Max is now 9 weeks old now. For the past few weeks we've been feeling like we really have his pattens figured out - at least when we are at home and things are fairly predictable. But since we've been running Max around meeting friends and family, looking at houses in the suburbs, and going to doctors appointments, Max and I are spending today and tomorrow just at home getting lots of sleep (I wish!) and getting life back to normal.

When he is rested and fed, Max is an absolute joy for an hour or two before he hits the wall and needs to sleep again. We've been spending that time reading to him and having "tummy time" and trying to capture some of his smiles on camera.



When we read to him he coos and coos - responding to our voices. It is so cute. Yesterday evening when Mike and I were getting him changed for bed he gave us his first laugh.

Sleep is a challenge - the sleeping through the night gig lasted all of that one night - he's up at least twice a night and sometimes thinks that 4 am is the start of the day and won't go back to sleep. But we know that this time will be (relatively) short lived and try to keep that in mind at 5:30 am when we have been awake for an hour and a half.

But Max doesn't seem to mind and we don't mind either as soon as the smiles start in the morning.

There is drool running down my leg as I type this post

Max with his mohawk at 8 weeks:

Max had his two-month checkup yesterday - and the pediatrician declared him a "gorgeous healthy baby". We couldn't agree more! He is up to 10 lbs 12 oz (32nd percentile) and 23 3/4 inches (83rd percentile). We have a long, lean baby! But the doctor said his weight gain is good, so it looks like he is growing well.

Enjoying some time with daddy:

Max met all of my sides of the family this weekend - at least some representatives from each side at least. It was Purdy Reunion weekend, one of my favorite summer gatherings and this year we resurrected the tradition of homemade ice cream (grandma's recipe made by me) and held the second-annual water balloon toss with the Ass Backwards statue (a little guy riding backwards on a donkey) as the trophy. Mike did not reprise his roll as winner - instead Erin and Bill will take a turn with the trophy on their mantle. (And I am sure we will hear about it every time we see Bill between now and the next water balloon toss.

Max was knocked out by all the activity.

And he got to meet Uncle Phil for the first time AND take his first trip to Pizza House so mama could get a Chipati. Yummm.

Overall a successful weekend trip to Michigan. He was so good in the car we may even do it again sometime.

Summer Mornings

This week has been much more of what I had in mind for this summer: nice long walks on the lakefront while we still live in the city (no move scheduled yet, but we are shopping for suburban homes), dinner outside, no huge rush to do anything, and a trip to Michigan at the end of the week to visit family.

It took seven weeks for me to figure out what I am doing enough to make this happen, and I am certainly still figuring things out as I go along, but we are getting more mobile and enjoying getting out both on our own and to go visit friends and family.

On Monday we took a walk in the stroller:

Max was happy and sleeping on the way south along the lakefront, but woke up and was fussy on the way home. Today I took him out in the Moby wrap (a sling-like contraption that is thankfully very easy on my back) and he slept the whole hour and 45 minutes that we were out walking. It was a nice morning for a walk - humid and sticky but not too hot, and overcast and shady so I didn't have to slather on the sunscreen (or "liquid raincoat" as Mike calls it).

At the beginning of our walk on Monday it was pretty chilly so I got to dress Max up in the green sweater that I knitted for him while I was pregnant:

What a perfect morning! I kept thinking this morning that some people talk about high school or college being the best time of their lives, but I think I am living the best time of my life now. I feel so fortunate to be able to have this experience of raising this cute litle man and being home with him full time, at least for now. It is a challenge, and exhausting at times, but it is so rewarding, especially when he smiles at me!

Sleeper

At just about 7 weeks old, Max slept through the night (7 1/2 hours from 11 pm to 6:30 am!) last night. Too bad I woke up every hour or two to check and make sure he was still okay. It was still a VERY good night. This is how happy we all were this morning:

Smiles!

Last weekend Max spent time with both of his bachans (great-grandmothers) at the same time and they couldn't get enough of him.

At six and a half weeks, Max is gracing us with lots of smiles - especially while laying on the changing table! He has been doing it about a week, and they just get better and better every day as he spends more time awake and aware. He especially likes the goofy songs that daddy makes up for him.

He makes such fun little sounds that seem like laughs too.

We are so excited to go to Michigan next weekend so that Max can meet a lot of the members of the Purdy and Wood families. Hopefully he'll be smiley and happy then.