Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

it's hard to believe, but max turned one year old yesterday. i took him for his 12 month checkup, and he's a very healthy (and very strong) boy. he weighed in at 22 lbs. 10 oz. (50th percentile) and is 31" tall (75th percentile). he had to get another round of vaccinations, which of course he didn't like very much. but he was smiling at the nurse as soon as it was over.

we saw another baby from max's class at daycare in the waiting room, too. he was in for his 15 month checkup. his mom is a little worried because he still isn't walking. like max, he probably can but isn't quite ready to let go and walk on his own just yet. she told me that her son will push his walker around with one hand while holding his sippy cup in the other, so i'm sure he's fine.

since i made him get shots on his birthday (and because he has little patience for opening a giant pile of gifts, as we discovered at christmas), chad and i decided to let max open his birthday gifts from us last night instead of at his party on sunday.

here's max with his gifts:
















now here's max opening one of his gifts (a little boat to play with in the tub):
















and here is max laughing with his eyes closed as he bangs on a giant bag of giant blocks:
















max has recently discovered that squinting while he grins at people (us, plus random people in the waiting room at the doctor's office) makes them laugh. he does it often.