Max is learning a new trick this week . . . rolling from his back to his tummy. Here he is laying the groundwork . . .
commencing rolling . . .
he's got everything but the head and shoulders done, but this is where it gets tricky, folks. Is he going to make it? 
Victory is Max's! He can now officially roll from tummy to back, and from back to tummy. Nothing left to do now but celebrate.
Ta-daaaa!
If you have the time and energy, you should go back to our earlier (sometime in September or October) post of Max in his bathtub. Comparing the two pictures really lets you see how much he has changed. We used to be afraid we'd lose him down the drain of this tub, and now he barely fits into it! This picture had to be censored a little, because Max is growing all over, if you know what I mean.
Max and his mama post-bath. This towel has a pocket in it, like a kangaroo pouch, for putting wet babies into. Max no longer fits in the pocket, on account of the aforementioned growth.
I took this picture without the knowledge or consent of either subject, because its cuteness required documentation. Ian would like me to clarify, for those especially observant parties, that the clock reads 1:29 a.m. He wishes it known that he is not sleeping at 1:29 in the afternoon.
This is Max right after his four-month check-up on Tuesday. He looks peaceful, but he really gave us the business for the next 24 hours. He was feverish, and then apocalyptically crabby (apocalyptically can be a word if I want it to be) until he was really sure we understood that he did not care for the doctor in general and the shots in particular. The good news is that the doctor has confirmed what we have all long suspected -- Max is perfect. He is now 15 pounds, 3 ounces, and is twenty-six inches tall. Long. Whatever. He has almost tripled in weight since his birth, and is now in the 90th percentile for height and head size!
prepare to be overwhelmed with adorableness, everybody . . .
behold, the world's cutest being!
Max and Julia in an early courtship ritual.
This outfit is actually supposed to be for a twelve-month-old, but observe how our four-month-old son is busting out of it! What a burly man-baby he is!
Max and his granddad share a reflective moment (actually, Max is trying to see the television. He has become very interested in television recently, a development which disturbs his parents greatly, since they both have a TV addiction problem. We are trying not to watch it around him anymore, or to turn him away from the TV when it is on, but he is sly like a fox. His technique, seen here, is to overpower the adult holding him with the magnitude of his adorableness, and then sneak peeks at the television while the adult recovers. He is, predictably but disturbingly, smarter than any of us, and will inevitably conquer the world. We can only hope he is a benevolent ruler).
Just a few quick pics of the last few days. This is Max's new skill...Reaching for stuff. That's right, Max can now reach for stuff upon ocation. He also makes lots of sounds...he is trying to talk. Won't be long now.
This is the Habanero Pizza I made as a special request for Chelsa's Mom last night. Those relations that like it mild...you know who you are...you might want to avoid this bad boy, featuring three sliced Habanero peppers, rated up to 350K on the scotville hot-ness scale. Jalapenos rate at like 10k. Thankfully, it rated tasty on the Mother in Law scale.
This is Mike and Sam with Max. If you look closely, you will notice he is holding a "type S" X-Box controller. I believe he is playing old school classic "Street Fighter II". Ah, the classics.
Ian has been doing a lot more cooking lately, due to Max's constant breastfeeding and my constant need to be where the breasts are. He is becoming quite accomplished, and, with characteristic modesty, has taken to photographing his work. This piece is called "traditional diner breakfast", or "eggs cooked in a style that Chelsa would never, ever eat". (Ian's note...check out the cappuccino!)
Max is becoming really charming, and is getting more and more flirtatious. I was trying to get a picture of him in this t-shirt to send to my sister, who gave it to him, but the hamming it up for the camera was an unexpected surprise. Later, he can wear this t-shirt and eat the breakfast in the previous picture!
A woman I was talking to recently was telling me about this photography book that featured black and white pictures of baby hands, feet, ears, etc. I liked the idea, and I feel that Max's hands, feet and ears are cuter than anyone else's in the universe, so I thought I'd try some shots. These did not quite come out like the artsy, serious shots I was anticipating, largely because I was trying to hold Max's foot up and take the picture at the same time. You can, however, still get a sense of the cuteness of Max's extremities.
Ian, while an avid Christmas tree enthusiast, is not a huge fan of decorating the tree, so I was very excited to have a partner this year. Max is kind of yawning and complaining simultaneously, but let's employ revisionist history and say that he was practicing Christmas carols.
Max is smiling and giggling frequently now, inspiring all who know him to make the strangest faces, noises, and gestures in an effort to get a grin. It is hard to capture a smile on film, because they tend to come and go, and to be accompanied by a lot of squirming, so this picture is as rare and valuable as a shot of bigfoot or the loch ness monster ( but way cuter).
My sister Dillen came all the way from New York to bask in Max's first yuletide experience. While she was here, we left Max with her and went to see King Kong with our friends the Lindsays. This was our first time leaving Max since we brought him home, and I found it highly traumatic. I struggled through bravely, and ended up enjoying the movie, although I may have shed a few anxious tears in the secret darkness of the theatre. We chose the Lindsays to share this outing because, having witnessed them leaving their kids with various relatives, we felt that we would not need to be embarrassed by any emotional outbursts.
Max is doing some intellectual expanding here, and is clearly soaking it in like the sponge of genius that he is.
We had to work hard to find a picture of Ian with Max that met with Ian's approval. This one doesn't really have a story attached to it, but it is fiercely cute.
This is Max the day after the final festivity concluded New Year's Day. I think the look pretty much says it all.
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This first picture is of Max and his mama on Thanksgiving Day. Max likes to eat fingers. He can clamp down surprisingly hard and painfully, for a man with no teeth. (Editors note...Chelsa knows this for a fact...from personal experience)
We are hoping to arrange a marriage between Max and young Julia, seen here with her mom to the left. This was their first dinner date. They both ordered the bottle of milk, and seemed to enjoy themselves.
We made Max go with us to pick out the Christmas tree, in spite of his almost total indifference to Christmas or decorative trees. He was somewhat reluctant to leave his warm house, and to abandon his breastfeeding/being adorable plan for the day. He was a pretty good sport for the festivities, however.
Okay, so this is Max in between sleeping and getting tasty milk.
This is Max with new grey shirt and matching overalls. Couture by baby gap.
Just look at the sincerity here. He can already fake sincerity at a fifth grade level!
This is a new skill Max is exploring. Thats right...on rare occasions Max smiles. Now you have to admit it's pretty cool.
Okay, so this first one is a Chatham and Wells. Handmade, with fabric from Belgium...msrp $6999.95. And yes, it is to Max's liking. But you don't have to take my word for it...
See, look how peaceful. Yes, only the finest cashmere will do for Max's refined taste. Fine mattresses and delicious breast milk make the world go round.
Of course Max is a fan of the Swedish Adjustable Deluxe Tempurpedic mattress. And he really should like it...it retails for $6399.99. 
And the best for last. When you deserve the best, what can possibly beat the comfort of the "Winnie the Pooh" brand baby carseat? The question is of course, rhetorical. Ask about King Size!
