Max - 10 months

10 months

approx. 21 lbs

approx 31 inches

red hair

blue eyes

Loves: music, dancing, water and splashing, eating "grown up" food, straws, nursing, Katie's toys, crawling around and getting into things, the broom, small bottles and tubes, touch-and-feel books

Hates: weaning, eating baby food, being tired, being held or buckled in too long, having "toys" (dangerous things) taken away

Milestones: 3rd and 4th teeth, first fair ride, move from infant carrier to convertible car seat, crawling on hands and knees, clapping, cruising

Oh, Max, there is no way you can be 10 months already! But you are, and you're getting so grown up. You have been so fun this summer because you love the water and have no fear of it splashing in your face. In fact, you love the waterfalls at the Main Street Park in St. George, every splash pad, swimming pools, the bathtub, and even the hose and spray bottle. The first thing you do in water is splash, splash, splash.

We've recently noticed your love of music. We put on music, and you wave your arms as if you're conducting an orchestra, or you bounce inches off the floor to "dance" to the beat. You especially love when someone holds your hands and dances with you, like Katie and Grandpa Doug are doing in this picture:

You are enjoying the expanding array of foods you can eat. Lately, we've found you like yogurt, pizza, bread (especially breadsticks), and thawed frozen peas and carrots (as you can see in the picture below, gobbling them up!).

You are not so fond of cottage cheese, bananas, and apples (although applesauce is still okay).

You are crawling in full force now, but only about 50% of the time. You are much faster and proficient at army crawling, covering several feet in a second. Here you are, teaching Aunt Anne to army crawl. You were much better at it :)

Lots has been going on around our house with your older siblings starting school. But you and I have actually had more time to spend one-on-one during the day, and I am loving every minute of it. It compensates a little for the snuggles we are losing as I wean you so Dad and I can go away for our anniversary in about a month. We have only dropped one feeding, but you are not happy about the situation, and it breaks my heart. Just this week you signed for milk, and I told you no. Angrily, you shoved me away, squawking. In fact, every time I am around you are hugging me, grabbing at me, and signing for milk (I think the sign for "milk" right now is actually you saying "Mom"), and it takes a lot of crackers, books, water, and other distractions to keep you from mauling me. I still cradle you as I give you a bottle, hoping you still feel loved as you're fed. This is hard for a mommy who loves nursing so much, but I know you will be fine and it will all settle soon. About half the time when you are nursing you lose interest quickly, anyway. You're a busy body, and I think you'll do better when all your nutrition is coming from regular food.

Pretty soon you'll be a year old, and then I'll have a toddler, not a baby! But until then, I am thoroughly enjoying my little (baby) Max Man.