I apologize for the lack of blog posts! It's been a busy couple of weeks here. The family has been fighting colds on and off for what seems like forever. Jacob had a sinus and double ear infection. Max's Uncle Eric had bronchitis...then me and my mom both got some kind of nasty stomach bug. Hopefully this is the last bout of this stuff until next fall. It is finally starting to look like spring here in Ohio. I took this photo outside of my lab's building on campus.



Max has had a major milestone as he has officially pulled himself up onto his feet using the coffee table. He gets a real look of satisfaction whenever he manages this! Here is a photo of Max with his cousin, Jake. They are becoming better and better friends!


Here is Max at Chick fil a. We got a seat next to the kids' play area and he was quite content to sit and watch the bigger kids run and play.


Here is a photo of the famous Max smile!


Here is Max doing what he does best...EAT! He still loves sweet potatoes and squash. He eats fruit mixtures and has just started eating some chicken and turkey baby foods. He goes "mmmmmmmmmmmm" when he takes bites!

Max still loves Mickey Mouse and really is a natural music-lover. It is so cute when he "dances" to music. He really has a natural rhythm...he even bounces his whole little body up and down when his dad sings to him! I will attempt to get video of this!

We spent some time in the bookstore on Friday. Max had a good time playing!

Jacob enjoyed pushing "Mac" around in his stroller.

We tried on some bunny ears. You can tell that someone is getting pretty tired here...

...and had a nice nap on the ride home.

Today we had lunch with Grandma L. and Aunt Becky. I shared a tiny taste of my dessert with Max and it is safe to say that he likes chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Lately, he likes to go "mmmmmm" when he is eating.

On Sunday, we had a family get-together at my Grandpa's house. It was the first time that we've had the little ones all together. This my cousin, Al, with his 3 month old, Lila. Max was interested in seeing a baby smaller than him! Jacob is always happy to see his cousin, Max...or "Mac" as he calls him!

By the end of the party on Sunday, Max fell asleep while I was feeding him. As soon as he leaned his head back, he totally zonked out.

Sporting a new pair of pjs...these are sized 18 months!

Max went to the doctor today for his 9 month check up. He weighs 20 lbs., 9 oz., and is 28.5 inches tall. Luckily there were no shots today. The doctor said that he looks healthy and is growing well. He is still about in the 50th percentile for height and weight and about 84th percentile for head circumference.

A couple more from the last trip to get photos taken...I am so slow at getting the prints into the mail but they will make it there soon!

We got together with some family last Saturday to celebrate my Grandma's birthday.
Here she is with the boys!

Here is Max modeling his new coat from Aunt Laura.
It has still been cold enough here in Ohio to necessitate it!

Max's new trick is to stick out his tongue. He is also "talking" a lot. He still refuses to be on his tummy very much and does not show much interest in crawling. If we hold his hands while he is standing, he does try to lift his little feet and take steps. He's getting stronger and stronger.

Max and Jake just keep getting to be better and better buddies. Once Max is mobile, they are going to be difficult to manage together! Last weekend we threw them into the bath tub together and they had a good time playing and splashing. When I went to lift Max out of the tub, Jake even tried to grab his arm and keep him there with him!

Sleep hard, play hard!