You see that boy, Man? He is huge!

Well, Weston had his two-year check-up today. He's very healthy and, well, he's huge! He is 36 1/2 in. tall (75th percentile) and he weighs a whopping 34 pounds (92nd percentile)!! I knew it felt like a workout to pick him up a few times a day! He didn't have to get any shots today. Yippee! But he did have to have an anemia test, which came back normal, and a TB skin test since he has traveled to Brazil in the last five years. He was such a big boy and didn't cry at all when he got stuck. But the really good news is, we get to go back in to the doctor's office on Monday so they can check the TB site. We can't possibly bring him in on Tuesday, when we will already be there anyway for Max to get his weight checked. Oh no. We must come in on Monday. And you all were worried that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I only got to have one outing to the doctor's office next week.

You Wanna Be Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Well, unless that place is filled with copays and needles and nurses and scales. Let's review, shall we? Max was born on the 12th. I took him in for his five-day appointment on the 17th. Then, I took him in on the 18th to have his bilirubin checked. He had his two-week visit on the 24th. I took him in yesterday to have his weight checked. And we were back today to check the weight again. Today, the receptionist said, "Man, you guys are in here pretty much all the time." Yeah. I know. But I assured her she wouldn't have to go long without seeing us again, as Weston has his 2-year check-up tomorrow, and Max will be back on Tuesday for yet another weight check. The weight, by the way, was good today. Up 2 whole ounces. But we have to go back on Tuesday just to make sure he is continuing to gain. Blah, blah, blah. It's almost enough to make you want to go ahead and belly up to that famous bar with Norm, huh?!

Eat Your Heart Out

I Cannot Believe I Just Said That

When you become a parent, you find yourself saying the most ridiculous things imaginable. Here is a sampling of things that have been heard at our house--some as recently as today.

• You may not have a hot dog until you have eaten all the food on your plate.
• Did you put your spoon down your shirt? Don't put your spoon down your shirt.
• Don't drink from that pool of standing water on the sandbox lid.
• Don't put that _____ in your mouth. (Some options for the blank include: rock, shoestring, computer cable, dirt, crayon, baby's pacifier, food off the floor, thing out of the trashcan, etc. etc.).
• We are not going to take our clothes off at the dinner table.
• Don't put that _____ in the toilet. (Blank options: toothbrush, cup, washcloth, toy, hand, etc. etc.).
• What do you have in your purse, Son?
• Don't stick that in your _____. (Blank options: nose, eye, ear, mouth, any other orifice on your body or anyone else's body).
• Who wants to throw the baby's dirty diaper away?!
• Yes, I did earn a treat when I went to the bathroom, but I'm going to eat my dinner first.

"I Do Dood Job."

This is Weston's mantra these days. He can make it through any task you ask him to do as long as you keep the "good jobs" coming. And if they don't come in regular enough intervals, he is quick to remind you: "I do dood job." This sometimes comes out like a statement and sometimes like a question. And this has made me think that that's really what we all want, isn't it?! Wheather we are working at an office or at home; whether we are trying our hand at a new task or doing something we've done a thousand times, we want to know that we are doing a good job. We can make it through any task if we just have a little affirmation from time to time. So to all of you reading this, I'd just like to say: You are doing a good job. Keep up the good work.

Two Weeks Old

Another Page From The Family Cookbook

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

1 cup peanut butter

6 T. softened butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 t. salt

1 cup milk chocolate morsels, plus another couple of handfuls to sprinkle on top

Beat peanut butter and butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy. Blend in flour and salt. Stir in chocolate morsels. Spread into 13x9 pan. (Recipe says ungreased--I greased it anyway). Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 until edges begin to brown. Immediately sprinkle chocolate morsels over cookie layer. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread evenly. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Enjoy.

These are super-yummy and very easy to make, using ingredients you probably have on hand without having to make a trip to the store.

Little Max Visits The Doctor

It was a cold day in central Texas, and Little Max had to go to the doctor. So, Little Max's mother fed him, changed him (as he peed all over the changing table) and bundled him up. Then they were off. Upon arriving at the doctor's office, the nice nurse asked Little Max's mother to take off all his clothes, including his diaper, so they could get an accurate weight for him. Little Max proceeded to pee all over the exam table, the nurse's hand and a portion of his own clothing. With the mess mostly cleaned up, the group trooped off to the scale. "8 lb. 8 oz." the scale read and the nurse recorded. Then they all made their way back to the exam room. The nurse said to put his diaper on, but leave him unclothed. Little Max was not happy about being left naked, so his mother bundled him up in a blanket to keep him warm until the doctor could get there. Just as Little Max was about to doze off, the doctor appeared. She listened to Little Max's mother explain the woes of the last few days, did her exam and pronounced her disappointment in Little Max not being back up to his birth weight. She ordered a series of tests to try to figure out what might be plaguing the wee child (including a catherization to check for a urinary tract infection and a couple of blood tests to check the bilirubin levels and to rule out any significant problems), and she requested that he be weighed again. Then the doctor left Little Max and his mother in the capable hands of the nurse, who came in to fill the doctor's orders. First, she performed the catherization, causing Little Max to pee all over the exam room once again and making him unbelievably angry (and causing his mother to leak out a few sympathy tears). When he had recovered from that ordeal, she stuck his little heel to draw the blood. Her goal was to fill two separate vials and put four dots of blood on a piece of paper. She expertly filled the vials and then began to work on the paper. She had completed only one of the dots on the paper when Little Max's mom happen to notice her son's blood spilling out of one of the vials all over the exam table. This caused the nurse to feel flustered and Little Max to feel upset, as more blood now needed to be extracted. Thankfully, another stick was not required, as Little Max was bleeding quite freely from the first stick. Finally, with all that drama behind them, the group made their way once again to the scale. "8 lb. 6 oz." the scale read. Little Max's mother and the doctor found the results completely baffling, as the boy appeared to be shrinking before their very eyes while still seeming to be relatively healthy. Having used up all the wipes and diapers in her diaper bag, and having agreed to bring Little Max in again in just five days to have his weight re-checked, Little Max's mother gathered up her son and her belongings and wearily headed for the pharmacy to fill a prescription for reflux medication--which the doctor thought might help with all the other problems Little Max seemed to be having. Later in the day, the nurse called to say the the bili counts were down to normal and there was no evidence of a urinary tract infection, which was good news. Still, the whole experience was quite exhausting for both Little Max and his mother and both were glad to have it behind them.

The End

Please Stand By...We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Well, we've had some computer problems the last few days, but I think my tech guy has got them all worked out now. We are also experiencing some technical difficulties with Watts Baby 3.0. This child who slept for six hours for several nights in a row at only a week old, decided at 10 days old to grow out of that. He has been very cranky during both the daytime and the nightime the past couple of days/nights. It seems to possibly be tummy trouble, but nothing seems to really soothe him or make him feel better. It's just the saddest thing. I feel so very bad for him and so completely helpless. We have another visit with the doctor scheduled for tomorrow, so I'm hoping she can give me some useful advice that might make life a little more bearable for all of us.

Grandparent-filled Weekend

It was a fun weekend, with all the grandparents--and even a great-grandparent--popping in for visits.

Look Closely

If you look closely, you will notice that that is a pull-up diaper on my son's head. This is how Weston presented himself to us first thing this morning. He came down the stairs grinning from ear to ear, saying simply, "Hat." I laughed so hard, I almost cried. And even better was that he chose to wear his "hat" for half the morning.

All My Children

The Brain: Ruth's school report for today included the news that she is in the process of writing a six-page "book" about Max's arrival, which she will finish tomorrow. She has been working on this for several days and even had to ask her teacher for extra pages in order to finish. Each page contains an illustration and 1-3 sentences. There have been some visiting teachers in her class this week, who are specifically there to observe her teacher teach writing, and they have been very impressed with Ruth's work.

After school, Ruth began reading The Great Illustrated Classic Swiss Family Robinson (a 3 pt. AR book)! She was flying through it, working her way through words such as "accomplishment," without even stumbling. The book is a challenge to her really only in how long it is.

As a bonus, Ruth got an extra peg (the reward system employed by her teacher) for cleaning up her whole table while some of her desk mates were goofing off. That peg bumped her up to 10, which allowed her to pick a prize from the treasure chest. We are so proud of her for all her accomplishments--not to mention all her help around the house!

The Brawn: Weston figured out how to open the door to his new room today and successfully escaped from his afternoon nap, if only briefly.

But, of course, there is much more to this sweet boy than sheer force. He has been a huge help with Max, rushing to bring us diapers and taking dirty diapers to the trash can, and generally just being very sweet to his little brother.

He has also had a lot of potty success this week.

And he has learned the "chorus" of the 10 Little Monkey Story: ...One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed." He has even worked out some motions to go with it. It's adorable.

The Babe: Max slept in four-hour stretches last night, meaning I only had to get up once in the middle of the night to feed him, meaning I actually feel human today!

He also had his newborn check-up today. The report was mostly really good. He just has a minor jaundice problem. The doctor recommended that we give him a little formula after each regular feeding to hopefully flush the excess bilirubin out of his system. He will be re-checked tomorrow morning. But in the meantime, Ruth and Weston are thrilled to get to feed him a bottle.

The doctor also recommended that we put Max on his belly a few times a day, so this afternoon I did. I'm not kidding when I tell you he attempted to crawl! True, it may have just been a reaction to the extreme anger he felt at being put in that position, but I really don't think so. I, of course, think it is simply because he is brilliant and very advanced. But that's just me.

We are so very proud of our kiddos and are thrilled to watch them learn and grow. Each new day brings something else to be excited about--and brag about! Thanks for indulging me.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Rub-A-Dub-Dub, we've lost our tub.
And where do you think it could be?
I've checked the garage, the closets and Mom,
But the search yielded nothing, you see.

How does one lose a baby bath tub? Especially when one knows where all the other baby things are? It is a puzzle, indeed. We made do with a little tub from the hospital, and Max had his first sponge bath tonight. Don't be deceived by the picture; he didn't like it one bit!

Cuteness, Cooking, And Cat Naps

So "C," as it turns out, is not just for "cookie," as Cookie Monster originally suspected. Although, cookies are definitely excellent and did figure into the day. But, I'm sure you're not really interested in that little tidbit. The big activity of the day for me was a trip to the grocery store. Having been cooped up in a hospital room the last few days, I thought a little outing would do me good. It was good to get out, but the trip (combined with my sore body and my serious lack of sleep last night) completely exhausted me. But, fortunately, I was able to catch a little cat nap this afternoon, while Jeff took charge of the troops. And speaking of Jeff, he spent the majority of the day cooking yummy things with which to fill our freezer for those days in the not-too-distant future when there will be no one here to cook for us. What a man! But, I know you aren't here to hear about all that. You're here to see the cuteness. So, in an effort to keep you as a faithful reader, I will reward your diligence with this adorable picture of little Max.

Meet Max

Max Andrew Watts made it safely into the world on Saturday morning (despite a few minor struggles), and safely to our home today. He is eating well and sleeping well, and seems to be generally happy and healthy. His big brother and sister are (mostly) very happy to have him join our family, and Ruth's first commentary on the whole situation was priceless: "He's so little, but your tummy sure was big!" We are praising the Lord for the blessing of this new little life, and we are thankful to all who helped us welcome him into the world--through prayers and love and medical expertise. You'll definitely be hearing more about this little guy in the days...and weeks...and years to come!

Never Say Never

Well, nevermind that lower lip hanging down in the last post. We are on our way to the hospital...

Stalled Out

** This Post Contains Adult (Woman) Content**

So two weeks ago, I went to the OB/GYN and she said I was dilated to 1 1/2 cm and was 50% effaced. I thought that was a pretty good start, considering I was still three weeks from the due date. Last week she said I was dilated to about 2- 2 1/2 cm and still 50% effaced. Since then, I have moved furniture and cleaned and organized, etc. etc. I've had lower back pain and various other discomforts, so I thought I was really making progress. I just knew when I went in today she was going to say, "Well, you might as well just go ahead and go upstairs; you're going to have this kid any minute." Imagine my disappointment when she said instead, "No change since last week. See you next week." The last few weeks of pregnancy are just torture--in more ways than one. The hardest part, though, is definitely the waiting. So close, yet so far away, you know?!

And Now For The Moment You've All Been Waiting For...

(Or at least the moment I've been waiting for for a couple of weeks)...

We moved Weston into his big boy bed tonight. He was thrilled!! And we are thrilled! If it weren't for this fairly constant pain in my lower back, all would be right with the world! Yippee!



(And if he isn't just the very picture of cuddly cuteness, I'd like to know what is)!

Girl's Night Out

Some of my long-time (since Ruth was a baby) girlfriends took me out for dinner tonight to celebrate the imminent arrival of Baby Watts. We all have busy lives and don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, so this was a truly special time. Thanks so much, ladies, for treating me not only to some neat and much-needed baby things, but also (and maybe more importantly) to a night out.

The Hero Of The Day Award Goes To...

...My Mom! She showed up at my house today--as a total surprise--with her work clothes and can-do attitude to help me get some of the overwhelming mess under control. By the time she left, we could see the floor in the baby's room and were even able to vacuum in there. (Which may not sound like too great a feat, but you should have seen what we started with)! Jeff also got the "big boy" bed moved into Weston's new room. It is still unmade, but hopefully before too long he will actually be able to sleep in there. There are still plenty of things that I would like to get done before Baby arrives, but after today, I feel like he could show up anytime without sending me into some kind of stress-induced meltdown--which is good for everyone I assure you!

Back To Normal

Ruth was back at school today and Weston was back to focused potty training. I paid a pile of bills and even [gasp] cooked a real dinner. So, I guess we're pretty much back to normal...whatever that is. Vacation is definitley more fun, but a healthy dose of "normal" never hurts, I guess.

"You Might Want To Give Some Serious Thought To Thanking Your Lucky Stars You're in Texas"

My parents have a little plaque in their house with this saying on it. I can't find who to credit this quote with, but I love it. I'm always thankful to be a Texan, but never more so than a January day with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. (Even as I type this the temperature is 70 degrees)! It's awesome. The kids spent half the day running around in the yard barefooted and half-dressed. We've got the ceiling fans on full-blast and the windows open. I can't think of any better way to do winter...unless I were to be on some tropical island somewhere, but barring that, Texas winter suits me just fine!

A Place For Everything, And Everything In It's Place

Oh, how I wish that were true! But it simply isn't, so we're just having to improvise. The nesting continues--slowly but surely. We actually have the cradle in place now...and lots of other things out of place. At one point I felt so completely overwhelmed, I just sat down and cried...and cried and cried. It was completely ridiculous, but it felt good to get that out of my system. I do think we're going to get there. And, as Jeff was kind enough to remind me, even if we don't, it's not really that big a deal. Ruth told me at dinner that it feels like we have a totally new house, if that gives you any idea what things have been like around here.

*For those of you inclined to worry, please don't. I'm not doing any heavy lifting and I even allowed myself the luxury of a nap today.

Showered

Both sides of the family gathered at my parents' home today to shower us and little "Tater/Jon Deer" with lots of love and gifts. We had such a great time and we got lots of neat things--including (but not limited to) the all-important new car seat, diapers in every size, lots of cutie-bug clothes, cuddly blankets and adorable hooded towels. It was a very fun party, and now little Baby Watts' imminent arrival seems more real than ever. We can't wait! I was particularly touched by a couple of little notes Ruth wrote to her new little brother and I will share them here. The words are all hers and they are just so sweet.

"Baby Bruther,
I love you Jondeer. You are my little bruther, Little Jondeer."

"Baby,
I love you and I cer (care) about you. Love, Ruth."

Nesting

I guess I'm in "nesting" mode now. Either that or I've just realized that I'm about to have a baby and have absolutely no place to put him! Anyway, I attacked no less than five rooms in my house today, leaving a bigger overall mess than when I started! Why is it that to clean up, one must first destroy?! I think there is a light at the end of this tunnel somewhere. And I think we may actually find a place for this kid if he doesn't decide to show up tomorrow!

Movie Madness

Jeff and I have been in the mood to see a movie in the theater lately, so after we dropped the kids off last night, we headed on over to see what was showing. We got there just after all the movies we were interested in started, and so decided to put it off for another night. This evening, we checked online to see when things were showing and headed over to the theater (a different one, I might add) in what we thought was plenty of time. Unfortunately, the show we wanted to see was sold out there. Finally, we headed over to yet another theater in the hopes of seeing a different movie. We were successful in getting in, but about 20 minutes into it, the fire alarms went off and everyone was herded outside into the freezing cold. Just as we were about to throw in the towel, the manager announced that it was a false alarm and that they would start the movies back up where they left off or give a refund to those who didn't want to stick around. We decided to stay, and through our diligence, finally got our movie watched. It was crazy, but it was still fun to be out on a date. We saw the new National Treasure movie, by the way. It was pretty cheesy, but still kind of a fun movie.

And We're Back

Well, some of us are back. The kids are spending a few days with Jeff's parents before they go back to Las Vegas. We are hoping this will be the perfect opportunity to get everything ready for our new little guy--who will be here surprisingly soon! We had a really wonderful holiday and hope you all did as well. We are thrilled that we had so much time to spend with family and friends! We are celebrating all the blessings we received in 2007 and looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us in 2008. Happy New Year!