10 Months and Walking

Today is Max's 10-month birthday, and he also decided today was a good day to start walking. He's been on the verge for quite awhile, but he would wimp out and sit everytime we let go. Today he got brave and (with a little encouragement from dad) took his first solo steps. He's still in that akward, early stages of walking, but knowing Max, that won't last very long. He'll be running around the house and jumping off the furniture in no time flat. I see many bumps, bruises, and broken bones in our future- if he's anything like his daddy, which seems probable.

In other Max news, his sixth tooth came in this week, and he has figured out how to say the "da" syllable. He has also learned that it's really fun to screech and scream. It's too cute to be annoying yet; he's so excited to be figuring out how his voice works.

Above all, we just feel extremely blessed to have such a healthy, happy baby (soon to be toddler) boy. Another two months and we'll be celbrating his birthday!

MMDs (Maxes of Mass Destruction)

Grandma put it best today when she said that Max was "all boy". He's at this fun (albeit exhausting) stage right now where I can barely keep up with him. This became even more salient to me when I gave him a bath tonight. To start, I don't give him baths every night because it would probably be the death of me, but I was feeling brave tonight and, with Darreck at work, ventured to get Max clean. He got me soaking wet splashing, kept trying to drink the soapy bathwater, and almost gave me a heart-attack trying to stand on his own- something he still won't try frequently on dry ground. It was a huge, wet wrestling match. After the bath, we went through the normal bedtime routine of: pinning him down to get him into his PJs, reading him a book while he screams and tries to squirm away, and trying to read scriptures and say prayers while he runs amok. That being said, he's the cutest, smartest, most loveable baby in the entire world and I wouldn't trade him for anything. But, I will definitely sleep well tonight.

By the way, I got this cute picture this morning. Darreck and Max took a nap while I was in the shower, and Max woke up right as I walked in to take this picture. Yes, Darreck is in a Snuggie and, yes, I teased him about it unmercifully, just as he would have done had it been me.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Today was Gram's birthday, and we celebrated in true Sangray style. We went out to Borries for dinner, where I got amazing half-and-half. Then we went back and did presents and had homemade chocolate cake and ice cream. I'm so thankful to have such an amazing grandma that has been around my entire life. I loved, as a kid, sleeping over at Grandma and Grandpa's and going shopping with them Saturday afternoons. Grandma has always been there with amazing food, homemade clothes, and good advice, just like her mom before her. I think it's even more amazing that, now, I'll be able to raise my children around her as well. There are so few women left in the world today like her- strong, giving, lady-like, and thoughtful. It seems that my generation has turned away from so many traits that make a truly noble daughter of God. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful example in my Grandma.

Love you and hope you had a great day!

Visitors

Today we got a visit from Pennie and Tim! Max was super excited to see Grandma and Grandpa Hale, and they even brought him his birthday present early. He is the proud owner of a shiny new (plastic) set of wheels. He's such a spoiled boy! We spent most of the day running around town and just hanging out. It's always great when we get to see Darreck's side of the family, but it was sad their visit had to be so short. They have to be back in Helena tomorrow for Tim to sell his truck. He's getting off the road and starting up his hot-dog business, Naked Franks, this spring. We're so happy for them and their new adventure. Hopefully it will mean that we get to see more of them.

Glimpse of Spring

Well, as predicted, things have been getting better around here. I'm feeling better and the weather right now is awesome. Max and I went to the library and then decided to take a walk around Gibson pond, our first one of the spring. The pond is still frozen and the ducks aren't back yet, but the geese walking around on the ice was funny and Max really enjoyed listening to their honking. That's all. Just a good day!

This pic is actually from a few days ago. Max got into the baking cocoa and decided to eat it. I got him almost cleaned up before it dawned on me to take a picture, but I think you still get the general idea.

Ouch

So, today I went to the dentist and got my top two wisdom teeth pulled and a filling done. Not exactly my idea of a fabulous day, but not as bad as I was expecting either. I thought the worst part was going to be the shots because of my insanely pervasive fear of needles, but turns out the sound of pulling teeth out was the worst thing imaginable-ever. Period. I would rather have Max again, and again, and again than have to listen to that sound all day. I actually asked the dentist how he could do it. Not missing a beat, he said it was still better than being a proctologist :)

This afternoon wasn't bad, and I even hung out with some friends this evening, However, tonight I'm really starting to feel it. I never got the expression "even my teeth hurt" but today I'm getting the gist that having your teeth hurt means a serious amount of discomfort. My jaw aches if I even think about moving it.

I wouldn't complain, however, if I thought this was the end of it. Nothing that happened today was really that bad. But, my x-rays showed that my bottom two wisdom teeth came in sideways. Like, completely sideways, at 90-degree angles. I'm going to have to see an oral surgeon and get them extracted sometime in the near future under sedation. Oh joy. Now there's something to look forward to.

Here's to a better day tomorrow, because it would be hard for it to get much worse!

9 Month Checkup

Max went in for his nine month check today and got a clean bill of health. Some of the things happening with him right now are:

• His weight is 22 lbs. 5 oz. (75 percentile). This is almost the same as his weight last month. However, last month he hadn't gained any length, and this checkup he shot up to 29-3/4 inches (88 percentile). His head is still in the 25th percentile. We think that's why he's so cute- he doesn't have a huge alien baby head!
• He was at the top of his developmental assessment in all areas. But it would stand to reason that with his genetics he would be brillant...
• He's saying "mama" pretty clearly, especially when he's sad and wants me to pick him up. He can also say a few other syllables well, but "dada" remains elusive.
• He also has learned the word "no" very well. He understands exactly what it means and that he should summarily ignore it.
• Our doctor finally agreed that, yes, we have tried everything and, no, Max probably won't ever sleep well. Chalk it up to a personality trait.

We're so lucky to have such an amazing, happy, vivacious little guy. It's so much fun to see him exploring and learning new things. I can't wait for this summer when he will be walking well and we can take him outside to explore a whole new dimmension of his world. We just have to hold out through these last few cool weeks.