21 months!

Can you believe that 21 MONTHS have passed since lil Max came into our lives? 21 MONTHS!

That is 91 weeks.

639 days.

15, 336 hours.

And yet, it seems like just YESTERDAY!

So much has happened in the last 21 months, and so little of the baby remains...

Instead, now we have a wonderfully opinionated, talented, stubborn, loud and adorable little BOY on our hands. If I had to pick 15 (I could go ON AND ON) of my most favorite NOW moments, they would be:

1. A BOY who has a fascination with all animals -- alternating between calling them by their real names and referring to them by the sound they make. A BOY who loves to give 'his animals' lots of hugs and kisses...



Sometimes he hugs the wrong end...



2. A healthy MALE obsession with bugs...and squishing them (EEWWW...).
3. A particulary LOUD voice which often gets him into trouble or into a time-out. Screaming often included. Here he is playing with Payton and Rowan at Auntie Amanda's surprise party (sorry it's so dark)...



4. A healthy obsession with watching NEMO (this too is often shouted at the top of his lungs...especially if you **didn't** hear him the first time).
5. A love for dancing along to music, and attempting to sing along to his favorite songs: Old MacDonald, the Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle.
6. A love for the use of identifying words "Mom's, Dad's, mine or Max's"
7. A love for bossing us around "Sit Down, Dad Brush Teeth, Mom Juice!"
8. A new phrase that makes us laugh every time he uses it: "walk away", said with an australian type accent (video to be posted soon). E.g. "NO! Walk away, woof!"... said when the dog got too close to where Mom and Max were playing...
9. A love for shouting out and identifying objects as we see them -- "Big Truck" "red" "STOP/GO" "bike" "beep beep"
10. A curiousity with using the potty. We've successfully used it a number of times already. He isn't able to tell us when he needs to use it, but if we ask him and he says 'yes' then we go upstairs and he goes on the potty! We have a special chart in the bathroom now so we can give him a sticker everytime he uses the potty. Let's pray for an early learner!!
11. A wavering between being social and being shy. He will yell out "HI!" "BYE" to people we pass by in the stroller, but as soon as they RESPOND to him, he gets all shy and tucks his head...
12. A mastering of the word "NO"...usually said in above mentioned LOUD voice and usually to something where "No" is not an appropriate response. We are trying to teach Max when it is not appropriate to use "no"...this might take awhile...
13. A healthy HEALTHY appetite. This kids eat A LOT. And, I can't complain about WHAT he eats, because he eats EVERYTHING...but especially his vegetables! His latest favorite is 'dip' -- he likes to dip his food into something. Syrup for his pancakes, ketchup...you name it.



14. An awesome sleeper. Down at 7-7:30, up at 6:30 -7am overnight. Takes 2-3 hr naps (sometimes 4 on the weekend).
15. A newfound love for swimming -- complete with leg kicking and arm flailing. I think we'll be signing up for winter swim lessons instead of music lessons...he enjoys it THAT much.

Our lives have been busy, but enriched with this special lil guy. He keeps us on our toes all the time, but it amazes me every day what new things he has learned or picked up on.