Max - 18 months

Max is 18 months old today!  Some things you might not know about our little man: 

• His favorite thing is "buttons" aka "bubbots." Literally anything that you can press and get a reaction out of is cool. This includes the power button on the computer, the volume switch on the piano, and any button on a remote that would turn off the kids' shows and/or video games.
• Max's other favorite thing is Titus aka "Itus." They love to wrestle and bite each other. I'm not sure if Max realizes he's a boy and not a dog--or that Titus is a dog and not a boy. His first two-word phrase was, "Bye, Titus!"
• He is constantly eating. And eating and eating. He has discovered recently that some things are yummier than others and will now ask for chips, cheese, bread, candy, apples, and cookies. Everything else is "more." He's also very good at signing for a "drink" and asking for juice. He is very good at answering yes or no questions with a full-body nod or shake of the head. It's very adorable, and better than that, incredibly helpful that he now understands us so well.
• He no longer has red, red hair. It has become a very fair strawberry blond. We miss the red hair, but he is just as handsome blond (and looks more like his dad!).
• He wants to do what the big kids are doing, and is very good at imitating them.
• He can climb on top of chairs, tables, bar stools, couches, and stools.
• If there is a drawer or cupboard within his reach it was meant to be emptied, disassembled, and it's contents scattered and/or destroyed.
• He really likes shoes, aka "shs." And he hates being left behind when someone is going somewhere. Just today he said "go" for the first time. He was thrilled to find he was "going."
• He loves to look at pictures, especially of Jesus ("Sheesus") or himself. Besides Christ, he can correctly identify Grandma ("Mawma"-pronounced differently than "Momma") in pictures.
•  Max is the first Ellis to be a blanket boy; he has to have a satin-edged blanket at bedtime.
• He gives the best hugs!

I took Max to the park this morning in hopes I could get a good picture of him.  Most of the good portrait-type shots I got were of him looking worried, listening fascinated to a man with a power saw across the street:

So, instead of a beautiful portrait shot you get the few of the 100-some-odd "playing at the park" pictures I took that weren't (very) blurry-Mr. Max is always on the move! 

Happy Half-Birthday, Max!