Happy Halloween (for real this time) and Birthday (to Mommy and DDJJ)

Halloween Day started with a haircut for Max. We went to a place called "Just Kids." We read rave reviews on Yelp about it, so we decided to go there with Gong Gong. Well, it was miserable. The lady was a little rough, but fast, and she started by spraying Max's hair with water, which made him pretty upset (note: when we left, a father brought in his son and specifically asked for 'no water'). Max got over it pretty quickly, though, and after his nap, we headed up to the city to meet up with our friends, Nea, Kristin, and Dan. Nea was dressed as an adorable dinosaur, and she and Max played well together. Afterwards, we went to Emmett's house for a reprisal of last year's Halloween Party (refer to blog entry from one year ago where Max slept through the whole party in his bumblebee costume).



This year Max had a little more interest in what was going on around him, and so did all the other babies that were there last year. We saw Emmett, Q, Avery, Ezra, Olivia, Roxy, and Matthew at the party, and it was a happening soiree (note the kids hanging out at the water bar). We rounded off the evening with a visit to Matt Kahn's annual pumpkin display at Stanford (sorry no pics - it was too dark). Max didn't go to bed until 9pm that evening! Finally, Mommy's bday gift . . . and like last year, we only took pictures of the box, and not the gift inside . . . this year it's the box, and stuffing inside. FYI: last year's gift was a miniature of XW's now-sold car, Turbie. And this year, it was bowls from Heath Ceramics (where Daddy served as an engineering intern back in 2004).



As an aside, Auntie Tina (who works with Mommy) saw the last posting with the crown from Burger King. Yeah, ok, we thought we were being "resourceful." Anyway, she was SO disappointed in us that she decided to knit a crown that night and give it to Max the next day. Needless to say, we loved it, and were floored that she knit it one night! Anyway, enjoy the new crown!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! And Happy Birthday to DiDiJiuJiu and Mommy!

Max is walking everywhere he can these days, and we went to the local supermarket to play with some big pumpkins. Last weekend, Mommy and Daddy cut and paste (with hot glue) Max's "Max" costume for Halloween. It's all about felt scraps at Joann Fabrics, people. Anyway, the week before Halloween, we went to Balmy Street in the SF mission to take photos in front of the "Max in his private boat" mural. There were some other great murals there, too. It wasn't TOO hot, and Max was a happy trooper, despite being in polar fleece in 65 degree weather.

Maxwell Turns One

Maxwell turned one year old this year on Sept 25, 2009. It was really special to have Gong Gong and Nai Nai both here to help him usher in his first birthday. We bought Max a water heater for his birthday, being the loving parents that we are. And we also bought him a house - one that he toppled over within minutes of entering. But the highlight was when Max decided to put out the candle on his cupcake with his hand, and Mommy kind of freaked out. All in all, Max had a great day. We've included some of the photos from that weekend, as well.



The following weekend, Mommy pulled together an amazing party to thank everyone out there who has helped, supported, and contributed to Maxwell's rapid growth. We could not have survived without you all. Of course, we weren't able to invite everyone who has supported Max, but we tried our darnedest. Kudos to Mommy for pulling it all off, and a huge thanks go to Nai Nai and Gong Gong, as well as to all of our friends and family who could make it, and to all of our friends and family who could not. We are so grateful for all of you, and we are grateful that Max can be surrounded by so much love and friendship. Here's to you all!

Wrestling Cousins

To the loyal fans of this little blog:

We, the Management, apologize for holding out on you guys. We've been a bit lazy about all the new things going on with Max, but here's something to (hopefully) appease you for the time being. If you've been following Cousin Lia's blog, you'll have already seen the first video (GuGu is just that good!!).

yours,
The Management

p.s. There's a lot of fun stuff from Max's birthday to come.



and here's a blast from the past:

New Cousin (+ blog link)!

We want to welcome Tyler Le Wang, who made his swift and glorious debut into the world on August 3, 2009. You can follow his adventures, along with big sister, Sammi, in their blog, "Pure Joy." Just look to the right-hand column under "Cousin Links" and you'll see we've added their blog to the list!

We are overjoyed to see Tyler (as well as his blog)! He looks just like DDJM's (Di Di Jiu Ma) dad! We love the blog, and we love Sammi, Tyler, DDJJ, and DDJM.

Our Little Carnivore: Epilogue

This Labor Day Weekend, Daddy was on duty as Mommy kicked on the afterburners for school and work. So, Daddy and Maxwell got some quality time together on Saturday and Sunday. We tried a few "food-firsts" for Maxwell:

- First In-N-Out Burger (double-double animal style, thanks to uncle Mike)
- First In-N-Out Fries (well-done, as Daddy prefers them)
- First Pig Knuckle (thanks to Mei Mei Yi Po)
- First Roast Beef (also thanks to MMYP)
- First McDonald's Vanilla Milkshake
- First McDonald's Fries (Maxwell didn't take to these as well as In-N-Out)

Let it be known that these were what we gave him AFTER we fed him his usual meal (of veggies, fruit, tofu, and yogurt). Please don't think that this is all we feed our son. Or that Daddy is off his rocker.

This, of course, all follows on the heels of Nai Nai's Niu Rou Mian, which officially introduced him to the carnivorous side of life.



In addition, for your viewing pleasure (or disgust), Maxwell noshing on a pork knuckle.

Our Little Carnivore

Summary of tonight's dinner:

Appetizer: Steamed Lentils
Max is hungry, so he not-so-delicately smashes lentils into his mouth with his fork. As usual, fork is held in left hand while right hand decorates his tray with misfit lentil droppings from his mouth.

Course One: Plain Yogurt with Tofu, Carrot and Rice Cereal
Max is still smashing lentils into his mouth, so I take the opportunity to shovel in spoonfuls of protein and high-calcium foods. Note that nearly all vegetables must be mixed with plain yogurt in order for Max to eat it these days. Sigh. At least he eats broccoli and brussel sprouts.

Palate Cleanser: Sugar Plum Tomatoes
Okay, so it's not so much of a palate cleanser, but it bought me a bit of time to prepare Course Two. Max sucks out the inners of the tiny tomatoes, leaving behind a dainty trail of tomato skins, amid lentil droppings...all over his tray...the floor beneath him...and in his hair.

Course Two: Baby Borscht
Max LOVES borscht (beets, yukon potato, apple, spinach and pear blended with a savory sauce). He goes a bit gaga for the strong flavors and essence of dill. This is the one baby food we don't make from scratch, but at the rate he eats it, I am this close to hiring a live-in Russian chef.

Dessert: Half a Pluot
Our boy adores his sour foods. (Did I mention most things need to be blended with plain yogurt?) Though Max consistently spits out tomato skins, he savors his plum and pluot skins. (insert squinty smiley face)

Bonus Course: Pig Knuckles
What!? You're still hungry? Who are you, and what have you done with our Max? Daddy offers Max a bit of his "zhu-2 jiao-3"...that's right, Chinese pig knuckles. Sound appetizing? Apparently, Max thought it was the tastiest delight in the world and grinned with each bite like we've never seen before. He actually took whole bites and digested the stuff. Yes, the boy who rejects tomato skins can chew pig knuckles. Intermittently in between bites, Max would raise his head up high, clasp his hands together and thank the gods for such delicious creations. No exaggeration. We caught it on video.

I tried not to show too much disappointment that Max didn't react with this enthusiasm to his lentils and tofu. It looks like we may have a carnivore in our hands.