The latest and greatest

First of all...Max wants to wish his cousin, Bella, a very happy first birthday! We love you, Bella!

I was reminded in my post about Max's sayings that I left out a very important phrase that Max says... When we went to visit Mimzy and Pappy for Thanksgiving, the girls got to go see Twilight while Pappy and Uncle Adam watched the kiddos (Papa was unexpectedly occupied with helping Uncle Kevin). During the 3 hours we were gone, Max had two blowout diapers. During the second blowout, Pappy taught Max to say "Have Mercy!" The funniest part is that he says it with perfect emphasis, and in the proper context (unless he is prompted to say it.) Most recently, he has added a "pappy" on the end of it, so the phrase is "Have mercy, Pappy!"

Yesterday, we took Max and Papa to the barber shop and Max got his first barber shop haircut. Max did great! He was a little upset, but he warmed up pretty quickly, and he sat mostly still until the barber started tickling him while trying to clean up the hair on his neck.

This morning, Max has been re-named 'crash.' He fell in our bedroom, banging his head on a chest of drawers, in his bedroom, breaking the wagon to his new tractor, in the living room, after which he walked straight into a chair, and again, in the office/guest bedroom, banging his head on the corner of guest bed. This is after coming home both Thursday and Friday with bumps on his head...

And finally, some pictures from Christmas:

puzzles!

blocks!

tractor!

I'll Hold You

This morning, I was trying to get Max out the door-on time, for once-when he stopped, turned around, and wrapped his little arms around both of my legs. When it's cold outside, he doesn't like to walk, he wants me to carry him. But this morning, as he was clutching at my legs, he looked up at me and said "I hold you?" What he was asking for was for me to hold him, but the sentiment was so sweet I couldn't resist, despite an armful of his lunch, my lunch, purse, and coffee.

Max's Sayings

I know I seem to say this every time I write, now, but Max has picked it up another notch in the speaking department. Here are a few little stories about what Max is saying right now:

I'll Get You
We went to my parents' house for Christmas, and Max got to spend lots of time wandering around with Grandma, Grandpa, Mama, and Papa outside. At one point, Max took off running and so Grandma started chasing him, saying "I'll get you!" Well, Max started repeating it, of course, as he was running. And now, he'll start running away and say "I'll get you!"

Concern for Papa
When Papa is walking away, or doing something that Max doesn't understand he'll look at me with his little brow furrowed and ask "Papa going?" or "Papa doing?"

Papa's Cup
We are very concerned these days with what belongs to who. Max saw a picture of Miller High Life the other day and points to it saying "Papa's cup." Ahem.

Yay! Applesauce!
Max loves applesauce. If you ask him what he wants to eat, it's guaranteed to be on the short list. As we were walking into Target on Saturday afternoon, somehow the subject of applesauce came up, and Max started saying very loudly "Yay! Applesauce!" over and over. Clint and I were almost dying laughing.

Ashey, Ashey
Apparently, Max has learned Ring Around the Rosie at school. Yesterday, out of nowhere, he started singing "Ashey, ashey, all Fall DOWN!" in the car. Extra loud emphasis on the 'all fall down.' Other favorite songs include "ABCD," (the alphabet song) "Twinkle, Twinkle," (...little star) and "Elmo," (Elmo's Song, of course).

An Update, Finally

Word to your mother. (note: he did this on his own as I was taking pictures because he put the hat on himself)

Ok, so 'A bit' turned out to be a little longer than anticipated, but here I am! We are all doing well and getting adjusted to living in a new place, with a new person, and with Chaco, Max's favorite dog ever (and she is pretty darn great). But I was begged to update the blog by Mimzy so that she "will have some link with reality." Here you go, Mimzy; we'd hate for you to start swimming toward the deep end...

Where to start? We began moving in right after Thansgiving, and it's been hectic. Max now has a big boy bed, and he is just loving the freedom to get up and roam after bedtime. It has really turned both bedtime and naptime into a battle. I'll take any advice anyone has on keeping a kid in their bed, because bedtime has now melted down into a sometimes 2-hour process that is not-so-slowly chipping away at my sanity. Last night, after he got out of bed for about the 5th time, I asked him if he wanted to sit in the corner, the supposed worse alternative to staying in bed, and he said 'yeah!' So much for that idea...

Max's vocabulary continues to grow, and he is talking all the time. He is the youngest kid in his class, now, and most of the other kids speak well and often. He is really picking up their speech, which is mostly great. Except when he comes home and starts telling me to 'go away,' his new favorite phrase. One morning, he was laying in bed with us, and he wormed his way into my spot in MY PILLOW and then told me to go away... But he is also saying 'I love you,' and 'I'm sorry,' and so much more. Recently, with the colder weather, I have heard 'it's cold outside!' frequently. And he is repeating just about everything, now, which is bad news for Papa, to whom I've bestowed the honor of speaking to Max's teacher the day we get the call about what Max said at school today!

Alright, on to pictures, now that we have found the cable to the camera AND recharged the battery!

'Auntdrea' reads to her favorite niece and nephew during Thanksgiving.

Future trouble.

Watching Elmo with Aunt Ree and Bella.

Uncle Kevin helped us move, and Max loved playing with his 'sunnies' and hat.

Why you should never leave your undergarments on the floor.

Max and Papa exploring the Asian market down the street.

Fooling around before bed. The camera died before we could get a good one with all 3 of us in it.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Back in a bit

Hello all! We've been away for Thanksgiving and are now in the process of moving. Currently, our computer is not even at the new place, so I don't know when I'll update again (borrowing one, now). But we'll have some cute pictures from Thanksgiving with the Claytons (including plenty of trouble with cousin Bella), and more of Max's antics, soon!

Trying to Keep Up

(editor's note: I began writing this post while sick at home on Wednesday, until my keyboard batteries died. Just now finishing on Friday)

Life is moving at lightening speed over here, and most of the time I just feel like I am trying to keep up. I am home sick, today, so I thought I'd take a chance to write a bit (since I can't seem to sleep anymore, right now). Max was home sick with Papa on Monday, and me, yesterday. I was 'Grouchy Mama' because I didn't feel good and, despite his fever, he was wired & inspired (as Grandpa would say). Needless to say, he went to school today.

Max is talking up a storm, starting to string words into sentences and continuing to mimic Clint and I and pull new words (seemingly) out of thin air. With the frequency that I hear the cry "hun-ny" (hungry) around here, you'd think the kid was starving to death, though one look at him will quickly ease your fears. He is still obsessed with our cell phones, even telling me over the weekend "I WANT PHONE" when I would not give him mine. It is very cute to watch him take the phone and say "Hel-lo. Hello, Papa." Sometimes I even let him call Papa to hear him say it! He knows Elmo and constantly wants to watch Elmo's Song on Youtube. He even sings along, and the cuteness of it makes the 15th time almost bearable.

Max still loves books and reading. He gets new books all the time from his grandparents. A few favorites, right now, include Go, DoG, Go! (which he 'reads' as Go Max!), Ten Friendly Fish (a counting book Mimzy gave him), and some hide-and-seek animal books that he knows almost all the animals in. It is still just mind-boggling to watch his face as I read to him and see him just get it. Words and ideas click and it is indescribable to watch them take hold.

Being a mom only gets more and more fun, and I am so honored that this kid is mine. Even on the worst of days, or in the most awful of moods, he can put a smile on my face. Whether it's the little things, like the smell of his head, or bigger ones, like when he comes to me for comfort, sometimes my heart swells so much I truly think it might burst mid-beat. In the middle of stressful times, he reminds me what it's all about.

Overdue

Max's newest past-time, coloring.

So, I just downloaded 107 pictures from almost 3 weeks ago, when we went to Mason, Halloween, and Max coloring at the house... We had a great time out in Mason, visiting Grandma and Grandpa. Max loved being outside in the country, and especially sitting on Grandpa's 'tractor' (it's really a riding lawnmower, but we won't tell Grandpa, ok?). One afternoon, Max spent half an hour sitting on the tractor, pushing every button, pulling every lever and desperately doing everything he could to make the tractor 'go, please.' Nothing worked, so when Grandpa walked out, Max took one look at him, stuck his hand out and said 'keys?' Then he and Papa went for a ride on the tractor.

Max loves to be outside. He 'climbed' this tree.
He spent lots of time right here.
Forget beer. This is what coozies are for.

For Halloween, Max was a bee. He was not very into Halloween. He still isn't really sure what it's all about, and I think he was a little disoriented by all his friends in costumes. His costume was also pretty warm, and it was a warm night. After walking to houses for about 30 minutes, he looked up and signed "all done." He'd had enough, and was ready to go home, so we did.

Max, the bee.

Our friends from church, ready to trick-or-treat!