More Christmas pictures!

Ben's sister sent us some pictures today that she took of Max at Christmas and they are so cute I just had to blog them!  I have had a particularly trying day with Max today, but just looking at his adorable face helps me get through!  

Check out the matching hair and socks!

Still trying to play with Harrison - poor Harrison looks petrified!

Gorgeous!

Max and his cousin Tim.

Max's first Christmas

Christmas has been very different this year, for lots of reasons, but it was great to have Max around for his first Christmas.  It was spent at Nanny Maureen's and he was well and truly spoilt with many presents and bags of attention.  Max's Great Nanny Butler has recently moved into a nursing home following her stroke this Summer.  We took Max to see her on Christmas morning and this was by far the highlight of my Christmas this year.  We only spent 40 minutes with her, but in that short time he brought so much joy to her - she is very poorly and has been severly disabled by her stroke, but when she saw him her face lit up - she held Max and laughed and talked with him - she even managed to tell me what a lovely smile he has, and talking is a huge challenge for her.  It was wonderful to see a little glimpse of the Nanny Butler we all love and like to remember.  I have lost count of the times that Max has brought joy amidst sadness since he came into the world.  He truly is my little hero.

Max terrorising his cousin Harrison! He just wanted to poke him and touch him all the time and Harrison was not best pleased!

Max reading with Nanny Maureen.

Yum, this present tastes nice!  Max didn't really care less about what was inside the wrappings, but he loved the wrappings themselves!

Here is Max with Great Nanny Butler, and bringing lots of smiles to her face!

Bathtime kisses!

Arrrrrgh!

Max is really good company these days - he is developing a very cute sense of humour and we laugh a lot together! He has recently taken to screaming at the top of his high pitched little voice - most of the time I love it and it really makes me laugh, but some days I have to admit that it can grate a little, especially at the very end of the day when I am shattered and have a headache! I captured some shots the other day when he was on fine screaming form!!

A triumph, or so I thought!!

In a panic yesterday I realised that I would be seeing my grandparents for the last time before Christmas this weekend, and hadn't got them a Christmas present yet. Needed really to go bearing gifts this weekend - so, gorgeous baby boy comes to the rescue and I very quickly set up an impromptu photo shoot and took some snaps of Max and ran (well, drove) to Bluewater to get a nice one enlarged and put in a frame. Hey presto - the perfect gift for the adoring Great Grandparents. The photo shoot was very amateur, as you will be able to tell, but I think I got a great shot for the grandparents and I am sure (or so I thought) they will be pleased as punch. My glee at getting their Christmas present so quickly and cheaply was soon shot down though when I told my Mum about my achievements that night on the phone - she told me they would love it, but then followed that with "your sister has made them a scrapbook of the kids this year for Christmas, which they will also love" - nice one Sarah - the most creative one out of the Boycott girls always upstages me when it comes to these things! Just when I thought Nan and Grandad wouldn't be able to notice my lack of effort! Maybe the chocs I also bought from M&S might just heal the pain of a blatantly amateur shot of Max in a pants Boots (buy one get one free!) frame!!

Anyway, here are a few of my favourites...


An insight into Max as a teenager? "BORED!"


Can't I just eat the M&S chocolates Mummy?


I will look anywhere but in the camera lens!

Oh no, another teenager insight - "Wanna fight?"

My how you've grown!

I can't believe how my little 6lb12oz newborn baby boy has turned into this 22lb 7 month old bruiser! I am loving every minute! These pictures are precious!

One day old.

7 months old!

There were never such devoted sisters!

We have had a great weekend as a family - Max's 2 big sisters came to visit and we had lots of fun together. Max was showered with attention and kisses. We went swimming (during which we got a little insight into what it will be like for Max having 2 big sisters when they were styling his hair into mohawks etc..!) and spent quality time with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Ben had an horrific journey going to pick the girls up (spent almost 12 hours solid driving), but somehow it was all forgotten as we spent time together, and saw everyone having such a great time together - these sacrifices are worth it! Enjoy these snapshots!


Jess made Max smile and laugh all weekend - all she had to do was look at him it seemed! She was also a great help - next time you will change a nappy Jess!


Louisa played with Max all weekend! Here they are both enjoying their favourite toys together!


Max does not look impressed with this display of affection!


Ah, thats better!!

And here they all are together - great photo, fun times!

I am not impressed!!

I have begun to make Max's food lumpier these days, and yesterday he had me in hysterics! He was eating mashed potato and broccoli (something he usually woofs down when pureed) and you would think I was feeding him regurgitated cat food or something similar. These pictures show just how unimpressed he was! He made me laugh out loud, which in turn made him laugh too - so he obviously didn't hold a grudge against me!

"I still love you Mummy!"

I love London....today!

The last few days have been really nice, which has been welcomed amidst the stresses of Max's major teething grizzles, house decorating etc. I have been spending some time in Central London, which I don't normally do much of - On Monday night Ben and I went to see Queen at the O2 (yes, the band Queen, minus Freddie of course but replaced by the very sexy Paul Rodgers). It was a swanky night, all paid for by his employers, and included a boat trip down the Thames from the Embankment to the O2 in Greenwich. It was just getting dark and was really beautiful and made me have warm fuzzy feelings about the capital, which I very rarely have!!

Then today, Ben had a meeting in London so Max and I decided to accompany him on the train and whilst he was doing his thing we went for a mooch around the National Gallery - Max and I had a lovely time admiring the works of art, and even though I have been before, I particularly enjoyed looking at the Constables knowing that this artist was a favourite of my Dad's.
So, today I really love London, however, as we stepped off the train into South East London suburbia I was brought sharply back down to the reality of London living for the working classes! Somehow I think it will not take long for my loathing to return along with my longing to be back in the countryside!

Anyway, enjoy these snapshots of the past few days.

Gorgeous night time views of London from the Thames.

Max in Trafalgar Square, outside the National Gallery.

My gorgeous boy, getting ready to admire some art!

On the way home on the train!

Had to throw this one in - Max watching CBeebies the other day - talk about mesmorised!

Chalk and cheese!

We had a lovely afternoon today at Tacha and Jamie's. Max's cousin Harrison is changing quickly too and is getting so big. They really are like chalk and cheese - they are so different looking and seem to have very different personalities. Harrison is so relaxed and chilled out and takes really long naps (lucky Tacha) - whereas Max gets very agitated and is all over the place - and we are lucky to get hour long naps out of him during the day! However, despite their differences I think they will be great friends!!


Ben, sister Tacha and the boys!


Stripes R us!

My hero!

The new season of Heroes starts tonight which I am sooo excited about! And, to commemorate this great occasion, here are a couple of pictures of my hero - yes I know, very cheesy, but really Max is my hero. I don't think I would have smiled at all in the last 4 weeks if it hadn't been for Max. He truly is the smiliest baby I know and beams at me constantly. Even during the most darkest of moments, I cannot help but smile when my baby smiles and giggles at me. And I know that his Daddy, Grandma, Auntie and Uncle would also echo these sentiments.


What a mischievous face!


Check out his new teeth!! Very exciting...

Wedding Bells

Yesterday we went to the wedding of our good friends Gordon and Becky. Ben was Gordon's best man and did a great job, which made up for the fact that both Max and I missed him all day! We watched from afar as he did his duties! It was a really long hot day and Max struggled to sleep in his buggy, but we had a great time! It was hard getting up today for church after our late night, but Max Ben and I all settled down after church today for a well earned nap. Max enjoyed his nap so much that we had to wake him up as his nap was extending dangerously close to bedtime! Here are some pics of the special day and my special boy!


My little handsome man!


My big handsome man - with Gordon and his brother Alex.


The gorgeous love birds!


Poor Max, so hot and tired!


Max and I enjoying a kiss and cuddle outside on the decking - the restaurant was right on the river - gorgeous location and great sea breeze!

Bouncy bouncy

Nanny Maureen gave us this bouncer for Max ages ago, and he is just about big enough for it now, so today we got it down from the loft and Max tried it for size - it was a resounding success, and I am very excited to have another bit of kit to distract my son so I can get things done around the house!

Swimming!

Today has been very fun! Ben and I took Max swimming for the first time. He loves being in the bath so we were optimistic that he would enjoy himself - and he certainly did, although it wasn't quite as we expected - he just stayed very quiet and was taking everything in. He didn't splash around much, but just kicked back and relaxed! We stayed in for about 40 minutes, and we only got out because Ben and I were bored! I am thinking that this will become a regular outing for Max and I!


Before - getting ready!


During - just chillin!


After - getting dry!