Maxine Observations pt. 1

This started as a sort of post-script to the previous entry, but got long enough to deserve it's own spot, and then long enough to deserve two spots, each with pictures. And so, allow me to throw in a few random facts about Maxine as we approach her first birthday:

-She often naps while in the car. Especially after dusk. She typically falls asleep just as we reach the large intersection in front of our home. This can be frustrating if she has been crying up until that point, but it is still a welcome relief.

-She knows that reaching her arms up is asking me to pick her up.

-She laughs lots, giving us an opportunity to verify the tooth count.

-She is taking steps unaided. She still gets very excited about it, especially when one of us tells her that she is doing well. She looks up, smiles, claps for herself, and falls on her butt.

Thrust!

-She is shaping up to be a fine warrior.

Block!

Excellent form, Maxine! You will soon be ready to receive your own Bat'leth! [Just for the record, I am the slightest bit embarrassed by spelling the Klingon sword name correctly the first time, with the excuse of currently reading a Star Trek novel only adding to the feeling. All compounded by not spelling "embarrassed" correctly the first time.]

-She has an interesting habit with her pacifier: she reaches up and gives it a little twist, rotating it 180 degrees, so it's upside down. Then back again. Sometimes she will do this for minutes at a time.

-She likes tearing up paper, especially toilet paper. Very entertaining to watch, but you have to be sure that she doesn't eat any of it, because she likes that, too.

-She doesn't like watching t.v., but she loves pushing the buttons. And the buttons on the VCR, the DVD player, the receiver, the remote control, the piece-of-crap dishwasher, cell phones, computer keyboards, anything with buttons. I'm sure that she would enjoy the controls to a nuclear reactor if she could get to them. The dishwasher is a favorite because when she hits the power button, it beeps and lights come on over the other buttons. Then if she presses those buttons, it beeps more, and sometimes makes other noises. Then Mommy and Daddy come along and spoil the fun. I'm searching for where the darn thing is plugged in. It's the most worthless thing in the kitchen, now that Horyon is cooking for Maxine.

-She is very amused when I hold something in my mouth, like one of her toys. Sometimes I play dog, and wrestle things away from her. Hilarious, if you are Maxine.

-She babbles. Not like Horyon, where I know all the words but they don't make sense. Maxine doesn't use any words I recognize (except for an occasional mumble that sounds like "Hamburger" to me).

-She outgrew her first car seat. It was getting pretty uncomfortable for riding around in the car because of the safety belts, but you don't need safety belts to watch some t.v. Thanks again to Nelson and Melanie for giving it to us, and rest assured that it will be passed on to someone who would probably not use a car seat if they didn't get one from us.