The morning before Easter

What a lovely quiet morning! Max and I are playing here in the family room as daddy snores softly away in the bedroom. Joaquin got up reeeeally early this morning to pray for our Easter services. I am trying to keep Max's noises to a minimum as the square footage and layout in our home does not provide good rest for the inhabitants. This baby boy has been making me smile so much this morning that I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things about him these days. Firstly, I love to watch him in his favorite place at the front windowsill. The sill is just low enough for him to sit comfortably on his knees, which is how he is now, softly babbling to the new blocks in his hands that he received for his first birthday. He likes to sit there and use the sill as a table, and watch the neighbors wash their cars, and the walker-bys walking their dogs. Max is very content here. He is such a sweet, happy (most of the time) little guy.

Other things:

* He bounces on his knees like a bunny (especially when really excited) and also thumps his right foot on the floor while crawling, earning him the nickname, "Thumper." Max got a new pop-up toy from my parents for his bday. Whenever he turns it on, he bounces the whole time to the music.

* Max still loves the white cloth diapers that we used as burp cloths for him. He will be playing away with his toys, and then spot his "snuggly" on the floor and with great delight and eagerness (as if toward a long-lost friend), will snatch it up and giggle and rub his face in it. So precious.

* Joaquin was lounging in his recliner chair this past week with his hands behind his head. He noticed that Max was watching and copying him, so he praised his boy for it with a laugh. Now Max likes to pose this way for us to get some attention and a smile. I take the opportunity to tickle his armpits, which he loves. Unfortunately it has thrown him off balance a few times and mid-pose he will fall straight back with his head to the floor. Ooops! :)

* The boy loves to talk (read: baby Martian language). I think we have another verbal processor on our hands. He is very expressive, flailing his hands in all directions when, perhaps, driving the point home.

* Max is so self-entertained. This is one of my great joys. For example, this week I was working on a painting project for our Easter service and had to put up a six-foot table in the center of our family room to work on it. As I painted away, Max contentedly played with his toys and books on the floor, only occasionally popping up to "chat" a little and see what I was doing. His chubby little hands would move from the couch to the top edges of the table and skootskoot along til he reached me. And I covered his sweet face with kisses.