Today is Max's first birthday! Go Max!


Max says "holy cow, I just realized that means I'm one year old! That is AMAZING!"

Flashback to early July -- my brother Adam came up to visit and we took Max out to the Bronx to visit his great-grandparents. Who also follow this blog, so they are finally seeing these photos too. Hi, Grandpa & Grandma!

Another flashback to our week at Cape Cod this past summer -- here are some cute shots of Max with Jen and her grandfather.

Here's an old set from late July -- I really like the energy of interaction here between Jen & Max, even though they a little blurry -- maybe it's the blurriness that makes them so dynamic.

My brother Adam gave me this giant musical C-3PO Pez container last holiday season. It sat idly on our mantel for about 9 months, until I showed it to Max. Who knew that it would be, well, watch the video and see.

We were just down in Annapolis for my parents' 40th anniversary. Here are a couple shots of Max with his Grandma at the party, right before he went up to bed. He did great, schmoozed the guests and even went to sleep without a fuss despite 40 loud guests downstairs. Thanks, Max!

From our week in Cape Cod this summer, here's an adorable set of photos of Max and Jen playing around in the comfy high chair and a SPOON!

Two of my favorite people hanging out together in the comfy chair. (Max apparently thought it was a pants-optional occasion.)

Max went to a birthday party in September and came home with his first-ever helium balloon. He loved it, esp bouncing it back & forth. He only hit his head, umm, a whole lot (see video for proof).

We recently attended the family reunion of Jen's mother's family in North Carolina. As part of the trip we visited Biltmore, apparently the largest house in America, on which one of the Vanderbilt grandchildren squandered his entire fortune. The place is insanely immense and involved a lot of stairs, so to get Max around we needed a non-stroller primary mechanism. The cool thing about our Beco baby carrier is that it's not just a front-loader but can be swung around to go on the back. Hence these various shots of Max doing the Yoda thing on Jen's back. (We tried it on me first but apparently I'm too big so Max had trouble seeing around me at the crazy giant house and got cranky.)


Oh, wait, that's not Max. let's try that again...

Biltmore is really big:


With lots of stairs...


Max did good though.


Surveying the scene with a dispassionate eye:


...and deciding he is pleased. I swear, at this point he can whip out this insanely cute expression out any time he wants it.


Reaching out for Daddy:


And generally just happy to be part of the team. (This is after we put up the head covering part of the carrier to A) not burn his bald little scalp in the bright sun, and B) help him doze off as he was getting pretty tired by this point):

We started giving Max a sippy cup of water as part of his in-car traveling paraphernalia. As you can see from this picture, he's taken quite a shine to it. As in "mine mine it's all mine!"

still at the cape! How cute is his expression here?

note the change of chair--this was taken when we were on vacation in Cape Cod this past august.

note the avengers tee!

Remember back when we posted about Max's first visit to the beach? Here's more of that! This is at Kingsbury Beach, which is the bay beach that we can walk to from the Gathering Place


There was lots of sand eating. because sand apparently = tasty.

did I not mention it's INTENSE sand eating? Blue steel!

Later on in the vacation, we went down to First Encounter beach, and down to the inlet where the water was a bit warmer (though the air was still pretty damn windy), for still more sand eating.

this time, he's accessorizing with a jaunty sun hat!

then Jonathan took the munchkin into the water




We also went swimming in Great Pond a lot, but I didn't take any pictures of that because oh wait, I was swimming. Max still decided that he liked swimming in the bay best, because he could dip his hand in the water and lick it off. Oy.

Up at the Cape house, Max and his great grampy had some bonding time. They both had an affinity for head bonking, Max's favorite way of showing affection (headbutting you and giggling).









and that's my dad getting in on the Max action


Max is doubtful of whatever it is Dad said (rightfully so kiddo)


Here, Max and his supercute madras overalls and Grampy decide that the sun is overrated