The Max Factor

I just want to take a sec to brag on my big baby boy.  I haven't done a Max-focused post in a while (not since his first birthday...he's now 10 days shy of 14 months!), so it's long overdue.

This kid has my heart.  Every last bit of it.  He has brought so much joy to our lives and continues to amaze us with how much he is growing and changing.  I have to regularly remove photos from my phone since I take so darn many of him (quickly dwindling storage space is a new reality of parenthood!), so I often forget how chunky and round he used to be just a few months ago until I look at the old photos on my computer.  

Look at this chunk!

I can't even remember what he looked like without teeth!  Just a few months ago, he had a huge gap between his two top teeth; now it's gone.  

Big ol' gap in those teeth

His face has slimmed down significantly.  The red hair and blue eyes are here to stay, it seems, and we LOVE it.

When he has spaghetti, he also has a red goatee.

He's still quick as lightning on his hands and knees, but he's also exploring taking steps on his own, with no support.  He loves to walk holding our hand, but typically once we let go, he drops down to his knees to continue his journey.

Watching Max play and "do" is fascinating.  He's so focused on what he's doing, and he seems to intuitively know what to do with various things.  He loves books, and he'll willingly grab one to browse through on his own, even though most of the time the book is upside down.

He's starting to show an interest in building and stacking.  He enjoys playing on his ride-on toys, and he knows that pushing certain buttons causes words, songs, or fun noises.

He loves to dance. The other day, some Nelly song I've never heard was playing during the ending credits of a movie we were watching, and Max was feelin' it.  I've never seen him make some of the moves he was busting during that song!

Max makes friends wherever he goes.  His favorite place to pick up chicks is the grocery store.  He smiles, dances in the cart, and points/grabs at things he likes.

He's a lover.  He gives the best slobbery, open-mouthed kisses, wraps you in the squeeziest of hugs, and blows the tickliest raspberries on your neck, leg, or arm.

Max enjoys sharing...sort of.  He will look at you with an expression and grunt that I'm sure means, "Want some/this?"  Then he lets you touch it...but most times, he won't actually let you have it.  You can just feel it.

Max plays especially well with his bestie, Eleanor.

He loves mealtimes, but he's still picky from time to time.  He'd eat his body weight in fruit if we let him, and he's also showing an affinity for sweets (ice cream, cookies, etc.).  Fish, chicken, and hot dogs are typical crowd pleasers with Max, as well as an occasional cheeseburger.  He has a love-hate relationship with mac n' cheese and bread: one week he loves them, the next he hates them.  They seem to take turns, so if he's diggin' pasta, he's anti-bread.  I guess it's his own way of watching his carbs.  Veggies are tricky with Max, so we often have to give him a veggie pouch to ensure he gets enough.

Max is very curious and every day he proves to me that, just like Santa's elves when I was a kid, he's always watching.  We never taught him that you need to point the remote at the TV for it to do something, but when he gets his hands on it, that's what he does...and then he waits for something to happen.  He thinks my keys belong in my mouth, since that's typically where they are when I'm getting him in and out of his car seat.  If he gets his hands on his Tylenol syringe, he's tapping it onto the cap of a bottle, because that's how you get the medicine out.  If he sees a necklace or scarf, he drapes it around his neck.  Just yesterday, my little goose grabbed my laptop cord, crawled across the room, and tried to PLUG IT INTO THE OUTLET!!!  He's also trying to open doors now by reaching for the knob.  He knows shoes belong on feet, and he assumes that just placing your foot on a shoe means it's "on."

He was very frustrated with this one at my mom's house.  He has more success at our house since we have "lever" knobs.

One of my least favorite aspects of Max growing up is...the fits are beginning.  He does NOT like to be told no.  He also doesn't like being taken up for his nap when he's having a great time watching Sesame Street or playing with his toys.  He shouts, cries, crawls away, and does the back-arch wriggle that almost causes me to drop him.  Lord help us!

Max is becoming quite the little communicator.  His first word was "ba-ba," which means bottle.  He also says Mama, Dada, "gog" for dog, "kuh-kuh" for cookie, and "beh" for bed.  He's been signing "all done" for months now, and he's finally starting to sign "more."  He babbles constantly and inflects his voice to make you think he's actually saying something intelligible.  He has quite a set of pipes and can squeal/shout loud enough to hurt your eardrums, but when he "sings," it's a soft, heavenly treat.

I really can't say enough about this little man.  While I do miss his little bitty days (although he was never technically "little";  dude weighed 16 pounds at 2 months and continued to tip the scales at every doctor visit), it is so amazing to see how much he can do now.  He is so much fun and I am amazed by him every single day.  To know him is to adore him.