My Child can stay up with the best of them...

Tonight we had Max out with us and some friends. A lady came up to me while we were leaving and here was the conversation:
Lady: "Can I give you my card? I am a sleep trainer. Does your child have a hard time sleeping?"
Me: "No, he actually sleeps fine..."
Lady: "Well every-time I see a baby up past 6 I have to give the parents my card." (She pulls her post card out of a ziploc bag)
Me: "No I am just a bad parent."

 This lady was for real.  She was so serious it hurt.  

I don't think I am a bad parent for taking Max out with us.  

I do think that if she has kids and they go to bed at six, they might be up at 4am.

Maybe I do let Max stay up late, but have you seen my child...he is the happiest chub.

The week of CRAZY

This week has been crazy and I am so glad it is over.
Max has been sick for a month - he has had the worst head cold and cough.  It wasn't getting ANY better!!  We took him to our doctor and they were not very helpful/supportive/nice/smiley/etc...So we ended up switching doctors...and that was a blessing in disguise. 
Max went for his 9 month check up at the new doctors office...Doctor Adams was our doctor.  Such a sweetheart.  Even let Max play with all the "tools" he was poking him with. 
Max was diagnosed with RSV, a cold, teething, and all around miserable.
Then Tuesday night (The night before Canyon Crest Parent Teacher Conferences) Max woke up screaming bloody murder at 12:30.  Will woke me up and from 12:30-4 we tried everything to get him to stop screaming.  It was awful and so scary.  This was not a normal scream, it was a high pitched cry for help.  He was moving his arms and rubbing his eyes.
At 4am Will and I decided to call the doctors 24 hour hotline.  The doctor told us to take him to the ER.  The ER doctor was a sweetheart.  He must have seen my eyes and seen the worry all over my face, we were seen right away and Max was diagnosed with a double ear infection, given drops, and an antibiotic and within 5 minutes was sound asleep.
Needless to say I did SEP conferences with 45 minutes of sleep. 

Through all of this we had the BESTEST friends.  We had meals brought, and prayers said.  We couldn't have made it through the week without all their love...and thank you for all of the DIET COKE that was brought to Parent Teacher Conferences.  

Max today (Saturday March 31st) is doing tons better.  He still is draining a lot, his ears still hurt, but we have medicine and a plan.  I am much better when there is a plan.
Max and I fly to New Jersey this Thursday and we are hoping that his ears don't hurt and that he doesn't cry the whole flight.  Pray for us - and for a speedy recovery.

Here are some pictures from the week.

 The morning after the ER trip - Max slept pretty much the whole day.  Will had to watch him all day because I worked for 14 hours.  This was Day #1 of SEP conferences.

 

Max's first Wendy's Frosty and feeling better in his turtle.

We are glad that he is getting better - we really missed our smiley man.

9 month check up

24.4 pounds, 30 inches, 50cm head circumference

Loving the Weather

Max and I have been taking advantage of the great weather we have been having in Utah.  It has been in the 60's and low 70's for two weeks now.  Max loves watching the cars go by and if I would let him he would camp out there all day long.

 Look at that BUDDHA belly!

 He is loving standing.  He is so strong!  He practiced a lot today.

Guess what???

Max is moving and crawling!
We baited him with Pizza.
It was awesome to watch, and yes I cried.  It was so cool to see!

 My Baby is growing up!

9 months

Nine months ago I gave birth to the most perfect little baby.  I couldn't picture my life without him.
Just some things about Maxwell:
*He still LOVES his bath.
*He LOVES pancakes! 
*He is very independent.
*He LOVES being outside - even in the cold.  (He doesn't get that from him Mom, I hate the cold)
*He is getting really strong - and can move everywhere.  He still isn't crawling forward but he is the fastest backward crawler you have ever seen!
*He laughs a ton.
*He loves when we play music and he claps along.
*Elmo is his #1 favorite TV show and TV character.
*Gerald is still his BFF, night time squeeze, and official calming buddy.

 He is getting SO BIG!  We have his 9 month check up soon and I am excited to see his stats.  Last time we measured him he was 26 pounds and 31 inches.  (But that wasn't official...)

He is growing up!  Today I looked at him in his "Big Boy Outfit" and said to Will, "He isn't my little baby anymore!"

The Wind

I feel like I should write a poem with a title like "The Wind" but that wouldn't be as cute as watching Max's reaction to the wind storm we had in Provo today.

I was tagged!

Leah you tagged me - and to be honest if I didn't love you like I do I wouldn't answer this tag.  But you made it to look so fun and I hope I can do the same!

These are the questions Leah asked me.  I am supposed to then think up of 11 more questions and tag 11 more people.  But I think the boat is going to stop here for me, and I am just going to answer the questions.  I hope this is okay with everyone.

QUESTIONS:

1) Why do you blog?

I blog as a way to keeping evens, happenings, and memories written down and documented.  I use it as a journal.  It is honestly very therapeutic for me, and even though I don't think many people read my blog, I am hoping that one day my children will and enjoy the memories I have created for them.

 

2) What is one thing that comes easy to you, that doesn't come easy to others?

I love to exercise!  I could and would all day.  People think I am crazy, but I truly enjoy it.  I love to sweat.  I think I get this from my parents.  They were huge advocates of being fit my whole life.  

 

This is the RUST family - My Mom, Me, my Brother, and Dad.

 

3) What is your biggest regret?

I regret not being more open to my parents about the LDS church.  I regret not giving them more details about what was going to happen in the temple when I got sealed to William. 

4) What is your one guilty purchase? Something you splurge on and justify splurging on?

PEOPLE magazine.  I buy it every week and have for almost 20 years.  

I am a people Magazine junkie.

5) Where would you live, if you could live anywhere?

If money was not an issue, I would love to live in San Diego.  

6) How do you feel about cats?

HATE!

7) What is your favorite place in the whole world? Post pictures.

Washington Crossing New Jersey.  

I have spent MANY hours running the trails in this historic park.  My Mom's memorial bench is there, and I feel the closest to Heaven when I walking the trails.  It is so peaceful.

 This is Washington Crossing Park - and the sign that is in the entrance.  Pretty neat!

 Some of the trail and bridges that go through the park.  The park is huge - I was able to do a 20 mile run in the park once without repeating any trail.  It was magic!

 This is Max and I on the trail by the river, and then below is my Mom's memorial bench.

 

8) What, in your opinion, is the biggest problem our society faces?

Not educating children properly.  We are to concerned with test scores.  If we want to have a future with adults who are well rounded, we need to start by educating the WHOLE child.

(Soap Box - I am a teacher)

9) What is one of your pet peeves?

WHINING!  I hate when people whine.  It drives me bonkers!

10) What is one demographic that truly pisses you off, and why.

Adults who don't help themselves.  (That is a demographic right?)

11) What's the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?

Why do I wake up at 5:30 every morning.

Thanks Leah!  That was fun and you asked great questions.  Made me think.

A school break

I feel guilty about not posting anything about my class this school year.  I am a little preoccupied with the little man in my life.  My friend Jake Wyatt always says "You have a baby?  And you take pictures of your baby?  And you put your pictures up on facebook?  No way!"

I have another "life" and that is my teaching life.  I am a part time 5th grade teacher.  I teach in the morning and my great friend Grace Wilson teaches in the afternoon.  This is my 8th year teaching and until having Maxwell, I honestly thought that teaching was the best job in the world.  I love helping children learn and grow into young adults. 

This is going to be my last year teaching.  I am planning on tutoring, which is going to be a whole other blog post, but I am done being in the classroom.  I have loved my time at Canyon Crest, but it is time for me to be a full time Mama.  And I can't wait!

This past week Mrs. Wilson (Grace) and I took pictures outside of our students.  And boy do we have a bunch of HAMS!

 Our class likes to double-dutch!  And some are very good at it. 

 This is our whole class! 

 Stephanie - who is pregnant, and is just darling - is one of our students aid.  She is awesome and is going to be a GREAT Mama!

 The boys!

 Did you know we teach a bunch of Monkeys?!

 Oh to be 11 again!

 Grace and Max

 The girls

 The adults and Max

 This is Stetson, Tate and Max.  If you remember we are good friends with the Parker Clan.  And Tate is the ONLY student in my class who is allowed to hold Max.  

I only trust certain arms to hold my baby. 

Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Strong 2012 - WE ROCK!

Max and Mom (Sometimes we invite Dad)

 Mom's handsome man

 Monkey Boy - no crawling forward yet, but he can roll and go backwards to get anywhere.

 Swings were great!  He loved it.

 On the top of the slide

 My two boys

Max and I watch Ellen everyday - Max claps along with the audience and loves Ellen's voice.