Breakfast With Friends.

Last week we were able to get together with my best friends. 2 of them live here but the other lives far away in Texas. It was pretty nuts getting together with 2 toddlers, 1 baby, and 3 pregnant women. We had a wild time trying to entertain kids but it was super fun to see everyone together. Next time our size will be even bigger with 3 more babies coming in the next 3 months. Its really fun raising kids at the same time as your friends, it's great to get to talk about the same things and get advice and whatnot. I love my friends, they are like my sisters and it's so fun when we do get to see each other. Even all the husbands were able to come which is a big deal with school, work, and traveling! Can't wait until the next time it might not be until next year. Thanks Jill for sending me the pictures!

2011 Christmas Card

Merry Christmas!

We are so thankful to be spending the Christmas season with our family and friends. We have had a busy 2011. Larry finished up his first year of law school, got a job in Sacramento for the summer that turned into a permeate postilion and switched to a part time law program in Sacramento. It was a whirlwind of changes and challenging decisions, but we made it out alive and feel good about the choices we have made. We are happy to be fully employed and Larry was happy to finish off his first semester of his second year a couple weeks ago. We are pinching our pennies trying to save up for a house so when law school is over and done with many years from now we have something to show for it!

We spent the summer swimming, playing outside, and taking a family reunion for the Harris side to Utah. We camped in Utah with Max which turned into a nightmare but great stories due to the rainy camping days. Max turned 1 years old, learned to walk, then run and has been moving nonstop! He is our pride and joy and we love almost every moment of being his parents! We found out in early August we were expecting a surprise baby #2 and that is is another little boy. After the shock, and worry that comes along with a unexpected baby we are now thrilled to be welcoming a new baby boy early April.

Larry spends most of his time juggling a full time position at a law firm in Folsom and going to school 3 nights a week and some Saturdays. He has gotten into biking lately and is so excited for basketball season to begin to root for Jimmer/Kings and his beloved home team the Jazz. He is an amazing dad and loving husband. He does so well at making time for everyone and never complains about the burdens he carries.

AnnMarie (Me) is busy running after Max and getting larger by the day. I have been able to get my California nursing license although thankfully have not had to work yet. I love staying at home and being a full time mom. It's hard work and frustrating but I love knowing I am Max's main care taker. I have really gotten into sewing, couponing, and cooking nightly meals for everyone in the house. Its been a dream to live with my parents, save money, and never feel lonely while your husband is gone 90% of the week.

We feel extremely blessed this Christmas season to know the true meaning of Christmas and to celebrate Christs birth. I am grateful to get through the trials that were thrown at us this year and look froward to a fresh new 2012 year! We are so grateful for our health, growing family, and Larry's job. After some unstable years its great to feel like our adult lives are somewhat coming together. Hope everyone is enjoying the season and remembering to have Christ be the center of our lives. Merry Christmas- Larry, AnnMarie, Max and Baby Boy!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Max is asleep, the house is clean, and all the presents are under the tree. We had a fun low key chinese dinner with our Foell cousins and spent the day at the park playing on the swings, and throwing balls with our Martin cousins. Larry and I are now relaxing infront of the fire and I am so excited for tomorrow morning with Max. We do Christmas pretty small around here but its going to be so great and I love that Christmas is on a Sunday so we get to enjoy a sacrament service on the actual day, so special. Hope everyone has a wonderful night with their families, as for me I will be making out with my husband and drinking hot chocolate with a bit of tums because this baby inside me is giving me heart burn like no other!

Things We have Done This Week:

-Went to The Zoo to see the Lights-Max LOVED this! Will do again next year.

-Made lots of goodies and ate lots too.

-Went to Target almost everyday

-Went to the Park everyday and twice sometimes

-Worked on the Christmas puzzle

-Went to Dovewood Court to see the lights

-Went to another house to see the lights-Max tried to unplug them all.

-Had a pizza party after a long day of shopping

-Visited old friends

-Went to a funny white elephant party

-Stayed up way to late and got up bright and early

- Saw Santa from a distance-Max was not interested

-Played with lots of balls

-Made candy houses-Max ate his weight in candy

-Uncle Tom came home from VA

-Wrapped lots of gifts and drank some egg nog-yum!

We are loving our Christmas vacation. Larry had today off so we have been making the best of finally having him home. I wanted him to feel like he had some sort of break even though he is still working but done with school. We have tried to do things every night to make it feel someone like a vacation. I want him to know how thankful I am for all his hard work and letting him relax, watch sports, and eat whatever he wants is a good way to show him that! I think its the little things that make you remember special holidays. We really have loved taking Max to see the lights because his face lights up and he is so interesting in seeing the bright sparkling houses. He loves being in the hustle and bustle of crowds and gets excited when he sees other kids out doing the same thing. I will say it 100 times how much sweeter these holidays are with kids. I totally get it now! Hopefully we can cram in as much fun things as possible before it all ends.

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree...

Isn't this tiny little tree so cute? It is Max's tree. He helped me decorate it and it has been to distract him from the big tree. Really he doesn't need a distraction because we are smart and put the tree on a table so he can't really even reach it. A bit ugly maybe but a necessity with little kids it will be that way for many years to come. Anyway this tiny tree is perfect for Max. He rips the ornaments off and will put them back on or chuck them across the room. At the end of the day I clean it all up. He loves to touch the little lights and things the goose on top is so cute and will go around and pat it on its head.

A goose on top of a tree you are thinking? Well the goose is a funny story. My parents got it full size on to put on their tree when they were newly married and it came with this baby one. Well it has always been a joke for my brothers and I. We all hate the goose and think its so weird and funny when my mom pulls it out each year. Well when I found the baby one I had to put it on Max's tree its tradition and its hilarious. It is really fun to have a small child during the holidays. We have gone to a lot of different places to look at lights and even went to the Zoo at night with lights on which he loved running around the zoo and seeing the lights. The holidays are so much fun with someone little to share the magic with.

18 Months Old

Where has the time gone? Max is officially 18 months and is such a big boy. He still has baby moments but he is all boy. He loves to climb, jump, play outside, go to the park multiple times a day, loves balls and basketball. He has learned to move chairs to where he wants them and climb up on them then the table and get candy off of it. He loves to turn the light switches on and off multiple times in a row. He can run so fast and loves to jump and hop. He can climb up the play structure and go down the slides on his tummy all by himself. He loves to swing, wrestle and jump on the couches. He has had many bumps, bruises and cuts. If he has a chance to run outside he takes it and kicks and screams when I drag him back in. He loves living with his grandpa and grandma and has a lot of people to play with him. He is a big boy and goes right into nursery and loves playing with kids. He likes to share his food and shove it in your mouth. Anything that has a button that lights up and requires pushing he wants to play with. He Can Say: Mom, Dad, Baby, Ball, Outside, Juice. Thats about it haha. He does understand about 100 other words and its easy to comunicate with him which is nice. He talks all day long and sings to himself in his langage. He screams loud and has learned about throwing fits and time outs.

He really is a typical boy who wants to play and move constantly until its bed time or nap time. He is still a great little sleeper and napper its very nice for a pregnant mom. He is in the 50% for weight 30% for height and his head is in the 100% haha. He has 20 teeth that he uses to eat everything with and sometimes bite your feet if your not watching. He likes Curious George and Winnie The Pooh (because he has them as stuft animals) We LOVE him so much its hard to comprehend how much he has changed our lives for the better. He makes me laugh, cry, feel frustrated all in one day. Its challenging chasing after him but I really would not want to do anything else. He loves when his dad gets home to gobble him up and tire him out and they has special bath time where the bathroom looks blown up after Larry is done bathing Max. So glad we get to be his parents! Happy 18 months big brother Max!!

I 100% agree...

Winning the War but losing the battle...

So I am trying really hard to be a great mom. Trying to make memories for Max like going to the park, play groups, cookies, special things and somedays I think every things going great others not so much. Today is one of those days. We had an early morning and I was pretty tired by the time 9 am had rolled around. I am trying to get ready everyday because it makes me feel better about myself (wow she can get up early, get ready, be hugely pregnant, and cart around a toddler...ya know) anyways I turned my back as I was starting to get ready to curl my hair and the next thing I knew Max was screaming. One of those deathly something is so wrong screams I knew instantly what had happened. I scooped him up and ran his little hands under the cold water as he was kicking and screaming. I next put ice packs on them which he hated. Ever try prying a toddlers little hands open to put them on ice packs...pretty bad. With some quick thinking I busted out the Tylenol, then tried to calm him down by taking him on a walk...nothing helped.

With a frantic teary phone call to Larry pleading for some suggestions on how to calm him down I quickly decided I needed to go and purchase some burn spray to at least numb the area. Screaming the entire way to the store my poor Max was so upset. As I was driving/purchasing/applying spray I was on the phone with the advice nurse making sure I had remembered to do everything I'd been taught (yay for nursing school) as well as double check that he didn't need to be seen because of his age. His burn really wasn't that bad, in fact I think it was more red because of his constant screaming (he gets all red) and the ice packs. She reassured me I had done everything right and even let me cry on the phone for a couple minutes.

After a good 2 hours of constant crying he finally settled down. As I laid with him in the bed I said a silent prayer of thanks for the silence and that he was alright. It's the worst feeling knowing you could have prevented your child from getting hurt and all's you were doing was trying to get ready so you could take him out to lunch and the park. Deep breath! So now I'm sitting here taking a breather as he is hopefully sleeping for a while, not dressed, hair in a bun, no make up on, and feeling pretty defeated. I knew that this mom thing was sacrifice and hard work but sometimes I feel like I can do nothing right, and can please no one. Anyone else feel like they have no clue what they are doing? I know there are other days though that are perfect and blissful and they make up for the ones you screw up pretty bad.

25 weeks

I haven't documented much about this pregnancy yet, so heres the down low...

Im just about 25 weeks pregnant...15 to go!

I've gained 7 pounds. This is the most shocking I have already gained half of my entire weight from last time...I need to stop eating!

Small little belly similar to last time, people can't tell if I'm pregnant or fat. I think Im HUGE but its all relative.

Baby moves randomly mostly at night but not as active as Max was (yet).

Heart beat is strong and constant.

I am a lot more anxious about this delivery more then the last.

Fluid seems to be normal so far although I measure small.

Picking another boy name has been challenging.

Getting pretty excited to have a new baby around!

Christmas Max.

So I whipped up these PJ bottoms for Max. They came out okay being that I didn't have a pattern and made my own. I figure he can wear them all month long then they can become rags. I want him to feel the christmas spirit all month long even though he might not fully understand what is going on. He is so sweet and I hope he knows I try my hardest to be a good mom, even though it's so hard some days. I also decided to check out pintrest last night. Such a bad idea, there are so many crafty things on there I had to put a time limit on my web browsing because I would get addicted, one addiction to diet coke is enough.

Dinner Menu:

We have a busy busy week around here. What with finals being almost done, 2 play groups, a trip to the library for story time, tying baby quilts, getting things even more christmasy, some park going and maybe even the zoo to end the week. Tired? So am I an its only Monday! To keep me going and motivated we need some good food. Heres what we are eating this week:

Monday-Honey Lime Enchiladas

Tuesday-French Onion Sandwiches

Wednesday- Tacos

Thursday- Pasta

Friday- Grilled Pork Chops and Rice

I am always looking for new and fantastic things to make. Any fun ideas? Also I am baking up a storm for Larry to take treats to work. I love feeling busy and nothing makes me happier then a clean house, the fire going, and cooking in the kitchen with my su-chef Max, he's really such a helper..and he is getting really good at helping me unload the dishwasher. He hands me thinks one at a time, the bowl, the plate, a fork it takes about 20 minutes to unload when he is around.

The First Christmas Story: Told By Max Harris

Apparently our Christmas nativity involves a Santa Mr. potato head. Max always places him around the nativities constantly. I love this little nativity it allows him to play with it and still try to instill the spirit of Christmas. I turned my back for 10 seconds though and he was up on the table throwing the animals, baby Jesus, and stable before I knew it. This boy is constantly moving and is non stop. We have a special little tree just for him that he can touch and destroy and we redecorate everyday so he is distracted by the big one...that we have yet to purchase. It is so fun having a little toddler around for the holidays its so much sweeter and special to have him love the lights and the goodies that come to the door. But watch out for those presents he already unwrapped one and proudly brought me the paper to throw away.

Saturday Love.

This morning we woke up bright and early ready for the day. I have been sleeping extremely bad for a couple weeks now. My back is killing me so I am glad when morning comes and I can get up and move. This morning I got Larry up and Max and we went to the park. Everything was still damp so we wiped down the swings and slides and Max went wild. After about a chilly hour we packed Max up in the car and went to good old health McDonalds for breakfast. Max just loves those hash browns. It was are family date morning, we had a great time. We've been trying to really tighten our budget so we can get closer to our down payment so this was a big splurge for us! I didn't really want anything for Christmas but to do little things like this all month long and go out to eat a couple times so Larry is making it happen. The rest of the day Larry studied and was gone till late at night and Max and I played but for the morning we actually were together happy and worry free for awhile!

Also I made this PIE: Its delicious!!!

Grasshopper Pie

8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz tub Cool Whip

1 Oreo Crust (I buy premade but you can make your own if you prefer)

1/2 (of a 14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

16 Keebler Grasshopper Cookies

Green food coloring

Crush cookies in a large Ziploc bag. Some large chunks are fine, but you want mostly very

small, even crushed pieces.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until smooth. Add sweetened

condensed milk and beat until combined. Mix in crushed cookies and fold in Cool Whip.

Add food coloring and fold in until desired color is achieved. Pour into pie shell and chill for

at least 4 hours.

High 50's....

The weather here has been extremely nice, yes its California but even for December its been beautiful in the afternoons. Max has been to the park everyday for a week, he even got Larry to take him before church on Sunday. Larry is almost done with finals which is a nice relief. Its hard having a husband work so much and then have to go study so much. Its completely different then undergrad days when we both were hitting the books, working, and childless. Law school in itself is such a beast and add on top a high stress litigation job and its just craziness. Anyways after Larry worked at the office for a few hours we met him for lunch and a quick trip to the park before Larry headed down to school and we went home for naps. Its so fun to be outside in the sun and watch Max run around, go down slides, chase birds, and play with his dad. He lights up when Larry is around because Larry will play rough with him, I'm more into kisses and discipline.

These days any small time we get with Larry is a miracle so its nice to be able to live close to his work and be able to take an hour out for our day to keep everyone happy. We will take full advantage of this beautiful weather, I keep thinking our days are numbered but we will see!

Sunday Best

It is so hard to get a good picture of this kid! I have a 100 of him running toward the camera, making a weird face, eyes closed, you name it and it's NOT photogenic...He's a really cute kid in person though. We love Sundays around here. Playing at the park in the morning, taking a nap and off to church which can be torture for a toddler and a pregnant mom just trying to make it through 3 hours tantrum free for the both of us! My favorite thing about his church attire is his cute little black church shoes. He looks like a little man all dressed up it's so cute.

Hurray For Fridays!

Things I am Happy About Today:

1. Getting Christmas decorations out.

2. Watching Max watch the christmas lights

3. Making peppermint cookies

4. Getting the 6th season of Bones on DVD for a killer deal on black friday!!

5. Scoring 97 cent jammies from Old navy for toddler and new baby boy!

6. Deciding on a baby name (maybe?)

7. Cool crisp winter air & a warm fireplace

8. Finishing dozens of sewing projects

9. My bath & body works wall plug-ins (candle free house with kids now)

10. The Panera bread restaurant opening up in Folsom!!

11. Figuring out the best place to put a christmas tree that Max won't destroy??

12. Listening to Max "talk" to himself and his stuft animals.

13. Our fisher price nativity that Max plays with all day. He loves to chuck the baby Jesus because its the most ball like :) haha

I am not sure what it says about my life that such simple things bring me such great joy. I think its a good sign because theres not much going on in it most of the time!

Memories Of Max.

Its been so sunny these last couple days its been so nice to play outside even though its pretty cold and windy. Every day Max bangs on the doors until we get to go play outside. He screams with delight once we reach the park and will run to the swings. Today we took a trip to the church and while my mom cleaned out the nursery cabinets Max played a good solid hour with bubbles and the small slide they have there. Its so funny to watch him go down the slide and then run back to climb up and do it again...over and over. Its so fun to watch him learn, and grow and laugh while he plays. He kept wanting me to turn on the microwave on the fake kitchen h'es so persistent he will take my finger and place it where he wants me to push, and gets frustrated when it doesn't work like the real one at home.

I know that nobody cares about these things but I want to remember them. He is learning and growing everyday its sad to see as the baby features disappear and he looks like a little boy. He is a dare devil and it really is a miracle at times he is still alive. He has learned to climb on the couches and jump off them or to other objects like the ottoman. He will climb up and teeter on the cushions or just look at me and then let go, like he is waiting for me to say NO. He still loves balls and playing with his basketballs for the better part of the day. He is also starting to walk up stairs instead of crawl. He knows when its bath time and where to go and that he gets naked (which he loves),and he knows where to get his shoes and put his dirty diapers. He even tries to wipe himself and hold his butt paste its hilarious. He screams bloody murder when we brush his teeth at night but its kinda nice because his mouth is open nice and wide. He loves bringing me things to open like crackers and drinks and is a very social eater. He gets mad when I give him a sippy cup but he really wants a bottle. Sometimes he will sit infront of the fridge until I give in. He thinks all little boys should drink diet coke and get to play on a real computer not his baby one.

I want to remember every little thing he does and every little laugh, roll, chubby body part I can before its all gone and hes grown up. He is so expressive with his blue eyes and will lift his eyebrows up and down and has the biggest smile ever. He is learning to throw tantrums and he is learning the reality of time out. He is active, smart, and has a great memory. Its amazing to see him everyday and I love being his mom. I hope he won't attack the new baby too much and that he will feel just as much love from me as before. My favorite part of the day is when he will come in my room and say "mom" over and over until I say "yes Max" then he smiles big and runs away, waiting for me to chase him and play.

{pictures taken October 2011}

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a great Thanksgiving with a mixture of Larry's family and mine. It was fun to see cousins from Utah and Oregon and hang out all weekend. It was amazing to have Larry around for 2 days straight. We played at the park, ate, and then the moms went out and shopped all night long. Yes I am rounding on what 23 or 24 weeks pregnant and hit the stores like a pro, it was pretty nuts especially because we keep Christmas small but I scored some fun things all in my budget! It was fun to chat and eat a lot of bad food...my body thanked me later for the lack of sleep maybe 3 hours and eating copious amounts of junk food and diet coke to keep me going (sorry baby)

We are getting excited for christmas and I have a goal to get everything up this coming weekend. The challenge will be the tree with Max. We will see how it all works out because I can just see him attacking it all day long. Larry has a 2 week haul of finals and then the semester is done yahoo how many more? haha I love law school right?? We are also looking forward to celebrating Max turning 18 months and ushering him into nursery at church it will be grand especially because his grandma is the nursery leader.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving season, I am so thankful for a long long list of things including Larry's job that allows me to stay home, our education,our faithful car, family, healthy bodies, a house to live in and save money, and this new sweet baby boy coming to our family soon, and of course our wild Max! We are very blessed and I need to remember that when I get into pity party moods. Compared to the rest of the world we are doing pretty great and I need reminders maybe thats why we get so many trials :)

At The Park.

We took the little man to the park today to try to get him feeling better. Its been a long couple days of constant crying and I was getting pretty frazzled. We hit up the zoo and the park and he was happy the entire time. We should just live outside 24 hours a day because I think he would be perfectly happy all the time. He found this ball and had a blast. Sadly the happiness at the park didn't last long as he screamed the rest of the afternoon and I can hear him downstairs right now. I can't wait till he feels better this thanksgiving vacation isn't feeling very vacation-ish. Oh well he is one cute little boy, sick in all, I would take him any day.

My life is truly insane.

I need to document my day because it was a bad one and its always good to remember these really bad days. Max has been sick since Sunday. I don't get a lot of help from Larry because he is always gone and can't get sick. So its up to me to give him round the clock care on top of oh yeah growing another child. {deep breaths} Its been a hard day with a 6:00 am wakeup call and constant fussiness, throw up, and fevers. The sad thing is when Max is sick he isn't cuddly he wants up then down, then up and thats pretty hard on my body. I am a little worried that this baby inside me is going to get injured from me bending up and down with a 24 pound child on my hip. Anyways I know things will get better, heres to hoping tomorrow is better. I love being a mom but these are the hard days people talk about!

Falling In Love Again.

Thursday night I set out with my sister-in-law to see the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn. Seriously we are nuts. It was really fun though. The theater was packed with tons of my friends and moms with their daughters. We chatted for about 2 hours before the movie started which is always good for a girls soul. The movie was so so, but its okay because I am not a fanatic its just fun to watch a love story. It makes me remember when I read the books and how much fun falling in love is. I love being married to Larry but it was so much funner to fall in love when everything was fresh and new. It also cracks me up that the couple saves themselves for marriage and how awkward it can all be between you two at first. It made me totally remember when Larry and I were finally alone after we were married in the car on the way to dinner...I was like wow we are married and alone and this is allowed now. I think if your married you know that feeling.

Needless to say it was a fun night. I stayed up way to late and drank way to much soda. Once I got home and crawled into bed Max started crying 2 hours later. Trying to be fun and young has its price when your a mom. It was a long groggy day but totally worth it. I kept telling Larry all about how I think we should fall in love again, he kept laughing at me and saying I can never go to a midnight showing of a movie again. :)

Reality Of Being A Parent.

It have finally accepted I am pregnant. After doctors visits, and now a gender its real and it became even more real while I was running around all day after Max and had a little guy inside me kicking all the live long day. Its real. Also my clothes aren't fitting which is very depressing so that has made me more aware of it then ever.

In other news we are trying a new thing called time outs. Max is a sweet little boy. But he knows what the word "no" means and he has become a little too defiant, especially when it comes to throwing things. Now we kinda set him astray when we gave him a million balls to play with but he has go to start learning that not everything is a ball.

The routine is pretty simple. If i say no and he still throws whatever it is...its usually his sippy cup he gets put on time out. There is a designated spot in the kitchen that he sits on a chair and stairs at the timer. When the timer goes off he can get down. Its worked out pretty well. I am sure he has no clue why I am doing this but it calms him down from his tantrum and gets him back on track. Amazingly he won't get off the chair (for the time being) and he knows when the timer goes off hes done. Its kinda cute.

Anyways hopefully I have more eventful and fun things to say next time I post. This is the life of a mom, its fun, crafty, never ending, tiring, rewarding, boring, frustrating, and messy all in one sometimes very long day :)

It's a....

BOY!!!

Max will have a little brother coming April 1st. We are pretty excited to have double the trouble and messes. I saw his little boy part right away and it was pretty clear we are doing blue clothes again! I am excited for Max, I think every little mischievous boy needs a brother to teach him the ropes. So heres to another sweet boy coming to our family! Baby looked healthy and great. The dr. are watching my fluid levels carefully and hopefully everything goes smoothly only 20 weeks left!

Staying Positive While Getting Fat.

I am having a hard time staying positive and feeling good about my body. I am now officially 20 weeks and half way through this pregnancy. I have relatively gained the same weight so far as the last one but somehow this time around I feel much wider then before. I feel like I am this chubby person and I am frankly getting depressed about it. I worked hard with Max not to gain weight and worked very hard about getting rid of it. I am self-conscious and feel super bad already and I am only half way there. I don't seem to remember having this problem but I am in a mood and Its been hard to snap out of it. Any ideas?

Yes Yes I know I am pregnant...and you get fat when that happens but I am small and looking fat doesn't suit my already baby fat face. I eat right, and exercises and chase around a toddler I don't know what else to do. Larry says I should put in a disclaimer that he thinks I look great and I have not busted out the maternity clothes yet. {yahoo} small victory I guess.

Maybe I shouldn't be writing this as I sit on my bed and have just eating dinner...because that just makes things worse after you eat you never feel skinny. Anyways I must stay positive! I must I must. Oh hey we find out what we are having Wednesday fun right? Maybe I will feel better then:)

November hit and so did the colds!

I have been sick and so has little Max. Its kinda a nightmare. I've been so desperate for a few moments of peace that I have taken to giving him suckers when he is extremely fussy. Bad parenting? Nope just survival. Especially when you have a husband who is gone so much and can't afford to get sick so he doesn't want to breath the same air as you. I also have taken on way to much. My plate is full watching my sister-in-laws 6 kids, plus max and the baby permanently attached inside me. Wish me luck! And Carlene while she runs her half marathon! We are hoping we feel better in the next few days and get to relax soon.

Halloween 2011

We had such a fun time with Max this Halloween. We were able to go to 2 ward parties, and take him trick or treating to a whole 5 houses! He liked to get the candy and hold his little pail but walking was too much for him. Trunk or treating was the way to go because every car is so close...houses no so much. It was fun night and I loved seeing him run around in his costume. His grandma Harris made him this amazing Where The Wild Things Are costume. It was beautify made with little paw hands and feet and the cutest tail ever. Almost everyone knew who he was which was fun. Heres are few halloween nights in pictures:

The Cutest Skeleton On The Block.

So I know alls I do is blog about Max. But he is my world. I seriously love being this little boys mom. He is so special to me. I love spending my day cleaning up after his messes, feeding him, wiping him down after every meal, and entertaining him even when I am not in the mood. I have learned so much about sacrifice, letting things go, and only scheduling things around nap time. Sometimes days are a blur and I am ready for them to be done come bedtime and others are so much fun I never want to forget. Nothing fulfills me more and fills my bucket then hugs from him and to hear his little laugh. I hope he is getting a lot out of me being home and being his mom. He wore his skeleton outfit a lot this month. Its fun to watch him run around outside in it.

Thoughts...

Today was such a beautiful day. Max insisted we go on 2 walks, and then played outside until it was bath time. Days when Larry works all day and has class till about 10 at night can be long. 14 hours of him being gone 4 days a week tend to drag on but when I am able to stay busy, work on projects, and entertain Max with the great weather it makes the day go faster. Max really is in such a fun stage. He understands words, can sometimes talk back, and loves to play all day. He makes me laugh constantly with the little things he does. When I say "Where is your nose?" he will promptly stick his finger up his nose...his dad taught him that. Its pretty fun though and sometimes hard to not laugh.

Larry has finished all his midterms so that relief and craziness is done yet again for what the 10 million time? We still have a long time till graduation and the state bar but every week we get closer and closer. He has been working so hard and every time I see his bosses they always are so complementary towards him. Its great to see our savings account multiply month after month. It makes me feel so good to know we are working hard together towards our goal of a beautiful house here in El Dorado Hills.

Living with my parents really has been amazing. We couldn't get into a house sooner any other way, unless I went back working as a nurse. It is tempting sometimes to want to work because the income is so good but I know that we make it fine on Larrys and home is where I should be. I am so grateful thought I have an education and a valuable skill. I know so many women who need the second income but don't have the education to really have it be worth their time. Its a constant comfort I am grateful for. Its been fun planning meals with my mom and having Max know and be familiar with everyone here and his Martin cousins are always to willing to play with him.

I like writing down these things as the months go by so I can look back and remember how hard things have been and how far we have come. Hard things will always be in our lives but I do feel that once law school is finished and Larry has his JD and huge heavy burden will be lifted. But I want to remember how even though it was hard there was always some good constant things in our lives.

Nature Boy.

I texted Larry the other day and said I think our child might be the next Bear Grills {Man Vs Wild anyone?} He loves being outside. I have said it a million times but from the second he gets up to bath time he is outside or escaping outside. Sometimes his feet are black if I don't get shoes on him fast enough. Luckily its getting cold out and so he gets bundled up with shoes on before he adventures out. Found this picture on my phone...

It makes me laugh every time. Such a cheesy face and no I do not let him usually wear what he is wearing...but it was warm out. Oh boys they are so fun and messy and Its a miracle they live so long because this one is daring and fearless. Found him on the piano the other day...yes stepping on the keys and loving every minute. You think he will live to the ripe old age of 2? I am trying my best to keep him safe and secure he is doing his best to test the limits.

Whats for dinner tonight:

So I cook about half the week and my mom does the other nights. We are always looking for new things to make because Larry in particular gets sick of things fast { I think its because he takes the leftover for lunch so its double dipping}. Anyways I really love the Our Best Bites cookbook and online website full of tons of fun recipes that I typically always have the ingredients for. This one has quickly become a family favorite. Seriously try this one out. I make an entire batch and it feeds 6 adults and one little Max.

Quick & Easy Noodle Stir-Fry
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 12-oz. package linguine (whole wheat or regular)
1-2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian sweet red chili sauce (Thai Kitchen makes one that’s great and easy to find; this is not the chili sauce you find near the ketchup)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 small red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
1 large or 2 small orange, red, and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas, snow peas, edamame, or green beans
1 medium zucchini, julienned or chopped
Optional: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak, black sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the noodles and cook al dente. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss in 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.

Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and dark sesame oil. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, but the garlic isn’t burning. Add the peas (or beans or edamame) and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and peppers and stir fry for another 30 seconds or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add the noodles and stir fry until the noodles are well-combined with the vegetables. Give the sauce a quick whisk and then drizzle it evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for about 30-60 seconds or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. Serve immediately–if you want, you can garnish individual servings with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and black sesame seeds. Serves 6-8.

Getting Festive.

I love making Max put things on at Target. This was particularly fun because he kept trying to rip it off and I thought it was hilarious, those little devil horns on him so cute. I love the Halloween season. I am not much for dressing up but I love the decorations and I love having Max around to really enjoy it all. He loves the pumpkin lights we have everywhere and loves wearing little costumes I pull out. It really is a lot funner to enjoy the holidays with kids.

Big Brother Max.

I keep telling Max he is going to be a big brother. He really has no clue what is going on but the other day I told him to go get his babies and he promptly got up from the floor ran to the toy closet and pulled out his baby dolls and brought it to me. He is such a smart little guy he might not say baby but he knows what it is! He will hug and kiss his babies but then drop them on the floor when something more interesting comes along. Its going to take him awhile to learn to be gentle but I think he will get the hang of it eventually.

My thoughts on looking Young...

You know whats really funny...the fact that people think im 13 on a consistent basis. The other day I answered the door and the person asked if my parents were home. My dad thought it was pretty funny, being that I am old enough to own a house, and that this very well could have been my house with my child running around in the background.

Also I've been driving the sweet minnie van around, its basically my sweet new ride that my parents have bestowed on me. I loved it when some man came up to me as I was loading kids into the car and asked if I was old enough to be driving a van.

I was watching a few of my nephews the other day along with Max and some lady asked if these were my kids. I said no and she say oh thank goodness you are far to young. I then proceeded to point to Max and say he was mine and this baby bump was #2...she was speechless.

I know I know you're thinking but AnnMarie you are 24 going on 25 how can people think your so young. I have decided people see what they want to see and I look young. I also have started to give them the benefit of the doubt...yeah without makeup I look like I am in High School so its okay. Its just funny that it happens about everyday.

Some new guy at church thought Max was my little brother and another lady at Sams Club expressed to my mom how hard it must be for her to have a daughter so young have a baby. The lady felt pretty dumb when my mom informed her I was happily married and a college grad.

In the end they always say I am going to love it when I am 40...yeah right I am sure. I get treated differently and get a different level of service...until people realize I am an adult...my mom saw that first hand. I also am always worried about Max's appearance because I think people are thinking at least if he has a teenage mom she is taking good care of him.

I will look back and laugh at all these memories when I am old and wrinkly right?

B-Balling Max

Max loves playing basketball. He loves putting the balls in the hoop all day long. It seriously is the best thing I can cook, and clean and he will just put ball after ball into the hoop for a good 30 minutes of entertainment multiple times a day. Its pretty cute. Here he is right before bedtime bottle in mouth trying to one handed it in.

In other news I cut my finger pretty deep on a cutco knife and had to go to the ER last night. It was pretty awesome. The Dr. glued it up per my request and kept laughing about how he totally knew I was mormon because I was a nurse with a husband in law school and I was pregnant with my second child and only 24 years old. He was pretty entertaining.

Also I tried to run errands today while it poured rain all afternoon. I have learned my lesson to never leave the house with kids when its raining unless its a must. By the time I got everything loaded and unloaded Max and I were soaked before we reached the store. Then I smelled something...every try changing a dirty diaper while your child's clothes stick to their little fat legs...in a bathroom stall no less. The rest of the afternoon was pretty blissful while Max napped I made bread and a yummy dinner for the family. Larry loves nothing better then coming home to a happy wife, a warm good smelling house, and Max dying to play with him.