Growing Boy

Whoa...2 postings in one week?! What's going on? Well, I figured since Maverick went to the doctor today for his 15-month well check, I better keep everyone posted. He weighed in at 22# 2 oz, and is 32 1/2 " tall. He grew 2 inches in 3 months! He's still a tall skinny boy. The biggest thing we need to work on is his words. The doctor thinks that since Maverick has been so focused on physical feats (stacking blocks, using his fork), he's put talking on the back burner. I'm sure he'll be talking up a storm in no time.
Yesterday, Maverick was bound and determined to go outside even though it was chilly and 50 degrees outside. He was going crazy in the house and practically clawing at the door, so I gave in. We went and had our first excursion at the park. We had fun walking around and climbing on toys.

He really enjoyed going down the slide. It'll be fun when he can do it on his own so he can go as much as he wants. My arms were getting tired!!

Pokey and Pookey

Last weekend, Jesse's dad and Grandma came to visit us from Michigan. I think they were pretty surprised by how much Maverick had changed since Christmas. It is so fun to see Maverick play with his only great-grandma!
Grandma came up with the name Pokey for herself since she uses her cane to get around. So, there's Pokey & Pookey!!

Grandpa Greg and Maverick got the bike buggy out for the first ride of the season. They were out for over an hour and Maverick loved it! I'm excited to get out there with my bike.

Last weekend, before Greg and Grandma got here, we were in Sioux Falls for our annual Ramada water slide trip. We also celebrated my niece Joslynn's confirmation. Here we are at my sister's house. We figured we better get a good dress-up picture since we forgot on Easter...oops.

This is a picture of all of my immediate family. We had a really fun day together! Lisa made a lot of good food which we grazed on all day.

Maverick and his cousins at the pool. Maverick wasn't so into the water. It was a little chilly for him.

Maverick and his carrot. He loves those carrots!

Happy Easter!!

Today, we went to lunch at some people's house from church. We were very excited to eat meat again!! I made the ice-cream Oreo dessert which Jesse and couldn't stay out of. They also had another Easter egg hunt which was a lot of fun! On Wednesday, Maverick and I ventured to the nursing home here in Vermillion for their annual Easter egg hunt. I have never seen such a madhouse!! Man, I couldn't believe it! I could go on a rampage here about parents picking up eggs for their children...but, it's the Easter season and I'll just keep my lips sealed! Maverick tried to lift up the mask of this here Easter bunny. I don't think we'll keep him tricked long about the Easter Bunny or Santa!!
Here's Maverick and his friend Georgia. They also go to daycare together. They are so cute together-they hug when they see each other! It cracks me up.

When he's not eating candy, carrots, or turkey dogs, Maverick can be found eating the stalk of broccoli. He loves that stuff!

Last weekend the Easter Bunny visited early along with Oma Carola, Aunt Ahna and Nick. We had a great time!!

Nick, Ahna, and Carola were gracious enough to help me blow eggs for my MOPS group. Carola was a champion! I had to bring a total of 18 eggs. I would have went nuts if I had to do them on my own.

On Saturday night, Nick, Ahna, Jesse, and I went to the last Sioux City Musketeer's hockey game. We had a blast! Since it was the last game, they were cleaning house. We got 2 shirts, 2 hats, 2 little footballs, and necklaces. It was a success!

When Maverick sleeps...We play Guitar Hero. Anyone up for "Eye of the Tiger?" Carola?? Blue, Red, Green, Green...No, the other Green!!

Oma and Maverick enjoying the nice day.

Ahna, Nick and Maverick. What is that on your head Nick?? Oh, a bubble!!

Maverick and Aunt Ahna had a great time playing outside!!

Lots of Pictures

Everyone asked for more pictures so here they are! We've had a busy couple of weeks. I went to Pierre for my job 2 weeks ago and was gone for 3 days. My mom came down and took care of Maverick and Jesse! They had a good time, and Maverick had his first sips of coffee. I think he's hooked! The next week Maverick and I headed to Omaha to watch my sister's kids. Jesse joined us for the weekend, and we were able to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and hit the Omaha Zoo. It was my first trip and well-worth it!

Maverick was having a great time walking around the zoo. It was so warm out, we had to take his top layer off. We were all a little pink by the end of the day. And, man, were we exhausted!

Maverick checking out the sidewalk. As usual, we pushed around an empty stroller! For the most part he was pretty good in it. He just wanted to get out and explore!

Maverick had a great time with his cousins Cristian and Carlee. They are so good with him and just adore him! They made sure all of his needs were fulfilled while we were visiting. They even took turns giving him his bath and playing water games. He was much happier this time compared to when he visited in February and had the flu. =(

I just love this picture. I am just amazed at the love they have for their baby cousin! I know someday they'll love this picture too.

Maverick and dad.

What a tried and true game! Everyone loves getting pushed around in a laundry basket! However, I doubt Carlee has the strength to cart around these 2 boys!

Maverick loves being outside.

Nothing is safe. Maverick grabbed his bag of yogurt puffs off the table and managed to spill them everywhere. He was able to eat most of them up!

Uncle Seth and Aunt Kari visited from Michigan just 2 weeks ago. We went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Sioux Falls. We had a fun time with them. I think they were surprised by how much Maverick had grown since Christmas.

We're WALKING!

This week Maverick conquered walking! He is so fun to watch. He loves walking the length of the hallway. He goes from our room back to the living room. Sometimes he tries to walk and dance at the same time which is hilarious.

First steps. You would not believe how hard it is to capture the event of walking! Maverick just wants to eat the camera. Then, he has no interest in the task at hand.

Maverick got a western shirt like grandpa's. We almost waited too long to put him in it. It's so darn cute. As always, the lighting in our basement is not so great for pictures. We're looking forward to spring and getting outside. This weekend is supposed to be in the 50's and 60's. Seth and Kari are visiting this weekend, so we hope to have lots of fun!

Grandpa and Maverick in their matching shirts. Dad has another one at home that is almost identical to Maverick's.

One of Maverick's favorite games is to take all of the DVDs off of the shelf. He thinks it's the best time! We figure if we let him do it a couple of times, he'll get bored. No such luck yet!

A Weekend for Us

Two weeks ago Jesse and I had a great opportunity to attend the South Dakota Academy of Family Physician's conference in Spearfish! It was an all-expense paid trip we couldn't pass up. Maverick went to Omaha and spent 5 days with my sister Jennifer and her family in Omaha. Needless to say, they did not have as good of time as we did; Maverick was sick the whole time he was there with the flu. Poor little guy. He is healthy and getting closer to walking every day.
Here we are at the Silverado Hotel & Casino in Deadwood eating our crawdads at the crab leg and prime rib buffet. They were a lot of work to eat and they were still too "alive" looking. We, or rather I, was hoping to make my millions on the Red, White & Blue 7 machine, but that didn't happen. Jesse and Maggy were content with their penny machines. We had a good time.

Here we are at the end of our day skiing. Since I am not only a hazard to myself and everyone else on the slopes, we decided I should take a lesson to figure out what I'm doing wrong. So, I signed up for a group lesson. I was expecting to spend 2 hours of my afternoon with 9-year olds, but it turns out I was the only one to sign up. I got a private lesson for group rate. I was pretty excited!

Here we are at the top of Terry Peak. Jesse was pretty proud of my new mad skills. He couldn't believe how much I had improved and my new confidence. Plus, I didn't fall down every time we got off the lift!

My ski instructor Larry and I riding the lift. One of my friends said, "A private lesson? Wow, I bet your ski instructor was hot, they're always hot." Well, I hated to burst her bubble, but Larry was in his 50's and not so cute. But, he taught me how to ski which was the most important part!

Here's Maggy and her 76-year old grandpa who went skiing with us. Maggy is Jesse's classmate. We had a great weekend together. We also stayed at her grandma and grandpa's house by Hill City which was a lot of fun!

Larry and I again.

Jesse and I also went for a drive through Spearfish Canyon. It was a beautiful drive. I really forgot how pretty the Hills are. We stopped at one of the lodges to take a short hike. We were looking for Roughlock Falls, but we never did find them. We're pretty sure they were "just around the river bend." But, we just couldn't keep going on the snowmobile trail. We were sure that we would probably get hit sooner or later by someone not paying attention. It was still fun to be out.

And, of course, Maverick. Each day he is becoming more fun. He loves looking in the dryer, playing in his tupperware cupboard, and just constantly playing. He's decided he only needs one nap a day for about 1 1/2 hours. That's been a hard adjustment for me!! He's also finding his voice. He enjoys just sitting and screaming in a happy way. His motor skills are also developing. He's stacking about 4 blocks at a time and putting lids on containers. It's really neat to watch him grow.

A Year of Change

Well, in just under 12 hours, Maverick will be 1 year old! It is so hard for Jesse and I to believe that. Since our families are so far away, and my mom will be having hip-replacement surgery soon, we decided to opt-out of a party. I know, we're terrible parents. Surely next year, we'll celebrate! Maverick's most exciting news is his transition to a big-boy car seat! He giggled the whole way to Walmart. He loved seeing what was going on.
Today at church he made his first appearance at children's time. When we got to church, we took him up to the nursery as usual. As soon as children's time started, Maverick appeared with an older kid from the church. He sat really well! Then, the church sang Happy Birthday! It was pretty cool. Maverick will soon be the "church toddler" instead of the church baby =( We have been so blessed by the members of our church! He's in the process of tearing apart a poppy seed muffin!

Maverick enjoys shaking his crib when he wakes up from his nap. Lately, his naps have been kinda short. He takes a short morning and afternoon nap-we may need to combine the two so he sleeps longer.

In the hood.

Maverick is riding his pony he got from Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jeff. He can't quite make it go yet.