The Brown Brick Road

I Heart Faces

January 10, 2011

Happy Monday everyone! I’ve got some fun pictures coming up this week but today I’m doing something a little different. There’s a photography website called I Heart Faces and every week they post a photography challenge. Anyone can submit a photograph to the contest and a winner is chosen on Saturday. Now, I am obviously not doing this to win (there are some real pros on there!) but I think it might be a fun way to try new things with my pictures. We’ve all got to be getting a little bored of photos of Maxwell sitting on the couch, right? Ok, me neither…BUT…I do think it will be fun and challenging to try some new things. I likely won’t do it every week but hope to from time to time.

This week’s challenge is “Smiles” and is all about “the joy they bring to each of us.” You guys have seen this picture before. It’s not a photo of a big, broad smile that follows a belly laugh…but a little grin that sure does bring me joy. I hope Maxwell’s little smile with his tongue peeking out makes you smile too!

Check out all the impressive entries at I Heart Faces!

In other news, we had a great weekend. Robert and I went out on our first date since Maxwell was born! Our FANTASTIC nanny, Susan, insisted on coming over for a few hours on Saturday night so we could go out to dinner. We went to Bottega and thoroughly enjoyed some grown-up conversation. It was so nice to be out and not worry one bit about our sweet little guy at home because Susan was in control! She’s the BEST!

Friday Favorite

January 7, 2011

All of the drool coming out of Maxwell’s mouth combined with the cold, dry winter air makes for some chapped little cheeks and a raw chin. I do my best to keep it dry but when he’s constantly sucking on his hands, it’s impossible. I find that this stuff helps a ton:

Boudreaux Baby Kisses

I rub it on his little cheeks and chin whenever it looks red. Gotta keep these chubby cheeks kissable!!

Have a happy weekend!

Shirt optional

January 6, 2011

Who needs clothes, right? When you’re this cute with rolls galore, clothes can just be a bother sometimes!

These next two pics – taken with my phone – are my current favorites…

Those arm rolls and the wrists..I could EAT HIM UP!! And this expression…

Hilarious! I just simply do not think he could be any cuter!!

Just to keep it real though…this is what happened about 2 seconds later…

He means business!

Luckily it didn’t last long and we were back to somewhat happy a minute later…although with sad eyes and remnants of crocodile tears!

He sure is cute…happy or screaming! 🙂

Nate update! Maxwell’s newest cousin is still on oxygen but improving. Apparently this is pretty common for baby boys…doesn’t make it any easier on mom and dad though! The doctors are confident he’s going to be just fine…he just needs a little bit of help for a little while longer. I’ll update more when I know more.

A new cousin!

January 5, 2011

Maxwell has a new cousin! Yesterday my brother, Keath, and his wife, Jen, had a baby boy! Delaney is a big sister!!

Nathaniel Parker Patterson
Born at 1:00pm on 1.4.11
8 lbs, 20 inches long

They’re going to call him Nate. He had a little trouble breathing on his own when he was first born so he had to be hooked up to lots of tubes…but he’s going to be just fine. Here he is just a few hours old…

Such a sweet face! I’ll post more pics without the oxygen tubes when my brother sends them.

Needless to say, cousin Maxwell is thrilled….

We can’t wait to meet him!

4 months old!

January 4, 2011

Maxwell turned 4 months old last Thursday. I really feel like, just last week, he turned this corner and has become a much more manageable baby. It’s hard to explain but I just feel like I “get” him more now. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t know what I’m doing a lot, but he’s not a complete mystery to me anymore. We’re getting the BEST smiles, some hilarious laughs and giggles and the cutest noises you have ever heard. Recently he has just been talking up a storm…babbling on and on. He rolls over almost every time we put him on his tummy and he’s now a big fan of the bumbo! He LOVES to put absolutely anything in his mouth, especially his hands. He’s exploring his world and it’s so fun to see him discover things. He’s doing pretty good sleeping through the night. We rock him to sleep for just about 5 minutes and then lay him in his crib drowsy but still awake. He’ll still cry a bit every night – anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes usually – but then he’s out! He’s still getting up to eat once in the night but will go right back to sleep after his tummy his full. We’re working on getting him to sleep a bit later in the morning. His current 5:30 am wake-up time is just too early for mom and dad! 🙂 He’s quite the charmer and will willingly show friendly strangers his dimples…but then will usually get shy and turn his head into me. He melts my heart daily. I can’t believe this perfect little chubbo baby is mine. I love him soooo much!

Ok, as usual with the monthly photos, there are a TON. I just can’t narrow them down so here we go…

Happy to be 4 months old!