Learning his letters and numbers

Max is such a little smartie.  We have been working with him on learning his letters and numbers and he is doing a GREAT job.  We use a book with the number 1-10 and pictures of kids (You'll see it in one of the videos below).  And then we have been reading Dr. Seuss's ABCs to him every night.  I hated this book.  Seriously, I thought it was the dumbest book ever but Peter started reading it to him and Max has started learning his alphabet!  The below videos are from 3-9-13.


Video - Reading his number book with Daddy.  I'm proud of him!!  Watch him recognize some of his numbers and letters. (He calls "x" "max" because I have been writing M-A-X and then saying "Max" right after I say the X. I didn't mean for him to think that "x" was "max", but it's pretty cute.)

Another thing that Max says ... when he wants help, he says "help you" rather than saying "help me".


Video - Reading "Bubbles, Bubbles" with Daddy.  Peter is really good at turning books into interactive experiences.

This is how Max snuggles with us at night before bedtime.  He rolls from being snuggled up to his dad over to snuggling with me.

We took Max to dinner and it was NOT a relaxing experience.  He didn't want to sit still.  He didn't want to focus on the distractions we had for him - even the book that I don't usually bring in with us!

So then we played with the phone.  He likes touching our noses when his face is by ours.

We finally caved and let him hold and play with the phone.  He captured this self-portrait.

And took this picture of me...pretty good considering most of the time he doesn't hold the phone still enough for anything to be in focus.

Laying on the bench playing with Peter's phone.

He is starting to look so long to me! He's big enough that we finally moved from size 3 diapers unto the size 4.

Assume the sleep position - arms tucked under, bum in the air

Landen climbed into the pack-n-play to play with Max.  Max wasn't happy about sharing his blanket.

Of course, he still wanted to play in the swing.

At the park

Our last class at the kids gym.  Max played in the ball pit.

Climbed all over

Played some basketball

And had fun swinging.

Even though he had fun, I have decided not to continue.  It's just too hectic to be enjoyable.  There are SOOOO many kids there, I don't really like the structure to the classes or the way the teachers baby-talk when the toddlers are circled around them.  Plus, I have to prod Max to do things OR he wants to do things that make me nervous and take extreme diligence (and thus I stress over them) to ensure he doesn't fall off the ladder bridge or something like that.  AND it is 20 min away.  All in all, I am glad we did it for 8 weeks, but 8 weeks is enough.

Playing with his cousins

Max and his Works of Art

Spring is starting...the new leaves are growing and so is Max!!!

He's been reaching in his pants lately.  I'm not sure why, I think he's scratching.  I have made more efforts to keep a onesie on him to keep him reaching in there after he'd done his business... 

Mischievous eyes

One of the regions on my team sent me flowers to thank me for a great team meeting - it was extremely thoughtful and appreciated.

Buddies

Video - Max loves looking at the photobook his awesome Aunt Tawny gave him with pictures of their family.  He's becoming familiar with their names and pictures.

I had to build a fence for an object lesson at work.  Sometimes you still get to do arts and crafts as an adult!  I made the fence and then as my finishing touch, I painted Max's hands and put his hand prints on the fence.  It was a way to have a part of Max with me at work.

The finished product - can you tell where his hand prints are?  You have to look closely.  He had a lot of fun doing it.

I was goofing around with Max one day during my lunch visit.

Max is thinking, "my mom is bonkers".

He's cracking up at me.  Isn't it great when you can make your kids laugh?

The gate project for work inspired me to have Max do more painting.  We had bought paints for a project during Christmas to keep all the kids busy but we hadn't used them yet.  So I got them out on and let him paint for the first time.  He had fun!

Video - My little Picasso

He tried a little finger painting too...

...but as I have said, he doesn't like his hands to be dirty.

Finished work of art #1

Finished work of art #2

I displayed these works of art just like a good mom (they weren't on my fridge but I did put them up in the kitchen).

March 8th update on what Max has learned lately...

• He recognizes (and can say) the letters m, a, x, w, and o
• Sometimes he knows j, s, d, n, and f
• He recognizes (and says) the numbers 2-10 (he can't seem to get 1 yet)
• On one of the children's apps on the ipad, Max can pick the item that matches most of the colors the program says out loud
• He knows the shape diamond
• He says new words every day that we had no idea that he knew!
• For example, he said "stop it" this morning

Handsome...Cute...Adorable...

From the end of February and the beginning of March, here's a hodge podge of pics of Max and other going ons.  I thought there were some pretty cute pics of Max in the mix that deserve to be highlighted in the title of this post.

Don't you love his style? 

(I love that I got this sweater at a consignment sale for a great price!)

Playing with Britt and her boys on the playground at the mall.  I am happy he is having fun but as a mom, I struggle when he does things with someone else that I haven't done with him yet.  *I* want to be there.  It's hard to give that notion up even though I know it's a sacrifice of being working mom.   I have yet to take him to the mall. 

I had my team in from Canada and US so it meant that for 3 nights and 3 mornings, I got home after Max went to bed and left before he was up (and no lunch visits).  It was not fun!  I missed him so much.  One night I woke him up just so I could hold him. 

Thanks Aunt Brenda for this blanket!  It's his blanket when he's at Britt's.

He enjoys climbing into the swing and hanging out there.

Dare devil!

Max was not happy about being at the pediatrician's for his 18 month old check up.

Look at how long he is now!

:( shots

Not only did he have to get shots but I found out he had a double ear infection.  This was his first ear infection ever.  I hate that he had possibly been in pain and I had no idea!  So we got his first prescription for antibiotics.  I am not a fan of medication and want to heal through natural remedies but I followed the Dr's advice and gave him the medicine. 

Woo hoo!!!  Visitors from Vegas!  We had a lot of fun playing games one night when Tida and Jason were in town.  We love spending time with them and Jess and John.

Playing at the park.  Notice the new haircut?  We buzzed his head.  It's easier to do it that way but I don't like how it looks!

He was upset that he was such a mess.

Getting better as using the fork.

I love that we live somewhere you can wear shorts at the beginning of March!

He yelled down at me from the balcony.

He came right up and sat down next to Daddy because he loves being close.

I flew Spirit Airlines for the first time for work.  It was an experience (would be my last choice to fly again).  Felt like a very economy level way to travel.  Super uncomfortable and felt tightly packed in.  The landing was so rough that the overhead compartment behind me popped open and the oxygen masks fell out.  The funniest thing was that it didn't surprise me at all and just seemed par for the course.

I believe this pic was from when Britt took the boys to the library.  (Another thing I haven't done with Max yet. - - I know, I need to do more with him on the weekends but I want to just be at home not running around.)

I bought this shirt not long after we found out we were having a boy.  Love the personality in this picture!

Video - Peter taught Max a new trick while I was in meetings.

Max's bottom right canine tooth popped through on the 3rd of Feb. 

He says "come here" but it sounds more like "hum eer"

Here's the stats from the doctor's visit...

Weight - 24 lbs 9.5 oz - 30th Percentile

Height - 30 1/2 inches - 6th Percentile (woo hoo!!  That's a big jump from last time)

Head - 49 cm - 80th Percentile

Poor kid is all over the board.