How do you make a costume dance? Put a little booger in it!

Hello, readers! Lots to write about and I gotta move fast, as Mr. Max is taking a nap and it is only a matter of time before I see him squish and squirm around on his monitor, subtly implying, "I'M SO OVER THIS." So I will try to get in as much as I can, starting with an important announcement: Max slept from 8:15pm - 8:15am this morning!!! (happy dance). His sleeping has gotten so much better ever since he has started taking naps in his crib (we also changed swaddle blankets to one that practically mummifies him, but that's an aside). As far as a daily schedule goes, well, we're working on it. Mommy's first mistake: looking on the internet for the normalcy of infant schedules. Below is an example of what one may find when Googling others' opinions on parenting a 3 month old.

Exhibit A:
- my DS ("Darling Son", for those unfortunate few who aren't hip to the world of online mommy forums, tsk tsk) had a schedule down to the minute by 6 weeks old, as follows:
8:08 am - wakes up
8:30 am - first feeding
8:36 am - burps followed by a smile
9:08 - 12:24 play
12:24pm- helps Mommy in with groceries
12:53pm - nap
1:07pm-  play, feed
1:29pm - smiles and coos, diaper change
1:34pm - more play, sign language and foreign affairs

.... you get the picture. Oh, this baby also slept 12 hours a night straight before he even left the hospital.

Awesome.

Repetitive Googling (RG) is a chronic condition in which new mothers seek specific, biased information from the internet, which typically backfires causing otherwise avoidable stress and anxiety which can only be comforted by a slice of something chocolate. If you have at least three tabs open on your browser lasting 4 hours or more, consult a physician.

I could sit here and type out, one thousand times, to NOT look on the internet for any answers about your little booger's habits. I oblige you. However, I believe that learning this lesson on your own is imperative; as a new mother, we ourselves have to put our hands on the hot stove of the world wide web until we reach the point in which we can truly recognize its worth (or lack thereof). Because the truth of it is, you can confirm or negate ANYTHING you want via the internet. According to what I have researched, (insert parenting practice here) is ideal/encouraged/indifferent/frowned upon/avoided/an abomination. So I have made a vow to scrap the internet altogether, when my natural motherly instincts are begging for a vote of confidence: "Put me in, coach! I know what I'm doing!"

Onward. Last Monday was quite a special day for Max - his first Halloween! He did great in his chicken costume, as did his Daddy:





I took Max to his Musicology class that day, where all the little munchkins wore their Halloween costumes (oddly enough, not one went as an actual munchkin). If there is one thing on this planet that is cuter than kittens in snowshoes, it's babies in costume. Exhibit B:




Told ya.



Farmer and her chickens

After class, we went home so Max could take nap and psych himself up for his first night of Trick Or Treating! We dressed him up again and went to our friends Nick and Stacey's house to meet up with them, our friends Chad, Ashley, and Jaclyn, and their adorable children. We all ventured out into the neighborhood for some candy hoarding fun. Though Max slept in Daddy's arms the entire night, he will always have pictures to look back on to document his first Halloween ever.

Later that evening, Josh and I went out for Cave Creek's Annual Halloween Pub Crawl. It was our third year doing it, and it felt good to keep up with one of the traditions we love.


Lately, the main focus of our days consist of continued efforts to help Max correct his torticollis and plagiocephaly (if you didn't know about this, gotcha! You haven't been reading.) He continues weekly PT and we are scheduled to get an evaluation on his head shape and "severity" (geez, that word sounds so severe) of his tort. Meanwhile, I try to keep him off his head as much as possible, so no more head stands. Just checking if you're still paying attention. I actually carry him around in the Baby Bjorn while around the house, as setting him down in his swing or bouncy seat makes me feel like Mommie Dearest's irresponsible sister. We also incorporate numerous stretches into our day to lengthen his neck muscle. I will be sure to keep you all posted on his definite progress!