Max's Milestones

As I type this, Max is on the bed next to my leg, his hand on my knee. I haven't been good about documenting Max's milestones, so from memory...

1 day - lifts head without support, latches to nurse
1 week - looks at camera for photos
1.5 weeks - cord falls off (Mesa)
2 weeks - first road trip (Mesa to Snowflake), first time left with babysitter (Lori)
3 weeks - first real smile, stands with support, first trip to a park (Vegas), first Christmas
4 weeks - baby blessing, starts losing hair
5 weeks - starts cooing conversationally (with Grandpa Martin)
6 weeks - sleeps in own bed for first time (in Nazareth), watches first full movie - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (with Nate)
7 weeks - ...
8 weeks- gets his first cold
9 weeks - starts chewing on hands, first ride in Baby Bjorn, first stroller ride, first Super Bowl
10 weeks - starts drooling, first hair cut, watches own hands
11 weeks - blows bubbles, first giggle, gags himself when chewing on fingers
12 weeks - holds bottle with both hands on occasion, sucks on blankets and necks of shirts, plays with/sticks out tongue
13 weeks - starts to play with toys (play mat, rattle, binky), starts jumping consistently in Johnny Jump-up
14 weeks - first full day without mommy (Grandma Martin watches him)
15 weeks - starts to nibble on a teething ring, takes first assisted sip from glass

Max is generally a very happy baby. While he is often contented to look around, observing the people and things around him, he'll let you know with a grunt or screech that he needs a new change of scenery. He'll sometimes cry the second you lay him down simply because it's boring to lay down. He wants stimulation. When he doesn't get it, he'll fuss a bit before "zoning out" and chewing on his fingers while he contemplates the meaning of life. He loves when people talk to him and will reward them with smiles that engage every muscle in his chubby face. The best smiles are accompanied by raised eyebrows and a protruding tongue. He'll ignore you if your face is too close to his or you aren't doing something he finds interesting. He LOVES when I sing to him. He loves when I blow little puffs of air around his face... bah bah bah bah... and will squint his eyes shut and give me a closed-mouth smile. He is strong. He loves to stand and do exercises. When I'm conversing with someone, I'll catch Max watching me and smiling. When he's in the mood, he'll coo and growl with you as if conversing. He's always in the mood when he Skypes with Nate. He grasps your fingers when you give him his bottle and holds your hand to his face when you put in his binky. He loves to cuddle. He purrs when he eats. He pinches your clothes with his long toes. He pulls his knees up and claps his feet together when playing while on his back. He's resilient. I've only seen him cry one time when startled and three times when hurt. He loves baths and kicks his legs wildly while screaming excitedly. While on his back, he'll get restless and scoot himself several inches. He likes to sleep on his sides. He still wakes every two hours to snack. He usually has one large burp after he eats that he let's loose by merely sitting up straight. His toots sound like a grown man's. He lets me change his diapers, dress him, bath him, and wipe his face and hands without any fussing. He has wise eyes. He's alert. He loves to eat and will let you know the second he feels hungry. He really only cries when you lay him down or he's hungry. He'll let anyone hold him. He'll sleep anywhere. He's happiest first thing in the morning. His longest naps are taken in his car seat or in your arms. He'll watch Nate play computer games or Take Home Chef with me for quite some time without getting bored. He allows himself to be calmed when I stroke my finger across his forehead and chant, "Hey, love... hey, love..." He loves kisses all over his face. He has great hearing and will turn to look at whatever he hears. He gets excited when he sees his bottle. He smiles at himself in the mirror. He fidgets in his sleep in the early morning. He puts his bottom lip over his top lip. He folds his hands on his chest when tired. He strokes my arm or hand when we cuddle. He's ticklish on his back. He has love handles. His cheeks are always rosy.

I could go on and on, but I need to save some space on this blog for future posts. If you can't tell from the description, Max is a great kid. I love being his mom, and we're only getting started.