Chubby is cute....?

Only once in your life is it cute to be chubby. This is it:
Max is really filling out and is about 12 pounds already. He's developed a second chin and adorable thunder thighs. I have chunky thighs too but somehow, they are not so charming. ;)He's losing a lot of his hair and he's balding on top. With the hairline and the occasional scowl, he looks just like a little old man.
Here's a quick glimpse of the smiles that are starting. It's not the infant gassy smiles anymore. They are deliberate, but quick. They are a little hard to photograph but here's a first.Grandma and Grandpa Bill were visiting last week and had a great time with all their grandkids. And lastly, I try not to overlook these everyday, simple moments. I love to see my boys snuggled up for a nap. These are the moments I want to engrave in my memory. Thanks for visiting! Have a safe, and Happy Thanksgiving!

So blessed

Until now, I've never felt as complete and whole as a family and a person. I am truly pleased with this stage of my life and I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here are some more pictures from our recent photo session.

I hope that you are able to whole-heartedly be thankful for all your blessings this holiday, and every day. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Christy

Max's Birth announcement

I'm so excited about the way Max's birth announcements turned out. (Compliments of Roxter Designs--thanks!) I just wanted to share this right away. Life is busy--It will probably take me a while to get these printed and mailed.

Take care,
Christy

Some new pictures..

When Max was 9 days old, we had professional pictures taken of him, all 3 kids, and the family. Stefanie from Joie de Vivre photography did it and she did great! Here's the first sneak peak: Look how he has changed! Here are a couple pictures I took of him on Saturday. Almost one month old. wow!
I was working on some Christmas crafts so I thought he looked so cute in a little Christmas outfit. Check out his little smirk--adorable!
Thanks for checking in!
Christy

Speed Post

Holy cow--November already?!?!? SERIOUSLY? How did that happen!?!

Panic. Stress. I don't have much time to write but I wanted to make sure I posted a few pictures from Halloween.

Doesn't Max look adorable in his pumpkin costume? He has been growing so quickly, he almost didn't fit in it!
I made the family pose for this picture right before we went out to trick-or-treat. That was the best bribe to get Maddie and Sam to cooperate!Here are the kids' pumpkins. We carved them as "self portaits." Of course, Maddie's pumpkin is all glammed-out, Sam's has a scary face, and you can't miss Max's pumpkin. This was so fun! I hope your Halloween was fun too!
Cheers!
Christy

P.S. ONLY 50 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! Boy, do I have a lot to do!

School Days

I am really busy these days with 3 kids 5 years old and under! (Busy is an understatement!) But to keep my sanity, I always try to sneak in a little time to be creative. I started these books for the kids this summer and have finally put some finishing touches on them. The books are 8" by 8" plain books from Fancy Pants. I bought last year's "ALL FALL" line on a deal last summer and it worked perfectly to embellish the books and document all their school years. I made a template in Word and printed pages to journal basic information about her school year. The page left blank for the picture is adhered on to be a pocket page to keep artwork, report cards, etc... Feel free to scrap-lift this idea. It was too easy to miss out on. If you want the template I used, just email me and I'll send it to you. No need to re-invent the wheel!I also made matching books for Sam and Max (no kidding, I know he is only 2 weeks old! What can I say....? I am planning for his education! ;) )

Thanks for checking in!
Cheers!
Christy

p.s. My Halloween chandelier I posted in September is being featured on www.scrapscene.com tomorrow. If you don't know the site by now, you really need to check it out!

Life is busy!

In one word, I can sum up my life: BUSY! Max has been an angel baby. He's still only waking once a night to eat and eats like a champ. The problem is... everyday I get lost in his deep blue eyes and find myself spending hours just staring at him and snuggling him up. What a problem to have!!! Also with Halloween, class parties, doctor's appointments, and finalizing the adoption, life is just plain busy. I couldn't (and won't dare) ask for anything more!

Last Saturday, we went to the Halloween "BOO!" parade and the kids got to wear their costumes for the first time. Max's pumpkin costume was too hot for the 85 degree day but it will surely make its debut this weekend. Here are some pictures I snapped of Max this afternoon. He's wearing the cute little shirt I made him.

I do love these baby toes!

Also, Maddie got back her Kindergarten school pictures today. She looks so big compared to the boys. A little bit of a goofy grin but I love it anyway.
Thanks for checking in! Max is being circumcised tomorrow so please say a prayer for the little guy.
Cheers!
Christy

Its all about the love...

I'll just start by warning you that so far in October, I've taken 555 pictures and 18 videos with my camera. A lot more than average but we have had a better than average month so far. We've had SO many moments that I've wanted to capture and freeze in my memory forever.

Max's birth has been amazing! Our first few days home with him have been nothing but joyful. We could not feel any more blessed by this little miracle. I also couldn't feel any more blessed to know Jordan (Max's wonderful birthmom) and her family. Open adoption isn't for everyone but we certainly love it. We always say, "The more people to love our kids, the better!" Words cannot express how much love is shared between our families. To love them and welcome them into our lives seems like the most natural thing in the world. And who couldn't love a face like this???
Max has been a dream baby! He is already on a nice eating schedule and only keeps me up about 20 minutes at each feeding at night. He sleeps so sweetly and is the new "star" in the house. The kids just adore him and can't wait to show him off to all their friends. For now, I'll just do a little show and tell here on the blog. Pictures say so much more so I'll just show...Whew! Holy long post! I better go get some beauty rest before our prince charming wants to eat again. Thanks for checking in!
Cheers!
Christy

Welcome to the World, Maxwell!

At 7:39 this morning, we welcomed Maxwell into our family. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. His birthmom was so strong and amazing. She even let me cut the umbilical cord! Both birth-mom and Max is doing great.

Here are a few more pictures.


Back to the hospital....

Cheers!
Christy & Brentt

Oh baby!

Busy waiting for our little guy to be born. We probably have about a week left so...What else would I do but make stuff for him, right? Actually, some stuff is made about him too. Like this below: the baby favors. These are little gifts we will be giving all of his visitors. It's just a simple bag filled with white and blue M&Ms. The tag says, "Welcome to the World Maxwell!" I just loved re-purposing this large glass vase too. I think I'll bring it to the hospital to share with our birthmom's family and friends too.
I also made him this super-soft blanket. It's a little shabby-chic, baby style. It is huge too! I'm hoping that it will be "the" blanket that he loves like Sam loves the one I made for him. Here are some irresistible onesies. I like a lot of the trendy ones but they are so expensive. I found some iron-ons and a little stitching and voila: cute onesies. Do you think the one in the middle is a little over-the-top? Maybe a little cocky? hmmm... I think I like it. And of course a layout. I have vowed that even though Max is a third child, he also will have a nice scrapbook. I have pre-made about 8 pages to ensure this. Lord knows when he comes, my creating time will be nixed for a while! Thanks for checking out my latest creations! We'll post new news and pictures when we have them. Please keep praying for our family and our birthmom.
Cheers,
Christy