And the leaves, when they weren't actually on the trees?

Max does! Back in November, there were huge piles of leaves everywhere...

Max is unsure at first...


But then, hey, leaves! yay!




Hm, perhaps they taste good.


I shall see.


CHOMP!


NOM NOM NOM


Want one?

is it pasta? does it have cheese? Or potatoes?

If so, Max'll eat it.






oh, hey, did someone say "cheese"?

SMIRKY.


why am I grinning?


because I have RINGS!


NOMNOMNOM


(do those grins not kill with the cute?)

but always nomming

back in June (yes, I know, we're backlogged), Luke the baby and his parents Paige and Paul came out to Montclair to play on the superfabulous playground with the squishy ground.

A good time was had by all, despite the heat. Plus, Luke was so adorable in his toddler obsession with a) puppy and b) ball. Sadly, I have no pictures of Luke calling "puppy puppy puppy" softly in the stroller. But I do have pics of Luke and Paul finding a ball, or rather...

BALL! BALL! BALL!


Ah, ball. Also, Jonathan and Max in the background


Max went on the swings




look at those arm rolls! I want to eat him up.


and was a tall baby


who nommed on Jonathan's hat

there was cake! (as shown in front of my dad)


there were tickles!


there was caterpillar-nomming!

hmm what is this?


Oh MY!


hey, fingers are TASTY


and I am CHARMING

lots and lots of nomming


And some tickles


ok, lots of tickles

Yes, we're a little behind. sorry!



heh, he's totally a little flirt.



also? teething. OY.

a few weeks ago, we were at ikea (mmm meatballs!), and couldn't resist the lure of the ikea kids department.

Thus Max's new gym thingie:


I like that we can add toys more easily than the fisher price one that he loves. Plus this is the perfect height for him to nom nom nom on the toys when he's sitting up in the bumpo




And they make neat clacky sounds. Oooh, clacky!


Thus his excited face:


and his "get offa mah toys!" face


(this may or may not have been directed at the cat, who was attracted by the clacky hanging things and darted out of the shot as soon as I took it)

I kind of love the bumpo, and Max does too. Of course, like all good things, it's also a little not-good for him--not really not good, per se, just that he could fling himself over once he gets big enough (and figures out how to lever himself out of the thingie). But at the moment, it's awesome cause he can sit up and play.

As we see here:

Max really likes the cool rattle from Eugenia and Jamie, especially when he can whack it on the plastic tray before nomming




or, you know, flinging: