Thursday, May 30, 2013

tids and bits from indiana

so remember when we left town for 3 weeks traveling what seemed like everywhere to go visit family?
well how about we talk about that.

so first stop was indiana to visit casey's brother's family and be there for his dental school graduation!
as always, we have the best time with them.
played games,
had yummy food all the time,
watched the children play,
played games,
and celebrated with cody in graduating from dental school!
just had a grand time together.
and this time the grandparents visited at the end of the week too!
it was so fun to them in their element of being solely grandparents without the cares of jobs, callings, and real life to deal with.

the main reason we went:
GRADUATION!
their 4 years went by so quick and it gave casey a glimpse into the future.
we're so happy cody (and camille) made it :)
apparently jaden was too...
 photo Untitled-8_zpsca847600.jpg
 photo IMG_9174_zpsc6434433.jpg

maxson learned how to sit up while we were there and i was one proud momma.
seeing your baby learn these new things is just the best.
it felt like he just started doing it one day by himself,
all in an instant!
no falls or anything.
(the first picture was maxson and casey during the graduation ceremony, i thought it was funny)
 photo IMG_9048copy_zps256c781f.jpg

grammy is just the funnest, she got out there with jaden (3) and played their own very intense game of baseball.
the rest of us adults couldn't help but join in on the fun.

when cody and casey are with their father, i think it's just a riot.
add in our 3 hooligans and it's even better
 photo IMG_8947copy_zps94557c7e.jpg

we got to have a mini celebration of miss brielle's one year birthday!
she is just a little sweetie pie.
by the end she was finally comfortable with both casey and myself and would crawl over to our legs to hold her, made my heart melt!
and as i mentioned in another post, she too began taking her first steps while we were there,
so fun to see
 photo IMG_8970copy_zps5540f34b.jpg

more of these 3 cuties
 photo IMG_8899copy_zps909914aa.jpg

and more of grammy playing with the littles,
she rocks
 photo IMG_8886_zps100f3ec7.jpg

so glad we made the trek,
thanks for having us, cutlers!

and i forewarn you, there'll probably be a phone picture post from this trip too, since i haven't downloaded that yet

Friday, May 24, 2013

Thursday, May 23, 2013

throwback thursday

so i've never done the throwback thursday pictures on instagram,
BUT it just so happens that today is thursday and i finally have pictures gathered to compare maxson to cute baby casey/kimber!

the majority of people who meet maxson immediately rave at how much he looks like casey.
always.
i have yet to hear once that he looks like me
(i take that back, they FIRST say how much he looks like casey and then follow up with a "but i can see the woodruff side in him too!)
but i don't mind at all, i think it's true.
max // casey
 photo Untitled-6_zpsaef2f74a.jpg
max // kimber
 photo Untitled-5_zps4042868e.jpg
max // kimber
 photo Untitled-4_zps1a36585e.jpg
casey // max
 photo Untitled-7_zps34dc782e.jpg
although everyone says maxson is the spitting image of casey, which i totally agree, i was so surprised (and happy) to see that maxson DOES resemble pictures of me as a baby as well!
it's not as fair comparing casey's baby pics to maxson's because casey was one large baby
example:
maxson at 2 months: 12# 2 oz
casey at 2 months: 15 # 2 oz
....
but i think the older (and chunkier) maxson gets, the more pictures of little casey and max will resemble each other.
even until then, in person, maxson looks just like his daddy.

other things to note:
it has been mentioned quite a few times that when casey was a baby, he too was very difficult to get smiles from.
like father like son...

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

fun in the sun

we pretty much got in the pool everyday here.
we loved it.
casey was the fun parent getting in all the way, splashing around with everyone.
i was the boring mom making sure max was covered in sunscreen and a hat and not too cold and not in the sun for too long.
i'm so funnnnnnnnnnnn.
but really, maxson loved it too (except on the 2 days where it was a little chiller [note: slight breeze and 93 degrees instead of 100...] he would make large grunting noises the entire time:)
one of my brothers came over with his family a few different days which added to the fun :)
here's the plethora of pictures we took over the week of swimming, because a baby's first swim cannot be overrated!
yeah, and i totally forgot the whole swim suit for maxson part...swim diaper it was!!!
it's charlie banana.
 photo IMG_9228copy_zps0aa121f8.jpg
 photo IMG_9267_zpsa886e94d.jpg
 photo IMG_9275-1_zpsffe7275e.jpg
 photo IMG_9257copy_zps0e198172.jpg
 photo IMG_9230_zps5696c0e6.jpg
 photo IMG_9283_zps8f3a9410.jpg
 photo IMG_9271_zpsa4a629e5.jpg
 photo IMG_9365_zpsd9a9640b.jpg
 photo IMG_9410copy_zps3543cf31.jpg
 photo IMG_9382_zpsd23ab2c0.jpg
 photo IMG_9393_zps7c2cc3a0.jpg
 photo IMG_9398copy_zps7a450ccd.jpg
 photo IMG_9424copy_zpsb446588a.jpg
 photo IMG_9439-1_zps99472064.jpg
 photo IMG_9518_zps19ce5847.jpg
 photo IMG_9448_zps7e96a414.jpg
 photo IMG_9477copy_zpsa9177107.jpg
 photo IMG_9484-1_zpsacba204f.jpg
 photo IMG_9566_zps81f175d6.jpg
 photo IMG_9577_zpsae34e3fe.jpg
 photo IMG_9587copy_zps71dd1ffd.jpg
 photo IMG_9579_zpsc8dbd57c.jpg

other notes:
-my parent's pool is awesome.
it was built as a pool for handicap access so there's a whole ramp that goes down the side of it,
it will be sooooo awesome for the kids!
-funny the difference a few degrees in the weather will make for swimming.
-sunscreen has to be one of my most favorite smells in the whole world.
-children make swimming so much more fun
-maxson is pool lover, i think the future brings fun things for us in there :)

Monday, May 20, 2013

still gone

did you know we're in arizona visiting more family?
yep.
and swimming everyday!
 photo IMG_9569_zps7423f404.jpg

Sunday, May 19, 2013

THE BEARD

we have reached the end of an era.
actually we've reached the end of the 3 months time that casey said he was going to grow out his beard.
the first 2 months were really fun for us both, just a fun change.
the third month took quite a long time for us, i'd say.
my favorite months of beard growth were the 5th and 6th picture, roughly the 5th and 6th weeks.
it was funny looking at casey during dinner and seeing all this food in his beard,
i think he was pretty tired of it.
i asked him to use conditioner and shampoo on his beard once to see if it would make it softer, it didn't.
we took a picture about once a week and it's fun to look at the growth (and to see how much maxson has grown!)!!!!
 photo beard_zps50b47770.jpg
and of course, we had to cut it off in stages.
man, looking at that first picture, he looks almost homeless, ha!
the second picture is quite handsomely-rugged-looking in my book that i really like.
a few friends/family members were just certain casey should keep the foo-man-shoo mustache for at least a few days...
YUCK!
and on the regular mustache, all he needs is a red hat to be mario!
 photo beard1_zpsa4694f6b.jpg
after casey had fully shaved off his beard, it definitely took maxson a little while to know who casey was again.
he wasn't just throwing out his smiles easily like he did before for casey.
it took a good 15 minutes of mostly blank stares at casey while he was pulling out all the tricks from the bag to get him to smile.
maxson finally realized who he was though i think :)

it's still taking me a little while to get used to his baby face.
it just looks so different!!!!!
it's been 3 months since i've seen that clean face so it's a surprise to have it back!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

happy mother's day!

happy mother's day!
to my wonderful mother and casey's wonderful mother.
the 2 greatest women to influence our lives.
we love love love you both!
 photo 17947ce3-08bc-4da5-a4ef-2370d0f9325f_zps58749513.jpg
 photo IMG_2647.jpg
we're lucky enough to spend the day before mother's day with casey's mum
and the day after with my mum.
the love they have given to us is always infinite,
and now that i'm a mother, their love means so much more and i am now so much more aware of their sacrifice.
there truly have been so many other wonderful mothers in our lives that have influenced us,
and today we thank and honor them!

and now because of our little maxson, i've been given the greatest gift of being called a mother too.
there's is nothing, nothing i would rather be doing in my life,
it truly is the greatest calling.
 photo IMG_5056.jpg

my SIL shared this video with me and i want to share it with you!
do enjoy and happy mother's day!!!!



Friday, May 10, 2013

what we're doing.

playing with cousins in indiana!
 photo IMG_8869copy_zpsbb0e7245.jpg
 photo IMG_8871copy_zpse32af056.jpg
 photo IMG_8750copy_zpscef3a344.jpg
 photo IMG_8656_zps7a3c57cd.jpg
 photo IMG_8465copy_zpsd4ada102.jpg
 photo IMG_8458copy_zps55f18462.jpg
and celebrating little brielle's 1st birthday!
(see more pics i took of her on my SIL's blog!)
 photo IMG_8538_zpsaa678c53.jpg
 photo Brielle_zpsa06d17b9.jpg

saturday plans:
dental school graduation ceremony!
(for casey's brother:)

ps- 2 of the babies hit some pretty big milestones on friday:
we've got a baby sitting up by himself and a little 1 year old taking her first steps!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

banana, sweet potato, carrots, and peaches.

so right there around 5 months,
we decided little maxson was ready to try a few solids here and there!
 photo IMG_8072_zpsa6530b4f.jpg
we started with just a few spoonfuls of rice cereal, he wasn't too enthralled with it.
 photo IMG_8067_zps30f6c7d9.jpg
but a few days later while i was eating a banana he kept grabbing at it,
trying to put it in his mouth (like he does with everything else:)
at first i pulled the banana further from him,
but then i thought "wait, i kinda want him to eat solids"
so after he stuck the banana peel in his mouth and sucked on it for a few seconds i thought,
heck, why not!
i broke a piece off my banana,
mashed it up nice and good,
plopped maxson in the bumbo,
put a bib on and we went for it!
he practically loved from the get go.
 photo IMG_8057copy_zpsb7f9997c.jpg
 photo IMG_8060_zpsfb60bbe3.jpg

it was fun feeding him the exact food i was eating myself.
i just really liked it.
i'd love to make my own baby food but i'm just not sure it's in the cards for us, we'll see.

since then i've introduce a new something every few days.
he didn't blink twice at sweet potato or carrot (well actually he'd make a sour face at first like "what's this?" with the first 2 bites but then he was fine after that)
we just tried peaches though and he wasn't as thoroughly entertained.
took him quite a few spoonfuls to enjoy it.
i have to hold both his hands with mine while i feed him unless i want his fingers all up on the spoon and in his mouth getting nice and messy,
that's pretty cute.
 photo IMG_8171_zps588e9c2b.jpg
 photo Untitled-2copy_zpsd083e555.jpg

solids are a fun new adventure, for sure.
but it's also kinda a hassle, ha!
it (already) takes a bunch of time,
his mouth is quite the moving target,
he we both get all messy in the end,
i have to remember to actually feed him stuff other than just nursing,
and did i say it take a bit of time?
but it's fun and we all are loving it :)