Max: 18 Months Old

Max is 18 months old. And oh boy, is he acting like it. I think the "terrible twos" are creeping in early with this kid. I think he is very intelligent and aware of his surroundings. As such, if he feels he is being left out of a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g he will make his frustration known. These tantrums are a bit terrifying, but we will get through it.

I've declared age two as the year of testing boundaries and miscommunication. And it's looking like age three is going to be the year of attitude and whine voice. I will discuss more about that nonsense later. This post is about my boy! 

the skills & life experience of maxwell:

1. He tries to jump. But he can't jump. He lunges his whole body into the air and sometimes he falls over. It's a hilarious attempt. 

2. His attention span is short when it comes to cartoons. But surprisingly he will actually sit and watch football longer than anything else. He points at the TV when it's turned off and says "uhh ball" which is "Football" in Max language. I think this is a dream come true for Kirk. 

3. He recognizes most superheros by costume and by name. It's probably more common for parents to brag about color or shape recognition...but that's okay. Once again, the dad influence overrules here. 

4. He sleeps 11+ hours per night. He is in bed by 8:00 pm and awake around 5:00 am. Then he will usually snuggle for a couple more hours in my bed. 

5. His vocabulary is beginning to blossom. This includes the words mom, dad, Lyla, Krew, water, poop, football, basketball, olive, bath, night, bye. It's getting to that point where I can translate most of his language, but it still sounds like jibberish to everyone else.

6. He has a vein on his neck that bulges when he gets angry. I think it's really adorable. And I imagine I will still think so even when he is a grown man. 

7. He still lets his momma rock him to sleep. I enjoy this very much, as the older one always refused bedtime snuggles at this age. Also, he insists on sleeping with his toy Hulk. Don't try to fool him with a teddy bear or monkey. It must be Hulk. 

8. He likes to throw away his own diaper. I guess this is a fun task for a one year old. He is also very interested in the toilet. I am open to early potty training but I think we will hold off on exploring that world until after the holiday. 

9. He has all four of his first set of molar teeth. It was the longest teething marathon I have ever endured. We were finally granted our victory and now Max is happily chewing food more than ever!

10. He is so loving and gentle towards Lyla's babies, when she allows it. There is no doubt that he has a destructive nature --- crashing into walls, pounding on toys, swinging at furniture, and climbing on literally everything. But it's comforting to know that a tender heart lives on the inside of his active little spirit. 

Please click here to view Max's fifteen month list!