Luca on the Slopes

5th Day Skiing! Here Luca flies down with Mommy, Grandpa and cousins Scott, Neal and Jamie. It was our first time watching him ski out of ski school.

Max 9 Months

Someday I'll get the 7th and 8th month pictures off our old camera. Skipping ahead to 9 months...

Weight: 25 lbs (between 90-95%)

Height: 30-1/2" (95%)

Teeth: 4 on the bottom, 2 top center, 2 incisors about to break through

Crawling, sitting, pulling up to knees, but not to stand

Laughing

Babbling - according to Luca, here are some of his "words": glee, glegh, ungoo, da-da-da, um-buhh, ha-ha-ha

Clapping, Raises hands about head with hands in fists

Passing things from hand to hand

Eating puffs, but not much chunky food

Max's 1st Hanukkah

Luca excited in front of the ridiculous amount of present accumulated from Mom, Dad, Grandparents and cousins... What to open first? He opened an awesome off-roader from Andrew and Justin and an Erector Set from Grandma/Grandpa. Pretty great 1st night for Luca!

Uncle Steven joins us for the 1st night

Luca lighting Uncle Steven's menorah since Mommy forgot our family menorah in the Connecticut house.

Luca lighting the wicks set in oil in his menorah that he made at school

Max opening his first present. Luca eventually jumped in to help. The gift was a toy car for infants to push when learning to crawl, little popping balls jump around inside. Whoops, didnt get a picture!

Max Crawling

Obviously I'm catching up on blog posts tonight. This the last one for today - tomorrow hopefully I will be on point to upload the 9 month pic (along with months 7 & 8 which are still on the camera) after his check-up in the morning...

Here is one of the first moments crawling. Thank goodness for iPhone video so I catch the moments fast when I don't have camera handy! Here is is scooting across the floor in the playroom in our building.

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2010 with Gioel's family at JMR's Chamard Vineyard. What an incredible setting for the holiday meal.

Daddy and Max dressed alike in their red cords and button down shirts -

Nonna and Max

Immediate family shot. (We missed you MICOL!)

Cousins!

Posing with Tante Judi:

The traditional Thanksgiving Reading, Uncle David leads -

Mommy and Luca follow along -

Some of the food. Aunt Bonnie organized some fabulous catering. (Jason, we expect to eat one of your turkeys again one of these years!)

...and by the end of the weekend Max started crawling!

Max - 6 Months

WOW! I am really growing fast!

21 lbs, 29" long

Still maintaining my record of 95% height and weight.

(We cross checked the stats with Luca's growth. He hit this height and weight at his 8 month check-up. At 6 months, Luca was only 17.5 lbs and 26.75" long).

Milestones:

Nearly sitting up on his own

Drooling everywhere, we expect more teeth any day now!

Loves to watch his brother and his dad

Watching mommy blowdry hair has strong calming effect

Eating 3 meals a day solid food, tried his first proteins - poultry and egg yolk

Passing things hand to hand

Enjoying tummy time

Prefers sleeping on his side now instead of his back

Favorite toy: that trendy rubber giraffe chew toy

and

Still quite bald!

We couldn't get a smile from Max during photo session (you can't even imagine the stunts I was pulling behind the camera, yet he was determined to remain serious and pensive!) We brought Luca in to help. The boys had more fun with the sign and together refused to smile or look at camera. These few pics capture the moment well :)

Napa Visit

A little belated - we're trying to catch up on posts!

We had a fabulous week in Napa last month visiting our old NYC neighbors and dear friends, the Dragoos. Luca and Austin were so happy to be reunited - they remembered all their old games and funny made-up words. We were so happy to meet Austin's new brother, Hayden. Max and Hayden will be good buddies one day! They are exactly 2 months apart, just like Luca and Austin. We spent every day outside at the local parks, eating well and just relaxing together like old times over here at the Riverhouse. We miss you guys!

Big boys in car

Little guys in car

Both babies! Everyone kept asking us if they were twins. must be the hairstyle!

Lunch at Taylor's Refresher

Me and Ali with the babies at the St Helena Farmers Market

Boys playing at park at St Helena Farmers Market

Bad Guy! Gun!

At Austin's 4th Birthday Party at Scientopia

Morning cartoons in jammies. Holding Lego weapons...

Max - 5 Months

I realize its been exactly a month since our last post. I have a bit to catch up on!

Max is 5 months and still topping the charts measuring over 95% in height and weight.

Height: 27-3/4"

Weight: 19 lbs, 14 oz.

Last week he got two teeth, one on 7/28 and the other on 7/29. The pediatrician had us start him on solids early since he had started waking in the night again. Apparently a 4 month old as large as Max needs more than just breastmilk to be satisfied! So far he has tried apples, pears, banana, sweet potato, squash, chayote squash, prunes, carrots, oats and rice cereal. He doesn't care for bananas.

Max 4 Months

Started teething,
Makes raspberry sounds with his mouth,
Laughs out loud,
Rolls over almost from back to his front - makes it about 160 degrees,
Enjoys tummy time for a short while,
Cooled off with Mommy at the Verbano Club for his first swim in the pool,
Eats 5-6x/day, drank a 7oz bottle today,
Loves having his cheeks tickled...









...and here's Luca helping Nonno make Pizza!

Luca Turns 4

Riding the metro to the center of Milan to visit the Ferrari Store (Its a surprise, at this point he still doesn't know where we are going)


"I'm 4!"


In Michael Schumacher's F1 Ferrari Racecar


Eating nice lunch outside with Mommy and Daddy. Gnocchi with pesto and focaccia.


Picking out supreme gelato for dessert


Milk chocolate, his favorite (this week)


Special Ferrari cake


Refused to let us sing Happy Birthday and light candles, but he still wanted to eat cake. I think he was a little worn out from the trip to the center!


Passed out after a long day! New car from Ferrari store in lap, new hat on head :)