Merry Christmas!

We were able to spend Christmas in Naples, Florida this year.  We had so much fun being with both sides of our family!  Max truly enjoyed his first Christmas as well.  He was so loved and blessed this Christmas that it took him over three days to open all of his gifts!  Lucky guy!

Christmas Eve we read Max "T'was the Night Before Christmas." Everyone gathered in the bathroom to read him this special story on the eve of his first Christmas.  

Aunt Steph and Uncle Matt gave Max a wagon for Christmas

Max was really good at opening gifts!  

Power Post!

Max and I have been hibernating most of the winter with little to no access to a computer.  It was so nice to be out of the bitter cold and to be in warm Naples, Florida.  We sure do miss it! (and we have only been back a little over a week!)

Month Seven...
We traveled to Florida a few days before Christmas.  Before our travels down to Florida we continued to participate in music class and play groups.  Max has perfected the roll from front to back and from back to front.  This is his way of mobility for now.  He continues to enjoy his solid foods with an open mind and mouth for most!  His favorites continue to be banana, sweet potato, and pears.  In Florida, Max loved to swim, go to the park, bubbles and wagon rides :)

Tuesday Play Group

Max's favorite time of day!! with all of his friends!

Getting ready for his first swim in Naples

Christmas in Naples

Max's first time at the beach!  He loved it!

Aunt Steph and Uncle Matt got Max a wagon for Christmas!! 

Our version of "white" Christmas!

Max needed a snooze Christmas morning after opening all of his presents!

Hmm... that looks good.  

Happy 7 Months, Max!

Month Eight...
Still in Florida, Max continues to have fun in the sun!  Loving fishing with Daddy, going to the beach, and going to "parties."  "Party" in Max terms means going out to eat!  He loves sitting in the highchair and being part of the party!  We were able to take him to several restaurants and he did awesome!  He was even able to try some Romanian food at a restaurant in Naples.
He is still not crawling but is scooting and army crawling.  He loves playing with his Chinese Pooh bear, water bottles, and anything he can put in his mouth!  He has perfected the fine motor skill of picking up a "puff."

Swimming with Mommy!

Fishing with Daddy!

Enjoying a Naples sunset

Max loved going to his "parties"

Max got his first taste of Romanian food from a restaurant in Naples

Aunt Betsy teaching Max how to swim

Happy 8 Months, Max!

It has been so much fun to watch you grow these past 8 months!  I can not believe how big you are!

Happy Half Birthday, Max!

It is hard to believe six months have come and gone already.  Where does the time go?  Earlier this week, I was talking to Betsy about how Max's birth unfolded.  For me, it is really hard to believe that it happened six months ago!  We have had a fun filled month continuing with music class on Mondays, play group on Tuesdays and a bunch of other things mixed in between.

Max started solids this month.  At first he was unsure of them but has finally been getting the hang of it.  His favorites to date are: carrots, pears, apples, and squash.  This morning we tried mangos and he was not a fan at all!!!

We traveled to Fort Wayne for Thanksgiving as mentioned in the previous post to spend the week with his grandparents, aunts and uncle.

Sleep has still been a challenge for us.  Naps have been great however now nighttime sleep is the problem.  However the past few nights have been great (only waking up once around 4am and going right back to sleep, this morning it was 6:30am!) I am hopeful!

Highlights this month: rolling from back to tummy, sleeping on belly, sitting unsupported, still hates tummy time!!! (need to get better at this!!), loves Kyla, squeals all the time, blows "raspberries," first visit to Shedd Aquarium, enjoys his sippy cup.

At the pediatrician this month Max weighed 21 pounds 14 ounces (99%) and was 29 inches (over 100%).  He just keeps growing!!

My First Turkey Day!

Max traveled to Fort Wayne for his first Thanksgiving!  Mom and Max stayed all week so we could spend time with Aunt Maggie and Uncle Sam who were home from college.  During Thanksgiving dinner Max was able to chew on a piece of sweet potato and sat at the "grown up" table.


We also celebrated Grandma Dragan's birthday!  We had a surprise party for her birthday in which Max slept through the first part then he made an appearance for the last hour of the celebration.  He did great.

Max also had his first visit with Santa.  Mom and Dad let Max know that this was not the "real" Santa as he was not very friendly.

 Max with Aunt Betsy and Aunt Maggie

 Max loved playing the piano with Aunt Maggie

 Festival of Trees at the Embassy Theater

Month Number 5!

This month has been busy!  Max has been going to play group once a week, he just started music class, and has been meeting up with his other baby friends on a weekly basis!  His play group consists of about 10 babies ranging from about 2 months to 7 months.  We rotate who hosts each week and it is our turn to host this week!  Max really enjoys his time with his new friends and is typically the life of the party talking to everyone!

We left Max for the first time overnight this month too as we had a wedding to go to in Michigan.  Grandma DD and Great Aunt Mary took good care of Max (and Kyla) while we were gone.

                   

Max also went on a few road trips this month to Michigan and Fort Wayne.  He did great on both trips!

Max also started solids this month!  We started him with rice cereal and he has also tried some sweet potatoes.  As of right now, he enjoys rice cereal more than sweet potatoes but I am sure that will change as he did not really like rice cereal at first!

Highlights this month: First tooth sighting! Squeals all the time! Hands are constantly in his mouth, cannot sit still, rolls from tummy to back, able to sit supported, still enjoys going to the park to swing, his bouncer.

Again after some fine calculations we figure Max weighs about 21 pounds... and is 28 inches long.  He does not visit the pediatrician until next month.

 Discovering his feet...

 Max went to his first birthday party which was really cute.  And he sized up to all of the one year-olds at the party!

 Max playing with his friend Henrik!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Halloween!!

I know it's early but I will post pictures as they come in and as Halloween is later this week.  On Saturday, we met some of Max's friends out at the zoo and one of Mom's college friends tagged along with.  It was great to get together with Renee as she has two young boys of her own!  She always has good advice!

 Love this one :) <3

 Frankie with Mom, Annie, and Ellie with Mom, Christy

Halloween was a rainy, gloomy, blustery night in Fort Wayne!  At my parents house we only had three trick or treaters!  Two of which were Max's cousins, Luke, and Katie.  Max couldn't keep his eyes off of Luke!  

 Max with cousin Katie and Grandma

Luke trying to make Max smile!