life with max: nine and ten months.
I can hardly believe that I am typing out NINE AND TEN months. Whaaaaaat.
This time of year is making me feel super nostalgic. It seriously feels like five minutes ago I was standing in my kitchen making freezer meals and preparing for Max to be here so soon. And now he’s almost been here an entire year. I know that’s so cliche and basic and boring and overstated, but whoa, it’s so true. I really don’t know what to do with myself!
But anyhoo, the little bug is so much fun.
Um, I still think he’s hilarious. I still find my BABY funny. Am I that mom now?
I am. I am.
He just does this face scrunch thing? I think you have to be there.
He’s a constant chatterbox. He loves to dance and bounce and climb into everything and anything. I call him Max the Adventurer because he goes everywhere that he isn’t allowed to go.
Current obsession: pulling all the baking sheets out of the drawer below the oven and banging them together.
Most hilarious thing he does right now: if I’m in the kitchen, he crawls out of the room and over to the steps, which are out of my sight. It can be two, three or four minutes, and he will just stand at the bottom of the step and start making noise, yelling out to me, calling mamamamamama and once I walk into the foyer, he starts to go up the stairs. Adventurous, but cautious? That’s what we say.
He’s a little fiery. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE GETS IT FROM. No, but really, if he doesn’t want to do something, he just doesn’t want to do something and throws a fit. He doesn’t want to lay still for a diaper change, he doesn’t want to sit in his chair to eat, he wants to stand. His little personality is hilarious.
I’m afraid I’m parenting him terribly. P.S. this is behind the scenes of Halloween.
He’s also the sweetest thing on the face of the earth. In the last few weeks, he has starting coming over to me when he’s tired, climbing into my lap, laying his head on my shoulder and GOING TO SLEEP. This has been happening every single day. I basically get nothing done ever because those moments can’t be beat.
He is absolutely in LOVE with Eddie right now. The moment Eddie walks through the door, he lights up and starts laughing hysterically and gets so super excited. They are best buds and it’s insanely adorable. Eddie already wants to buy some massive swingset for our backyard… for NEXT summer.
Max loves to eat pretty much everything, but these days he wants whatever we are having. Meaning, whatever we have at that moment, even if he just ate a big meal. He wants it! We eat mostly the same things since we did baby led weaning, but he would probably eat an entire slice of pizza if I let him. I have cut up pieces of pizza and given him bites and he inhales it. He also is a baby burger bandit. That happened.
Still, his favorite foods right now seem to be scrambled egg yolks, broccoli, spiral pasta like rotini and cinnamon apples (I cook chopped apples in a saucepan with a touch of water and cinnamon until soft). In order to make sure I always have something easy on hand, about twice a week I will steam a batch of squash, sweet potato, broccoli, green beans and boil some pasta. I keep it plain, then either give it to him that way or mix it into his meals. Also, something HUGE! He started eating purees and not hating them as much. So now, he eats yogurt and applesauce and pumpkin and squash puree. He is still obsessed with only feeding himself. No help, mom. No help!
On that note, I’m still nursing on demand. I still love it. It has been such a wonderful thing for the two of us and I feel so lucky that it’s been successful. Some days he nurses a bunch, other days only 4ish times. On one hand, I feel like he will be nursing forever because it’s his favorite thing – on the other hand, I know the end will come way too soon and I will miss it. WAH.
Something crazy: on Halloween, he started walking more than one step. Up until last weekend, he had taken one step here or there. As I was sitting with him on the floor in front of both of our families (how perfect is that!), he was standing and lifted his arms over his head to do “so big!” and took four or five steps to me. We all SCREAMED. Like it was so unexpected that we all flipped and shouted and clapped and scared the heck out of him. But then he did it again! So now, he takes a handful of steps everyday. The funniest is that he stands up, then squats halfway down, then stands back up. I tell Eddie that I bet his legs are killing him at night after that squat workout.
He LOVES books. Usually twice a day, early morning and shortly before our bedtime routine, he sits by himself and goes through his books, talking and “reading.” As a book-obsessed child myself (and person today), I really hope this continues and he truly enjoys books as he grows.
You always hear that seeing things through a child’s eyes is magical, and I knew that we would be nutty when it came to holidays and first times this year. We went to four pumpkin patches, Eddie came home with tons of Halloween decorations and I’m 100% ready to start listening to Christmas music. It’s like celebrating little moments just got so much more special.
Let’s not even talk about his first birthday. *faceplant* I’ll definitely be sharing all of that with you.
It’s just so difficult for me to believe that it has almost been one year. Because I have truly soaked up EVERY moment of Max, even putting off many work things I’d previously jumped on to spend time with him and enjoy every bit. But it just feels like it has gone so fast – I had to have missed something! Right? Ha – it’s such an odd feeling. Like what did I even do these last ten months? Where is my brain?
Oddly enough, it seems that the “new normal” is quite possibly FINALLY sinking in. I have still really struggled with feeling normal, often reading that others find it takes a few “weeks” or “six months” (um, hello, NO) or whatever. And while I’ve been so good at not comparing this stage of life to others (something I struggle with everywhere else), I can’t help but see what others say about when I might start to feel like myself again.
It’s been said MULTIPLE times to me but it’s like I just had to wait until I was ready to grasp the words: I will never be or feel like my old self, because normal is new. And with those words it’s like I’m finally getting it. Finally. Finally!! (… maybe. ask me next week.)
So that’s what’s going on around here – and in seven days he will be eleven months old. You can find my sobbing in the corner over here. Heart explosion.
27 Comments on “life with max: nine and ten months.”
He is just the cutest little monkey! That grin and jacket at the pumpkin patch? OMG.
I completely appreciate what you’re saying about feeling like you’re soaking up every moment (or as many as you can, anyway), but still finding that the time is sailing by and you must have missed something. My son is almost 7 months old and I get wayyyy too emotional just thinking about his first birthday. He was two months early, so there are some lingering emotional issues there anyway, but still. I’ve never cried so much — tears of happiness, tears of fear, tears of absolute exhaustion — in my life!
Also, the holidays . . . yes. We are going to be total nutcases this year. I reined in my crazy for Halloween, but all bets are off for Chrsitmas!
i TOTALLY get this!!
Seriously, he is just the cutest!
He is just adorable!!! I love these updates — I can’t believe he’s almost a year either!
Looooooooooooove.
I love these posts so, so much! I love seeing updates on Max and seeing what I have to look forward to in two short months with Audrey! I especially love your refreshing honesty about struggling to feel like yourself. Can I just say that for whatever reason, I CRIED reading that?! (hello, hormones? are you there still?) I just really made me feel validated to be able to relate to someone (that I don’t know…on the internet ;) ) and know that someone else is saying what I’m thinking! I struggle with feeling like myself all the time, and I constantly wonder when I’ll get “me back” I am so glad to know that 1. I am not alone in that feeling, 2. that the new normal eventually sinks in, and 3. the advice that you will never feel like your old self, because things are not the same is so true, and something to remind myself! great post! xo
I don’t have kids yet, but man, i want one just like Max.
I love when you post about Max! Your food is amazing of course but I adore these posts. Especially since I just found out that we are expecting eek! Keep them coming, he is such an adorable little munchkin.
ah yay! congrats!!
I totally get the new normal feeling. Once you finally feel like the new normal is just your regular normal is about the same time you’ll decide to have a sibling for Max. and then all hell breaks loose and you’re thrown back into it and have to recreate another new normal. The first few years with young kids are a rollercoaster.
My kids are 18 months and 3 years and i still have moments where I don’t know what normal is.
haha i am totally expecting this. oh man.
OMG, he is just TOO MUCH. I love him! Casper also gets obsessed with the baking pans under the stove. He’s fond of the donut pans. We also scared him when he took his first steps, it was also in front of my whole family. Ha! Casper also loves pizza (who doesn’t?)!
And you are so right, everyday normal is something new. I can’t believe Max is almost 1! and we met a little over a year ago and you were mega pregnant and in heels! XO!
I wanted to freeze my son at every age and at the same time I couldn’t wait for the next thing… I was also the mom who was so thrilled to finally get him to sleep but then I would miss him. Huh
Would you ever write a specific post about baby led weaning? I’m so curious and interested in it, but freaking out because I’m over thinking it.
hmmm i don’t know if i feel… “qualified” if that makes sense – maybe after a second baby doing it?? BUT – brittany wrote an AWESOME book that really put my mind at ease about the whole thing: http://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/baby-led-weaning-book/
i think the key is to NOT overthink it – educate yourself as much as you can on it, then try it out! it’s tricky at first because they don’t technically “eat” – they more so play with the food and inspect it and suck on it. you give them large enough pieces and soft enough foods that they really can’t choke. i still get freaked out about choking, but with time your confidence grows with it. i was just telling my mom today how at breakfast, i watch max either spit a piece of waffle out of actually pull it out of his mouth because it was too big. it’s really cool how he sort of knows what to do with eating??
this is probably no help, but if you have specific questions, let me know!
I agree- I would love a post on BLW!! No need to be an expert, but would love to hear your experience and what you did/do. :)
So I am pretty sure this was me that posted or someone with the same name that has the same thoughts as me. Who knows… I have a 7 month old, I can’t even remember what day of the week it is. Either way- I just noticed you responded and thank you for your tips on your new blog post about Max! we have been slowly doing BLW and so far we have tried avocado, sweet potato, and banana. She seems to love it and likes to feed herself. I am going to check out the books you suggested.
HOORAY for Max! Adore these updates. And it makes me want a kid ASAP so I can dress up the entire family for Halloween. (But that’ll be awhile since I’m currently single. Hah!)
Gah! He’s so cute. Enjoy all these wonderful moments and believe me, funny babies lead to funny kids (mine are 9 and 11 and still legit crack me up every day). P.S. Childless = no Halloween storage bins. 11 years and 2 sons later = 12 giant Rubbermaid Halloween storage bins. You’ve been warned!
hahahaha omg.
He’s perfect!! Love watching him grow. How’s he sleeping for you these days? Looking forward to some more baby favorites soon, too!
sleeping is (well, was) getting slightly better!! he was only waking up once at night for a good while (around 3ish), but then he started getting 4 more teeth and woke up a few extra times and this week – daylight savings time has = pure hell. so crazy!! i think last night he finally got a little bit back to normal. we shall see in a few days! he goes to sleep at about 7:30 (he kinda set that time for himself) and wakes up between 7-8 am. he naps twice a day now (occasionally 3 times) for about 1-1.5 hours around 10ish and another 1 (or sometimes 2 hours!) around 2-3. i still feel like it’s constantly changing though!
I DiE!! Max is absolutely the cutest!! My birthday is the 19th Dec., and I know its coming fast, then I think Max will be a year, no.. Can’t be! All that precious in that short a time! Lots of hugs and kisses for him!
I love these posts so much. He is the cutest thing and I love your honesty about how weird it all is.
I can’t believe you wrote this 9 days ago and I’m just seeing it now! I have to check this part of your blog more often!!!!! I can’t believe he’s almost a year old already!! I was reading your post today (or maybe it was yesterday’s, I seem to get them a day after you write them) on the garlic bread knots and I saw where you said something about “is it because I’m a mom” and I wondered, did it feel funny writing those words (that you’re a MOM)?
I loved reading this update and seeing all the adorable photos of Max.
You mentioned that he loves books and being read to. I winder if t you have any of the Rosemary Wells “Max” books in your collection? I taught kindergarten for many years and I loved reading the Max series to my students. Max and hs sister Ruby have so many adventures. I had a stuffed Max and Ruby that I would pull out everytime I read one of the stories.Some years, each child was offered the chance to take Max home for the night . We would then hear all about his adventure the next day. I especially liked to read “Bunny Cakes” as it helped kids to understand that they can communicate using drawings if thye are not ready to write words. I also love “Max’s First Word”…a great story for really young children.
Do you have a high chair recommendation?