Six Months!

June has hit the half-year mark, and she's more delightful than ever. When she's excited, her eyes light up and she crinkles her nose and shows off the biggest smile you've ever seen. She's in one of my favorite stages -- sitting up well, but not really mobile yet. She's still a chunk -- tipping the scales at 18 lb., 7 oz. at her most recent check-up, which is in the 90th percentile for weight. She's in the 75th percentile for height.

All Aboard the Birthday Train

We celebrated Max's birthday (and Mother's Day) with a train ride from Noblesville to Tipton for lunch. We thought this would be a special treat for Max, and while he enjoyed seeing all the trains at the station, he was a tad too young to enjoy the 45-minute ride. Still, it was nice to spend time with my parents and my brother's family, but we were all tuckered out for the ride home.

We ended the day with a casual cookout back in Bloomington, where Max enjoyed another birthday treat. (Check out more photos on Uncle Matt's blog!)

All in all, we had a nice time this weekend with family, but I am requesting a Mother's Day do-over.

Cake Face

That's what Max called Parker when they were devouring Max's birthday cupcakes. After all, birthdays are all about the cake, right? We spent the week leading up to Max's second birthday talking about birthday cake and candles, singing "Happy Birthday," and teaching Max to say "I'm two!" ("Mine two!"), and our work paid off. He especially enjoyed all the sweet treats and "prizes" at his first party at my parents' house in Carmel.

Max's favorite "prize" was his new big boy (and big league!) baseball hat.

Baby Legs

First (Real) Photos

June had her first professional photo shoot in early April by our friend and photographer Zach Dobson Photography. Here are some favorites ...

Two Months!

June turned two months this week! She got an A+ at her two-month check-up, tipping the scales at 13 lbs., 13 oz., which is greater than 97th percentile for weight. She recently discovered her hands, and they are always in her mouth -- particularly her thumb, which may be the reason for her sleeping through the night (two nights in a row!). She is a very laid-back baby with a beautiful smile, and we're having so much fun getting to know her.

First Haircut

Before ...
And after ...

One is Fun!

We celebrated Maxwell's first birthday surrounded by friends and family at my parents' house in Carmel. Max was very good during the party and enjoyed playing with all of his little friends and cousins.He did not dive into his cake like I thought he would, but that could be because of the spectators. We will let him sample some sweets again sometime soon. (Cake photos courtesy of Grandpa Randy and Aunt Danza. Check out more great photos on Danza's blog.)Thanks to everyone who made this day extra special.

First Steps

Max took his first steps today. It was bittersweet. We noticed he was standing on his own more and more this weekend, and walking with us holding just one hand. I got to witness it, but Justin won't get to see it in person until we're back in Chicago tomorrow. Here's the video of one of his walking stints. Our incentive was actually my nephew's shoe, which had intrigued Max all afternoon.

Learning to Walk

We picked up this walker toy at a secondhand store today. It was between a hippo and a truck, and the hippo looked cleaner. Max caught on right away, and within a few tries, he was on his way.
The videos really showcase his progress over a few hours.

Nine Months

Max turned nine months this week, which is so hard to believe. He is 28.5 inches and weighs 21 lbs., 10 oz. (75th percentile on both fronts). He is a great eater and is happy all of the time -- which is a huge difference from the colicky days of last summer. Danza recently called him "charming," and I think that about sums it up.