News and Updates Archive: - News and Updates 2003 - News and Updates 2002 September 30, 2005 Max had his ear recheck with his ENT doctor. After two rounds of antibiotics, his right ear is still not in good shape. So, we will give it a little time and see the doctor again in a month. Zeke had a non stress test today. He performed very well! However, at my doctor's appointment I found out that there have been no changes, so it looks like he is in no hurry to come out! I still officially have 9 days to go, so I guess I can't complain...yet. My next NST is on Tuesday and then I have an appointment on Friday. If I make it to my appointment Friday, which it is looking like I will, we will probably set an induction date. My doctor does not like women to go too many days past their due date. I do have to be thankful though, that we are both healthy!! September 27, 2005 Well, Zeke pulled a Max today. I went to my NST and everything was going fine until I had a big contraction and Zeke's heartrate fell. I couldn't believe it! It only did it one time in the hour I was monitored, but my doctor did order an ultrasound. We found out that Zeke is head down, so that is good. And, everything else looked great! My next NST is Friday morning and then I will see the doctor after that. Max is singing a song that he learned at school! It is so cute. It's called 'Hello Everyone'. It is the first time HE has taught US something! September 23, 2005 Not much to update after today's appointment. Everything is still pretty much the same. One nurse I saw today thinks Zeke is still breech. Another thought he was head down, but couldn't find his head!! Jamie and I laughed for a long time at some of the movements this guy is doing. WOW! One nurse and I just watched my stomach today and I confirmed that it is a baby in there and not an alien. I think this little one is a tricky one!! We are anxious for him to get here, but in God's perfect timing. Another bit of exciting news...I have a new first cousin! My uncle Roger and Aunt Jo are in Guatemala picking up their sweet baby girl, Mirka. From what I hear she is a happy little thing!! Can't wait to meet her. We went to family fun night at the zoo last night and Max had a great time. I'll post pictures soon. A funny thing Max is currently doing is holding is own hand. When we get into a parking lot and I say 'Hold my hand', he says 'I hold Max's hand' and then puts his two hands together and starts walking. It's funny, but sure not very safe!! He doesn't get it when I grab his arm or hand and help him! September 16, 2005 Well, looks like those contrations are starting to do something! Everything is still fine, but my body is definitely preparing for Zeke to get here. I'm dilated a fingertip and my cervix is getting really soft. Zeke still hasn't turned. Jamie is in California, my in-laws are in Las Vegas, my brother and sister-in-law are in Tulsa and then Missouri and there is a full moon Sunday night! Hope we can hold on until at least Monday night when everyone is home...I think we are OK. That's the latest...looks like we'll be meeting Zeke Russell soon. I have another NST on Tuesday and my next appointment is on Friday. September 13, 2005 Another stress test today. Everything seemed to be the same. Still contracting every 5 minutes or so, but thankfully no shot today! I have an appointment and stress test on Friday, so I'll update everyone after that! September 9, 2005 We had an appointment with Dr. Huff today. Jamie had lots of questions, specifically about non stress tests and the baby coming while he is out of town! Everything still seems to be fine, I'm not dilating yet, I'm up about 3 more pounds and she didn't mention how I was measuring. Zeke has still not turned, so he has about 2 more weeks to do that. Dr. Huff decided I should go ahead and start non-stress tests twice a week just to make sure this little guy isn't doing what his big brother did...wrap the cord around his neck. So, after being hooked up to the monitors for about 45 minutes, it was clear that I'm having some pretty good contractions every 5 minutes. Of course they are not doing anything, but I should not be having that many (no more than 4 an hour is normal). I had to have a shot of brethine to stop them and will go back next Tuesday for another NST. We are about 4 weeks out! September 8, 2005 I found out Max has been crying at school!! I was devastated to hear that, but he still seems excited to go and tells us he has fun. He has started talking about his new friends...he is big! He had a follow up with the ENT today. His tubes are out (which we knew), but he has fluid in both ears! So, he is on an antibiotic. Yuck. He weighs 32 pounds!! Max loves to sing and he is really putting sentences together. We are working on our house to get ready for Zeke. Max actually said 'Robert is working hard outside on daddy's office'. That is quite a sentence! He was talking about the man who is adding on to our house. We have a Zeke appointment tomorrow, so there will be an update on him tomorrow! August 26, 2005 Max still likes school. He had another good day yesterday. When you ask him if he took a nap, he says, 'Children sleep'. It is so funny! I had a doctor's appointment today. I gained 6 pounds...oops! Nothing was said about that. Zeke continues to be busy and is NOT head down anymore. Hopefully he'll get his act together in the next few weeks. His heartrate was 148. I am 34 weeks and he is measuring 36 weeks! It will be interesting to see when he arrives and how much he weighs. Pray that if he does come early, it won't be more than 2 weeks...Dr. Huff will be out of the office! August 23, 2005 It is 10:30 AM. Max has been at Mother's Day Out for 1 hour. I have been to the store, started some laundry and am getting ready to work a bit. I can't wait to find out how he liked his first day of 'school'. He was so excited to get there and did not cry when I left him off. He found a firetruck to play with, so all was fine. There were several children crying around him and one even leaning over the trashcan gagging she was crying so hard. Max didn't let it bother him. I will be sure to update after I pick him up! It was a success! Max had a great time at school and is ready to go back on Thursday. He even took a nap on his mat!! August 12, 2005 Max continues to 'learn' to go to bed in his big boy bed. We have had some great nights and some really rough nights. Naptime continues to be a challenge! Max loves to sing and Jamie and I find ourselves laughing a lot at his sweet little voice. We are working on learning to obey...Max is one strong willed little guy. I had an appointment for Zeke today. His heartrate was 136. Dr. Huff said I am 'all baby'. I didn't gain any weight in the last 2 weeks...I got in trouble for that. I am still measuring 2 weeks ahead, but there is no indication that he will come early. We'll see. Only about 8 weeks left at the most. July 31, 2005 Well, last night was the first night in the big boy bed. Let's just say I spent more time in it than Max. He did pretty well with his nap today, although, Jamie napped with him. He loves his bed...he would just rather jump on it than sleep in it. We'll keep working and hopefully he'll get the hang of it very soon! July 29, 2005 Max continues to have a great summer. After a little bout with strep throat, he seems to be feeling better now! We found out his tubes are out, so no more ear plugs in the water...hooray!! Tomorrow we will set up his 'big boy bed' and he will spend his first night in it. I'm sure I'll have an update after that whole thing takes place. He is also enrolled in 'school' (mother's day out). That starts August 23rd. He had a lot of fun on the tour. Even found a stray rice cake on one of the tables. He picked up and took a bite and said 'Ummmm, good'. He is so funny! He loved seeing the gym and still talks about the children, cars and balls. Max went to the potty on the potty chair today...his idea. It hasn't happened again and I didn't even see it! He told YaYa he had to go and went. I don't think it was the start of anything, but we'll see. Max also prefers swimming without his floaties. Of course, someone has to be in the water with him. Many times today he jumped in and swam to the steps of the pool. He needs help, even though he doesn't think he does! I had an appointment today. Gained 3 1/2 more pounds...grand total 24. Zeke had a growth spurt, as he is now measuring two weeks ahead. I'm sure it will all even out again. Heartrate was 145 today and he is still very active like his big brother. My next appointment is in two weeks. I can't believe it is already time to go every two weeks! We're just about 10 weeks away from meeting this little guy. July 15, 2005 Guess who is 2 1/2 today!! Can you believe it? He's now closer to 3 years old than 2 years old! Max's favorite new thing to say is 'Yes sir'. He kind of runs it together like 'yessir'. It is cute! We are not real sure where he picked it up, but thank you to whoever is responsible! We also bought Max a big boy bed tonight. He will be making the transition around August 1st. We'll be sure to post an update and pictures when that happens. It is a bunk bed, but the top bunk will not be going up for quite awhile!! July 14, 2005 We spent the day with family and friends. Swimming, swimming and more swimming. Max continues to love it. He lost a floatie as he jumped off the board today and managed to still swim to the side by himself. He was a bit scared at first, but got over it quickly and continued jumping in! I got a call from my doctor today. I passed my 1 hour glucose test! Hooray. I will not have to take the 3 hour test like I did with Max. And, I am not showing any signs of anemia as I did with Max. What a great phone call to get! July 8, 2005 We had a great 4th of July. We went to YaYa and Papa's house for a family brunch, then swimming with friends and then to another friend's house for a cookout! I'll post pictures soon. Max has spent a lot of time this week with his cousins 'The Avery Bunch'. They have been visiting from Houston and we have enjoyed getting to see them so much! I had a doctor's appointment today. Everything is going well. I measured right on target. I had my 1 hour glucose test, so hopefully I'll pass this time around! I have gained 20 pounds, which is more than I had gained at this point (27 weeks tomorrow) with Max, but I'm still on track for a 'normal' weight gain. Only 13 more weeks until Zeke is due to get here! Zeke's heartrate was 134 and he continues to be VERY active. My next appointment is in 3 weeks. June 24, 2005 Max had his ear recheck appointment today. Everything looked perfect. He passed his hearing test! The left tube is getting ready to fall out and his 'God given tube' is working just as it should. We will go back in September. Today is also Jamie's birthday. After max's appointment, we went to lunch with Jamie. Max had a great time, of course. We had birthday cake last night and Max had so much fun helping blow out the candles!! June 15, 2005 Today we went to Pelican Bay. It is a waterpark with slides and fountains and a lazy river. One of the rules is that the little ones cannot wear floaties. They can only wear life jackets approved by the Coast Guard. Max loved being with out floaties. We tried a life jacket, but he was so uncomfortable. Anyway, he is a CRAZY MAN in the water. He throws himself down face first and holds his breath and then pops back up. He was also jumping off the side into 3 1/2 ft. water (no floaties). We would let him sink down and he would kick his way back up. VERY SCARY. He will be required to wear floaties at all other pools. It was painful getting him to leave. I think people probably thought I was kidnapping him. I have some pictures I promise to get up soon...just a little behind! June 13, 2005 Max is enjoying his summer so far. He is a SWIMMER! Yesterday we took him to the pool and the water was so cold, no one got in except him. Of course Jamie had his suit on incase of emergency. Max wears his floaties and jumps off the side and the diving board by himself and then swims to the side. What a little fish! He says 'kick, kick, kick' when he swims. He is also very interested in the swimming pool vaccuum. He must know where it is at all times and constantly talks about it. He loves being outside. We have been walking at the lake and going to the park at least 3 times a week. Today I had an appointment for Zeke. I gained some weight this month! I'm blaming it on the delicious birthday cake that I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner all one week. Oh well! I didn't get in trouble. I think I gained about 7 pounds...I was in such shock I blocked it out. Another cause for the weight gain may be the huge growth spurt that Zeke had. I am 23 weeks, but measuring 26 weeks. We are going to keep an eye on that. Zeke's heartrate was 138 today, and Dr. Huff called him ornery because he was moving around a lot! May 26, 2005 Max is obsessed with glasses. He picked out a little pair of sunglasses (I'll have to post pics). He looks like Bono or Elton John in them! Although, he prefers reading glasses or adult sunglasses to his. He sure does not like to be told 'no' and continues to be VERY active. He cannot wait to swim and knows that he will get to try out the pool on Saturday at his cousin William's birthday party. I'm sure there will be pictures and an update! Zeke is also proving to be pretty active. We are half way through this pregnancy! I can't believe it. Zeke moves quite a bit especially in the early morning and right before bed...is that a sign of things to come? My next doctor's appointment is on June 13th. May 13, 2005 OK...first, Max. He is so busy and strong and likes things his way! He continues to make us laugh (and cry sometimes too). He is talking a lot and continue to be amazed at his memory! He is really into the garage door. We use it as a bribe to get him in and out of his carseat. If he gets right in, he may open (or close) the door. For some reason he wants to be rocked before naptime lately. Maybe it's all the talk of 'baby'. He can say 'Zeke' and 'Baby Brother', although sometimes he smiles and says 'Baby Sister'. Maybe next time! Today I had a doctor's appointment. Everything is still going well. I have gained 4 more pounds...so, that is a total of 8. Not bad at all! I thought it would be more since I'm feeling good and eating again. Zeke's heartrate was 138 bpm. I think he was resting. Blood pressure and all is good. May 10, 2005 Max is getting a baby brother!! Zeke Jackson Russell will be here in about 5 months. He looks great. We are all so excited. May 9, 2005 I had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday! Max and Jamie really spoiled me. Several of you have asked about my tests. We don't have all the results yet, but my ekg came back 'normal'. We'll take that! Tomorrow is the BIG ultrasound. We'll find out if Max is getting a little brother or little sister. I'll keep everyone posted! April 16, 2005 Max is really into coloring and 'pems' (pens). He wants to color all the time. Looks like he is favoring his right hand which makes Jamie crazy. He is obsessed with the security alarm, demanding that he is the one who turns it on before he goes to bed. It is actually now part of the bedtime routine. We are discovering that Max likes things a certain way and will have it no other way. What does that say about his little personality? If you ask him to spell his name, he proudly says 'M A X'...which is pretty cute. He continues to be such a joy!! Update on baby. I am feeling so much better. No more throwing up and only a little nausea once in awhile. I feel like a new woman! Had a doctor's appointment on Thursday. The heartrate was 155. Our ultrasound is scheduled for May 10th! Not too long until we know if this little one is a boy or a girl. I have to have some tests done on April 26th. I've been having heart palpitations pretty regularly, so we'll see what that is all about. Continue to pray for the Russells, as we have a lot going on!! March 31, 2005 We have a lot to update. First, since this is 'Max's site'...he had a great Easter. He had so much fun dying Easter eggs at YaYa and Papa's house and then hunting eggs with the cousins at MeMe and Coach's. Popps came to church and got to see how sharp Max looked! I'll be putting up pictures soon of all the Easter extravaganza. Max is still talking up a storm and is getting very interested in Blue's Clues. His favorite new phrase is 'One more time' as he holds up one little finger. Jamie loves to sing 'You Are My Sunshine' with Max. Max will fill in words like 'shine, happy, dear, away'. It's pretty cute. Now, on another note, Max may have to share his site for a bit. Baby Russell #2 will be arriving in October. We shared this news with our family Easter weekend and of course, everyone is excited. I've been sick, sick, sick, but am starting to have better days. I'm 12 weeks and that is 'supposed to be' the magic week for feeling better. We are very excited. I'll post little one's first picture in the Max museum. March 17, 2005 Max is so funny lately and just talking, talking, talking. I love to ask him (during the day) 'Where's Daddy?'. In the sweetest little voice he says 'Daddy at work'. He is also falling down on purpose and then asking 'Are you OK?'. Another thing that makes us laugh is when we ask 'Are you cute?', Max proudly exclaims 'I'm cute!'. He will also say he is smart and nice. We are having so much fun!! March 7, 2005 Max had his tubes rechecked today. His ears look perfect! We are so glad he is doing so well with them. Max was sick over the weekend. High fever, cough and lots of snot. He is still battling the cough and snot. So, it was nice not to hear the words 'ear infection' when we went in. March 3, 2005 Let's see...what has been going on with Max? The tubes have made a huge difference! Max is running around like a wild man and talking ALL the time. I guess he feels good! He is so active. A couple of weekends ago, I was in the shower and Jamie had gone back to bed. When I got out of the shower I heard a low humming noise. It was the garbage disposal! We couldn't believe it. Thankfully he didn't investigate the noise and get a hand or foot stuck in it! We have since moved the telephone table that he used for a 'ladder' out to the garage. February 14, 2005 We have tubes. Max went this morning to get tubes put in his ears. He was such a brave little man. He did just great and is totally acting like nothing happened! We are praying this will make a big difference in all our lives! February 12, 2005 Max has a new aunt. Aunt Shelly and Uncle Chris got married today! Max wore a little tux and had so much fun running around the reception. The wedding was beautiful. I'll get some pictures up as soon as I can! February 7, 2005 Today we took Max to Dr. Metcalf. He is an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. We really enjoyed meeting him and his staff is very nice. Max will be going back next Monday to get tubes put in his ears. Max's ears just need a little help working! Hopefully this will eliminate all the infections he has struggled with. He chose to have the procedure done in the office since he is still so young. We'll let you know how it goes! January 30, 2005 Max has decided to talk since turning two. While still not speaking in sentences, his vocabulary is really increasing! He loves to repeat things we say and is constantly trying new words. He loves to say 'Titie' (which is Auntie), Shelly and tar (which is guitar). He not only likes to talk about the guitar, but loves to play it! Move out of his way if there is a guitar in the building. Uncle Chris is always so nice to help him play. There are lots of tears when it is time to leave the guitar. Max is using the word 'no' appropriately now. If we ask him a question, if the answer is no, he loudly tells us 'no'. If the answer is yes, he just smiles at us. Max's appointment with the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist is on February 7th. We are looking forward to meeting with him. Papa bought Max a tux for Chris and Shelly's wedding. I'll be sure to post pictures...hopefully we'll be able to get it on him peacefully! January 17, 2005 Today was Max's 2 year well baby check up. Too bad baby wasn't well! Max had seen Dr. Krause on Thursday and had a case of croup. When we went back today, he had an ear infection! So, we have been referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. On the good side, Max is developing quite well. He now weighs 28 pounds and is 34 inches tall. He is our big boy!! January 16, 2005 We started the day going to a wedding brunch for Shannon and Robert. Max was less than happy to be there, so shortly after greeting the bride and groom, we left. We made birthday cakes and napped to get ready for Max's party. The family all arrived and we had pizza, opened presents and had cake. Max was so very excited to see the rocking horse that Uncle Chris and Shelly got him. After a little hesitation, he hopped right up on it and started rocking! We sang 'Happy Birthday' and Max loved it so much, we sang it at least 3 more times. He just stood in the middle of the room, waving his arms around like he was conducting us. And, then he would clap each time we finished. Thank you to everyone for all the clothes, books, snacks and toys! Max is so blessed. January 15, 2005 Happy 2nd birthday, Max! Can't believe our little boy is two years old. Jamie took Max to McDonald's for a fun birthday lunch. My cousin Shannon, got married today, so I was gone most of the day. Our friends Rachel and Sam had birthday dinner with Max. We will celebrate tomorrow!! January 6, 2005 It is VERY cold here. It is day number 2 of ice. We have kept a fire going for a little extra warmth. Max walks by it and says 'hot'. Today he tried to climb on the hearth and I reminded him 'hot' and that we weren't going to be playing by the fireplace. I was talking to my friend, Abbie, on the phone and sat down on the hearth to finish up our conversation. Max came in and started saying 'hot, hot' and kept repeating it. By this time I had hung up the phone and was just sitting. It then dawned on me that he was telling me I couldn't sit there! What a smart and funny guy! January 1, 2005 Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that in just two weeks our baby will be 2 years old! Wow! Where does time go? Max's vocabulary is quickly increasing. Two words we are hearing a lot of these days are 'train' and 'please'. He absolutely LOVES trains. And, he thinks he can get anything he wants if he says 'please'. Max is also 'jumping' now. It is so cute! Of course, his feet don't leave the ground, well, sometimes one does, but he thinks he is so big. December 25, 2004 Merry Christmas! We had such a busy day. Max still got up early...about 6:15. At about 6:45 we woke daddy up and found what Santa left under the tree. Then we got ready for the day, loaded up the car and headed to Edmond. We had Christmas with MeMe, Coach and Nanna. We got back in the car and picked up Popps and Uncle Chris and headed to Pauls Valley. Max took a little nap in the car and was such a good boy during lunch and Dirty Santa. We headed back to OKC and had Christmas with Popps. THEN, we loaded back up and had dinner and Christmas with YaYa, Papa and Uncle Chris. WHOA...Max was tired (and so were we) when the day was over. Our back room looks like the giraffe from Toys R Us threw up all over...Max has so much (too much) stuff. I think I'll pack some up and save it for a rainy day! We are so blessed this year with family, friends, our health... Thank you Jesus for coming to Earth as a little baby for us!! December 24, 2004 Christmas Eve. We had a fun day. Max and I did some stuff this morning and then met up with Jamie. Jamie took us to lunch and then we made some Christmas deliveries. Unfortunately Max fell asleep on the way home and did not think he needed a nap. I baked, Jamie wrapped presents and Max had his own little Christmas party with The Wiggles. We finally got Max down for a nap and had to wake him up an hour later to get ready for church. After church we went out to MeMe and Coach's for Christmas Eve dinner. YaYa and Papa came too, along with Uncle Chris, Nanna, Auntie, Uncle Lance, Christian, Joseph and Carder. Max is still scared of choir boy, although he now tells choir boy 'bye bye' and will at least look at him. We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and had cake. My favorite story from the evening is this: Christian, Joseph and Carder were eating in front of the TV. Max didn't want much to eat, so we let him out of his high chair and he started roaming. Joseph came into our table to report to MeMe and his mom that his corn was missing. We all assumed that Sassy (the dog) had found it. About a minute later, here came Max holding Joseph's corn on the cob! Mystery solved! Max didn't get to bed until 10:30ish. We'll see if he still wakes up super early as usual or if we have to wake him up to see what Santa brought him! December 18, 2004 Our first trip to the doctor on a Saturday! Max screamed all night (I'm not kidding about this). So, the nurse thought we should have his ears checked to make sure they were getting better and not worse. The good news - the ears ARE looking better. The bad news - Max has Hand Foot Mouth Disease. Gross. He has big sores in his mouth. Now I realize why he spiked a fever on Thursday and didn't eat at all yesterday. Poor guy. His church friend Caleb has it too! I guess they are proving to be buddies through everything. Jamie and I took Max to MeMe and Coach's so that we could have Christmas with my mom's side of the family. Max could not be around all his cousins because he is contagious. Poor guy had to miss out! But, we brought home some presents for him from his aunts and cousins. Max had a great time at MeMe's and they got to make their Christmas cookies. We are hoping for better sleep and a healthy boy by Christmas! December 15, 2004 Max is 23 months old today! He has another ear infection, so that has not been fun...we are all sick of them! We can't believe that in just one more month Max will be 2 years old!! December 12, 2004 Max's Christmas pageant debut! Max was a baby angel in the Christmas play at church today. He was so cute, although he DID NOT want to leave his halo on. I'm having camera issues, so I'll get a picture up as soon as possible! December 7, 2004 Back to the doctor for ear recheck. They are not infected anymore and are almost all healed up! And, we don't have to use the inhalers anymore unless the cough comes back. We are happy about that, but of course lately Max has loved taking them... Max will be performing in his first Christmas play on Sunday. I'll update with pictures and the results of his performance. November 29, 2004 Thank you all who have called to check on Max! He is feeling much better. Last Friday we called the doctor to let him know that Max was still coughing. This led to two inhalers and a mask with 'aero chamber' to breathe the medication through. Let's just say Max is less than thrilled to participate in the process. There is a lot of screaming and thrashing involved. Popps was so nice to show Max his inhaler and how it works...Max thought that was great until he had to do it! So...we'll see how the next few days go. We will be decorating the tree tonight. We put the tree up yesterday and Max found it fun to throw a tennis ball into it. Oh well! Check the Max Museum this week for decorating pics. I guess it's time to start the 'Christmas 2004' album! November 25, 2004 Happy Thanksgiving! Max was awake all night last night, so Jamie and I took turns sleeping in two hour shifts. Obviously he was not feeling well and nothing seemed to make him happy. We drove to Pauls Valley for lunch. Max finally fell asleep about 20 minutes away from our destination. We had a wonderful lunch and Max loved the dressing! Chris went to Broken Arrow this year to be with Shelly's family and we definitely missed him. After lunch some of the neighborhood boys were playing basketball and Max felt that he needed to play with them. He had so much fun! They were so nice to let Max play...they lowered the goal and lifted him up so that he could make baskets. Max cried so hard when we had to leave and the ONLY thing that made him happy was the song 'Santa Clause Is Coming To Town'. So, we listened to that ALL the way home! We arrived back to our house and thought for sure that Max would want to nap (we sure did), but we were wrong. Since it was obvious none of us would get to rest, we loaded up and went to Edmond. We drove into MeMe and Coach's driveway and the cousins were out helping put up Christmas lights! MeMe was starting to decorate for Christmas. All the boys went upstairs to get choir boy out of the closet. He is a Christmas tradition at the Harris'. Christian, Joseph and Carder were so excited to get him out! As soon as Max saw him he started to cry and would have nothing to do with him. He would not even sit on the stairs (where choir boy was standing) for the family picture! A few times we caught Max standing at the bottom of the stairs telling choir boy something...very passionately! We warmed up yummy leftovers for dinner and hung out a bit then headed home. On this day we are so thankful for the country we live in, for our family and friends and for everything we have been blessed with this year! ***See the Max Museum 'Thanksgiving 2004'*** November 23, 2004 Max has another ear infection. Yuck! Have we been to the doctor once a week all this month? Sure feels like it. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon and we will have a nice Thanksgiving. Pray that Max's cough is gone by Friday, because if it is not, he will be put on some sort of medication for asthma. Let's see...Max is loving playing in his tent. Papa reinforced it since he tends to jump on it or roll it. Since the reinforcement, no problems! He is also so sweet and loves kissing things he likes. Lately he has been kissing the TV screen when the Wiggles are on. He loves kissing Jamie on the knee or on the forehead and for some reason he prefers kissing me on the shoulder. Max is still really into cars and has recently discovered trains. He can even make the 'choo choo' sound. November 16, 2004 Max was 22 months old yesterday! He is doing well. Unfortunately he has learned to throw quite a fit if he doesn't get his way. Oh well, we are working through that!! He had round 2 of the flu shot and only a few tears were shed. November 2, 2004 Max hasn't been sleeping well...is it a sign or the time change?? We went ahead and went in to see Dr. Krause. I had to put aside the feeling of being 'one of those moms' that calls the Doctor at every sniffle. As Dr. Krause walked into the room, Max started crying and at that point I heard a sound I had not heard before. It was somewhat of a 'bark'. Dr. Krause heard it to and said 'Oh, he has croup'. Well, great. I'm glad we went in, although there is nothing we can do. We'll try the hot steamy showers and pray that he does not get a 'secondary infection' in the form of a sinus or ear infection. Poor little guy. I feel like it has been some time since he has felt really well! October 30, 2004 Max had a really big day. We watched the OU vs. OSU game...go Sooners!! After a good nap, we headed out for the Trick or Treat Tour of 2004. First, we went to see Nanna (here Max had a Twix), next we went to see MeMe and Coach (here Max had M & M's). After stopping at McDonald's we went to see Maggie and Lance (here Max had a Reese's peanut butter cup) and then we headed to Papa and YaYa's (at this point he had suckers and more M & M's). Needless to say by the time we got home and got Max in the tub, he was SUGARED UP! Overall, we think he enjoyed the whole process. October 29, 2004 Two words 'Lollipop Lawn'. We had a busy day today. Max had his picture taken this morning in his cowboy costume...he cried. Then we went to see Daddy at his office. Here, he showed off. He left his hat on and smiled at everyone. Went to lunch with YaYa and then out to see Aunt Susie's new house. After a nap, we went to the carnival at church 'Holy Halloween'. This is where Max found the booth 'Lollipop Lawn'. Since Max LOVES sucker ('sucker' is his latest word), he did not go far from the sucker pull. He pulled sucker after sucker. None of the other booths even mattered. At last we steered him away from the sucker pull (there were tears and a small fit involved in this) to the 'Duck Pond'. At this game, you are to pull a duck from a small, plastic swimming pool. Max thought this must be his bath, because both he and I were soaking wet in a matter of minutes. He didn't care about the ducks, but splashed a lot and at one point he swung his leg over the side of the pool (I caught him before he went in). He is tired tonight. He can only hope he will sleep a little later than 6:15 because tomorrow is another busy day! OU vs. OSU and then Trick or Treat!! October 15, 2004 We had a good check up today! No more ear infections and Max had his first round of the flu shot. He is such a brave little guy! He waved to everyone on the elevator. I almost forgot...Max is 21 months old today! October 12, 2004 Finally...we have a happy boy again! He seems to be back to normal. After two weeks of something not being right we were ready for him to feel good again. We will go back to the doctor on Friday for Max's ear recheck and hopefully all will be OK. He is scheduled to get his flu shot in a couple of weeks as long as there is still some vaccine left. Max is starting to say a few more words 'hop up', 'up' and 'cold' are the ones that come to mind. Why won't he say MeMe, YaYa, Papa, Coach or Popps? Oh well! We are getting everything in order for his Halloween costume. I can't wait to be able to post pictures! He will be so cute, as he always is. Max also got a tent today. Oh my gosh, he LOVES it! October 3, 2004 We had another 'first' tonight. After a sweet time of reading nursery rhymes before bedtime, Max threw up for the first time. Sure, he spit up when he was a baby, but this was projectile puking. Jamie and I both just stood in shock. Poor little guy. It really scared him, but he recovered quickly and seemed to be happy that his tummy was feeling better. (We can only hope that our carpet will recover as well as he did). We hope he will sleep well tonight and it is not a nasty bug. Maybe 'too much information', but we're thinking he swallowed a little too much snot getting over his ear infection. Tomorrow I will work all day...DataModes called me in for a small project. Hopefully Max will feel great and be ready for his day with YaYa. It was an odd, but satisfying feeling. I didn't care that the small child I held had vomit all over him or that he was getting it all over me. I felt like a mom! Yes, I've had the sleepless nights, the long days, etc. But, this was a new feeling. A feeling I'll keep! I feel like I've been initiated to a new level of motherhood! October 1, 2004 Max can officially show you his tongue. If you say "Max, where is your tongue?", he proudly sticks it out. September 27, 2004 Max has had a rough couple of days. Snotty nose, sleepless nights and his eczema is out of control! After a trip to the doctor, we found out he has the dreaded double ear infection. Yuck! Not to mention, teeth number 13 and 14 are making their way right through the gum. I had an evening out with a couple of friends and as I left Jamie with Max this is the list I had to leave him: moisturize Max, put Cortaid on the spots of eczema, neosporin on his nose (it's cracking from all the snot), give him his antibiotic, his pain drops for his ears, and Motrin...all this after his bath. Wow! We're hoping he'll make a speedy recovery. Max stood on the scale like a big boy at the doctor's office. No more putting him on the little scale. He is weighing in at 27 pounds! September 15, 2004 Max is 20 months old today! We can't believe that he will be 2 years old in just 4 months. How is this possible? One of Max's favorite things to do lately is to show us his belly button. When asked, 'Where is your belly button?' He proudly lifts up his shirt and points to it. We think he has two more teeth on their way...so that should be fun. September 10, 2004 Tooth number 10 is coming in too! Another top molar. September 8, 2004 Tooth number 9 is here...and, it's a big one. Max's first molar has broken through...Ouch! August 26, 2004 Max is becoming so animated and dramatic! He gets the cutest, surprised look on his face when the phone rings. We say 'Who is it?' and his eyes just get wide! Also, he loves to imitate sneezing. If he hears someone sneeze, he will say 'aaahhhhcccchhhhoooo'. We then say 'Bless you' and then this repeats for quite some time! August 21, 2004 Precious...Whenever we pray before meals and bedtime, we tell Max 'It's time to talk to Jesus'. He has started to put his little hands together like he is praying (not all of they time...sometimes he is already eating). This morning I got out his little Bible and pointed to a page and said 'That's Jesus'. Sweet Max, he put his hands together like it was time to pray. August 15, 2004 Max is 19 months old today! He brought home his first 'take home paper' from church today (he has moved up to the older class). How big he is getting! He is still blowing and giving lots of kisses! He has decided he doesn't really want to take a morning nap anymore, so we are going for the long afternoon nap. This has been quite an adjustment for mommy! July 31, 2004 We're home. Our first family vacation was a success! Max was glad to see all his toys and glad to see YaYa, Papa and Uncle Chris again! July 28, 2004 Max is loving the waves and the sand. He plays so hard and then takes a long nap in the afternoon. Today tooth number eight broke through! July 24, 2004 Max's first plane ride and trip to the beach. Max did great on the plane and was so excited to see his cousins, MeMe, Coach and Auntie when we got to Florida. July 21, 2004 Max's 18 month checkup. He now weighs 25 pounds, 5 ounces. He is 32 inches long. He is very healthy and only had to get one shot this time! Max happened to say 'lifeguard' two days ago...although, we haven't heard it again and probably won't for quite awhile. We got the OK to try peanut butter, so that will probably happen in the next week or so. We leave Saturday for the beach, so there will be plenty of updates and pictures coming soon! July 15, 2004 Max is 18 months old today...we can't believe how fast time is flying by! His checkup is next week, so we'll know all his new stats then. July 12, 2004 Max's first big injury...with blood. Poor little guy...he fell off a chair that he was standing in (bad mommy) and hit the corner of the table. We aren't really sure WHAT caused all the blood, but the injury was to the top underside of the lip or gums. He was quite a trooper...got over it pretty quickly! He did much better than mom! July 1, 2004 We have on tricky little guy. We still don't hear mama or dada, but the latest additions to Max's vocabulary are the following: If you ask him to say 'Joseph', he does! Also, if you say 'one', he says 'two'. If you say 'two', he says 'three'. Max is so smart! June 20, 2004 Father's Day!! We had a fun day. We went to Watonga and went to church with Popps. After church we had lunch and hung out with Popps and his dog Bandit. We got home and Max gave Jamie his Father's Day gift. It is a very nice cherry wood case for all his watches! After a nap we headed over to have dinner with Papa. We wished Coach a Happy Father's Day yesterday (he preached in Arkansas today). We are so blessed to have such wonderful dads in our lives! June 15, 2004 Max is now 17 months old! He loves giving 'high five', blowing kisses, playing chase and of course, he still loves being outside. He is still really into 'The Wiggles'. While he is still not saying a whole lot, he has chosen to say a few things in the last few weeks. He raises his hands, palms up and says 'all gone'. He also says 'outside', 'car', 'hi', 'hey' and 'bye bye'. We just want to know why he won't say 'mama' or 'dada'. He still makes his animal sounds and is starting to respond to simple instructions. He is a very happy little boy and we are having a GREAT time! June 14, 2004 Max had his first dermatologist appointment today. His little pinky toenails are very discolored! Good news...it is not some weird fungus, but just 'trauma' from his shoes rubbing against those toes. Looks like Max will be barefoot or in sandals the rest of the summer!! June 4, 2004 Max officially has 7 teeth!! May 31, 2004 Max's second Memorial Day and first swim of 2004. He seems to like the pool, but does not want to sit in the boat, or wear a life jacket or have much help! I think he thinks he can swim!! We had a wonderful day with lots of friends and family. Thank you SO much Papa and YaYa for letting us come over! May 17, 2004 Max turned 16 months old two days ago. He still does not say much in the form of 'real' words, but is quite vocal. Tonight Jamie caught him doing a sommersault! He loves being outside and screams when we bring him in. May 9, 2004 Mother's Day. Max was so sweet. He got me a very nice card, chocolate covered cherries, some new shoes and 3 CDs! What a nice little guy! May 7, 2004 Max went to the doctor today because he has had snot for 3 weeks! He has been happy, sleeping well and eating well. We were shocked to find out that he has ear infections again! May 5, 2004 Jamie and I returned from a little vacation today. Max stayed with YaYa and Papa for two nights and MeMe and Coach for two nights. He had a great time! All grandparents reported that Max was very good. Max continues his fascination with wheels. Coach said that while at Academy, Max was getting a little tired of being in the shopping cart. Coach just rolled him over to the rollerblade section and let him spin the wheels. All was well! May 1, 2004 Max is trying to jump! It is the cutest thing. He squats down and then raises up real fast with both arms in the air. Of course, his feet never leave the ground. He also makes a little noise that sounds like 'whee'. April 24, 2004 Today we went to the Art's Festival. MeMe tapped and we had lunch with a whole bunch of family and friends. At one point Max went on a walk with Auntie...he checked out every wheel, on every stroller! April 20, 2004 No more bottles for Max! We finally got rid of the last evening bottle. He really didn't seem to mind. I think Jamie and I were much more sad. He is such a big boy! April 16, 2004 Max is doing great. He weighs 23 lbs 10 ozs and is 30 1/2 inches long. He had two shots and did not like them one bit! He is growing, growing, growing!! April 15, 2004 Max is 15 months old today! I will update tomorrow after his 15 month check up. April 11, 2004 Easter!! Max had a lot of fun. The Easter bunny visited him at home, MeMe and Coach's and YaYa and Papa's houses! Max hunted eggs at the church hunt. What fun he had! He would pick up an egg and we would quickly take it and say 'Thank You' before he threw it on the ground. After we took one, he would look for another one! He was not as interested in hunting eggs at MeMe's...he spent his time picking up balls and throwing them. After a wonderful church service, we went to MeMe and Coach's house for lunch. It was yummy! Then after a long nap at home, we went to YaYa and Papa's for dinner. Max keeps us on the move and we were all very tired! How blessed we are to get to spend such a special day with special family and friends. March 27, 2004 Max now climbs on everything...chairs, sofas, fireplace hearth...anything he can reach. He will say 'bye' and 'mama'. We are still working on animal sounds. He will also point to his eye when we ask him 'Where is Max's eye?'. He is constantly learning (and moving). We are loving the nice weather we have had so far over the last couple of weeks...we love to be outside! March 15, 2004 Max is 14 months old today!! What a sweet boy we have! March 8, 2004 Yesterday Max had a full day of celebrating birthdays. First, we celebrated Papa's birthday and then Meme's. What a fun day! Max has learned how to flush the toilet and takes every opportunity to dart into the bathroom to do so. If the door is open, the toilet is flushing! He has also learned what the dog 'says'. It sounds like grunts, instead of barks, but hey...close enough! Max is also starting to give big, open mouth baby kisses. He is still very selective on who gets them! The weather is beautiful here today. We enjoyed a nice walk to Auntie's. We then jumped on the trampoline with Carder and Joseph. We just can't believe how big Max is getting!! February 27, 2004 Max went back to the doctor for his ear recheck. Unfortunately he still has an ear infection! We want him to feel good. He is so sweet and smart. When you ask him 'What does the cat say?', he replies 'Meow'. He loves books! He is constantly bringing us a book to read to him. February 17, 2004 Max was 13 months old on Sunday! He seems to change and grow a little more everyday. We celebrated Valentine's Day and Christian's birthday on Saturday. Max loves to be around his cousins...especially Joseph! February 5, 2004 What's been going on with Max? He is soooo busy! He is having fun playing with all his Christmas and birthday toys. He has not been sleeping well...so, back to the doctor today. He has a minor sinus infection and ear infections...yuck! He still just has 4 teeth showing, but two more should be poking out any day now. We are having so much fun with him! January 22, 2004 Max's first haircut! Our friend Denise came over to give Max a trim. He did very good during his first cut. Thank you Denise...he looks like such a big boy now! See the Max Museum for pictures. January 17, 2004 Max Russell's first birthday party was today! He had a big time with his family and friends. He really enjoyed his very own cake...he was COVERED with blue icing! We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that love us and Max. January 16, 2004 Today was Max's 12 month check up. He weighs 21 pounds, 6 1/2 ounces. He is 29 inches long (tall). He had to have his finger pricked, but survived that just fine. He did not appreciate the two shots that he got! Everything is great. He gets to start drinking whole milk and we'll go back to the doctor in 3 months. We get to turn his carseat around to forward facing, so we are going to do that tonight and go on an outing! January 15, 2004 Happy Birthday Max! Today Max is one year old. He is so big. He walks everywhere, he sleeps great and he has 4 teeth. We go for his one year appointment tomorrow, so I'll have all the stats then. He is really starting to talk...not much that we can understand. He cries when his Daddy leaves for work. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. He has taught us so much - patience and unconditional love to name a couple. He is beautiful! Tonight we took Max to his first birthday dinner at Hideaway Pizza. It started with Max sticking his fingers in the scalding hot red sauce that the waitress put infront of him! After many tears he recovered. He ate some chicken off of our pizza and then got a chocolate chip cookie. He sure enjoyed that! Check the Max Museum for pictures from dinner. January 1, 2004 Happy New Year! We are looking forward to this year with Max. We can't believe that Max will be a year old in just 2 weeks! Max will read his mail soon enough, but for now his parents will read it to him. Email him at: Max@MaxRussell.com. In the event that Max is a beautiful baby girl, she will be called Sophie Marie. But for now, the doctor tells us that we are for sure having a "Max". See "The Max Museum" for proof.