3 Months

Maxton reached the ripe old age of 3 months on Christmas Eve! He has had an exciting end to his month as he reached a few very exciting milestones! He weighed in this week at 15 pounds 3 oz - so he's a healthy boy! He'll be needing to be moved out of his bassinet soon and into his crib! We have yet to determine whether the crib will come in our room or stay in his. I'm having a bit of difficulty letting go.

This month Max has begun laughing. His short little chuckles are so contagious and leave us desperately trying every trick in our books to hear more!

In addition to laughter, Max has also begun chattering away. Everyone says that's not surprising given who his mother is. The biggest news of the month is his ROLLING OVER! Ritchie witnessed this when he was entertaining Max while I made fudge. Max was in his tummy time (which he hates) and he straightened one arm and just rolled right over it! That happened on Tuesday December 22. It hasn't happened since, but we're definitely putting him on his tummy more to encourage this neat new trick!

Christmas Eve

I know this post is coming AFTER the Christmas post, but bare with us, okay?? We began a tradition last year that we loved for Christmas Eve. A crab feast! We decided to keep the tradition going this year and invited all of my family along! I was so excited that they decided to join us for crab and fun!

Christmas Time 2009!

It was a great Christmas for the Lincoln family as we learned the magic of having a child to center the holiday around. Everyone spoiled Maxton and we really enjoyed spending the holiday with our family and our little man.

Daddy and Max on our day after Christmas Christmas

Everyone hanging at my mom's

Max with his Auntie Ashley

Max having fun with Papa on Christmas Day

Max with mommy in their Christmas PJs

I'm Working On It

Since having Maxton I have changed. Duh, right? But seriously, I have become a completely different person that resides in my old (slightly flabbier and stretch mark covered) body. I am on two ends of the spectrum. I am this fierce, protective mommy. My husband calls me, "Mama Bear" as I hover around anyone who messes with ( AKA holds) MY baby and dares to do it "wrong". I give a look of the highest warning to those who want to touch MY baby and infest them with their germs. I think the world should revolve around his eating and sleeping schedule and then completely stop when he smiles. I cry at the thought of leaving him in daycare even though I will be in the same building and will see him every 2 hours.

On the other end of the spectrum, I am filled with a calm and inner peace I never knew possible. Nothing else matters. I don't need to have anxiety about anything because HE needs me to be calm for him. All he needs is love and my milk - both of which I gladly provide. So I lay around most days smiling and cooing at him and then nursing him. We have a love affair, Max and I. I feel more at peace than I ever have in my life.

Now to find the balance. To be at peace when others hold him, while he's being cared for by others because I must work. To let my own family hold him and share in his magic without "Mama Bear" hovering...

I'm working on it.

A Visit With Santa

Today Maxton had his first ever picture taken with...

The BIG one... the head honcho.... the connection....

SANTA!

Christmas Tree Day!

This is by far my favorite Christmas tradition! I love going to cut down the tree. Ritchie and I have extended the tradition to include looking for the perfect Charlie Brown tree. We love the whimsical way that those trees showcase our ornaments and decorations. This year we think we did an excellent job!

Ritchie and Maxton

Maxton with Papa Rock!

Don't you just love this hat?!

Of course the Beco helped us out!

The whole gang!

Thankful

This year Ritchie and I have so much to be thankful for! Here are just a few of the many things for which we give thanks this year.

• We have some amazing friends! We spent Max's first Thanksgiving with our wonderful friends, Kirstie and Nick as they prepare for the arrival of their first son, Roman. We plan to make Thanksgiving with them a tradition for the coming years. I can't wait to see the boys play together in that cabin in the snow! Kirstie and Nick are just two of our wonderful friends though! Even though they have moved to Redmond, WA, Kimberly and Pat are still very close to our hearts and we recently got to spend a week with Kim and Quinn who is 5 months old. We look forward to seeing them often in this next year and watching the boys grow together even from a distance. Without these two girls in my life I don't think I would be who I am. I lean on them very much for support, advice, love, and laughter. They both give these to me with seemingly endless abundance. Ritchie has a group of co-workers that he has grown very close with and he really enjoys a job that he probably wouldn't otherwise because of them. Chris has been our "roommate" (though for those of you that know this, you know that he really just uses his room here for storage) for several months now. Although he isn't here often we really enjoy having him around when he is and I know that Ritchie enjoys his time with him at work. Ritchie's two childhood friends, Martin and Anthony are a constant in Ritchie's life and no matter how much time passes he can always rely on them and pick up right where they left off. Our friends are truly amazing and we feel blessed to have them!
• Our family. We really saw the true meaning of family come to life when our son was born. We had dinners provided, our house cleaned, people to give us a break for sleep, and constant love and encouragement during those first few challenging weeks of parenting. We are constantly looking to our family for guidance and support and they never let us down. We couldn't be more grateful that we are close to our families both in proximity and at heart.
• Our jobs. In this economy, need I say more? Ritchie loves working for Apple and is excited to explore some new opportunities in the coming year. Even though I am staying at home with Maxton and loving every second of it, I miss Monticello and the people who I work with. I am very thankful that when I do return I know I will be supported in my desire to be a mother and a teacher. It will be easier to do so since Max will be right there and I can see him frequently through the day. So, not only do we have jobs but we have jobs that we love and that offer us benefits that are very meaningful to us.
• Last but certainly not least, we are most thankful for our precious son. Maxton fills our life with joy everyday. His smile melts our hearts and everyday we marvel at what an amazing child we have been blessed with. I was decorating the tree the other day and found one of my favorite ornaments. It's a book that we write in every year to tell about the events of that Christmas so we can reminisce in the years to come over past Christmases. Anyway, last year we wrote that we hoped it would be our last Christmas without little ones. We feel thankful that our Christmas wish last year came true and we are thrilled to get to center this year's Christmas around Max. We love him so much.

Here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving this year:

2 Months

Max turned 2 months old on November 24. He had so many wonderful moments this month as he showed off his beautiful smile more and more! He has also become much more alert and aware of his surroundings. We notice that he looks at pictures in books and particularly likes pictures of other babies. He is tracking objects, cooing, looking towards the sound of our voices, and holding his head up with ease! He loves to stand up on his feet and is beginning to cover the front of his shirts with drool... haha! We love him so much and can't wait to keep sharing in the joy that his accomplishments bring!

2 month stats:

Height: 24 1/4 inches

Weight: 13 pounds 4 ounces

Max has proven to be a hearty eater this month by gaining almost a pound a week consistently the entire month!