I can't believe that I took ten month pictures of Max already! Jeff pointed out that as of Monday, we can say his birthday is "next month." Ack! I'm not sure I'm ready for a first birthday already, it seems like he was just inside me not very long ago. I was at a baby shower last week and one of the guests had her six week old baby with her. She looked SO small and I was remembering when Max was a little squishy newborn like that, with skinny little chicken legs and those tiny wrists with extra skin wrinkling around them. Now he is our tall boy with a Buddha belly and a giant head who rolls all over and eats table food. We'll be sending him off to college next week if this keeps up.

Max was sick a couple weeks ago, he has had a couple colds but this was his first time having something more than that. Poor kiddo had a fever, threw up once, and clearly didn't feel good. Thankfully it didn't last too long, it is so hard when he is obviously not feeling right and we can't fix it. Not to mention I'm sure he was wondering why Mom and Dad wouldn't get with the program and make him feel better already.

I went to an all-day "Understanding Your Nikon DSLR Camera" class at the University of Washington last Sunday with my friend Laura. I learned a LOT about my fabulous new camera that I can't wait to try out. I used some of what I learned while taking his ten month photos, which was quite the challenge. Long gone are the days of propping Max up on the couch, placing Chester Bear just so next to him, and snapping away. Now it's more like set Max on the couch, get as ready as I can to take a picture, put Chester in place, and attempt to take a picture before Max throws Chester to the floor or starts to eat him. Quite a challenge. I have decided that from now on I'm taking the monthly pictures when Jeff is here to help!

Max attended his first birthday party today, it was lots of fun to help a friend celebrate and reminded me that I need to get cracking on his party! I know my days of getting to choose everything for his birthday parties are numbered, so I will enjoy complete control while I have it.

Here are a couple photos taken at the playground right by our house. On the swing, which he loves:



We always get comments on his eyes, this picture shows why:




Oma got this outfit for Maxwell for Christmas. The shirt says "Little Heart Breaker":




Another Christmas gift we gave him is a soft fish bowl with a few little aquatic creatures. Max took a liking to the starfish and will hold it for long stretches of time. Its little arms are also perfect for chewing on.



Max has learned to raise him arms for "So big!" when we ask, "How big is Maxwell?"




A cute shot from our ten month session, sans Chester Bear:




I finally had the bright idea to try a few shots outside, where he was distracted enough to leave Chester alone long enough for me to get a picture. My background unfortunately doesn't fill the frame, but oh well, I'll take what I can get.

  

Well, I did warn you it might be a while before I did another blog entry, but I still apologize for the delay. In contrition, I offer you lots and lots of pictures. We have had a busy and wonderful past few weeks. The Moore clan was here for Christmas, and we had a great time with them. As usual, much delicious food was consumed and there was plenty of oohing and aahing over Max's cuteness. I even got to finally try the famed chocolate-peanut butter-Ritz cracker concoctions (there's a family legend with those).

Next, we headed off to Florida to ring in the new year with Dad and Helen. Despite waking up at 3am and only taking two half-hour naps all day, Max was a trooper on both (very full) flights there. He did well on the way home too, there was a little more crying on that trip but also more sleeping. We were blessed with very nice people in the aisle seat on all our flights, and heard several comments about how adorable and well-behaved Maxwell is. We really enjoyed our time in Florida, it wasn't warm enough to swim but we did have a day that had good beach weather. While we were enjoying the beach, a group (pod?) of dolphins came and was swimming really close to shore, maybe 10 feet out. They went back and forth, playing and swimming all in a row, for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, swam away, then came back again a bit later. While we weren't actually awake to ring in 2010, it was still very special to see it in in Florida with family. We also got to spend an afternoon with my friends Kevin and Amanda. We met at Calvin and I hadn't seen them in 5 years, way too long.

Max's first tooth made an appearance on his 9 month birthday! He is really enjoying solid foods now and is none too impressed with the baby food purees these days. He loves to wave and started clapping while we were in Florida. So cute! We had his 9 month well child check today and he weighs 20 pounds and 12 ounces, which is about the 55th percentile. He is still at the top of the charts for height and head circumference.

Many of you know that my wonderful family surprised me with my heart's desire for Christmas, a Nikon DSLR camera! I was so surprised and excited and am loving taking photos with it. So, on to the mother lode of photos, enjoy!

Max in front of the tree:


With Oma and Opa:


Me, Denny and Elizabeth in our Christmas Eve popper crowns:


Family Christmas picture:


Max and I both received some University of Michigan gear for Christmas. Go Blue!


Max's 9 month photo:


A couple with Daddy:




So cute!


Before you can go to the beach, you have to get your sunscreen on:


On the beach in Florida:


What is this stuff?


Beach baby:


Dining al fresco, Daddy showing how it's done:


Out for a walk:


Dinner with Grandpa:


At the Tampa airport, waiting to fly home:

  

Just one blogger again today, dear readers. Alas, Shani had to return home to that little piece of paradise we call Michigan, though we did our best to convince her to move out here. We are having fun with Maxwell's first Christmas season. He helped us pick out a tree (we didn't chop our own this year, that will be more fun when Max knows what's going on) and he loves to look at the tree when the lights are on. We also made an inaugural visit to Santa. Max did very well. The Santa was great, Jeff stood by him for a few minutes holding Max so he could warm up before the big hand off. Once Max was in Santa's arms, all he wanted to do was stare at Santa and taste his suit. We raised quite a ruckus and eventually we did get him to look at the camera and were rewarded with a very cute picture.

It's much easier to take Max out to eat these days, now that he'll sit in a restaurant high chair and look around at all the people. He loves to share whatever food we happen to be eating. He hasn't mastered feeding himself yet, he will grab the pieces of food we put on his high chair tray, but getting those pieces into his mouth remains an elusive challenge.

We're hearing lots of "talking" these days. It's usually "Da da da da da" though that isn't specific to Jeff yet. I keep putting in a plug for "Ma ma ma ma" but so far we haven't heard that one. Max does seem to be learning how to wave. He doesn't always do it, but several times now he waves in response to one of us waving. SO cute!

We're looking forward to the Moore family's arrival on Saturday. It will be very special to celebrate Maxwell's first Christmas together. I'll try to do another post before the 25th, but if I don't make it, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Here's Max helping us pick out the perfect tree:




Playing in a box. It really is true what they say about kids preferring the packaging to the toy:




Random cute picture:



We've had quite the cold weather here the past few weeks. Thankfully the unseasonable cold brought it with crystal clear skies (hello, mountains!) and sunshine, so we've been able to bundle up and get out for some walks. Here's Max all cozy in the stroller:



You may remember my friend Leanne, she of Tiny ToppersWell, she is making knitted Santa hats for the Christmas season, so of course I had to get one for Max:



And finally, the official 2009 Santa photo:

  

Well, well, well lucky readers, are you in for a treat! To make up for my being remiss in blog posting, I have not one but TWO entries for you to read today! First of all (drum roll please) I'd like to introduce our first ever guest blogger, the wonderful Shani! Shani came to visit for a week and we had such a wonderful time. I'll let her tell you all about her experience:

Notes from an outsider…a guest blog…

Greetings all! Keri has been kind enough to allow me to guest blog here, so I’ll try to make this at least mildly entertaining (FYI, I’m her cousin Shani from Michigan). Sitting in the SeaTac airport, I feel rested and happy to have spent a week with some of my favorite people (yes, that means you Keri, Jeff, and Max!). They treat you well in La Casa de Moore- I’m still full from the homemade cinnamon rolls and pizza we gorged on yesterday (courtesy of famed Greg “the doughboy” Moore, who made a whopping six pizzas despite his pesky case if Nintendonitis)**. I would have taken some pictures of the spread, but what’s the point if you can’t actually eat it? It simply wouldn’t be fair to you as the reader.

You know every parent is going to think their kid is the cutest ever, but I must attest that I agree with Mom and Dad WagenMoore on this one…Max is undoubtedly delicious. Max agreed to let me care for him on Monday and Tuesday while Jeff and Keri worked. Understandably, there were a few brief exchanges of concern between Max and Jeff as they modeled the diaper and sleeper routine the first night and I pestered with a few dopey first-time caregiver questions (hey, when one is in the presence of such parenting greatness, one becomes aware of doing the best she can!). Of course, I needn’t have worried as Max and I became fast friends. Now I won’t bore you here with each and every moment that Auntie Shani and Max spent together, but there are a few things I think you should know about Jeff and Keri that they might not tell you themselves.

First off, they have rules. But as we all know, rules are made to be broken, most specifically by aunties and grandmas (basically, it’s Grandma Barb’s fault as the rule-breaking instigator). Upon leaving for work on Monday, Keri left me a detailed note on Max’s naptime routine (i.e. “go up the stairs, turn right, left in to Max’s bedroom, reach for the light and turn it on, smile and coo at Max three times"…etc). This is a slight exaggeration, but you catch my drift. Part of the directions indicated to read Max one story and sing him one song before settling him in his crib. At Grandma Barb’s encouragement, I broke that rule every time I put Max to sleep. There’s nothing like a cuddly kiddo in your arms as you read together, and nothing like the way he cozied and calmed in my arms when we were singing. I don’t have one of my own, so it was my attempt to soak up as much of this time with him that I could (word to the wise though-- “Silent Night” is not his favorite).

Second, they just can’t get enough- you’ll see what I mean. Just before getting into bed on the second night of my stay, there was a light tap on my door. Jeff announced in an excited whisper that they were going to go “watch Max sleep”. I could tell that this wasn’t the first time they had done this, and I believe they admitted that this was an every night routine. The procedure involved using a flashlight covered with a t-shirt, so as not to be too bright to wake Max as they peer at him in his sleep. Naturally, I was thrilled as we crept into the room and gazed silently while he dozed (words that came to mind… angelic, adorable, peaceful ). Nothing short of precious (watching the boy sleep, and watching the parents watch the boy sleep). Clearly, this kiddo is not short on love.

Okay, there is more I could tell you, but my time is up. Thanks Jeff, Keri, and Max (and Grandma Barb) for a great week- I’m so glad we’re family!

**Please note, nickname coined due to his superior and time-tested skill in making bread, pizza, and melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls.

Thank you Shani for the guest entry!

We had a great time with Shani and only wish she could have stayed longer! Max had a wonderful first Thanksgiving at his great-grandma's house. He's still a bit young for turkey and cranberries, but he loved the potatoes, both regular and sweet. As usual, there was a houseful of relatives and we even had sunshine! Greg, Leah and Emma journeyed over from the other side of the mountains to join us. As always, we loved having them here and Max had no shortage of attention!

We are still waiting for the appearance of a tooth, but would not be surprised to see one any day, as Max is showing lots of signs of teething lately. I'm not sure if it's teething-related or something else, but he's been waking up during the night again these past few days. I'm hoping that's something that fades away quickly, as I have really enjoyed being well-rested! We can tell that Maxwell is becoming more aware of his environment and of his individuality. He's started to play a back-and-forth game with us wherein Max will shake his head back and forth, then Mama or Daddy has a turn, then Max...so cute! And he'll get mad now if you have to take a toy away, definitely more of a "Hey, I want that back!" then the previous "Huh, where did that toy go?" attitude.

Can you believe he's 8 months old already? Let's do some pictures!










Fun with Aunt Shani:







Thanksgiving dinner:




Max's cousin Kendra is just one month younger than him. We took some pictures of the two of them together. This one is blurry but it's so funny I have to share. I think Max is trying to eat her hair:




Family Thanksgiving pictures:







Max was way too interested in grabbing Emma's hair to look at the camera for this one:


Max and Uncle Greg:



I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  

A belated Happy Halloween to all of you! Max's first Halloween was lots of fun. We didn't go trick-or-treating, but we did dress him up in his oh-so-cute dragon costume a few times, including one trip to Jeff's office to show him off there. Max helped us hand out a little candy and then went to bed and slept through all the trick-or-treaters. We continue to have so much fun with him, he is starting to really babble now and it is so precious. His favorite place to "talk" is on the changing table, followed closely by laying on the bathroom floor post-bath. He's sitting up really well now and can reach for things without falling over (most of the time!). I think he is starting to work on the mechanics of crawling, but hasn't put it all together yet. He's gotten very good at pushing up with his arms and will also stick his little butt up in the air, but hasn't done both of those things together yet.

Max loves our kitties and is always interested when they walk by. Not surprisingly, he will reach out and try to grab some fur if they get within reach. We have been shocked to discover that of the two kitties, Dory is much more willing to be near the baby. Those of you who know Dory know that she is definitely more skittish than Pixel, to say the least. Go figure then that Pixel stays out of Max's reach and Dory will let him "pet" and even grab her.

I hesitate to write this, knowing that I'll jinx myself and it may go haywire again, but Max has been sleeping very well lately. He usually will take two naps of at least an hour each, which is a vast improvement over a month or so ago, and almost always sleeps about 12 hours at night. I figure this is my reward for those early months when I was only ever sleeping 90 minutes at a stretch! I am not so cocky as to assume this is a done deal, but I will enjoy the sleep while it's here! I wasn't sure how the whole daylight savings time switch would go, and am convinced that it was invented by a childless person. Thankfully we did okay and were able to shift Max's schedule without too much trouble.

My cousin Jesse was in town from Maryland for a conference and was able to come over for dinner last night. Unfortunately Max was already asleep when he arrived, but we of course showed off pictures and video. It was great to see Jesse again and we look forward to having his sister Shani here in just a couple weeks! So I guess that means Mal, Anne and Don, you are next!

I'll do pictures below, but first I'm going to attempt to post a video:


Maxwell talking following a bath. Jeff was getting an audio recording on his phone while I took this video:



Isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen? Okay, now on to pictures!

The official monthly shots are a bit more challenging now. Max tried to pull the sticker off his onesie and preferred to eat Chester Bear rather than pose with him, but we still got some good shots.

"Stand back, Chester, I'll protect you!"




"Mmmm....Chester Bear...."




"What?"



Our neighborhood has several parks and play areas. This one is very close to our house and has a baby swing. Maxwell took his first ride in it recently and really liked it. Note also his cute jacket from Grandma Helen.

If clothing gets near his mouth, the tongue will reach out to taste it:



Enjoying the ride




Max the Dragon!

  

Max is seven months old today! I haven't taken the official seven month pictures yet, but I promise to post those next time. October has been a great month for us. Max continues to enjoy solid food and has eaten everything we've offered so far. Last night he tried butternut squash soup and that was a big hit. He is doing really well with sitting up and can sit for much longer stretches now without wobbling. While we have seen him roll from tummy to back a couple times, he seems to not remember that he can do that, and protests when he feels that he's been stuck on his tummy too long. Yesterday he did about 15 minutes of tummy time and then had enough, so Jeff rolled him onto his back....whereupon Max promptly rolled back onto his tummy.

We have been taking full advantage of our local pumpkin patches and farms this fall. So far Maxwell has visited three different pumpkin patches this month! We went to the farm that's really close to our house to take a few pictures one Sunday afternoon. Then a couple weeks ago, Greg and Leah and the girls came for the weekend so we could make our annual family trip through the corn maze at "The Farm" in Snohomish. Locals, if you've never been there, it is well worth checking out! In addition to the pumpkin patch and corn maze, they have all kinds of activities for kids, from a cow train to a hay bale maze to a giant bin of corn kernels to play in. Jeff's mom was able to come out as well and it was really special to have her here for the fun. Finally, Max and I went to a pumpkin patch a bit south of here to meet up with some other moms and kiddos. All of these visits provided for plenty of photo opportunities and I made good use of the cute sweater that I purchased just for this purpose.

Max had his official six month checkup earlier this month. He is now 18 pounds, 13 ounces and 28 1/3 inches long. His height and head circumference are still in the very upper percentiles, and his weight is about the 65th percentile. The pediatrician said he looked great, we don't have another checkup now until 9 months...after going every other month for so long (and more in that first couple of months!) it is a little strange to wait so long, but I know it will be here before we know it.

I'm expecting Max to wake up any minute, so I better get the pictures in here and get this posted while I have a minute!




This picture was a challenge to get, as Max was more interested in picking up grass and leaves and eating them than in smiling for the camera.




Cuddling with Oma:



The corn maze at The Farm is shaped like the state of Washington, with paths corresponding to the state highways and roads, and authentic landmarks. Here's our group in front of the Grand Coulee Dam:




Mom, are you taking my picture in this sweater again?



Finally, one by my friend Justine...she's the one who took pictures of us a month or so ago (visit her at www.jsheltonphotography.blogspot.com):

  

Max continues to impress us with his skills. He can now sit up by himself! Just a week ago he was just starting to do it, we could take our hands away for a few seconds at a time. By today he can sit for several minutes by himself, though we still stay nearby in case he tips. He hasn't yet figured out how to roll from his tummy to his back, which proves problematic when he rolls from back to tummy in the crib and then gets stuck. Hopefully he'll master bidirectional rolling pretty soon. He continues to love solid foods and has added carrots and broccoli to his repertoire. This last week has slept great at night....we're talking 12 hours at a stretch several nights this week! Unfortunately his naps are not going so smoothly, he is only sleeping for 30 or 40 minutes often and will then still be tired but not interested in napping. However, I would much rather deal with challenging naps and have good night sleep than the other way around. Hopefully the naps will normalize a bit here soon. Max will be starting day care a week from Tuesday. We found a home day care close by. We really like the woman and are glad to have found a place for Max, but that doesn't mean it won't be very hard to leave him there...of course I will be worried about how he will do, will he take a nap, etc....we are very lucky that my job is three days a week and my mom is able to do one day, so he'll be in day care on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

My friend Justine is a talented photographer and she came over to take six month pictures of Max and family pictures of us last week. She's working on editing the images for us, but she posted a few to her website. Check it out here, just scroll down a bit to the "Mr. M and Family" post. And if you are local and need a photographer, give her a call!

Max is now six months old, which is hard to believe...halfway to a year already! We have his official six month checkup on Thursday and are curious to see how much he weighs and how long he is now. Considering that he is wearing some 12 month clothes, I have a feeling he'll still be in the upper percentiles!

Pictures, pictures, I've got pictures!

Six month pics:







Max's Oma got him this cute train towel:




Showing off his sitting skills:



Starting to topple forward, but still happy:



Cute boys!




Yum, yum broccoli!

  

It's been an exciting couple of weeks here in the Moore household. We enjoyed a visit from Greg, Leah and the girls over the Labor Day weekend. On Labor Day we met up with Fred so he and Max could meet. Those of you who were at our wedding will remember Fred, who played a very important role...yep, he's the one who married us! Last Wednesday I had my oral surgery. While I can't say it was a pleasant experience, it did go well. He was able to extract what was left of my tooth and go ahead and put the implant in, which was great. Now I wait for four months and then can get a crown. So far the most aggravating thing is I'm not supposed to chew on that side of my mouth until the crown is in. I go back on Friday for a follow-up visit and they're going to switch out the abutment (?). Hopefully everything will be looking good and that won't involve another one of those killer numbing shots to the roof of the mouth.

Last weekend was a busy one, on Friday Max and I journeyed to Bellevue for Jeff's company picnic. It was held at a park in downtown Bellevue, and the weather was beautiful. This will be really fun for Max in another year or two, as they had one of those bouncy castles and all the ice cream bars you could eat! This year he settled for hanging out in our laps and taking in the scenery. We got lots of compliments on his cuteness and exclamations over how tall he is for his age. Then on Saturday we went up north for my cousin Sarah's wedding. This was another outdoor event and once again the weather was most cooperative. This was Maxwell's first wedding and he did very well.

The biggest excitement of the past few days is that Max is now rolling over! He did this for the first time last weekend. So far he only goes from back to tummy, and prefers to roll to his left. Having mastered this skill, he has shown no interest in repeating it the past couple days. My mom was here taking care of him on Monday and he didn't once roll over for her. Thankfully we caught it on video so we can prove that we aren't just overexcited first time parents.

Almost as exciting is Max's first taste of solid (okay, semi-solid) food! We started on Sunday with baby oatmeal and have also tried avocado and sweet potato. So far avocado has been the biggest hit, but he's eaten all three things. It's fun to see his reaction to the new foods.

Whew! I think that's all the news to share for now. On to the pictures!

Max and Daddy:




Reading stories with Elizabeth and Emma. No, that isn't a midriff-baring jacket he has on, it's just pushed up a bit.







With Fred:




At the picnic, more interested in trying to chew on his overalls than in smiling for the picture:




Family photo at the wedding:



Zonked out after the ceremony:




Revived post-nap and ready for the drive home:




First time eating oatmeal:

I'm not so sure about this, Mom and Dad...




Hmmm, still undecided but I'll try some more...



Okay, maybe this isn't so bad after all.

  

I have been remiss in my blogging lately, I apologize to my readers. If you're dedicated enough to still be checking the blog, thank you, and I promise to try to do better! Max is 5 and a half months old already. How did that happen? He is so much fun. Thankfully he seems to have kept his easy going personality, hopefully that will stick with him for the long haul. He still hasn't mastered rolling over, but he's come really close to rolling from back to tummy a few times. That darn arm gets in the way and keeps him from going all the way over. He can sit up if he has a bit of support, and will stand briefly also (of course, not without us holding him up!). The other day we inadvertently discovered his new favorite game. Here's how it's played: I hold Max and walk up or down the stairs. Jeff walks behind us and Max looks over my shoulder at him. And it's just that easy! We did it last night and Max was laughing. We're not sure exactly what the appeal is, but we're happy to indulge him, that laugh is the sweetest sound.

We've enjoyed some company lately. A few weeks ago we had Jeff's brother Greg, our niece Elizabeth, Leah (Greg's awesome girlfriend) and Leah's daughter Emma come for the weekend. The girls really enjoy talking to Max now that he is a bit more interactive than when he was in that newborn "potted plant" stage. They are coming back tomorrow for the Labor Day weekend and we are looking forward to more time with them. Last weekend our friends Matt and Mandy came from Minnesota for a long weekend. It was great to have some time with them and to show them around Seattle a bit. Visitors are always welcome if any of you want to head our way!

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers next Wednesday, September 9. I'll be having oral surgery that day. I can't remember if I've posted about it here, but I had a crown fall out, leaving a hole where one of my top teeth should be. To make a long story short, they can't just put another crown in. So the oral surgeon has to take what's left of the old tooth out and put an implant in. Sometimes this is a two-step process with a four month wait in between, but he is hopeful that he'll be able to do both of these things on Wednesday. Then I wait about four months for the bone to grow around the implant, and then my dentist can put in a new crown. Whew! In the meantime my dentist made me a "flipper," which is a fake tooth on a retainer-type thing that I can snap in and out for cosmetic purposes, but I'm not supposed to eat with it and it makes me talk with a bit of a lisp, so I don't wear it all the time. At any rate, dental work of any kind is no picnic, and I'm really not looking forward to this. I'll be very glad when it's over!

Pictures, pictures, I've got pictures! Let's start off with a couple of Maxwell's five month shots:







Here's Max with his Uncle Greg:




With Mama:




Taking a rest from the hard work of tummy time:




Max"s Grandma Helen got him this cute outfit when they were visiting, and now it fits!

  

You probably heard about (or lived through) Seattle's record-setting heat wave at the end of July. It happened to fall on the week Dad and Helen were here...welcome to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where it's hotter than it is in Southern Ohio. What's wrong with this picture? They were real troupers even on the day it was 104 with a heat index of 107. Thank goodness for our friends Doug and Donna, who are letting us borrow their portable AC unit since they have central air in California. We put that in Max's room so at least it would be tolerable in their for his naps and nighttime sleeping. I am very glad to report that our weather has normalized and we are enjoying upper  70s this week, which feels fabulous. We even had rain yesterday and today after 20 something days without any. We had a great visit with Dad and Helen and Max enjoyed being taken care of by his grandparents while Mom and Dad were at work.