Army Crawl

We Flip. That's right, we got the Flip video camera for Christmas, so we now can post movies like this one, where Max shows off his new army crawl. There is a lot going on in these 45 seconds, including an intense few seconds where Max can't decide if he wants me or his toy. Check it out.

Max's First Christmas

We planned on touring Indiana for Christmas, with stops in Carmel, Corydon and Bloomington. But Max came down with the stomach flu on our first night. It was a long night, but he was feeling better the next day so he could enjoy Christmas with the Burkles. When we arrived in Corydon, I began feeling a little under the weather, and by Saturday, everyone had it. And I mean everyone. The good news is, we will never forget Max's first Christmas!

Opening presents.Playing with our new blocks.
We didn't take any pictures in Corydon, but I stole this one off of Danza's blog. Diane got matching shirts for all the little guys. So cute!

Max Runs First Marathon

OK -- it just looks like he ran a marathon. This is actually drool. What's amazing is that this happened in about 20 minutes. I took off his second bib of the day and failed to put on a new one quick enough.

Season's Greetings

So I did not get around to sending Christmas cards this year. I took these photos a few weeks ago with every intention of making some cards and never got to them. We also never put up a tree. But I'm going to pull out all the stops next year. In the meantime, we wish all of our friends and family a happy, healthy holiday season.

All Bundled Up

Max and I braved the cold weather and light drizzle for some fresh air today. We had the right gear, including a cup of coffee for mom, and Max even snoozed a bit. I don't know what I'm going to do when there is snow on the ground.

First Annual Chili Cook-Off

We hosted our first chili cook-off this weekend, which featured five versions of this all-American comfort food. Leading the pack was Dale's Texas-style chili, which was full of meat (and, true to his Texas roots, sans beans). Andrew's chili had a lot of character to it and featured smoky short-rib meat in a recipe that has surely been tweaked to perfection over the years. Ryan brought a vegetarian version that had quite a kick. My red chili was just an excuse to load up on toppings (I opt for noodles, cheese, sour cream and Fritos), but my white chicken chili was a favorite among the babies.

Calling All Visitors

We have upgraded the sleeping arrangements in the office/guest room from an air mattress to a bonafide bed ... a pullout bed, that is. But we're getting closer to the real deal. Here, Max is demonstrating the different configurations.

Lover Boy

Mommy's Little Helper

Max spent the better part of the weekend taking toys in and out of this container. I like to think he is developing his organizational skills. We came home and organized all of our small toys in a similar basket.

Happy Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving weekend with the Burkle clan, and Max broke out a festive bib to mark the occasion. I did not take any pictures of dinner (thanks to my cousin Tanya for hosting 50 of us!), but here is one of breakfast on Friday. Justin and my dad were in charge of making breakfast after losing several rounds of euchre to the girls. And Andrew Cole was a big help, too.

Weekend Highlights

Diane, Danza and Harrison came up for a visit this weekend. We had fun playing, shopping and eating together, but mostly we just enjoyed spending time together. Here are a few highlights.

Oatmeal and Bananas

Max loves to eat. He almost always cleans his plate, and he sometimes cries in between bites because we can't get it to him fast enough. Danza photographed this particular breakfast, which included a highchair swap because Max was not happy in the Bumbo. And there's a great shot of his new teeth.

Half a Year

Well, Max has hit the half-year mark. He weighs 19 lbs. and is 27.5 inches long, which is right on target on both fronts. He has two teeth, is sitting up and is about to take off crawling. Each phase is getting more and more fun.

At the Lake

I love these photos. I couldn't see the images in playback mode because it was so bright out, so the actual images are a little overexposed, but I love how the orange hat pops. And I also love my two guys.

Pumpkin Love

Today, Maxwell sported his new pumpkin hat, made with love by his Great Grandma Elvira. We are so sad that Anne did not get to see him in it, but we know she is smiling down on us today.

Scenes from our Stroll

It was a beautiful day today, and Justin, Max and I walked to the lake, which we should do more often. Here are a few scenes from our stroll.