Now that we are all caught up on pictures from 2008, we wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a happy 2009. We had a quiet Christmas here in town, and we are looking forward to a quiet New Year's in town as well.
You may also have noticed a distinct lack of holiday cards (and gifts) coming from us to you, our friends and family. While we usually enjoy these holiday rituals, we just did not have the energy or organizational skills this year. So in honor of all of you, who have done so much to sustain us and celebrate Max with us over the last 15 months, we have made a donation to the Capital Area Food Bank here in Austin representing everything we ordinarily budget for cards, gifts, and holiday travel.
Happy holidays, and a lovely New Year to all!
Hey Max!
Sorry, I know you have places to go, but can you spare a minute?
Thanks!
Okay, so first let me explain why we've missed documenting 1/5 of your life. Your dad explained my behavior this fall like this: "You like doing stuff, and it often leads to doing stuff." I can't say that I disagree. My old boss emailed, and it went like this:
Boss: You know how you said you might come back to work part time at some point? How about now?
Me: Well if you're really in trouble, and if you'll accept this totally ridiculous schedule that no one in their right mind would think is worth the trouble.
Boss: Sounds great, when can you start?
Me: Hey wait, you were supposed to say no! Um, well, okay, then I'll start in August.
Boss: Great. And why don't you work more hours than that, because it will be easier for HR.
Me: Makes perfect sense, and I'm sure this won't interfere with my other responsibilities at all.
HA HA HA HA HA HA! So yeah, things got a little out of control. Working six days a week all day and then every night after you go to bed for at least two hours and sometimes four? Not good for any of us. I love my old boss, and I like what I do when I work there. I managed to be a good employee in two jobs and a good mom, but a terrible wife, and "self" ranked dead last on the people I was taking care of properly. So I got a cold two weeks ago - from you, thanks ever so - and I still have a cough from it, and somehow I see a relationship between that and my exhaustion level from waking up every night to take care of you PLUS working 60+ hour weeks for a while there.
I'm not telling you this to bore you, or to make you feel guilty. Okay, so please feel guilty about the night waking thing. But I'm thinking that you might actually be reading this someday and wondering what it was like, and this is what it was like. When I was a kid I had no idea that grownups struggled with these kinds of decisions all the time. That's probably a good thing. But it's interesting to me as an adult to look back and wonder what it was like for my parents as they tried to figure out where to work, how much, where to live, how to get things done, and all that other stuff. So maybe when you grow up, you'll be interested too.
It's also an extremely long answer to the question of why we didn't update this thing since September. These posts are hard, dude, they take a few days each to write and we both work on them. The energy and organizational skills just were not there.
So what's been going on in your world?
Your cousins Dylan and Samantha came to visit last month, with their mom Evelyn. Technically Evelyn is your dad's cousin, so Dylan and Sam aren't really your cousins, they're something else - either first cousins once removed or second cousins. However, I got so annoyed by hearing the conversation repeatedly about how difficult and confusing it is to figure out - when the people having the conversation were in a room with a computer connected to the internet and could just look it up - that I have forbidden further discussion and just declared everyone cousins.
Dylan is two, so you both enjoyed some of the same activities.
I have no idea what to make of the combination of facial expressions in the next photo, but this was the best shot we got. All I know is, every time I tried to hold Samantha, you HAD to be on me. As long as she was anywhere else, you liked her just fine, but you did not want me holding her.
They gave you the new favorite thing for a couple of weeks - MONSTER FEET.
Your Colorado cousins were just here too, and among other fun activities y'all cut out gingerbread cookies:
You are the luckiest boy in the world to hang out with your Grandma Penny all day. I mean, seriously, the woman is an angel. I have no idea why you have this look on your face.
When she comes in the front door in the morning, you are so glad to see her, and she pretty much thinks you're a superhero - which I guess I understand given some of your recent costumes.
You and Grandma get a lot done during the day while I'm working, I'm always quite astonished. You go to the park and to your gym class, walks around the block, and to the library and the grocery store. You love being outside, no matter the weather. We are probably buying Grandma Penny long underwear, a hat, and a raincoat for Christmas.
Thanks for this jacket, Will and Gabi! It's really saving us right now!
You are good at picking up clothes off the floor upstairs and putting them in the basket. You are skilled in removing items from the washer and transferring them to the dryer, then from the dryer to the basket. You like to scoop up flour and dump it into the bread machine. You even help Grandma grate apples and zucchini for muffins.
I had no idea a 15 month old would know how to do so many chores. It's wonderful.
You read books. Well, you demand they be read to you. Over and over. It's completely out of control, honestly, we're ransacking the library, Half Price books, and local thrift stores to keep up with you. You pick out your own books at the library, which is sometimes awesome and sometimes a disaster. (You're not allowed to pick out any more CDs for a while, though, not since that Hank Williams Jr. incident.) We used to read page books to you when you were bitty, until you started tearing the pages, and then we switched to board books. Then for a while you wanted to handle them and turn the pages yourself, and occasionally you would let us read the whole thing to you.
One day, though, it was like the light went on and you suddenly wanted each book read again and again and again. Like 10 times in a row, and then on to the next one. In Richard Scary's tiny car and truck book that your Aunt Casey sent, you started saying "ga!" when we would turn the page to the garbage truck. And now it's just routine that we read at least 15 books to you during the day, with at least 2 repetitions of each and possibly 4 or 5. We have books stashed all over the house and in the car for emergencies.
It's like you're related to us or something.
You know how to make all the animal sounds - cats, ducks, dogs, cows, roosters, chicks, lions, tigers, bears, snakes, pigs (kind of a clicking noise, maybe trying for oink?), monkeys (oo oo oo!), sheep (maa!), birds (caw caw!), horses. Butterflies get a a one handed flapping motion, fish get a smile and "ishhh" and giraffes get "zhhhi." Bunnies hop.
You can point to your ears, eyes, mouth, head, hair, fingers, toes, chin, cheeks, knees (sometimes), toes, feet, and belly button. And our teeth.
Your first word, your first clear, honest to goodness word, was this:
Uh-oh!
You had worked on a few kind-of words before - banana, car, dog (dih). You spent a lot of time using the syllables ga, ma, and da but I would never have called it "grandma" or "mama" or "dada." Then one day you were sitting on my lap and somehow your pacifier fell on the floor. I looked down and said "uh-oh" and then clear as a bell:
Uh-oh!
Which you then proceeded to use multiple times a day for the next few days when anything fell or was dropped or when your shoe came off. That last bit convinced me you actually knew what it meant - something is awry!
Shortly thereafter, "no" showed up but without any pattern, it's just a fun syllable apparently. Now we have decent progress towards water, juice (jsss), shoes (shhhs), layla (la-ya), dad, up (bup), milk (mal), yucky (what can we say, you like to pick up trash and throw it away), cheerios (chh-i), blueberry (ba-bao). You're so tickled when we figure out what you're saying. I think your cheerio consumption has increased 150% because you can ask for them and we get them for you.
We also have "mama," for real. Trust you to pick that up right before we're going to start night weaning.
Simultaneously we started realizing that you understood what we were saying. One night after dinner, we asked if you wanted a bath. You made a beeline for the stairs, climbed up, and went right into the bathroom. So now we ask after dinner, and usually you want a bath. Then you have some naked time to run around upstairs and play and we read books, and then it's jammies and bed.
We ask you if you want a snack, if you will please turn around in your car seat, if you want up, if you want to read a book, and you figure out a way to let us know. It's so great.
You started helping us put your shirt on fairly early on by pushing your arms through the sleeves, but one day when I was changing your diaper I realized that you were putting a foot up so I could put your shorts back on. So now whenever we're putting your jammies or pants on, we ask you which leg first. You don't always pick the same one. (With your hands, you seem to lead with your right but have more precision with your left.) If we get your socks off your heels, you pull them the rest of the way off.
You love trains. The yellow crayon is your favorite. And you are the cutest little guy in the whole wide world.
'Night, sweetie. We love you.
-Your mom and dad
We were lucky enough to have three Thanksgivings - one at Max's maternal great grandfather's house, one at his Aunt Grace's house, and one at our house with Grandma Penny, Aunt Rebekah, and Aunt Rachel. Then we went to Dallas to visit his paternal great grandmother! Here's a little sample from our festivities.
Mimi and Max:
Skye's parents and grandfather:
The Meriwether clan:
Two lovely small group shots:
When in doubt, the dog bed is always comfy.
First real Thanksgiving meal includes sweet potatoes (not interesting, for once), fruit salad (YUM! especially the blueberries), veg gelatin with pineapple, and Tofurkey (yum!).
Oooh, I like your necklace...
We went to a party, and he would not wear the hat:
On actual Halloween, we finally got the hat on, but he wasn't happy about it.
What about if Dad wears the hat?
What about if Grandma wears the hat?
Come here, Max!
How many times do I have to tell you people, I don't want the hat!
BACK OFF!
Our future astronaut:
Went on a plane trip with Mommy to Colorado to visit his cousins:
Great fun was had by all. Max at 1, Anisa at 2.5, Nicholas at 4, Abby at 6. I think. Anyway, this is one of my favorite all time family photos now:
The bits I remember the most, aside from the trauma of trying to get a one year old and a car seat through Denver International Airport all by myself, are these:
Before we got there, Max's Aunt Rebecca had been emphasizing to the kids that "Baby Max" was coming to visit so they had to pick up all the small toys, etc. When we showed up they showered him with hugs and kisses, showed him all the good toys, and were exceptionally helpful to me as I tried to take care of him in an unfamiliar space. But after about a day of everyone talking about Baby Max, Nicholas said "Aunt Skye, can we just call him Max?"
Max was in the high chair eating a banana. Abby was next to him, and kept looking sideways at the mess he was making. Finally she looked at me and said "Aunt Skye, would he like a placemat?"
Back at home, in his big shorts. Just like his dad that way.
Sometimes after a meal it's just easier to take his clothes off than try to clean them up:
Such a handsome guy:
I've got the keys, look out!
Still loves spending time with his Grandma Penny:
OK, so we have been bad, bad baby bloggers. Let's try to catch up a little, shall we?
At Skye's Grandpa's house, saying hi to Molly the dog:
Um, Max, where are you going with that air filter?
Fall brings wonderful things, like harvest vegetables...
Are these things edible?
(Turned out Layla thought so, she actually ate half of one. Hey, dog, they're called DECORATIVE gourds.)
Love that dad:
Still catching up on pre-haircut pictures:
Dear Max,
As you know, it is typical in workplaces across the country for employees and managers to sit down for an annual performance review. Since you are such a busy little bee, we have not had a chance to schedule a meeting with you where we can all devote our full and undivided attention to this important topic. In lieu of that, we are submitting this report on your activities for your employee file.
Your participation in employee morale building projects is unparalleled in the history of this organization. Never before have so few done so much for so many to increase the pleasant nature of the work environment.
Chomp!
Your demeanor while at work is positive, cheerful, and you are more often than not a pleasure to be around.
You do attempt to stay within the employee dress code, even when expressing your personality. But honestly, dude, what the HECK happened to your hair during that break?!
You may recall that the job description for your position stated it might require a variety of physical actions, such as rolling over, crawling, walking, etc. We are pleased to report that you have met or exceeded all of the expectations for an employee of your seniority. You have even recently sought out additional responsibilities in the areas of clapping, running, and climbing down off the couch feet first all by yourself. The favorite, though, is pushing. Your cart, your stroller, any chairs you can find, the vacuum cleaner, the stepstools at the library, whatever. Your enthusiasm is duly noted and should any additional projects come up that require shoving furniture around, you will be at the top of our list for team members.
Your enthusiasm for the variety of resources necessary to complete your work is laudable. You have also moved from needing assistance with procuring resources to demanding that you be allowed to gather and apply said resources yourself. This sometimes means resources are applied to your face and hair rather than allocated in a way that would convert calories to energy, but we expect you will refine your technique in the months to come.
We're SO sorry we tried to take your spoon away, by the way. Yes, we are mean. Won't happen again. Until next time.
We appreciate that you continue to seek mentoring and guidance from consultants and senior staff. F.G. Susan, our trusted and respected associate with expertise in many areas, recently spent time with you providing valuable insights. You paid very close attention.
We also appreciate that you are finally responding to our feedback about the treatment of instructional materials. (Look, don't eat.)
Once again, though, we are asking that you set some different goals for your employee breaks. Early in your employment, you kept a fairly erratic schedule as you adjusted to the position. Then you took three breaks per day and at least one long break at night. This was appreciated by the janitorial staff and your direct supervisor, as it gave them time for their own staff development and other duties. The daytime breaks were then consolidated into two breaks, which was also fine, but your nighttime break became a mess.
Now you're bouncing in between one and two daytime breaks, which can lead to unscheduled breaks late in the afternoon which threaten to further disrupt your nighttime break.
Though they are awfully cute.
(Is anyone else seeing Elvis here?)
Your interactions with our other employee are entirely satisfactory. Well, o.k., we wish you wouldn't grab her face, but lucky for you she is an extremely calm and tolerant individual.
The report from the contracted medical professional, by the way, was overwhelmingly positive. At 30 inches tall and 21+ pounds, you are right on track for an employee with 14-16 months of tenure. (Hence the consternation at the employee recreation area when you walk over to another employee of similar size and their manager finds out how long you've been employed.)
In closing, we should let you know that the first few months of your employment were kind of a haze, so we didn't document your performance in as much detail as we might have wished. We're trying to correct that now by focusing on details. For example, every time the manager known as Mama sets you down on your feet, she looks at them and really pays attention. They are so, so small.
We know that expression of personal affection is often discouraged in the modern workplace, but gosh darn it, we just love you so much! Congratulations on completing your first year as an employee, and we look forward to working with you in years to come.
Love,
your mom and dad
We're working on Max's one year birthday post, but in the meantime we've posted some photos from Max's First Haircut, which was on Labor Day Weekend. Click on the link to view!
The consensus is that Max made his first attempt at verbal communication this evening.
The word in question was banana, which came out either ad-na or ah-na.
He said ba-ba-na the other night. It was clear enough that Mom ran back downstairs to gape, but honestly it seemed like a big coincidence.
Tonight, though, there was no mistaking his intention. He didn't want oatmeal or refried beans, he wanted more banana.
Being his devoted slaves, we of course procured it for him with all haste. And then tricked him into eating the oatmeal and beans too by alternating them with applesauce. We are devoted slaves, but we also have to look out for his long-term well-being.
