would be walking by his birthday. The last week has seen strolls of about 7 to 10 steps at a time, and wouldn't you know it, with a jam-packed house full of people and presents, Max managed to make his rounds looking like pro. Stopping, starting, wobbly turning around with toys in both hands, Max made Nanny into the latest, local Nostradamus. He's a clutch player that Maxwell...

As you can see from the pictures below, Max completely went to town on his first birthday cake. It was his first taste of chocolate and he passed the final test proving he definitely has Bloxom genes. The only thing to stop him from finishing his own little cake was the unobtainable energy needed to keep his eyes open and to keep from nodding off face-first into his pile of cake. We finally threw in towel when he started wiping frosting into his little eyeballs. A quick, reguvinating bath and some new clothes later he was back at it, checking the heap of new toys in the middle of the living room.

We have great families. Thank you sooo much for all you do. And for all the ones out of town and state, we miss you too. (And help me remind Max in a few years just how hard his mother worked to pull off a great party...)

Birthday #1

2008-10-25T21:44:00.003-04:00

Holy cow. We can't believe it's been one year already!

Pics and commentary to follow after Max's birthday party and baptism tomorrow...

Time for Shoe Shopping

2008-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

No matter how much we anticipate and expect every new evolution in Max's development, each progression seems to leave us parents at first perplexed, awed, and finally just a little bit scared.

Max took 4 unassisted steps Saturday. Then 6... Then he realized what he was doing, promptly sat down hard on his well padded rump and declared "game over."

Though we've seen a few courageous steps here and there since then, nothing close to what happened Saturday.

But we know it's coming. Every time he stands up and let's go of the couch, or the chairs, or climbs up in his little rocking chair we find ourselves reflexively glancing around the room for even more things to batten down, move up a shelf, or just plain lock in the basement.

October Bike Ride

2008-10-11T22:34:00.003-04:00

We had to take advantage of the great 78 degree weather today with a short bike ride after Annie got home from work. Max had a great time and kept staring at Mom on the other bike, not quite understanding the whole "bicycle" ride concept. But he'd smile and giggle anyway.

This video was the scene upon reaching the car at the end of the trip.

Rush Lake

2008-10-08T11:11:00.002-04:00

It took 11 months and 12 days, but Max finally convinced Mom to take him out to Dad's golf course.

It must be ingrained in little boys' heads because he didn't want to get off my lap (which meant he didn't want to let go of the steering wheel).

Is that camera on..?

2008-10-07T19:22:00.000-04:00

We're getting closer...

October

2008-10-01T12:39:00.002-04:00

We're officially in countdown mode to Max's 1st birthday. This year has completely flown by and it's hard to believe how far he's come in such a short time.

4 lbs 4 oz to almost 24 pounds. He's a moose. He's a moose with legs and a body that won't quit even when his eyes won't stay open anymore.

But he always wakes up with a giant grin...

We're at that point where we're starting to see ourselves in his actions and expressions rather than just his looks.

And then, now and again, we get a glimpse of what he'll probably look like in five years.

Crazy.

Progress Report

2008-09-20T16:19:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since we've actually had a post here with some actual information on how Max is doing. So we'll summarize a bit...

Max has quickly moved from the military belly-creep, to the standard hands and knees catch-me-if-you-can crawl, to running side-step up and down the couch, hand over hand to the next available piece of furniture. Most of the time he has either some sort of toy or one of his dirty socks in his hand. And when he doesn't think about it, he'll let go of whatever's holding him up and stand on his own for a few seconds (my count was about 9-10 seconds one time).

Why is it when you told people about your kid just learning to crawl they're like, "Ohhh. That's fantastic! You're going to have so much fun..!" Then you later you tell those same people how close he is to walking and then they're like, "Oh lord... You're in trouble now... Hope you've locked the whole place down..." Somehow the latter quote is said with what seems a much more ominous tone.

Anyway, we have the living room gated off with a few other gates stashed in various locations around the house in case they're needed. Annie cracked up while shopping at Babys "R" Us when I mentioned what they needed to sell was a five-pack of baby gates. Lo and behold, as we rounded the corner to see 2-packs of the old style, dependable wooden "extendo" gates. Whatever works, eh?

A couple of ear infections, a cold here and there, a few bumps and bruises later, we're all doing fine and Max is doing great.

Did I mention he has four teeth on the top and two on the bottom? It's sort of funny when he gets the afghan caught on the lower ones and needs help getting it unhooked...

Crazy man in da crib

2008-09-18T21:15:00.004-04:00

It's a little dated, but it's a great little clip of when Max just started pulling himself up a month or so ago...

The ball is rolling...

2008-09-18T18:53:00.003-04:00

Ok. We're getting there with the site rebuild. Pictures should be back soon.

You all can still get to this site at www.coreybloxom.com/max, but if you don't want the redirect just bookmark this new page.

Think it's going to stay here for awhile.

Thanks for your patience...

Technical Issues

2008-09-16T07:50:00.004-04:00

As you can all see, I ran into some problems with Max's site the other day and temporarily had to move it to a new location until I can figure out the bugs. (By bugs I actually mean the stupid mistake I made someplace in the code.)

The site may stay here, and may even have a bit of a make-over. Bare with us, it may be a little while....

Who's ball...?

2008-09-03T08:57:00.000-04:00

Let the battle of toy ownership begin...

What have we done..!?

2008-08-11T16:07:00.001-04:00

Parents and friends alike who have done the whole "raising kids" thing seem to always forget to mention the "monster" stage(s).

JohnPaul

2008-08-04T18:45:00.002-04:00

Max's cousin JohnPaul way out in Denver has his own blog now. Please check it out here. It' very cool.

I am Batman...

2008-07-30T22:45:00.009-04:00

Scene: A few nights ago...

"What the ..." I hear in an exasperted voice as my groggy, sleepy, semi-paralyzed eyes crack open to see Annie sitting straight up in bed. I must have dozed off again because the next thing I hear from her lips is a firm, there-will-be-no-argument, "Get up."

My eyes pop open, much faster than the wind-up of my brain, and I glance at the alarm clock. 12:30 AM. Sigh...

"There's a bat. Come on. Get up. We have to get Max..."

The following scene will, quite possibly, never leave my head.

Getting to Max's bedroom we open the door about 3 feet, flip the light switch and find: 1)a giant bat (at least a 12 inch wingspan) circling the room about five feet off the floor; 2)Abbey, our 30 lb. cattle dog mutt leaping straight into the air, lips (do dogs have lips?) pulled back into a smile while her jaws clack shut time after time, pass after pass, the bat's echo-location serving to avoid instant annihilation by inches at a time, while Vinnie whines and barks from the hallway.

After what seemed an eternity of this circular, panicked scene, but in actuality lasting no more than 5-10 seconds, Max awakens to the glare of the overhead light and turns to his wide-eyed parents peering in the doorway. And, in the most surreal moment you can imagine, sporting bags under his eyes and a vicious case of bed-head, he smiles...

Absolutely no clue of the scene taking place above and behind him.

At the not-so-gentle coaxing of my wife, keeping my head low I reach in and grab Max while calling Abbey out of the room. With both family members achieving the safety the hallway affords, we slam the door shut to catch our breath and gather our wits.

We won't talk about the 16 inch bat avoiding my every toss of the blanket as a substitute "game-net". We also won't talk about the broom and GIANT dustpan we thought of "batting" (get it?) the damn animal into the wall with. No tennis rackets, BB guns, NO DECENT WEAPONS!

What we will talk about is how the 23 inch bat managed to attach itself to the face, not unlike the face-hugger from the movie Alien, of Max's Spartan teddy bear on top of his armoire. And how the door stayed locked the rest of the night and through the following day while we went about our work days and figured out a game plan.

Luckily, upon hearing from the pediatrician and the health department, we were under orders to capture the bat alive. Basically, if you kill the bat by injuring it's head, they can't test for rabies. If they can't test for rabies, Max would have had to have a series of rabies shots. Bat teeth are very small, and sometimes can't be felt if you're sleeping and may not show up for a day or so.

You don't take chances with rabies.

Luckly, at the expence of my new fishing net (we also won't talk about how it was purchased specifically to catch the flying rodent), which now sports a hole cut out of the bottom about the size of a 36 inch bat (thanks health dept. tech), and BIG thanks to mom-in-law for the highly technical "broom sweep" move to get the teddybear w/attached sleeping bat into said net, the results are in: The health dept. tech ethered a very respectable, healthy, rabies-free 46 inch bat.

I guess we can deal with a few more mosquitos around the backyard.

The Great Outdoors

2008-07-26T22:35:00.006-04:00

a New bike for Mom
a Grease, oil, nuts & bolts tightened on Dad's bike
a 3 spankin' new helmuts
a 1 cool, new bike seat mounted in FRONT of dad vs. in back

3.5 miles around Lake Lansing on a beautiful Michigan summer day really made the weekend. A highlight, upon passing a pair of teenage boys walking down a side road, was the comment, "Sweet baby seat..!"

Boy on a Mission

2008-07-16T22:25:00.001-04:00

Procrastinating Bedtime

2008-07-13T20:05:00.002-04:00

We're in trouble...

2008-07-07T14:12:00.001-04:00

Sound the air-horns! Prepare the defences! Nail it all down...!

Max is mobile.

Details and maybe some video to follow soon...

Any time now...

2008-07-02T12:59:00.002-04:00

You know that hand-over-hand method of climbing a rope they used to make you do way back in gym class? Where you couldn't use your legs?

Picture Max, flat on his belly, exploiting the edge of the living room rug in the very same fashion.

So far this week we have found him in various parts of the room - purely by rolling one way or another and; a)pulling stuffed animals off his little rocking chair; b)curling up the corner of the rug to suck on it while playing with the tags attached underneath; c)trying to eat the couch by way of the skirting at the bottom; d)and among many more, getting stuck between pieces of furniture, leaving us without a clue as to how he did it.

It's only beginning you all say. We know, we know...

Had to happen sometime...

2008-06-17T15:45:00.002-04:00

Last week Max showed us his first tooth. Today there's evidence of another coming in right beside it.

A trip to the doctor today confirmed our suspicions of the dreaded "croup" along with ear infections in both ears.

Good news is the initial dose of antibiotic seems to have triggered an immediate turn around in how he feels, though we have a way to go.

Mom has been doing a GREAT job all last night and today. (She'll sleep after he graduates.)

Max's first sickness (this first-time parent thing stinks sometimes), and he isn't very happy today...

Happy Birthday Poppy

2008-06-08T19:15:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was Poppy's 70th birthday, and luckily he and Nanny had all four of the youngest grandboys in town (we can't forget Jordy even though he's off to the army next week...)

Just wanted to give ya'll a little photo-post of the events...

Tooth

2008-06-06T16:42:00.003-04:00

We have a tooth! Seriously..! Look! Looooook!! Bottom right. Can't you see it....?

Semi-solids...

2008-05-26T18:14:00.006-04:00

Rice cereal is GREAT! Sooo sticky and gooey. And it's the only substance known to man to actually get MORE runny as time passes.

It only took a few dribbles right back over his bottom lip for Max to come up with his own system of plugging his mouth with his thumb after each spoonful. (We've learned to be quick with the spoon or we'd never get it out.)

It's a great system as long as he isn't more interested in grabbing the actual spoon than eating his dinner.

P.S. More pictures coming soon...

P.S.S. In the non-scientific procedure of stepping on a scale holding Max and then subtracting our own poundage (we won't go there...) we figure his earthly gravitational weight to be right in the vicinity of 20-21 lbs.

Windy City or bust

2008-05-20T17:24:00.004-04:00

Max had his first overnight road trip this past weekend to Evanston, just north of Chicago, to meet his new cousin Steven Charles. Although mom and dad had a dual purpose for the trip, we all had great time meeting the new family member, not to mention the time Aunt Amber and Uncle Tim had to spend with Max.

The trip down was good. We made it about ¾’s of the way before Max decided it was time to eat. Our first stop at the giant Outdoor World / Bass Pro Shop never made it beyond the very back of the parking lot. That was ok though… We managed to time it right and missed most of the traffic heading into the city. Lakeshore Drive is a cool way to get north of town if it’s not rush hour.

It only took about 30 minutes for Amber and Tim to pick their jaws up off the floor and to stop laughing upon seeing how big Max has become. It didn’t help little Steven, at one month old, is only half Max’s size. It was definitely a study in contrast lying them side by side.

Max got to break in some of Steven’s new toys (sorry sis…), slide around on they’re very nice, very old, hardwood floors, laugh hysterically every time Shadow, their 110 lb. bloodhound would walk by and lick his face.

Amber and Tim also had the pleasure of watching him, along with there own brand new baby, while Annie and I went out to experience our long awaited plans. (Everyone was asleep when we got back, and the house wasn’t in shambles, so I think I believe them, when they say it went alright.)

The drive back Sunday was going great until about 10 miles from the Michigan border we realized the acrid stench we sporadically smelled for the last 15 miles was Max. I guess it was his way of telling us it was time for a break. Wow…

It was a great trip. Hanging out with my baby sister, her husband and new little boy. Amber and Annie had a great time swapping stories and trading hints and advice. We hope they get a chance to move back to Michigan sometime soon.

You can already tell they’re going to be great parents.

~Steven Charles...~

~"Hey you..! Look here!~

~New moms & new babies~

New Cousin

2008-05-09T20:20:00.004-04:00

Max has a new cousin as of April 19th.

And we all get to meet him next weekend..!

Mission #1

2008-05-03T15:24:00.002-04:00

Although Mom and Max have been out mall shopping a few times in the last month or so, today was Max and Dad's turn.

I thought it pertinent for Max to see shopping doesn't always mean an all day experience. You have to plan what you want, where it is, get it and get out. Boom. Done. Finished. The guys way.

Mission: Find a Red Wings hat to send to Max's Uncle Tom out in Denver for losing a wager on the 2nd round play-offs againts the Av's. After acquiring said hat, the mission would only be complete upon successful shipment.

Results: After stopping two different places, we finally found what we needed and proceeded to find out not only were we too late for the US Post Office, but also too late for a local shipping store.

Prognosis: Mission should be accomplished sometime early this week.

Max did great! Dressed in a bib overalls and a bucket hat, he seemed to enjoy being strapped to my chest while walking around, slobbering all over the front of the carrier of course. After picking out his own book at the local Schulers, we surprised Mom at work (and also served as a distraction to her hard working employees). Everyone involved couldn't have been happier.

Back home now, my feet are up giving the old back muscles a break (doctor's appointment last week put him at 18 lbs 8 oz). Max slept a bit in the car, so we're just waiting for his little belly to let us know when it's time for a new bottle.

A great day...

6 months

2008-04-25T22:35:00.004-04:00

I know, I know... Finally a post! There have been many new and interesting things in Max's life lately and hopefully I'll remember them all.

First and foremost, Max has a brand new cousin down in Evanston, Ill. Steven Charles VanLoo came into the world Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 8 lbs 15 oz with all his fingers and toes intact. His mom and dad are doing great and couldn't be happier. From what we hear it's a whole new world down there. We'll be heading down for a visit in a few weeks and are bouncing off the walls to meet him.

Max turned six months old today if you can believe it. We can't believe just how fast the last few months have gone by. To mark the occasion, Max spent his first night in his own room with nary a peep until hunger roused him around 4 AM. Good job Max. Great job Mom...

Along with pools of drool (we think he's begun teething), a bit more fussiness, and crazy kicking and flailing of arms when he's excited, Max has begun laughing more easily. He actually has ticklish spots now (to the delight of Dad), and never fails to smile when he sees one of us every time he wakes up.

He's a happy baby, and we do realize how lucky we have it.

Speaking of realizing how lucky we are, we want Max's grandparents to know how much we appreciate the shifts they take in watching him while we work. With the work they do, Max will have read all of our library, have done thousands of sit-ups, and probably be playing the trombone by the time he's two.

Well rounded - we like that. (and I'm not talking about his current waistline)

UPDATE: Forgot to mention Max had his first 'live' music experience last Saturday. Grandpa Dick played at the Stockbridge Town Hall with the 30+ member Capital City Brass Band.

After the fanfare opening and Max's wide-eyed-slack-jawed-arms flung open-oh crap! reaction, he was completely fine, calm and collected while music was played. He actually seemed entertained by the conductor and his white bouncing baton.

It was only between pieces, while the conductor explained the upcoming number, Max found it appropriate to exercise his vocal cords. (We think he was just letting Grandpa know how much he like being there...)

31" Pacifier

2008-04-10T18:47:00.006-04:00

We are by no means the type of parents who plan on using the television as a babysitter/pacifier, yet I continue to be blown away how cartoons can almost instantly pacify a cranky Maxwell.

There really is no other channel which can do what the Cartoon Network can do. It's amazing.

Bright primary colors, sound effects, crazy dogs that can talk. I wonder if Max yet wonders why Vinnie and Abbey don't speak the language of 'Scooby Doo'.

Maybe next year Red Wings playoff hockey will gain and hold his attention...

Early on #4

2008-04-05T12:37:00.002-04:00

Joy came the other day to check up on Max. As it happens this was the first time she'd been to the house without Dad there. Having both grandmothers in attendance more than made up for it from what I hear.

I've been told Joy busted out a version of a scale closely resembling a Johnny Jump-Up - the kind of which hangs in the doorway. (For some reason I just keep picturing an old meat hook...)

17 lbs 12 oz.

This thought crossed my mind the other day: Our son might grow up to be bigger than his dad.

I know, I know, it happens all the time. It was just one of those fleeting, out-of-the-blue thoughts of which had never crossed my mind up to this point.

I also know whatever size he is right now makes absolutely no difference as to how he'll end up. We're just glad he's happy and healthy. (VERY healthy.)

Pictures

2008-04-01T00:01:00.011-04:00

Temper, temper.

2008-03-28T21:01:00.008-04:00

My mom told me growing up I always fought falling asleep as a baby and kid. I still do I guess.

Max seems to be acting the same way. It's as if he just doesn't want to miss anything even though he can barely keep his eyes open.

So you try every position possible; on his back, belly (then your belly), standing and holding him frontwards, backwards, in his swing or 'johnny jump-up'. You try on your lap, sitting on the floor, standing him up, looking out the window or in the mirror. Finally you resort to holding and walking from room to room around the house. Ten minutes of this and he's out. (I don't know why we just don't start with it in the first place.)

Usually.

Unless his temper kicks in. (Gee. I wonder where he gets THAT..?)

{New cousin update: Still waiting...}

Another cousin..?

2008-03-19T21:37:00.004-04:00

Today we received news Max's Aunt Amber (Corey's 'baby' sis) went to the hospital early this morning with what looks like the onset of labor. It's a little early but damn near full term.

We're SO excited for Amber and Tim and for whoever their little one turns out to be. It could be tomorrow or it could be next week.

As of now we are keeping our fingers crossed and sending our best wishes for a safe and healthy delivery.

Can't wait!

Growth Spurt

2008-03-19T13:57:00.004-04:00

In a not quite scheduled visit to the doctor's office today to up Max's dose of Zantac there was the usual pre-exam weigh in.

Drum roll please.........................................

16 lbs 14 oz

That's nearly a pound and a half in just about 3 weeks.

No wonder his Zantac needed to be increased.

St. Patty's at the Lynch's

2008-03-16T11:25:00.006-04:00

Last night's St. Patrick's Day gathering at the Lynch homestead marked Max's first full-fledged outing outside his immediate family.

All in all he did great! After a couple minor freak-outs (it's not like he's been socially deprived this winter) he settled down, took a nap, and proceeded to quietly people-watch the rest of the night perched upon lap after various lap.

Max finally met a group of people closer to his age than ours, especially Violet, his fellow partner in crime (the crime being to telepathically communicate from the womb to try and arrange the same birthday). As fortune has it, the closest they could manage was a few days apart even though their parents showed up at the same hospital on the same night.

Emma, Lucas, Jasper and crew flying around the house under tables, between legs, up and down stairs - Max seemed to take it all in with quiet deliberation.

Thank you Amy and Jeremy for the invite, and thanks everyone there for anything you've said or done in Max's behalf. It's nice to start getting him out and showing him off.

It's half way through March now and the cold and flu season hopefully is waning. Can't wait to get him out in the yard. We just have to find leaf rake small enough to fit him.

Primary Source of Nourishment

2008-03-12T23:07:00.002-04:00

It is absolutely and irrefutably true what they say about your baby's diet directly reflecting the diet of his mother.

I've got the diaper to prove it.

That is all.

Real Comedian

2008-03-06T22:31:00.003-05:00

We think Max might be playing with us.

Example 1:
Earlier today he was contentedly sitting in his swing while I did some work on the computer in the office when I noticed it getting a little chilly in the house. Like any responsible parent I fetched one of Max's blankets, folded it neatly to fit over his lower half without obstructing the motion of the swing. After what I estimated to be a three-second interval of internal debate, Max, with a sudden burst of energy and the most serious expression on his face, kicked like hell until the blanket was a heap on the floor. I caught the very end of this little rebellion out of the corner of my eye, turned to him and asked, " What do you think your doing?" His answer? Another one of those big, gummy, open-mouthed smiles. I think we repeated this game six times before boredom set in and the thumb reentered the mouth. (His thumb, his mouth of course.)

Example 2:
Max and I met Annie in the kitchen as she returned home from work. As mom approached and proceeded to greet him (as I held him on my shoulder), Max would smile his giant smile and then turn and bury his face in my neck. Who taught this kid to play coy? I think they repeated THIS game about six times before mom's arms started giving out, as she still hadn't set down her giant work and shopping bags.

I think we're in for it.

Comedian

2008-03-06T22:09:00.006-05:00

Picture this:

a big, giant breath, slight delay, and with a stretched neck, curled lips, and a slight shake of the head "cooo...." And then a huge open gummy-mouthed smile.

then:

a big, giant breath, a slight delay, and with a stretched neck, curled lips, and a slight shake of the head - a short solid 'chuckle.' - And then a look of pure fear as Max's parents scare him almost to death with their own uncontrolled outbursts of joyful laughter.

There is absolutely nothing better than your own brand new kid laughing for the first time.

Nothing.

Damn the Man. DAMN THE MAN!!

2008-02-28T12:59:00.005-05:00

The outburst not so conspicuously used as the title of this post is pretty much what I read in Max's eyes just after four more giant needles penetrated his oh-so-chunky--and now oh-so-tender upper thighs.

You got it. Four month vaccinations.

All is well and perfect as far as the doctor is concerned with his weight and height (24.5"). We do have a slight issue with the way his circumcision has healed, but after a quick trip to the urologist, it sounds like all could be well by the time he's a year old.

So, ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't peeked below so far, let me present you with Max's four-month weigh-in:

If our doctor hadn't seen Max after getting out of the hospital, she'd think we'd lied about how early he was.

Nose Plugs

2008-02-25T16:38:00.003-05:00

I don't care what any father or mother might tell their wives, daughters, mothers, or even their sons about this next subject. In my humble opinion, the smell of baby poop will never - EVER - agree with the nostrils of the adult male human.

"Awww... You'll get used to it." Nope.

"Don't worry, it get's better." Nope.

"It's different when it's your own kid..." Give me a FREAKIN" break.

Max's mother laughed and looked at me like I was ridiculous when I mentioned one time I had started stuffing my nose with tissue in such situations.

I love my son more than I could ever explain, but that doesn't mean I'll ever get used to his crappy diapers.

Early On #3

2008-02-22T21:42:00.002-05:00

All in all the appointment went well today. He's right on track developmentally for his age and is even starting to meet some of the 4 - 7 month old goals.

But as well as he's doing, Max received his first homework assignment today.

Basically he has the next two months to work on sitting up by himself, reaching out for and grasping "things" of interest (toys, etc.), rolling over, and even saying things like "mamamamamamama..." or "dadadadadadadadada..." It doesn't mean he has to know what the heck he's talking about, but it's the vocalizations that count.

It's amazing how a big smile from Max can just brighten a room up, especially with someone like our traveling nurse Joy, who has one of the biggest, most contagious laughs I've ever heard. I think we all laughed for five minutes at one point.

CNN

2008-02-21T20:51:00.005-05:00

I think every family comes to realize at some point each person involved tends to end up having their own "spot" when it's time to kick back in living room at night to take in everyone's favorite T.V. shows.

I have my spot on the couch, Annie has hers (she'll beg to differ though), and lately when the T.V. catches Max's eye, he usually ends up in his: sitting on a nice soft pillow in the crook of my arm against the arm of the couch.

It's funny what holds his attention and what doesn't.

For example: Tonight he decided to stay awake after his bottle and watch the CNN debate between Hillary and Obama with me. For the most part he's been talking to himself and playing with his hands as Obama speaks, and then completely silent, motionless, and staring at the T.V. when Hillary is talking.

Oh wait... He's fallen asleep now while sucking his thumb.

Anyone up for a debate? Comments...?

Lungs. I said LUNGS!

2008-02-19T13:09:00.004-05:00

There was a time during the last week, and especially the last few minutes, of Max's prenatal existance when we were quite concerned about the development of his lungs.

Fast-forward now almost four months later to the middle of a bottle of milk.

I say the middle of a bottle of milk because Max is a very hard little guy to burp, and we seem to have the most luck stopping half way through to get a belch or two before continuing on. If we work for forty-five minutes after he's finished without getting another burp, at least we pounded out a couple in the middle. Less of a chance of spit-up later. (I know, I know... All you parents out there know what this is all about...)

Back to the lungs.

Max has deemed it necessary lately to let his parents know how well his lungs have become when taking the previously described burp-break.

It all starts with the cutest, little, classic, break-your-heart frown; then a giant inhalation into those well developed lungs to be used in the loudest, saddest, ARE-YOU-KIDDING-ME-I'M NOT FRIGGEN'-DONE-WITH-THAT-YOU-MORON yell we've ever heard, lasting until you get a burp or two and manage to get the nipple back into that greedy little mouth. Only then his eyes go back to saying "your the best parent ever."

Compare that experience with taking the now empy bottle out of his mouth, barely able to keep his eyes open, and then fading into a blissful doze with just a hint of a sly little grin before he's out for the next three hours.

He must get it from his mom.

Pacifier..? What pacifier?

2008-02-12T23:59:00.003-05:00

Finally got that damn thumb...

(Working on a video follow up. Hopefully soon.)
Update: New video--------------->

Three Month Doctor Visit

2008-02-06T19:07:00.000-05:00

stocky: (stŏk'ē)
-adj. stock·i·er, stock·i·est
1. Solidly built; sturdy.
2. Chubby; plump.

chubby: (chuhb-ee)
–adjective, -bi·er, -bi·est.
round and plump: a chubby child; a chubby face.

pudgy: (puhj-ee)
–adjective, pudg·i·er, pudg·i·est.
short and fat or thick: an infant's pudgy fingers.

svelte: (svělt)
adj. svelt·er, svelt·est
-Slender or graceful in figure or outline; slim.

"Wow! Are you fat..." said the nurse to the Max after marking his latest weight on his chart.

"Wow! Are you fat..." said Max's docter as she read from Max's chart.

One month ago: 10 lb 14 oz.
Today: 14 lb 10 oz.

That's almost four pounds in one month. The kid is a monster. Charting his progress against the rest of the world Max is in the 75th percentile in weight for this age. His three-month-not-adjusted-because-I'm-a-premee weight.

Thankfully there's proof via this website Max truefully was 7 1/2 weeks early.

About time...

2008-02-05T15:54:00.001-05:00

New pics and vids... ---->

Early On #2

2008-01-31T19:52:00.000-05:00

Max had his first "official" assessment yesterday.

Joy, who is our assigned travel-nurse, brought Katie the dietician along to help with the evaluation. The first words out of Katie's mouth in site of Max was, "Wow! Is he fat....!" With that response, any concerns about his diet were abrubtly put to rest.

As far as his developmental skills are concerned, he passed with flying colors. How he holds his head, arm movement, holding a rattle, following an object or person across his field of vision with his eyes while turning his head, going cross-eyed while following and object to his nose, smiling, etc., were all parts of the equation. Even little things we had no idea about like "bringing his arm to his midline" popped up during his appointment.

One month skills: check, check, check, check...
Two month skills: check, check, check, check...
Three month skills: check, check....

There were only a couple of things in the three month checklist he hasn't quite got the hang of yet: reaching for things, and chuckling. We know he's on the verge of both though. His smiles are too big not to be laughing soon, and he's been watching his own hands off and on lately.

Joy basically said if it wasn't for his continued reflux, she wouldn't even have to come back in a month, versus waiting two.

We're real proud of our short, "stocky", little boy-genius.

Doctor's appointment next week so we'll have a weight update. Keep in mind I said "stocky".

What 3 months can mean...

2008-01-26T15:10:00.001-05:00

I was just going through some of the first pictures and just experienced a pretty heavy reality check.

The pictures say it all.

"Let my soul smile ..."

2008-01-22T22:47:00.001-05:00

"Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts."-Paramahansa Yogananda

In Max's case, the goals and milestones you read about your baby supposedly reaching in his first year and beyond are a bit out of whack. Everything you read about is based on a baby going full term, and as we all know, Max was just a little bit early.

Some of Max's developmental progress seems to be on track for how old he actually is, and some on track for how old he "should" be based on his due date. We like to think he received a head start in some ways but we're not too worried if he lags a little behind in others.

After two unnecessarily verbose paragraphs I'll finally come to the point of this post: Maxwell is smiling.

We're not talking your everyday, hundred-yard stare, I'm-passing-gas little drooling grins. We're talking look-you-in-the-eyes-my-grin's-bigger-than-yours-as I open my mouth wide-make-my-mom and dad crack-up-and-then-melt type smile. And then it's gone and he's looking at you with a furrowed brow like you're the craziest thing he's ever seen.

The funny thing is we have better luck getting him to smile while asking him questions. It doesn't matter what the question is. His favorite seems to be, "You have a burp stuck in there for me...?" But it could just as easily be, "What's your thoughts on Obama...?" or "Who's your favorite Redwing...?" It must be an intonation thing.

It's easy to get into a funk when your kid isn't doing things as soon as he should be. Taking a step back, he IS doing things just as he SHOULD be. With a few things, depending how you look at it, he's ahead.

And the smiles wipe all those doubts away.

(Thanks to Nanny for this pic...)

Talent

2008-01-16T06:31:00.000-05:00

We know babies spit up.

We know babies sometimes throw up.

How the hell max launched about 2 ounces of hour-old milk over the 4-inch wall of his "snuggle nest" at Mom with nary a drop on himself is completely beyond me...

Time to wash the bedding. Again.

"All night"

2008-01-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

Something was odd this morning when my wife elbowed me in the ribs to get up and get a bottle going. The odd feeling is best described as not feeling like crap and that I didn't really have to pry open my eyes as we have twice a night, every night, since November 16th, 2007.

The answer to this unexplained feeling smacked me in the head when my eyes focused on the alarm clock. 7:00 A.M. Damn.

Now, my wife tells me it's considered sleeping "all night" if your baby sleeps five hours or longer. Though Max has met that goal a few times, it hasn't really felt like he's slept "all night" until now. Most nights (mornings) we're usually up at 4 or 5 A.M., stumbling around the dark upstairs to warm a bottle, and then propping our eyelids open so we don't fall over and smother the poor kid while feeding him.

Do we dare say Max made it through the night? Do we dare rest our hopes and dreams of yawn-free days and sleep-filled, dreamy nights on the fact our boy made it "all night" without gently waking his parents and oh-so-politely asking for meal?

Maybe it's still just an exercise in patience. (I'm sure our parents could graciously elaborate on that last sentence.)

Boy in a Bubble

2008-01-04T08:24:00.001-05:00

We seem to be developing a pattern here... Grandma ML just couldn't help herself either.

Someday we'll be a healthy lot...

First Annual

2008-01-01T18:18:00.001-05:00

What do you get when you have a desperate Nanny, who's been sick for two weeks and not able to see her Michigander grandson...?

You get Dad's crazy mother driving twenty minutes to spell out "♥U" with red food coloring in the snow, plop down and make a snow angel, and then gaze lovingly through a steamed up living room window to get just a little Max fix. And then drive back home.

Nanny earns the first ever "Crazy Grandparent Award." (attention all grandparents: You too can earn your way to this esteemed award and into a feature article published in I Am Max.)

Maxwell has absolutely no lack of loving relatives on every front.

2 Month Update

2007-12-28T11:30:00.001-05:00

The kid hit 10 lbs. 13 oz. today.

That being said, he wasn't happy with today's visit. We all know what the two month visit means... Vaccinations. He recieved three shots in one leg, two in the other, and one by mouth.

"Yippee...!" he probably thought. "You give me this weird grape tasting stuff first to butter me up, and then you hold me down and stab me over and over in both legs and tell me it's for my own good..?!? Your the BEST parents I've ever had..." (No sarcasm genes in this family by god... Nope!)

Needless to say he's been a bit perturbed with us all night.

On another note: check out the little pole on the right side of the page--->

We'll let everyone know what the result is as soon as it happens (oh such giddy, young parents...).

Early On

2007-12-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

Back when we were still in the NICU, the resident social worker asked if we wanted to take part in a program called Early On.

Basically what it boils down to is a program through your local school district where a registered nurse comes to your house once a month to evaluate the physical, social, emotional, etc. development of your new baby. Babies should be doing certain things at certain ages. If the nurse sees a lack of development in any of those areas during one of her visits, she'll come back with a specialist to evaluate, advise, and set goals.

It's all about setting goals and making sure your kid is on track in all these areas and making sure he gets the right person to help him and us reevaluate, reach, and set new goals.

Any baby, newborn to 3 years, who have some sort of development "need" or who where born premature qualify. And the best part is it's at no cost to us.

Today we had our second visit, and instead of having Max get his two-month evaluation, the nurse decided we would wait another month due to the fact (according to his due-date) developmentally he's only two weeks old. (ummm. duh..) And if we sit down and think about it, it makes perfect sense. We figure, with some of the progress he's made since coming into this world, he'll be ahead of the game a bit when his evaluation finally comes up.

It seems like a great program, and so far we really like our nurse. Her name's Joy by the way, and boy was she named right. Anyone, in my humble opinion, would be a complete idiot to turn down this program if it was offered.

Two for two

2007-12-27T09:26:00.000-05:00

Max survived his second Christmas gathering virtually in the same fashion as the previous one. He slept.

Survival mode.

I can't remember him being on my lap once the whole time we were there.

He's a popular guy that little chunk. He made out like a bandit.

A fine showing

2007-12-23T11:25:00.001-05:00

Max went to his first Christmas gathering yesterday. You want to talk about having to be the center of attention... Geez....!

Passed from lap to lap and dressed in an outfit bought by dad, Max handled the day just like any other newborn boy would have.

He slept. Barely cracked an eyelid the whole night.

That is until we were preparing to head home and he decided to give Nanny the pleasure of changing a very heavy diaper. Two diapers worth actually. Made her day...

Side note: for those who have access to the photobucket account, they're having trouble with the guest log-in process. We've been emailing back and forth, and basically the word is "they know about the problem and are working on it." We'll see if it takes much longer. If it does, I may move to another site. I'll keep you posted.

Trial by fire. (Or something like that...)

2007-12-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

Even though Annie and I are both new parents and flying by the seat of our pants sometimes, my wife still knows a heck of a lot more than I do about Max just by virtue of growing up as a girl always wanting to have a baby and asking this and that whenever someone she knew had a baby of their own.

The latest thing I've learned: Breast fed babies sometimes don't poop but once or twice a week. When they do poop sometimes it's a whole hell of a lot more than these little preemie or newborn diapers can hold.

That's all I have to say about that...

Due Date = New look

2007-12-13T22:07:00.000-05:00

As you can see, things have changed a bit here at Max's site. I decided to change formats a bit to make it easier for any of our many visitors to leave Max a comment, word of advice, or just a plain "You listen to your grandparents young man..!" It's easy enough, just click the "comments" link at the bottom of each post and you're in business. We'd love to hear from you.

It's amazing to think tomorrow is Max's original due date. December 14, 2007. He was supposed to be a Christmas baby and ended up being more of a Halloween guy.

Seven weeks, two days early. Almost two months early. wow.......

He's doing great by the way. Since the beginning of November, he's gone from 4 lbs. 4 oz. to damn near 9 lbs. (And he probably just hit it lying next to me on the couch).

We all couldn't be happier. (minus the sleep debt)

We like to think of Max's arrival as a two month head start. We'll teach him not to "jump the gun" later.

The oh-so-popular reflux

2007-12-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

We ended up going to the doctor yesterday to confirm what we already knew-- he has an umbilical hernia. No worries. New parents being reassured it should take care of itself in the next 1-3 years.

Three days ago we estimated Max's weight at about 8 pounds. Right. The nurse threw him on the scale when we first got there, and then later the doctor threw him back on the scale figuring her nurse made a mistake. Nope. Confirmed. 8 lbs. 14 lbs. He's damn close to doubling his birth weight. He's already doubled his lowest weight recorded a few days after he was born at 4 lbs. 4 oz.

Due to his fantastic rate of weight gain, he's now off the formula (which is good because he hates it) and on vitamin drops. Also the doc prescribed Zantac due to Max showing some signs of reflux. We've already noticed a decrease in his fussiness over the last 24 hours. Gotta love the gastroesophageal reflux.

As Nanny says, he's our own little "el chunko"...

Oinker

2007-12-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

In a completely unscientific procedure, using an old, beat up regular bathroom scale and a cloth tape, we estimate Max to be right around 8 lbs. and 20 inches long. No surprise, he should be with the way he's been sucking down his milk lately. My wife's down to around... (uh uh. I'm not that stupid.)

The little guy is making a valiant effort holding his head up, looking around the room or at whoever might be feeding him, before his little neck muscles give out and the old mellon flops down to the nearest shoulder.

Also, just as we thought we might have a quiet baby on our hands, Max has begun to LET US KNOW, every three hours, that it's time to eat. The boy has some lungs.

I'm not sure about the rest of his genes, but he definitely has some Bloxom in him to blame for his insatiable hunger and very short temper.

A day in the life...

2007-12-03T20:24:00.000-05:00

12am-2am: get ready for and hopefully be in bed
2am-3am: feed &/or pump
3am-5am: sleep
5am-6am: feed &/or pump
6am-8am: sleep
8am-9am: feed &/or pump
9am-11am: think about doing laundry or other chores
11am-12pm: feed &/or pump
12pm-3pm: first decide, then make & eat lunch
3pm-4pm: feed &/or pump
4pm-6pm: first decide, then make & eat dinner
6pm-7pm: feed &/or pump
7pm-9pm: maybe catch some tv / update site
9pm-10pm: feed &/or pump
10pm-12am: try to stay awake

But it never really goes like this...

"Updated" Max Update location

2007-11-30T20:22:00.000-05:00

Scratch that last post. By popular demand, we'll continue to keep everyone apprised of Max's adventures on this page. It would be better to keep news of the little guy separate from the blithering opinions of his father.

Speaking of news. Max had his 2-week appointment with his pediatrician yesterday. Everything is great, and the oinker topped out at 7 lbs 4 oz. (As we all remember, he bottomed out at 4 lbs. 4 oz. way back when in the NICU.) He's eating like his dad.

Or is it his mom...?

Max Updates

2007-11-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

Any future Max updates will be posted here.

Thank You

2007-11-20T20:14:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to thank everyone for their support and thoughts during Max's stay at the hospital. Five days home now and we're just barely starting to get used to the sleepless nights, loads of laundry and poopy diapers.

A big thank you to everyone, especially our parents and siblings, who not only supported us, but had to "deal" with us as well.

All is good here. As you can see, Vinnie is patiently waiting for his little buddy to get a bit older.

Corey, Annie & Max

11/20: Buddies

Home

2007-11-15T20:13:00.000-05:00

The best day ever. Maxwell is home.

t-minus 24 hours and counting...

2007-11-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

A GREAT day. Our little chow-hound was given the OK to come home tomorrow. He sat in his car-seat hooked up to the monitor for a couple hours just to make sure, and passed with flying colors. Actually, it was just after a feeding and I think all he did was sleep and pass gas. That's one way to do it I guess.

Tomorrow is 3 weeks to the day and he's coming home.

Let the real work begin...

Open Nostrils

2007-11-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

That little switch in Max's brain to suck-swallow has been tripped. Now it's his stamina we're working on. The falling asleep during meal-time is all that's left to get over (besides the "circ" as the nurses call it) before the little guy can come home. He's getting better and better at the breast feeding thing, taking between 25 and 30 ml yesterday, and up to 38 ml before we came home tonight. His diet is calling for 45 ml, so he's finishing up with a bottle each time. I gotta say the boy can chug too. We had to stop him at 53 ml total tonight so he'd again be hungry in 3 hours. He's become so good at the nipple thing, the nurse decided to take the feeding tube right out. It probably doesn't have to be said the yanking of the tube was immediately followed by a round of sneezes.

As far as "little guy" is concerned, today Max hit 5 lbs. 11 oz., a full pound up from his birth weight. You can see it in his face, fingers and toes.

So close now...

Moving forward

2007-11-11T20:04:00.000-05:00

Things are progressing. Yesterday Max set a personal record latching on to mom at one feeding with 26 ml. He also proceeded to top that today in one feeding with 30 ml. He's getting it, but has a hard time staying awake for the 30 minute duration required by the nurses. Usually at about the 20 minute mark they cut him off and finish filling his little belly via tube. We're getting closer though.

Still no word on the circumcision. He was on the list to get it done a couple of days ago, but other babies get bumped up based on when they're going home. Should be soon. On another "skin" note: Max finally lost his dried up little umbilical cord today. It happened this morning before we got to the hospital and the day nurse was kind enough to tape it to the side of Max's crib pending our decision to keep it or not. (Hmph.) It didn't last long after we both turned it over in our hands a few times.

Weight. Yesterday: 5 lbs. 6.2 oz. / Today: 5 lbs. 8.9 oz. The boy's a machine.

Starting to work

2007-11-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

We want to thank everyone out there who silently conveyed their thoughts to Max to "suck". It's starting to work.

Twice today he managed to swallow 20 ml from Mom, which is half of a regular feeding. The second time he finished the last 20 ml via bottle in about 10 minutes. He's very much like his dad at this point (nodding off during dinner), but that will change as we go along.

All this feeding is adding up: 5 lbs 5.6 oz tonight.

Why there's a NICU

2007-11-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

Max is doing great today. He's looking and acting more and more like a little newborn versus a premee. We can see those little, hard-fought ounces as he gains weight, especially in places like his cheeks and belly.

We didn't get a weight for him tonight due to experiencing a pretty real and scary realty check. Not with Max, but with the baby in the incubator next to him.

We had just set up some privacy screens to do a little Kangaroo Care, when we heard what sounded like the baby next to us choke on the bottle he was being fed. An alarm sounded, and as I glanced over the screen at the monitor, I saw the baby's heart rate racing between 260 and 280 bpm. Within seconds there were approximately (we couldn't see much behind the screens) 4-5 nurses and a doctor, cooly and calmly addressing the situation, and within 10 minutes, the baby's heart rate was down to normal, he wasn't screaming, and there was peace in the room again.

Let me explain something, the choreagraphy of the nurses in the immediate area leaving their posts and responding to the situation while nurses from other areas quietly covered for them, the speed and utter calm in their voices and actions, and how they took care of and comforted the young mother who I think was too scared to even panic, was amazing.

Annie and I saw nothing, but heard everything behind those screens, and it comforts us to no end to know our boy Max, with the only thing wrong is he was a bit too early, is in the best possible place he can be right now.

It takes a special person to do what those people do.

E.S.P.

2007-11-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

5 lbs. 2 oz.

Everyone please do us this favor and do your best sending Max your telepathic thoughts of, "...just suck..." Although we have come to find out the doctors now say it could be anywhere from 32 to 36 weeks before that mechanism kicks in, not 33-34 as we originally thought. In a sense that's good, as there's not as much pressure right now, even though we would like him home as soon as "yesterday".

Our boy is beefing up.

Sharp dressed 'little' man

2007-11-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

We're continuing to get closer. Max topped out today at 4 lb 15.5 oz. (notice the ".5") He showed even more promise with latching on to mom. Just waiting for the switch to trip...

The nurses seemed optimistic about him coming home not too long after he learns to breast feed. It's been about 4 days since his last apnea, and the criteria is to go at least 5. So he's doing great in that area.

I have to admit, thanks to Mom filling the drawer to his crib with nice clean, new and donated clothes, Max is argueably the best dressed stud in the unit. I think he has more hats than his dad at this point.

Snip snip

2007-11-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Max finally surpassed his birth weight yesterday, surpassing 4 lb 11 oz to a whopping 4 lb 14 oz. We're tinkering with that 5 lb mark. What a beast.

Other notes of the day: Max had his first of 3 hepatitis-B shots today. He wasn't very a happy with that giant needle in his thigh. We also signed him up for -- ahem -- his circumcision. He has no idea what's in store shortly. At least he won't remember it. Hopefully...

Thank You

2007-11-04T19:49:00.000-05:00

Maxwell was a popular guy today. So many visitors I think we wore the the little guy out. Not only did he get to meet the some more of his grandparents, but his great grandma Helen Mary (who we think tried to sneak him out of the NICU a couple of times).

Minus all the visitors, Max's day was mostly uneventful. We're continuing the Kangaroo Care (which Max loves, and Mom REALLY loves), and he seems to be getting closer everyday to latching on. He's right on the line age-wise where that little "suck/swallow" switch in his brain will be turned on. Anyday now.

Annie and I want to make sure all the people who have been helping us out for the last couple of weeks taking care of the house, the dogs, emotional & moral support, tiny little clothes, etc., know how much it means to us and we appreciate every little thing you do. Hopefully soon we can thank you all personally once Max comes home and we get all settled in.

THANK YOU SO MUCH...

Kangaroo Care

2007-11-03T19:46:00.000-04:00

Today Max and Mom tried out what everyone is calling Kangaroo Care. Basically it's skin-to-skin contact held against the mother's chest. Studies show if an infant's temperature is above or below normal, the mother's own temperature will actually raise or lower a few degrees to help regulate the baby's during this contact. Crazy. Max seemed to enjoy this bonding session almost as much as Mom, glancing up at her face and grinning every so often.

Although he hasn't latched on yet, he managed to down two 40 ml bottles of milk today, one in about 10 minutes. They've also added a milk fortifier to his diet, being as young as he is he needs more vitamins and minerals than the breast milk provides.

The fortifier also adds calories to put some meat on his bones. All that being said, Max weighed in at almost 4 lbs 11 oz.

Slowly but surely...

New Digs

2007-11-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

Another great day. Max seems to have taken a couple steps forward today. Not only did he move from his very luxuriously climate controlled Giraffe Omnibed incubater to a more spacious and open-aired crib, the little fella decided (while his parents were off stuffing themselves with a nutritionally balanced dinner c/o the hospital cafeteria) to chug his 40 ml of milk not via a feeding tube, but from a bottle! He also established a personal record of eating in 20 minutes versus the 30 minutes the feeding pump had always been set at.

Mom and Dad had the chance to bath him for the second time, and then Mom had a little time to play dress up. I'm sure he'll appreciate THOSE pictures in about 10 years.

Weight today almost 4 lbs 10oz. Still moving forward...

7 days and counting

2007-11-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

At 4:34 AM this morning Max became 1 week old. He is doing amazing. We came in this morning and his IV and IV port are completely out. The only things still attached are his feeding tube and the monitor leads. He's up to 40 ml of milk every three hours which is the ideal amount for his size. He has slight touch of jaundice and is right on the line as far as putting him under the bilirubin light again. And if they do, it's completely normal until he starts stooling regularly.

The day before yesterday his weight had dropped to 4 lbs 4 oz, and was back up to 4 lbs 8 oz yesterday. Looks like the milk is starting work a bit. Before you know it he'll be arm wrestling his dad.

Practice

2007-10-31T19:12:00.000-04:00

Max continues to do great. We were able to hold and rock him quite a bit today. We also tried to get him to latch on and then with a bottle to no avail. Practice, practice, practice...

The nurse today speculated Max might get rid of his I.V. tomorrow. That would be fantastic since he's had it put in multiple times in each foot, hand, and even both sides of his scalp. Pain and nuisance for him, just pain for us.

We'll find out his weight tonight when we go back, as that's when they schedule it.

Pajamas

2007-10-30T19:09:00.000-04:00

The days seem to be getting better than the day before. We walked in and found Max in
his incubator with little pj's on which meant he had no CPAP or oxygen in his nose, nor the superhero goggles or biliruben light shining down on him. He had also gone from 8 ml's of food last night to 12 ml's, and while we were there they pushed it up to 16 ml's. His digestion is finally getting the hang of things.

Not only did Annie get to change a nice, messy, black diaper, but she also got to try feeding him again. Not quite there yet, but there are signs of progress. We both were able to hold and rock him for quite a long time, thanks to Supermax deciding he didn't need some of Sparrow's high-tech assistance for the time being.

We all like taking steps forward...

Open the valves, testing the plumbing

2007-10-29T19:06:00.000-04:00

Home for a couple hours for dinner. Max, Annie and I had a great day so far. Max started to digest his colostrum last night. Between his feeding at 12:30pm and his feeding at 3:45pm while we were there he managed to get 10 ml from his stomach into his intestines. A far cry from none over the last 3 days. His breathing is evening out and they've turned the pressure down on the CPAP. Indications are he might be off it in the next day or so.

We also had the chance to given him a bath. His eyes were open and looking around and he was calm as can be - until the nurse came back and ticked him off...

Good news! We came back to find Max without the CPAP. Not only that but he produced a pretty good sized stool while we were there. Now that he's starting to get the plumbing working, hopefully he'll start getting rid of the bilirubin, breathing even better, and start putting on some weight. One day at a time...

But today Max had a GREAT day...

A hard 5 ml

2007-10-28T19:04:00.000-04:00

Max was pretty much stable today. Still has the CPAP hooked up and a feeding tube. We watched him get his 5 ml of colostrum this afternoon. Upon return after dinner, the nurse found it still in his stomach in time for his second feeding. She proceeded to remove the 5 ml and replace it with new. I guess it's just going to be a waiting game before his lungs and digestive process begin to function. We're told at 33-34 weeks is usually when things start to move.

Super Max

2007-10-27T18:59:00.000-04:00

Came in this morning to see Max still has his CPAP on and we were informed the neonatalogist has postponed a feeding attempt until tomorrow. Not only that, but he now has a bright blue bilirubin light shining down on him to help with converting the bilirubin in his skin to a form that can be excreted when his digetive system finally kicks in. (jaundice)

So now we wears these foam goggles that make him look like a superhero. We call him Super Max.

CPAP

2007-10-26T18:53:00.000-04:00

Today we came in and Max wasn't wearing the CPAP. Just a little oxygen running in through his nose. His little knit cap was off and we could finally see his whole face and head. He's got a good head of dark brown hair, and we spent part of the day determining who's hair-line he might have.

Since Max has no "suck" instinct yet, he's being fed colostrum via feeding tube. We tried breast feeding a bit, even though he's too young. Not much luck yet, but there were signs Max thought there might be something to this nipple thing...

Came in after dinner to find Max back on the CPAP. His digestion hasn't quite kicked in so his full stomach was hindering his breathing somehow. They emptied his stomach, put the CPAP back on, and now we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see about
feeding him again.

Maxwell Thomas

2007-10-25T04:34:00.000-04:00

Maxwell Thomas Bloxom decided, without consulting his parents, it was his
time to emerge from his warm, dark, safe, and cozy little existence into the real cold, real dry, real loud, and real REAL world in which he was intended -- albeit 8 weeks early. 4 lbs. 11 oz. & 18" long.

My wife was amazing. Our kid was amazing. His first little ticked-off cry exactly 1.3 seconds into the open air completely floored me, and I think all of us in the room let out one giant collective sigh of relief. He's got some work to do getting used to breathing and digesting, but other than that, there are no defects we can see. His 5 minute APGAR was 9 of 10.

We will never be the same...