We've Come a Long Way

Ritchie gives the nightly bath to Max and lately I've been overhearing WAY too much fun going on in there! Tonight I decided to pop in and see what all the laughter was about. It was too cute to pass up taking pictures of! Ritchie rubs the washcloth and soap together and says, "Lather, lather, lather..." and Max just dies! It's pretty precious!

Ritchie also telsl Max weird jokes that he doesn't get...
But eventually he comes around and has a blast! He also loves it when Ritchie throws the washcloth on his belly. Go figure!
Perhaps you recall 6 short months ago when Max was in bath hell....

Now it's all smiles and laughs as bath time has become a highlight of our day!
Here's a video capturing the fun:

Teething Much?

Max turns 6 months next week and we wanted to take some lovely pictures at the park today to document his half year mark. There was just one small problem:

Are you seeing the trend yet? He would not get his fingers out of his mouth!! His gums are bulging, white, and occasionally bleeding, so we're 100% certain that a tooth is not far from surfacing.
Even when I tried to get him to remove his hand he stubbornly refused.
By the end of the photo session he was miserable. Our poor little guy :(

Hopefully that tooth comes soon and we can have a little break before the next round of misery.

I'll Have What You're Having

Lately Max has been big into any kind of beverage that we have. He reaches and his eyes get big and he drools with anticipation of that taste...

He doesn't always get to have what we're drinking though...

Only 20 1/2 more years kiddo.

Stealing from McCaulie... let's just see what I've yet to do

The things I've done are in bold:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

41...but where did this list come from? There's only a few things on here that I actually aspire to do that I haven't already. And I certainly would never have wanted to be stung by a bee?? It's like the person who created this ran out of ideas at the end... owned a cell phone? Stung by a bee? Really?

Sweet Potato

Max IS our little sweet potato... but that's not what this post is about :)

He's been eating sweet potatoes! Well, truth be told, he's eaten them once so far, but loved every bite!

Not so sure about this new food...

I'd rather just play with my toy...

Okay, I'll try some more...

Delicious!!

Thanks guys! I LOVE sweet potatoes!

What a little sweet potato!

5 months

Maxton is officially 5 months old! He's just such a joy to watch as he makes huge changes! His growing has finally slowed to a somewhat normal pace and as he reached 5 months he weighed in at 18 pounds and 13 ounces. He's still being breastfed, but we have introduced Rice Cereal throughout this past month. He enjoys it, but likes playing with the toy on the highchair more than eating right now!

Some of his favorite new things are:

• Sitting up - he began this month with this new trick and it's only improved since then! Before long he'll just be sitting there, unassisted, playing away.
• Eating EVERYTHING - if he could put US in his mouth, he would. He tries very hard actually, and it's really charming and cute!
• Putting his bink in himself - this trick we LOVE! He likes to take his bink out, put it down, and then try his darndest to put it back in correctly. He can even tell if he has picked it up incorrectly and will put it back down and try again. He's getting really good at it! Now if only he had that same ambition in the middle of the night :)
• Gracie - He just LOVES his puppy! All of our talk of getting rid of her is just out the door now because he would never forgive us. Seeing them together has renewed my love for her and made my love for Max grow as he becomes a lover of animals.

Here is a picture of our sitting little man at 5 months old:

My daily conversations...

Maxton: Ahhh.... gheeeeeeeee

Mommy: Ahhhhhh......gheeeeeee

Maxton: Gheeeeee!!

Mommy: Ghhee!

Maxton: Gheeeeeeee.... gheee?

Mommy: Gheeee!! Ghhee gheee gheeee!

Maxton: Gheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Best dialogue ever.