Month 19, Day 27: Mischief-Making Max

To be fair, the mischief wasn't caused solely by Max - he had help from Mom (sticker robot) and Dad (marker man). It turns out that not all of the markers Dad was using were the mom-approved "washable" kind. So there was lots of scrubbing of clothes and bodies afterwards.

"Who, me?"

Dad practicing his artistic skills on the Max-canvas.

Month 19, Day 22: Big Boy Bed, Night 2

Well, we're back to the crib. Although he slept solidly through the night, Max did not take kindly to waking up in his big boy bed this morning. Instead of enjoying his much expanded jail cell, he cried like the dickens all the way to the gate in the bedroom door. Tonight, Max had no interest in climbing into his new bed, instead wanting Mom to move the mattress to the crib. Where, as the video monitor shows, he is now calmly sitting upright, playing "vroom vroom" with his cars. No worries - we have plenty of time for the transition. Sleep tight, Max.

Month 19, Day 21: Big Boy Bed

Given that Max is in for a lot of change before the year is up, we wanted to introduce some gradually. Last weekend, we got him a baby doll to learn how to be "gentle." Limited success in that area, if you count holding the doll carefully for three seconds before throwing it on the floor. This weekend, we got him a big boy bed since his crib will be re-commissioned in December for his little brother.

Mom spent the morning putting it together, with her Little Helper Bee (who made the process go a little longer).

We completed it in time for his mid-day nap, but he still preferred his crib. But come night time, Max didn't seem to have any problem with the idea, even interrupting Dad's story-telling to climb into his new bed and hunker down (but not before a few poses).

One thing hasn't changed, and that is Max's habit of sleeping with his head rammed against the slats. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to his newfound freedom in the morning!

Month 19, Day 17: The New "No"

Well, it was bound to happen sometime. As of tonight, Max finally graduated from head shaking to verbalizing "No!" with lots of gusto, often accompanied by a deep frown and hitting. Particularly when Dad leans in for a kiss, which goes something like:

"No!" (Dad doesn't pay any attention)
Pushing Dad away. (Dad still doesn't pay any attention)
Then slapping Dad on the face. (That gets Dad's attention)
Then slapping Mom, who is holding Max, for letting Dad be persistently annoying.

Mom keeps telling Dad that we need to respect Max's wishes, even if Dad has spent the last ten years ignoring Mom's "no's," "stop-it's," and "leave-me-alone's."

Month 19, Day 14: Stayin' Cool Max Style

Headlines said we lived through the hottest June on the record - and the temps are still high in July. But Max and his buddy Stanley seemed to have no problem staying cool over the weekend.

Stan the Man.

Max being "helped" (aka, pushed!) into the pool by Dad.

Below are some pictures from earlier this month. Another low-key 4th of July, staying cool in front of the fan, finding a comfy spot on Mom's lap (despite her expanding baby bump), and arm-flapping in Dad's shirt.

Month 19, Day 13: Fingers and Toes - How Quickly They Grow!

Below is a picture from when Max was an itty-bitty five months old (May 2009).

Now that Max is a whopping 19 months, it was time for an update. I couldn't quite get the pose and lighting right, but you can tell that Max's foot is a little longer than the last time.

And here Max is telling me, "Mom, enough with the pictures already."

Month 19, Day 3: The Summer Fun Continues

It was another exciting week for Max with a visit from Grandma California! Between popping Grandma's bubble gum bubbles, showing her the ropes at his favorite park, and heading into DC for some sight-seeing, Max had a blast. We only hope he didn't wear Grandma out too much, since he'll be heading to CA for another visit before too long!