Merry Christmas!

Gertie has decided that Max's couch is the cool place to hang out.

I'm sorry that updates have been so sparse lately! I've been super busy in the lab and also a little sick with a cold this week. Max is doing well. He's been sprouting teeth like a champ and running, yes RUNNING, all over the house. He likes to color with crayons (sometimes on the walls) and is still a dancing machine when the mood strikes him. He also tries to sing along with us when Jon and I burst into any song.

The video above is a silly one. For whatever reason, I decided that Max's hat from the Akron zoo is a magic dancing hat. That is, whenever it is placed on someone's head, that person begins to uncontrollably dance against their will. Max thinks that this is hilarious...especially when the dancing hat finds its way to Daddy's head.

We had our first snow that actually stuck to the ground on Friday. It continued yesterday and we woke up this morning to another light coating. It isn't accumulating but just enough to make the roads a little slick. Max thinks it is great. He goes to the window and says, "SNOW!"

A week or so ago, Max had another check-up at the doctor's office. He weighs 26 lbs and is 33 inches tall. The doctor said that he falls at about 60th % for weight and 80th % for height as compared to most toddlers his age. He is a grazer. He doesn't sit and eat very well but he is snacking on various foods all day long. He loves bananas and grapes. Don't think that he only eats healthy food, though. This boy loves to eat french fries. He also likes "bawk bawk" (chicken).

I'm not planning on buying too much for Christmas this year. Money is tight and who has the time for a lot of shopping anyways? Mostly, we want to get Max some fun toys as this year he is old enough to get excited about presents from Santa. We definitely won't go overboard though as I know that he will undoubtedly get goodies from a lot of other family members.

This morning, we are having a family get together at my Grandpa's house. Everyone decided that it would be easier to meet up the weekend before Christmas. My cousin Bill is visiting from his new home in Colorado. Besides, most of the families have at least two households to visit on Christmas Day already.

I finally got brave and trimmed Max's hair a tiny bit. Honestly, I was fed up with it falling into his eyes all of the time! He didn't seem to mind too much. He's such a good little boy.

I do have more photos to get up here soon, but today, just a quick little story:

Every night when I pick up Max from my parents' house, he gives my mom a kiss and my dad a high-five. Tonight, Grandpa Latsch was asleep on the couch. When I asked Max if he was ready to go bye bye, he went over to my dad, lifted his hand up and patted it. Then he gently placed it back down beside my dad, who didn't wake up through any of it.

What a sweet little guy!