So it's a touch late, but here is Max at 9 weeks.



oh, he's maaaaad!

Max has decided he really really likes to be carried around face out, which is great for a curious munchkin, but pretty hard on me.

Jonathan had success with the Bjorn (thanks again KG!), with him facing inward, but that didn't work too well for me. Jonathan also likes the bjorn a lot more than he thought he would. The lure of being hands free!


(Jonathan would like me to point out that this picture makes Max look like a rear-view shot of MODOK. I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure some of you do. And oh wait, Max's dad is a geek. As if you didn't already know that.)

Enter the sling. We started with an adjustable fleece one from Kangaroo Korner, which is nice because it's super cuddly and warm, but it's a pouch style sling, which works great for Max facing in (cuddle hold), or lying down (cradle), but not so much for facing out. The outer edge is a touch too loose for me to be truly secure with him in it like that. I think when he's bigger, it'll be fine. He's still pretty pleased being in it though:


I wasn't too sure about the ring sling style of carriers at first. A lot of the ones I'd seen were in super crunchy granola fabrics, and while that's perfect for a lot of folks, it's a little too hippie for me. A sweeping swaths of fabric just isn't quite my style, but the adjustability is great, and I found some very nice looking, not too overwhelming ones online.

At first, I figured hey, mom and I could totally make one, but then I saw that a ton of small businesses are having firesales thanks to the amazingly poorly worded CPSIA legislation (it requires everything that could be used or percieved to be intended for use by children to be fully tested for lead, even if it's something that would be almost impossible to actually contain lead--like fabric, say. check out the handmade toy alliance site for more info).

Thus, my new teal silk sling from Sleeping Baby, with a zippered pocket:

of course, Max isn't facing out here. Alas.

I also got a black hemp/silk one (also with a zippered pocket) that's super pretty and has an amazing hand. Sleeping baby also has some great instructions on how to DIY carriers. Next up, I think may be attempting to make a mai tai style carrier with buckled straps, so both Jonathan and I can use it.

and hey, go sign the petition to fix the wording on CPSIA here, and send an email to all your legislators at once here before quality handmade items--and a ton of stuff on etsy--become black market items.

Max digs his rainforest bouncy seat. Lights, moving plastic animals, annoying music...and of course both bouncing AND vibration! Can't get much better for a baby.

so the kid has an umbilical hernia, which is apparently quite common. All is well, the dr's not worried, and it pokes in an out in a very entertaining manner. Max also is prone to the hiccups--which dude, I so could have told you that was the case. He had them ALL the time while I was pregnant, and they are wicked annoying. Now, they're actually pretty funny, since you know, they're not happening to me.

I am so a mean mom. As evidenced by this video that shows both the poky belly button AND hiccups!





heh, poor kid. this is only the beginning of the torture I can inflict! Just wait til his junior prom!

Max likes his tummy rubbed, and it's pretty entertaining for all parties. Mostly cause it makes him giggle and also fart.

(Apparently I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy.)

poor Max. Attacked by a cute and squishy monkey. Such is the plight of an 8 week old.

Sure, the photo session starts out all fun and games, with all models behaving profressionally:


but then someone gets into the bananas and gets all smoochy:




and it all ends in tears.


you can practically hear the monkey snicker, can't you?

Max at eight weeks--I cannot believe this kid is two months old!

I have totally slacked on the weekly shots of Max, so here's a catch-up. When last we left things, Max was one month old and now...

Max at 5 weeks, and sliding:


Max at 6 weeks, either mid-cry, or mid-giggle:


Max at 7 weeks, checking out his curtains:

Here is Max posing for publicity photos to promote the collected edition of his essays on children in Shakespeare, "Invention of the Infant Human."

and Max has already gone through three outfits. All done in by bodily fluids.

First outfit, his pjs. Done in by both pee and spit up. Sadly, no pic of this one.

Second outfit, onesie and pants. Done in by pee during his am nap. Pee all up his front. Lovely kid.






















Third outfit, his hand-me-down blue puppy overalls. Done in by a MASSIVE poo-splosion all up his back, his side, down his leg, everywhere.






























He is now in his fourth outfit, the teddybear footie pjs with the hood. They were downstairs and handy at the time of the poo-splosion so there ya go. I wish I could say it was his final outfit for the day, but I think I'll just change him back into the overalls when the laundry's done.





























And sweet jebus I hope that's it.

Of course he's napping now. Figures.

Today was a really good day. I finally got to take Max to meet his great-grandparents Jack and Yetta in Riverdale (the Bronx). I was going to go last week but was felled by a nastly cold/flu bug (which Jen now has, unfortunately).

Anyway, Jack and Yetta are my father's parents and like any grandparents are pretty important to me. I live in the NYC area basically because of all the fond memories I had of my parents and I coming to see them and the city regularly made it seem obvious that I'd move here after college. I even lived at their place for a few months after I graduated when I had just gotten a job and was saving up for a security deposit on my first apartment; and again for a few weeks when I moved back to the city for business school. So having Max at their apartment and spending some time with them was pretty meaningful.




The other thing that is great about visiting my grandparents is that I can start to introduce Max to Mother's Bake Shop, home of the best black and white cookie in the entire world. I grew up on these things, and God willing Max will too.

And they really are the best -- Even the New York Sun agrees.

My brother Adam and his girlfriend Marisa were in town recently, and we got to spend some time together with them and Max. Here are a few choice photos:



Many thanks to Adam and Marisa for this supercool stuffed animal from Where The Wild Things Are (whose title character is also Max, as you surely know from a previous Max of the Week):


And while I know this photo has no Max in it, just for the record I'd like to confirm that everybody is happy to receive Shamwow.

Why do babies cry? Simple. If you were suddenly yanked out of your comfortable existence into a world populated by giants whose language you could not understand, and you were unable to talk, walk, pick things up in your hands, see clearly more than 18 inches in front of your face, or even control your bodily functions, you'd cry too.

Max had his second doctor appointment today -- Jen took him because I was working from home sick (I've had a nasty head cold/flu for a few days). Anyway, the little guy is doing well -- he is up to 10 pounds 7 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long. Since I am an uncontrollable geek I've put his growth stats into a Google spreadsheet, which you can view yourself if you're interested. Here's the happy fun chart.



The doctor also said his head strength is "impressive" -- Max can already hold his head steady, lift it off the ground, and turn side to side.


(And thanks to the random MySpace dude from whom I ripped off this photo courtesy of Google Image Search.)

Also, Max has an umbilical hernia. This is not a big deal -- it just means that his abdominal muscles have a little weak spot that causes his belly button to bulge out, especially when he cries. It is nothing to worry about and generally heals itself up by age 1 to 3. Apparently this is where outie belly buttons tend to come from (they heal up in the sticky-out position).

And as a reward for those of you who bothered to read to the end, here are two photos of Jen and I hiding behind Max. I bet you can't tell where we are. We are ninja sneaky like that.

More video, this time featuring my own embarassing baby talk voice




And one more for good measure, this time with smiles, but not so much on the cooing. More on the crying.

our kid is twinsies with Ed Asner.













The other day, I looked down and there it was. My late Grandaddy Jim's head--bald on top, fringe around the edge.