Hats for kids with cancer

So because I'm slightly obsessed with blogs, I read about people who I don't know at all. This is a blog I read almost every day. I really can't even remember where I found it, but she's so funny and very real. Anyway, September was Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, and MckMama is organizing a hat drive for kids with cancer. You can read her post here for all the details but basically she's just asking people to donate (new) hats to local children's hospitals or mail them to her, and she'll donate them to one near her. There's information in her post about Etsy sites that are donating a hat for every hat they sell as well as some stories about kids with cancer and other projects that people have started.

I just wanted to put this out there for the 5 people who read my blog. Her post really touched me, and we’re so blessed to have a healthy baby – it’s nice to be able to do something like this for those who need it.

Nine months!?!

I can't believe this baby is 9 months old already. (Am I a bad mom if I thought Friday was his 9 month birthday when actually it was Thursday?)

Max at 9 months

He has the greatest personality. He loves to smile at random people, and we get so many comments about how cute he is. He's recently started making this funny scrunched up smiley face that really makes us laugh. And he's already starting to realize that he can make us laugh!

He has strong legs. He loves to stand and can almost balance by himself. One of his favorite things to do is stand by the coffee table and hit the top of it and of course grab anything in reach. Crawling...not so much.

No teeth! But he can sure gum those Cheerios. We've starting giving him more chunky food and he loves to pick it up, very precisely between that little finger and thumb. Unless there's a lot in front of him and then it's his whole fist.

He recently started giving kisses...oh those slobbery open-mouth smooches right on the cheek...or sometimes nose.

He sleeps so well. We put him down around 7:30, leave the room, and rarely hear anything until about 7 a.m. Okay, I made that up...it's usually about 5:30, but he's good at entertaining himself until 6. My rule is no babies out of the crib before 6. We are thankful for a good sleeper!

He's a talker! Along with lots of other babbling, he says "dada", and we think he's actually starting to mean it. He also really likes to "bark" at the dogs next door when he hears them.

He loves to go outside. If he's fussy, which isn't too often, we can usually fix it by going out on the patio or walking to the mailbox.

Happy 9 Months Baby! Only 3 more and you'll be a year old!

Pumpkin Patch

Max got to hang out with his cousins this weekend. We went to Conner's t-ball game Saturday morning and then to a pumpkin patch. We've gone there with them the past few years, and I've been looking forward to taking Max. We picked out a few pumpkins (we didn't actually get to pick them this year because of the drought), went on a hay ride, and watched pig races. Max had fun looking at everything and watching Conner and Caitlyn. Caitlyn loves to give him hugs, and he's starting to hug her back. We're glad Max has cousins nearby. It was a fun fall day!

Fascinated by the pumpkin stem

It's hard to get a good picture of a 5 year old, 1 year old, and almost 9 month old!

There's a new sheriff in town

Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Max's version would be more like this
bath books, work bench, musical table toy, Jumparoo,
beach ball, singing octopus, Exersaucer
These are a few of his favorite things

Sic 'Em Bears

Football season is here! (So fall is just around the corner, right?) We're excited about our Bears this year...planning for a bowl game. Hope I didn't just jinx it! Max got his first taste of college football, and I think he liked it.

I'm so ready!

Watching with dad

Okay so maybe he wasn't that excited


Thanks Jeremy and Lindsay for letting us use your living room and TV. Max enjoyed the floor, and we did NOT leave the dirty diaper under your bed like Matt suggested.

Average

Despite a quick start last month, I only managed to blog my average again. 2 per month. I can't seem to rise above it. I'm sure I could make that it into some kind of great metaphor, but....

I'm back to work now. Only 3 days a week, and 2 of those days, the school I'm working at is a 3 minute commute. Yep, 3 minutes. Maybe 4-5 depending on traffic. It's a big change from 30 minutes, especially with the additional 30 minutes that picking up Max added on last spring. Technically, it does take me longer to get home when I pick him up, but not nearly an hour! So far, being back to work has been fine. Being able to work part-time is a blessing. It's Thursday, but it feels like Friday. I don't have a huge number of kids to see. It's a big change from my previous job simply because this school district is so much smaller. I like the schools I'm at so far. I hope I continue to like the elementary because I'd love to stay there until Max is in school and just take him there too. Of course, that won't be anytime soon but I'm just thinking ahead.

He's awake from his nap and talking in his crib. I don't have any new pictures downloaded to the computer, so you'll just have to deal with my ramblings today. Just trying to keep up my average!

Lazy Summer

We had a picnic at Oyster Creek park last weekend. We were planning a date night but that didn't work out, so we decided to get free KFC grilled chicken and take Max to the park for the first time. The weather was nice (as nice as it can be for an August evening in Houston), and Max liked watching the people walk by and looking at the trees. We ate, sat for a while on our blanket, and then walked around the lake. It was really nice to spend time together, outside, with nothing to do or think about.

We've been spending other lazy summer evenings, when it's almost bedtime and Max is getting tired, but it's too early to put him to bed, in our backyard swing. He likes the change of scenery and sits contentedly until we reach that magic bedtime hour.