WOW!! Yesterday was such a fun day! We CELEBRATED our sweet Max all day long. I love birthdays so, of course, I wanted to make Max's first one very special. Dubbed "Maxi-Gras" by Jeff, we started celebrating Max's birthday yesterday and it will continue through his family birthday party this weekend! :)
We began the Big Day by going to breakfast. We woke the birthday boy up early and headed out. I was so happy that Jeff was able to go into work a little late. One of the first fun things we got to do, now that Max is one, was turn his carseat around, so he is now facing forward. He seems to really like it, and I love being able to see him in the rearview! Breakfast was great - as you can see, Max enjoyed playing with the menu!!
After breakfast, we headed to
Rick and Bubba (aka The Rick and Bubba Broadcast Plaza and Teleport)!! Their new studio is set up with glass windows, like the Today Show, so that you can watch them do their morning radio show. A few months ago, I got the idea that it would be fun to take Max and a sign up there on his birthday and try to get a picture with them. Jeff liked the idea, too, so we off we went. Donna, a good friend from Bible study who works for the station they are broadcast on, also thought it sounded fun and decided to meet us there in hopes that she might be able to help get us in. Bakery J, another great Bible Study friend, provided a caramel birthday cake from her bakery, Angels Cakes and Confections. For those of you who may not know, Rick and Bubba call themselves the "Two Sexiest Fat Men Alive" and they love to eat!! Jeff and I thought the cake might help us get in and Bakery J thought it would be great if R&B loved her cake!! So, armed with our sign, our cake AND the most adorable one-year-old, we went to the studio in hopes of meeting R&B......AND IT WORKED! Within minutes of holding our sign and Max up to the window, we were escorted into the studio. Rick took Max from us as soon as we walked in the door and loved on him. Max really liked Rick and loved his goatee. After we took a group picture, Bubba held Max for a little while, too. They were so nice and we really appreciated them letting us come in during the middle of their show. What fun! Donna, thanks for your help and the birthday balloon you brought Max. He is in love with it.
After R&B (and a quick outfit change for Max into something cooler), Jeff had to head back to work, and Max and I headed to the zoo to meet his Grams, Grandma, and Aunt Ashey for some more birthday fun! He was so glad to see all of them! He loves his family and his face lights up when he is around them! Unlike his last visit to the zoo, Max had a great time yesterday! He is now so aware of his surroundings and loves seeing animals. He LOVES the giraffes (just like his Mommy!) and really liked the butterfly house, too. Butterflies were flying all around us! We were at the zoo for about 2 hours, and, needless to say, he was pretty pooped from all the excitement of the day and the warmth of the sun by the time we left. He took a great nap when we got home! : )
Max's Pops was attending meetings all day and evening, so he came over later that night to tell Max "Happy Bithday". Max was excited to see him come through the door! He fell asleep quickly after Pops left and slept HARD. Well, once I pried his birthday balloon out of his hands! :)
Max had a great first birthday and Jeff and I had a wonderful time with him. We are so glad he got to spend it with a lot of his family, as well. We know that he, of course, won't remember the details of the day, but the love that he got from all of you will stay with him forever. Thanks for helping us make this day special. And, hey, Maxi-Gras isn't over yet!
Yesterday was Max's 1 year check-up and he passed with flying colors! He weighs 21.1 lbs and is 30.5 inches long - tall and thin! :) Dr. McCown said he looked great. He can now drink real milk and is pretty much cleared to eat everything except peanuts and peanut products, which they now recommend waiting until age 2 to introduce. Max still did well during his exam, which impressed his doctor. He was very curious and a little wary of what was going on (as you can see from some of his facial exressions!), but he didn't get upset until Dr. McCown looked in his ears, and then, of course, when he got his shots. Jeff and I figure this might have been our last visit where he stays so calm since he will now begin recongnizng where we are when we get there. I guess we'll find out in November when we take him for his 15-month checkup! After his appointment we took him to a late breakfast at IHOP, where he really enjoyed some pancakes - he deserved them after the morning he had! Such a sweet little guy!
