Maxwell Stone Turns 3

My sweet Maxwell is 3 years old. I cannot believe it. When you have a little bitty baby you can't really imagine them being anything other than just that....a little bitty baby. It seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago that this guy was born. He was ever so wanted and prayed for, and has brought more joy to our lives than we could have possibly imagined. 

I vividly remember walking into the hospital late Sunday night for our induction. I requested Kirby Lane turkey/avocado quesadillas for my last meal and recall being very disappointed that they forgot the turkey as I had avoided it for 9 months. I was quite the rule follower in this pregnancy. We got all hooked up to the monitors, and a short 32 hours later Max came into our lives! Yes you read that right, 32 hours later. So worth the wait, and 2 hours and 55 minutes of pushing. 

He was the most beautiful baby ever. Really he was. He had the sweetest bright pink lips, chubby cheeks, and thunder thighs. I was INSTANTLY in love! 8 pounds 9 ounces of perfection, and a whopping 23 inches long. He was born at 2:55 a.m on Tuesday. 

The next couple weeks we were in and out of the hospital. Apparently I had a life threatening condition postpartum, but I barely even remember feeling inconvenienced. Seriously. I was just SO happy to have my sweet baby. I remember sitting in the hospital after being readmitted with IV's in both hands, and just looking at Max and being blissfully happy. He was laying on a portable billy bed for jaundice and I couldn't even hold him. At the time I don't think anything could have really upset me. True story.

We finally got home and started enjoying our life as a family of three. He was the sweetest baby, and has grown into the sweetest little boy. 

Max at three can be soft spoken, but is very confident. He loves school, and his friends and family and is always up for a good time. He thinks life is his own personal party, and he loves new things. He started school on Tuesday/Thursday this year, and has impressed me with how well he has done. He walked in confidently on the first day and has never looked back. He loves telling me about all his school friends and teachers, and giving me the daily update on who went to time out and why. He gets excited about going every day and I am SO grateful. I was just sure he would be clinging to my leg screaming each time. 

He loves playing (and fighting) with Levi, and going on "fun adventures" as he calls them. Anytime we get in the car and drive somewhere as a family it constitutes as a fun adventure. He loves playing outside and swimming, but equally loves reading and doing puzzles inside. He can focus for a long time on these types of games and activities, and gets really sad when Levi runs in and wreaks his masterpieces. He loves, loves, loves painting and asks to paint daily. Overall he has developed a serious love for crafting anything and everything since he started school. He even requested that we frame his favorites in his room. Sweet child.

He loves Mexican food and chocolate, and has a passion for licking the icing off cupcakes. He could live off of chocolate milk, and only like veggies baked into a casserole or chicken pot pie. Then he loves them. He hates grapes and strawberries, but loves watermelon, oranges and apples. He says that cheese is the best food ever and if asked what he wants for dinner he will always tell you cheese enchiladas. Recently he told Cody he wanted to start eating more cheese burgers because it was a "man's meal". Not sure where he got that, but we cracked up. He is very into being a "big boy" and not a baby, and very proud of the fact that he is 3 and Levi is still 1. He'll get a glorious 5 months each year to be 2 years older than his little brother. Speaking of...HOW is it possible Levi will be TWO in 5 months. Anyway.....

As sweet as he is, he can be quite the contrary little toot, and loves to argue with us about stuff daily. He has his trade mark "no no no no no no" said as fast as he possible can, that we all laugh about. He is  also pretty dramatic for a little boy. He has been known to gasp and throw himself to the ground if things don't go his way. Luckily I would say he is pretty complaint overall, but for sure has his moments. I have had to drag his limp body out of school a few more times than I would like to admit. 

He loves watching movies, and playing games on my phone. Because he doesn't nap he probably spends a little too much time with these activities, but I still like to see him sit and rest. I also NEED rest time while little brother naps. His favorite movies right now are Rio, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc, and Monsters University. His favorite phone game is Angry Birds, and it is scary how good he is. He used to play Ipad during rest time until he got mad and threw it against a tree and broke it. He regrets that decision and will tell me "I wish that tree didn't break the iPad" which is an interesting perspective on the situation. 

He is really tall and really skinny. He weights 39 pounds, and is over 41 inches tall. He wears size 4T shirts, 3T pants and a size 10 shoe. Still towering over all his peers almost to a comical level. At his school show he looked like he was in the wrong class. Bless his tall skinny soul. Always been my big boy. 

We love him so, and I love watching him grow up. Happy 3rd birthday little angel boy!

(12 days old)

(12 Months Old)

(2 Years Old)

(3 Years Old)