Ten Months Ago ....

 Ten months ago Max had never set foot outside of the orphanage.  He has experienced so many firsts over the past 10 months.  We are so thankful that we have been able to experience these firsts with him and see the wonder in his little eyes.   

There are so many things we take for granted like the seasons changing, flowers blooming, leaves falling, the sound of the wind through the trees, airplanes flying in the sky, ants crawling on the sidewalk, worms in the driveway after a rain, hugs, kisses, I love you's, siblings, walking hand in hand with someone who loves you and of course in the fall the joy that playing in the leaves can bring.

Max experienced the joy that comes from gathering leaves in a pile, rolling in them with his sisters and  brother and throwing them in the air so they fall like rain on him.

Max joined in on bedtime stories with Shane.  What boy wouldn't love a book about Sharks.

The fall experience isn't complete with out pumpkin carving.  Max wanted to be like all the other kids and draw a face on his pumpkin.  He really had no idea what was in store for his little pumpkin.

Alexa and daddy were trying to convince him to put his hand in the pumpkin.  I knew from his reaction to different textures this was one that would sure make him stop and take it in and really feel what was between his fingers.

He became very possessive about his little pumpkin and didn't want any help gutting it.  He did decided he would rather do it with a spoon than his hand.  I don't blame him.  

He squeeled with delight when Eric carved his face in his pumpkin.  He carefully carried it outside by himself and sat down right next to it with a huge grin on his face.  It took a bit of convincing, kisses and good-byes before he would leave his pumpkin outside and come inside.

Max also experienced his first Halloween. As you can see he was a pretty scary lion with that big smile! The big kids have learned pretty quickly how Max reacts to new experiences .... like everything else he embraces it with everything he has.  They knew he would love Trick or Treating and couldn't wait to see him in action.

 

Max reacted just as we would have predicted ..... he LOVED it.  He would run as fast as his little legs would carry him from house to house.  He would scream at the top of his lungs with excitement as he ran.  He didn't even have a clue that people were putting candy in his bag.  He is Mr. Social so just was loving the excitement of meeting and greeting all kinds of people.  He won many hearts which in turn meant a bag full of candy. Eric would try to catch his hand on his way to the next house and often this is what they looked.  Eric trying to slow our ball of energy down and Max trying to pull his daddy along a little faster. Look at that sunset ... could it have been a more beautiful night? 

Max's night was cut short when his little feet just couldn't keep up with his body.  I know this will be the first of many bumps along the way.  When you have someone who lives life to the fullest and without hesitation you are bound to have some bumps along the way. This is what makes Max who he is so we will embrace our little man and he embraces life.

A Family

Our first "real" family portrait as a family of 6! 

Love the energy and joy he has brought to our family.

His smile lights up the room!

Four blessings .... we are blessed! 

He continues to blossom before our eyes.

His siblings love playing with him ...

he has added so much laughter and joy ... 

they love watching him discover this new world around him.

This picture is worth 1000 words.  This is who Max is .... the joy, the life, the energy, the blessing of walking hand in hand with our little boy! God is good! 

Nine Months Ago ...

Nine months of being in our arms and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for this little boy, a precious gift he has given our family. 

Max's personality continues to grow bigger by the day.  One of my friends said, "It is like he has this new life and he is going to embrace it with every ounce of him!" Yes embrace life is exactly what he does.  He wears his love for life on his sleeve.  He continues to love being outside.  Winter may get long when I have a little boy begging at the door to go outside. 

From the time we have gotten home Max loves to buckle things.  If he finds a buckle he will be occupied for quite a while. It is actually the thing that keeps him very busy while I try buzz through the grocery store.  He often screams with excitement when he ties it or screams in frustration because he just can't get it tied.  Like he said he wears his love or frustration for life on his sleeve and is not afraid to let others know how he is feeling.

This is what happens when life gets frustrating and he just can't get it tied.

But when he finally gets it tied his face lights up and the squeals of delight flow freely.

He is off once again, princess helmet and all.

Max is experiencing all the fun that fall brings.  The Apple Orchard is one of the kids favorite fall stops and they couldn't wait for Max to experience it too. It has been so much fun for the kids to see things through Max's eyes.

Max loved the animals and took it all in! 

Could he be any cuter?  Love the wonder in his little brown eyes. 

I loved seeing Max take off through the orchard .... once again a true picture of him letting go and taking it all in! 

He would stop and shake any apple he found.  There weren't too many apples because it was a really bad year at the Apple Orchard but when he found one he would check it out.

I love seeing how his relationship with each of his siblings continues to grow.  They each provide something different to him.  Shane is his playmate.  The play cars, wrestle, ride bike, run in the backyard, play in the mud ... you know all the things boys do.  Alexa is his nurturer.  He looks to her when he is tired or sad.  He will often will lay his head on her shoulder and cuddle with her when he is tired and has fallen asleep in her arms numerous times.  This picture is a clear picture of his relationship with Emma. She does life with him.  She slows him down and engages him in things around him.  She will sit and talk with him.  I often find him snuggled in a corner in his room with her reading books to him.  She will play school with him and teach him new words.  

She lets him experience life but is right next to him when he does it.

Max also experienced S'mores for the first time this fall.  I am sure you can only imagine what he thought of those yummy treats?

He quickly snuck a marshmallow that hardly fit in his little mouth.  He thought those were pretty tasty ...

but when he got the real deal in his hands he was all smiles and there were a lot of "mmmmmmm's" coming out of his mouth! 

There was still more fall fun to experience as we headed to Papa and Grammy's house.  We hit Pumpkin Land which is an annual stop and a treat for the kids. 

Max stoop by the How Tall This Fall sign?  Where will he be next fall! He has grown so much already ... it is time to slow down!

Max thought he was a pretty big boy when he picked up his pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. The kids love the pumpkin patch, the petting zoo, the corn maze, the store ....

and of course putting their heads through the cut outs around Pumpkin Land.  What a cute little pumpkin we have.

Many would say Max is blessed .... as a family we would say we are the ones that are blessed.  Our family and hearts will forever be changed. 

Eight Months Ago ...

 Has it really been 8 months?  Where does the time go? Life seems to continue to move at a warp speed.  Max continues to fit like a glove in our family.  He has found his place rather quickly and every one is pretty smitten with each other.  I wondered if the "honeymoon" of the new brother would wear off but instead the bonds seem to grow deeper.  There are days that there are squeals and fights especially between the two boys but more often than not the 3 older ones are fighting over who gets to play with their brother.  We often pull out the timer so everyone gets a chance to be front and center with their brother. 

Max finished the summer with a bang and went down the big water slide with his daddy! He wasn't sure what to think about this new adventure but when all was said and done there were lots of smiles.

He also loved the days daddy came along because that usually meant there were treats. 

Max is a true boy at heart and loves his cars.  It just seems to be something that is part of a little boys nature.  He loves to line them up, zoom them down the ramp, make car noises and say "beep, beep, beep" when his cars go backwards.

Max came home functioning more like a 10 - 12 month old.  He couldn't walk or feed himself.  He was in the 5th percentile for weight and 10th for height.  He was a little peanut with very little muscle tone.  We just had his 2 year check up and his Dr said he has definitely made some ground since coming home.  When he was home if he would have been evaluated he would have qualified for a variety of therapies.  This little boy has some fight, drive, determination and a whole lot of life.  He is now caught up and falls in normal range in all developmental areas.  We are so thankful for the growth that we have seen.  He loves his food and that shows as he jumped to the 60th percentile in weight and 50th in height.  

He continues to love play dates with his friend Samantha.  We are so blessed with amazing friends who have walked the adoption road with us.  We swap date nights once a month which we all love.  All the kids get to play and the moms and dads benefit from a free date night once a month.  

This month brought some tears from this little boy and his mom.  His three older siblings went off to school and this little boy was pretty lost for a couple days.  He is happy to have is brother home two days yet until Christmas.  The first couple days he would cry his eyes out when the kids got out of the van for school.  He wasn't used to being left behind.  He would also walk around calling their names.  We settled in to a routine and I think he is liking this mommy one on one time now. 

Shane and Max soak up their Tuesday and Thursday's home together.  They often can be found building train tracks and playing trains.  

Max experienced dancing at his first Christian concert at Life Light.  The loves music and his head starting bopping the minute it started.  

He has become quite the little copy cat.  He is watching and taking everything in.  He is often found copying his siblings.  I love this picture of him and Emma lounging! 

Max met his Grammy Sue for the first time in June.  She is a missionary in Africa for 8 months of year and then resides in Sioux Falls the other four.  We feel so blessed that she can be part of our lives for those months and is literally right down the street.  There seem to be a mutual love between these two and Grammy Sue has been able to witness first hand Max grow and blossom these past few months.  

At the beginning of September we had our first big transition since coming home with Max.  We moved.  It didn't seem to phase Max.  It was good to see his sleep patterns and behavior stay consistent through this transition.  It helped us to see the security he feels in our family.  He is loving all the new room to run and play in the new house but what is even better is the new world that opened up to him in the front circle. 

At our old house the kids spent most of the time in the backyard because we lived on a busy road with a very steep driveway.  The kids rarely were out front riding bikes unless we were riding around the block or down the street.  Max loves the new found freedom that that cul-de-sac offers. Him and his siblings spend hours in the driveway and on the sidewalks.  His little feet seem to just go as fast as they can as he scoots around the cul-de-sac. His brother continues to rig up this little ride for him. They are quite the pair.

This little boy has no fear and seems to have the opinion, the rougher the better.  He chooses to go off the curb with a big bang than use the driveways.  He seems to love the thrill of new things and living a bit on the edge lately.  We could be in store for a wild ride. 

He is soaking up life .... and we are soaking up him!