Christmas Parade

Sunday Max and our American friend Jen and I all went to the Christmas Parade at the Mount. It was SO fun and very hot! It is crazy to see the difference of Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere. Santa wears beach clothes, tradition is swimsuits and BBQ's, boats and the beach are a part of memories and everyone is in tank tops and shorts. Yet, people still carry around Starbucks cups with snowflakes and snow scenes on them....I am pretty sure more gingerbread frappachinos are sold then gingerbread lattes though :)

Here are some shots from the day so you can see the difference of a Christmas Parade in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Pretty sure the bubby had no idea he was at his first Christmas parade but I LOVED having him there!



See the kiddos in the baby pool on the float? And the mom in a sun/lawn chair?

BBQ scenes were all over the place at the Christmas Parade


The bagpipes opened the parade....not sure why but maybe just because they were SO loud. See the kids covering their ears!


Max's Uncle Tom was on a float so we had to make sure he waved at Max for his very first Christmas Parade

We had to take Max's PASSPORT PHOTO for Australia. Which was quite a task here! You have to not smile, be looking directly at the camera and both ears MUST be showing! EVEN FOR A BABY!!!! Sam took the photos then sized them to the right size so we didn't sit at the passport photo place forever. But here is a little picture that we caught while trying to get it. Our little muscle man Max

Thanksgiving...TWO OF THEM!!!

Happy THANKSGIVING!!!!



Momma with her little man on his first Thanksgiving



Daddy and his boy



My American friend Jen with me and Max



Family pic on his first Thanksgiving





What a FUN weekend!!! We had Thanksgiving #1 Friday night with American friends. It worked out both nights that Max had his Thanksgiving meal with us :)



It was so nice having Thanksgiving with Americans and explain NOTHING!! It was great also to have Sam and another friend's husband there to keep us laughing at ourselves. They DO NOT do jello type salads AT ALL WHATSOEVER with dinner. That is dessert. In fact, my mother in law was mortified in the states one time when she made a jello salad and everyone started eating it at dinner. She reminded us about again Saturday night. I will say that Sam went back for seconds on TWO things...the sweet potatoes and the pretzel/strawberry jello salad!!! I was shocked! I LOVED IT!

The food was great, the friends were great and the night was perfect! We sat on the deck and enjoyed Thanksgiving





The AFTERMATH....the first round of eating was done :) We definitely had more later




THANKSGIVING #2

Saturday night we spent the evening at Sam's family. It was his first trip to Nana and Papa's house. We both were still feeling a little under the weather (we both got Sam's cold). But he did so GOOD! Again he ate while we did...he couldn't be left out :)

I didn't make his family play Thanksgiving Trivia this year :) I did make name cards for everyone with little Thanksgiving notes inside. I made mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and an apple pie. His family even liked the sweet potatoes! My mother in law had seconds!! No one else really had seconds...Tom might have but me and Debbie did for sure! It was such a fun family dinner, my favorite we have ever had. Tom's sweet girlfriend, Nicky, came too and experienced the crazy that is our family. :)
Example of the crazy....My mother in law just got a new hair cut and at dinner she announced that now her and Sam have matching haircuts. Tom and I looked at each other then at Sam and Debbie and DIED LAUGHING!! We all laughed SO hard and laughed forever! It was my favorite family moment EVER!.







HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!!

Thanksgiving!!!!!

We get to have not ONE but TWO Thanksgivings this year!!! Some American friends here are doing a Thanksgiving tomorrow night and it is Americans (and spouses/boyfriends) ONLY :) A way to simply enjoy ALL the food and over indulgence without hearing...we don't eat sweet potatoes sweet....ewww! Or why would you over eat???

Then on Saturday we are going to Sam's family for a family Thanksgiving. Gracie won't be there :( She is in the end of her semester at school about 7 hours away. Everyone else will be there and there will be yummy mashed potatoes and apple pie :)

I shopped today for our Thanksgivings and had the EASIEST Thanksgiving shopping EVER!!! Seeing no one is celebrating it made for quite easy maneuvering in the super market :) Uncle Tom came over with his girlfriend and watched the bubby while I went to the store. Unfortunately it's pretty boring these days to babysit, Maximillian just sleeps, but it still made Tom SUPER happy to get to watch his little nephew.

Max is still doing great and sleeping and eating really good. I am excited for his first Thanksgiving and even have his clothes picked out for both nights....footballs are on both :) Pretty hard to believe that this time last year he wasn't even a thought and now we can't picture our family without him.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all from the Ackland family!!!!

Round 2

Monday rolled around and I was feeling a little tired, but again chalked it up to "normal." Max was a bit more fussy than usual but one more time chalked it up to "normal." Tuesday: UGH! Felt like I had the flu! Dang it! I got Sam's flu...or so I thought. NOPE. I got another round of Mastitis (infection that is like the flu but worse!) I called the midwife and she said...."Oh no that's frustrating!" She started me on antibiotics again and I knew I would be better in a day or two.

The bubby hanging out with mom when she felt SO sick!


The next morning our midwife called me and said that Max might be "grouchy." YEP he totally was the day before, but I figured it was because Sam and I were feeling so lousy. And I let other people scare me into believing that maybe he had colic or was just turning into a fussy kid. The midwife said, 'NO!' She said she wanted to call me and check because sometimes getting back to back infections on both sides will affect my milk for the bubby, it will slow it down. While he is drinking/eating the same amount he isn't getting the same amount which then leads to him being hungry, which then leads to a crying boy. I told her for the first time ever he woke up at 2:30 which even in the hospital he never did that! Slept at least until 4:30, but mostly 6. She then said, "Yep that confirms it for me, he is just hungry." She recommended that I keep nursing like usual but top him up with 50 mil of formula until the infection is gone (so for about a week or so) and then our little boy will be back to normal. He GULPED his first bottle without any trouble and then started sleeping like usual. Poor little turkey was just hungry. He went right back to sleeping and slept from 11 from 6 last night. WHEW! I love having the midwife process here. I am sure that I would have just chalked it up to "our luck ran out." It is so nice to have someone come once a week and have her check on us other times. She even helped me get the safest formulas and bottles. She stops coming at week 6 and then we get the "Plunket Nurses." They are nurses specialized in babies and they, too, come to your house. They called this week to let me know they will call when Max is about 5 weeks to set up a time and also gave us an 800 number that we can call 24 hours a day with any questions. The process is great for me and they are helpful with "American" questions too with no judgement :) ie. What is the baby's temp supposed to be in Celsius?

Little turkey fooled me this morning! I thought he was wide awake while I was getting Sam and me breakfast...nope he snoozed away enjoying the cuddle time!





I left him with someone other than Sam yesterday....Sam's mom :) Nana took him for walk down the Mount while I got my hair done. She was good and brought him by to see me and then shopped really close to me. He was pretty sacked out when I caught up to them.



Our happy little bubby after getting a full tummy once again



PS
Doing okay with the baby blues. They were never that bad...considering that tears are common for me and I knew what the baby blues were made it all okay :) Thanks for all the sweet comments!

Baby Blues

Yesterday I just felt a little off. I wasn't sure it exactly what it was but I was just off. I had gone and got a pedicure and while it was SO fun and SO nice I noticed it didn't make me feel as happy as usual. I didn't really think anything of it. Then I later was crying at the Miners we have stuck in the mine here in New Zealand. Again, the story is so sad and even as I type this they are still unable to send rescue workers in and haven't had contact for over 48 hours, so I thought that was just a sad story I was crying over. Then it hit....I had went and got take out, which I RARELY do with all my food specifics I follow right now. I was pretty excited about my salad from the Turkish place. I stopped and got Sam some fish and chips with some fresh fish that his brother brought him.

I came home and was super excited to sit down and eat. Well, it started with Sam. I had said I wanted it "crumbed." The nice lady said, "You mean breaded I think." I fell for it! Sam doesn't really like it breaded because it is fried vs cooked. He said it wasn't a big deal AT ALL, but I found myself on the verge of tears that I had done it wrong. THEN I opened up my salad. UGH!!!! In NZ they say "salad" which means all the toppings on a sandwich and/or salad, NOT lettuce. I forgot!!! I had said what I had wanted on top but forgot to say, "Lettuce please." So there was NO lettuce. I BURST INTO TEARS and couldn't stop. To which Sam replied, "It's not that big of a deal." IT WAS HUGE TO ME!! He quickly realized what was happening and fixed the situation and chopped up some of our lettuce for me that tasted better than what I would have got at the Turkish Place. Crisis averted, yet tears were still streaming down my face the whole meal.

It felt good to have a good cry. I haven't cried since before Max was born. I didn't cry in his birth even, so there were LOTS of tears stored up evidently. :) I have struggled with depression before so I could tell it was the baby blues and could see the signs of what that kind of feels like, but was thankful it is just the baby blues that I knew might come so it doesn't feel to overwhelming. I am fine and feeling even better today just not as HAPPY, but nothing to worry about it. It more made me laugh today because even while the tears were flowing over lettuce and I was inconsolable I knew I was being irrational but didn't even care. :)

Sam came home still a little sick and they were quite slow at work; it was nice to have him today and Maximillian LOVES when Daddy is around.

Here is Max's first car trip with just Momma, you can tell he isn't too enthuszed about going with Mom to get a pedicure :)



My sister in law Holly sent some cute LITTLE outfits from Holland for Max. I got a few pictures of him in one of the outfits...even without dad here.









Holly also sent some SUPER cute outfits with American sports on it. Here is one that says "Daddy's #1 Draft Pick"

Bath Time

The smell of a clean Johnson & Johnson Baby all cuddled up....I LOVE IT!

Max in His Crib

Sam has the flu, some might say it's the Man Flu, but I am just sayin' he has the flu. :) He slept so bad last night with a pretty bad fever and finally fell asleep early this morning. Max has been sleeping through the night until about 6, so this morning we tip toed out of the room and I fed him in his room. It was quite fun to be in his room and rocking him in his rocker because we don't get to spend that much time in there. It was a surreal moment that I tried to memorize. He did great feeding and I put him in his crib to get his clothes out for the day. He was so little in his crib and so cute to me that I just had to take a picture of him in his new jammies from Grandpa and Grammy...that are NB and still a bit big on him.





We hung out for a bit and Sam woke up to go to work. Poor guy has to work because there is no photographer on other than him this weekend. Going to work with the flu stinks! But gong to work with the Man Flu is near impossible. Hopefully he will get off early and can come home and rest. And hopefully Max and I don't get it. I am pumping vitamin C and other healthy stuff in both of us trying to get Sam better and prevent Max and I from getting it. Not only do I not want Max or I sick, but it is Thanksgiving next week! :) We are having two Thanksgiving's this year. A couple American friends and us are getting together Friday (which is technically Thanksgiving because it will be Thursday in the States) and then Sam's mom is doing Thanksgiving on Saturday. AND THEN WE ARE GETTING OUR TREE ON SUNDAY!!!! WOO HOO!!!! Still hard to fathom since it's getting so warm here, but today it is raining (though still a solid 71 degrees) and I have my pumpkin and spice candles from bath and body burning to help stay in the Holiday Spirit :)

I decided to see how Max did napping in his bed. He naps really good for his morning naps with little fussing so I thought maybe I would give it a try. We have had him in the stroller/bassinet up until now, so I wasn't sure how it would go. He did great and I checked on him a few times but did okay too with him being in there. It was so sweet to see him in his crib. He fussed a little bit right before he fell asleep and then he was out. So hard to leave him crying, even if it is only 5 minutes, but I keep reminding myself that he is learning to sleep and rest and sooth himself. I am always glad once his sweet little eyes are shut and he is sleeping so restfully.

Daddy and Max

Sam had the day off yesterday which was so fun for Max and me :)

Amy sent him some great little white onsies and Sam is in a white shirt pretty much every day in the summer, so I caught these cute "Daddy and me" shots







Here is one daddy took and is a little closer up so you can see his tiny little face.



Starting to get a little tired



Zonked out!



Now to be fair I had to put a couple of Momma and Max too





I think I text Sam at least once a day saying "I love being a mom." It just really is so much fun and I feel so privileged to get to be a mom right now. What a dream I feel like I am living.

Max's First Starbucks

We walked down the Mount again yesterday to do some errands and I couldn't resist trying my Soy Chai Latte...there were Red Christmas Cups people!!!



And Max slept the whole time we were out. I did have a little help from Jesus Culture :) I listened to their CD's while I was pregnant a lot and he just LOVED them, so I put the phone by his head and just left it on for him for noise and just to sooth him. It worked. He loved it!

He did great with the little bit of chai I had and the soy. WHEW!!! That makes a momma very happy!

Flyin' Solo

Today was Maximillian and my first day together ALL BY OURSELVES!

We had a great day! Sam went to work and my friend Jen took him so I didn't have to figure out sleeping and eating in the midst of getting him in and out of the car seat. My brother in law, Tom, is picking him to help me too. :)

This weekend I had an infection and the symptoms are the worst flu like symptoms ever. UGH! I woke up with it in the middle of the night on Friday night/Saturday morning with it. Sam knew what to do and we did that. We called the midwife and it was mine on duty this weekend. She started me on antibiotics and then said I would feel better Sunday morning. Saturday was a blur of a day. I felt so yuck! I was super tired Friday, but I just figured it was the super tired everyone said I would get the first week and it was finally catching up with me. NOPE it was the infection. So by Saturday I was wiped out, achy, tired and just yuck. Sam took such good care of us both and then I was feeling so much better the next morning.

Today it was great to feel good again. Max did great sleeping and eating with a few little cries here and there. We read books, talked to Danielle and her family on skype, and went on a walk.



It went pretty good and I even tried the whole vacuuming thing in the same room to see if it really works. IT DID!! We sleep him in the middle of light and noise during the day but really??? Vacuuming in the same room...that seemed impossible. NOPE! He did great!!!

The midwife comes tomorrow for a check up and another weigh in. We will see how good he does, and it is the first time our actual midwife will meet him. She is pretty excited to see him.

My Two Favorite Men

Not a Sam picture but I LOVE this picture :)



Max looked so cuddly in his jammies the other morning when he got up and they both looked so CUTE I couldn't resist taking a picture. I especially love it because Sam usually isn't pictures and I love that I caught this one. :)

Maximilian.

Maximilian has been such a cruisy little guy. He is sleeping great still and eating really good...still have to wake him up a lot of the way through the feed sometimes, though.

Sam's family friend, who is like an Aunt to him quickly sent us a gift this week once Max was born and knew Max was little so she put in some tiny jammies for him. They are soft and cuddly and now between the one I had, the one Danielle sent and these two he has 4 jammies that fit. He was so cuddly and soft last night I had to put him on his yummy cozy blanket that Sea Jay sent him and he loved it! Sam got a couple shots and we thought you might like to see the little man again.



My brother has had a great time here and has done life with us really well. Nothing too exciting at the Ackland home this week, other than the cute little man. We live in such a great location and Mike and Sam get along so well that it has been a great cruisy week. Sam took this picture yesterday.



I keep making Sam take pictures and am LOVING that my husband is a photographer :) One of the perks! We are all doing fine and taking it easy this week. I am feeling so good and the bubby is doing so good that Sam had to remind me last night I am still recovering and to keep taking it slow. I even made myself sleep in today (which if you know me well know that is a HUGE feat) and Mike took Sam to work for me. It is super fun to see how great Mike and Sam get along. I have to laugh because my personality is a lot like Tom's (Sam's brother) and I get along so good with him. And MIke and Sam are SO similar in personality and they seem like they have been friends forever. Pretty fun!

Until next time....