Max in Florida Part 1: the arrival

We're probably going to have to break this up so that a) this post isn't four pages long, b) we don't forsake raising our child for hours on end just to post something and c) you don't fall asleep reading it.

This past week and a half, the three of us have been in Orlando, FL for a wonderful vacation. Ostensibly, the trip was to get me and some friends down to Florida for the 2008 National Scrabble Championships (more on that later), but we were also looking to see some sights and expose Max to new things. We got to be tourists and have little road trips, and learned all about trying to plan days around kids of all sorts of ages who all fell asleep at different times of the day. It was a whole new experience for all of us, and it was awesome!

Let's start at the start. We were the first family to arrive in Orlando on Monday the 21st. We left home at 5 in the morning and Max's Auntie L was kind enough to drive us to the airport at that ungodly hour. The flights went smoothly and we overheard the U.S. customs agent in Toronto telling all of his coworkers about the Scrabble player who just went through security. Cool. We landed in Orlando around noon and were met with a blast of heat and humidity after getting off the plane that reminded us of our trip to Philadelphia last summer, but worse. Which for me meant better because I love the heat :) We lounged in the airport for three hours or so (wonderful airport - lots of lovely shops, restaurants and Disney character photo ops), waiting for the T-Ps (party #2) to show up. Their daughter, little Madeleine, has almost been married off to Max by now, but this was their first official trip together.

We all piled into a minivan (Holly was enough of a trooper to accept the responsibility of being the sole driver for the duration of the trip!) and zoomed off to our hotel. We were all excited/nervous to see the hotel that we had scooped on Hotwire for a measly $40 per night. It was the Hyatt Place Orlando/Universal and wow, did we ever have a great stay! Even at full price, this would have been a good place to book. The rooms were actually massive (more like suites than rooms) with a lovely kitchenette, full desk and seating area separate from the bedroom area. The seating areas were so big that we frequently had all of the adults on the trip (8 of us) hanging out in the same space. The staff was possibly the friendliest of any hotel we've ever booked (they kept giving Max cookies and waffles - with full knowledge of course that his parents would be enjoying the treats!!), the complimentary breakfasts were healthy and delish, and they were great about offering recommendations and giving directions. The only downside of the whole place was the water (both tap and pool), which tasted pretty awful. Yuck. I actually had Max in the pool once before the tournament started so I got to witness that he is, in fact, fine with being underwater as long as he's relatively warm. It was kind of neat to share water time with Max without bringing about a meltdown.

Let's rewind this a bit, though. As we were pulling up to the hotel, we got BLASTED with what turned out to be an almost daily deluge of rain, wind and (occasionally) hail. I've never seen storms like this. Conveniently, they tended to schedule themselves for the late afternoon, from 3-6, give or take. So all of our outings had to be scheduled with the storms in mind.

We wrapped up our first day in town by taking in a truly American tradition: eating like pigs at an all-you-can-eat trough. They used to have Ponderosas in Canada, but it's been a while. So we wheeled up to one on International Drive (known more by it's nickname I-Drive) and pigged out. Meat. Make-your-own tacos. The staple for our trip: mac 'n cheez. A rainbow of Jello. 750 ml small soft drinks. Ugh.

Next up: a day trip to Cocoa beach and birthday celebrations.

But first, some visual evidence of fun times in the Orlando airport:

1) Max's introduction to crayons...no, none of those visible squiggles are his.
2) Max and Daddy
3) Max and Mummy on the movator.

So much to say

Well, it's been a while since my last post and A LOT has happened in the meantime. Let me start by talking a bit about me - Max gets plenty of ink, as they say (and as they say in the Coffee Crisp commercials, "who are THEY?"). Yesterday, I wrapped up what should be my last day of work in a really long time. I'm cleared for five months of leave from work to assist in the rearing of my child. This time is partly going to be for me to find a good daycare provider for Max, but also to bond with my little monkey and have the sort of adventures Holly and Max have been enjoying for almost a year. Ideally, the daycare will only kick in after a while so that I can at least get a taste of taking him to some classes and get a bit of routine going. There are still some logistics I haven't sorted out (let's just say I don't come with the same sleep-inducing tools Holly does), but I'm still really looking forward to the quality time together.

So back to the star of this blog. The past three weeks have been nuts. Max had his little junket out to Halifax, we had a cottage weekend up past St. Pierre-de-Wakefield (I'm saving that one for a future blog entry), and there have been a lot of little milestones for Max. While it has been wonderful watching these milestones go by, I think his little brain is on fire these days, because he sure isn't abiding by his old bedtime. Over the last week, in particular, Max hasn't been able to tucker himself out until 9:45 most nights and this past Thursday, he even made it to 10:45. I carried him upstairs about 20 minutes later (hey, our TV show wasn't over yet) and by then he was so unconscious that I managed to put him down on the floor, change his diaper, remove his clothes and pop him into bed without waking him. Up until then, I was starting to think that "sleeping like a baby" meant "not sleeping at all", but that night, he slept through one of the loudest thunderstorms I have ever witnessed. Max never ceases to amaze.

So what has Max been up to? Well, let's start with his mobility. A couple of weeks ago, Max was getting around on his tummy via army crawl. He'd use his right leg to push himself forward and his left would be up in the air like a periscope. One day, he figured out (after months of the one-legged army drag) that he could use his other leg to help out. Then, finally, he put it all together and this past Sunday started to crawl on his hands and knees. Wow. It got that I thought he'd just skip right by this step, but in the end, it was like he flicked a switch on and just decided to do it. Nuts. He's pretty solid at it to - living room to kitchen in 10 seconds. The funny thing is that before he got to the point of crawling, he was already pretty good at cruising around sofas and tables, etc. He can even make his way across a wall and keep himself standing upright (with something to lean on) for quite some time. You could have probably guessed that he was a talented stander from the pictures in Holly's Nova Scotia post. I guess in my mind, I had assumed that those two things would have come in the opposite order, but as our favourite resource book says "don't worry about when the milestones come, or in what order, just make sure they come". So there you have it - Max can crawl and cruise pretty well.

Still in the realm of mobility, Max has learned to back himself off of high things. I'm not talking about rappelling from the kitchen counter, the top of the fridge or the garage roof. I mean from our bed. He'll get to the edge, have a look, realize he wants down and then he'll throw it in reverse, pull a U-turn and go off the edge of the bed feet first so that he'll slide off into a standing position. This one blows me away because neither of us ever actually showed him how to do this. He just figured it out. So I suppose this means that multiplication table are right around the corner. In more stationary news, Max has also started to play in a kind of squatting/kneeling position where his shins and bum are all on the ground. I feel like my Baba would tell me that this is not a good position for the development of his legs...

What else...well, Max is not too far away from uttering his first word. It's not mama or dada. In fact, he hasn't said anything close to either of these for a while. But when Holly came back from Halifax and walked in the door, Lily meowed and came roaring down the stairs. Max said "AT!" loud and clear and has been repeating it ever since. This is definitely the first time that he has associated a sound we make with an object or action and then attempted to repeat that sound to us. We keep saying CAT to him, and sometimes I swear he says "ACK!" instead (like he knows how to make a hard C, just not where to put it), though most of the time, it's just "AT!". I've tried to take advantage of this and work on HAT, MAT and SAMIZDAT, but it looks like we're stuck with AT for now. Here's a video:



In the past couple of weeks, Max (and Holly, I suppose) has learned how to nap during the day in his crib. Holly is finally able (when plans don't have the two of them whipping around town) to typically get Max down for a couple of 60+ minute naps each day. It's a bit funny that this happens just as the cavalry arrives (OK, fine, so I'm more like a squire, at best), but at least it has started to happen. It made for a couple periods of relaxation last weekend!

Finally, Max is starting to understand that there is sometimes something to be gained by giving things to Holly and I. This is a very recent development. Prior to a few days ago, if we wanted something in his hand, we'd have to take it. Now, very rarely, Max will sometimes give us whatever he's got, either to have us do something with it, or just to "give" something. Here's a video of the most egregious example we've had so far:



So there you have it. Max is coming along quite well. We'll get back to blogging in a week and a half or so with all sorts of new pictures. Here are some recent ones to tide you over.

Atlantic Adventures

Max and I have been back from our East Coast adventure for a week already so I thought I should take a bit of time to write a post. We hosted playgroup at our place today so Max is down for a much-needed nap after so much sensory overload.

Our reason for visiting Halifax was to spend time with our friend Jen, her husband James and their five-month old twins, Rose and Lillian, before they all moved back to Laos. Jen was one of my roommates at Trent and is a dear, dear friend. We also had the great pleasure of hosting Jen in this house while she finished up grad school a few years ago. Jen and James hosted us when we visited Laos. I had been thinking about finding a way to get to Halifax for a few months now so when Jen called to say that they were leaving July 12th to go home, I realized that it was now or never. We got really lucky and managed to book a direct flight on points.

We arrived on Sunday, July 6th, and were greeted at the airport by Jen and her awesome dad, Hugh. After some great visiting time at the apartment in Dartmouth, we headed out for a barbeque at J and A's place in Halifax (family friends). The beer can chicken and homemade strawberry pie were divine. The ride home to Dartmouth with three screaming babies (everyone was a little overtired) was a bit rough but we all survived.

On Monday morning, Jen, Max and I headed out to get some errands done for their move while James and Grandma Kelly tended to the babies. On Monday afternoon, I decided to take all of the babies out for a walk so Jen and James could get a bit of baby-free time. I wore Max in a front carrier and had the babies in a double stroller. It was quite the sight! I wish I had thought to get a picture taken. That evening, Hugh and Kelly took us out for dinner at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (North America's oldest yacht club) where Hugh is a member. We sat outside and had a lovely meal by the water.

On Tuesday, we headed out on a mini-road trip to Lawrencetown, about forty minutes from Dartmouth. There is a beautiful beach there and an amazing teahouse. The teahouse served both biscuits AND scones so I was in heaven (I am sure that some blog readers remember my voracious appetite for anything biscuit- or scone-like when I was about five months pregnant). We strolled the boardwalk and even got some time to stick our feet in the water while the babies snoozed in their strollers. It was unseasonably hot in Halifax (35 degrees plus) so it was wonderful to be out in the ocean air. On Tuesday evening, Hugh and Kelly hosted us for a barbeque at their place.

On Wednesday morning, we bid everyone adieu and headed home. I can definitely say that it was the right decision to go. It was amazing to see this new family in action and to introduce Max to another dear friend. Max and I had a really wonderful time. We were so blessed to have such a lovely visit. Here are some photos of our adventures.

All three babies looking at once - yay me!:



Max and Lily enjoying the Exersaucer:


Jen, Max and Lily having some fun, with Rosie asleep in the background:


James and Max deep in conversation at the teahouse:


Hot mommas at the beach:


Max taking care to review the safety card located in the seat pocket in front of him before take-off on the flight home:


Random notes:

- I am completely in awe of parents of multiples. I really couldn't believe how much more work it is with two babies. Jen and James and their support network are so incredible with Rose and Lillian. Those little babies are surrounded by so much love.

- I think Max is a born traveler - he handled everything with a smile on his face. Both flights were great.

- Happy belated birthday, Auntie Krysta!

A week of firsts

Max had quite a few super cool firsts this week - first Canada Day, first haircut and first outdoor pool - so I thought I better write a quick post. It will have to be quick though because Max and I are off to Halifax first thing tomorrow morning and there is still some packing to be done.

Max and John ventured downtown to take in some of Ottawa's world famous Canada Day festivities. I'll let John fill you in on the details but here is an awesome video of Max putting his first free maple leaf swag to good use on Canada Day night:



Yesterday, I took Max to get his first haircut. It was starting to get quite long in the front and over his ears so we decided that it was time. On the recommendation of an awesome mum in one of my classes, I took him to Francecso's Barbershop at our local mall. It was fabulous! They sat Max on a padded board over the arms of the barber chair and put a cape on him. He looked SO cute with his little head poking out of the giant cape in the big barber chair. Max was an absolute all-star and the barber was able to complete the entire haircut without a peep from Max. The barber said he was one of the best babies he had ever seen in the shop! I think Max was too interested in all of the other boys and men in the shop and all of the mirrors, electric razors and blow dryers to care about what was going on with his own hair. When I told the barber that Max liked the blow dryer, he proceeded to blow Max's hair into a side part. Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos taken at the barbershop as I was holding Max steady on the board. I did take some photos in one of the little rides at the mall.

Max doing his best "Blue Steel" impression:





I'm happy to report that he also had a blast on this ride when I stuck a loonie in it. On a completely unrelated note, what can you get for a quarter these days now that these rides are a loonie and a local call is $0.50? I digress. He was grabbing the steering wheel and loving the sounds and lights going off. It breaks my heart to see him looking like such a little boy these days. It just reminds me that our days home together are numbered and to cherish every moment.

Today was a spectacular summer day (finally!) so Max and I were delighted to get an invitation to a little pool party with my sister and a few friends. I am extremely pleased to report that Max spent almost an hour in the pool and had an absolute blast. I don't know if it was the outdoor pool or the fact that it was a saltwater pool or his snazzy outdoor swim gear but he really had a good time. It took us a little bit of time to get used to the water but once we got in, it was great. He was kicking and splashing with his hands and floating with his hands on a pool noodle. He even voluntarily stuck his face in the water off the raft at one point. I don't know if today means that he is turning the corner on swimming but I was doing a little internal dance for joy the whole time he was enjoying himself in the pool. Yahoo!!!



Yikes. It's late. I better get my butt in gear. Halifax travelogue to follow!

Father's Day

I suppose this post is coming a bit late, but better late than never. I have been wanting to write a little something about Daddy's Day for a while, but the whole sickness thing kind of derailed plans a bit.

When I woke up on Father's Day, it hadn't really sunk in that there was a new day to celebrate me and the things I do. I'm a dad now. How sweet is that? I got all reflective and mooshy that day and thought a lot about what the past 9 months (and the 9 before that:) had meant to me. Max is such a treat - calm, cheeky, mysterious, nimble, healthy, cute and awe-inspiring. A lot of positives (and even if I did have negatives to say, I wouldn't put them where he could read them in a few years - ha ha!!).

Max and Mommy treated me to a nice breakfast at Cora's, a primarily Ontario/Quebec brekkie-type place that puts a lot of emphasis on fresh fruit. It was really lovely. And kind of cool to look around the restaurant and see all of the other fathers getting taken out for their special days. It really made me feel like part of the club. See that guy over there? I've experienced some of the things he has. Totally cool. Things like that make me think a lot about my dad and where his mind might have been when he was my age. I'm in his club too now . . . (although now, I suppose he has silver status).

When we got home, we rested a bit and then packed up to go wander the streets of Westfest - a neighbourhood party that takes place all along Richmond, a street a few blocks from here. We showed up in time to catch a breakdancing expo and then
got caught in a massive downpour. We hung out under an awning for 20 minutes or so, waiting for it to pass. Max got a little wet, though, and was rocking some serious hair (pictured here). We grabbed some yummy Mexican food (well, Holly and I did. Max had stuff from a jar) where we heard a waitress describe mole sauce as "you kind of have to try it - it's really different. The people who like it, love it!". Yikes. Some ingredients please? While we were eating, another wave of rain hit. We tried to wait it out, but in the end just decided to walk home and get wet.

It was a great way to spend Father's day - time with my family, yummy food and good stories. Thanks to Holly and Max for making it happen! I want to share one last thing with you - some videos taken during our trip home from Cora's. It was windy in the car, Max's hair was awesome and the little guy was pretty tired. What a perfect storm of things to capture on video:

Table of contents:
1) Max loving the feel of the open road.
2) Max trying to sleep but giving one last mug for the camera.
3) Max alllmmmmoooost asleep but a car horn wakes him; Max takes swing at paparazzo.
4) Max passed out.
5) Dad having some fun at comatose Max's expense. Warning: uptight people might disapprove of the content of this video.

BLLEEEUGUUUUGHHH!

I'm not sure how it's actually spelled, but that's pretty close.

So the three of us were out on the town last night to celebrate a friend's birthday. Heck, Holly wore a skirt and makeup for the first time in Max's *entire* existence. She looked pretty good too. We were at a hip little restaurant and had ordered some pretty yummy-sounding meals when Max started to get fussy. I took him for a walk outside and he calmed right down, staring at the people and traffic like he normally does. We got back to the restaurant and set him up in his high chair to feed. I handed him half a Baby Mum-Mum rice cracker as an appetizer and as he was bringing it up to his mouth, he let out the most amazing stream of vomit we had ever seen. I mean, all we could do was stare. "How much does this baby hold?" was running through my mind.

When Max was younger, he spat up what seemed like a lot to us. Other people were always telling us he spat up a lot. So we were always checking the baby books to see what the "worry" threshold was. It seems that spitting up is OK until it becomes projectile. So, often, when Max would have his little spit-ups, we'd ask ourselves "was that projectile? What about that one?". Well, now we know. The restaurant was certainly projectile.

I whisked him away from the party (sadly - I was enjoying myself!), which was good because he lit up his car seat on the way home. Poor guy. So into the tub we went. We chilled for a while and then I gave him some apple sauce and a bottle on his way to sleep. We're not sure if it was some of the food he had (he had had a bunch of egg yolk hat lunch, so it's on probation, and some kidney beans the night before . . . and we've been suspicious of those for a while) or, as some of our reading turned up, the ingestion of "the infected secretions of a sore throat" (bleck), which fits the fact that he's been rolling with a pretty good cough since Thursday.

He's really working his way through the Baby Sickness 101 textbook this week (fever, rash, vomit, hacking cough), but we're super lucky to have made it this far without a real illness. I can only imagine how differently we would be handling this if he was only 1 or 2 months old. I think we run on some basic assumptions about his ability to recover from things (read: falls, sickness) that reduce the worry factor regarding things like throwing up and fevers that are high, but not too high. We just believe that he'll cry a bit then realize everything's cool, roll over and then look for the next coffee table to climb, with a smile on his face.

Max vs. Bubbles: A Photo Essay

The funniest thing was how he closed his eyes when the bubbles got really close, as displayed in the first photo.

In case you were wondering, Max is indeed standing by himself at the coffee table. We are going to have a real monkey on our hands.

I can't wait to get outside and blow some serious bubbles for this guy - although that bubble in photo three is pretty awesome.