Where the Wild Things Are...

Sunday, November 22, 2009
Dear Max,
Well, we did it! We survived your first birthday party and I must say it was a hit! I have been in planning mode for a couple of months, as I wanted it to be a lot of fun. The theme... one of your favorite books, "Where the Wild Things Are" It was so appropriate as the little boy in the book is named Max and so are you! We started with the invitations:

Yup - That's your picture imposed on the Max from the book.
I will admit I ran into some copyright challenges, but where there is a will there is a way...just don't tell anybody!

With the invitations in the mail it was time to get you appropriately outfitted as the Max from the book...Wouldn't you know it that Grammie knows a lady that is an expert seamstress, so with just a few measurements, some fabric, and some amazing fur, she had the perfect Max outfit sewed up!

King Max with Daddy

So Cute!

The outfit was better than I imagined!

So the invitations were in the mail, the Max outfit made, now it was down to decorations, goodie bags and something to eat!


I spent weeks clipping little leaves onto raffia vines for the decorations. I wanted to create the true forest "that grew and grew and grew" in Max's room.

Mommy, Auntie Andrea and Auntie Julie
Great use of the vines!

We had vines everywhere!

I'm mean...EVERYWHERE!

This banner was truly a labor of love. Auntie Emilie told mommy about this really neat website etsy.com that sold these adorable banners. Well, I took a look and fell in love. However, they were upwards of $40.00 - $50.00. I thought... I could make that! The famous last words. Well, it is made, but it took hours and Max, I definitely think you will see this banner again and again till your 18!

The Goodie Bags were a lot of fun to put together.

I decided to include:

Red Vines (to represent the vines in the forest).
A "Carol" mask, which is the main monster.
A coloring sheet with your picture
Some Crayons
A "where the wild things are" ring
And a King Max Crown

And lastly the Food... now included in the food of course is the dessert! Which I had been creatively collaborating on with Amy, who has been referred to as a "Sugar Momma" and let me tell you... she knows her sugar! In the Book "Where the Wild Things Are" Max was sent to bed without his supper, however, when he returned to his room, their was a bowl left for him and it was still warm. I always thought it was soup that was left for him. So that is what we made...

Marsh Mush (Chicken Tortilla Soup)
Monster Milk (Sour Cream)
Monster Hair (Shredded Cheese)
Monster Toothpaste (Salsa)
Monster Fang's (Tortilla Chips)
Then we had some "kid friendly food"
Monster Droppings (Olives)
Emil Slices (Apple Slices)
Roley Polly (Peanut Butter Sandwich's Rolled)
Tantrum Makers (Carrot Sticks)

Plates, Bowls and Napkins

Food

More Food

And More Food!

But we can't forget the sweetest part.... THE CAKE! Amy, Patti and I put together a cupcake tower that was unforgettable and if that wasn't enough, Amy totally outdid herself with a "Carol" cake for you! It was adorable!

We started with Little Max Boats
Then Monster Faces on tier two
and Tier three was of Max
With a crown topper!

It was so much fun to make! We were all so happy with how it all turned out!

And your very own Carol Cake!

So now that the invitations were out, your outfit made, the decorations done, goodie bags waiting and the food made.... we were ready for a one year old birthday party!

We played a little "Pin the tale on Max" while we waited for all your birthday guests to arrive. Luckily for you, it was a picture of you as Max and not actually pinning the tale on you. However, it might have been harder to do that as your pretty quick these days!

Carter was a good shot.

Beau did really good too!


Auntie Julie even got in on the action

We officially started the party by watching to book reading of "Where the Wild Things Are" I wanted to make sure that everyone was familiar with the story. It was so fun to see you interact with everyone. I was curious what you would think of all these people coming to your house... but you seemed to like it and just snuggled right in with everyone to watch the movie.

You are Ethan, Abby and Beau watching the Movie

Everyone enjoyed the book!

Max, you didn't have the best attention span...but it still worked

Like I was saying...

But everyone else was paying close attention


After the Movie was over...

I asked everyone if they would like to use their imagination and go out back and sail away in Max's boat to the island "Where the Wild things Are" and have a "Wild Rumpus" of our own!
Everyone seemed to think that sounded like a lot of fun...
So away we went!

And to all the kids surprise...
Daddy had built a Private Boat for Max!

All the kids piled in with you as their captain!


You sailed for days and weeks and in and out of night and almost a year... to Where the Wild Things Are!


And who to make a better monster to King Max... Then Daddy...
This is the best picture I got of your daddy as the monster!


And Now Cried Max...Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

That's right...We had our very own Wild Rumpus

With Confetti

And Balloons

And Noise Makers

And Bubble Wrap

Anything to make a wild rumpus!

Including all the running you could handle!

It was definitly a Wild Rumpus!


After our Rumpus we all gathered back into the Max's Boat to sail back...

In the story book when Max get's back from Where the Wild Things Are...

He is so excited cause is supper....

is still warm...
We could not disapoint, so we headed back inside for some supper.

Austin, Kamryn and Ethan

Miss Jaime and Jade

The Jewett Clan

Enjoying some good food!

Are they eating or playing?

Playing...

While eating!

Is this safe?

Clean up on eisle 3

And then it was Present Time!

You are such a loved baby!

You had lots of fun opening all your gifts!

You did have a lot of help too!

However, a certain hanger got your attention...

And left us all wondering...why do we spend so much on toys when it is a hanger that you love the most?

What's left for a one year old birthday party then...THE CAKE!

You started out really catious...

Examing every bite...

Then suddenly
(by the way, only in Vegas can you eat your birthday cake outside in November in the buff!)

You got serious about your chocolate

And by serious...I mean seriously sick!
You were looking a little green...

It took you about 30 minutes to make a dent in the cake, you definitly paced yourself, but I'm not sure that pacing yourself paid off. You seemed to tire out before you got to the end. That's alright... their will be a lot more cake over the years!

So you might be asking, how do you end a one year old birthday party?

An improtu bath in the kitchen sink
Birthday cake is really messy...

Then asleep with Grammie! The perfect way to end a big 1 year old birthday!

Max, it was so fun planning and preparing for your big day! I never thought in a million years I would get to plan such a fun party for my son. I'm grateful that all our friends and family indulged us and joined in the fun. You are such an amazing baby, and bring so much joy and love to our lives. We are so glad that you are in our family and I'm already thinking of some fun idea's for birthday number 2. If the next year goes by as fast as the past then it will be here before we know it! We love you our little Wild Thing!

So Grateful...

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Dear Max,
I had to sit and write to you this morning, as my heart is filled with so many emotions this week. It's hard to think back on this week last year. It was by far the most difficult emotional time of our married lives. As I'm sure I've told you before, your daddy and I went and met a different little boy on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. As it comes to this time of year again, I was surprised at how emotional I have been thinking back on these torturous days. Getting the news that we were to be parents, and then three day's later, on Friday, November 21st, getting the call that it was not going to happen. I have personally never felt so hurt. I could not understand why. Did our Heavenly Father not intend for your daddy and I to be parents? Why, why would anyone do this to us? If Heavenly Father even liked us a little bit, how could he let this hurt and pain happen? Max, this morning as I went to get you after your nap, I pulled you up out of your crib and sat down in the rocking chair in your room, and just held you so hard and cried and cried. I could not believe that a year ago today, at nearly this exact time, I had woke up early in the morning, so I could be the first one to all the stores to return all the items we had purchased for this new little boy. I didn't want an audience, I just wanted to do it on my own. I remember sitting in the parking lot of babies r' us waiting for it to open and sobbing my heart out. I didn't even know what to do with the hurt I was feeling, I was so angry! Angry at this dear sweet girl, angry at myself for falling in love with a baby, angry at Grammie and Grampie because I wanted so desperately to provide them with a grandchild, angry at myself, angry with my Father in Heaven. I was mad! I left the parking lot that day and drove over to your Aunt Andrea's. I sat on her bed that morning and cried some more. She knew I needed to go home, but I just couldn't bare looking at daddy, grammie and grampie - everyone was so sad and I was just mad. As I held you recounting this day last year, I was overwhelmed by you and our Father in Heavens gift to our family. I would have never thought that exactly a year later I would be preparing for my son's first birthday party. Max, even though I know today should be such a happy day - and here I am crying, I'm grateful for that experience. I'm so grateful that I can think back to this time and remember how grateful I am for you and for a loving family, who chose to love me unconditionally even though I had technically lost my mind. I'm grateful for a Father in Heaven who personally knows me and who loves our family, and knew what was in store for us. I'm grateful for his forgiveness and I'm grateful that we have these types of experiences to remind us. I think back to the 2nd day we met you in the hospital and I wanted to be sure that we got hospital pictures of you. So the nurses were so sweet to call the picture lady up to the PICU, they don't ever go to the PICU to take pictures, cause the kids up there are all older, never newborns. I remember her saying "I looked and looked for pictures, cause I just know that I took pictures of a little boy, born on November 18th that was being placed for adoption, but the pictures I found are not of this little boy" I remember thinking...I'm not going to say a word, cause she wouldn't believe me if I told her, she might even think I am crazy. Max, it is overwhelming to think of where we were a year ago and what we are getting ready to do today. We are so blessed to have you here and I'm so looking forward to celebrating your birthday this afternoon with so many of our family and friends. It will be a fun and I'll be telling you all about it in just a few hours. Max, I'm so glad you are here, and I know that you are met to be a part of our family. I know this and I'm so grateful for this. We love you so much!

One Year Check Up

Friday, November 20, 2009
Dear Max,
Today was your one year old check up with Dr. Downey. Grammie is in town helping us get ready for your birthday party, so Grammie came with Daddy, you and I to your appointment. We were all so excited to see how much you have grown.

Here you are on your first Doctor's appointment. Weighing in at 6lbs and 14 oz.

One year later...

Weighing in at 23lbs and 5 oz.
That is one healthy boy!

You are doing so well. Dr. Downey is very impressed at how you've grown. Your scare looks good, your head looks good and you are definitely growing. You did get your one year old shots, another example of you getting older, these shots were given in your arms versus your thighs. Three shots...and just like the other times, you didn't even flinch when the nurse gave you your shots. However, I think she kind of snuck up on you, cause you didn't take your eyes off of her until she left the room. It was pretty funny, you staring her down.

We did experience a first when we were at the doctor's office this time...I will give you the run down in pictures...so glad I captured this visually!

Daddy took the lead on this appointment, I will tell you that we trade off, it's fun being the one that gets to be by your side during your appointments, but we try to have just one of us hovering so it's not so overwhelming to Dr. Downey. So as I was saying... Daddy took the lead on this appointment, wait until it came to the shots. Then mommy steps in. Daddy is really afraid of needles, but you are showing him that their is nothing to be afraid of. But as I was saying...Daddy took the lead until the shots...

Getting you undressed for your appointment

Daddy is "Flexing" his muscles while Dr. Downey exams you
Daddy is some hot stuff - huh?

Dr. Downey explaining that he needs to give you a bum test,
Daddy gets serious...
Then as Daddy stood there and Dr. Downey took the swab for testing, Daddy was trying to talk to you about what just happened, when suddenly Daddy felt something wet on his foot...
Yup - Pee was dripping off the exam table onto the floor...
During Dr. Downey bum test - You went PEE PEE - and neither one of them noticed!
It was everywhere, all over you, daddy the floor
EVERYWHERE!

The Puddle... the problem was as you can see you were right on the crease and it just found this crease to be the perfect canal to rush down all over daddy's feet!
I'm glad daddy was the lead on this one!

We love you Max!

One Year Old Today

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Dear Max,
Today you are one year old. I can hardly believe it. I was talking to Grammie the other day about you turning one and how unbelievably fast this past year has gone. I told her that I would give anything to live this year over again. I think your daddy and I were really in shock for the first 4 or 5 months! I know that we just sat and held you and loved on you...but it feels like we didn't get enough. Who knows maybe we will always feel that way. As you know we were not together one year ago today. So daddy and I decided that we wanted to spend the day together, just the three of us, since we didn't get to do that last year.

We started the day off going over to the bank and opening your very own savings account. Daddy and I decided that's what we would give you for your birthday. We started you off and will continue to do our best to grow your account for your future. The ladies at the bank were of course so excited, and thought you were the cutest thing ever! They were all going crazy over you and you were giving them lots of little flirts to keep the oohing and awing coming (daddy and I are IN TROUBLE!)

We then went to what we think should be your favorite restaurant given your love for pancakes. We went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House. We ordered you your first official kids meal all for yourself. A plate of pancakes (6) and an apple juice. They were small pancakes, but you ate 4 of the 6 and loved the apple juice. I think it's time to start moving over to the sippy cup world. You are going to like this!

Then we went to the movies. We saw Christmas Carol in 3-D. A movie in the middle of the day on a Wednesday...you can imagine how packed the theater was. We shared it with one other family. We got there a couple minutes late, and when we bought the tickets I asked the lady if the movie was full or if we would be able to find a seat arriving late. She simply said, we would be fine. She was right...we had plenty of seats to choose from! You didn't care for the 3-D glasses, but you did like snuggling between us and watching the fuzzy film. You seemed to like it, I was really nervous, cause some of the ghosts are kind of scary, but I guess you don't really have a gauge yet of what scary is... so it was a walk in the park to you! You did fall asleep about 20 minutes from the ending, so I guess we will have to read the story this Christmas so you can find out how it ends!

On the way home we stopped by the park to play on the slides (next to the swings your favorite). Unfortunately the park we stopped at didn't have kiddie swings so we went with the slides. I'm telling you Max, when we are together... it always seems like an adventure, and the park was no different. So we headed over to the little slide. We set you at the top, Daddy would let go (he's tall, so he can just set you at the top of the slide) then I wait at the bottom and catch you. You giggle the entire time and it's a lot of fun. We repeated this for about 10 minutes, when your daddy started scoping out the big kid play stuff. He looked at me and said:
"We should try the big slide"
I said, "Are you going to hike your but up to the top of that sucker and ride it down with Max?"
"Nah...I'll carry him up and then put him on the slide and you can wait at the bottom"
I'm not really sure where my mommy common sense went, I mean with you turning one and growing up so fast, it seems like you are moving out of the baby stuff and on to the big kid stuff, maybe that is where my mind was going, but regardless, I agreed to let this happen! Oh, please don't take our baby away from us!! We really are good loving parents!
So daddy hiked up to the top, I waited nervously at the bottom, thinking... This is like sending your child down the Der Stuka. Max, I don't think you know what the Der Stuka is, but it is bar none the scariest water park slide in the world. They had one at the water parks when we were kids growing up and only the really brave kids (not your daddy or I) would go down. It was a straight down slide, I have a rule, if I have to cross my feet and hold onto my heart in order to ride something, it just isn't going to happen. Anyways....as my mind is reliving this part of the my life...
Daddy set you on the top of the slide, you didn't go, you were stuck! So you started to turn over to crawl (a natural reaction) and your jeans hit the slide and caught the needed inertia to get you going and away you went! The next thing I know is my baby, my sweet, beautiful, calm, loving baby is flying around the final turn upside down and head first. "OH MY!" I grabbed you at the bottom. You weren't crying, but you grabbed onto me and did a kind of half smile, laugh and I think a little bit of a "are you freaking kidding me!" sound.
Then daddy says... "I know what went wrong, I didn't give him a push. I just sat him down and Max panicked cause he wasn't going. Let's try it again, and this time I'll give him a push!"
Again, Max, I know that I am your mother, your protector, your safety, and I really didn't think that the emergency room on your first birthday would be fun, but I knew your daddy had something to prove. So the next thing I know I'm handing you back up to daddy to try this again, and this time with a "push" oh my! Well, the end result was no different, the speed was just greater. My baby coming around the corner at the speed of light, head first and on your back. I grabbed you again and quickly looked around to see if child protective services was anywhere to be found. We figured at this point, we may have damaged your confidence for slides, so we headed back to the kiddie slides for another 20 minutes, making sure you left the park with great confidence in your sliding abilities... see we are good parents!

We headed back home for some afternoon naps and then Auntie Andrea called and she came over with some outback to go for dinner and the DVD "UP" we ate some dinner, you had your very own dessert with a candle while the three of us sang, "Happy Birthday Song" to you and daddy blew out your candle. You are a lover of the sweets and your ice cream dessert was no disappointment to you! We watched "Up" which was such a cute movie and that was the end of our day. It was so fun to spend the day with you Max. It is unbelievable to think what a difference a year makes. We feel so grateful to have you in our lives, you are a true miracle, an answer to prayers and I know that you are so special to so many people, cause you not only rebuilt faith to your daddy and I that our Heavenly Father knows us and loves us, but to so many other people, that knew of our situation and had the same questions. You are a true testament of faith, hope and love. We love you with all our hearts and look forward to celebrating so many more birthday's together. I just can't wait, until you out grow your daddy and can push him down the slide! We love you Max, and Happy Birthday!

You and Daddy in front of the Original Pancake House

I think you know what's coming... PANCAKES!

Enjoying your pancake breakfast

At the end of the movie...We tried to get a picture with mommy's eyes open, but we didn't have all day!

Our Adventure at the Park!

Loving the kiddie slide!

Waiting for mommy to catch you at the end

There it is...The Der Stuka of park slides

Ignorance is bliss

Don't worry - I didn't stop to take a picture when you were coming down.... this is simply a reenactment!


Back at home...

A birthday gift from Nana came in the mail!

You do like the paper...but there is more than that in the box!

There you go...

YEAH! Thanks Nana!

Your going to have lot's of fun with this!

And look....

It comes apart too!

One year old!

Your birthday dessert as we sing Happy Birthday to you...

I know, it's a long song when your waiting for dessert.

Stay with us Max... we are almost done singing...

There it is! The sweetness! Oh My!

Over Achiever!

Monday, November 16, 2009
Dear Max,
Well, that's it! You are done with the helmet. Your newly shaped head looks GREAT! And it only took 8 weeks versus the 16 weeks originally forecasted. What a great early birthday present for you. We go back to the doctor next Tuesday to have your 3D image taken again to see the vast change. I'm looking forward to seeing the change, however, I'm not looking forward to re-living the nylon over your head experience. Congratulations on your new look! Let's just hope you will figure out really quick that you can no longer bang your head against stuff without it hurting. I'm seeing a few painful lessons in your near future. We love you Max!

Monday, November 16, 2009
Look at that beautiful little head!

Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Dear Max,
Your first Halloween! It was so fun dressing you up and celebrating Halloween with you! I think I was so excited I made myself sick! I actually ended up staying home from work on Friday, not feeling good, but I think I was just so excited to celebrate! Friday night we attended the ward Halloween party. Daddy and I are on the activities committee so we had to be there early for some set-up. Let's just say we are so grateful for the three young women that came over on Thursday night to string 120 donuts for the donut eating contest! The ward party was a lot of fun. It was our first, trunk or treat. We have avoided these things in the past due to our family being limited to the two of us. It seemed kind of strange to attend with out kids. So we were really looking forward to this. We had two really cute costumes, so we split and you wore one on Friday and the other on Saturday. It was so much fun going trick-or-treating with you and can't wait till next year. I'm already dreading the time when you won't want us tagging along. We are so glad your here Max, and we love you so very much!

Costume 1

What does the duck say?
Quack - Quack!

Your First Trunk or Treat!

Helping Daddy hand out the candy

You were a big helper!

Until Daddy introduced a yummy sucker. You are addicted!

Yummy Stuff!

Messy Stuff!

Trunk or Treat

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!

Cooper... our little Devil

Costume #2

Our little Monster

Oh Max - We love you so much!

Cooper can't quite figure this out...

Here we are... Your first trick or treating!
Is Cooper going inside? Oh no!

Cooper and Daddy

Max and Mommy

Family trick or treating