Stowers Family

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T20:12:00.001-08:00

So excited for Baby #2 due in July

Here is Max's new shirt
Season's Greetings from Warm and Sunny FL

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Resolution for 2011: do better with the blog :)

Halloween 2010

2010-12-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

GG made him a clown costume

I love it ......my lil clown

B (aka Bear) goes everywhere with him

So, the other excuse for being so behind is this month (OCT) we got pregnant again with baby #2!! So very exciting and exhausting. Being pregnant with a 2 yr old (basically) is much harder this time around.

Grandparents Pics

2010-12-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

Pawpaw and Nana Stowers with Max
Papa & GG Stewart with Max

Family Pics

2010-12-29T20:00:00.001-08:00

I realize I am months behind on posting but I have several excuses, mostly related to moving in Aug but anyway....here goes my attempt to catch up.

Lori with Max

Daddy and Max

Stowers Family

Sleeping Buddies

2010-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Max used to cuddle Scout all the time

Now he just has to HAVE Scout in his bed

He sometimes still drags him around / wants him but Scout has been replaced by......

BEAR!!!! Max loves this Bear. I bought this Bear for him and a dog for Macey for her birthday from Build a Bear workshop. Their washable and certified by asthma / allergy foundation. I loved them when I found them online. Anyway, Max helped stuff his Bear and Macey's dog. He loves this Bear so much that he gnawed a hole on it's nose and my Mom had to sew it. That being said, we bought Bear no 2. So, now I always have one clean. He doesn't know there's 2 of them and I don't plan for him to find out. He takes this thing with him everywhere. He likes to share his food with Bear, give him drinks, push him around on toys, etc.

Pool Time Fun again

2010-06-13T08:26:00.001-07:00

Ok, here's what seems to happen a lot. Max falls asleep in the pool on my shoulder. I seem to bounce him to sleep and he will stay like this for 30-60 mins. Not just once, several times now. I think this is where he takes after me. I sleep best in water. Showers, tubs, pools, etc. I don't even use floats to sleep in a pool, I just float myself and can stay that way for hours. Anyway, guess he's taken after me, loves water and sleeps fine in it.
This is at Macey's 1st birthday party
He partied hard and then just passed out

Eating watermelon at Macey's party

He loved eating it this way

My 2 men

First Haircut

2010-02-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we took Max for his first haircut at this great place called Banana's Salon

It was really expensive, almost as much as I pay for me but worth it for the first one

They had cars he could sit in while he got his hair cut and they had TVs with each station so there he was, driving a fire truck and watching ELMO

He actually cried and got mad at us when we made him leave

He just wanted to stay and drive the truck

Recent Cute Pics

2010-02-28T07:44:00.001-08:00

I love SCOUT

Playing with toys

Cheese

Ok, not a cute pic of me but oh well

Max and I were home sick this day

Chris took a pic of us

We both are shiny under our noses from wearing Vick's Vapor Rub

He's playing with the remote to the TV

First Birthday!!!

2010-02-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the pics didn't upload in the right order and I don't have the time to fix it so - we'll just have to deal with them the way they are.

Anyway, we had Max several birthday parties. The official first birthday party was on Dec 19th and we had it at one of the party halls where my Dad lives. It's a nice facility and worked well for the party. My parents, Chris' parents, Lena, Aunt Lori, Mike Weston (our friend) and The Hodges: Todd, Marianne and Macey all came. We had a wonderful time and Lil Man enjoyed himself. Covered in cake

Posing, aren't I cute
Just started in on his smash cake

Macey Hodges with Mommy Marianne

Lil Man chewing on his blocks

I love opening presents and I LOVE tissue paper

Decorations galore

I did the theme in bright colors: all red, yellow, green and blue

I think it turned out really pretty and bright which is all I wanted anyway

Food, yum

Max's smash cake

Max's birthday cake

Really the cake for the rest of us since he had a smash cake

Presents!!

Pic of Max eating frog cake

Ok, so after the 12/19 party he got to have another party day on his actual birthday 12/30

I celebrated with him alone that morning because I took the day off of work

We had a blast and he and I made muffins with cream chesse icing which he loved

My parents came over that morning and celebrated with him too

That evening we went to Lena's house where Chris and Lori met up after work

Paul and Kathy had spent the entire day working on a frog cake for Max

So, technically I guess this Lil Man got several parties, but he deserved it and enjoyed every minute of them all

Nana and Pawpaw's Frog Cake

Christmas

2010-02-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Opening Christmas gifts from Granny and Papaw Stewart

Max is working on saying everyone's names so for right now he's calling Granny GG and Papaw Pop Pop

Loving his Christmas gifts under the tree, pups were curious too. Baxter is never far behind Max seeing what he's doing or more likely EATING!! Daisy usually isn't phased by Max unless he's dropping food. We have never been one to feed our dogs table food, however with Max that's pretty hard to stop. I think that's why Baxter is always two steps behind Max, looking for scraps he leaves behind. Max is very good at saying Daisy's name, it was actually one of the first words he ever learned. He can't say Baxter at all, but he calls him BB instead.
Ooooh pretty tree and lights
Max loved the lights and I hung ornaments on the lower part of the tree that he was allowed to touch / play with

Playing guitar with Pawpaw Stowers

He loves to play "tar tar" with Daddy and Pawpaw

He's pretty good at saying Nana which is what he calls Kathy

He usually just calls Paul Pop for now which is kinda neat because he distinguishes between Paul and my Dad. My Dad is usually Pop Pop and Paul is usually just Pop. Funny to me how smart he is.

HE loves saying Lena's name Nini. We're still working on Aunt Lori, that's taking a while.

Opening Christmas presents with Pawpaw

12 months old!!

2010-02-28T07:10:00.001-08:00

Ok, so my blanket picture will no longer work. Max wouldn't sit still long enough. So, this 12mo pic will be the last one on the blanket. This is the best that I could get after DAYS of trying. He just won't sit still now for anything. So, Chris was sweet and built me a board for the wall that we will now mark his height on. Much easier to get him to stand still for a second than to lie still.

Sorry haven't updated the blog for about 6 weeks. It's literally been 6 wks of sickness in our house. Max would get a cold / stomach bug and give it to one of us too. We have passed around so many germs between the three of us that one if not two of us is always sick. March is going to be better though, I know it because Jan and Feb sure have sucked for being sick all the time.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to Max's 1st Christmas

He loves the lights, constantly points to them and says "Ooohh"

11 months!!!

2009-12-07T17:43:00.001-08:00

Well, here he is at the final month mark before 1 yr!! Final countdown to the birthday bash is on. I can't believe it's here. He's soooo big now. Walking and talking like CRAZY!!

Cute Max

2009-11-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

Max is walking now. He can take anywhere from 3-18 steps so far without falling. Depends on the footing and balance he gets at the start. He can climb up the stairs now also.

He says LOTS of words. Mamma and Dadda were his first, literally within minutes of each other. He has perfected them both over the past month. His next words were "hi" and "bye" associated with waving. Cute as can be, his next word was Daisy, our girl dog. Poor Baxter, he can't say his name yet - that daggone "x" is just too hard. (great for him being named Max).

He worked on those for awhile and within the past week or so he's had a language explosion. He says sweet, that, oh, baby, owl, puppy - I think that's it for now. We're working on more!!

Halloween

2009-11-29T18:27:00.001-08:00

Max was on "safari" for Halloween. He was pretty good at it too, he caught a lion. He trick-or-treated Granny and Papaw Stewart's and Nana and Papaw Stowers'. Lena and Aunt Lori were there too! He got lots of applesauce and Cheerios.

Close up of Safari Max

I've had my pumpkin Snoopy for years now but I couldn't help myself and get Max a stuffed animal pumpkin. He loved them both. I bought this Halloween outfit for him on clearance last year when I was just preggers. I got Macey a matching one also.

Hey Snoopy, it's Halloween!!

10 Months

2009-11-29T18:23:00.001-08:00

Sorry I'm about 1 month behind on the blog. Max literally got sick the day after Halloween with bronchitis and it progressed into an ear infection. That went on for about 2 wks. So, needless to say, we've been worn out.

Anyway, here's lil man at 10 months in one of his Halloween outfits.

9 Months

2009-10-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here is it, 9 months. He's around 28inches and 21lbs and change.

Little Man Growing Up

2009-10-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Playing in his walker

Granny & Papaw Stewart bought him this

He loves it, but he does terrorize the dogs now

He loves pulling under the kitchen table

We call it his "garage"

He shoves the barstools around to get under there on his own

Look at me, in my walker

Learning to "cruise"
Starting to pull up and walk holding onto everything
Here he is holding onto the gate on the top of the stairs

Sleeping on my footstool to my rocker in my room
Mommy rocked me to sleep this way

Last of WV Fun

2009-10-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I uploaded the pics in the wrong order so they are backwards in storyline time, but oh well. My OCD says fix it, but since I've got limited time here, this will have to do.Max & Daddy on the plan

Max with his Cousin Amy and her daughter Cassie

Max with his Cousins Dylan and Amy

Papaw and Nana too

Max riding his 4 wheeler in Papaw Stowers' yard

Max with his Nini

Max mowing Papaw Stowers' lawn

Kitchen sink bath

Driving Papaw's truck

Crazy Hair

Learning to use the remote

WV Family Fun

2009-09-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of visiting with some family of mine - The Bells and The Sharps. I consider them family because they've been a part of my life since I was 13!! (almost 20 yrs now) I definately consider Lee Ann to be like a sister to me, I really think we look alike too!! Lee Ann Sharp with Max & Me

We're very excited because Lee Ann & her hubby John are pregnant which means I get to be an AUNT!!!
The Sharp Family with Max

Max and Tara (their dog) mesmerized by John's antics

Lee Ann & Max with Mick Bell (Lee Ann's Dad)

check out the Harley

Max loved looking at the motorcycle and waved bye bye to Mick as he pulled out

I think he likes the noise

The Bells: Lisa & Mick with Max

Lisa makes the best homemade pizza I have ever had in my life

We only get it once a year but let me tell you - I've never had better

Cute Max Pics

2009-09-16T15:30:00.001-07:00

Max riding the 4 wheeler with Pawpaw Stowers
Max mowing grass with Pawpaw Stowers

Max with Nana on her birthday

Max just chillin'

Bathtime Max - in the kitchen sink

Max driving Pawpaw's truck

Crazy hair Max

Max camping with Pawpaw

Pawpaw's Bon Fire

2009-09-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Max got to enjoy his first bon fire that Pawpaw Stowers made

It's so nice to enjoy a little cool weather in the WV evening Pawpaw and Max looking at the fire

Pawpaw is showing Max the stones that make up the fire pit

They were in the house of Paul's Pawpaw!!

Max and Mommy checking out the fire

Check out his camo jacket

Very WV, wearing camo and sitting by the fire

FIRE

Pawpaw and Max

FIRE pit time

Where's the smores?

Mountaineer Madness

2009-09-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Max went to his 1st WVU game on Sat

We played ECU and won

Nap Time

Little Man cheered himself out

Max and Mommy after the game

He's saying, "Where did everyone go?"

We stayed after to get some pics and listen to the band

The Stowers Family at Mountaineer Field

Daddy and Max - post game

Lunch Time at the game
Notice his hand, he just couldn't stop cheering

Let's GOOOO Mountaineers

cheering during the game

Max and Mommy cheering

Max cheering

I swear I didn't put beer in his bottle

He looks a little dazed though

Morgantown Friends

2009-09-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Max had a lot of fun in Morgantown getting to visit with all of his WV friends!!Max and the Paulys: David and Patti

Chris used to work with Patti in Kingwood when we lived in WV

She makes the best homemade cheesecake I have ever had

I like to call them Patticakes

Max and Devon (Tuna)

Son of one of Chris' friends from where he used to work

He spent a lot of time with us in WV when we lived there going to games with us and hanging out at our house (the dogs love him)

Tammy, one of Chris' friends from where he used to work

She is one of Max's surrogate Grandmothers

Max is very fortunate to have so many people that love him

Here we are with some of my best and oldest friends

Renee and Angie are nurses I used to work with at WVU hospital

Our friendship has stood the test of time & distance

I look forward to seeing them each year

Renee is in the middle and Angie is on the side holding her 6mo old son Tyler

The Kingans

Angie, her husband Brandon and son Tyler (6mos)

Renee with Max having a blast
Max loves to bounce and he had Renee cracking up by bouncing on the table

Max and Tyler
I wish I knew what they were saying to each other
Max kept babbling away to him

Paula Hatten and daughter Lydia Rose with Max (she's 2.5yrs old)
They came to visit us in April in FL
Paula is the wife of Chris' oldest and best friend Mark
We've become such good friends over the years
I consider Paula one of my closest friends too!

Chris and Mark with their kids, future Mountaineers
Max and Lydia posing with their Dads
Note Lydia is patting Max on the head
She absolutely loves "taking care" of him, she's always patting him

The Hatten Family with Max
Mark and Paula holding Max
Wish I would've gotten one of them holding Max and Lydia but alas - next year

Ryan and his girlfriend Sara with Max
They drove down from Shepherdstown to meet us at Los Mariachis for lunch
Ryan is one of my oldest friends from college
We were in the Young Democrats together

New River Gorge

2009-09-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

We had to stop at the New River Gorge Bridge on the way up to Morgantown. It's one of my most favorite places in WV and I always know I'm home when we drive over the bridge. I used to be a white water rafting guide on the New River (seen in the pic behind me) and I think this area is one of the prettiest in the state. Max and Mommy at the overlook

Max and Daddy at the overlook
(I didn't use the flash and should've, the pic came out too dark)

The Stowers Family

(nice stranger took the pic for us)

Mills Family Fun

2009-09-14T09:03:00.001-07:00

We met some of the Mills Family (Mom's side) at Gino's in Crab OrchardMy Cousin Alisha and her son Caleb with Max and me

Sadly, Alisha and I hadn't seen each other in about 15yrs!!

We will have to do better about keeping in touch

When we were little, we played together all the time

We're only 6 mos apart so we were very close as kids

Max and my Aunt Shirley

She's my Mom's sister

My Mom is the youngest and Shirley is just about 1 yr older than Mom
I have some great memories as a child of my Aunt Shirley laughing

She has a loud and unique laugh that is infectious, I love to hear it

Max and my Cousin Alisha
Alisha is a pediatric nurse and a single Mom

I'm so proud of her and what she has accomplished

Max with his 2nd Cousin Caleb

This was the first time I had ever gotten to meet him

I'd only seen a few pics of him after he was born

He was so polite and very kind to Max

Stewart Family Visiting

2009-09-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

We drove to Princeton, WV to meet some of my family on the Stewart (Dad's) side. Max and my Uncle Jim

My Dad has 2 brothers, Dad is the youngest

Jim is the middle brother

Sadly, their oldest brother Bob just recently passed away

Max with his 2nd cousins - my Cousin Timmy's kids: Alana and Seth
Fortunately we got to see them last year too

I can't believe how much they've grown over the past year

Timmy's good at posting pics of them on Facebook so I get to keep up with them that way, but I still couldn't believe the difference

Last year Alan was just learning to walk and now she's everywhere! (2yrs old)

Seth plays football and is about 8yrs old

Max and my Cousin Timmy

Out of all of my cousins, Timmy and I have stayed the closest over the years

Maybe because we're both only children, maybe because we both put in the effort

We became close once we both got into college and our grandparents had both passed away

Timmy and I realize that if we don't keep in touch, then there isn't a "Stewart Family"

I know Granny and Grandpa Stewart would be so proud of him and his kids

Max and my Aunt Linda

Over my life, I've been very close to my Aunt Linda

She's very special to me

We've done good over the past few years to make sure each year when we come in to WV to get together if for only a few hours

Max Laughing

2009-09-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Here is Max having an absolute blast with Nana & Papaw Stowers. He was just cracking up and we had to get this on video.

Stowers Family Reunion

2009-09-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

We went to Chris' Aunt Heather's house for a Stowers' Family Reunion of sorts.

Here's 4 generations of Stowers in this picture: Me, Chris, Ruby (Paul's Mom) holding Max, Paul and Kathy.

Great Grandma Ruby Stowers and Max

Country Roads took us HOME to WV!

2009-09-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the WV airport. Max loved the plane trip. Was only fussy for a few minutes at the start but once he got used to it, was fascinated with it. He played peek-a-bo with passengers and the stewardess. He took Scout along for the trip.

8 Months!!

2009-08-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

Max's 8 months pic!! This was the best one because he was smiling. However, I will say in one of the others where he was fussing and stretched out, his feet went to the end of the blanket!! He is approx 27inches and 20 lbs!!

Max is growing up!!!

2009-08-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I took Max this past weekend to get pics taken. We had a great time and we got some great shots. I ordered some of these, but I got a CD with all of them on it. ENJOY!!Hey Mountaineer, are you ready for some football?
Let's GO Mountaineers!!

I caught it

Hey, touchdown

I love crawling on the beach

Mommy, I'm waving at you

Me and My Pal, Scout

Hey, I can do push ups

Scout, you're a good dog

Hello World

I can't believe how big he is. He has such a personality now. He's not a baby anymore, he's my "little man".

7 months

2009-08-02T19:15:00.001-07:00

Well, here's the little man at 7 months. He's really growing up on us now. He can sit by himself unattended and play with toys in the floor. He crawls fairly well both forward / backward now and can roll all over a room. He loves to sit in his high chair and eat. He's learning to use a sippy cup. He's starting to get the hang of some sign language words: milk, more, yes, bath, Mommy, Daddy, I love you, puppy, etc. He definately knows and uses milk - that was his first sign word to both understand when it's said to him and for him to use it to us. We're working on the others. He babbles like crazy, who knows what he's saying but he does love to talk / squeal / scream.

Max and Macey

2009-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we think that Max and Macey will grow up being good friends. Macey is 5 months younger than Max. She is the daughter of our best friends: Todd and Marianne. I thought this was sweet: Max doing an "I dream of Jeannie pose" and Macey leaning into him
Come on, don't they look cute? I mean, both smiling at the same time!!

Happiness is Max's Smile

2009-07-13T19:41:00.001-07:00

Here is our lil Mountaineer getting ready for August!!
Let's GOOOOO Mountaineers

Hey Mom, what's up?

Hello World

Yeah, I'm a big boy

6 months old!!!!

2009-07-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

On 6/30/09 Max turned 6 months old. Can't believe it's been 1/2 a year already. He was 17lbs 16oz at his MD appt. Lost about 1lb in a month which is a good thing because he was just SO chubby. Went from 75% to 50%. I think it's because of the bouncer, trimming up those chubby legs. Plus he had a growth spurt - 27 inches. He grew 3 inches in 1month!! Now 75% for his length!!

He is crawling now, mainly backwards but starting to go forwards a little. We call him "roly poly" because he likes to lay in the floor and roll from back to front and then front to back. We really have to get the house babyproofed quickly!!!

We can't believe just how much he is growing up!!

Rice Cereal

2009-07-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here is our big boy sitting up in his high chair eating rice cereal

Doesn't know what to think, so new but so good

All Tuckered Out

2009-07-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here is Max asleep (rarely see this, he RARELY sleeps). He played until he just couldn't play anymore.

Bongo Fun

2009-06-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, Chris got bongos for Father's Day. He swore that Max wouldn't be allowed to play with them and get them all "slobbery". Well, we only had them 20mins and Chris already had Max playing with them....so here it is...my 2 boys making music

Bass Pro Outing

2009-06-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

For my Dad's birthday, Max and I took him shopping at Bass Pro and we ate at the restaurant there. We had a great time. Here is Max in his Bass Pro outfit that Papaw Stewart bought him.
I'm cute and I know it

Here's my Dad and Max posing in front of one of the fish tanks

Max didn't want to pose much, he was too excited to look at all of the fish. Can't really see it good but his shorts say "Bass Pro" on the bottom

Pool Time at Aunt Lori's

2009-06-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Max LOVES Aunt Lori's pool. I wish the video we took of him wasn't so splotchy and the sound cuts out a lot but alas, you will get the point. So much for taking video with our camera. We would push him back and forth in this ring between Lori, Chris and me. Max would cackle and laugh so hard, he had so much fun. Cool dude, shades and all
Wait, where's my margarita?

Fun with Daddy

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Here's to all the Dads in my life that I love, hope you have a wonderful Father's Day, I love you - Max My Daddy and Me
Papaw Stowers tickling my toes and talking to me

Papaw Stewart and me showing off the high chair he made for me

Happy Father's Day everyone! I had Mommy and Daddy take this picture for the two Papaws: I am wearing the camo top and jeans that Papaw Stowers bought for me and the fishing hat and bear is from Papaw Stewart. He even got my fishing hero Roland Martin to sign my hat!!

For Kathy

2009-06-10T20:51:00.001-07:00

My mother - in - law Kathy bought Max this outfit. She wanted a pic of him in it so bad because she thought he looked like a little doll with his hat and all. So, this is for you Nana Stowers - - - enjoy!Mom, seriously
I'm cute

Hello Daddy

Asleep on my walk

Happiness is a Bouncer

2009-06-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

I love my bouncer!!

Five Months and still growing...

2009-06-07T08:14:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it? I am five months old now. 24 inches (finally grew 1/2 inch) and 19 lbs!! Mommy and Daddy say I am a "chunky monkey".

My High Chair

2009-06-07T08:09:00.001-07:00

Granny and Papaw Stewart bought me my high chair. I am just starting to use it because I am just now big enough to like sitting in it. Mommy still has to pile pillows in there to help me. Scout and I are having fun just hanging out here. I haven't eaten in my high chair yet. I am mainly still on just breast milk but about once a week Mommy gives me cereal. For now, she uses my papasan seat because I still can't sit on my own yet. But, I'm working on it!

Here's Papaw Stewart and me. He's proud of the high chair and the work he did on it. They bought it unfinished and he stained, sanded, etc, it for me. I think it looks great!

Scout

2009-06-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I went online looking for an educational toy to buy Max. I found this dog on LeapFrog. I loved it. The boy dog is green, named Scout. The girl dog is purple, named Violet. You can hook the dog to your USB port on your computer and program it to see your child's favorite color, food, animal, etc. You can customize which songs you like from the list of songs that the company has online. Coolest thing ever though is it can be customized to say your child's name. It says "Hello Max" and "Max wanna play?" It also sings songs that involve "Max", even one song spelling his name "M...A...X...that spells Max". He loves this dog. His eyes light up everytime he hears his name. Well worth the money, it will grow with him for quite awhile. Here he is checking Scout out for the first time
Ok, he's happy!! Success, bought him a toy he likes!!

Cute Pics

2009-05-25T14:42:00.001-07:00

Hey, check me out!! I'm cute and I know it.
Our neighbors here in FL - the Iwanoffs got him this outfit. I thought that it was adorable so I had to take a pic of him in it. They are like parents to Chris and I when they are here in FL. So, we like to say that they are Max's NJ grandparents!!

I loved him in this outfit too! I guess I can't help it, I think my son looks good in anything :)

Me and My Aunt Lori

2009-05-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is Aunt Lori reading me a bedtime story. She came over Sat night and helped me get ready for bed. I loved it! It was lots of fun spending quality time with her and I enjoyed her helping Mommy get me ready for bed.
Aunt Lori loves me even in a WVU outfit. I don't own a Marshall outfit (where Aunt Lori graduated from) and even if I did I don't think Mommy and Daddy would let me wear it.

I love you Aunt Lori!

Exhaustion

2009-05-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

He loves his jumper. More than any toy he has. It's the only time Chris and I can actually set him down for awhile and he's happy. He LOVES boncing. So much so that now when you hold him, he bounces on your lap. So, here he is - exhausted. He bounced for around 1 hr and then just fell out.

Max's battery finally wore out!

Here I am, exhausted as well. Sadly, I often fall asleep with Max in his rocker at night. When he wakes up in the middle of the night to be fed, I often find myself in this position come morning.

My neck hurt after this a lot. I actually walked around work for 24hrs leaned over because I had such a stiff neck.

Only my neck hurts!!

Four Months and a Flashback

2009-05-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

Thought that everyone would enjoy seeing the difference in how he has grown without having to backtrack into the older posts4 Months - 16lbs, 23.5 inches
3 Months - 13lbs 13.5oz, 23.5 inches

2 Months - 11lbs, 23.5 inches

1 Month - 9 lbs, 21 inches

As a reminder, he was 6lbs 11oz and 19.5 inches at birth. Not sure why he hasn't grown in length since 2 months but the doctor wasn't worried about it. He is in the 10th percentile for length right now and the 75th for is weight. Looks like he is just expanding width wise. The doctor thinks he is doing great, says I have "high octane breast milk". Max really is a chunky monkey. He has rolled over once from his stomach to his back. We haven't had a repeat performance yet. He has found his hands and everything he touches goes into his mouth. He laughs out loud, makes vowel and consonant sounds and squeals at things he likes. We can't believe how much he has changed.

Pool Time

2009-05-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

My swimming pool outfit. Trunks from Aunt Lori and hat from Granny and Papaw Stewart.
First steps in the water.

Blocking the sun from my face.

Enjoying the water in my shades. They are a necessity in FL!

Cute Little Man

2009-05-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Trying to make it somewhere...
I think I will crawl out of the boppy

Wait maybe not, it's kinda fun to lay on

Yeah, I think I'll stay here...just chillin'

Really relaxed now, posing

I loved this little blue polo shirt my parents bought him...one of my favorite outfits for him. He looks so good in blue with his blue eyes.

Yeah, I'm happy!

Marianne's Shower

2009-05-03T09:27:00.001-07:00

Marianne looks so pretty - here at the end of her 8th month. Wish we could've caught Max looking at the camera but he was too distracted by everything going on that day.

Max bought Macey a pink glowworm because he loves his so much. My girlfriend from nursing school Kristina got him one and he LOVES it.

Max bought Macey a little pink giraffe rattle / blanket. He has a blue elephant one and he loves to chew on it.

All tuckered out with Aunt Lori. Granny Stewart hanging out too!

Naptime

2009-05-03T09:13:00.001-07:00

Just chillin' on my boppy - snoozing away. (go Eers!)

My two boys....all tuckered out

Soapasaurus

2009-05-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Max has a little robe that Nana Stowers bought him. It's a dinosaur and it's called the Soapasaurus. He looks so cute in it. He has really come to love bathtime. I put him in his tub and usually just put it in the shower with me. He loves to kick, splash and play.

Hatten Family Visit

2009-04-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, some of our best friends from WV came to visit us last week - Mark and Paula, with their 2yr old daughter Lydia. We really enjoyed their visit. We went to the beach and Disney. Lydia had the best time!!! Here are some pics from their visit - Enjoy!!!

I don't look good in this pic at all but I loved how they were holding hands. Lydia was great with Max. She would "pet" him and give him kisses. She had to learn to like the dogs though. Daisy was great with her and Baxter was his usual high strung self. He would follow her around a lot and try to lick her feet. She certainly gave us a glimpse into what life will be like with Max when he's two.
Max and Mickey and Minnie

Lydia meeting Cinderella!!! I have never seen such sheer happiness. I actually cried. For those of you who know me, going to Disney was HUGE for me. But, believe it or not I had a good time and would do it again with Max when he's old enough to enjoy it.

The Hatten Family

Max went to the beach back in Feb when my friend Kristina came down but he was much smaller and it was too cool to get out of the stroller much. So, here is his FIRST real trip to the Beach..... he put his feet in the water, didn't like it. Guess it wasn't warm like his bath water.

I love this pic that Paula took of us. I didn't even know about it until I went through all the pics we both took. I LOVE THIS!!!

Lydia playing in the sand

Max looking cool. He has his hat and sunglasses on. My Mom and Dad bought him his beach hat, it's sooo cute. Yes, I bought my child baby sunglasses but what are you to do living in FL? The sun's just sooo bright. I put him in a onsie that Roberta from Chris' work got him - it was fitting for the beach. It says "a little crabby".

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time on my WVU blankie from Kristina and her Mom. Checking out my new Easter toys.

Happy Easter everyone!!!!

Sleeping Angel

2009-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Max hasn't been feeling well. He has had a cold for about 1 month. (maybe RSV, who knows at this point and it really doesn't matter). We saw the MD at the beg. of March for his 2mo appt and shots. He was 11 lbs 11 oz. A complete 5 lb wt gain since birth!! He said he was in the 50th percentile on everything, so keep doing what I'm doing re: breastfeeding b/c he was perfect. At that appt. he felt like it was a cold that would run its course. Since that appt he has progressively gotten worse. I missed work last Mon b/c Sun night he ran a fever and was so full of mucous in his nose that he couldn't eat. I was suctioning out LOADS of it. They put him on an antibiotic. Well, throughout last week he kept getting worse instead of better. By Sat. am I was worried that he had bronchitis because the congestion went from his nose to his throat and then his chest. We went to the doctor on Sun AM (yes - our's is open on the weekend) and they said he had bronchiolitis which is worse than bronchitis. It's very close to pneumonia. So, I am off work today taking care of my BABY!! He is on a new antibiotic and getting breathing treatments with a nebulizer, just like Mommy with her asthma. So, update for all - keep Max in your thoughts. Hopefully in a few days he will turn the corner and feel better. For, now lots of love, attention and spoiling. Here is how the little prince gets to sleep sometimes, right beside Mommy in her bed.

Happy St. Pat's

2009-03-23T10:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Irish day everyone!!!

Fun Times

2009-03-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here is Max making faces at Daddy. He is having fun with him one day after work. Doesn't he look happy.
Face #2 - I think he looks like he's thinking here, maybe about being mischievous.

Face #3 - now he looks suprised!

I love my Aunt Lori

Making funny faces at Nana & Papaw Stowers

Two Month's Pics

2009-03-01T13:13:00.001-08:00

Taken 2/28 since there isn't 30 days this month. He is 8+ wks old.
As you can see, he wasn't very happy about having his picture taken at this time!!

It's so hard for us to believe how much he has grown!! Reminder - look back at the 1 month pic.

Funny Pics

2009-03-01T13:07:00.001-08:00

Here he is being high tech. First of all, he sleeps GREAT in his car seat. Second, Nana and Papaw Stowers bought him a webcam and we get on Skype to chat with them. This is to help them no miss Max so much when they go back to WV in April!!! He gets on there periodically and makes faces at them. Here he is with Nana watching him sleep. She literally is on the other end of the webcam babysitting him - watching him sleep!!! (That black thing is the webcam on his chest)
I don't know what he's doing here but it's funny

Chris was sleep deprived the night this happened. Baxter wearing 3D glasses from the Superbowl - Daisy's just watching the activity

Learning head and neck control using the Bumpo

We put his hair in a Mohawk often

I don't want my picture taken and I will hide from you Mommy

Again, don't know what he's doing but it's funny

Funny faces at Daddy

Trip to Lena's

2009-03-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

I went to visit my Grandma Lena (which is really my Great Grandma) at her house in FL. She likes to lay with me on her bed. I like to look at her and talk to her.
She is singing to me here and I am concentrating on the words...

Here she is praying over me in Italian. I don't know what she's saying but I am listening.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-03-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Nana Stowers bought me my Valentine's shirt!! Don't I look cute?

One Month Old

2009-03-01T13:00:00.001-08:00

Here is his one month picture!!! I got this idea from my friend Paula in WV. I will take his picture each month on this blanket so we can see how much he has grown. It's easy to center him under the dog and start the pic with him laying on the edge of the lace. My Mom made him this blanket. I only wish I would've thought to start this with him as a newborn when we first brought him home, but alas!!

My Travels

2009-03-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

My first trip to the Beach. We went to Sanibel Island last weekend when Kristina was here to visit. It was nice, in the 70s with a breeze. The water was cold!! This is as close as he got to the water. I kept him either covered up on our beach blanket or in his stroller covered up so he wouldn't get sunburned.
My first outing out of Ft. Myers was to go see Nana and Papaw Stowers at their camp about 1 hr away (north) at Port Charlotte. They are taking me for a walk. It was quite cool that day, in the 60s. Mom has me bundled up with a hat and blanket.

I went to my Daddy's work and visited him and his friends there!!

Some of My Friends

2009-03-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend Kristina came to visit us last weekend from up north. She and I went to Nursing school together. She and her husband are pregnant!!!
First time Kristina held Max!

The man of the hour - Dr. Brown. The best doctor ever. This is who delivered Max. I don't know what I would have done without him. He was a wonderful doctor and he stayed on past his on-call time to deliver Max.

Here's Uncle Mike!! Yes, he does hold Max but he tends to hold the dogs more :) Especially Daisy because she's just so loveable. On a side note, another reason I got behind on the blog: the week I went back to work Daisy got very sick, we thought at one point that she wasn't going to make it. We don't know how, but she got pancreatitis. She spent several days at the Vet in the "hospital". She is all better now but we were so focused on her that it was hard to even take care of Max. Nana Stowers came and stayed to help out with Max so we could take care of sick Daisy even after she came home from the hospital. Thankfully, all is better now!

Here are Josh and Bethany, 2 of our Florida friends

My Favorite People

2009-03-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

That's all that needs said!

Tummy Time

2009-03-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here is Max not enjoying tummy time!! Notice Baxter closing his eyes. He hates hearing Max cry. If we don't do something about it immediately - Baxter will back at us until we do.

Baxter looking in on Max

Daisy kissing Max

Hello World!!

Sleepy Max in Various Positions

2009-03-01T12:41:00.001-08:00

Sleeping in the swing. The Snoopy stuffed animal my Aunt Nancy and Cousin Tabitha got him. It sits on the back of the crib - looks like Snoopy is watching over him that way.
Asleep in Daddy's arms

Thinking about sleeping

Asleep on Mommy's legs

Posing in my chair

Thumb Sucking

2009-03-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, he hasn't done it much. Chris and I have only seen brief snippets of time where he does this but Nana and Papaw Stowers watched him one day and he sucked his thumb on his own for 20mins!!!! He really isn't a big binky fan so maybe.....

Misc Pics

2009-03-01T12:33:00.001-08:00

Here's Max posing - this was taken Mid Jan - I can't believe how the outfit is hanging off of him (see the sleeve). It fits him snug now!!
Happy Max!!

Attentive Max

Sleepy Puppies. They are happy as long as no one pushes them out. They love to sleep this way and have since we got them. Baxter mushes down behind my back and Daisy likes to curl up on my legs. I am learning to scootch back some so there is room for Max. I however cannot move but I guess as long as the babies are happy it doesn't matter.

Max resting with watchful puppies

Bath Attempt Again....

2009-03-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so he hates the bath chair. Here are the PG rated pics. I won't post the ones of his Bum and his "parts" because one day he will get married and I will embarass him enough by showing them then. We realized that if we filled the tub with water and put him in the chair then he was happier - finally put it together that he was cold this way. Well, running a whole tub of water for a little baby is wasteful so we went on to better ways. I now have a self enclosed bath tub for him and he loves it. Also, he has recently showered with me and that works well too!! He tends to fall asleep in the water, much like me. For those of you who don't know - I am quite proud of the fact that I can sleep floating in a pool. Looks like he might take after me on this....

I AM SORRY

2009-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone - I am so very sorry for getting behind on the posts. I can't explain what it's been like but let's just say BUSY!! I went back to work about 2.5 wks ago so that has added to it. But, no more excuses. I promise to keep the blog updated much better than I have lately. Here is what Max and I spend a lot of time doing......

Love to ALL!!

Something Quick to Tide Everyone Over...

2009-01-29T19:03:00.001-08:00

So Marianne, my best friend, came over and took pictures of Max at around 1 week old for our birth announcement. She just finished the pics and I have them uploaded for the announcements to pick up this weekend. I will get those out in the mail ASAP along with the thank you cards I haven't finished. But - wanted to post a few pics of Max to tide everyone over but I will get caught up on posting his 3wk and 4 wk pics. We can't believe he will be 1 month old tomorrow - the 3oth. Couldn't leave the pups out of the pictures....don't they look cute posing?
Hugging a teddy bear. This is a giant bear that Marianne likes to use for poses - he looks adorable.

Here's Mr. Fussy - that's what we call him when he cries. I know everyone thinks he's an angel. I know that when everyone sees him and holds him he is perfect - but let me tell you - he can be Mr. Fussy when he wants. He is still a great baby, but just want to prove to people he's not MR. PERFECT - he can be Mad Max (Beyond Thunderdome - haha) when he wants.

Here's the puppies giving him kisses.

Ok - here it is - our Little Mountaineer!!!! Ready for next football season. Go EERS!!!!

Misc Max Pics

2009-01-14T17:56:00.001-08:00

Max loves looking at these blocks - he's fascinated to just stare at them.

Here's a good one to show his eyes, still not sure if they will stay blue but for now - that's what they are.

Here's Daddy and his best buddy

This is Max really mad at getting his clothes changed - he does this to us every time. He flexes making it really difficult and then makes these faces......

Here he is playing with his hands...

and then so tuckered out from it he's asleep!!

Again, here's Baxter and Daisy being good and checking Max out while he chills in his chair.

My 32nd birthday picture!!! Best birthday ever....Max agreed.

Posing for the camera - he really likes to sleep on his right hand we've noticed.

Tuckered out and resting with Daddy watching football.

2 Weeks Old and Growing Up Fast!!

2009-01-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here's proud Granny Stewart holding Max, and Baxter as always on guard. Here's Papaw Stewart hanging out with his little buddy.

Here is Baxter making sure we are taking care of Max. He really is his protector and best friend. We put him in the Papasan seat and there goes Baxter, checking to make sure he is ok. He doesn't bother him, just watches over him.

Here is one of his favorite sleeping positions, not sure why but he loves having his hands all bent up like that!!

Well, Max had his 2 wk appt today with the doctor. He is now 20 inches (was 19.5 at birth) and weighs 7lbs 1 oz (birth wt was 6lbs 11 oz). We are excited because he has lost down to 6lbs 5.5 oz and the jaundice was still there at that time. He got a clean bill of health today from the doctor!! We are still exhausted, he has no sleep pattern whatsoever. And for those of you that remember, when I was pregnant with him at the end I kept saying on the blog how he was a night owl. He would keep me awake every night by kicking me from around 1am until 4am. He loved to party at night in the womb. I would get my best sleep from around 4am until 10am because he would sleep. We guess what???? He hasn't changed as a baby yet either - he loves to party at 1am. We now have video proof for you non believers out there. I'm not saying he's a bad baby, because he's not. He's really good and doesn't cry unless he has a need that he wants attended to. It's just that at around 1am he wakes up and wants someone to hold him, play with him and interact with him. So, we are trying to break that before I go back to work....but we will see. He is stubborn (gets that from both of us - I guess we're in for it)!!

Birth Day

2009-01-05T08:10:00.001-08:00

Here is Max on 12/31 - but not even 24hrs old yet. It's funny how quick he can go from smiling......

to crying!!!

Here is Papaw Stewart - my Dad

Here is Lena - Chris' grandmother.

Here is Max just minutes after being born

Here is Aunt Lori with her little nephew the burrito.

Here is Papaw Stowers - Chris' Dad.

Here is Granny Stewart - my Mom.

Here is Nana Stowers - Chris' Mom

Here are the proud parents. Meet the new Stowers family (only thing missing is Baxter and Daisy)

Labor Day

2009-01-05T08:07:00.003-08:00

Chris and I on the morning of 12/30 before the IV Pitocin. I already was having labor pains from the night of 12/29 when they gave me the Cervadil. I took some IV pain meds at this point but didn't realize the worst was yet to come. Once the Pitocin got started, I was ready for the epidural.

Here is Nana and Papaw Stowers, Chris' parents. Kathy stayed in the delivery room with me while Paul waited outside in the waiting room. While I was in labor, we had a room full of people to show me support and love. Once the actual delivery started, Chris, my Mom and Kathy stayed.

Here are the two Moms - Kathy (Chris' Mom in the red) and my Mom / Granny Stewart in the green. My Dad stayed at our house with the dogs. We were so thankful for this because we didn't have to worry about Baxter and Daisy no matter how long we were waiting on the Baby to come.

Various Pictures

2009-01-05T07:03:00.003-08:00

We have to keep mittens on him constantly, otherwise with all of the flailing about his does, he would scratch his face. Note the WVU cap.

Here is a picture of our son already drunk, on breastmilk. I had to post this pic because I thought it was hilarious. He refused to lay his head any other way in the swing. He slept like this for awhile.

He loves his Papasan Vibrator chair. Thanks to Paula, one of our friends for recommending we get this. He sleeps so good in it, loves the music and the vibrations.

Here is Max getting his first bottle. Now I am breastfeeding solely but we did have a 24 hr period we were used supplemental nutrition per his MD request to increase his wet diapers and help lower his billirubin levels to improve his jaundice. The plan worked because Max's output started improving on Sat and at the MD on Sun the labs were better.

Here is Max wearing a bib I bought him before I even knew he was a Max. I like blue (even on girls) and the bib had two dogs which reminded me of Baxter and Daisy. It says "I love my Daddy....my Daddy loves me." Chris likes him wearing it. The blue outfit was the first gender specific clothing since his birth bought by his Papaw and Nana Stowers.

First Bath

2009-01-05T06:54:00.001-08:00

Here's Max getting ready to bathed - so far, so good.

Here's Max after the bath, can you tell the difference? Max didn't like bathtime. We will see how he likes his next one.

He's so cute. Chris and I are just enamored with him, it's hard to stop looking at him because he's just soooo adorable.

Welcome Home Max

2009-01-02T13:04:00.001-08:00

Hello All. We have had an eventful few days. I was supposed to go in on Tues Dec 30 for induction at 5am. Dr. Brown had wanted to do it sooner but there were no rooms open in the hospital. Well, on Monday evening Dec 29 at 4:55pm, his nurse called and said a room opened up. She asked if we could be there in an hour - so at 6pm we went into the hospital for induction. The gave me a medicine to soften my cervix that evening and I started having serious painful contractions at around 10pm that night. They gave me Pitocin IV starting around 5am the next morning on the 30th and then I quickly went into LABOR. Thank God for the Epidural. That being said, I had a very quick labor - I only had to push for 8 mins (my favorite number) and Max Stewart was born at 6:18pm on December 30th.

Above is a picture of the proud Dad.

Here is Baxter checking Max out - the dogs have been WONDERFUL!! They seem to really love him already and are very protective of him.

Here's me, the proud Momma. Notice my ears (not the best picture) - Chris and Max bought me the most beautiful gift - blue topaz earrings, Dec's birthstone. I love them.

Here's Chris, proud to have figured out the car seat he worked so hard on. We are headed home.

Here he is in his going home outfit. I originally wanted to dress him all in WVU clothes to go home but all of the 0-3 months clothes we bought or were given were too big for him at 6 lbs 11 oz. I had to put him in one of his newborn outfits which are still a little large.

We have had a tiring past few days. Max is a little jaundice, but other than that he is doing well. We will keep updating the BLOG - please keep coming back. It's just too hard right now to contact each and everyone of you, but we appreciate your kind phone calls, emails and text messages. We feel your love and thank your for your support.

Welcome Home Max Stewart!!!!! We love you little Mountaineer.

Introducing Max Stewart Stowers

2008-12-31T03:45:00.001-08:00

Max joined us on 12/30/08 at 6:18pm! He is 6 lbs 11 oz and 19.5 inches long.

Nursery Pics

2008-12-26T12:55:00.001-08:00

Ok, so everyone has asked for nursery pics. I know this will be a long post but I decided to wait until the nursery was complete to post pics. We just finished the last decoration in the nursery the other day so here it is - Baby Stowers nursery complete!!! Just waiting on our little Mountaineer to fill it.
Here is a pic of all of my Snoopy memorabilla over the years. The top left pic is a stamp collection of Snoopy that my Mom had professionally framed for me as a suprise. To the right of it is a clock with Baxter and Daisy's picture in it the his parents gave us a few years back as a present. The bottom left has a green picture that Chris made for me of Snoopy. The bottom right is a Snoopy and Woodstock picture that my girlfriend Kristina sent me awhile back for the nursery. The shelf my Dad made for my room when I was little and I just placed some Peanuts collectibles on it. The bunnies hanging from the shelf have hung in many, many houses over the years. My Dad first made them for my Grandma Mills and I have had them in every house / apartment I've lived in since. I can't tell you how many times he has painted them for me.

Here is a coat / clothing rack my Dad made for the baby. I cannot change the glare coming off the top of the rack because he put a lot of glitter and clear coat on it. One side has daytime Snoopy and one side has nighttime Snoopy. All of the Peanuts characters are running around the post. I took two shots, the first one is the nighttime one (above), the one below is daytime though I doubt you can see the difference with the glare. I have shelves in the background to put stuff on, just haven't decided what yet.

Here is a pic of the inside of the crib, sheets washed and ready and waiting on baby.

Here is a pic of the front of the crib. Paul and Kathy bought the crib and the mattress for us.

This is what pretty much started the decorations for the room. I always thought I would have my Mom turn this blanket into a wall hanging. It has all of my favorite colors on it, green, blue and yellow. I just always thought it would be a perfect centerpiece to a nursery.

Here is our WVU mobile, curtosey of our friends the Hattens in WV. I love the WVU bears hanging over the crib. To the left you can see our fish aquarium for the little one, from Roberta, one of the people Chris works with. It plays music and makes "ocean" sounds, very soothing!!! Almost puts me to sleep, it's remote controlled too so we don't even have to wake the baby to turn it on.

Here is a blanket my Mom made for the baby. She suprised us and gave this to us early on. It's dated July 2002. Chris and I were just married when she did this. She said she picked neutral colors and something she thought we would like - the puppy. We hadn't really talked kids yet and again, just got married. Didn't even have Baxter at this point. Mom said she just wanted to make a baby blanket just in case!

Here are two paintings of Baxter and Daisy that my Dad did. We hung them over the crib so it looks like they are watching over the baby. I think that they are going to love having a little one to play with and love.

This is the shelf on the other side of the nursery. I put all of the baby's books here.

There is another pic of the curtains my Mom made.

Here is an upclose shot of the curtains. You can barely see it, but on the yellow gingham border, she suprised me and embroided the initials MS - since either way (Max or Morgan) that will be the baby's initials. It is so subtle and looks really good. I fell in love with this material when I found it, again - all my favorite colors and just perfectly neutral.

Here is a pic of the glider my Mom and Dad bought for us. It is soooo comfortable and I love it because it's leatherette so I can just wipe it off. That is so key for me with my allergies, the pups and the baby. Just in the right corner you can see the dog's bed I left in there for them. There is a nightstand to the left with a cute lamp my parents got us of Snoopy and Charlie Brown. You can also see the shelves hanging up that my Dad made me when I was little. I think it's neat that those exact shelves used to hang in my room with my quilts and dolls on them. We hung one on each side of the window.

There are the name signs for the baby's door. Once we know which it is, my Dad will hang their name on the room.

I had to take a pic of this: Chris's family back in WV, his grandmother and two of his aunts sent an entire package of all WVU baby gifts. We loved this window cling but instead of putting it on the window where we wouldn't see it much, we put it above the light switch. It looks great there and you see it every time you are in the room.

You can't tell what this is but I took a picture of it anyway. My Mom and Dad worked hard on this as a suprise for my shower. They called Chris' family and got their info and they put together a 5 generation family tree. It's got everyone's name and who they married to lead to our baby. It's so amazing to see just how we got to this point. Chris and I bought the sign below it that says "All because two people fell in love". We thought it was just perfect to hang below the family tree because that's true - we got to this point because of 5 generations of people falling in love. Wow!

Here is the changing table. It's actually a hutch from Chris' childhood furniture but Paul (Chris' Dad) and I worked hard on making it become a changing table. We searched online for a long time to find a changing pad small enough to fit on there. It works great and we didn't have to buy one and it's really neat using Chris' childhood furniture. The only thing in the nursery we haven't hung yet are the WVU banners - for now I like seeing them on the table until we decide on the perfect place.

Here is the stork sign that my Mom said was her inspiration for my blue / pink baby shower. The green balloon says "A bundle of joy". But as soon as we know what the baby is, there is another balloon you hand over it that says either "It's a boy" or "It's a girl". Also the cloud right below it has a cloud that you attach with the baby's name, birthdate, weight, etc. The space right below the stork is where my Dad will hang the Max / Morgan nameplate you saw in the earlier pics. I think all kids should have their name on their door.

One final look at the nursery. Hope you all enjoyed getting to see it. I know that it's a lot of pics, but most of you will never be in Florida to see it firsthand so I wanted you to be able to be apart of it from far away.

Finally...9 Months & the Big Baby Name Reveal

2008-12-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Marianne came over on Saturday and took pictures for us - I am mid 36 weeks in the pictures which is the start of 9 months. Can't believe it's almost here. I am still due Jan 7, my birthday but we shall see. I think that Baby Stowers will make an earlier appearance, but I still can't tell the sex. I just keep waiting to see what it will be. Chris and I are very excited and anxious to meet our little one. Here is a picture of my pregnant belly. I love how Marianne had us do this, making a heart and showing our wedding rings.

Here is a picture of the valance and roman shade in the nursery, handmade by my Mom. It's Snoopy - all green, yellow and blue. Beside me is a little clothing rack handmade and handpainted by my Dad. It has all the Peanuts characters running around the post with Snoopy on his dog house on top.

Here we are holding blocks with our choice for a baby girl's name. We decided on Morgan Taylor if the baby's a "she". Morgan after Morgantown, WV where Chris and I met, fell in love and married. We will always be Mountaineers and we thought it was a fitting name for a girl. Taylor came from months of baby letter scrabble. What we did was take my Mom's name (Laura Rose) and his Mom's name (Mary Kathyrn) and jumble up the letters to make her middle name. We decided on Taylor for several reasons - the letters came equally from my Mom's and his Mom's name and it's a great brand of guitars which we all know is one of Chris' loves.

Here's our choice for a baby boy's name: Max Stewart. We actually were watching a Simpson's episode (we LOVE the Simpsons) a while back and Homer had renamed himself Max Power. We kept saying that over and over because we thought it was sooo funny, then we realized Max Stowers was a great name for a boy. Very POWERFUL (haha) but it was the winner of all of our choices. Stewart obviously is my maiden name. It was important to us for Max to have this because I am an only child and we wanted him to still carry on my family name.

Here is Chris talking to the baby, which he does a lot. The baby usually kicks him in the cheek when he does this, it's our fun game. The baby likes when Chris plays guitar for it and when I play Beatles music. Also, I do play the baby the Mountaineer Music from THE PRIDE our marching band. It can't hurt right? This baby will be a Mountaineer tride and true. Lots of things in the nursery are WVU related: either from what we had/bought or lovely gifts from family and friends.

Happy family - waiting on Max or Morgan. Can't wait little baby - we're ready. Let's GO Mountaineer and get this show on the road.

Baby Shower

2008-12-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of some of the decorations at the shower. My Mom hosted my shower - complete suprise to my on the colors, theme, etc. She had a stork wall hanging she had sewn up and you attach either a blue or pink balloon to it. She said that lead her in the decision to do a pink and blue shower. There were pink and blue balloons with the baby's name hanging from there, M&Ms, "It's a boy" and "It's a girl" Hershey's kisses, etc. Everything looked beautiful and it was all quite a suprise. The baby received lots of wonderful gifts which helped us complete our nursery.

Mom and Me

Here is the head table with Mom, me, Kathy (Chris' Mom) and Lori (Chris' sister). We all had a great time. Lori and Marianne helped my Mom out A LOT with the shower.

Here is the beautiful cake Lori MADE for me. The bottom layer was white cake with starfruit filling and white buttercream frosting. The top layer was for me - made with Splenda and all chocolate!! It was soooo good. I think the baby carriage is too cute.

More Puppy Fun

2008-12-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

Here is Daisy snuggling on their bed I put in the nursery. I wanted Baxter & Daisy to still have a special place that they could call their own. It seems to be working, for the most part. They realize that their bed is ok to be in but not in the baby's things. We shall see how long this lasts.

Here I am around 33-34 weeks which is mid 8 months. Baxter wants very little to do with my belly, he doesn't like being kicked. He is such a paranoid dog anyway, he doesn't like leaning up on it because something kicks him and he can tell it's not me. Daisy on the other hand would lay down anywhere. She will huff and puff when the baby moves because it's moving her, but she won't dare give up her spot. So, now you all have a pic of my pregnant belly.

Here is Baxter on a pile of the baby's receiving blankets. I was sorting laundry to wash all of the baby's things and found him asleep amongst the mound. The seem to be getting used to all of the new things coming into our house and all the commotion in / around the nursery. We'll just have to wait and see how the take to the baby.

On another note, I promise to get shower pics posted soon. I just don't have them ready yet, but when they are - up they will go.

Update on my health / Baby Stowers status: I am currently in my 36th week (start of 9 month). I know I got a few weeks behind on the blog posts. Anyway, I am now on mandatory bed rest. I tried to keep working but ended up back in the OB ER again with another round of preterm contractions. They gave me meds again to stop them but left me with no choice this time - BED REST! So, since Wed of this week I have been at home going stir crazy. Baby looks great they say and it's ok for me to deliver at any point now.

More to come :)

Puppy Fun

2008-11-23T18:25:00.001-08:00

We have been trying to expose the dogs to all of the baby items coming into the house. This way, they are less interested in them (or so we hope). Anyway, here is a pic of Baxter and Daisy checking out the baby stroller. They really didn't care for this at all, as you can tell by their faces they are ready to bolt as soon as we say GO!

Here is Chris starting to put together the play yard (basinette, changing station and playpen combined) that my Aunt Nancy and Cousin Tabitha bought us. He turned his back and Daisy claimed it. I think Baxter looks like he is laughing at her.

Hope all is well. I will post shower pics soon.

32 weeks - start of 8 months

2008-11-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

Here I am coming home from work, not the best picture I know because of how tired I look. I have been putting in long days, it is season here. I wanted to get a picture in this outfit because my Mom made me this beautiful scrub top - it's the BEATLES!!! You can't find cute maternity scrub tops or pants. I have gotten through with wearing maternity cargo pants (look enough like scrub pants) and scrub tops my Mom has made.

Update on the health: my gestational diabetes really went into full force these past couple of weeks. I went to a gestational diabetes class to help with what to eat / portions / etc. It helped because I don't know this stuff well as a nurse (cardiac is my field) and I felt better having a nutritionist explain everything. However, I basically couldn't touch anything without my blood sugar being elevated. My regular OB tried medications, but those didn't work. My blood sugar would go the other way - too low - and I would get really sick.

So, I was referred to a maternal - fetal medicine specialist who I just saw this past Tuesday. He did an extensive 3 hour work-up. Lots of questions, family history, etc. The most thorough ultrasound ever (but I kept my eyes closed so I wouldn't see the sex) and the appointment. He started me on a new med that seems to be helping. I spent about 3-4 weeks since the gestational diabetes diagnosis barely eating due to everything elevating my blood sugar. I lost 5 pounds and got somewhat malnourished. Now, the baby is fine. But is has taken a toll on me and my body. I really don't feel the best right now - low energy, pale, bad circles under my eyes, etc. But, I have reason to hope - because as I said the med is working and I am starting to eat a little more.

My shower was yesterday, I will post pics and stories soon I promise. Again, the baby is fine!!! I see the doctors now on a weekly basis and will keep you all updated from the blog.

End of 7 Months

2008-11-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

Here we are today at the annual Ft. Myers Beach sandcastle competition. We go every year on Sunday morning very early, around sunrise. It's the best time to go and you get to see everything before it gets too crowded. It was chilly (by Florida standards) this morning so you can see I am dressed as a true Floridian, whereas Chris looks like a northener still in shorts and a tee shirt.

We took this picture for my "lil sis" Lee Ann back in WV. I just knew she would love this - she loves celestial stuff and this guy's giant moon was really neat.

So, looks like my 7 month is coming to a close. I will be starting 32 weeks (start of the 8 month) this week. Looking forward to the home stretch and finding out what the baby is. We still have a lot of work to do, the nursery is no where near ready. I hope I get everything done in time..... will keep you all updated. My baby shower is in 2 weeks, promise to post lots of pics.

Halloween

2008-11-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Here I am 30 weeks pregnant. Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. I just had no energy this year to decorate, which is sad because I have the most beautiful Halloween decorations - most of which my Mom has made me. I have never not dressed for Halloween in my entire life, so I wasn't going to let pregnancy stop me. I was a WVU Mountaineer fan for Halloween. Now yes, I realize that the season isn't going well but I am a Mountaineer fan tried and true every day of my life. The shirt says "It's a Mountaineer", which you can see in some of my earlier posts. It's amazing how much bigger I am, what a difference a few months makes. My mother-in-law Kathy suprised me with the shirt as a Mother's Day gift and it has been well worn during my pregnancy.

7 Months

2008-10-30T18:03:00.001-07:00

Ok, so these two pics with the dogs are a little blurry - I don't know why. I am wearing the best shirt ever though. It says "not finding out". We love this shirt. It gets a lot of reactions when I wear it. Some good, some bad. It's amazing how many people these days expect you to find out the sex of the baby and then get upset when you don't know. I am 29 weeks in these 2 pics which is mid 7 months. Notice the dogs posed with me on either side of my growing belly.

Here are two pics of me at around 28 weeks, early 7 months. Marianne and Todd had a Halloween evening and invited Mike, Josh, Bethany and us over for dinner and pumpkin carving. The pumpkin that looks like a Jackolantern is the one Chris carved - he won the vote amongst us all for best pumpkin. In the picture below - you can't tell - but Marianne's two months pregnant. Bethany is in the blue shirt and Marianne in the pink shirt.

Update on the pregnancy: my anemia is improving. My blood count is coming up partly from the iron pills I am taking and partly from all of the iron rich food Chris keeps making for me to eat. I recently found out that I have gestational diabetes. The positive is that it looks like my lab work is fairly normal and after the baby I should go back to normal. So for two more months, I just check my blood sugar, eat right, exercise and keep things under control. The doctors are considering inducing the baby around the end of the year due to the diabetes and the baby potentially getting too big to deliver. My due date is still Jan 7 (my birthday) but we are looking more like a Dec 29/30 delivery. We shall see - will know more as I approach weeks 35-36. Not such a bad thing though - our insurance deductable will be met and can anyone say TAX CREDIT!!

Hope all is well, will post more at the end of 7 months. Love, April

End of Second Trimester

2008-10-19T17:12:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Lori (Chris' sister) and me at her birthday party. This marks the end of the second trimester for me, I am at 27 weeks (end of 6 months) pregnant. I really am all belly. Everyone keeps speculating on what the baby is and how I am carrying it. Well, I can truly say I have gained very little weight anywhere else but my belly. It literally goes from my ribcage to my pubic bone, straight up and down. Not sideways, just up and down all belly. So, if that tells any of you anything, there you go.

I have had a rough few weeks regarding labwork. My hemoglobin and hematocrit came back fairly low, low enough to take serious action. I have been eating more iron rich foods and taking iron supplements. I will have my labs repeated this week to see if there is any improvement. Also, I failed the glucose toleranace screeing test for gestational diabetes, but not by much. So, I just took a more extensive lab test this weekend and should know the results soon.

Hope that all of you are well and I will post more this week with updates and 7 month pictures.

6 Months and Counting

2008-09-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of me with the finished crib. I am 24 wks, which is early 6 months. According to our FL friends, I don't look that big in real life. I think the top I was wearing plus the angle of the pic.....oh well. Something to accept. I will post a later 6 months pic in a couple of weeks and you all can decide for yourselves :) I go to the doctor tomorrow to see if I can get off of bedrest....here's hoping, fingers crossed.

Starting the Nursery

2008-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here is Chris getting a good look at the directions for the crib. They made it real convenient by glueing them to the bottom of the crib so you would never lose them. However, didn't think about it later on when you still actually need to read them and the crib is put halfway together.

Here is Chris in jail
Hard at work
Final product

Here I am, just waiting on that Lil' Mountaineer to fill the crib. (But little one, don't come too early.)

I had a bit of a scare this week. Wed and Thurs night I had a lot of back pain which NOTHING I did would relieve. Thurs night I also had some stomach cramps and a little bleeding. I ended up at work Fri am in a lot of pain and when I called my ob, they sent me straight to the hospital for the ER / OB Triage dept. Looks like I was having VERY MINOR contractions. They were only lasting 20-40 secs, at most 45-70 secs. The official diagnosis was "irritated uterus". Now, what in the world did I do to "irritate my uterus" you ask? I have no idea, nor did I even know that was possible. Anyway, I was sent home from OB Triage on modified bed rest for 4 days. I go back to the doctor on Tues am and hopefully I can go back to work / normal life / housework / etc. For those of you who know me well, this bedrest thing for me sucks. I just don't know how to stop / slow down / not do things. UGH!!! Guess I am going to have to learn....we will see how this goes.

Five Months Vactation

2008-09-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are in WV. We take an annual vacation there around Labor Day. We try to catch the opening football game for the WVU Mountaineers. I can't believe that this time next year, we will have a new lil Mountaineer to join us.

Five Months

2008-09-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am at five months. I can't believe what a difference a few months makes. I really am starting to look pregnant here. Also, at the ultrasound done at 18 weeks (the beginning of the five month mark) we didn't get to see much of anything. The baby was sooo active that we had to close our eyes. We were so afraid that it would flip around and we would see something. We are both so excited, we have no idea what the sex is.

Four Months

2008-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 4 months. I started feeling much better by this point. Morning sickness gone, energy back. Thank goodness.

3 Months

2008-09-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to have some pics taken of Chris and me "before baby" especially with Baxter and Daisy. I wanted to make sure that we had prebaby family pics. Marianne, my best friend was gracious enough to take some for me.