Oh weeee, things sure have been different around here. Not only do we have an [almost] 8-week-old babe but my mom was here last week and all three of us soaked up her goodness. I knew from her last visit in March she would be back “soon” but soon came sooner that we thought — yeow!, total happiness. Last week we had a follow-up appointment for some nasal congestion Max has been having, we went out to lunch a few of times [here, here + here], we walked the promenade and alongside the Pacific together. And, we chatted all week long as I watched her snuggle my son :D It was a perfect week with my mom visiting, and totally different since last time she was here I was recovering from a c-section and we were doing the whole eat/sleep/poop/repeat thing with Max.
Her flight back to Michigan left out early Saturday afternoon so to take my mind off my mom leaving Zack + I headed outside with Max and Bauer to enjoy the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day, too! Here are some photos from our little adventure around Los Angeles…
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^ Fresh, colorful flowers always catch my eye. I’d like to take them home with me.
^ I spy a little tea party…
^ Is it just me, or is holding a baby WAY more fun than pushing one in the stroller? ;)
^ Walking the Santa Monica promenade on the weekends is one of our favorites.
^ Dinner at Plan Check? Yes, please! Their burgers + waffle fries are absolutely delicious.
^ So completely, absolutely, wonderfully true…
^ We never need this for very long, but ohhh my! does it calm Max down quickly…
^ My sweet, chubby, healthy, snuggly son :) I am so proud to be his mommy.
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Well, I think we’ve turned a corner with week 7. Maxwell suddenly started sleeping 5-6 hours at a time, he’s been having less nasal congestion and he’s been even more active with his kicking/reaching reflexes + baby coo’s. It was a double blessing having my mom here with us to experience these things. My mom is such a great communicator. She thrives on cultivating a relationship and so having her here to experience these fun milestones was really wonderful. Max is her third grandson and so she’s basically a pro at being a grandma :) Zack + I always look forward to her visits and I know Max does, too. [She visited us often in Minneapolis. Even if my dad couldn’t join her she wasn’t shy about driving solo to continue cultivating our relationship.]
Last night Maxwell was fussing so I went in and picked him up. Even swaddled, his baby bum stuck right out as I placed him on my chest. His body melted into mine and I sang him a couple of songs. It was such a sweet moment. While I was singing to him I was looking around at the art on the wall, pieces we hung before he was born — before we knew if Baby was a he or a she, and — I know I’ve said this before, it was like a slideshow of my pregnancy flashed before me. All of the conversations I had with my mom about what it would be like to become a mommy, how to care for a newborn, how my relationship with Zack would change, the furniture + decor we arranged in the nursery. All of it snapped into place once Maxwell was born. :) And each week since then we’ve been perfecting this parenthood thing just a little bit more. But week 7 has been especially monumental for our family, and it’s absolutely wonderful.
Max’s personality is starting to form: he smiles when he sees the ceiling fan, his toes flex when Bauer licks them, he absolutely loves bath time, and he holds on to our shirt sleeves when we carry him in our arms. His favorite is to be upright over our shoulder so he can look around. It’s adorable and every single day with Max is a gift.
I also feel a turning point within my own self. When my mom was here last week I made some serious progress with some projects for the Gussy shop and I’ve implemented a new workflow thanks to my mother-in-law. I’ve given myself a lot of grace since becoming a mommy. I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself, I knew in time I’d figure out a beautiful way to balance work + mommyhood, and I really feel like I have — even though it is different than it once was.
What I’ve been learning is I simply needed to soak up this new life before taking any steps forward. Some days it was hard to just be and not work on anything, but I have no regrets. Sometimes silence can be just as beautiful as something that reverberates. For nearly eight weeks I though that my focus was solely on Maxwell. Little did I know God has been quietly teaching me how to mesh work + mommyhood, I just didn’t realize it at the time.
Gorgeous pictures! He is precious! And congrats on getting 5-6 hours at a time! (I’m a little jealous!)
He is adorable and it sounds like you are doing exactly what you need to do to enjoy this precious time with him!! Good for you! :)
Happy {very} 1st Mothers Day to you! Enjoy the quiet and yes give yourself grace and relax.
Ps. I live his little wrinkled forehead in the picture. So cute!
Such sweet photos, Maggie. It’s such a magical time. I’m glad you’re enjoying every little minute of it. And I’m thinking Max looks a lot like his dad in the profile pic. ;)
beautiful post mags. LOVE your take on motherhood.
xoxo
New life and new pacing; love the rhythms and your understanding of God’s perfect plan.
Blessings,
Oh, my goodness. This line in regards to you mom: that she was intentional about her desire to “continue cultivating our relationship.” SO. SPECIAL. I want to be that — have that — for my children. To never be “done” being their mother, but also to always be getting to know them better, more intimately, as they continue to grow and evolve as people. So special. I’m glad you had that sweet time with your momma.
Love this post! He is so beautiful!
And about the nuk?
I said I would never give my kid a pacifier, but it worked so well when I had my first child and I don’t regret letting her have it.
Do as you have been doing- whatever works for you guys! Great job!
wow, i still can’t believe you guys live there! those flowers are beauuutiful! i would have a hard time not constantly buying flowers there. also, love your new blonde locks! so pretty. and Max is just the cutest.
Work and mommyhood is definitely a tricky balancing act. Every season brings new adjustments and sometimes just as soon as you feel like you got thew swing of things, You find you need to make adjustments. Like when your preschoolers decide to quit taking naps! EEK! Give yourself lots of grace constantly!
The idea of your mom “cultivating a relationship” with you and your little family is such a beautiful one. I’m going to tuck that little bit of mothering inspiration away and try to remember as my kids grow older comtinue to intentionally cultivate a relationship with them. Thanks, gussy! It’s sweet seeing you and your hubby just soaking up parenthood; it reminds me of how I felt with my first newborn. xoxo
I’m so happy for you and your journey so far. Although when I read that he’s already 8 weeks old I got so sad knowing that I haven’t met him yet! Wahhhh!!! I need to come visit you guys soon!
What a sweet, sweet post. I love your mothering style of rolling with things and embracing every moment, big and small. BTW, you look absolutely fabulous!
I love everything about this post. So beautiful.
You’re such a beautiful, Mama, Maggie. And this post was full of beauty too. I have those “slideshow” moments with my littles too – so get that. Happy Mother’s Day!
oh my gosh! he is so cute. look at that face of him in the bath. gah! adorable.
Goodness, he really is adorable. :) And I’m glad you have taken the time to soak up these first couple of months… they are magic.
Looking forward to seeing him (and you) grow! :)
PS You look amazing!
I think the jurors just cldoun’t believe someone could be so shallow that they would even consider killing their baby just to be able to continue living a party lifestyle. Unfortunately I believe its possible so I feel differently than the jury pool but who knows I only caught coverage in passing so I’ll accept they know better than me.
I think there are leaders wiithn each one of us, after all we are all called to be a leader and not a follower. A good leader is built and not found, there should be no requirements to be a leader except faithfulness.Looking at Jesus’ example, he didn’t look for a person, instead he saw the potential in people. He saw their faithfulness.My 2cGod bless
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